Marvel Fans Say Thunderbolts Now 'Just Look Silly' After Disney+ Poster Edits Out Their Guns and Removes One Character Completely

Marvel has made a fig of edits to a poster for Thunderbolts*/The New Avengers to beforehand the movie's upcoming Disney+ merchandise — including the unusual removal of weapons antecedently held by Bucky and Yelena, and the deletion of 1 quality completely.

The changes were rapidly spotted by fans who compared the poster's archetypal version, seen during the film's theatrical run, with the newly-edited mentation launched online this week.

These edits person reopened instrumentality statement astir the film, including its attraction of 1 peculiar Thunderbolts member, and Disney's continued attempts to beforehand the movie — which reviewed well, but underperformed financially — to audiences unfamiliar with its characters.

New ‘THUNDERBOLTS’ poster nary longer features Taskmaster. pic.twitter.com/rbbd5I1p2D

So, lets look astatine the changes successful detail. The astir evident edit is the removal of Taskmaster/Antonia Dreykov, who has lone a insignificant relation successful the last film. Prior to the movie's archetypal release, Taskmaster was promoted arsenic a halfway subordinate of the Thunderbolts. In reality, this was a deliberate misdirect to support communicative spoilers nether wraps, with the quality adjacent edited into a country wrong an aboriginal trailer she was not contiguous for successful the last movie.

Much has already been discussed regarding however plans for the quality changed during production, and wherefore the movie constricted her screentime truthful importantly — with fans divided connected whether Taskmaster should person been fixed much to do, oregon whether it was the close prime to absorption connected the team's main radical and the instauration of Lewis Pullman's quality Bob.

"It's beauteous bittersweet to spot them region Taskmaster due to the fact that connected 1 manus it's unfortunate that she was done wrong, but connected the different hand, Marvel doesn't merit to usage her arsenic promotion aft what they did," Thunderbolts* instrumentality thunderbelova wrote connected societal media.

In truth, her removal wrong the poster's caller mentation apt reflects the information that audiences are either present already alert of her constricted relation successful the film, oregon simply don't request to beryllium alert she's successful it.

Now, onto the removal of the Thunderbolts' guns. In the archetypal poster, Yelena holds a pistol and Bucky brandishes a weapon that looks similar an uzi. In the caller poster, Yelena's manus has been edited truthful her fingers look to beryllium making a fist, portion Bucky's manus remains the aforesaid — his outstretched scale digit present simply pointing alternatively than resting connected a trigger.

"If you region their guns, present they conscionable look silly," wrote 1 fan, AnotherNickYT. "Like why's Bucky pointing astatine Walker similar that?"

"Editing retired the guns truthful present Bucky is aggressively pointing astatine John," wrote another, MorozkosWitch. "Why did you region Bucky's guns?" added Jailer2005. "Now he's just... truly intensely pointing astatine people."

The archetypal poster depicted the Thunderbolts with a conflict country backdrop, and made it look similar the squad had guns trained connected each other. Taskmaster, meanwhile, was creating sparks with her sword arsenic it clashed against Walker's shield (all of which is present removed, alongside Taskmaster herself).

The caller The New Avengers poster, with Bucky's assertive finger.

The caller poster features a brighter backdrop, plain yellow, and the removal of the team's weapons (and repositioning of Yelena's manus into a fist) truthful the radical present look much similar they are simply having a spot of affable fisticuffs. It's a acold much light-hearted poster, possibly playing into the mostly good-natured banter wrong the squad the the movie develops, creating immoderate of its funnier moments. Leaning into the comedic broadside of Thunderbolts* apt besides helps marketplace the movie to a wider assemblage (as does the removal of guns that mightiness enactment immoderate parents off).

Thunderbolts* has notably struggled to find arsenic wide an assemblage arsenic Disney and Marvel had hoped, contempt a affirmative effect to the movie from those who did spot it, and a clever effort by Disney astatine rebranding the squad arsenic The New Avengers. At the container office, the movie pulled successful $382 cardinal against a $180 cardinal fund — apt meaning that aft selling costs the movie made money, but not the benignant of totals Marvel is utilized to.

Why was this? Well, Thunderbolts* absorption connected a lesser-known radical of characters has already been pointed to by Marvel Studios main Kevin Feige arsenic 1 explanation. But immoderate fans deliberation the task whitethorn besides person suffered from waning involvement successful Marvel among wide audiences, who are present little inclined to springiness the studio's output the payment of the uncertainty — and peculiarly truthful with Thunderbolts*, coming aft the dismal Captain America: Brave New World.

With each of that said, fans who did bask Thunderbolts* volition get to spot the squad again adjacent twelvemonth arsenic portion of Avengers: Doomsday. Here's hoping capable of them propulsion done that to look successful different Marvel projects down the line, adjacent if hopes for a afloat Thunderbolts* sequel look slim. And earlier each of that, of course, Thunderbolts* volition beryllium disposable via Disney+ connected August 27. Photoshopped posters oregon not, it's good worthy a watch.

Tom Phillips is IGN's News Editor. You tin scope Tom astatine [email protected] oregon find him connected Bluesky @tomphillipseg.bsky.social