Marvel Studios has revealed the official title for the movie previously known as "Thunderbolts*," confirming speculation that the asterisk hid a different name. The film will now be known as "The New Avengers."
The change became apparent shortly after the movie's opening weekend in theaters. A large billboard in Los Angeles was updated to reflect the new title, and the studio released a video showing the cast participating in the title reveal.
Ticketing platforms like Fandango also updated their listings and movie posters to display "The New Avengers," removing the "Thunderbolts*" name.
The reveal confirms fan theories surrounding the asterisk, which many believed signified a placeholder name for the team or the film's true identity. The movie's ending formally introduces the group under this new moniker.
During the film's conclusion, CIA Director Valentina Allegra de Fontaine presents the team to the public. She states her agency has been working on a protection force and introduces them as The New Avengers.
This marks the return of the Avengers name to the Marvel Cinematic Universe following the team's dissolution after events depicted in "Avengers: Endgame." The new group comprises several reformed villains and antiheroes.
Post-credits scenes in the film offer further details on the team's status. One scene shows the team has established a base in the renovated Avengers Tower.
Discussions within the group address issues with their public image and the legal rights to the Avengers name, noting that Sam Wilson has filed for a trademark on the name for his own assembling team.
The film's final sequence also hints at future challenges, referencing a "space crisis" and the arrival of an "extra-dimensional ship" bearing a familiar symbol.The sequence uses theme music associated with the Fantastic Four, suggesting the ship belongs to that group and setting the stage for their formal introduction into the shared universe and future crossover films.This reveal connects directly to upcoming movies, including "Fantastic Four: First Steps" and "Avengers: Doomsday," indicating The New Avengers will play a role in the larger unfolding narrative.
"For years, I have been working secretly to develop a new age of protection," de Fontaine says in the film. "Today, the citizens of the United States need that protection, and thanks to my hard work, they got it. Ladies and gentlemen, meet The New Avengers." (Source)
