Marvel fans convinced MCU's new Avengers team has already debuted

There’s a theory going around that we’ve already had a good look at the next Avengers team with many of their heroes debuting years ago.

This isn’t The Avengers, of course, as many of them are still around and happy to be a part of the team. We’re talking about either Secret Avengers or Dark Avengers, and it all starts with Thunderbolts*.

Are the Thunderbolts a new Avengers team under a different name?

In the comics, there are a few different Avengers teams. The Secret Avengers are much more covert, while the Dark Avengers are more nefarious and sometimes stray onto the villainous side of things.

Which brings us to the next team in the MCU. Thunderbolts* will be released next year and will see several antiheroes and villains team-up, a little like the Suicide Squad for DC.

However, make note of that asterisk in the title of the film. What if that’s a temporary name and, by the end of the movie, they’ll be dubbed a new Avengers team?

This isn’t too far-fetched and Reddit is filled with theories.

“that * is definitely because they wanted to make a "[Something] Avengers" movie without damaging what the word "Avengers" means to the average moviegoer,” says HeadScissorGang.

BuffaloNo9011 sees merit in this idea saying, “I like this idea a lot. Casuals won't notice, but there's a big difference between those two teams, narratively. Fiege is so good at misdirection.”

The star power is there from the actors and as long as the team is given the right story it could work as part of the MCU.

It would also take the weight off of the next proper Avengers team who will be going toe-to-toe with Doctor Doom as part of Avengers: DOOMSDAY and Avengers: Secret Wars.

Back to Reddit and Cosmic-Horror-Cat has a very good (and long) theory that lines the Thunderbolts up to be the Dark Avengers, “they will turn out to be New Avengers with a tease for evil machinations in the background.”

I guess we’ll find out next year.