Quick Links 'Thunderbolts*' Is a Work in Progress Title 'Thunderbolts*' Asterisk Is More Important Than You Think
Nature is healing, because Marvel fans actually care about mysteries and Easter eggs again. With the MCU slowly picking itself back up from a steady decline (thanks to Deadpool & Wolverine), Marvel fans have regained their enthusiasm for scouring new trailers and posters for every little detail they can. Marvel Studios has also teased fans with various mysteries for their upcoming projects. Thunderbolts*, set to release in theaters on May 2, 2025, holds two big secrets. The first is the identity of Bob (Lewis Pullman) -- although fans already know he's playing Sentry. And the second is around that damned asterisk in the title.
"What does the asterisk in Thunderbolts* mean?" is a question that has floated around Marvel forums, social media, and nerdy basements since the movie was first announced. The MCU's latest team-up includes Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh), Red Guardian (David Harbour), Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan), John Walker (Wyatt Russell), Taskmaster (Olga Kurylenko), and Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen). Fans assume the asterisk could have something to do with one of the anti-heroes, most likely Sentry. But, using our ace-detective skills, we've deduced what the asterisk means... and it's incredibly simple.
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Thunderbolts* AdventureAction
Release Date May 2, 2025 Cast Florence Pugh , Sebastian Stan , David Harbour , Wyatt Russell , Olga Kurylenko , Hannah John-Kamen , Julia Louis-Dreyfus , Geraldine Viswanathan , Lewis Pullman , Joshua Mikel Main Genre Action 'Thunderbolts*' Is a Work in Progress Title Close
There are billions of potential explanations for Thunderbolts* asterisk. It could imply a new hero has yet to be revealed. Or, it could tease the team of anti-heroes becoming full-fledged villains. Most interestingly, some fans have suggested it means the entire MCU was one big dream, and Tony Stark will wake back up from the cave. But those are all likely wrong. What if the asterisk simply implies the title is subject to change?
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In the latest trailer for Thunderbolts*, Red Guardian really gets into the team spirit. He praises his new teammates, and, following suit of The Avengers, he labels the new team as the titular Thunderbolts -- named after Thadeus "Thunderbolt" Ross (formerly played by the late William Hurt, now Harrison Ford). But, expectedly, the rest of the team hates that name, as Bucky replies, "We can't call ourselves that." At that exact moment, the title card reappears on screen, with the asterisk appearing, along with a cute "ding" sound effect. The scene implies that the asterisk means the title will change at some point in the movie.
'Thunderbolts*' Asterisk Is More Important Than You Think
So there we go. The mystery has been solved, and Batman has a new contender for the title of World's Greatest Detective. But Marvel Studios wouldn't just include an asterisk in the title purely for a single corny joke in the film. What may seem like an inconspicuous piece of punctuation could actually have a much larger implication for the eponymous team. Marvel fans believe that the Thunderbolts* won't go by the same title by the end of the movie, with the final credits revealing their re-branding as the Dark Avengers.
Following the Secret Invasion storyline in Marvel Comics, Norman Osborn became the new head of Shield and the Thunderbolts. He assembled a new team of villains, which included Bullseye and Venom, and they called themselves the Dark Avengers. In the comics, the Dark Avengers are Marvel's equivalent of the Injustice League, a band of supervillains opposed to the Avengers. However, several major Marvel heroes have been a part of the team, including Captain Marvel, Iron Patriot, Sentry, and Hawkeye.
The MCU's version of the Dark Avengers is expected to be more of a team of antiheroes who aren't opposed to using gruesome violence to get the job done than full-blown villains. That is, unless Sentry, who is confirmed to be the movie's villain, forms the Dark Avengers at the end of the film, creating a new group of supervillains. Thunderbolts* releases in theaters on May 2, 2025.