Summary
Thunderbolts*has performed well at the box office in its opening weekend. However, Marvel Studios is seemingly done keeping some major stuff about the film a secret.
Marvel’s second movie this year —Thunderbolts*— has impressed many. Fans have been talking about it for weeks before its release and now that it’s already showing, it has dominated social media and online forums. However,Marvel Studiosrocks the boat further by altering a huge billboard dedicated to the film. Those who saw the change were convinced it was a major spoiler.
Marvel Updates shared a snap of theThunderboltsbillboard displayed on Sunset Plaza Drive in West Hollywood, California. The photo features Florence Pugh’s Yelena Belova, Sebastian Stan’s Bucky Barnes/Winter Soldier, David Harbour’s Alexei Shostakov/Red Guardian, Wyatt Russell’s John Walker/U.S. Agent, Lewis Pullman’s Bob/Sentry, Hannah John-Kamen’s Ava Starr/Ghost, andOlga Kurylenko’s Antonia Dreykov/Taskmaster. However, above them is a statement printed in bold letters that reads “The New Avengers.” Many felt that it was a major spoiler from Marvel becauseThunderboltsended with the group of misfits calling themselves the “New Avengers.” The billboard received several reactions from fans. Some weren’t sure if Marvel was spoiling its movie, while others were sure they just did. One even suggested that the studio should have waited for a week before changing the billboard because the newest MCU film just had its opening weekend and many haven’t watched it yet. Others felt it was wrong because it was a straight giveaway of the film’s major plot. The billboard no longer read “Thunderbolts” but “*New Avengers.”
This isn’t the first time Marvel fans have debated about the film being spoiled. Last week, Robert Downey Jr. shared a series of photos with the other Marvel stars — Simu Liu, Winston Duke, Paul Rudd, Channing Tatum, Chris Hemsworth and Anthony Mackie — on Instagram. TheIron Manstar announced that they had dinner and a movie night. One snap featured theThunderboltslogo on the background, suggesting the group just watched the film. However, RDJ’s caption raised eyebrows because theAvengersOG called themselves the “Old Avengers,” suggesting that there are “New Avengers.“Many accused Downey Jr. of spoilingThunderboltsfor the mere mention of “Old Avengers.” However, many defended the actor, saying they had no idea what he meant and only felt they were spoiled after those who watched the film pointed it out.
With Marvel Studios updating theThunderbolts*billboard and branding it the “New Avengers,” it seemed that whatever Downey Jr. did last week was pale in comparison to Marvel’s move. This time, the studio revealed that there’s a new group of Avengers in the MCU – the Thunderbolts. It doesn’t take a genius to figure out what the billboard says because the movie title is noticeably missing and replaced with the group’s new name. However, some might not find this surprising, considering how Marvel has been campaigningThunderboltsas the biggest film afterAvengers: Endgame. MCU lost several of the original Avengers inEndgame, including Iron Man and Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson). They somewhat disbanded even if Thor, Hulk (Mark Ruffalo),Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner), and Captain America (Chris Evans) are still alive. The original Avengers' fate inEndgameseemingly opens doors for a new one to replace them.
