Warning! Minor spoilers ahead for Thunderbolts*!As much as the Marvel Cinematic Universe venerates Iron Man, the franchise has just stolen one of his best legacies. It’s been years since Tony Stark left the MCU behind after his dramatic sacrifice in Endgame. Now one of his contributions to comics lore has just been stolen right from under him.
Ever since it was announced, fans have been eager to know why Marvel Studios’ latest film was тιтled Thunderbolts*. Now that the movie has been released, viewers everywhere have discovered that the marketing gimmick was setting up the reveal that sees the team re-branded as the New Avengers. However, this is a major departure from the comics, which saw Captain America and Iron Man create a new iteration of Marvel’s iconic team. But why is the MCU making such a big change to how the comics did it, and do Iron Man’s contributions ultimately matter?
The New Avengers Were Spearheaded (In Part) By Iron Man
Thunderbolts* Makes a Major Change to Team Lore
Fans of the Marvel Cinematic Universe know that it’s been a while since there was an official Avengers team. Ever since Thanos’ defeat, the heroes have largely been on their own. But that didn’t stop the powers that be from trying to restart the team in an official capacity. While Sam Wilson has just started to create a new iteration of the Avengers, Valentina Allegra de Fontaine has beaten Captain America to the punch. After the disastrous events of Thunderbolts*, Fontaine renamed her team the New Avengers to get the public on the team’s side.
…Iron Man invite heroes such as Luke Cage, Spider-Woman, Spider-Man, and even Wolverine (against Cap’s wishes) onto a team.
However, this is wildly different to how the team came together in the comics. The New Avengers debuted in a self-тιтled series and came together slowly over the first six issues. An outbreak of supervillains occurs at the Raft, one of the secure superhuman prisons around. Unfortunately, following the events of Avengers: Disᴀssembled, the Earth’s Mightiest Heroes are no more. But a team of heroes, including Captain America and Iron Man, banded together to round up all the villains and determine what led to their escape.
The New Avengers’ debut can be seen in their self-тιтled series’ first arc, “Breakout”!
The heroes manage to succeed and, after determining S.H.I.E.L.D. is compromised, Captain America and Iron Man invite heroes such as Luke Cage, Spider-Woman, Spider-Man, and even Wolverine (against Cap’s wishes) onto a team. As Iron Man informs his team, this is the New Avengers, and they’re a team who will take a more ambitious approach when dealing with the evils of the world. Despite Captain America’s misgivings about Wolverine, Captain America agrees to let Wolverine on the team and the New Avengers are officially born.
The Marvel Cinematic Universe Has Changed What the New Avengers Represent
One of Iron Man’s Best Ideas is Completely Undermined
Of course, the MCU’s New Avengers isn’t the only thing that the franchise has changed when adapting the source material. Heck, the characters featured in Thunderbolts* weren’t even members of either the original Thunderbolts or the New Avengers for that matter (save for the Sentry, that is). By now, fans have largely accepted that the MCU is its own thing and that just because something is one way in the comics, the movies won’t necessarily be the exact same. That said, it’s a shame that the MCU changed the New Avengers so dramatically.
In the comics, the New Avengers idea was about Iron Man and Captain America taking a new approach to superheroism. They switched up the roster by bringing in street-level heroes and took on deep, sprawling conspiracies and not just the usual roster of villains. It was an overhaul that really took the Avengers brand into the next era. But for the MCU, the New Avengers name is just a slapdash way for Fontaine to make her team more palatable to the public (not to mention help her avoid accountability).
… the New Avengers were a great part of Tony Stark’s legacy in the comics…
Of course, Iron Man can’t contribute much to the MCU these days. But still, the New Avengers were a great part of Tony Stark’s legacy in the comics, and it’s a shame to see such a good idea used as nothing more than a PR stunt in the films. Hopefully, the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s New Avengers can live up to the legacy established in the comics, because Iron Man’s not around to ensure this new team is half as competent as his squad of all-star heroes.
Iron Man
- Created By
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Steve Ditko, Jack Kirby, Stan Lee, Don Heck, Larry Lieber
- Cast
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Robert Downey Jr.
- First Appearance
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Iron Man
- Died
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2023 (in the MCU)
- Alias
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Iron Man
- RELATIONSHIPS
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Jude (biological father), Amanda Armstrong (biological mother), Howard Stark (adoptive father), Maria Stark (adoptive mother), Arno Stark (brother)
