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Marvel Studios' Thunderbolts is scheduled for a worldwide release this May, and with that the mystery of the asterisk in the film title sees some highlight. Why the Asterisk? The asterisk (*) signifies the team’s role as substitutes for the Avengers, who disbanded post-Endgame. A Japanese poster for the film states: “The Avengers are not available”.
Film character CIA director Valentina Allegra de Fontaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) reinforces this in the trailer, declaring, “The Avengers are not coming”. ALSO READ | Marvel Thunderbolts movie cast: Meet the full lineup of actors and actresses According to a Variety report, the asterisk resolves as both a joke (Avengers unavailable) and a narrative device (team identity shift). Whether it lands depends on how invested viewers are in Marvel’s expanding universe.
Another reason could be that the team struggles to adopt the Thunderbolts name in the film, looking at their vivid differences. Thunderbolt Ross Connection Debunked Fans speculated the asterisk linked to Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross (Harrison Ford), a Red Hulk in Captain America: Brave New World. But Marvel clarified the name is coincidental .
Ross’s dark past made any form of association unlikely for the antihero squad. Marketing Gimmick or Deeper Meaning? Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige has already teased the asterisk’s significance would only be clear post-release. While the Avengers explanation seems straightforward, the film’s post-credits scene hints at a dual purpose: the team’s official rename to “New Avengers”.
Comic Roots vs. MCU Creativity In comics, Thunderbolts are villains posing as heroes. The MCU version diverges, focusing on redemption arcs for flawed characters like Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh) and Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen) .
The asterisk also nods to Marvel’s playful marketing, leaning into humor over comic accuracy. The Thunderbolts or the New Avengers as we may call it, are again slated to return in Avengers: Doomsday (2026). Their rebranding sets up alliances with Marvel’s core heroes.
Lewis Pullman’s “Bob” (Sentry) and his alter-ego “Void” add stakes, hinting at cosmic-level threats. Some fans criticized the asterisk as a gimmick, while others praised its meta-commentary on superhero team dynamics..
