The changes post-Thunderbolts* keep on rolling in, with Marvel updating all of the social media accounts for Avengers to keep the copyright claim on the title. If you haven’t gotten to a theater yet to see Thunderbolts*, then you’re out of luck regarding spoilers. Marvel gave fans the weekend to see Thunderbolts* before letting loose with spoilers, revealing the true meaning behind the asterisk in the Thunderbolts* title. Thanks to Valentina Allegra de Fontaine, they’re not the Thunderbolts… they’re The New Avengers. The new title is quickly being added to promotional material like posters, billboards, and ads, but there’s some conflict regarding the “Avengers” name being used. Marvel wants to help fans not get the New Avengers confused with the original Avengers with some stealthy copyright maneuvering.
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Avengers social media accounts have started adding the copyright symbol to the front of their names, in response to Thunderbolts* updating its name to The New Avengers. The X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram accounts for Avengers have the copyright symbol now. The post-credits scene of Thunderbolts* revealed the team headlined by Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan) and Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh) are in a legal battle with Sam Wilson’s Captain America (Anthony Mackie). Sam doesn’t like that the Thunderbolts are using the Avengers name, and has filed a copyright for it.
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“You’ve seen the asterisk everywhere. Now it’s time to watch the reveal in cinemas. Marvel Studios’ #ThunderboltsSG is in cinemas now,” a post from the Marvel Studios Singapore account on X (formerly Twitter) reads. A short video is also shared, which shows the asterisk transform and change to “The New Avengers,” which is also included as a hashtag in the post.
The big reveal for the Thunderbolts* asterisk comes at the end of the film. After the Thunderbolts calm Bob (Lewis Pullman) down, keeping his evil alter ego The Void at bay, they confront Valentina Allegra de Fontaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) while she’s holding a news conference in the wrecked city. Valentina takes this opportunity to introduce the Thunderbolts as the heroes who saved New York City. But instead of referring to them as the Thunderbolts, Valentina calls them “The New Avengers.”
We then see various magazines and marketing materials for New Avengers as the credits roll on Thunderbolts*. Opinions on the New Avengers appear to be mixed, with some newspapers and outlets questioning their authenticity, and others heralding them as the heroes they need during these times.
The name “Thunderbolts” actually came from the soccer team that Yelena used to play for as a kid. Red Guardian learns that Yelena retold the story to John Walker, Ghost, and Bob, and begins calling them the Thunderbolts. Since the Thunderbolts are really the New Avengers, it makes sense that they’re included in the official cast list for Avengers: Doomsday. The Thunderbolts* post-credits scene ended with the team being alerted that a spacecraft was entering the Earth’s atmosphere from space. When they got video footage of the ship, it contained the Fantastic Four logo, possibly spoiling the end of The Fantastic Four: First Steps.
What do you think about the legal war brewing between the Avengers and Thunderbolts/New Avengers? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
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