A lot of fans pretty much accepted when Marvel Studios first announced Thunderbolts but were confused when they rebranded the movie with “*” at the end.
A lot of people have been speculating as to what changed with Thunderbolts* so that it would have an asterisk on it, and multiple theories have been coming out online. What’s interesting is, the official poster for the film may finally give fans the hint they needed for what “*” could mean in the team name.
Official Thunderbolts* Poster Hints at Avengers Connection
Following the drop of the trailer, Marvel Entertainment has also revealed an official poster for Thunderbolts* featuring all of the main cast members including Yelena Belova, Bucky Barnes, Red Guardian, Ghost, US Agent, Taskmaster, and surprisingly, Bob a.k.a. the Sentry. Check this out:
What’s probably the most revealing thing about the poster is the tagline, which reads “Careful Who You Assemble” which is a nod to the infamous Avengers catchphrase “Avengers Assemble”. Multiple theories have been going out as to what the asterisk in the title means, and a lot have been guessing that it could mean that the ‘real’ team name of the Thunderbolts is actually going to be ‘The Dark Avengers’.
Just like any other team in the comics, they’ve also had several rebrandings over the years. If Dark Avengers doesn’t work, there are other choices like The Redeemers, Marvel’s Most Wanted, and Masters of Evil; but the way the film is an ensemble, Dark Avengers will probably be the title that turns most heads.
Marvel Changing Titles Before
Of course, it’s possible that the asterisk doesn’t mean that there’s a title change, but Marvel has done a switcheroo before.
Back in 2021, one of the first Disney+ Marvel shows was titled The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, and by the very end of the last episode, the official title of the series became Captain America and the Winter Soldier, officially establishing Anthony Mackie as the new cap.
It’s very likely that Marvel may want to do the same with Thunderbolts* and by the end of the credits, fans are going to get the signature ‘The Dark Avengers will Return’.
Avengers Off-Shoots in the Comics
Should they stick to the ‘Dark Avengers’ title, it would be consistent with several Avengers off-shoots from the comics. The Marvels had teased Kamala Khan forming the ‘Young Avengers’, and though it’s not clear when that property is coming out, a ‘Dark Avengers’ title could be part of a series of Avengers ‘spinoffs that Marvel can use to team up small-time heroes while at the same time get hype from the Avengers brand without having to release an actual Avengers movie.
There’s also the option of making a “New Avengers” team, but if the comics have taught fans anything, the new ‘brand’ eventually ages out in a couple of years; and Marvel may just be better off sticking to plain old ‘Avengers’.
Even the X-Men managed to keep switching out members without having to rebrand like the Avengers have in the comics.
Thunderbolts* is set to release in theatres on May 2, 2025.