Why That Asterisk in Thunderbolts* Changes Everything About the MCU Team Reveal

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This article contains SPOILERS for Thunderbolts*

On March 27, 2024, Marvel Studios unveiled a fresh logo for the earlier announced Thunderbolts movie, officially naming it “Thunderbolts”. This simple asterisk (*) sparked numerous speculative articles about its meaning in relation to the 36th film of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Its significance was further emphasized when Kevin Feige stated during CinemaCon 2024 that audiences would only understand its purpose once the movie had been released.

After the movie’s debut, it’s now clear what the asterisk signified. Towards the end of the film, Valentina “Val” Allegra de Fontaine affectionately labels the team as “The New Avengers” in front of a captivated audience who witnessed these former villains and anti-heroes pull off a heroic feat. In hindsight, it was evident that their true name was the Thunderbolts, and the presence of The Sentry served as a strong hint. Here’s how the Thunderbolts stack up against the New Avengers in the comics, as well as how Marvel Studios might be blending the New Avengers with another comic team.

Who Are The New Avengers in the Comic?

Initially, the team assembled for the comics version of The New Avengers consisted of two former members, Captain America and Iron Man, alongside fresh faces such as Spider-Man, Spider-Woman, and Luke Cage. Within the first year’s worth of issues, they added The Sentry, Echo, and Wolverine to their ranks. In 2012, under the pen of Jonathan Hickman, the New Avengers underwent a reboot that eventually paved the way for Secret Wars.

Although named “The Avengers,” the comic primarily revolved around the enigmatic, covert organization known as the Illuminati, who were on a mission to safeguard the multiverse from intrusions regardless of the cost. A scene at the end of *Thunderbolts* hints that they are now cognizant of a cosmic predicament, suggesting further multiverse incursions and leaving them in a challenging position.

Thunderbolts appears to amalgamate two fundamental themes from The New Avengers comics. It maintains the initial premise of a team that assembles when The Avengers are absent, but it also incorporates elements from the 2012 version of the team, which handles heroes ready to make difficult decisions. For nearly four decades, Marvel would often put characters in The Avengers who couldn’t sustain their own solo series. In this sense, the concept of Thunderbolts evolving into The New Avengers offers a delightful twist, as the team is primarily composed of C-list supporting characters and villains from various Marvel Cinematic Universe properties, now taking center stage in superhero antics.

Why the Thunderbolts are The New Avengers

The notion that the Thunderbolts were secretly the MCU’s version of the New Avengers was subtly hinted at through the introduction of The Sentry. Although Marvel Studios kept the character Lewis Pullman played in the film a mystery, it had long been known that he portrayed The Sentry. This revelation served as a clear sign of the team’s true identity, as The Sentry played a crucial role in the original comic series of The New Avengers. Comics #7 to #10, published from July to September 2005, delved into The Sentry’s backstory and his induction into The New Avengers.

Across the cosmos, placing the Thunderbolts as the modern equivalent of The Avengers is quite logical. This team, formed in New York City, confronts a danger that no individual hero could handle, much like their counterparts depicted in the 2012 film. Interestingly, this storyline unfolds at the same location, as Val acquired Avengers Tower and transformed it into Watchtower – a central hub for the Sentry in comic books, and now the new operational base for her newly assembled team of heroes. Unlike The Avengers who were united by Nick Fury to protect the world, The Thunderbolts were gathered by Val, a kind of dark mirror image of Fury, not just to save the world but also to meet an untimely end.

To put it simply, it seems clear that “Thunderbolts” was intended to be the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s version of The New Avengers, given their unconventional roles as anti-heroes. However, it appears that the MCU may also be introducing a team known as The New Avengers, but under a different name – the most popular fan theory regarding “Thunderbolts.” Essentially, this team could be both the new version of The Avengers and The Dark Avengers.

Who Are the Dark Avengers and How They Influence ‘Thunderbolts*’

The prevalent idea about the title “Thunderbolts” suggested that the team would be unmasked as the Dark Avengers. This notion was bolstered by the presence of The Sentry, who subsequently became a member of the Dark Avengers following the New Avengers. Furthermore, during the “Dark Reign” narrative, the Dark Avengers were derived from the Thunderbolts team, which was established during both “Civil War” and “Secret Invasion”.

In this version of events, the Dark Avengers observed Spider-Man’s adversary, Norman Osborn, assuming the Iron Patriot identity. He then assembled a team of villains and anti-heroes, disguising them as renowned heroes. At that time, Osborn was leading H.A.M.M.E.R., a revamped and deadlier version of S.H.I.E.L.D., and was secretly controlling Bob Reynolds, also known as The Sentry, to unleash the Void as his final weapon. The Marvel Cinematic Universe has drawn from this narrative for the Thunderbolts, most notably replacing Norman Osborn with Valentina, who now aims to control The Sentry while rebranding a previous team called The Thunderbolts and presenting them as a new Avengers squad.

In the Marvel Cinematic Universe, it’s not feasible for us, the creators, to label this new squad “The Dark Avengers.” It wouldn’t sit well with the universe’s established narrative. Even in the comics, they were officially called The Avengers, while ‘The Dark Avengers’ was merely a catchy comic book title and a term the genuine Avengers used for their adversaries.

However, although they share similarities with the Thunderbolts from the Marvel Comics, this MCU team seems to be more aligned with the Thunderbolts, or as some might say, the New Avengers. But unlike the Dark Avengers, this MCU team appears to have a genuine desire to do good.

It appears that the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) has blended elements from The New Avengers and The Dark Avengers for the team known as Thunderbolts. Although the title card reads ‘New Avengers’, they embody both teams. Given that Thunderbolts are now referred to as New Avengers, could the MCU accommodate two Avengers teams? If a potential sequel were to arise, would it still be called ‘New Avengers’? These questions and their answers have recently sparked excitement in the MCU, with further revelations expected following ‘Avengers: Doomsday’.

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2025-05-02 07:33