New Thunderbolts* poster solves mystery of title asterisk making a stronger connection with the MCU

A few months ago, one of the upcoming movies within the MCU left us with a doubt. Thunderbolts* added an asterisk to the title, something that sometimes seemed like a mistake or a detail that went unnoticed. After a recent first trailer during the Super Bowl this weekend, we got our first look at this team and a possible explanation for that little detail.

Marvel Studio Japan Reveals the Detail Behind Thunderbolts*

A detail has emerged to give us a meaning behind the asterisk, and no, it has nothing to do with the team not approving of the Thunderbolts name, as David Harbour’s Red Guardian declares “We are the Thunderbolts!” during the trailer. This is thanks to the poster shared by Marvel Studios Japan, which states: “*The Avengers are not available” it reads.

This also ties into one of the first sentences in the trailer, in which Julia Louis-Dreyfus' Valentina Allegra de Fontaine makes a blunt statement. “Let’s talk facts,” she says, seemingly in front of some kind of Congressional hearing. “The Avengers are not coming. Who will keep the American people safe?” This is a very convincing answer, and supported by the trailer’s tagline, it gives context to the fact that the world may not have the Avengers, but it does have another group of heroes - formerly assassins - who are willing to do something for humanity.

Meanwhile, we already have a release date for Thunderbolts*, which is set to hit theaters on May 2 of this year. While we wait, we are closer to another Thunderbolt appearance when Captain America, Sam Wilson, takes on Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross, Red Hulk in ‘Captain America: Brave New World’ this Friday, February 14th.

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