What does the asterisk in Thunderbolts* really mean for the future of the MCU?

Thunderbolts arrives on streaming with its title still stylized as Thunderbolts*, and the asterisk finally has text-on-screen payoff. In its closing moments, the film reveals the team will operate publicly as the New Avengers.

That reframes Thunderbolts as a transitional label, seeded during the marketing rollout and San Diego Comic-Con 2024 teases (Kevin Feige’s SDCC cap featured an asterisk built from six “bullets”).

Led by director Jake Schreier and produced by Kevin Feige, Thunderbolts unites Florence Pugh, Sebastian Stan, Wyatt Russell, David Harbour, Hannah John-Kamen, and others in a containment mission that spirals into an identity fight and a two-tag credits epilogue. That context matters now because Thunderbolts is streaming: Disney+ has rolled it out globally as of August 27, 2025, while JioHotstar (the merged JioCinema/Disney+ Hotstar service) carries it in India with multilingual tracks promoted locally.

This piece breaks down what the asterisk means, how Thunderbolts positions team branding in upcoming crossovers, and where that leaves parallel Avengers efforts, including Sam Wilson’s roster, now that the New Avengers name is in play.

The asterisk in Thunderbolts* is a planned rebrand (how the movie pays it off)

The on-screen payoff is explicit: the end title morphs from Thunderbolts to The New Avengers, confirming the asterisk as a built-in rebrand rather than a decorative mark. Marvel’s own post-release write-up framed it the same way,

“Meet the New Avengers,”

closing the loop on months of speculation. As per the TIME report dated April 17, 2025, Kevin Feige stated,

“the production team won't talk about the meaning of the asterisk until "after the movie comes out.”

As per an Instagram post by Marvel updates dated July 27, 2024, Kevin Feige remarked,

“bullets making the asterisk.”

As per the EW.com report dated August 27, 2025, Julia Louis-Dreyfus said,

“But we weren't playing the scene for comedy, obviously,...I mean, there's one little moment of comedy, but it's really a dramatic scene, so I had to sort of reinvent myself a little bit.”

Those remarks align with the SDCC “asterisk of bullets” clue and the film’s closing card: marketing primed audiences for a reveal that Thunderbolts itself would not be the permanent team brand. Sources further note the credits literally tear down the Thunderbolts title to debut The New Avengers, cementing the name in-universe.

What that rebrand sets up for the MCU (teams, turf, and timing)

The identity politics arrive fast: Sources break down flags an end-credits tug-of-war, with Sam Wilson’s camp asserting legal claims over the “Avengers” name as Valentina’s squad embraces “New Avengers.” The tags underscore a two-beat structure, one comedic palate cleanser and one forward-looking hand-off, that positions Thunderbolts as a pipeline into near-term events rather than a lore dead-end.

As per the EW.com report dated August 27, 2025, Julia Louis-Dreyfus stated she was “feeling very positive” about returning, signalling that Val and her rebranded team are designed to be present across the next phase.

For short-term crossovers, some sources point to the Fantastic Four tease, an extra-dimensional ship emblazoned with “4” entering Earth’s orbit, framing Thunderbolts as connective tissue to Fantastic Four and Avengers: Doomsday.

On roster implications, coverage identifies the current core as Yelena, Bucky, U.S. Agent, Ghost, Red Guardian, and Bob/Sentry, distinct from any comics-era “New Avengers” lineup, so branding here signals jurisdiction and optics more than one-to-one canon import.

How to watch Thunderbolts on Disney+ right now

Availability & prices (examples by region) :

United States: Streaming now on Disney+. Disney+ Basic (ads) is $9.99/month; Disney+ Premium (ad-free) $15.99/month or $159.99/year. Current bundle offers include Disney+ + Hulu + ESPN Unlimited at $29.99/month for 12 months (ad-supported) or $38.99/month (premium) for a limited time.

United Kingdom (Europe): Disney+ Standard with Ads £4.99/month, Standard £8.99/month (or £89.90/year), Premium £12.99/month (or £129.90/year).

Canada: Typical tiers are $9/month (Standard with ads), $13/month (Standard), $16/month (Premium).

Australia: Disney+ Standard AU$15.99/month (or AU$159.99/year); Premium AU$20.99/month (or AU$209.99/year).

India (South Asia): Streaming via JioHotstar from August 27, 2025. Plans start from ₹149/quarter for ad-supported access, with higher tiers available.

Stay tuned for more updates.