Since the Marvel was first revealed the official title for Thunderbolts*, fans have been curious about that little asterisk and what it mean.
Well, the movie’s final moments reveal the real meaning behind the asterisk, and it’s a game-changer for the MCU. If you haven’t seen the movie yet, SPOILERS ahead!
The asterisk marks the team’s transition into something new. In the final act, after the Thunderbolts take down The Void and confront Valentina Allegra de Fontaine, the group is introduced at a press conference under a brand-new banner: The New Avengers.
The ending title card drives the point home by visually transforming the “Thunderbolts” logo into “The New Avengers.” As some fans expected, that asterisk we’ve been side-eyeing this whole time is a placeholder signaling a transformation for the team.
Valentina tries to spin the whole Thunderbolts op as her own creation, saving face while publicly launching the team with a new, shinier name. Yelena Belova hits back telling Valentina that they “own” her.
They’ve secured their freedom, resources, and a new base of operations with The Watchtower. It also comes with government sanction, public visibility, and a few copyright headaches.
In the film’s mid-credits scene takes place14 months later, the team jokes about their “new” name. Red Guardian pitches ridiculous alternatives like “New Avengerz” with a Z, while Bob nervously wonders if he’s at risk of becoming The Void again.
Meanwhile, it’s revealed that Sam Wilson has filed a lawsuit against the group for using the “Avengers” name without permission. It’s the kind of Marvel humor that pokes fun at branding and the MCU obvously isn’t done exploring the consequences of legacy names and who gets to claim them.
Then, there’s one more Marvel needle drop, when The Fantastic Four come flying into Earth-616. That sets the stage for Avengers: Doomsday.
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