By now, everyone knows the Thunderbolts are actually the New Avengers in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but that was a big secret during the film’s production. Speaking with Entertainment Weekly, Thunderbolts* star Florence Pugh recalled how the cast and crew shot multiple versions of the movie’s ending scene, where Valentina Allegra de Fontaine publicly introduces the newest iteration of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes. One take, which was filmed with extras portraying a crowd of excited onlookers, featured Val giving the team a different name. Then, once the extras were dismissed, the actual version was shot where Val welcomes the New Avengers to the MCU.
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“We shot a version where she was like, ‘The New Thunderbolts!’” Pugh said. “And everyone was like, ‘Woo!’ And then we took all of the background [actors] out and shot [Julia Louis-Dreyfus’] line, which was kind of cool.”
The New Avengers ended up being the truth behind the mysterious asterisk in the Thunderbolts* title that fueled fan debates for months. The film’s post-credits scenes deal with the fallout of the characters’ new status, teasing a legal dispute with Sam Wilson (who has assembled his own separate Avengers team). There’s also a montage of news clippings reacting to the revelation, plus a humorous bit where Red Guardian tries to convince someone to buy New Avengers cereal.
Unsurprisingly, the New Avengers are going to be integral figures in the MCU moving forward. Thunderbolts* stars Pugh, Harbour, Lewis Pullman, Wyatt Russell, Sebastian Stan, and Hannah John-Kamen are all set to reprise their roles in Avengers: Doomsday. The New Avengers are just one superhero team that will be present in the film, which will also sport Sam Wilson’s Avengers, the Fantastic Four, and the X-Men.
Marvel is always protective of spoilers, which is why the decision was made to shoot multiple versions of the final Thunderbolts* scene. Given the secrecy surrounding the asterisk, the studio didn’t want the twist coming out ahead of time. Curiously, however, Marvel wasted no time publicly embracing the twist after the Thunderbolts* premiere. Only a few days into the movie’s theatrical run, it was rebranded as *The New Avengers with a series of new posters. Disney defended the controversial choice, but some fans felt it would have been better to hold off on the reveal until further down the line.
One crucial detail in the Thunderbolts* ending was Yelena telling Val that the New Avengers “own” her now, a threat to reveal Val’s dark secrets to the world. It’ll be interesting to see if that thread is followed up on in a future MCU project. Louis-Dreyfus was not one of the actors confirmed for the Avengers: Doomsday cast during Marvel’s livestream in March, but there are future casting announcements to come. Perhaps there will be a spot for Val; her dynamic with the New Avengers is exciting and rich, and it would be a shame if it was underserved in the larger Multiverse Saga.
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Image courtesy of Marvel Studios
