When Thunderbolts* was announced in 2022, there wasn’t a lot of buzz for the movie. It felt like Marvel Studios’ answer to The Suicide Squad, bringing together a group of bad guys to face a villain that’s way out of their league. However, the inclusion of the asterisk in the title meant there was at least some level of mystery surrounding the project that kept people guessing. Theories ranged from Thunderbolts* being a secret Dark Avengers film to the asterisk having something to do with Thunderbolt Ross’s role in Captain America: Brave New World. The real explanation ended up being closer to the former than the latter, and it’s a big deal because it speaks to a trend going on in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Thunderbolts*
Following the Thunderbolts’ battle with the Void, Valentina Allegra de Fontaine announces to the press that she’s put together the “New Avengers.” It shocks the members of the team, but by the time the title card shows up and reveals the new name, it feels like the clues were there all along, especially because it’s not the first time a MCU project has changed titles.
The Falcon and the Winter Soldier‘s New Name Reflected Its Importance
Back in 2021, Marvel Studios’ presence on the Disney+ streaming service was at an all-time high. One of its biggest projects was The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, which saw Sam Wilson and Bucky Barnes come together to take on a group of super-soldiers. However, the show’s title was a bit strange because, at the end of Avengers: Endgame, Steve Rogers gave Sam his shield and expected him to pick up the Captain America mantle. Sam didn’t think he was worthy of it at first, but he spent the majority of the show seeing the shield in the wrong hands and realized Steve made the right choice. In The Falcon and the Winter Soldier‘s finale, Sam donned the stars and stripes and saved the day, and the title card at the end of the episode reflected that.
The Falcon and the Winter Soldier became Captain America and the Winter Soldier, and while the new name didn’t get a big marketing push like “The New Avengers,” it still spoke to the story’s strength. In fact, it worked so well that no one batted an eye when Sam showed up as the Star-Spangled Man in Captain America: Brave New World. It makes one wonder if the powers that be at Marvel Studios are seeing the benefit that misleading the audience has and whether they’re thinking about doing it again.
[RELATED: When Will Marvel’s Thunderbolts* Stream on Disney+?]
Will the MCU Look to Change More Titles in the Future?
It’s safe to say that the Thunderbolts* title change is going swimmingly. Sure, some may argue that pulling back the curtain after one weekend is premature, but Marvel is betting on the “New Avengers” name putting additional butts in seats. If that plan comes to fruition, it’s going to have major ripple effects, including increasing the buzz for the next two MCU movies, The Fantastic Four: First Steps and Avengers: Doomsday. A win like that will make the name change another weapon in Marvel Studios’ ever-growing arsenal, and with the expansive history of Marvel Comics, the possibilities are endless.
The obvious way the MCU can pull off another name change is by following The Falcon and the Winter Soldier model. Maybe after the next two Avengers films, Yelena Belova will get her own movie or show that sees her earn the “Black Widow” title by the end. But if Marvel wants to go big again, it can greenlight a sequel to The Marvels that brings Captain Marvel, Ms. Marvel, Monica Rambeau, and Valkyrie back together and change the title to “A-Force,” helping the all-female Avengers team make the jump to live-action. Thunderbolts* already confirms that there are two Avengers teams active in the MCU, and it’s not like there aren’t enough heroes in the MCU to get a third one going. The strategy sounds like a win-win because not only does it give projects with little hype around them a boost, but it also allows Marvel Studios to set up the future in unique ways.
Thunderbolts* is in theaters now.
Did you remember that The Falcon and the Winter Soldier changed its name? Would you like to see MCU projects use the title change tactic more often? Let us know in the comments below!
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