The mysterious asterisk in the Rays* the title may have been teased in Phase 3 of the MCU. Rays* the trailers did a great job hiding the film's main antagonist and the meaning of the asterisk in the Rays* title. The most likely characters to serve as the team's main enemy are Lewis Pullman's Bob, a.k.a. Sentry, due to his unpredictable nature; or Valentina Allegra de Fontaine, due to her influence on the titular antiheroes.
Meanwhile, theories surrounding the asterisk in Rays* titles abound, from a simple name change to the possible death of all team members and their subsequent replacements. Following the team's jokes about his name in the second Rays* trailer, it seems like the first option is more likely. There are also several possibilities for the Thunderbolts' ultimate moniker, including the Dark Avengers, the New Avengers, or a less threatening version of the original comic book iteration of the team – the Masters of Evil. However, the Thunderbolts rebrand may have been decided six years before the film's release.
Why Thunderbolts Won't Be Thunderbolts
The Thunderbolts will likely form their own brand after being assembled against their will
As suggested by Rays* trailers, Valentina Allegra de Fontaine will bring together the titular team, giving each member an individual mission that will require them to face off against the rest of the team, leading to a free-for-all showdown. Later, the titular antiheroes will make a name for themselves and the Red Guardian will embrace “Rays”much to the chagrin of his colleagues. Since “Rays” isn't that popular among Red Guardian's teammates, they'll probably come up with a better nickname by the end of the movie.
It is also possible that the Thunderbolts will change their name after leaving Val's control. In the source material, the original Marvel Comics Thunderbolts form their own team, in addition to their founding member, Baron Zemo, to act as true heroes. Likewise, the MCU's Thunderbolts could decide to sever their ties with Val and make their existence open to the public. To cement the change, they could choose a different name – possibly derived from Earth's Mightiest Heroes: the Avengers, the New Avengers, the Dark Avengers, etc.
The best name for Bucky's new team was introduced in Infinity War
The MCU's Thunderbolts bear several similarities to Steve Rogers' Secret Avengers
The Thunderbolts' covert operations under Val's command are reminiscent of an oft-forgotten MCU team introduced in Avengers: Infinity War. After the Avengers split into Captain America: Civil WarSteve Rogers abandoned his Captain America title and formed his own subdivision of the Avengers alongside Natasha Romanoff, Sam Wilson, and Wanda Maximoff. As Secret Avengers, Steve, Natasha, Sam and Wanda carried out secret missions while on the run from the law. If the Thunderbolts have any knowledge of the Secret Avengers' heroic deeds, they may want to inherit the name.
In addition to the fact that “Secret Avengers” is a much less threatening name than “Dark Avengers”the Thunderbolts already have some subtle connections to Steve Rogers' secret team. Most of the Thunderbolts were inspired by Steve Rogers and Natasha Romanoff: US Agent, Bucky Barnes and Red Guardian followed in Captain America's footsteps as heroic Super Soldiers; Yelena Belova looked up to her mentor Natasha Romanoff, and Natasha had Antonia Dreykov become a foreman. Rays* Antiheroes like Yelena and Bucky might come up with the idea of ​​respecting their mentors' legacy by reviving their secret team.
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- Release date
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February 14, 2025
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- Release date
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July 25, 2025
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- Release date
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July 24, 2026
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