The kids had their fun already, now it's... the real misfits' turn? The Thunderbolts are finally here, and they are making headlines for all the right reasons. The latest Marvel Cinematic Universe epic is filled with jaw-dropping action sequences, a narrative that dives deep into the importance of mental health, and Oscar-worthy performances that can make you share a tear or two along the way. Oh, and it also has good-old Bob. Nothing bad can come out of him, right?
But Thunderbolts* is much more than a great stand-alone story. It also sets up big changes in the MCU that few could've seen coming. While the post-credits scene is sure to steal the spotlight (and rightfully so), we can't forget about the other elephant in the room, which is the asterisk in the title. Ever since the movie was announced, we all wondered about the meaning behind such a seemingly small detail. Well, it turns out it's anything but small, as it can change the way we look at Earth's Mightiest Heroes moving forward.
*** This article contains MAJOR SPOILERS from Thunderbots*. If you would prefer the movie not be spoiled for you, come back after you've watched it. ***
The Thunderbolts are now called the New Avengers
Sometimes, the most obvious choice is the real answer. Before Thunderbolts* premiered, fans speculated that the asterisk was meant to signify a placeholder for the team's name. Well, it turns out that was exactly the case, and by the end of the movie, this group of misfits and anti-heroes is called The New Avengers (I personally had my money on The Dark Avengers, but it was close enough).
In comic book pages, there has been no shortage of teams using the "Avengers" keyword in their titles. West Coast Avengers, The Mighty Avengers, The Dark Avengers, The Young Avengers... you name it. Everyone wants to feel like they are a member of Earth's Mightiest Heroes. However, such a concept is brand new for the MCU, and it's already creating some problems and complex scenarios.
CIA director Valentina Allegra de Fontaine was the one to give the Thunderbolts their new, upgraded title. Yelena Bolova even reveals that the government officially recognizes them as The New Avengers during the movie's post-credits scene. However, this does clash with the mandate that the former president of the United States, Thaddeus Ross, gave to Sam Wilson. After all, Captain America was tasked with recruiting and leading the next generation of Earth's Mightiest Heroes.
Bucky tried but failed to convince Sam that The New Avengers were going to be the "main" group of heroes moving forward. So what did Cap do in response? He filed for copyright of the "Avengers" name. Now, the internet is picking sides and, unfortunately, no one seems to support Yelena, Bucky, Ghost, Red Guardian, Bob, and U.S. Agent. But more than a case of who's the real and who's a copycat, having two different teams can bring doom to the MCU moving forward.
Do you remember what happened last time Earth's Mightiest Heroes were divided into two groups, and they tried to fight against the same villain on separate fronts? Exactly, Thanos snapped his fingers and erased half of the life in the universe in an instant during the events of Avengers: Infinity War. Well, now that Doctor Doom is coming, we could see a similar scenario play out during Avengers: Doomsday (except much worse).
Kamala Khan is also recruiting her own team, as revealed by the post-credits scene of The Marvels (and they will likely be The Young Avengers). Furthermore, Matt Murdock took it upon himself to reunite the Defenders once again as implied by the finale of Daredevil: Born Again. Finally, it's worth remembering that the X-Men will also join the battle, as indicated by the Avengers: Doomsday cast. If all of these different groups attempt to fight their own battle on their own terms, chances are that each will fall. Worse yet is the idea that they might clash against each other (Avengers vs X-Men, anyone?). We already know Sam Wilson is at odds with the New Avengers, so why would we expect them to join forces? If anything, they'll be battling to see who gets to keep the name.
The idea of different groups of heroes facing each other is not only worth exploring, but it could also allow for Doctor Doom to achieve what he desires and rule Battleworld. Fortunately, it won't be long before we finally figure out how big of a role the New Avengers will have moving forward, and what kind of complexities their name will bring.
Thunderbolts* is now playing in movie theaters.