Today, just three days after the movie was released in theaters, Marvel Studios began the process of rebranding Thunderbolts* as The New Avengers via a series of posters, BTS promotional videos featuring the cast, and outdoor adverts.
Now, we have a trailer - the first released under the new title - featuring some new footage along with more quotes from critics.
So, is Thunderbolts* now officially known as The New Avengers? Not exactly. The movie's title hasn't actually been changed, rather the studio is simply spelling out the asterisk as a marketing ploy.
It sounds like the marketing department may have launched the campaign slightly earlier than planned in the wake of the film opening to $74M (instead of the reported $76M) after an estimated $18M Sunday, -27% from Saturday’s $24.5M. Thunderbolts* received positive reviews and word of mouth is sure to be a factor, but it remains to be seen if this undeniably clever idea pays off,
In Thunderbolts*, Marvel Studios assembles an unconventional team of antiheroes — Yelena Belova, Bucky Barnes, Red Guardian, Ghost, Taskmaster and John Walker. After finding themselves ensnared in a death trap set by Valentina Allegra de Fontaine, these disillusioned castoffs must embark on a dangerous mission that will force them to confront the darkest corners of their pasts. Will this dysfunctional group tear themselves apart, or find redemption and unite as something much more before it’s too late?
Returning to their Marvel Cinematic Universe roles are Florence Pugh, Sebastian Stan, David Harbour, Wyatt Russell, Olga Kurylenko, Hannah John-Kamen and Julia Louis-Dreyfus. The cast also includes newcomers to the MCU—Lewis Pullman, Geraldine Viswanathan, Chris Bauer and Wendell Edward Pierce.
Jake Schreier directs Thunderbolts* with Kevin Feige producing. Louis D’Esposito, Brian Chapek and Jason Tamez serve as executive producers.
Marvel Studios’ Thunderbolts* opens in U.S. theaters on May 2, 2025.