The Faces Are the Same, But Not the Name: Marvel Redubs June ‘Thunderbolts’ Issue ‘The New Avengers’

A few days after Marvel made a showy reveal of what the asterisk in Thunderbolts* really stood for, its print division has changed the title of its comic series to match.
The series, originally titled New Thunderbolts* (asterisk intact) will actually be released as The New Avengers. This matches the rebranding of the movie, which happened after the film had already been released to theaters.
The New Avengers comes from Sam Humphries and Ton Lima and follows the characters Winter Soldier, Black Widow, Carnage, Hulk, Namor, Clea and the female version of Wolverine, fighting against the Killuminati. Stephen Segovia and Mark Bagley and the first issue drops in June.
Marvel issued a press release that said, “In classic Avengers fashion, they’ll assemble to take on a threat too big for any one hero to combat—corrupt clones of the Illuminati! And in the spirit of Brian Michael Bendis and David Finch decade-defining NEW AVENGERS (2004) run, this radical lineup will usher in a revolutionary new era of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes!”

Written by SAM HUMPHRIES
Art by TON LIMA
Cover by STEPHEN SEGOVIA
Variant Cover by MARK BAGLEY
Variant Cover by STEPHANIE HANS
Black Widow and Winter Soldier Variant Cover by DERRICK CHEW
Carnage and Wolverine Variant Cover by DERRICK CHEW
Clea and Namor Variant Cover by EJIKURE
Hulk Variant Cover by WOO-CHUL LEE
Spoiler Homage Variant Cover by WHILCE PORTACIO
Killuminati Variant Cover by JOSEMARIA CASANOVAS
Marvel Studios Variant Cover by ANDY PARK
Logo Variant Cover
On Sale 6/11
The release quotes Humphries as saying, “Plot twist, it’s been NEW AVENGERS all along! I promised surprises, and this is the first of many. It’s a thrill and an honor to continue the grand New Avengers tradition of team dynamics that are as explosive as the threats. And this era has two combustible teams: the New Avengers and the Killuminati!”
Featured on the first three issues of the series, the Marvel Studios Variant Covers will spotlight original character designs by Marvel Studios’ Director of Visual Development Andy Park from the Thunderbolts* film.