Thunderbolts*
has not only arrived but has also thunderstormed in the theaters worldwide. Marvel’s first release of the year, this continuation saga of the remaining and newly joined Avengers, is basking in the success of enormous glory, bringing a ray of hope for upcoming Marvel releases like The Fantastic Four: First Steps
and Avengers: Doomsday
. However, fans who were utterly impressed with the movie and its many underlying themes of loneliness and so much more were in for a shock as the movie went on to rename itself.
The ensemble cast of the movie, which is busy in an endless promotion spree these days, today gave an unexpected surprise to the fans as they revealed the name, The New Avengers
, for the movie
. Marvel took to their social media platforms to share a video of stars, including Florence Pugh, Sebastian Stan, David Harbour, and the others, unveiling this new name. The video was further shared by Discussing Films on X, where it was met with fans’ disapproval.
First poster for ‘THE NEW AVENGERS’
Now in theaters. pic.twitter.com/CZAbod4pEk
— DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) May 5, 2025
This shocking turn of events comes just days after Thunderbolts*
was released worldwide on Friday, May 2. The studios are working all around, as a Los Angeles billboard promoting the Marvel movie changed the title from Thunderbolts*
to The New Avengers
during the opening weekend. Also, ticketing websites like Fandango have changed their name.
Read More: The ‘Thunderbolts*’ Cast Hilariously Struggles to Remember Who Got Snapped by Thanos
But fans who were introduced to the movie as Thunderbolts*
from the very beginning are not happy about it as can be seen in the comments.
Fans remain unimpressed by Marvel’s biggest marketing stunt of name change
Since its initial days, Thunderbolts*
has always been introduced by the studios with an asterisk by its name, which has made the fans wonder about its weird placement. The symbol indicated that it was only a temporary name for the group, whose original name was introduced when, in the later part of the movie, Valentina Allegra de Fontaine announces the group’s name is the New Avengers. In fact, Robert Downey Jr
almost spilled this secret during his social media praise of the movie a few days ago
. However, this has not generated a feeling of happiness in its devoted fandom, which felt betrayed.
No hate but this is a massive downgrade from the original Avengers
— I follow back 👀 (@LuckyyPats) May 5, 2025
So the Thunderbolts cast revealed the new name AFTER the billboards went up?? That’s some backward low-key shade
— MovieManKev ❤📽🍿 (@MovieManKev) May 5, 2025
As a Marvel fan, I feel betrayed.
— Añj (@MsAnjaliB) May 5, 2025
There was also some trolling which pulled Marvel’s leg by saying they should have waited even longer to do this.
They should have waited a few weeks to do this. Feels very premature.
— Eric Maus (@ericpmaus) May 5, 2025
I feel like they should have waited. I haven’t even had the chance to go see it yet
— 𝚁𝚘𝚋𝚘𝙶𝚊𝚖𝚎𝚛𝟷𝙷𝙳 | Content Creator (@RoboGamer1HD) May 5, 2025
Despite this unexpected publicity stunt, the movie has been climbing the charts all around. Adding to the honor of MCU tradition of May release slots with movies like Civil War
and Infinity War
, now Thunderbolts*
has become the first non-sequel of the universe to dominate early-summer box office charts. The famous characters are now expected to appear again in Avengers: Doomsday,
where they might have to team up with the original remaining Avengers. But for now, the new name is not getting the love it aimed for.
What are your thoughts on Thunderbolts*
to The New Avengers
? Are the fans’ reactions of betrayal valid? Tell us below.