The mystery surrounding the asterisk in the title of Marvel Studios' Thunderbolts*, has been officially unveiled, offering a significant recontextualization of the project and its place within the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
It seems the asterisk was a deliberate, albeit subtle, indicator of the film's true nature: a clandestine New Avengers project spearheaded by director Jake Schreier and Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige.
This revelation directly addresses the noticeable divergence in the film's roster when compared to the various iterations of the Thunderbolts team in Marvel Comics.
Rather than a straightforward adaptation of the anti-hero/villain squad, Thunderbolts* is now positioned as a foundational narrative for a new assembly of heroes, seemingly intended to fill the void left by the original Avengers lineup as we head into Doomsday and Secret Wars.
However, this incredibly ambitious pivot raises critical questions about the film's strategic placement within the MCU timeline, particularly as it now invites direct comparison to the established Avengers franchise, typically reserved for culminating phases of the cinematic universe.
The move has elicited a mixed response from industry analysts, with some expressing intrigue while others voice concerns about potential audience confusion and the inherent pressure of living up to the Avengers' legacy.
Even the lowest-regarded Avengers film, Avengers: Ultron, opened to 5x the amount of The New Avengers. Why would Marvel Studios open themselves up to this comparison if they weren't confident that this film could pull similar numbers?
The success of The New Avengers will be closely scrutinized, not only for its own merit but also as a crucial indicator of the MCU's ability to successfully transition into a new era of heroes.
The weight of expectation, amplified by the implicit comparison to the Avengers franchise, will undoubtedly place considerable pressure on the film's critical reception and box office performance.
As the film continues to play in theaters and faces some stiff competition in the coming weeks, the industry will be watching to see if this bold strategic gamble pays off for Marvel Studios.
Thunderbolts* The New Avengers is a Phase 5 MCU film now playing in North American theaters. The film is currently slated to close out Phase 5 of the MCU.
Jake Schreier directs from a script written by Eric Pearson, Lee Sung Jin, and Joanna Calo.
The film stars Sebastian Stan as Bucky Barnes/Winter Soldier, Florence Pugh as Yelena Belova, David Harbour as Alexei Shostakov / Red Guardian, Hannah John-Kamen as Ava Starr / Ghost, Wyatt Russell as John Walker / U.S. Agent, Olga Kurylenko as Antonia Dreykov / Taskmaster, and Julia Louis-Dreyfus as Valentina Allegra de Fontaine. Lewis Pullman has also been cast as The Sentry/Void.
Principal photography began on February 26, 2024, wrapped in June.
The film is inspired by the Marvel Comics title of the same name, where the main Avengers team disbands after the Scarlet Witch's insanity first surfaces near the conclusion of Avengers Disassembled. When a mass breakout occurs at The Raft, Captain America, Spider-Woman, Sentry, Spider-Man, Daredevil and Luke Cage arrive to stop the riot. Cap then declares that fate brought them all together that day and states that The New Avengers have been born.
About Thunderbolts*
In Thunderbolts* The New Avengers, 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?