The story of theThunderbolts Movie begins not with a heroic assembly, but with a desperate cover-up. CIA Director Valentina Allegra de Fontaine is facing imminent impeachment for her involvement in “Project Sentry,” a secret attempt to create a government-sanctioned powerhouse. To erase the evidence, she dispatches four operatives—Yelena Belova, John Walker (U.S. Agent), Ghost, and Taskmaster—to a covert O.X.E. facility under the guise of a routine mission. Upon arrival, the team realizes the horrifying truth: they weren’t sent to retrieve a target; they were the targets. Val intended for the assassins to kill each other in a crossfire, allowing her to incinerate the facility and everyone in it. However, the chaos of their fight accidentally triggers the release of an amnesiac man named Bob from a suspended animation pod. The Introduction of Bob and the Sentry Bob is the only survivor of the Sentry trials, a man with the “power of a million exploding suns” but a mind fractured by trauma. When Yelena and Walker first touch him, they are hit with psychic backlash—flashes of their own worst memories. This is the first hint that Bob is not just a hero, but a vessel for something much darker. The group narrowly escapes the facility’s destruction and finds a temporary ally in Bucky Barnes and Alexei Shostakov (Red Guardian). While Bucky initially wants to bring the team in to testify against Val, he quickly realizes the greater threat: Val has recaptured Bob and convinced him he is a savior, suiting him up as “The Sentry” at the newly renamed Watchtower (formerly Avengers Tower). The Ending Explained: The Asterisk and the New Avengers The climax of the Thunderbolts movie shifts from a traditional superhero brawl into a surreal, psychological battle. When Val loses control over Bob, she activates a “kill switch” meant to destroy him. Instead, the failsafe triggers the emergence of The Void—Bob’s nihilistic, destructive alter-ego. The Battle Within the Void As a supernatural darkness engulfs New York City, trapping citizens in visions of their own traumatic pasts, the Thunderbolts realize they cannot defeat The Void with physical strength. Yelena Belova, grappling with her own depression and the loss of Natasha, leads the team into the darkness. In a sequence that sets this film apart from previous MCU entries, the team enters Bob’s mindscape. They navigate through his memories of childhood abuse and addiction, eventually reaching the core of his trauma. Rather than “killing” the monster, the team uses their shared history as “losers” and “outcasts” to empathize with Bob. By affirming that he is not alone in his brokenness, they empower Bob to regain control, causing The Void to dissipate and light to return to Manhattan. What the Asterisk Truly Means As the team prepares to arrest Valentina, she pulls one final PR maneuver. She steps before a sea of cameras and introduces the ragtag group not as criminals or Thunderbolts, but as the “New Avengers.” This is the definitive answer to the Thunderbolts movie asterisk mystery. The symbol represented a “placeholder” or a “footnote”—a team that was never meant to last. By accepting the name “New Avengers,” the team secures government immunity and takes control of the Watchtower. However, the power dynamic has shifted. Yelena’s final words to Val, “We own you now,” signify that the team is no longer Val’s puppets; they are a rogue element with the resources of the Avengers behind them. The Post-Credits: Setting Up Avengers: Doomsday The 2026 search interest for this movie is heavily driven by the mid-credits scene. Set 14 months after the main events, the New Avengers are seen monitoring global anomalies from the Watchtower. Bucky and Yelena are alerted to an incoming object entering Earth-616’s atmosphere. The screen reveals a retro-futuristic spacecraft—the Fantastic Four’s rocket. This moment confirms that the events of the Thunderbolts movie are the direct bridge to Avengers: Doomsday. With the team now officially rebranded and Bob/Sentry struggling to keep his powers in check, the arrival of the First Family signals that the Multiverse incursions have officially reached Earth’s doorstep.