Movies

The Mysterious Asterisk in ‘Thunderbolts*’ Explained

BBG News

2025 sees Marvel Studios break the mold with their atypical production, Thunderbolts, a film that’s generating buzz not just from its unconventional marketing strategy but also its peculiar title. This isn’t your typical superhero flick, Marvel has stressed. Instead, it’s a story centered around sidekicks and antiheroes who, more often than not, lack powers and may be slightly eccentric. The intriguing advertisements and witty posters have fueled fan speculation about the nature of this project and the significance of the asterisk in the title.

The movie features a diverse ensemble cast from the Marvel Cinematic Universe, such as Florence Pugh’s Yelena (Black Widow), Sebastian Stan’s Bucky (Captain America series), David Harbour’s Red Guardian (Black Widow), Wyatt Russell’s U.S. Agent (The Falcon and the Winter Soldier), and Julia Louis-Dreyfus’ Valentina (Black Widow). Marvel fans may recall that some of these actors have shone in critically acclaimed films produced by A24, including Midsommar, A Different Man, and You Hurt My Feelings. Interestingly, the creative team behind A24’s Beef is involved in this production as well. The cinematographer worked on The Green Knight, the production designer on Hereditary, the editor on Minari, the composers on Everything Everywhere All at Once – demonstrating a strong connection between this Marvel project and A24 productions.

The information presented here stems from the “total cinema” trailer for Thunderolts*, which employs a term often used by film enthusiasts on Letterboxd. This phrase will be familiar to them upon viewing the commercial, as it signifies that Marvel has enlisted several independent creators in an attempt to bolster its credibility with this specific audience. Whether this promotional approach generates skepticism among viewers about the current state of film, given the overabundance of comic-book movies on the indie scene, or optimism for a more innovative future within the genre of crimefighters in spandex, remains to be seen. Nonetheless, Marvel has undeniably generated excitement with this approach.

Regarding that mysterious asterisk, Kevin Feige of Marvel Studios revealed at San Diego Comic-Con in 2024 that the production team would keep quiet about its meaning until after the film’s release. Despite this, fans have been quick to speculate on its significance – some theories suggest it could be a temporary name for “The Thunderbolts” team within the movie, or simply a marketing tactic. Here are the facts as we currently understand them.

Where does the Thunderbolts name come from?

Let’s discuss the possible reason behind the asterisk before we delve into its symbolic significance. In the trailer for the movie, Red Guardian shouts, “We are the Thunderbolts,” and a weary-looking Bucky counters with, “We can’t call ourselves that.

As a die-hard Marvel fan, it’s understandable to think that the Thunderbolts were named after Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross, the character who recently made a significant impact in “Captain America: Brave New World.” However, in the comic books, the Thunderbolts have no connection to this military figure portrayed by William Hurt (and later Harrison Ford in the MCU). The name-sharing is purely coincidental.

It’s uncertain if there will be any connection, intentional or otherwise, between the characters Thunderbolts and Ross in the film.

In the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), Ross isn’t exactly admired these days. In “The Hulk,” he employs questionable tactics to pursue Bruce Banner. In “Avengers: Civil War,” he initiates the dispute between Captain America and Iron Man by pushing for U.S. government control over the Avengers. And in “Brave New World,” Ross manages to secure the presidency, but it’s later exposed that he secretly jailed a scientist to serve as his personal physician and researcher. In the same movie, Ross transforms into the Red Hulk and is eventually imprisoned for his misdeeds.

It’s likely that this motley crew of superheroes wouldn’t want any connection to a disgraced past president. Originally, Harrison Ford was linked to the movie, but it appears he won’t be part of it anymore. Initially, Marvel might have intended for Thaddeus Ross to be part of the team, and in certain comic book versions, the Red Hulk even joins them. However, these ideas were abandoned as the MCU’s future was reimagined. Now, it seems the studio is using the confusing name situation for a bit of amusement.

Does a poster for Thunderbolts* offer answers?

Okay, so on to the asterisk. What, exactly, is it doing there?

A global poster for the film might have unraveled the mystery. At the foot of the poster, it’s written, “*The Avengers are absent.” This plot twist aligns with what viewers have been shown in trailers: The Avengers have disbanded. Tony Stark and Natasha Romanoff have perished. Steve Rogers has journeyed into the past. The remaining members are scattered throughout the cosmos. With no one coming to aid New York City, this motley crew of outcasts must take action instead.

As a movie enthusiast, I can’t help but wonder if the asterisk’s tale hasn’t reached its conclusion just yet. A quick scan of Marvel’s social media posts hints that they might be keeping something under wraps, as they haven’t been pushing that image through their usual channels. The creative team behind the scenes remains tight-lipped about the significance of the asterisk, which leaves me speculating that there could be more to this symbol than meets the eye.

Are there other theories that may bear fruit?

In the trailer, Bucky’s comment hints that “Thunderbolts” might just be a temporary alias for their team. Fans of comics have been guessing that this group could be a reinterpretation of the Avengers, perhaps under different names like the Secret Avengers, the Dark Avengers, or even the budget-friendly Avengers nicknamed The Low-Rent Avengers.

In the final episode of Disney+’s Marvel series, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, was rebranded as Captain America and the Winter Soldier. This is because Sam Wilson assumed the role of Captain America, a task that Steve Rogers had asked him to take on during Avengers: Endgame.

In much the same way, the films known as Thunderbolts might choose a fresh moniker for their closing credits, right before they join forces with the (real-life) Avengers and X-Men in the upcoming film, Avengers: Doomsday, due out next year. We’ve learned from a recent, drawn-out and suspenseful casting reveal that all key characters in the Thunderbolts* movie will also be present in that one. This suggests quite possibly that the asterisk is playing a dual role within this film’s title.

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2025-04-17 18:06

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