Follow us on Google News
Get the latest updates directly in your Google News feed
Florence Pugh’sThunderbolts*dropped its teaser trailer and fans were impressed with what they saw in the nearly three-and-a-half-minute clip. One of the most intriguing parts about the trailer came at the end of the teaser when the title of the film was revealed. The asterisk appeared after the title and Marvel logo were shown, indicating that there is more story to the title.
Popular theory suggests that Thunderbolts could be a stand-in name for the team and they could go on to become the Dark Avengers by the end of the film. While it’s a good possibility considering the many similarities with the Marvel Comics version, the team sounds more like Secret Avengers than the villainous Dark Avengers.
The Asterisk In Florence Pugh’sThunderbolts*May Hint At Secret Avengers, Not Dark Avengers
Fans saw in thetrailer ofThunderbolts*that CIA director La Contessa Valentina Allegra de la Fontaine assembles a group of anti-heroes for a mission. The six of them—White Widow, USAgent, Ghost, Taskmaster, Red Guardian, and Winter Soldier—appear at Fontaine’s office which appears to be similar to the Avengers Tower.
The asterisk at the end of the title was something that intrigued Marvel fans for a long time. According to a popular theory, it indicates a possible change of title after the film. These details suggest that Fontaine is trying to build her own Avengers team, in the absence of a proper team afterAvengers: Endgame.
It aligns with the teams’ storyline in Marvel Comics, particularly the 1996Onslaughtstoryline where Thunderbolts take over after the murders of the Fantastic Four and Avengers. The team turned out to be actual villains who wanted to take advantage of the enemies’ absence.
Thunderbolts* Trailer: We Are Hopeful For a Tom Hiddleston Cameo After Apparent Loki Nod
TheSecret Invasionstoryline presented another version of theOnslaughtstoryline where aThunderbolts team brought together by Norman Osbornbecomes the new Avengers. The Spider-Man villain became S.H.I.E.L.D. director, which he renamed to H.A.M.M.E.R., and gained the trust of the public.
This team included villains taking on different superhero mantles like Venom as Spider-Man, Bullseye as Hawkeye, Daken as Wolverine, Noh-Varr as Captain Marvel, and Moonstone as Ms. Marvel. Osborn led the team in the Iron Patriot suit and stopped the invasion of the Skrulls.
The tagline in the teaser,“Be careful who you assemble,”for the Thunderbolts team sounds a bit like this comic book team of Dark Avengers. However, the group lacks an evil leader like Norman Osborn. While Fontaine comes close to being such a character, most of the anti-heroes in this team havegone through arcs that have almost redeemed themin the MCU.
What makes more sense would be the possibility that this team could be the Secret Avengers. The Secret Avengers in the comics came as a follow-up to this Dark Avengers storyline.
Thunderbolts Could Become Secret Avengers: Who Are They?
While Norman Osborn reigns in his role as the leader of the Dark Avengers, Steve Rogers reassembled the Avengers to take down this team and take over as the protectors of the Earth. This time in theHeroic Agecomics, Cap decided to have a black ops team called the Secret Avengers.
One Scene in First Thunderbolts* Trailer Seemingly Confirms Lewis Pullman’s Sentry Rumor
The original team from the comics consists of Black Widow, Beast, Moon Knight, Nova, and Sharon Carter.Sebastian Stan‘s Bucky,Florence Pugh‘s Yelena, and others are more suited for this black ops job than become the Dark Avengers. Fans got to see a version of Secret Avengers when Steve Rogers and his team went rogue inCaptain America: Civil Warand continued to work as an underground team.
While David Harbour, who plays Red Guardian,claims to know why the asterisk was put in the title, fans haven’t gotten much explanation about it from Marvel (via ComicBook). The theory is that the titleThunderbolts*will be changed toSecret Avengersby the end of the film.
Thunderbolts*will arrive in theaters on June 28, 2025.
Hashim Asraff
Senior Writer
Articles Published :3018
Hashim Asraff is a Senior Entertainment Writer at FandomWire, with over 2,800 articles published on celebrity culture, comic book movies, and major TV franchises. With a background in Sociology and a keen interest in pop culture, Hashim brings a unique lens to breaking news stories, character deep-dives, film rankings, and fan-driven perspectives.His coverage often includes the MCU, DCU, hit network shows, and celebrity profiles, giving readers a rich blend of entertainment and analysis. A longtime fan of crime and investigative series, Hashim has watched thousands of episodes of NCIS, Criminal Minds, Law & Order: SVU, Bones, Blue Bloods, and The RookieA passionate storyteller and wordsmith, Hashim has also worked as a ghostwriter and managed multiple social media handles. He brought his writing expertise to FandomWire to also pursue his lifelong love for cinema and television.
