With the Thunderbolts movie now captivating audiences in theaters, Marvel Comics is gearing up to conclude one chapter of the franchise and launch an exciting new era for this iconic super-team. In a surprising move reminiscent of the MCU's strategy, Marvel has retitled the Thunderbolts comic as "The New Avengers" following the film's debut weekend. This shift places heroes like Carnage, Clea, and Wolverine in the challenging position of emulating Earth's Mightiest Heroes. The big question remains: do they have what it takes to step up to the plate?
According to writer Sam Humphries, it's going to be an uphill battle for these characters to gel into a cohesive Avengers team. In our recent discussion with Humphries, he shed light on the Thunderbolts/New Avengers transformation, the unique roster he's assembled, and the formidable threat that necessitates such a powerful lineup.
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Who Are the New Avengers?
Given Marvel Studios' notorious secrecy, it was intriguing to learn when Humphries was informed about the title change during his Thunderbolts pitch development. Humphries clarified that the switch to "New Avengers" was not a last-minute decision but part of the plan from the outset.
"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 further explained, "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 creative freedom in selecting the Thunderbolts/New Avengers lineup. His aim was to represent various major superhuman factions of the Marvel Universe.
"Oh, this was so much fun," Humphries said. "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 aren't your typical heroes. This team is composed of hardened killers, monsters, and even a cranky underwater monarch. Much like the original New Avengers from 2004, this group is brought together by fate and circumstance, and they aren't going to immediately get along.
"I think the phrase I used in my pitch was 'interpersonal dynamics go BOOM,'" Humphries stated. "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
Although the new series mirrors the MCU's title change, the actual New Avengers roster diverges significantly from the film version. The constant here is Bucky Barnes, who transitions from the current Thunderbolts team as it concludes in Thunderbolts: Doomstrike. Bucky will face the daunting task of uniting this diverse group into a functional team.
"I have so much love for Jackson [Lanzing] and Collin's [Kelly] long, glorious run with Bucky," Humphries expressed. "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."
The New Avengers will confront a formidable threat inspired by the classic Illuminati lineup. Humphries introduces their adversaries as the "Killuminati."
Art by Josemaria Casnanovas. (Image Credit: Marvel)
"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 series pairs Humphries with artist Ton Lima, whose previous work includes New Thunderbolts and West Coast Avengers. Humphries noted that Lima's art is heavily influenced by a popular action movie franchise.
"Ton is a BEAST," Humphries remarked. "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.
