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Thunderbolts*‘s ending was officially a lie all along, according to producer Brian Chapek. Having only just assembled as the Thunderbolts (named after Yelena’s old soccer team) and saved New York from Lewis Pullman’s Sentry/The Void, Earth-616’s newest superhero team was touted to the world by Julia Louis-Dreyfus’ Valetina’s Valentina Allegra de Fontaine as the New Avengers. The anti-hero ensemble is operating out of the old Avengers Tower ahead of next year’s Avengers: Doomsday, in which the whole team will return.
In Marvel Studios’ official Thunderbolts* art book, producer Brian Chapek touched on the MCU blockbuster’s ending reveal in which the Thunderbolts were officially introduced to the world as the New Avengers. However, the MCU veteran clarified that it is very much a lie, as this team is “not the Avengers” after all.
First, Chapek pointed out that there have been “a lot of different iterations” of the Thunderbolts in Marvel Comics, but what is consistent is their being “made up of morally ambiguous characters,” from villains to antiheroes:
“There have been a lot of different iterations of what this team is. The general conceit of the Thunderbolts in the comics is that it is a team made up of morally ambiguous characters. Sometimes they’re outright villains who are doing terrible deeds in order to gain power. Sometimes they’re antiheroes, and they’re on this journey of discovering who they are. They’re always complex in what they stand for.”
Chapek (whose father is former Disney CEO Bob Chapek) explained how they had to deduce, “What’s the best Thunderbolts movie for the [MCU]?:”
“We had to decide, what’s the best Thunderbolts movie for the Marvel Cinematic Universe? Our answer was, ‘What if we take a collection of antiheroes from different corners of the universe, put them together in an unexpected situation, and expand upon their stories in exciting and unexpected ways?’”
Finally, the MCU producer clarified that, despite what Valentina, her team of anti-heroes, and the movie’s final The New Avengers title card may imply, “this team is not the Avengers” and could even be called their “antithesis:”
“Hopefully, by the end of it, we have a new team of heroes emerge into the world. But this team is not the Avengers. They’re kind of the antithesis in some ways. The fun is in seeing these underdogs come together and, against all odds, emerge as heroes.”
The New Avengers encompasses Florence Pugh’s Yelena Belova, Wyatt Russell’s U.S. Agent, Sebastian Stan’s Bucky Barnes, Hannah John-Kamen’s Ghost, and David Harbour’s Red Guardian, along with Pullman’s Sentry. Beyond that, the twist finally explained Thunderbolts*‘s asterisk in the title, revealing the team was set to be renamed as the New Avengers all along.
Why the New Avengers Might Get a Name Change (Eventually)
Marvel Studios
The Thunderbolts never chose to become the New Avengers; that was the work of Valentina, but they were more than happy to embrace the mantra. Even Yelena declares in the post-credits scene, “But we are the Avengers, the government said so, how does Sam Wilson not understand that?”
Beyond that, the team notes that the internet was doubting their status as the Avengers while there was “this huge space crisis, and nobody is telling [them] about it,” which only further questions their validity.
Ultimately, branding the Thunderbolts as the New Avengers was a Hail Mary move from Valentina to salvage her career and public reputation after the Sentry disaster, but one that also happened to benefit this group of anti-heroes.
Going into Avengers: Doomsday, there is no doubt that the Avengers and New Avengers are two vastly different teams that may even be heading for a new MCU Civil War, with plenty of room for comedy and drama over the debate.
One has to wonder what this false ending means for the future, as it’s tough to imagine two Avengers-branded teams remaining in the MCU. Perhaps the New Avengers could shake off that branding and embrace the Thunderbolts’ name going forward as they inevitably part ways with Valentina.
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