Disney’s latest venture has been rebranded as a box office letdown called Thunderbolt in The New Avengers.
“Marvel Studios has officially altered the title of Thunderbolts to The New Avengers,” the studio announced on social media on Monday, updating the film’s posters. “And don’t assume this is just a social media gimmick. The new posters are already being used by AMC Theatre and Fandango to push ticket sales,” according to a report.
The report suggests that this “rebranding” of Thunderbolt to The New Avengers during its second week in release indicates some strategic thinking by Marvel Studios and Disney. Despite Thunderbolt raking in $76 million domestically on its opening weekend, it’s a far cry from the billion-dollar success of The Avengers.
While Thunderbolt did not fare poorly—it landed 28th among the 34 entries in the Marvel Cinematic Universe—it’s still faced criticism. The upcoming film Captain America: Brave New World has been viewed as a setback as well, having opened at $89 million compared to Thunderbolt‘s $76 million.
There’s some curiosity over whether this name change is a smart move or simply a sign of desperation.
Honestly, if Marvel really wanted to be clever, they could have chosen names like Avatar or Titanic.
Marvel might claim that rebranding is just part of their marketing strategy, but if that’s the case, it may have backfired. Initially, Thunderbolt seemed poised for success, but the change in title doesn’t seem to generate the anticipated excitement.
Additionally, it’s a bit disheartening to see this new, lesser group representing the Avengers. It’s hard not to reflect on the days of Thor, Iron Man, Black Widow, and Captain America and think about how far the franchise has come, or perhaps fallen.
Watching Disney struggle is a curious feeling, akin to enjoying ice cream with sprinkles—a strange mix of satisfaction and disbelief.
