What does the Thunderbolts* asterisk mean? 8 theories about the title of the Marvel movie

The title of thunderbolts* is a massive talking point due to the addition of a mysterious asterisk, prompting many theories about what it could mean. Even after the release of thunderbolts* First trailer, the asterisk is still the burning question about the film. Despite the combination of several popular Marvel characters that comprise the Thunderbolts MCU team members, the lingering idea that the title’s asterisk has a hidden meaning has proven to overshadow most other aspects of the film.

The asterisk of the title proved to be such a talking point that even the cast members of thunderbolts* Have spoken it. The likes of David Harbor and Florence Pugh have hinted that all will be revealed upon the release of the upcoming Marvel movie in May 2025, though that hasn’t slowed down the theory-crafting of Marvel fans. With so many possibilities for what the asterisk could mean, thunderbolts* has quickly become one of the most discussed movies of recent years about the MCU.

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The asterisk is because Thunderbolts* confirms the Dark Avengers of the MCU

The Marvel Comics team could be on its way to the MCU

Perhaps the most popular theory around the thunderbolts* Asterisk is that it signifies a completely different name for the team. The team in question is the Dark Avengers from Marvel Comics. The Dark Avengers were initially a collection of well-known Marvel supervillains – or heroes duped by Norman – who were dressed up and marketed as popular Avengers, led by none other than Norman Osborn/Green Goblin himself. Osborn did this as a way to undermine the real Avengers and increase his public perception, as he was widely known as the Goblin in the Marvel universe.

The Thunderbolts/Dark Avengers theory stems from the idea that the MCU is telling a similar story in the 2025 film. in this case, Valentina Allegra de Fontaine can act as the morally questionable stand-in for Norman Osborn. As a result, the confirmed Thunderbolts members would be the first villains/antiheroes to take the place of prominent Avengers.

John Walker (U.S. Taskmaster can copy any superpowers, shown to do so with Hawkeye in Black WidowSo be his replacement. Ghost could be the Ant-Man replacement, or even Iron Man depending on the powers of her new suit, while Bob aka Sentry rivals the raw strength of Thor and Hulk. Using Marvel Comics as a template, the thunderbolts* Asterisk could mean that the members are the Dark Avengers after all.

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Harrison Ford’s Captain America 4 role impacts the Thunderbolts * Asterisk

Marvel Comics’ big hit could be an outstanding MCU choice

One of the biggest coincidences in Marvel Comics is that Red Hulk/Thunderbolt Ross eventually becomes a member of the Thunderbolts team. In the MCU, it may be the case that the Thunderbolts were changed to be named after Thunderbolt Ross/Red Hulk, with the asterisk in the MCU. thunderbolts* Title signifies his involvement in the film. Only three months earlier thunderbolts* Releases, the cast of Captain America: Brave New World will introduce Harrison Ford as the recast Thunderbolt Ross and depict his transformation into Red Hulk.

Captain America 4 will present Ross as President of the United States, which means he has authority over elections, which Black Panther: Wakanda Forever Confirmed as the director of the CIA. As such, a connection between the two letters makes sense. A popular theory is that Ross is involved in thunderbolts* In some capacity, or as its pseudo-leader, hence the name and the asteriskOr as a powerful ally they can call in if they need the strength of a Hulk, with the asterisk hiding his involvement as a member.

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The Thunderbolts * Asterisk set up the Secret Avengers

A secret version of ​​The Avengers may be built in Thunderbolts *

While the MCU Thunderbolts may be built as the Dark Avengers, the asterisk could mean another version of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes. After the Dark Avengers were disbanded in Marvel Comics, Captain America took over from Norman Osborn, reformed the Avengers, and even built a secret, black ops team dubbed the Secret Avengers. In the MCU, the asterisk in thunderbolts* Could signal that the team is not the Thunderbolts, but instead the beginnings of the Secret Avengers.

This connects again to Captain America: Brave New Worlds story, which could end with Sam taking over from Ross/Red Hulk to run America’s security. He can contact Bucky, with whom he has a close connection, and form the Secret Avengers. Sam Wilson knows the advantages of a secret Avengers group after being part of one in the MCU’s Phase Three, with Captain America building his own version for Phase Five. Although Val’s involvement may put a strain on the job, thunderbolts* May end up with the titular team is the version of ​​Val, and the asterisk that signifies Cap’s version: the Secret Avengers.

