With the Thunderbolts movie now captivating audiences in theaters, Marvel Comics is set to conclude one era of the franchise while simultaneously launching a thrilling new chapter for this iconic super-team. In an unexpected twist, Marvel has mirrored the MCU's move by retitling the Thunderbolts comic as "The New Avengers" following its first weekend of release. This bold rebranding challenges heroes such as Carnage, Clea, and Wolverine to step into the shoes of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes. Can they rise to the occasion?
It's going to be an uphill battle for these characters to coalesce into a cohesive and effective Avengers team. This was a key insight from our recent conversation with writer Sam Humphries. Dive deeper to explore the Thunderbolts/New Avengers transition, Humphries' unique selection of this diverse yet formidable roster, and the formidable new threat that necessitates such a powerhouse team.
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Who Are the New Avengers?
Marvel Studios is known for its secrecy, so we were eager to understand when Humphries learned about the title change during the development of his Thunderbolts pitch. Was the New Avengers concept in the works from the start, or was it a recent pivot? Fortunately, Humphries clarified that the rebranding was part of the plan from the very beginning.
“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 in selecting the Thunderbolts/New Avengers. His aim was to represent the diverse corners of the Marvel Universe with some of its most formidable characters.
“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 New Avengers aren't your typical paragons of virtue. This team comprises hardened killers, monsters, and one irritable underwater monarch. Much like the original New Avengers from 2004, these characters are united by fate and circumstance, and they aren't likely to get along easily.
“I think the phrase I used in my pitch was ‘interpersonal dynamics go BOOM,’" Humphries explained. “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 echoes the MCU in its title change, the New Avengers roster diverges significantly from the film version. The one consistent presence is Bucky Barnes, who remains after the current Thunderbolts team takes its final bow in Thunderbolts: Doomstrike. Bucky will have his work cut out for him, trying to manage 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 possibly demand the combined might of Wolverine, Namor, Carnage, Clea, and Hulk? Inspired by the classic Illuminati lineup, their adversaries in the series are a direct offshoot known 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 pairs Humphries with artist Ton Lima, whose previous work includes New Thunderbolts and West Coast Avengers. Humphries shared that the art style in this series draws inspiration not from the MCU, but from another highly popular action movie franchise.
“Ton is a BEAST,” Humphries praised. “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 slated for release on June 11, 2025.
For more insights into the MCU's latest developments, explore why Thunderbolts was renamed The New Avengers, and discover why the MCU has a big problem with Sebastian Stan’s Bucky.
