RUMOR: We May Know What That Asterisk In THUNDERBOLTS* Signifies - Possible SPOILERS

RUMOR: We May Know What That Asterisk In THUNDERBOLTS* Signifies - Possible SPOILERS

There's been a lot of speculation about that mysterious asterisk that was added to the title of Marvel Studios' Thunderbolts, and we may finally know what it means...

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By MarkCassidy - Sep 18, 2024 06:09 PM EST
Filed Under: Thunderbolts

Back in March, after star Florence Pugh shared our first behind-the-scenes look at the movie, Marvel Studios announced a minor but significant change to the title of Thunderbolts* with the addition of a mysterious asterisk.

Fans have been speculating ever since, and the most popular theory seems to be that the characters will ultimately form a completely different team.

Several cast members have been asked about the asterisk, and David Harbour came closest to at least hinting at its significance during a recent interview.

“Yes, they retroactively put the asterisk (in). The asterisk was an idea that that someone had. What can I say that's not going to get me in trouble? The asterisk is very cool. I understand why people might put an asterisk there (laughs) I'm excited for the viewers to see that as well. But I, again, I just can't say anymore.”

Possible spoilers from this point on.

So, will the Thunderbolts actually be revealed to be the Dark Avengers? According to MTTSH, they're actually going to be the New Avengers.

This doesn't necessarily mean that these characters alone will make up the next incarnation of Earth's Mightiest Heroes, but it seems the plan is for them to form the basis for a new, most likely government-sponsored (we'll see how long that lasts) team that would officially activate after (or maybe during) the events of Avengers: Secret Wars.

What do you make of this rumor? Be sure to let us know in the comments section down below.

Though other characters might well join up during the movie, the Thunderbolts roster currently consists of Red Guardian (Harbour), Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen), Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh), Bucky Barnes/The Winter Soldier (Sebastian Stan), John Walker/U.S. Agent (Wyatt Russell), and Taskmaster (Kurylenko).

Contessa Valentina Allegra de Fontaine (Julie Louis Dreyfus) will put the team together, and rumor has it that she may also be partially responsible for Sentry's creation.

As for Sentry, Lewis Pullman (Salem's Lot, Top Gun Maverick) joined the cast as the powerful, unstable character after The Walking Dead alum Steven Yeun was forced to step away due to a scheduling conflict.

There were rumors that Harrison Ford's Thaddeus "Thunderbolt" Ross would be involved, but that seems to have been debunked. Black Widow's Melina Vostokoff (Rachel Weisz) and Bill Foster (Laurence Fishburne) from Ant-Man and the Wasp are also rumored to appear.

Thunderbolts* is currently set to be released in theaters on May 2, 2025.

THUNDERBOLTS* D23 Brazil Special Look Trailer Takes Us To The New Avengers Tower And Breaks Down The Team
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THUNDERBOLTS* D23 Brazil Special Look Trailer Takes Us To The New Avengers Tower And Breaks Down The Team
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IAmAHoot
IAmAHoot - 9/18/2024, 6:27 PM
User Comment Image
CaptainFlapjaks
CaptainFlapjaks - 9/18/2024, 7:14 PM
@IAmAHoot - i could see the thunderbolts being playfully called the new avengers in a quick little bit. Because this team definitely seems like ross trying to replace the avengers after endgame. Knowing they will need a team the fight for the world but one that is run by the government and used on government operations.
TheVisionary25
TheVisionary25 - 9/18/2024, 8:16 PM
@CaptainFlapjaks - I would rather they just be this universe’s Thunderbolts but I do like your idea.
CaptainFlapjaks
CaptainFlapjaks - 9/19/2024, 12:29 PM
@TheVisionary25 - yea the team name is still the thunderbolts, but ross and val playfully refer to them as "the new avengers"
TheFinestSmack
TheFinestSmack - 9/18/2024, 6:37 PM
Oh. We're still committed to MTTSH, I see...
DTor91
DTor91 - 9/18/2024, 6:55 PM
@TheFinestSmack - Yuuuuuup. They run this site now.
Malatrova15
Malatrova15 - 9/18/2024, 6:57 PM
@TheFinestSmack - I miss Mr Sunday
WruceBayne
WruceBayne - 9/18/2024, 8:26 PM
@Malatrova15 - I still listen to his podcast
CreateNowSlpL8r
CreateNowSlpL8r - 9/18/2024, 6:56 PM
Even reading the rumor is silly. Why would they form an Avengers group after Secret Wars. My guess is they are resting the Avengers brand for awhile to concentrate on the X-men.

