Credit: Video Screenshot, 'Thunderbolts*', Marvel StudiosLast week, the 36th movie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe was unveiled.
With excitement not quite nearing Deadpool & Wolverine (2024) standards but a lot stronger than Captain America: Brave New World (2025), Jake Schreier’s Thunderbolts* (2025) officially debuted in theaters on May 1. Bringing back fan-favorite characters such as Florence Pugh’s Yelena Belova and Sebastian Stan’s Bucky Barnes, Thunderbolts* also saw other supporting roles come into the spotlight.
Hannah John-Kamen’s Ava Starr/Ghost, Wyatt Russell’s John Walker/U.S. Agent, David Harbour’s Alexei Shostakov/Red Guardian, and Olga Kurylenko’s Antonia Dreykov/Taskmaster all joined Pugh and Stan in this misfit adventure. Thunderbolts* had a positive opening weekend, taking $74 million at the domestic box office, and currently stands at $165 million globally.
One of the most intriguing elements of Thunderbolts* was the addition of the asterisk in the title mid-production. At the time, Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige explained that all would be revealed when the movie hit screens. Prior to its global release, conversation about what it meant ranged from the Thunderbolts team becoming the New Avengers or the Dark Avengers.
Now, not even one week after its launch, Marvel has made it clear to the masses what the asterisk symbolizes. The confirmation became apparent to moviegoers in the final moments of the movie, not long before the huge one-two credit scenes.
After coming together to save the people of New York City (again) from Sentry–Lewis Pullman’s Robert “Bob” Reynolds’ alter-ego–Julia Louis-Dreyfus’ Valentina Allegra de Fontaine orchestrates a press opportunity where she announces the squad to be the New Avengers.
In an MCU where the Avengers are “no longer active,” the arrival of the New Avengers team is already sparking discourse on what the future of the Multiverse looks like ahead of Victor Von Doom’s (Robert Downey Jr.) arrival in Avengers: Doomsday (2026).
However, Marvel Studios’ choice to publicly make the stinger known to those who haven’t even seen the movie yet has ignited conversation over spoilers–and why Marvel has decided to feature the name change as part of its ongoing marketing plan. For example, on the official Marvel Studios X (formerly Twitter) account, the bio and header image showcase The New Avengers title.
Elsewhere, videos are being shared of the cast–including one of Sebastian Stan–replacing earlier marketing with posters featuring this new name.
One comment from @nicht_weit read:
LOL, should I even go to the cinema and see this? You spoilt the plot.
LOL, should I even go to the cinema and see this? You spoilt the plot.
— nicht_weit (@nicht_weit) May 5, 2025
Another comment from @kebede_sanam echoed the above sentiments, saying:
Thank you for spoiling this 3 days after, very cool!
Thank you for spoiling this 3 days after, very cool!
— Senam Kebede🔜Combo Breaker (@kebede_senam) May 5, 2025
However, Marvel’s risky decision to promote this new title, especially during a tumultuous time for the studio where audience retention is fragile, could come at a cost. As @marcuszee77’s actions show:
Couldn’t go watch this over the weekend and was avoiding spoilers to watch the movie this weekend, but of course you already spoiled it for me. Very disappointed, I think I’ll just wait for it to come on Disney+ now
Couldn’t go watch this over the weekend and was avoiding spoilers to watch the movie this weekend, but of course you already spoiled it for me. Very disappointed, I think I’ll just wait for it to come on Disney+ now
— Markus (@marcuszee77) May 5, 2025
Of course, the name change is only one factor of the plot–and something that is essentially already teased by the tone of the trailers that were released prior to the movie’s debut. That said, it is easy to see the frustration and annoyance of some fans who were yet to see Thunderbolts*. On the name change public reveal, director Jake Schreier explained to The New York Times that it’s a positive thing in his eyes.
“It’s very fun that they were open to embracing that,” Schreier said. “It’s so interesting in this world, and Kevin talks about it sometimes, where sometimes they wanted things to leak, and they don’t. I think we all assumed that it would be a bigger part of the conversation already, so it’ll be interesting to see what happens.”
Where the New Avengers sit in the MCU’s future is yet to be decided, especially as the post-credits scene explained that Sam Wilson—Anthony Mackie’s Captain America—is readying to assemble the original Avengers squad. The reveal that Sam was trademarking the Avengers name has come into the real world, with the official Avengers social media accounts now including the copyright symbol.
For Marvel Studios, the next movie to hit the big screen will be the long-awaited Fantastic Four movie, The Fantastic Four: First Steps (2025), from director Matt Shakman (WandaVision).
Then, looking ahead, Avengers: Doomsday will debut in May 2026, and with an already stacked cast, including the New Avengers and the Fantastic Four teams, Phase Six looks set to be what many at the studio have already suggested will be a new beginning for the franchise–one that may lead into the Mutant Saga.
The Fantastic Four: First Steps will arrive on the big screen on July 25, 2025. Thunderbolts*–or should we say The New Avengers–is now playing in cinemas worldwide.
How do you feel about the marketing tactic and new name reveal for Thunderbolts*? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments down below!