The Thunderbolts members reforming as the Secret Avengers would also make more sense than the Dark Avengers. after all, It is difficult to classify any of them thunderbolts* Characters like supervillains, with most being conflicted, flawed antiheroes. Therefore, the Thunderbolts being the Secret Avengers in the MCU simply fit each character better than changing them to be outright supervillains like Green Goblin, Venom, and Bullseye.

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Thunderbolts * Asterisk hints at Val’s unclear motivations

Val is an MCU wildcard in Thunderbolts*

Undoubtedly, the biggest mystery of the thunderbolts* List is Valentina Allegra de Fontaine. So far in the MCU, Val’s motivations have been incredibly unclear. At first, she was a secret, spy-like character who recruited John Walker and Yelena Belova, the latter to kill Clint Barton/Hawkeye for unknown reasons, theorized to be Madame Hydra. Subsequently, she was promoted as the director of the CIA. Who wanted to get her hands on vibranium from Wakanda.

Go in thunderbolts* It is still unclear what Val wants in the long run. With that in mind, this may be what the asterisk in the title signifies. Asterisks are used to indicate additional information that is not immediately visible. in this case, That information could be Val’s villainous motivations that no one knows about before thunderbolts* releases.

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The title of Thunderbolts* may be related to the hidden member of the team

Thunderbolts* has a secret team member

Another mystery raised by the trailer for the 2025 Marvel film was the identity of thunderbolts* Bob. Bob is depicted as a seemingly normal person in the thunderbolts* Trailer that is simply in the wrong place at the wrong time. However, rumors of Bob’s casting and hints in the trailer point to Bob being Robert Reynolds aka Sentry. Sentry is a Marvel Comics superhero who is basically the Marvel version of Superman, a near-invulnerable hero with many powers and mighty arms.

With the trailers for thunderbolts* Hiding Bob’s true nature as Sentry, that’s what the asterisk of the title might mean. As mentioned several times, asterisks indicate footnotes that provide further information. Regarding this theory specifically, The asterisk is signaling the extra member of the Thunderbolts in Bob, with the next clue being his superhero identity as Sentry.

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Sentry’s dark alter ego may be the source of Thunderbolts* Asterisk

Sentry is an interesting double-edged sword in Marvel comics

In Marvel Comics, the character of Sentry comes as a package deal with a dark alter ego. The alter ego is called the Void as it is essentially a manifestation of Robert Reynolds’ darker side, possessing the same powerful powers as he does as Sentry. This gives the character a notable weakness to offset his amazing power and sympathetic explorations of his darkest elements.

Where Sentry is, the void is not far behind. This indicates trouble for thunderbolts* And the members of the titular team, with Bob’s Void personality expected to be one of the main villains of the film. Much like the asterisk in the thunderbolts* The title may refer to Bob as Sentry, it may also refer to the hidden antagonist aspect of the void.

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The Thunderbolts* are a lie…

The Thunderbolts* trailer hints as much

The ultimate theory about the thunderbolts* Asterisk stems from the first trailer for the film released by Marvel Studios. The trailer has some interesting insights into the formation of the Thunderbolts as a team, potentially hinting that they were never meant to be a team. in the thunderbolts* Trailer, Yelena, John Walker, Ghost, and Taskmaster find themselves in a secluded place that resembles a giant warehouse before fighting each other briefly and then talking things out.

Elena quickly comes to the realization that everyone there, seemingly minus Bob, has done terrible things in the past. From taking down government laboratories to assassinations, each of the characters gathered in thunderbolts* Knows a lot about covert operations and can be someone who needs to be quiet. The members of the film are then shown escaping in various ways, leading to the theory that HThe asterisk in the title indicates that the Thunderbolts were never meant to be a team, but a hit list..

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…but they will become the real Marvel team

The Thunderbolts will form from the ashes of this hit list

The asterisk symbolizing that the Thunderbolts were never supposed to be a team may actually lead to another use of the symbol in the title. If the above theory is correct and the members of the Thunderbolts were originally supposed to be killed, it would make a lot of sense for them to team up to find out who is responsible. It’s likely that the man is Val, and she’s playing it off as a way to bring them together.

Regardless, this temporary bond will likely spiral into a permanent one, thus forming the Thunderbolts. Herein lies the ultimate potential meaning of the asterisk in the film’s title. Assuming it is true the Thunderbolts were never meant to be produced, the asterisk could symbolize this. The further information it indicates may be that despite original intentions, a team was formed in the alliance, which resulted in the assassination attempt against each member. Whether this and the many other theories are true remains to be seen, and more will undoubtedly be crafted before then thunderbolts* Releases May 2025.