Marvel Comics' Thunderbolts* Series Rebrands as New Avengers

With the Thunderbolts movie now captivating audiences in theaters, Marvel Comics is poised to conclude one chapter of the franchise while introducing an exciting new era for this iconic super-team. However, there's a twist that fans might not see coming. Just as Marvel surprised MCU enthusiasts by retitling Thunderbolts as "The New Avengers" after its first weekend of release, the new Thunderbolts comic series is set to undergo the same title transformation. Now, heroes like Carnage, Clea, and Wolverine must rise to the challenge of embodying the legacy of Earth's Mightiest Heroes. Can they measure up to the storied mantle?

The journey to becoming a cohesive and functional Avengers team will be fraught with challenges for these characters, as writer Sam Humphries emphasized in our recent conversation. Dive deeper to uncover the details of the Thunderbolts/New Avengers transformation, Humphries' selection process for this diverse yet powerful lineup, and the formidable new threat that necessitates such a team of heavy-hitters.

The New Avengers #1: Exclusive Preview Gallery

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Who Are the New Avengers?

Given Marvel Studios' penchant for secrecy around upcoming projects, we were eager to find out when writer Sam Humphries learned about the title change during the development of his Thunderbolts pitch. Was the plan always to create a New Avengers comic, or did this represent a recent shift in direction? Fortunately, Humphries reveals that the title change was part of the plan from the outset.

"It was part of the very first conversation I had with Alanna [Smith]," Humphries told IGN. "It's been exhilarating and maddening to keep this top secret for months. Like planning a surprise party, but for thousands of people. I don't even have a document on my hard drive that says 'New Avengers' on it. You never know."

Humphries elaborated, "Initially, there were some logistical details to be worked out behind the scenes, so I had to be prepared to pivot on a dime. But the whole plan was locked in by the time I started the first issue. You can see it in the lineup -- the New Avengers and the Killuminati both have echoes of [Brian] Bendis' and [Jonathan] Hickman's New Avengers teams. Jed's [MacKay] got a killer lineup of do-gooders in the Avengers book, and I wanted our book to distinguish itself with a bunch of bastards."

"Jed's got a killer lineup of do-gooders in the Avengers book, and I wanted our book to distinguish itself with a bunch of bastards." Humphries also revealed the freedom he had in selecting the Thunderbolts/New Avengers roster, aiming to represent the various major superhuman corners of the Marvel Universe.

"Oh, this was so much fun," Humphries said. "My basic concept was -- the Illuminati were seven kings and heroes from seven different corners of the Marvel Universe, so what if we did the same with some of the biggest badasses representing mutants, the mystical world, the Spider family, the gamma family, and so on? I have immense gratitude for our amazing editor Alanna Smith who supported this idea from the jump, even though she had to liaise with pretty much every Marvel editorial office to make it happen. That scream you hear is her Microsoft Teams begging for mercy. And big thanks to all the editors and creators who were generous enough to trust us with their wonderful, cherished characters! Love you all! (They're gonna regret it.)"

As Humphries hinted, the members of the New Avengers are far from the typical paragons of virtue and superheroic decency. This team comprises hardened killers, monsters, and even a cranky underwater monarch. Similar to the original New Avengers from 2004, this team is formed by fate and circumstance, and they are unlikely to immediately gel.

"I think the phrase I used in my pitch was 'interpersonal dynamics go BOOM,'" Humphries said. "These aren't level-headed guardians of humanity, these are a bunch of hothead bastards trying to use their bad impulses for good, with mixed results. They should not be allowed to be in the same room together. The big question is, who hates each other the most? It might be Clea and Carnage. Or it might be Namor and Laura. Or it might be…"

Bucky Barnes and the Killuminati

Despite the new series echoing the MCU's title change, the actual roster of the New Avengers differs significantly from its cinematic counterpart. The one consistent element is Bucky Barnes, who will continue his journey after the current Thunderbolts team takes its final bow in Thunderbolts: Doomstrike. It will be Bucky's task to wrangle this eclectic group of strong personalities and immense powers into a functional team.

"I have so much love for Jackson [Lanzing] and Collin's [Kelly] long, glorious run with Bucky," Humphries said. "I'm honored and lucky to follow what they've achieved with the character. And Bucky's gonna need the wisdom and experience of every insane thing they put him through. The world is upside down and someone needs to do something about it, damn it."

The threat that necessitates the combined might of Wolverine, Namor, Carnage, Clea, and Hulk is a direct offshoot of the classic Illuminati. Humphries refers to them as the "Killuminati."

Art by Josemaria Casnanovas. (Image Credit: Marvel)

"Someone tried to make duplicates of the Illuminati, and someone f\*\*\*ed up," Humphries teased. "Now there's seven demented and deformed worst-case scenarios running around. Bucky's gonna have big problems keeping his team together. And the same goes for the Killuminati and their 'leader' -- Iron Apex."

The New Avengers series pairs Humphries with artist Ton Lima, whose previous work includes New Thunderbolts and West Coast Avengers. Humphries revealed that the artistic style of this series draws inspiration not from the MCU, but from another highly popular action movie franchise.

"Ton is a BEAST," Humphries said. "He makes the good guys look brutal and sexy, and the bad guys look brutal and disgusting. I told him he needed to watch every Fast and the Furious movie in a row ten times without breaks. Based on his pages, I think he actually did it, the madman!"

The New Avengers #1 is set to hit the shelves on June 11, 2025.

For more insights into the MCU's recent title change, discover why Thunderbolts was renamed The New Avengers, and delve into why the MCU has a big problem with Sebastian Stan's Bucky.