The mystery behind the asterisk on the “Thunderbolts*” title has ended, as Marvel Studios took to social media to announce that the real title of their latest MCU installment is “The New Avengers.” Don’t worry, we won’t be spoiling the rest of the film here.
This confirms a longstanding rumor and explains why the bulk of the cast were named for the lineup of “Avengers: Doomsday,” which is currently filming in the United Kingdom with The Russo Brothers back in the director’s chair.
READ MORE: ‘Thunderbolts*’ Review: Marvel’s Shamed Misfits Defeat Self-Doubt & Find Their Heroic Purpose
Jake Schreier (“Beef”) directed the film of misfit Marvel characters that stars Florence Pugh as Yelena Belova, Lewis Pullman as Sentry/Void, David Harbour as The Red Guardian, Wyatt Russell as U.S. Agent, Sebastian Stan as Bucky Barnes, Olga Kurylenko as Taskmaster, Hannah John-Kamen as Ghost, Julia Louis-Dreyfus reprising the role of Valentina Allegra de Fontaine.
“The New Avengers” takes its name from Marvel Comics but isn’t a one-to-one given the roster is very different, and we’ll have to wait to see how this plays out in both “Doomsday” and “Avengers: Secret Wars.”
Here’s the official synopsis from Marvel:
In “Thunderbolts*,” 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?
“Thunderbolts*/The New Avengers” made quite the splash at the global box office over the weekend, earning an impressive $160.4 million debut and should end up doing pretty well as the strong word-of-mouth could give it strong legs throughout May.
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Below is the Marvel Studios tweet confirming “The New Avengers” title, which is a little surprising given that it would be the studio spoiling the film themselves.
