‘Thunderbolts*’ Teaser: The New Avengers?

Everyone’s favourite and some people’s favourite anti-heroes are back in the first teaser for Marvel Studios’ Thunderbolts*.

The Thunderbolts* teaser shows off the team roster which includes characters that haven’t been seen in the MCU for over 6 years and introduces us to some new faces. With Florence Pugh’s Yelena Belova, the beloved and star character from Black Widow, at the front of the team, it seems clear that this movie is gonna have a lot of eyes on it.  You can watch the teaser trailer below:

The official synopsis for the movie reads:

Marvel Studios and a crew of indie veterans who sold out present Thunderbolts*, an irreverent team-up featuring depressed assassin Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh) alongside the MCU’s least anticipated band of misfits.

From this synopsis, it is clear that the movie will play up the comedic aspects, though perhaps not in the usual marvel style. Mentioned in this and reiterated in multiple interviews from Comic-Con, the creatives behind the movie place a heavy emphasis on the ‘depressed’ nature of the characters within the story, highlighting that this will be a significant link that brings the team together. Because all of the characters are going through it in this movie, it is this low point that makes them all agree to go on what is essentially a suicide mission at the request of Valentina Allegra De Fontaine, who is played by the amazing Julia Louis-Dreyfus. 

This subject matter and narrative for characters is very new for the MCU. Although it was touched upon in Iron Man 3, the lengths of Tony Stark’s depression were limited to a few panic attacks and never explored fully, even being ignored by the final act because a Marvel movie has to end with that big battle sequence! So, with the sarcastic tone of the synopsis and depression in the air in the teaser as well as from what we have heard about the movie, it seems Thunderbolts* is going to take a more pseudo-serious and self depreciating tone, which is a lot more serious than recent MCU projects have been.

‘Thunderbolts*’ Teaser Breakdown

The Thunderbolts* teaser starts with Yelena visiting her adoptive father Alexei Shostakov (David Harbour) , aka Red Guardian, to confide in him as they both feel unfulfilled with their lives. After Hawkeye, this is quite a dark turn for Yelena but a natural progression for her character as someone who has been raised to be a cold-blooded killer is going to feel lost after disappearing for years and coming back to a new world, as well as not wanting to live her life the same way she used to when she was under the control of The Red Room.

Intersecting shots show that John Walker, US Agent, played by Wyatt Russell, is feeling very similarly. Whilst watching over his crying child, John is distracted by news of US Agent being a failure, with an article quoting his life as ‘The Fall of A Hero’.

Yelena gets back to business taking down government agencies and committing morally dubious acts before we cut to a random room, appearing as some storage or abandoned facility. In there, we meet Ghost, played by Hannah Jonh-Kamen and Taskmaster, played by Olga Kurylenko who make their first MCU appearances in a few years and they fight Yelena and John, resulting in a big brawl between the four of them that sees knives thrown and phased through and shield damaged. However, it ends with Lewis Pullman’s mysterious character, Bob (seemingly Sentry), appearing and asking how everyone has come together. 

Whilst everyone is stalled, the room glows red and a countdown appears, meaning they must work together to escape, though we do not see the result of it. Yelena’s voiceover reveals that everyone in the room has taken part in contract work for questionable people, who would now likely want them dead. It is this link that brings them together and forces them to work for Val as the Thunderbolts.

A quick shot showcases what appears to be either an auction or an exhibit for items from The Battle of New York. If Val has bought Avengers Towers, as theories and this trailer makes it appear, then she may either be selling off the items kept in storage or showing off her newfound collection of heroic memorabilia, a perfect start for someone who is wanting to assemble their own team. Quick cuts show all of the heroes in action including Sebastian Stan returning as Bucky Barnes, The Winter Soldier. It seems clear that the team is gonna have to get their hands messy and get in with the fighting if they want to succeed, and the amount of punches thrown and bodies hit in this section show that to no end.

As voiceover from Val explains: “There are bad guys, and there are worse guys”. As the team enter what appears to be Avengers Tower, though under new ownership, it is clear exactly where these lines will be drawn. Whilst the team is made up of characters that have done bad things, they are about to work for someone who is expecting them to do much worse – Val is the bad guy’s bad guy. The trailer ends with a comedic sting as Bucky shoots at the Thunderbolt’s in a limo, though this seems like it is clearly a misdirect and either he is shooting someone that is attempting to get at the team or he does not know that it is them and will help them later.

What Does The Asterisk In The ‘Thunderbolts*’ Title Mean?

With the Thunderbolts* teaser finally released, the biggest question remains. What is up with the asterisk? Well, there are quite a few theories surrounding it but there are two that are the most plausible and best options.

The first theory is that the asterisk will become a question mark by the end, implying the longevity of the team and whether it is even a team at all. A question mark would also leave the room for sequels and future movies, depending on if Marvel Studios wants to continue this franchise – granted that it would have to be with new characters, considering not everyone might make it out of this movie alive and with the Thunderbolts returning for Doomsday and Secret Wars, it is unclear how many of them will be left by the time a gap for Thunderbolts 2 comes around. Not only this, but a question mark would also reflect the tone of the movie and heighten the fact that they are being forced to work together, not deciding to come together and unite to become a team for good but instead brought together by a bigger evil to complete a mission that goes against their morals.

The other major theory is that the asterisk will transition the title of the movie, and thus the team, from Thunderbolts to Avengers. Whether that be New Avengers, Dark Avengers or some other form is unclear but it seems to be related to the Avengers in some way. With Val literally buying out the Avengers Tower and using their leftover stuff, she seems to be taking direct inspiration from them in the making of her new team and that may extend past tech and characters, even becoming their new name. This is majorly supported by the tagline attached to the poster and the new marketing line. ‘Be careful who you assemble’ creates a direct contrast to the Avengers and plays on the iconic ‘assemble’ phrase, which has become associated with the team and was even in the original title for the movie in international markets: ‘Avengers Assemble’. With it now being attributed to the Thunderbolts, the concept of them being branded an Avengers team in some capacity is not out of the question, in fact it appears more plausible with everything more that comes out about the movie.

Thunderbolts* looks to be a big hit for Marvel Studios and rightfully so. With great talent behind and on the screen, the movie looks a lot of fun both visually and vocally. Do not miss it in cinemas May 2nd 2025.

Thunderbolts* is directed by Jake Schreier and stars Florence Pugh, Sebastian Stan, Geraldine Viswanathan, Olga Kurylenko, David Harbour, Wyatt Russell and Hannah John-Kamen. Kevin Feige is producing. Louis D’Esposito, Brian Chapek, Jason Tamez and Scarlett Johansson serve as executive producers.

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