Marvel Studios' New Avengers Are Now Sponsored by 7 Real-Life Brands

Marvel Studios announced seven brands will sponsor the new Avengers lineup in the MCU. This creative decision highlights how the patched-together team is positioned as some of Earth's Mightiest Heroes with a commercialized twist.

Warning - The rest of this article contains spoilers for Thunderbolts*.

The Thunderbolts* post-credits scene shows that while this ragtag group might be calling themselves The New Avengers, they may be a bunch of phonies. The scene finds the squad reconvening at the newly renamed Watchtower (the former Avengers HQ now under Val's (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) control in new uniforms that some would argue might try a little too hard to look official. The tone is tongue-in-cheek, primarily as they address the elephant in the room: Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie) officially trademarked "Avengers," complicating Val's self-preserving PR spin from the movie's end. 

Bucky (Sebastian Stan) shared that he and Sam aren't seeing eye-to-eye, Yelena (Florence Pugh) is clearly agitated, and Red Guardian? He doubles down. David Harbour's Alexei proudly shows off his new tracksuit, emblazoned with a knockoff "New Avengerz" logo, a bold (and hilarious) jab at copyright law and superhero branding. While others debate strategy and legality, he wears the name with oblivious pride, completely unfazed. One of the most realistic aspects of the new suit is how it's covered by sponsors, drawing comparisons to real-life Formula 1 racers. 

7 Brands Sponsoring the New Avengers

Wheaties

The most prominent of the bunch, Wheaties, is shown in both stingers after Thunderbolts* ends. In-universe, the brand has clearly decided to cash in on Alexei's redemption arc, hoping his Soviet-turned-superhero image will inspire a new generation of cereal lovers. Based on the mid-credits scene, no one seems to care besides the Red Guardian himself.

Out-of-universe, Wheaties has been front and center in Marvel’s promotional material for Thunderbolts*, even now after the studio began remarketing the film as The New Avengers. This partnership seems tailor-made for memes, and Marvel knows it.

Xbox

Red Guardian's sleeve also sports the familiar green Xbox logo because even super-soldiers need to unwind. It's a savvy play for Xbox, showcasing its brand next to a globally recognized franchise while not taking itself too seriously. Also on the horizon is Marvel 1943: Rise of Hydra, which will likely be playable on Xbox.

Even though Sony and Disney have been playing nice over the Spider-Man rights since 2016, that doesn't mean Disney won't cash a check from Microsoft.

Barbasol

No MCU team-up is complete without someone shaving poorly, apparently. Barbasol shows up prominently on the top left of Alexei's tracksuit, a funny nod to his differentiating facial hair from the movie to mid-credits to post-credits. Whether this fits into Barbasol's fictional agenda, only Bob (Lewis Pullman) is clean-shaven among the men in the new Avengers group. 

Tide

Tide's inclusion on the tracksuit is fitting, as part of the appeal of Alexei's new Avengerz costumes is how soft they are. That was most of his selling point to the team, but Yelena isn't interested in how smooth the suit is, especially when the Fantastic Four are about to show up. 

Heineken Zero

The Heineken 0.0 logo appears on Red Guardian's tracksuit, standing out as one of the more modern and globally recognizable brands on the uniform. It's a sly, possibly sincere nod to sobriety, something that hits differently given how characters like Alexei and Yelena seemingly had drinking habits. Including a non-alcoholic beer in this line-up of sponsors subtly reframes the team as a group trying to be better, even if they're still a mess. 

In real life, Heineken 0.0 was first introduced in select international markets in 2017 before reaching the U.S. in 2019.

ampm

Known for its 24/7 convenience stores and over-the-top food marketing, ampm is a classic West Coast brand, so its presence in a movie set in New York City might raise some eyebrows. But in real life, it actually tracks.

In August 2022, BP opened the first East Coast ampm location in the Bronx, marking the chain's return to the region after pulling out in 2012. That bit of corporate expansion makes ampm's inclusion feel like a savvy in-joke, both for MCU authenticity and real-world synergy.

Peloton

Yes, even super-soldiers spin. The Peloton logo is seen on the tracksuit, and in terms of in-universe marketing, this seems like a perfect match. Generally speaking, anything related to fitness, weight-lifting, or sports would probably be the most lucrative sponsorship for an Avengers team. If Yelena Belova uses a Peloton, that makes anyone want to use one infinitely more. 

For those who thought the sponsors' addition to the post-credits scene seemed last-minute, the studio was only beginning its marketing campaign. Marvel Studios fully embraced The New Avengers branding just days after Thunderbolts* opened in theaters. 

On opening weekend, the studio released a video of the cast (Harbour, Pugh, Stan, Wyatt Russell, Pullman, and Hannah John-Kamen) literally tearing away the Thunderbolts* logo to reveal The New Avengers underneath. Billboards, theater marquees, and new posters followed suit, pushing the rebrand. This marks a first for the MCU: a title swap done for narrative effect rather than marketing correction. And with Avengers: Doomsday on the horizon, Marvel's new team of government-sponsored misfits is already gearing up for their next space-based mission, complete with tracksuits, logos, and all.