Thunderbolts* gives a new direction to these anti-heroes who already made their MCU debut in past movies, but they were like scattered stones waiting to be honed. Marvel's reply to DC's Suicide Squad,

Marvel Studios has officially rebranded Thunderbolts as The New Avengers, aligning the film’s narrative with broader Multiverse Saga plans.

The asterisk hullabaloo had everything to do with setting up The New Avengers ahead of Avengers: Doomsday ’s release next summer. While I wasn’t exactly surprised about the reveal when the movie reached its end (especially considering we already know the Thunderbolts* cast are part of the Avengers;