Just like theatrical release windows have condensed from months to mere weeks, so too has the spoiler timeline. Only a few short years ago, a giant like Marvel studio was begging for fans to keep quiet on a post-release Monday about reveals in a movie like Avengers: Endgame. Now, for Thunderbolts*, it’s part of week 2 box-office strategy.
[Ed. note: The rest of this story contains major spoilers for Thunderbolts* that Marvel posted itself so go talk to them.]
On Monday morning, the Marvel Singapore YouTube account let the flerken out of the bag when it posted the “asterisk reveal” for Thunderbolts*, which by the end of the film, transitions in title to The New Avengers.
While many comic book theorists and spoilermongers predicted that the asterisk in the Thunderbolts* title indicated an Avengers-related switcheroo, most assumed that The Winter Solider, the new Black Widow, the Red Guardian, Ghost, and U.S. Agent would team up to become the MCU’s take on the Dark Avengers. Not quite. As Valentina Allegra de Fontaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) said at the end of Thunderbolts*, they’re hurriedly dubbed “New Avengers.” Copyright battles with Sam Wilson’s OG Avengers team ensue.
Thunderbolts* made $76 million in its opening weekend — a strong start to a team-up movie that’s essentially a sequel to one of Disney’s COVID-era blockbusters and a bunch of Disney Plus TV shows, but a weaker start for a kick-off-the-summer Marvel movie. Marvel might be finally feeling the heat, after lackluster reviews and box office for Captain America: Brave New World and the major gamble of its Fantastic Four reboot later this summer. Did everyone who wanted to see Thunderbolts* already go this weekend? Will the movie fizzle out or hold strong as more blockbusters pop up throughout May? Marvel isn’t taking any chances. This is an AVENGERS movie. The NEWAVENGERS to be exact. #DontSpoiltheEndgame but #FeelFreetoSpoilThunderboltsforYourFriends if they want to have done their homework in time for Avengers: Doomsday in 2026.
