Marvel"s Thunderbolts Update Includes Strange Retitle: Here"s What It Could Mean
Summary
In Marvel Comics' original Thunderbolts comics, founding member Baron Zemo (in his Citizen V persona) chose the team's name because he wanted it to sound, as he describes, "something cryptofascist — but friendly". Publicly, Zemo argued that he was inspired by a 19th century poem by Thomas Randolph, which reads, "Justice, like lightning ever should appear to few men ruin, but to all men fear". Since Zemo isn't a member of the Thunderbolts in the MCU, the explanation for the team's name is still a mystery. However, a bigger mystery is why Marvel Studios suddenly added an asterisk to the title during production.
Thunderbolts* Title Theories Explained![]()
On March 27, 2024, Yelena Belova actor Florence Pugh shared a behind-the-scenes video on the Thunderbolts set. Pugh made it clear that she couldn't reveal too many details about the project, but still managed to show a frame of the movie in the editing bay, as well as a chair with the film's title on it. Curiously, it reads "Thunderbolts*", and Marvel Studios' official X account also included the same asterisk in the video's caption. Naturally, this detail has sparked speculation among fans, who have come up with multiple theories.
Thunderbolts*' Asterisk Has An In-Movie Explanation One possible explanation for the asterisk in the Thunderbolts* title is that it will play a role within the story. For instance, the general public and the media could start calling the team "the Avengers" or "the Dark Avengers", leading Yelena and her colleagues to correct their official name publicly, with an asterisk denoting this elucidation. Otherwise, Valentina Allegra de Fontaine could give the team an inconspicuous name, which would motivate the heroes to find their own identity and brand themselves as an actual superhero team.
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Related Marvel's Change To Thunderbolts' Shocking Ending Plan Fixes A Major MCU Problem Recent reports about the original ending for the MCU's upcoming Thunderbolts reveal that Marvel Studios is already fixing a major problem. Thunderbolts* Is Now A Placeholder Title Another possibility is that Thunderbolts*' asterisk is only used by Marvel Studios to label the original title as a placeholder. While this could sound like Thunderbolts will be completely rebranded as a different project than the comic-book team it originally took inspiration from, it would likely mean that the Thunderbolts title will get expanded or receive a subtitle similar to the MCU Spider-Man trilogy or the Thor sequels. Some examples would be Bucky Barnes and the Thunderbolts or Thunderbolts: Justice Like Lightning.
Spider-Man: No Way Home used its choice of subtitle as a marketing strategy, with the main cast participating in the speculation of how the word "home" could be included.
Thunderbolts*' Asterisk Is Only Used For Production Purposes Alternatively, the asterisk in Thunderbolts* could be an exclusive addition to the film production's set. Movie titles, regardless of whether the studio considers them likely to be final or not, usually have official-looking designs during production. MCU projects like Echo and Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania have had very different title designs, for example. If Marvel decides to keep the original title right before release, the asterisk could be removed. But while it's normal to see last-minute changes in movie titles, the asterisk in Marvel Studios' X post caption leaves more questions open.
Name Changes Aren't Rare For MCU Movies Phase 5 Has Already Had A Couple Of Title Changes Close Just like MCU movie title designs tend to change during production, the titles themselves are subject to change in Marvel productions. Captain America: Brave New World is the most recent example before Thunderbolts, with Captain America: New World Order being the original title. Previous to that, Eternals was referred to as The Eternals for a long time before the final name was confirmed. Agatha has changed titles three times already, holding the record for the Marvel project with the most titles announced: Agatha: House of Harkness, Agatha: Coven of Chaos, Agatha: Darkhold Diaries, and finally Agatha.
Which Thunderbolts* Explanation Seems Most Likely? Thunderbolts* Might Be A Permanent Name Change For The Phase 5 Movie![]()
While any explanation could be true, it seems unlikely that the asterisk in the Thunderbolts* title is a placeholder, as Florence Pugh's behind-the-scenes video would have been the perfect opportunity to reveal a major rebrand if the movie received a subtitle or a new name altogether. However, the fact that Marvel Studios is including the asterisk on social media posts suggests the change isn't temporary either. Therefore, at this point, it's possible that the asterisk has a narrative meaning, similar to how DC's Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice used "v." instead of "vs." to highlight the movie's legal subplot.
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Marvel's Thunderbolts
Director Jake Schreier Writers Lee Sung Jin Release Date May 2, 2025 Cast Sebastian Stan , Wyatt Russell , Julia Louis-Dreyfus , Tim Roth , Daniel Brühl , Florence Pugh , David Harbour , Olga Kurylenko , Harrison Ford Budget $200 million
- Florence Pugh and Marvel Studios' official X account reveal an asterisk in the Thunderbolts* title, sparking speculation among fans.
