The upcoming Marvel Cinematic Universe film Thunderbolts has been a major topic of conversation for MCU fans. One such reason is the film’s title. Though it was officially titled Thunderbolts, the title was later altered slightly to become “Thunderbolts*“ with an asterisk at the end.
Now, as you can see below, a newly-released poster for Thunderbolts could offer a clue to the mystery surrounding the asterisk. Though it’s unlikely that we’ll have a complete understanding of what the asterisk means until the film is fully released, this poster does shed some light on its meaning.
The newly-released poster comes from Marvel Japan, and appears to have dropped simultaneously with the film’s 2025 Super Bowl trailer. Here’s the full image as shared on X:
『#サンダーボルツ*』5/2(金)日米同時公開🎬
◢◤◢◤💥最新ポスター解禁💥◢◤◢◤ヒーロー不在の世界で立ち上がるのは
全員“ワケあり”のならず者チーム⚡️
《サンダーボルツ》謎の男・ボブの正体。
タイトルのアスタリスクに隠された意味とは…⁉️「*THE AVENGERS ARE NOT AVAILABLE」 pic.twitter.com/LdKcaIH5Hm
— マーベル・スタジオ［公式］ (@MarvelStudios_J) February 10, 2025
The Thunderbolts is a team created as a substitution for The Avengers. As such, the asterisk is clearly alluded to in the caption for the poster. “*THE AVENGERS ARE NOT AVAILABLE,” the caption boldly declares.
While this may not be the ultimate answer to the asterisk included in the film’s title, it does seem like the general idea for what Marvel Studios has been teasing. There could always be a deeper meaning once the full film is released, but for now, it simply seems to be a reminder that the Avengers aren’t available so the Thunderbolts are the next best option available.
Only time will tell, of course, whether or not this is the true meaning. After all, it doesn’t seem like that big of a secret especially when it’s quite obvious that the Avengers weren’t available. Ultimately we’ll just have to see what happens when the flick is released.
Thunderbolts is currently scheduled to hit theaters on May 2, 2025. Stay tuned to ScreenGeek for any additional Marvel Cinematic Universe updates as we have them, including any additional details regarding Thunderbolts. This includes the complete meaning behind the asterisk added to the film’s title.