Thunderbolts* was released to glowing reviews last May, but struggled at the box office. Initially, Marvel Studios marketed the movie by highlighting the impressive talent it boasted both behind and in front of the camera.
Treating it like an A24 title didn't help Thunderbolts* break through to a mainstream audience, and neither did a cast made up primarily of characters from streaming projects. Even shifting to *The New Avengers title came too little, too late, and the blockbuster ultimately grossed a modest $382.4 million worldwide.
Now, we have some unused poster designs for Thunderbolts* that show what might have been, courtesy of artist Joshua Ecton.
Some are simply different versions of those we saw last year, while others are completely new (and some might argue, superior) versions. There's no mention of what was originally set to be a completely surprise "New Avengers" reveal, though.
When the first Thunderbolts* poster was released showing the anti-heroes squaring off, there were some—incorrect—claims about AI usage. Now, we see several different takes on that one-sheet, confirming it was created with different promotional shots of the actors as these characters.
Last year, Thunderbolts* star Geraldine Viswanathan told us this about being on set for The New Avengers announcement:
"It was such an incredible day, and it was one of the few days that I got to be on set with everybody in the cast. Being on that New York Street set was so massive and cool, and I think when I heard that...you know, they had to send the extras away. We shot a version not announcing the New Avengers, and then the real deal, just without any extras, and I think that's when it dawned on me how massive it is, what we're handling, and how cool it was. You feel like a little kid again. It's really fun."
You can see some of the unused Thunderbolts* poster designs below, and the full gallery can be found here.
In Thunderbolts*, Marvel Studios assembles an unconventional team of antiheroes - Yelena Belova, Bucky Barnes, Red Guardian, Ghost, Taskmaster and John Walker. After finding themselves ensnared in a death trap set by Valentina Allegra de Fontaine, these disillusioned castoffs must embark on a dangerous mission that will force them to confront the darkest corners of their pasts.
Will this dysfunctional group tear themselves apart, or find redemption and unite as something much more before it’s too late?
"Thunderbolts* redefines superhero storytelling to deliver a moving and powerful story that does for the 'Multiverse Saga' what The Avengers did for the 'Infinity Saga' in 2012," we said in our review. "These heroes have earned their place on a Wheaties box."
The cast of Thunderbolts* will be led by Florence Pugh as Yelena Boleva, Sebastian Stan as Bucky Barnes, David Harbour as Red Guardian, Wyatt Russell as U.S. Agent, Hannah John-Kamen as Ghost, Olga Kurylenko as Taskmaster, Julia Louis-Dreyfus as Valentina Allegra de Fontaine, and Lewis Pullman as "Bob."
Written by Eric Pearson, Lee Sung Jin, and Joanna Calo, and directed by Jake Schreier, Thunderbolts* is now available on Digital, 4K UHD, Blu-ray, and Disney+.