Warning: Full spoilers ahead for Marvel’s “Thunderbolts,” now in theaters. Don’t read on unless you’ve seen it!*
Marvel’s latest chapter has arrived — and it’s not just another team-up. Thunderbolts brings together a crew of misfit antiheroes and surprises fans with a game-changing twist that redefines the future of the Avengers.
A B-Team Becomes the A-Team
In Thunderbolts**, former Winter Soldier Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan) and assassin Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh) assemble a rogue squad to handle dangerous threats that don’t fit the usual superhero mold. Alongside them are Red Guardian (David Harbour), U.S. Agent John Walker (Wyatt Russell), and the phasing vigilante Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen). 
The team crosses paths with Bob — a mysterious man with memory loss and overwhelming powers. But Bob is turned into the Sentry, a volatile living weapon, by shady CIA director Valentina Allegra de Fontaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus). The plan backfires when Bob loses control and becomes The Void — a terrifying force that blankets New York City in darkness and begins erasing people from reality.
Inside the Void: Trauma, Redemption, and a Group Hug
To save the day, the Thunderbolts enter The Void itself. Each team member faces personal trauma, forcing a reckoning with their pasts. In a heartfelt moment, they help Bob confront his own pain and guilt, ultimately freeing him from The Void’s grip with — of all things — a group hug.
Once New York is restored, the team corners Valentina… only to realize they’ve walked right into a press conference. Val announces to the world: “Ladies and gentlemen, meet the new Avengers!” The Thunderbolts are stunned. Yelena leans in and whispers to Val, “We own you now.”
The Asterisk Explained: Why Thunderbolts**?
Ever since Marvel unveiled the title with an asterisk at Comic-Con 2024, fans have speculated about its meaning. The payoff comes right before the credits: the title card shifts from Thunderbolts** to The New Avengers.
The twist mirrors the original 1997 Thunderbolts comic, where a heroic team turned out to be villains in disguise. This time, it’s the reverse — a ragtag group of antiheroes becomes Earth’s mightiest.
According to Schreier, the bold rebranding will carry forward into merch and marketing. “You might see some billboards shift a little bit on Monday morning,” he teased.
Post-Credits Scenes: Laughs and a Galactic Warning
Thunderbolts** packs two post-credits scenes:
Mid-Credits: Red Guardian, dressed casually, is in a grocery store admiring a Wheaties box featuring the Thunderbolts on the cover. He proudly points himself out to a confused shopper: “That’s me on the box!” Classic.
Post-Credits: Set 14 months later, the New Avengers are suiting up in their high-tech HQ. Bucky and Yelena lead the team, but there’s tension brewing — Sam Wilson (Captain America) is forming his own Avengers faction, leading to legal spats over the team name. Red Guardian mocks him: “Dumb litigious man.”
