Thunderbolts* Is Not A Real Thunderbolts Movie (& Not Just Because Of The Asterisk)

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Thunderbolts* is the latest movie from the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and while the film is well-received, it has recently come under fire for being even less of a Thunderbolts movie than audiences expected. While there were some Easter Eggs in Thunderbolts*, the film generally stood on its own as a self-contained story about community and mental health. Seeing this explored in a Marvel film was greatly rewarding, but some components of that story being told here might suggest some strange things about the film’s status as a Thunderbolts movie.

The ending of Thunderbolts* sets the team up to be important in Marvel’s future. They are now set to be the next important team to keep the world safe, and the post-credit scenes from Thunderbolts* have suggested that they will be teaming up with members of the Fantastic Four, who have only just landed in their world. Rather than moving into a Thunderbolts* 2, it appears that the larger story of the Multiverse Saga will follow directly on these events, making the film an essential watch before Avengers: Doomsday.

Marvel Totally Changed The Origin Of The Thunderbolts Team Name

The Team Was Supposed To Be Named After Thunderbolt Ross

In the comics, the Thunderbolts debuted in 1997 as a group of villains assembled by Baron Zemo. The team’s name came directly from the Red Hulk himself, Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross, and helped to make the team seem more legitimate in the eyes of the American people. While Ross is now locked away on the Raft, the meaning behind the name would have made sense, considering the team’s connections to Val and the American government. It is unusual that these details were ignored.

Instead, the film changed the origin of the team name entirely. Rather than pulling from the disgraced president’s history, the team drew their name from the West Chesapeake Bay Thunderbolts, Yelena’s peewee soccer team. The team was coached by Red Guardian as the family lived as hidden spies. This origin made sense for the film’s themes about found family, but it was strange that the comic book origin of the team was not even addressed in the new film.

The Thunderbolts* Ending Reveals It Was Actually A New Avengers Movie

The Film’s Asterisk Referred To The Team’s Name Changing

The Thunderbolts* asterisk was finally explained, revealing that the film was never actually a Thunderbolts movie. Instead, in the movie’s final moments, a title card is revealed that shows that the team is instead called the New Avengers. This changes the entire film. While the ending is a great setup for the next Avengers: Doomsday sequel, it felt sudden and strange for this new team. Transforming this group into the New Avengers rather than the Thunderbolts says quite a bit about this new film, and the team’s place in the MCU.

The characters in the film were barely villains, with the most villainous forces on the team being characters who had been manipulated or who made mistakes that they wished to make up for. Unlike in the comics, Zemo never revealed that the Thunderbolts were actually the Masters of Evil in disguise, and even the characters included were entirely different. Rather than Beetle and Goliath, the film’s team of New Avengers were entirely different characters. The film had surprisingly little to do with the actual Thunderbolts.

Marvel Should Make A Proper Thunderbolts Movie

Real Villains And The Masters Of Evil Would Be Fun To See

Several actual Thunderbolts characters already exist in the MCU, and they could be used well in a proper Thunderbolts movie. Baron Zemo was missing from the new film, but seeing his character put together a new team would be very exciting. Characters like Abomination and Red Hulk have been members in the comics, and either or both could be a part of the team here. This path in making an authentic Thunderbolts film would allow the franchise to tell a unique story about actual villains.

The new MCU movie Thunderbolts* is great, but it’s not really a Thunderbolts movie. Seeing a group of genuine villains being brought together, and seeing the kind of colorful and exciting destruction that can be wrought from such an amoral outlook, would be so much fun. Bringing in enough colorful Marvel villains, and working to make something more akin to James Gunn’s The Suicide Squad could be a fun way to build a real Thunderbolts team-up movie sometime in the future.

Thunderbolts* is a huge success for Marvel, but it’s not really a Thunderbolts movie. Instead, the team sets up Marvel’s New Avengers for great success in the upcoming Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars.Seeing these characters face up against the terrifying force of Doctor Doom is a difficult and horrifying prospect, but it seems that’s where these Thunderbolts are now headed. With enough luck, and the right allies, they just might make it through.

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