"Thunderbolts*" debuted with $76 million at the domestic box office. This was considered a solid opening, though a movie with "Avengers" in its title would be expected to have a far larger start.

At last, the credits hit the screen, and the Thunderbolts* title card flashes before the audience, only to be ripped away like a comic-book page to reveal the rebrand: The New Avengers.

Pugh now reveals they shot a fake scene to keep that new title a secret during production. "We shot a version where she was like, 'The New Thunderbolts!'" Pugh says in the video above.

The meaning behind the asterisk in the Thunderbolts* title has finally been explained: The New Avengers. Promotional materials for the movie, including social media accounts, ads, theater standees ...

Thunderbolts * is now playing in United States theaters. Avengers: Doomsday, meanwhile, arrives on May 1, 2026, while Avengers: Secret Wars then comes on May 7, 2027.

The meaning of the asterisk in the Thunderbolts* title isn't the only theory or leak confirmed by the film's premiere. The movie features a tragic death, one that MCU fans likely won't appreciate.

Thunderbolts* stars Pugh, Harbour, Lewis Pullman, Wyatt Russell, Sebastian Stan, and Hannah John-Kamen are all set to reprise their roles in Avengers: Doomsday.

At last, the credits hit the screen, and the Thunderbolts* title card flashes before the audience, only to be ripped away like a comic-book page to reveal the rebrand: The New Avengers.