Marvel fans were quick to notice a curious addition to the title of the upcoming Thunderbolts movie: an asterisk. It’s not often you see punctuation in a superhero film’s branding, and naturally, speculation took off online. So what’s the deal with the asterisk?
Here’s what we know about the meaning behind the symbol—and what it might reveal about the highly anticipated movie below. Spoiler warning5.
Thunderbolts brings together a team of antiheroes from across the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), including Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh), Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan), Red Guardian (David Harbour), Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen), Taskmaster (Olga Kurylenko), and U.S. Agent John Walker (Wyatt Russell). Recruited by Valentina Allegra de Fontaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus), these disillusioned individuals are sent on a perilous mission that forces them to confront their pasts and question their roles in a world lacking the traditional Avengers.
The asterisk in Thunderbolts serves as a meta-commentary on the team’s status within the MCU. It suggests that this group is a substitute for the Avengers, as highlighted by promotional materials stating, “*The Avengers are not available.” This symbol underscores the team’s unofficial and perhaps reluctant formation, distinguishing them from the original Avengers lineup.
In fact, the Marvel team officially changed the movie title on Monday, May 5, 2025, after opening weekend, revealing the film’s new name—which had all along been an Easter egg in the original title. The asterisk was used to correct *Thunderbolts to now read *The New Avengers.
