Marvel’s new movie Thunderbolts has left fans buzzing with questions, especially about its title. The asterisk in the film’s name turned out to be more than just a mysterious typo—it played a significant role in unveiling the future of the movie’s team. Let’s break down the Thunderbolts twist and explore how the ending sets the stage for Marvel’s next major shift: the New Avengers.
The Asterisk in the Title: A Placeholder Name
From the moment the Thunderbolts movie was announced, the asterisk in its title caused plenty of speculation. Fans speculated it could be a temporary name for the group, and they were right. As the movie progresses, we learn that Thunderbolts wasn’t the official name at all. It was a placeholder, a moniker that would eventually be replaced.
Marvel kept this twist under wraps, even teasing it at Comic-Con with comments from Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige. Feige, playing coy, remarked that fans would have to wait until after the movie was released to get the full explanation. And sure enough, the ending of Thunderbolts delivers the much-anticipated reveal.
The New Avengers: The Official Team Name
In the movie, Valentina Allegra de Fontaine (played by Julia Louis-Dreyfus), the CIA director, is working to assemble a new group of operatives to replace the Avengers, who have been on hiatus since Avengers: Endgame. However, things take a dark turn when it’s revealed that Valentina has been conducting human experiments. She attempts to eliminate the evidence and anyone associated with her project.
Valentina sends a team—Yelena (Florence Pugh), John Walker (Wyatt Russell), Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen), and Taskmaster (Olga Kurylenko)—to kill each other in an abandoned facility. After Ghost kills Taskmaster, the remaining members realize they’ve been set up. They escape with Bob (Lewis Pullman), a civilian who was part of Valentina’s experiments.
As the team struggles to escape and figure out their next move, there is internal tension over who should lead. Walker, a former Captain America, tries to take charge, but Yelena dismisses his military background, drawing a humorous parallel with her past involvement in a children’s soccer team. Later, Walker suggests naming the group Thunderbolts after the soccer team, and Red Guardian (David Harbour), Yelena’s adoptive father, encourages them to become a superhero team. While Red Guardian embraces the name, the rest of the team rejects it, sparking a shift in direction.
The Official New Avengers Name Reveal
As the movie concludes, the team—including Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan) and Red Guardian—takes action to stop Valentina and Bob, who has lost control of his powers. They manage to save New York and arrest Valentina. However, in a final twist, Valentina tricks them into appearing at a press conference. At this press event, she introduces the team to the public as The New Avengers, much to the surprise of the team itself.
This move is a major deviation from the comics, where The New Avengers name was established after the original Avengers disbanded. In the comics, the New Avengers were formed after an incident with the Scarlet Witch that resulted in the destruction of Asgard and the Avengers’ mansion. This storyline sets the stage for a fresh version of the Avengers, but with new members and a unique set of challenges.
The Post-Credit Scene and Rival Teams
The post-credit scene in Thunderbolts offers a glimpse into the future of the MCU’s superhero teams. Set 14 months after the movie’s events, the New Avengers are shown in their new uniforms, but there’s a catch—they’re already at odds with Captain America (Anthony Mackie). In this scene, the New Avengers argue about how to handle Captain America’s Avengers, which may be a reference to the Civil War storyline in the comics.
In Civil War, the New Avengers were divided, with some siding with Iron Man and others with Captain America, creating a rift that would lead to a major clash between the two groups. The rivalry between these Avengers teams could be a key plot point for the MCU moving forward, especially as the post-credit scene hints at a new arc—Avengers: Doomsday—which could feature rival Avengers groups.
A New Era for Marvel’s Superheroes
With the New Avengers now officially formed, it’s clear that Marvel is entering a new phase. The introduction of rival Avengers teams could set the stage for a fresh dynamic in the MCU, opening the door to exciting possibilities for future films. Fans can expect to see the New Avengers face both external and internal struggles, making for some compelling storylines in the coming years.
Whether the rivalry between Captain America’s team and the New Avengers will mirror the comics remains to be seen, but one thing is for sure—Marvel’s future is looking more complex and exciting than ever before.