Marvel reveals the meaning of the Thunderbolts asterisk by changing the name of its own movie

It should be no surprise whatsoever to Marvel fans that the asterisk at the end of the title of Thunderbolts* has a meaning that ties directly back to comics. But now, Marvel is spoiling the meaning itself in a new poster that straight up renames the movie.

There will be mild spoilers ahead for Thunderbolts*, so if you want to go in totally unspoiled, turn back now.

Marvel has now fully renamed Thunderbolts* as New Avengers, the name taken by the team at the end of the film, at least for its current marketing scheme. In a poster shown on social media, Thunderbolts* is retitled as New Avengers.

Check it out:

It's likely that Thunderbolts* will keep its main title for its theatrical run and for its official home video releases, but adding the New Avengers name to posters and other marketing materials does set up fans for what's coming next in the MCU, as the New Avengers will be joining the cast of Avengers: Doomsday.

Despite being the official, government sanctioned New Avengers by the end of the film, the team remains at odds with Sam Wilson/Captain America and his efforts to put together his own rival Avengers team as seen in Captain America: Brave New World.

The film ends with a set up for the New Avengers meeting the Fantastic Four, whose ship appears in the post-credits scene for Thunderbolts*, preparing MCU fans for worlds to collide as the FF will come to the mainstream Marvel Cinematic Universe following their debut in their own film, which is set in an alt-reality.

Check out our review of Thunderbolts*, AKA New Avengers, which is now in theaters capping off Marvel Phase 5. Phase 6 begins with July 25's The Fantastic Four: First Steps. For more, check out our guide to the other upcoming Marvel movies on the way in 2025 and beyond.