Thunderbolts Title's Asterisk Meaning Confirmed by Marvel Studios

One element of Thunderbolts* that has continued to confuse audiences is the reason for the asterisk in the film's title.

Thunderbolts* sees a group of Marvel antiheroes band together for a special mission.

The team comprises Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh), Red Guardian (David Harbour), Winter Soldier (Sebastian Stan), US Agent (Wyatt Russell), Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen), and Taskmaster (Olga Kurylenko), plus Lewis Pullman's newcomer, Bob, (who is hiding a dark secret).

Why Does Thunderbolts Have An Asterisk In The Title?

Shortly after Thunderbolts* began shooting, the film's title changed to include an asterisk. 

Marvel Studios head Kevin Feige addressed the new symbol at CinemaCon in 2024 saying they "won't talk about the asterisk until after release." But an explanation appeared quite a bit sooner than that thanks to new posters for Thunderbolts*.

Several international posters for the upcoming MCU movie were released along with the new Thunderbolts* trailer at Super Bowl LIX. These posters use the asterisk as a core component of their design, with a different character appearing in each prong of the symbol.

Additionally, the posters feature an annotation that explains the meaning of the asterisk in Thunderbolts* for the first time.

The text at the bottom of the poster denotes the asterisk, reading "*The Avengers are not available."

What the Thunderbolts* Asterisk Means for the MCU Movie

This addendum could have multiple meanings in Thunderbolts*. At the beginning of the newest Thunderbolts* trailer, Valentina Allegra de Fontaine (Julia Louis Dreyfus) is seen addressing a panel of government officials, where she says "Let's talk facts, the Avengers are not coming." 

The unavailability of Earth's mightiest superhero team is clearly going to be the catalyst for the government agreeing to form a new team featuring these MCU antiheroes. The asterisk's explanation seems to play into that narrative, hinting that the Thunderbolts are simply an Avengers substitute.

However, that appears to be quite an obvious explanation. Feige's hints that the asterisk's meaning would be revealed after the release of Thunderbolts* seem to indicate an additional meaning for the symbol could be revealed in the film.

Much of the marketing for Thunderbolts* shows the team struggling to come up with a name for themselves. Red Guardian offers "Thunderbolts," which his teammates do not seem enthusiastic about. 

One thing that could imbue the asterisk with a new meaning by the film's conclusion is that the team ends up dropping the name Thunderbolts. The asterisk would then also be an indicator that Thunderbolts is just a working title or a placeholder for a new team name. 

A popular theory is that the team will transition to become the Dark Avengers by the end of Thunderbolts*. In Marvel Comics, the rotating roster of Dark Avengers comprises many of the same team members from Thunderbolts, including US Agent and Sentry. 

At one point in the Thunderbolts* trailer, Red Guardians says their team has the potential to "bring light from darkness" which could be a potential hint at the team's future name.

All will be revealed when Thunderbolts* releases on May 2.