WARNING: The following article contains a major spoiler for the ending of the Marvel “Thunderbolts*” film. Viewer discretion is advised.
‘Thunderbolts*’ Mystery Asterisk Meaning Revealed
“Thunderbolts*” is the 36th official Marvel film in the overall franchise and considered the end of Phase Five of the MCU. The film is directed by Jake Schreier from a screenplay by Eric Pearson and Joanna Calo. Reprising their roles are Florence Pugh as Yelena Belova / Black Widow, Sebastian Stan as Bucky Barnes / The Winter Soldier, David Harbour as Alexie Shostakov / Red Guardian, Wyatt Russell as John Walker, Olga Kurylenko as Taskmaster, Hannah John-Kamen as Ghost, and Julia Louis-Dreyfus as Valentina Allegra de Fontaine. They’re joined by Lewis Pullman as Bob / Sentry.
“Thunderbolts*” officially premiers in theaters on May 2, but the film has started early previews on May 1. Audiences watching the film have been surprised with a special announcement that takes place at the very end of the film, just before the ending credits begin to roll.
In one of the original trailers released for “Thunderbolts*” Marvel teased the idea that the asterisk in the film’s title refers to the fact that not all the members of the team are actively embracing their group name, which is originally suggested by Red Guardian. This is implied in the way the trailer is edited to be the “Thunderbolts” name. However, by the end of the film, the group actually adopts the title “The New Avengers” as a play on the fact that they are similar to the original Avengers, but without as many of their special powers.
During the ending credits for “Thunderbolts*” the film’s title is shattered unexpectedly before being replaced with the title “The New Avengers.” Officially, Marvel is now dubbing this team The New Avengers, which is expected to be a recurring label in upcoming movies. The film is still premiering in theaters with the “Thunderbolts*” title, but this is implied to be a placeholder for “The New Avengers.”
Phase Six gets underway this summer with the release of “The Fantastic Four: First Steps” on July 25, followed by “Avengers: Doomsday” and “Spider-Man: Brand New Day” in 2026.
In other “Thunderbolts*” news, Disney has confirmed Red Guardian a.k.a. Alexei Shostakov from the film, will be appearing in Avengers Campus starting in May. If you want to see more of the film, we have the full trailer blow:
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