“Feels very premature”- Fans react as Thunderbolts stars reveals new title

Marvel’s Thunderbolts has taken a bold turn just days into its theatrical run. After months of speculation, the studio finally revealed what the mysterious asterisk in the title stood for. During a viral promotional event, the cast pulled off the original poster title to unveil the movie’s new identity - The New Avengers.

The rebrand was also integrated into the film itself. In the end credits, Valentina Allegra de Fontaine rechristened the team after their victory, marking a shift in the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s direction.

Ticketing platforms still show Thunderbolts on listings, but marketing, social media handles, and theatre posters now all feature The New Avengers. This has left fans debating what to actually call the film going forward, as the timing became the real point of contention.

Fans took to social media to express their unhappiness with the name change with one person calling it "very premature." They added that the team could have waited a few weeks to share the new name.

“They should have waited a few weeks to do this. Feels very premature," a fan commented.

Fans also stated that the move seemed "desperate" to them as others claimed that since the movie was "flopping," the creators were "trying to squeeze out some interest."

"Desperate in my opinion," another fan stated.

"That's what happens when your movie is flopping," one fan wrote on X.

"It's flopping, trying to squeeze out some interest for the second weekend," one user commented.

"They shouldn’t have done it at all," a fan wrote.

"I truly love how they are f*cking ruining the movie for anyone that has not seen it yet," an X user wrote.

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More about Thunderbolts

Thunderbolts marks the 36th entry in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and follows a team of antiheroes forced to work together after being caught in a deadly trap. Directed by Jake Schreier and produced by Marvel Studios, the film stars Florence Pugh, Sebastian Stan, Wyatt Russell, and Julia Louis-Dreyfus, among others.

Released on May 2, 2025, in the United States, the movie closes out Phase Five of the MCU. Its plot explores the formation of the Thunderbolts team as they battle personal struggles and face a mission that forces them to confront dark pasts and a formidable new enemy, the Void.

It premiered in Europe on April 22, 2025, at Cineworld Leicester Square in London, giving fans an early glimpse of the MCU's latest installment. In Thunderbolts, Yelena, Walker, Ava, and others are betrayed by Valentina Allegra de Fontaine and trapped on a deadly mission.

They escape with Bob, later revealed as the unstable Sentry. After Bob becomes the destructive Void and engulfs New York, the team enters his mind to help him regain control. Following the victory, de Fontaine rebrands them as the New Avengers. A post-credits scene teases a link to the Fantastic Four.

Throughout its development and release, Thunderbolts has sparked discussion for its unconventional marketing strategy. The film's ending formally rebrands the team as The New Avengers, a shift integrated directly into the narrative during the end credits.

Following this reveal, Marvel Studios launched a campaign replacing posters and social media banners to reflect the new title, while ticketing platforms retained Thunderbolts as the listing.

Director Jake Schreier confirmed that the rebranding was planned from the earliest drafts of the script. He added that it was designed to align with the story arc where Valentina Allegra de Fontaine publicly renames the group.

Despite the switch being widely publicized, Disney clarified that the movie’s title remains the same for official records. Meanwhile, The New Avengers simply serves as part of its marketing and narrative progression.

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Stay tuned for more updates.