Marvel fan theories hint at what the asterisk in Thunderbolts* title means

Move over Avengers, the Thunderbolts* are here.

Marvel's long-awaited project of the anti-heroes is finally all set to reach fans, and fan theories and speculations surrounding it are already in progress. Although most have expressed excitement over the project and the star-studded cast, a common curious question has seemed to come across everyone's minds: What does the asterisk in the title mean?

Many fans noticed that the Thunderbolts* title was styled with an asterisk at the end of the word, and fans have come up with their own theories and explanations on what it could mean.

Initially, fans did suspect if the asterisk was an intentional addition to the title or just a minor detail. However, when asked about the punctuation mark, Red Guardian, aka David Harbour, cleared it up for fans that it was added as a detail during production and was very much deliberate. Speaking to ComicBook, the actor said,

"I mean, they retroactively put the asterisk [in]. The asterisk was an idea that that someone had.....What can I say that's not going to get me in trouble? ...The asterisk is very cool. I understand why people might put an asterisk there. I'm excited for the viewers to see that as well. But I, again, I just can't say anymore."

Kevin Feige was also asked to talk about the asterisk while the audience asked him questions during 2024's CinemaCon. But the director told fans to be patient and wait until the movie comes out to find out what it means. He did confirm that the asterisk was a conscious decision but refused to talk about it any further.

"Yes, you’ll notice the asterisk on Thunderbolts. That is the official title of Thunderbolts, and we won’t talk more about that until after the movie comes out."

The new trailer for the film shows a scene where Red Guardian calls the team Thunderbolts, and Bucky sneers at it and says,

"We can't call ourselves that."

The scene is then followed by the film's title showing up, adding the asterisk at its end, garnering speculation that the name Thunderbolts* is temporary and they will soon be getting another name. The tentative name might mean that they chose it in the spur of the moment and will soon go by some other name.

Nevertheless, Marvel will surely reveal more on this, or we might just come across a much more suitable fan theory.

What fans have to say about *Thunderbolts** title's asterisk

Theories have been brimming on Reddit on what the asterisk could mean. One user wrote that the ending of Thunderbolts* could be a scene where the team lines up inside the Avengers tower, and the audience is revealed to see who bought the tower and will be financing the Thunderbolts henceforth.

A possible candidate for this could be Norman Osborn as he pulls up in his Iron Patriot suit. Weekly Planet Podcast's Mason theorized that the Thunderbolts would be financed by Oscorp and would later be known as "Thunderbolts - A subsidiary of Oscorp."

Another theory suggests that Thaddeus "Thunderbolt" Ross, who is seen telling Sam Wilson in the trailer for Captain America: Brave New World about how he wants to rebuild the Avengers, might be a reference to the asterisk.

Many also thought that the Thunderbolts would rebrand themselves as the new Avengers. While it sounds plausible in theory, it's not something Marvel would probably go after.

More fans came together to theorize that the asterisk might have a more grammatical meaning. In grammar, an asterisk is used when a certain word has a footnote. This might refer to Thunderbolt team members going on a mission they aren't fully aware of. The trailer for the film does include a suicide squad pun, making it a likely possibility that it may happen in the film.

What the asterisk in *Thunderbolts** means: Our take on it

It seems likely that the asterisk may just be a grammatical addition to the title, but it doesn't quite match up to Marvel's level of grandeur. The Osborn theory fits better with Marvel's landscape and will also be accurate to the comics where he led his own team of Thunderbolts. Osborn's purchase of the tower would make sense, but it conflicts with theories that Valentina was the one who purchased it after Stark.

Furthermore, Thaddeus Ross' employment of the Thunderbolts to create his own version of the Avengers also seems likely. For this to happen, fans will certainly get an Easter egg in Brave New World to indicate Thaddeus having anything to do with the next MCU film's team.

All in all, the team rebranding themselves by the end of the film sounds to be the most plausible idea of all and one that has been the most popular theory of all. Having said that, Marvel is known to be unpredictable and holds its own ground; with more than three months to go before the film's release, the studio might just drop more hints to confirm any of the theories above.

More details on Thunderbolts*

The team of Thunderbolts team will be led by Bucky Barnes, who will be accompanied by the new Black Widow: Yelena Belova; Red Guardian: Alexei Shostakov; U.S. Agent: Jonathan F. "John" Walker; Ghost: Ava Starr; Taskmaster: Antonia Dreykov; and Sentry: Robert Bob Reynolds.

The film is directed by Jake Schreier, while Eric Pearson is behind the screenwriting. As per teasers and trailers, we can see that the Thunderbolts are brought together by Valentina Allegra de la Fontaine. As for the plot, most of the information is kept under wraps, but we do know that the team of anti-heroes are teaming up to set off on operations initiated by the government.

The trailer sees Valentina saying,

“We’re brought up with this belief that there are good guys, and there are bad guys. But, eventually, you come to realize that there are bad guys, and there are worse guys. And nothing else.”

Sebastian Stan has previously talked about the film in an interview with Deadline, where he said that fans should not compare it to any previous Marvel film.

“I don’t feel you can compare it to any previous Marvel movie, and that’s because of the group of characters in this film and these actors... It has its own vibe, and it’s funny, and it’s real, and we did actual real stunts, like when you’re watching a truck blow up, it’s a truck blown up. It’s not CGI. Marvel really wanted this to have its own- there were many things in the movie that were actually done practically, and I think that does go a long way, because people are just smart. I think audiences just, they know.”