Thunderbolts ending explained: Who dies? What does the asterisk mean, and how does it set up Avengers: Doomsday?

Sebastian Stan's Bucky Barnes and Florence Pugh's Yelena Belova are back on the big screen in Marvel's latest Thunderbolts*, though they're not rubbing shoulders with the Avengers this time round...

Essentially the MCU's answer to the Suicide Squad, the Jake Schreier-directed movie is an origin story of sorts, only for a team rather than a particular comic book character, as the unlikely duo find themselves leading a ragtag squad of antiheros when an unexpected threat emerges. For the most part, the movie is pretty self-contained, but there are also things that happen in it that are guaranteed to ripple out into the wider franchise – and we're not just talking about the introduction of Lewis Pullman's super-powerful Sentry.

With that, we've taken it upon ourselves to break down the surprisingly emotional Thunderbolts* ending below, answering all of your burning questions from who dies to what's next. It should go without saying, then, that major spoilers follow. So if you've yet to watch the movie, and don't want to know anything that happens, turn back now! Still here? Let's make like Florence Pugh at the top of the 2,227-foot Merdeka 118 and jump (in)...

Thunderbolts* ending recap

After Bob uses himself as a distraction to help Yelena, Ava/Ghost, and John Walker escape O.X.E. Group's secret incinerator... oops, we mean 'vault', Valentina and her heavies apprehend him and ship him to New York City. Well, the old Avengers Tower, to be exact. Hellbent on exploiting his seemingly "limitless" powers, Val gives a confused Bob a big pep talk and suggests that he work with her to protect the planet as 'The Sentry'. His first mission? Kill the Thunderbolts.

After dying his hair blond and slipping into his new gold suit, Bob, as Sentry, beats Yelena, Bucky, Red Guardian, Walker, and Ghost around after they arrive at Val's high-rise HQ, but he lets them run away shaken. Val berates him for not finishing the job, insisting that he must do as she says. "Why?" he ominously replies, his yellow eyes glowing with newfound glee.

Sentry refers to himself as a God, which Val scoffs at, causing him to remind her that she'd previously told him he was more powerful than the Avengers combined and, well, that team "includes at least one god". Realizing she's going for his kill switch, he grabs Val by the throat and slams her into the wall. Fortunately for Val, though, her assistant Mel shows up and manages to "kill" Sentry before he can do her any real harm. The pair leave, Val orders Mel to organize a clean-up, and the camera pans back to Sentry's body as it slowly turns black: The Void is here.

As the Thunderbolts bicker outside, Yelena lashing out at Red Guardian for not supporting her when her sister Natasha died specifically, The Void flies high above the city. Val tells her military man Holt to take him out, but The Void vanishes him and his helicopter pilot mid-attack, causing the aircraft to crash onto the streets and civilians to panic. The Void then starts vanishing anyone his shadow comes into contact with, prompting Yelena to walk into the darkness willingly.

As Red Guardian and co debate going after her, Yelena is exposed to recurring nightmares from her years in the Red Room, including one where she tricked one of her friends into a deadly trap in the woods. Another sees her reload a gun the fastest, which causes their teacher to punish the other, slower girls with a whip, then she stumbles into a vision of herself passed out on the bathroom floor, clutching an empty bottle of vodka. As she gets close to the doppelganger, it assaults her, before the memory resets and her other self is seen back on the floor.

Yelena notices Bob in another reality in the reflection of a mirror and shoots the glass out, allowing herself to pass through. There, Bob explains that he's not actually in control of The Void, as a vision reveals that Bob's father used to abuse him and his mother. Yelena insists that they can escape The Void's torment by working together, but the room starts attacking them. As a curtain wraps itself around both of their necks, Ghost appears, slashing the sheet in half, as Bucky, Red Guardian, and Walker show up, too.

As a team, the six of them hurry through Bob's most painful moments, including a meth-induced stint as a sign twirler, before winding up back at the Kuala Lumpur lab Yelena blew up right at the beginning of the movie. The Void then presents itself to the team, restraining everyone by Bob as he insists that he'll always be weak and alone.

Bob launches himself at The Void and delivers blow after blow as the silhouetted baddie continues to mock him, though it doesn't seem to do much good. "This isn't right," Bucky tells Yelena, who breaks free of her constraints and runs towards Bob. When she gets to him, she throws her arms around him and assures him she's "right here", prompting Ghost, Bucky, Red Guardian, and Walker to follow suit. As Bob calms, The Void seems to get less and less powerful and the New Yorkers he evaporated start reappearing.

Back in the real world, Valentina announces the Thunderbolts to the press as 'The New Avengers', taking credit for the creation of the team, as Yelena creeps up behind her, whispers, "Oh, we own you now," and smirks. As Alexi told her previously, there's "no higher calling" than being a hero, after all...

So, who dies in Thunderbolts*?

In terms of named characters, there's only one major casualty in Thunderbolts* and it's Taskmaster – which many Marvel fans had admittedly already predicted due to Olga Kurylenko's name being curiously absent from Marvel's Avengers: Doomsday cast announcement. For MCU standards, it's a wildly brutal death; a head shot delivered by Hannah John-Kamen's Ghost towards the beginning of the film.

With the US government looking to impeach her as CIA Director, Valentina explains to her assistant Mel that they need to tie up any loose ends. That includes, it turns out, tricking each of her shadow operatives – Yelena Belova, John Walker, Ava Starr, and Taskmaster – into taking each other out.