- There are a few possible explanations for the extra asterisk: a hint at a plot point, a placeholder title, or simply a production label.
- MCU titles tend to change during production, but the fact that Marvel Studios is including the asterisk on social media supports the idea that the change is permanent.
In Marvel Comics' original Thunderbolts comics, founding member Baron Zemo (in his Citizen V persona) chose the team's name because he wanted it to sound, as he describes, "something cryptofascist — but friendly". Publicly, Zemo argued that he was inspired by a 19th century poem by Thomas Randolph, which reads, "Justice, like lightning ever should appear to few men ruin, but to all men fear". Since Zemo isn't a member of the Thunderbolts in the MCU, the explanation for the team's name is still a mystery. However, a bigger mystery is why Marvel Studios suddenly added an asterisk to the title during production.
Thunderbolts* Title Theories Explained
On March 27, 2024, Yelena Belova actor Florence Pugh shared a behind-the-scenes video on the Thunderbolts set. Pugh made it clear that she couldn't reveal too many details about the project, but still managed to show a frame of the movie in the editing bay, as well as a chair with the film's title on it. Curiously, it reads "Thunderbolts*", and Marvel Studios' official X account also included the same asterisk in the video's caption. Naturally, this detail has sparked speculation among fans, who have come up with multiple theories.Thunderbolts*' Asterisk Has An In-Movie Explanation One possible explanation for the asterisk in the Thunderbolts* title is that it will play a role within the story. For instance, the general public and the media could start calling the team "the Avengers" or "the Dark Avengers", leading Yelena and her colleagues to correct their official name publicly, with an asterisk denoting this elucidation. Otherwise, Valentina Allegra de Fontaine could give the team an inconspicuous name, which would motivate the heroes to find their own identity and brand themselves as an actual superhero team.
Related Marvel's Change To Thunderbolts' Shocking Ending Plan Fixes A Major MCU Problem Recent reports about the original ending for the MCU's upcoming Thunderbolts reveal that Marvel Studios is already fixing a major problem. Thunderbolts* Is Now A Placeholder Title Another possibility is that Thunderbolts*' asterisk is only used by Marvel Studios to label the original title as a placeholder. While this could sound like Thunderbolts will be completely rebranded as a different project than the comic-book team it originally took inspiration from, it would likely mean that the Thunderbolts title will get expanded or receive a subtitle similar to the MCU Spider-Man trilogy or the Thor sequels. Some examples would be Bucky Barnes and the Thunderbolts or Thunderbolts: Justice Like Lightning.Spider-Man: No Way Home used its choice of subtitle as a marketing strategy, with the main cast participating in the speculation of how the word "home" could be included.
Thunderbolts*' Asterisk Is Only Used For Production Purposes Alternatively, the asterisk in Thunderbolts* could be an exclusive addition to the film production's set. Movie titles, regardless of whether the studio considers them likely to be final or not, usually have official-looking designs during production. MCU projects like Echo and Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania have had very different title designs, for example. If Marvel decides to keep the original title right before release, the asterisk could be removed. But while it's normal to see last-minute changes in movie titles, the asterisk in Marvel Studios' X post caption leaves more questions open.
Name Changes Aren't Rare For MCU Movies Phase 5 Has Already Had A Couple Of Title Changes Close Just like MCU movie title designs tend to change during production, the titles themselves are subject to change in Marvel productions. Captain America: Brave New World is the most recent example before Thunderbolts, with Captain America: New World Order being the original title. Previous to that, Eternals was referred to as The Eternals for a long time before the final name was confirmed. Agatha has changed titles three times already, holding the record for the Marvel project with the most titles announced: Agatha: House of Harkness, Agatha: Coven of Chaos, Agatha: Darkhold Diaries, and finally Agatha.
Which Thunderbolts* Explanation Seems Most Likely? Thunderbolts* Might Be A Permanent Name Change For The Phase 5 Movie
While any explanation could be true, it seems unlikely that the asterisk in the Thunderbolts* title is a placeholder, as Florence Pugh's behind-the-scenes video would have been the perfect opportunity to reveal a major rebrand if the movie received a subtitle or a new name altogether. However, the fact that Marvel Studios is including the asterisk on social media posts suggests the change isn't temporary either. Therefore, at this point, it's possible that the asterisk has a narrative meaning, similar to how DC's Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice used "v." instead of "vs." to highlight the movie's legal subplot.
Marvel's Thunderbolts Director Jake Schreier Writers Lee Sung Jin Release Date May 2, 2025 Cast Sebastian Stan , Wyatt Russell , Julia Louis-Dreyfus , Tim Roth , Daniel Brühl , Florence Pugh , David Harbour , Olga Kurylenko , Harrison Ford Budget $200 million
