"Thunderbolts* Series Now Marvel's New Avengers, Reflecting MCU"

With the *Thunderbolts* movie now captivating audiences in theaters, Marvel Comics is poised to end one chapter of this iconic franchise and usher in a bold new era for the Thunderbolts. However, there's a surprising twist: Marvel has decided to retitle the Thunderbolts comic as "The New Avengers" following the movie's successful first weekend. This rebranding mirrors the MCU's move, challenging heroes like Carnage, Clea, and Wolverine to embody the spirit of Earth's Mightiest Heroes. Can they rise to the occasion?

It's an uphill battle, as these characters must evolve into a cohesive and effective Avengers team. This was a key point in our recent conversation with writer Sam Humphries. Dive into the details of the Thunderbolts/New Avengers transformation, Humphries' selection of this unique roster, and the formidable threat that necessitates such a powerful team.

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View 19 ImagesWho Are the New Avengers?

Marvel Studios is known for its secrecy, so we were eager to learn when Humphries was informed about the title change during the development of his Thunderbolts pitch. Was the New Avengers comic always part of the plan, or was it a recent decision? Fortunately, Humphries reveals that the title change was integral from the start.

"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." As for the lineup, Humphries had significant freedom to select his Thunderbolts/New Avengers. His goal was to assemble characters representing various sectors 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 hints, the New Avengers aren't your typical heroes. This team comprises hardened killers, monsters, and one irritable underwater monarch. Similar to the original New Avengers from 2004, they're united by fate and circumstance, and they won't gel instantly.

"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

While the new series adopts the MCU's title change, the New Avengers roster diverges significantly. The constant presence is Bucky Barnes, who remains after the current Thunderbolts team concludes in *Thunderbolts: Doomstrike*. It's up to the former Winter Soldier to unify this group of strong personalities and even stronger 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."

What threat could necessitate the combined forces of Wolverine, Namor, Carnage, Clea, and Hulk? Inspired by the classic Illuminati, the New Avengers face off against the "Killuminati," a distorted version of the original group.

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, known for his work on *New Thunderbolts* and *West Coast Avengers*. Humphries notes that the art style draws inspiration not from the MCU, but from another 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* will hit the shelves on June 11, 2025.

For more insights into the MCU's latest twist, explore why Thunderbolts was renamed The New Avengers, and discover why the MCU has a big problem with Sebastian Stan's Bucky.