If Marvel Studios has taught audiences anything over the last decade, it’s that a name can mean everything. That much becomes clear in the closing moments of Thunderbolts* — or rather, The New Avengers, as it’s now officially called. After more than a year of teasing and coy misdirection, the studio has finally revealed the real title of its latest ensemble film, confirming that the asterisk in Thunderbolts* was never just a stylistic quirk, but a placeholder for a bigger pivot.
Marketing sleight of hand has always been part of Marvel’s playbook, but this reveal feels particularly pointed. Billboards across Los Angeles now bear the gold-embossed New Avengers logo in place of the original Thunderbolts* branding. Cast members including Florence Pugh, Sebastian Stan, and David Harbour participated in the unveiling, joined by director Jake Schreier, as Marvel publicly embraced the new team identity with rebranded posters and social content. Even digital platforms like ticketing websites and Marvel’s own homepage have replaced “Thunderbolts*” with “The New Avengers,” aligning with what audiences discovered in theaters over the weekend.
In the film’s final scene, Julia Louis-Dreyfus’ Valentina Allegra de Fontaine stages a news conference, blindsiding her team of morally gray heroes by introducing them to the world as Earth’s newest protectors. Yelena Belova, Bucky Barnes, Red Guardian, U.S. Agent, and Ghost, previously operating under the hastily coined name “Thunderbolts” suddenly find themselves rebranded as “The New Avengers,” much to their confusion. The film then tears away its own title card in the credits, replacing it with the team’s new moniker in classic comic-book fashion.
For Marvel Studios head Kevin Feige, the move was part of a larger creative strategy. Screenwriter Eric Pearson revealed to THR that Feige himself pitched the idea of having Valentina introduce the team as the New Avengers, “That was a Kevin [Feige] thing. I pitched that Valentina is forced to introduce the Thunderbolts [to the public], and Kevin said, ‘I think that she should call them the Avengers.’ And I was like, ‘Whoa, okay!’ And then there were many, many discussions: ‘Capital N? Lowercase n? Are they Avengers that are new? Are they the New Avengers?’ But that was Kevin’s idea, and it’s part of some four-dimensional chess plan that I don’t totally know yet.”
That pivot gives the MCU a new anchor team heading into Avengers: Doomsday, which is expected to unite various groups, including Sam Wilson’s own Avengers squad, Wakandan forces, and the incoming Fantastic Four. The tension between Sam’s team and the rebranded New Avengers, now complete with trademark disputes and moral gray zones, hints at an internal conflict that could define Marvel’s next phase.
Marvel’s move to rebrand the film post-release mirrors the very identity crisis its characters face onscreen. A team born out of sarcasm and circumstance is now thrust into the spotlight as Earth’s defenders, whether they like it or not. As always, Marvel is playing the long game, and if Feige’s chessboard analogy holds true, then The New Avengers are just one move in a much larger strategy.
Natalie is a big fan of anything related to movies, TV shows, and anime — you name it. When she’s not reading or being a dedicated cinephile, she’s probably playing gacha and tabletop games, or daydreaming of Caleb from Love and Deepspace.
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