Also, there isn't a normie on earth who gives a shit about this movie. It has bomb written all over it. Its mostly a BW sequel centered around Florence Pugh. They don't have a single character to draw people in.
GameOn
GameOn - 9/18/2024, 6:58 PM
@CreateNowSlpL8r - If it’s good, people will see it. Just like Guardians or Ant-Man.
MuadDib
MuadDib - 9/18/2024, 7:09 PM
@CreateNowSlpL8r - I gotta agree that Pugh is overhyped and though not terrible, not amazing either. The team dynamic could be enough to draw in some of a crowd especially fanboys, so I wouldn’t be surprised to see it do relatively well at the BO. But I wouldn’t be holding my breath for a billion dollar blowout without some very big surprise cameos or leaks to really draw audiences in
Comicmoviejunki
Comicmoviejunki - 9/18/2024, 8:06 PM
@CreateNowSlpL8r - oh STFU
Amaru
Amaru - 9/18/2024, 8:28 PM
@CreateNowSlpL8r - People like you are so [frick]ing weird. Why do you think you speak for so many people?
newhire13
newhire13 - 9/18/2024, 9:46 PM
@Comicmoviejunki - Was just about to say the same thing lol
CreateNowSlpL8r
CreateNowSlpL8r - 9/19/2024, 12:43 AM
@Comicmoviejunki - You are breaking TOS. If can't present an counter argument, attacking someone isn't the answer.
CreateNowSlpL8r
CreateNowSlpL8r - 9/19/2024, 12:44 AM
@newhire13 - Were you? Then you would also be breaking TOS. Would you like to present an intelligent argument or is it too much that you disagree with someone?
CreateNowSlpL8r
CreateNowSlpL8r - 9/19/2024, 12:49 AM
@Amaru - Because I understand what this movie was going to be. It was greenlit at a time when Marvel thought a certain strategy was going to work for them which the fans have rejected. Take Deadpool out and they havent had a hit in quite awhile. Meanwhile they assembled bomb after bomb with characters no one know. Normies got hooked on the MCU because of great characters. So where is the money coming from? Who is going to see it?

I'm not speaking for so many people. I'm looking at the numbers. Cap4 has almost no chance to make money. They spent so much on it so it won't do damage. Why do you think they brought the Russo's and RDJ back?

Has The Marvels, Ms. Marvel, Echo, Shang-Chi or anything of the new IPs gotten sequels? Are they even announced?

No.
MG0019
MG0019 - 9/19/2024, 1:42 AM
@CreateNowSlpL8r - But they’ve already announced TWO Avengers films, titled as Avengers. Meanwhile, there’s zero clarity on how Marvel will treat X-Men.

So they’re really not resting the Avengers brand at all. Bringing back Downey Jr shows they’re kind of doubling down on the Avengers brand. Who knows what will come of X-Men. Whether it’s a full reboot, a merging of the Fox characters. Or some messy in between, lol.
supermanrex
supermanrex - 9/19/2024, 10:05 AM
@CreateNowSlpL8r - your hot take is trash. people are really excited for this movie. you dont have to be which is your deal. but dont be blanket pushing your own opinion as [frick]ing gospel.
supermanrex
supermanrex - 9/19/2024, 10:08 AM
@Amaru - because they are clown shoes. they come to the comments and just throw out their shitty opinions. its not even the fact that they are not excited which is shitty about the opinion but the fact they just think everyone [frick]ing agrees with them. get the [frick] outta here with that shit. i see tons of excitement and hype for this movie.
CreateNowSlpL8r
CreateNowSlpL8r - 9/19/2024, 12:21 PM
@MG0019 - I'm saying after Secret Wars. If they don't recast the OG Avengers in Secret Wars, I think they rest it for awhile. If you notice, there aren't a lot of "Avengers" movies in the works.
CreateNowSlpL8r
CreateNowSlpL8r - 9/19/2024, 12:27 PM
@supermanrex - I'm sorry, did you have an actual retort to what I said or are you just generally unhappy that everything not named Deadpool is failing?

TB was part of the original plan. Same as Cap4. Bringing the Russos and RDJ back is signaling they don't have faith in this new direction. They paid them a gazillion dollars. Not only is this an obsecure IP but they didn't even use the actual Thunderbolts. My opinion, like all opinions might be subjective but at least its an educated guess. You guys somehow take it personally.

There isn't a single star in this movie. Its essentially a BW sequel.
supermanrex
supermanrex - 9/19/2024, 1:01 PM
@CreateNowSlpL8r - you dont read comics. clearly. all these characters are important to marvel lore. David Harbor , Florence Pugh, and Sebastian Stan are extremely well known stars so i dont know what the hell you are on about. Sentry is a major player in the marvel universe. People are stoked to see what they do with him. so just because none of the original avengers stars are in this movie, or hugh jackman and ryan reynolds does not make this movie insignificant and not worth the watch. if thats what you look for just stay home until avengers doomsday. its a continuation of black widow, falcon and the winter soldier. cause thats how comic book story telling works. one moves into the other etc etc
CreateNowSlpL8r
CreateNowSlpL8r - 9/19/2024, 1:20 PM
@supermanrex - Ok, how is my opionion trash. Try using facts instead of throwing a fit because you don't agree. Who is "really" excited for this movie? I am pushing my blanket opionion on a message board. Thats the entire point. Every post is someones opinion. I at least presented points to my opionion. Three times at least except you haven't disputed any of them, some of which are objective facts.

