Warning: This article contains spoilers for Thunderbolts*Marvel fans have been playing a game of “spot the difference” with a new Thunderbolts* poster that surfaced online to promote the movie’s upcoming Disney+ release — and by “new,” we mean the original poster with some heavy edits that completely change the whole vibe of the MCU entry. The not-so-inconspicuous streaming promo immediately attracted attention (and backlash) over its unsolicited revisions, with people claiming that the titular team now “look silly” and many wondering why the poster was altered in the first place.
The changes to the Thunderbolts* poster are not just minor tweaks, such as color upgrades or text additions; they are glaringly obvious, just like Valentina Allegra de Fontaine’s conniving schemes to save her public image. In this case, the now very public image of the streaming promo (shared below) has become a hot topic of debate. As reported by IGN, an X/Twitter post from MCUFilmNews pointed out that one character has been completely removed from the team of antiheroes, while the remaining characters are without their weapons.
Olga Kurylenko’s Antonia Dreykov, aka Taskmaster, is notably absent from the new version of the Thunderbolts* poster. She only has a minor role in the film, as her character tragically bites the bullet early on, despite being part of the initial team announcement, so the justification for her removal from the image might be to avoid misrepresenting her as a core team member, now the that worst-kept spoiler secret in MCU history is officially out. “It’s pretty bittersweet to see them remove Taskmaster because on one hand it’s unfortunate that she was done wrong, but on the other hand, Marvel doesn’t deserve to use her as promotion after what they did,” one person wrote on X/Twitter in response to the change.
The other major difference between the two posters is that the original sees the unconventional crew embroiled in an action scene, wielding an assortment of weapons, but the edited version of the image has removed the guns from the hands of Bucky and Yelena in favor of them now using their fists (or, in Bucky’s case, his hand with an outstretched finger where he was once holding his firearm). They are also now pictured against a bright yellow backdrop as opposed to the cityscape filled with smoke, sparks, and flying debris. The intention behind it might have been to make the film appeal to a wider audience after it underperformed during its box-office run. However, it is not guaranteed that it will have the desired effect, as Marvel fans have been very vocal over their disapproval of the edits.
‘Thunderbolts*’ Is the Highest-Rated MCU Movie of the Year
Wyatt Russell, David Harbour, Sebastian Stan, Hannah John-Kamen, and Florence Pugh in Thunderbolts*
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
Thunderbolts* grossed approximately $382 million worldwide, with $190 million from theaters in the United States and Canada and $192 million internationally, making it one of the lowest-grossing films in the MCU. Some box office analysts estimated that the film needed to earn $425 million globally to break-even due to its $180 million production budget and additional marketing costs on top, which would mean that Marvel Studios lost money on this entry, as it failed to turn a profit during its theatrical run, which started at the beginning of May.
Many would argue that Thunderbolts* deserved better, as the film is the highest-rated MCU movie of the year. It earned widespread acclaim, which is reflected in its Rotten Tomatoes scores of 88% and 93% from critics and audiences, respectively. Reviewers praised its more human story, supported by its dark and emotional undertones and strong cast chemistry, with some viewing it as a turning point for the MCU. The film’s positive word of mouth will no doubt have an impact when it arrives on Disney+, giving it one final shot at redemption.
3
/5
Release Date
May 2, 2025
Runtime
127 minutes
Director
Jake Schreier
Writers
Eric Pearson, Joanna Calo
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