Thunderbolts Series: Marvel's New Avengers Unveiled

With the *Thunderbolts* movie now captivating audiences in theaters, Marvel Comics is poised to conclude the current chapter of this iconic super-team and embark on a thrilling new journey. In a surprising move that echoes the MCU, Marvel has announced a title change for the Thunderbolts comic to "The New Avengers," following the film's first weekend. This shift places heroes like Carnage, Clea, and Wolverine in the spotlight, challenging them to embody the spirit of Earth's Mightiest Heroes. Can these diverse characters rise to the occasion?

It's an uphill battle, as writer Sam Humphries emphasized in our recent discussion. The transition from Thunderbolts to New Avengers promises to be fraught with challenges as these characters strive to form a cohesive and effective team. Dive deeper into the shake-up, discover how Humphries crafted this eclectic yet powerful roster, and uncover the formidable threat that necessitates such a formidable alliance.

The New Avengers #1: Exclusive Preview Gallery

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Who Are the New Avengers?

Marvel Studios' secretive nature about upcoming projects left us wondering when Humphries learned of the title change during his Thunderbolts pitch development. Fortunately, the shift to New Avengers was part of the initial plan, not a last-minute surprise.

"It was part of the very first conversation I had with Alanna [Smith]," Humphries revealed to 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 on the planning stages, "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."

Humphries had significant freedom in selecting the Thunderbolts/New Avengers lineup, aiming to represent various major superhuman factions within the Marvel Universe. "Oh, this was so much fun," he shared. "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.)"

The New Avengers are far from the typical paragons of virtue and superheroic decency. This team comprises hardened killers, monsters, and one irascible underwater monarch. Much like the original New Avengers from 2004, these characters are brought together by fate and circumstance, and their initial interactions are likely to be explosive.

"I think the phrase I used in my pitch was 'interpersonal dynamics go BOOM,'" Humphries said. "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 mirrors the MCU's title change, the actual New Avengers roster diverges significantly from the film's version. The constant presence is Bucky Barnes, who remains after the current Thunderbolts team concludes in *Thunderbolts: Doomstrike*. Bucky's role will be pivotal in managing this team of strong personalities and immense powers.

"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 demand the combined might of Wolverine, Namor, Carnage, Clea, and Hulk? Inspired by the classic Illuminati lineup, their adversaries in the series are an offshoot known as the "Killuminati."

"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 noted that the art in this series draws inspiration not from the MCU, but from a 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* will be released on June 11, 2025.

For further insights into the MCU's latest developments, explore why Thunderbolts was renamed The New Avengers, and delve into why the MCU faces challenges with Sebastian Stan’s portrayal of Bucky.