Valentina tells Yelena that she's caught wind of someone's plan to steal O.X.E. Group's research, and instructs the former Red Room assassin to stop them by any means necessary. While watching the vault, Yelena spots Ghost phase through its steel door, so she follows her. But when she gets inside, Ghost is nowhere to be seen.

Instead, Yelena is attacked by Walker, who informs her that she's his target, despite him not being hers. Taskmaster then enters the fray, making a beeline for Walker. While the trio brawl, Ghost reappears and tackles Taskmaster, before dispatching her for good in the action-packed chaos. Shortly after, they figure out they're being played and agree to work together to escape Valentina's clutches. Good news for them, sad times for the newly deceased Antonia Dreykov...

What does the asterisk in Thunderbolts* mean?

In a twist that'll likely surprise no one, the asterisk in Thunderbolts* is there because the titular team aren't actually the Thunderbolts but rather the "New Avengers" – or they are by the time the credits roll, at least.

Having spent the whole movie arguing with US government officials that the world is vulnerable now that Captain America, Iron Man, and co are no longer around to protect it, and that actions need to be taken to ensure its safety, Valentina sees a opportunity when Bucky, Yelena, and the others join forces to stop Bob from wiping out New York as The Sentry.

After managing to break him free of his own dark thoughts, the group find themselves back on the streets of the city, spotting Valentina loudly demanding an extraction over the phone. Ghost vows to kill her as Red Guardian suggests they merely break some of her bones when bringing her in, prompting Val to scurry under some debris. The Thunderbolts* follow her through and are shocked to find a press conference-style set up. Val quickly takes to the podium and introduces the bewildered heroes behind her as "The New Avengers", before Yelena creeps up behind her and whispers, "Oh, we own you now."

The film holds on Pugh's face for a beat before cutting to a title card reading 'THUNDERBOLTS*'. The name then fades out and changes to 'THE NEW AVENGERS'.

What happens to Bob/The Sentry? What was his plan?

Perhaps the most interesting thing about new "villain" Sentry is that he... doesn't really have a master plan. Inspired directly by the comics, Eric Pearson and Joanna Calo's script presents Bob as a sweet-natured good guy who struggles with anxiety and depression. Sentry, or more specifically The Void as he's later known in the film, is more of a physical manifestation of those dark thoughts – as they consume Bob and make him do terrible things. You know, like condemn anyone he comes across to relive their darkest memories...

When we last see Bob in Thunderbolts*, he's chilling with the rest of the New Avengers at the Avengers Tower – though it seems he's sworn off using his powers for the time being. During the scene, Yelena mentions that they've got some sort of problems to deal with in outer space, as the group suggest Sentry flying up (with Red Guardian on his back, no less). Bob quickly shuts down the idea, reminding them what happens when he lets his alter-ego take over, before telling them he's already helped by doing the dishes anyway.

We already know Lewis Pullman will reprise the role of Bob/Sentry in Avengers: Doomsday, however, so we reckon he'll learn how to juggle his multiple personalities before long.

Are there any cameos in Thunderbolts*?

Unlike Deadpool & Wolverine, which was bursting at the seams with unexpected cameos, Thunderbolts* features no cameos whatsoever. Well, so long as you're not counting the glimpse at that ship in the post-credits scene anyway...

While it's lack of familiar face-related surprises may disappoint some, it's a refreshing change for the MCU, highlighting how Thunderbolts* is more than an extended trailer for what's to come in the franchise.

What's next for Yelena, Bucky, and co? How will the New Avengers fit into the MCU?

Thanks to Marvel's announcement of the stacked Avengers: Doomsday cast, we know we've not seen the last of Yelena, Bucky, and co. Sebastian Stan, Florence Pugh, Wyatt Russell, Lewis Pullman, Hannah John-Kamen, and David Harbour were among those confirmed to be appearing in the upcoming movie in the five-and-a-half-hour livestream – and they were as surprised as anyone to learn of all their co-stars.

"There's a guy called Robert Downey Jr. [laughs], excited to get in a scene with him..." Harbour previously told GamesRadar+. "I mean, I was as impressed and surprised at that chair reveal thing as anyone. I was like, 'What, he's in this movie? Wow.'"

As it stands, little is known about the plot of Doomsday, which is currently filming in London, but we're already wondering about how The New Avengers will fit in. Will they be the main Avengers? In Captain America: Brave New World, Anthony Mackie's Sam Wilson was tasked by US President Everett Ross with assembling a new team of Avengers, which results in him recruiting Joaquin Torres/Falcon right at the very end of the movie.

Thunderbolts* briefly addresses this by having the gang joke about Sam is trying to copyright 'Avengers', before Alexi swans in with new gear that he's branded "Avengerz". Will they wind up joining forces to forge a super group? We'll have to wait and see.

What's perhaps most interesting, however, is that The New Avengers look to be the ones who will usher the Fantastic Four into the present-day Earth-616 universe, given the Thunderbolts* post-credits scene. In it, Yelena, Bucky, and co are seen knocking about the refurbed Avengers Tower, talking about a problem in outer space, when the former gets notified that an "interdimensional" ship is on the approach. She requests visuals on it, which reveals to the audience that it's a Fantastic Four craft...

Thunderbolts* is out in UK cinemas now, and will arrive in US theaters tomorrow (May 2). For more, check out where it fits on the Marvel timeline, our round up of Marvel Phase 5, or our guide to the most exciting upcoming superhero movies heading our way.