Marvel's Thunderbolts 'Spoiler' Title Change Just a Week After Release Sparks Mixed Feelings From Fans

Thunderbolts* finally started gracing screens nationwide this past weekend — but Marvel also pulled a rather interesting stunt in the wake of its opening. Marvel unveiled a new title, or at the very least a subtitle, for the film just days after the release that, in many fans’ eyes, spoils a key element of the movie. That said, please read on with caution if you have yet to make it out to the theater to catch this new MCU output.

Warning! Spoilers for Thunderbolts* follow:

Thunderbolts* is also The New Avengers, and some fans around the internet simply feel like Disney and Marvel should’ve let fans figure that bit out for themselves in the theater. “It's complete nonsense to spoil the movie three days after release,” one user wrote on an r/MarvelStudios post. “Marvel is a mess these days.” Another fan added: “Disney spoiled this to drive ticket sales. They don't trust their audience so they threw them under the bus for viral slop.”

Other moviegoers were more willing to justify the play from a business standpoint. “If they did this in week three, Thunderbolts will only have one week to itself before Mission Impossible and Lilo & Stitch crush its momentum,” one commenter explained in a comment on the post. “So that's how you're getting it week two to maximize attention and grab whatever money's on the table before Memorial Day.”

Another person pointed out that word of mouth made the move worth it for the studios. “The fact that people are talking about it is why they did it,” they claimed in their defense via Reddit. “It’s also not the big twist of the movie and IMO takes nothing away from it… the movie is still good regardless. The characters are still worth watching and there are still other twists to watch that I would have been more upset about being ruined.”

“I’d have waited [until] the end of the week, but I understand why they’ve done it,” an additional Reddit user added to the r/MarvelStudios post. “Avengers is a very big name brand. If they wanted this movie to make money, they’re gonna need this backing which they wouldn't have had with the Thunderbolts title. The New Avengers is intriguing. And if you enjoyed the film, you’re gonna want a sequel, and to get a sequel we need great reviews and it to make money.”

Marvel Studios' #̶T̶h̶u̶n̶d̶e̶r̶b̶o̶l̶t̶s̶* #TheNewAvengers is now playing only in theaters.

Get tickets: https://t.co/bFq0RNfp6K pic.twitter.com/HWfzmFBANq— Marvel Studios* (@MarvelStudios) May 5, 2025

It’s a great marketing strategy that will likely maximize the amount of eyes on the film, especially from those who weren’t drawn in by the Thunderbolts title — maybe more casual fans who don’t know the full backstory here — but still are intrigued by the idea of a new group of Avengers. Timing issues aside, it’s a solid plan from a business standpoint.

Other fans were more into cracking jokes about the whole situation. “Imagine not seeing this opening night,” one Redditor wrote alongside a GIF of Eddie Murphy bursting into laughter and clapping his hands together. Another fan on X / Twitter said: “Calling the Thunderbolts New Avengers is like that one lame friend you had in school who gave himself a nickname. Bro! I’m not calling you Dragon. :)” A second social media user also joked: “Like The New Avengers hits, but don’t hit at the same time.”

Some fans who weren’t particularly thrilled by the bait and switch are also worried about the film’s eventual physical release. “Aw f—k that Blu-ray is totally gonna say New Avengers isn’t it,” one X / Twitter user wrote, while another responded in a retweet with a pretty killer compromise idea that Marvel might want to steal: “The only way to make this cool would be to make the Thunderbolts logo a sticker that says ‘peel after watching’ and under the sticker is New Avengers.”

#TheNewAvengers pic.twitter.com/ifA1jebPVE— Marvel Studios* (@MarvelStudios) May 5, 2025

All of this is to say, Marvel has stood behind the notion that Thunderbolts* is still the film’s official title — the “The New Avengers” addition, according to the studio, is just the spelling out of the asterisk at the end of the original title. Clever.

Lex Briscuso is a film and television critic and a freelance entertainment writer for IGN. You can follow her on Twitter at @nikonamerica.