MarvelBlog News for May 11th, 2025
Marvel just changed the name of a film currently in theaters. That’s a real thing that just happened.
I’ll explain this and the possible connection between Thunderbolts* and X-Men in this week’s MarvelBlog News.
They Did WHAT???
Photo: Marvel
Okay, I’m about to spoil something about the ending of the movie, Thunderbolts*.
By now, I presume you’ve already either seen the film or heard about the surprise.
Photo: Marvel
Just in case you haven’t, consider this your final warning before I spoil the film in two sentences. If you don’t want to know, just please stop reading.
Okay, if you’re still here, Marvel just unveiled a unique marketing strategy the likes of which nobody has ever attempted, at least to the best of my knowledge.
Photo: Marvel
After the opening weekend of Thunderbolts*, Marvel updated the film title.
If you see billboards or advertising for the film, they may call it The New Avengers.
I’m not joking. On Fandango and other ticket sites, some theaters now list the film as The New Avengers.
Others still call the movie Thunderbolts*, which Marvel says remains the official name. However, the movie poster now displays The New Avengers.
Image: Marvel Studios
I don’t claim to understand any of this beyond the obvious reason that Marvel is building post-release interest in the film.
While Thunderbolts* performed just fine at the box office, it wasn’t a $100 million opener…or anywhere close to that.
Photo: Marvel
In fact, the opening weekend estimate of $76 million proved overly ambitious, with the title actually debuting to $74.3 million.
That’s perfectly fine for a title with a budget of $180 million, but Marvel wants more than a title sitting at $272 million after ten days.
Photo: Marvel
So, now that the cat is mostly out of the bag anyway, the marketing team has leaned into the film’s big twist.
Meet the New Avengers
Image: Marvel
From now on, some of the greatest antiheroes of the MCU will call themselves Avengers…and with the blessing of the federal government.
Thunderbolts* revealed all of this. The whole point of releasing a film is keeping the plot a surprise until people have seen it, though.
Photo: Marvel
Marvel hasn’t done that here. Everyone who didn’t watch the film on opening weekend will know where the story is going.
The question becomes whether the revelation adds intrigue or comes across as desperation.
Source: Marvel Studios
Online forums appear evenly divided on the point thus far. Marketing aside, the twist is far from a huge surprise, though.
I’m pretty sure I first mentioned this possibility five years ago during the early days of the pandemic.
Photo: Marvel Comics
The premise for Thunderbolts* was on the table basically the moment Avengers: Endgame debuted in theaters.
Black Widow was supposed to set up several of the characters, including Yelena Belova and some Taskmaster.
Source: Marvel
I’m not definitive on which Taskmaster, as the rumors at the time, since confirmed, suggested that a different, male Taskmaster may have debuted.
Otherwise, I told you a year ago what was probably going to happen, just as I explained three years ago why it wouldn’t be the Dark Avengers.
Source: Marvel Studios
Seriously, this has been an open secret for a long time now, and the asterisk doubled as Marvel joking about how many people knew what was going on.
What to Expect from Now On
Source: Marvel
The Dark Avengers had a negative association with the branding, and Thunderbolts wasn’t going to sell the same number of tickets as a brand.
I mean, we just witnessed that over the past ten days. The movie’s a solid hit by any normal standard, but it’s just okay by Marvel’s standards.
Source: Marvel
By adding the Avengers tie-in, Marvel juices the interest in the current film, just as Edge of Tomorrow later became Live Die Repeat with its marketing.
More importantly, The Walt Disney Company, the corporate owner of Marvel, sets up a steady schedule of Avengers films.
Source: Marvel
As referenced at the end of Thunderbolts* and Captain America: Brave New World, Sam Wilson is also putting together a team of Avengers.
Apparently, the current Captain America is suing the New Avengers for copyright/trademark infringement.
Photo: Marvel
Right now, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier aren’t cool, probably because Wilson just got in a fist fight with the President of the United States.
Meanwhile, Bucky Barnes has inexplicably cozied up to Valentina Allegra de Fontaine.
Photo: Hobby Consolas
Hilariously, based on current MCU canon, the Red Hulk is probably a nicer person than the Contessa.
So, we’ve got plenty of stories to explore on Earth just as that spaceship arrives, the other huge plot twist from Thunderbolts*.
Photo: The Cinema Spot
All of this is happening as Marvel sets the table for 2026’s Avengers: Doomsday and 2027’s Avengers: Secret Wars.
Apparently, Disney can throw in New Avengers and maybe a Secret Avengers film as well, presuming the latter is the name for Sam Wilson’s team.
Photo: Marvel Comics
If fans aren’t attending standalone films as frequently, Avengers films should just the box office by making each one an event.
That’s apparently the plan anyway. We’ll track its success/failure over the next few years.
Marvel Miscellany
Photo: Marvel Comics
During a regular week, by far the biggest story would have been the glow-up of Jake Schreier, the director of Thunderbolts*.
As the film earns glowing reviews and word-of-mouth, Disney has identified Schreier as a long-term building block for content creation.
Thunderbolts Annual. Photo: Marvel Comics
To wit, while the details haven’t been finalized yet, Schreier is in advanced discussions to direct the MCU’s X-Men movie.
That’s arguably THE most coveted assignment in Hollywood right now, with directors spending the past six years jockeying for position.
Photo: Marvel Comics
Timing is everything in life, and Schreier happened to direct an exceptional team-up of frenemies at exactly the right time.
Now, he can try to unlock the magic that is Cyclops hating Wolverine while both fawn over Jean Grey. And I can’t wait.
Photo: Writeups.org
I’m on record as saying that Thunderbolts* is probably the best MCU standalone movie since Captain America: The Winter Soldier.
So, I’m all for this decision, presuming it comes to pass. Since Schreier has dropped out of other projects, a deal appears likely, though.
Image: Getty
We’ll discuss the move more in the coming weeks once it’s finalized.
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