Your response is the equivelent of covering your ear and screaming. So if YOU are excited and enjoy the movie ...great. I am saying, taking a bunch of characters from projects people didn't watch, or were controversial and throwing them in a movie with the name of another team is going to be a problem at the box office. Even Suicide Squad which this borrows from heavily wasn't a success at the box office. You can only try to capture the lightning in the bottle of Guardians so many times. This isn't it.
CreateNowSlpL8r
CreateNowSlpL8r - 9/19/2024, 2:42 PM
@supermanrex - I DO read the comics. If you are referring to the recent TB comics, you know that isn't what I meant. David Harbor , Florence Pugh, and Sebastian Stan are not A listers. Sentry is a convulted character normies don't really know about. I am saying these are the reasons that prevent it from being a commerical success. You need the normies. On either brand, the normies have not been supporting projects with unknown properties. For example, the original Suicide Squad had an A lister, Will Smith and did well. Its sequel with a now very popular Harley Quinn totally bombed and it was done by James Gunn. Birds of Prey, another relatively unknown IP to normies bombed historically, and also featured Harley Quinn.

So what I am saying is, audiences are not supporting projects like they were when a Guardians were released. Continuation of Black Widow? How many people even saw that and Falcon and Winter Soldier didn't light the world on fire either. In both cases, neither of them are getting a proper sequel. They tool Bucky out of Cap4 which their dynamic is the one thing in that show that worked. Even WW24 bombed. Now FF, I think that has a chance. Cap4 and this movie? I think have no chance.
TheVisionary25
TheVisionary25 - 9/18/2024, 7:02 PM
If true then that makes more sense then Dark Avengers to me (which I think would be corny if said out loud lol)…

Yes , the team is made up of former villains or anti-heroes but I think the government or Val would try to assemble their/her own team of Avengers I feel .

Plus , we don’t know what the makeup of this team may be by the end with some perhaps not being in it or the likes of Sentry or Geraldine Vishwanathan’s character (who is rumored to be Songbird) joining.

User Comment Image
hainesy
hainesy - 9/18/2024, 7:05 PM
I doubt they use Dark Avengers, but could see Ross wanting to create a "new" Avengers group in Cap 4, but then after the Red Hulk debacle, he is either dead or discredited. But they codename the "New Avengers" as the Thunderbolts in his honour. OR the title is indeed a placeholder to avoid Cap spoilers and they then call it New Avengers.

Either way, I just want a good movie
bkmeijer1
bkmeijer1 - 9/19/2024, 4:38 AM
@hainesy - that's exactly what I think as well. The asterisk probably mean it's Thunderbolt's recruits for his new Avengers, but they won't called the Avengers
Apophis71
Apophis71 - 9/19/2024, 5:42 AM
@bkmeijer1 - The way I could see it go down is Sam refuses to create a POTUS controlled Avengers team so this is what is created instead under Government control but by the end the remaining who are on a hero path (as in some may defect to Zemo's side if he turns up) form part of Sam's New Avengers (independent from US control) along with some he brings to his side in Brave New World and remaining prior ones like Hulk, Thor, Spider-Man and Hawkeye (may not ALL be there all the time in a story just like how Falcon only turned up at the end of AoU).

MAYBE the official name for the team Ross has made is Avengers but the members create their own name for it as not sold on the propaganda of being the new Avengers and uncomfortable taking on that mantle.
bkmeijer1
bkmeijer1 - 9/19/2024, 7:17 AM
@Apophis71 - that's a good one too. The intent is probably for them to be the new Avengers, but everybody in-universe just refuses to go with that name
Vigor
Vigor - 9/18/2024, 7:12 PM
This makes no sense when we have the likes of she hulk, Shang chi, capt marvel, ms marvel, and falcon-america out there

If anything dark avengers makes more sense
TheVisionary25
TheVisionary25 - 9/18/2024, 7:24 PM
@Vigor - true but I don’t see any if not most of them joining a possibly government sponsored team.
Apophis71
Apophis71 - 9/19/2024, 6:45 AM
@Vigor - Even something like dark avengers would initialy just be called avengers and once outed as of villanous intent revert to a villain name like the original Thunderbolts revealed to be Zemo's Masters of Evil but some members going on to revert to being a heroic team...

...actualy being dark avengers without Osborn would in many ways be worse than being Thunderbolts sans Zemo as at least there has been a dozen versions of the latter that didn't have Zemo in it and at times fully a hero team, others villains in disguise and everything inbetween.

The likely case is that Ross we know wants to create an Avengers team but Sam refuses to do so under government control thus this team created instead but official name IS Avengers with members not buying into that and coming up with their own nickname for it. Then after this and going against Val Cap steps in with others to from the true non-government controlled Avengers team.
Vigor
Vigor - 9/18/2024, 7:14 PM
I'm watching rings of power season 2. This show is um, excellent????
Granted I haven't read the book it's based on

I feel so confused that the internet hates it
BraxtonHicks
BraxtonHicks - 9/18/2024, 7:28 PM
Soooooooo like how Falcon/ Winter Soldier turned into Captain America and Winter Soldier in the end....?
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