Thunderbolts* has claimed the top spot at the box office.  As the movie sits upon its perch, The New Avengers has capitalized on the promise that this movie had since the moment it was announced. Marvel Studios deciding to book in one of their big phases with this film was justified by one clever last minute twist. The New Avengers are here. Fans are re-energized by that reveal.

All over social media today Marvel Studios has been touting the new name of Thunderbolts*. That’s right, it feels like the movie is going to be  known as The New Avengers now. The film premieres to thunderous applause. $74 million is a downright unserious number and one that has to make the studio feel like they hit a home run with Thunderbolts *.

After that Comic Con reveal all those years ago though, it probably felt like a strange decision to have Black Widow characters, a holdover from The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, a minor Ant-Man villain, and Bob take center stage.  There’s no denying the draw of these characters now after the audience score sits so high on Rotten Tomatoes along with a high critics mark as well.

Thunderbolts* Becoming The New Avengers

If you’ve been living under a rock spoilers for Thunderbolts* ahead. In the final frame of the Marvel Studios team-up movie. Yelena Belova and all of her friends venture into the void to try and rescue their friend Bob from the dark forces. Each member of the team has to encounter some past trauma that led them to being the flawed antihero they’ve become.

 Through the collective power of friendship, the Thunderbolts reach Bob and get him to pull himself back from the brink before the void consumes everything and not just New York City but the entire MCU Earth. After saving the city, the villain of the piece Valentina Allegra de Fontaine unveils the team to the public as the New Avengers. Understandably, this decision sets off a while set of press appearances and the establishment of a new team of Earth’s mightiest heroes.

The New Avengers

Hysterically, Thunderbolts*‘ ending actually gives us a similar effect in the real world. Out phases four and five MCU fans have wondered what’s been going on with The Avengers. The question became even louder after Captain America: Brave New World teased the idea of Sam Wilson forming his own team. 

Now, Marvel Studios has given us these flawed antiheroes as a foil for whatever force that our new Captain America is building. The new movie’s post credit scene even inserts them into the frame of the upcoming Fantastic Four: First Steps. Multiple media cycles of hand wringing now give way to genuine excitement for whatever is coming in Marvel’s Summer blockbuster for this year and in Avengers: Doomsday in 2026.

Marvel’s Gambit Pays Off In Generating Excitement For The Future

The Fantastic Four: The First Steps is next up on the docket. Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby and their makeshift family barrelled towards the MCU in the final moments of Thunderbolts*. That movie’s teasers have shown them on another Earth and many fans were wondering how they even ended up alongside our heroes. 

That question remains. But, there’s some added intrigue about their mission and what happens to them in their solo outing. MCU connectivity is something debated into the ground on social media. So, Marvel Studios gets to have its cake and eat it too in this regard. Fans get to discuss how The Fantastic Four movie shakes out. Viewers also get hyped that their favorite heroes are on a crash course towards Doctor Doom.

Short of giving the fandom an entirely new set of Avengers featuring all the Phase 4 holdovers, there’s nothing they really could have done better to set the table for what’s coming. It’s amazing to think about what’s just a few months away as more footage trickles out of the Avengers: Doomsday set. The New Avengers are here and just like that the MCU train is full-steam ahead like clockwork.

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