Marvel's Thunderbolts Series: The New Avengers

With the *Thunderbolts* movie now captivating audiences in theaters, Marvel Comics is set to conclude one chapter of this iconic super-team and launch an exciting new era. In a surprising move, Marvel has decided to rebrand the Thunderbolts as "The New Avengers" following the film's debut weekend. This title change extends to the comics as well, where characters like Carnage, Clea, and Wolverine now face the daunting task of living up to the legacy of Earth's Mightiest Heroes. Can these unconventional heroes rise to the challenge?

The transition to a cohesive Avengers team will be a formidable challenge for these characters, as revealed in our recent conversation with writer Sam Humphries. Dive deeper to uncover the intricacies of the Thunderbolts/New Avengers transformation, Humphries' selection process for this diverse yet formidable team, and the looming threat that necessitates such a powerful alliance.

The New Avengers #1: Exclusive Preview Gallery

View 19 ImagesWho Are the New Avengers?

Given Marvel Studios' reputation for secrecy, we were eager to understand when Humphries first learned of the title change during the development of his Thunderbolts pitch. Was this always intended to be a New Avengers comic, or was it a recent pivot? Humphries clarified that the title change was part of the initial discussions, not a last-minute decision.

“It was part of the very first conversation I had with Alanna [Smith],” Humphries shared 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 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.”

In selecting the Thunderbolts/New Avengers lineup, Humphries had significant creative freedom. His aim was to assemble characters representing diverse aspects of the Marvel Universe.

“Oh, this was so much fun,” Humphries enthused. “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 hinted, the New Avengers are not your typical paragons of virtue. This team comprises hardened killers, monsters, and one irritable underwater king. Similar to the 2004 New Avengers, fate and circumstance unite them, though they may struggle to work together harmoniously.

“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 shift, the comic's New Avengers roster differs significantly from the film version. The one consistent element is Bucky Barnes, who remains after the Thunderbolts conclude their journey in *Thunderbolts: Doomstrike*. Bucky will need to harness his leadership skills to manage this diverse group of powerful personalities into a cohesive unit.

“I have so much love for Jackson [Lanzing] and Collin's [Kelly] long, glorious run with Bucky,” Humphries noted. “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 threat facing this new team is formidable, requiring the combined strength of Wolverine, Namor, Carnage, Clea, and Hulk. Drawing inspiration from the classic Illuminati, their adversaries in the series are dubbed 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.”

Collaborating with artist Ton Lima, known for his work on *New Thunderbolts* and *West Coast Avengers*, Humphries shares that the series' visual style draws not from the MCU, but from another beloved action 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* is slated for release on June 11, 2025.

For more insights into the MCU's latest developments, explore why Thunderbolts was renamed The New Avengers, and delve into why the MCU has a big problem with Sebastian Stan’s Bucky.