‘Thunderbolts’ director reveals true meaning of asterisk in film’s title

Marvel’s hit film Thunderbolts* director Jake Schreier shared the real meaning of asterisk in the movie’s title.

In the movie the ragtag group of anti-heroes initially calls themselves 'Thunderbolts', after Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh) childhood soccer team.

However, they are defeated by the villain Void (Lewis Pullman) and their manipulative boss Valentina Allegra de Fontaine takes credit for victory. In a televised stunt Valentina rebrands the group calling them 'New Avengers'.

The 'Thunderbolts' team is not thrilled, but they go along with it.

The film ends with Thunderbolts* title being torn away to reveal the movie’s real name: New Avengers.

In an interview with the Entertainment Weekly, Schreier revealed how Thunderbolts* with asterisk came in the picture.

"The asterisk was part of my last pitch meeting before getting the job," he said. "I thought it would be a small thing we should have one sign, put an asterisk on it, and say, 'Until we come up with something better.'"

Schreier continued, "And then they really ran with that and embraced that. And it felt like, at this studio, with the amount of attention on it, it's a place where you could pull off something like that."

Now, with the new title appearing in the ending credits of the film, questions were raised on should the audience be calling the movie New Avengers, and forget Thunderbolts* ever existed?

To which the director said, "If you want to [still] call it Thunderbolts*, that's okay."

Marvel Thunderbolts* was released on May 2nd.