Marvel Comics' Thunderbolts Series Rebrands as New Avengers

With the Thunderbolts movie now captivating audiences in theaters, Marvel Comics is gearing up to conclude one era of the franchise while ushering in a bold new chapter for the long-standing super-team. But here's the twist: just as Marvel surprised MCU fans by renaming Thunderbolts to "The New Avengers" after its first weekend of release, the new Thunderbolts comic is also embracing this title change. Now, characters like Carnage, Clea, and Wolverine are stepping up to the plate, tasked with embodying the legacy of Earth's Mightiest Heroes. Can they meet the challenge?

It's going to be an uphill battle for these characters to gel as a cohesive Avengers team. That's the main takeaway from our recent discussion with writer Sam Humphries. Dive deeper to understand the Thunderbolts/New Avengers transformation, how Humphries crafted this eclectic yet formidable roster, and what looming threat necessitates such a powerhouse team.

The New Avengers #1: Exclusive Preview Gallery

View 19 ImagesWho Are the New Avengers?

Given Marvel Studios' reputation for secrecy around upcoming projects, we were eager to find out when Sam Humphries learned of the title change during his Thunderbolts pitch development. Was the New Avengers concept always in the works, or was it a later pivot? Fortunately, Humphries reveals that the title change was part of the initial plan.

"It was part of the very first conversation I had with Alanna [Smith]," Humphries tells IGN. "It's been both exhilarating and maddening to keep this under wraps 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 adds, "Initially, there were some logistical details to sort out behind the scenes, so I had to be ready to pivot on a dime. But the plan was set by the time I started the first issue. You can see it in the lineup -- the New Avengers and the Killuminati echo [Brian] Bendis' and [Jonathan] Hickman's New Avengers teams. Jed's [MacKay] got a stellar lineup of do-gooders in the Avengers book, and I wanted our book to stand out with a bunch of rogues."

"Jed's got a stellar lineup of do-gooders in the Avengers book, and I wanted our book to stand out with a bunch of rogues." Humphries had the creative freedom to select his Thunderbolts/New Avengers roster, aiming to represent various major superhuman factions within the Marvel Universe.

"Oh, this was so much fun," Humphries says. "My 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'm immensely grateful to our amazing editor Alanna Smith, who supported this idea from the start, even though she had to liaise with nearly every Marvel editorial office to make it happen. That scream you hear is her Microsoft Teams begging for mercy. And huge thanks to all the editors and creators who trusted us with their beloved characters! Love you all! (They're gonna regret it.)"

As Humphries hints, the New Avengers aren't exactly paragons of virtue and heroism. This team comprises hardened killers, monsters, and a grumpy underwater monarch. Much like the original New Avengers from 2004, this group is forged by fate and circumstance, and they won't gel overnight.

"I think the phrase I used in my pitch was 'interpersonal dynamics go BOOM,'" Humphries says. "These aren't level-headed guardians of humanity; they're a bunch of hotheads trying to channel their bad impulses for good, with mixed results. They shouldn't be allowed 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's title change, the New Avengers roster diverges significantly from its cinematic counterpart. The consistent element is Bucky Barnes, who remains after the current Thunderbolts team concludes in Thunderbolts: Doomstrike. It will be up to the former Winter Soldier to unite this diverse group of personalities and powers into a functional team.

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

What threat could possibly necessitate the combined might of Wolverine, Namor, Carnage, Clea, and Hulk? Just as the New Avengers are inspired by the classic Illuminati lineup, their adversaries in the series are a direct offshoot of the Illuminati. Humphries dubs them the "Killuminati."

Art by Josemaria Casnanovas. (Image Credit: Marvel)"Someone tried to make duplicates of the Illuminati, and someone messed up," Humphries teases. "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, known for his work on books like New Thunderbolts and West Coast Avengers. Humphries reveals that the art in this series draws heavy inspiration not from the MCU, but from another wildly popular action movie franchise.

"Ton is a BEAST," Humphries says. "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 shelves on June 11, 2025.

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