India, April 30 -- Marvel Studios' Thunderbolts is scheduled for a worldwide release this May, and with that the mystery of the asterisk in the film title sees some highlight.

The asterisk (*) signifies the team's role as substitutes for the Avengers, who disbanded post-Endgame.

A Japanese poster for the film states: "The Avengers are not available".

Film character CIA director Valentina Allegra de Fontaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) reinforces this in the trailer, declaring, "The Avengers are not coming".ALSO READ | Marvel Thunderbolts movie cast: Meet the full lineup of actors and actresses

According to a Variety report, the asterisk resolves as both a joke (Avengers unavailable) and a narrative device (team identity shift). Whether it l...