With the Thunderbolts movie now captivating audiences in theaters, Marvel Comics is gearing up to conclude one chapter of the franchise and introduce a thrilling new era for this iconic super-team. In a surprising move, Marvel has decided to retitle the Thunderbolts comic as "The New Avengers," mirroring the unexpected change made to the MCU's Thunderbolts film after its debut weekend. This bold shift challenges heroes like Carnage, Clea, and Wolverine to step into the legendary shoes of Earth's Mightiest Heroes. Can they rise to the occasion?
The transition to becoming a cohesive and effective Avengers team will be a formidable challenge for these characters. This was a key insight from our recent discussion with writer Sam Humphries. Dive deeper to discover more about the Thunderbolts/New Avengers transformation, Humphries' selection process for this diverse yet powerful lineup, and the looming threat that necessitates such a formidable team.
The New Avengers #1: Exclusive Preview Gallery
View 19 Images
Who Are the New Avengers?
Given Marvel Studios' reputation for secrecy, we were eager to learn when Humphries was informed about the title change during the development of his Thunderbolts pitch. Was the New Avengers concept part of the initial plan, or a later pivot? Fortunately, Humphries reveals that the title change was part of the plan from the outset.
"It was part of the very first conversation I had with Alanna [Smith]," Humphries shares with 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 elaborates, "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 considerable freedom to select the Thunderbolts/New Avengers. The aim was to represent various major superhuman factions within the Marvel Universe.
"Oh, this was so much fun," Humphries enthuses. "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 paragons of virtue. This team comprises hardened killers, monsters, and a notoriously irritable underwater monarch. Similar to the original New Avengers from 2004, this group is united by fate and circumstance, and they're not likely to get along easily.
"I think the phrase I used in my pitch was 'interpersonal dynamics go BOOM,'" Humphries says. "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's title change, the New Avengers roster diverges significantly from its cinematic counterpart. The one consistent element is Bucky Barnes, who remains after the current Thunderbolts team concludes its run in Thunderbolts: Doomstrike. Bucky will have the daunting task of managing this eclectic group of powerful individuals 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 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 require the combined strength of Wolverine, Namor, Carnage, Clea, and Hulk? Inspired by the classic Illuminati lineup, the New Avengers will face off against a sinister 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 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 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 praises. "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 the shelves on June 11, 2025.
For more insights into the MCU's latest twist, explore why Thunderbolts was renamed The New Avengers, and delve into why the MCU has a big problem with Sebastian Stan's Bucky.
