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This article contains MAJOR spoilers for Marvel Studios' Thunderbolts*

Thunderbolts* is in theaters at last, and finally, one of the MCU's weirdest mysteries has a solution. We're talking about that asterisk in the Thunderbolts* title, a piece of the film that has had many an MCU fan scratching their heads ever since it was announced (and emphatically confirmed as part of the movie's name).

Well, now we know why that little symbol is in there, and if you're OK with having it spoiled for you, we're here to explain. Before we do that, though, we should clear the air about one fan-theory regarding the asterisk that turned out to be false... ah, but we're getting ahead of ourselves.

Read on to learn more.

Where does the name Thunderbolts come from?

Let's be clear here - the name Thunderbolts comes from the Marvel Comics of the same name. We all know that, right? The MCU hasn't just plucked the title from thin air; the name refers to a rotating team of bad guys and antiheroes created by Kurt Busiek and Mark Bagley, and was first used in 1997's The Incredible Hulk #449. However, there's also an in-universe explanation for the name from the MCU, and it has absolutely nothing to do with the Hulk. Or for that matter, the Red Hulk.

You might have correctly recalled that, over the course of the MCU's history, the character of Thaddeus Ross (originally played by William Hurt) was nicknamed "Thunderbolt Ross." The nickname even comes up in Captain America: Brave New World, the film that saw film legend Harrison Ford taking over the role. So while you might've had some sensible reasoning for thinking this character had something to do with the name, you would've been incorrect. Instead, the name Thunderbolts comes from... Yelena Belova's PeeWee soccer team.

Yep, at one point in the film, Yelena and her father Alexei (AKA Red Guardian) are reminiscing over Yelena's childhood, and it comes out that the soccer team she was on as a 5-year-old was called the Thunderbolts. At first, the rest of the team adapt the name sarcastically as a way to refer to themselves, but then, thanks to some real enthusiasm from Red Guardian, they adopt the name for real.

Only for their name to change at the end of the movie.

What does the asterisk in Thunderbolts* mean?

As we've already mentioned in Popverse's Thunderbolts* ending explained, the Thunderbolts are not called the Thunderbolts by the time the credits are rolling on the film. Just before then, the team is tricked into an impromptu press conference hosted by Julia Louis-Dreyfus's Valentina Allegra de Fontaine, where they are introduced as... drumroll please... The New Avengers.

So there you have it: the reason behind the asterisk in Thunderbolts name has finally been officially, inarguably revealed - you can toss all those "Dark Avengers" rumors in the trash. Although we have to point out - the second post-credits scene of Thunderbolts* informs us that the name could be in flux. Apparently the new Captain America, Sam Wilson, wants the name to form his own team. With folks trusting Cap a whole lot more than they trust... well, anybody on the New Avengers, the team might have to go seeking inspo for a new name by the time Avengers: Doomsday rolls around.

Let's hope Yelena also played softball.

Thunderbolts* is in theaters now.

Consider this a meta post-credits scene for Marvel fans - the four key articles you need to read next to continue the thrills:

• How to watch the Marvel Cinematic Universe in release or chronological order
• The best Marvel Comics stories of all time
• All the MCU movies ranked from best to worst
• Our weekly Marvel insider's column, Marvel Matters