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Marvel has finally delivered on a near-decade-long breadcrumb trail hinting at the new owner of the former Avengers Tower.
The Avengers Tower, in the MCU, is the landmark that solidified the original six Avengers during their battle against Loki in New York in the first Avengers movie. At that point, it was still called Stark Tower, marking tech innovator Tony Stark’s (played by documented AI skeptic, Robert Downey Jr.) first major project after developing a new element in Iron Man 2 that allowed him to synthesize the arc reactor and create clean, renewable energy.
However, during the New York battle, the tower was partially destroyed, and one of the most memorable moments at the end of that first Avengers movie is when only the “A” in the Stark logo remained still hanging on the building — a symbol that still sticks in fans’ minds to this day.
Marvel’s strength has always been in its continuity, and this moment highlights the MCU at its best. Kevin Feige and his team of directors, writers, and actors, along with many craftsmen, built an entire universe with iconic landmarks that fans instantly recognize and that Marvel isn’t afraid to reshape. This approach continued in Avengers: Age of Ultron, when the Avengers — having now fully taken over the tower as their base of operations, living quarters, and even party venue — lost it again in a battle with Ultron.
This time, however, Stark decided the location might be the problem. The Avengers’ battles caused immense collateral damage, so they moved to Avengers Campus to a remote area, where they could fight massive threats like Thanos and his alien army without major disruptions. But the mystery lingered over what happened to the old Avengers Tower. All we knew was that, by the time of Spider-Man: Homecoming, Tony had sold it to an unknown buyer.
Well, we finally have our answer, revealed in the incredible new trailer for the upcoming Thunderbolts movie. In the trailer, as the team of misfit antiheroes exits an elevator, Valentina (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) boasts about being the new owner of the former Avengers Tower as she pours herself a glass of Dom Pérignon. For those trying to keep up with the latest characters in the MCU, Valentina Allegra de Fontaine is the CIA Director, and she’s interested in assembling powerful individuals who answer only to her. However, unlike Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson), she’s unconcerned with the honor of her recruits and has little of it herself.
The movie is set to star heavy hitters like Sebastian Stan as Bucky alongside a roster full of mostly fresh faces. The plot remains mostly under wraps at this point, but from the trailer, it seems Valentina will find a way to manipulate the team to do her bidding. Undoubtedly, though, the real draw here will be the cast’s chemistry.
The trailer looks stunning, with the studio clearly addressing fans’ recent complaints about cinematography, showcasing a more adventurous style this time. We’re thrilled that the MCU has taken its time and found a balance between expanding its universe naturally and maintaining continuity. The fact that the Tower’s new owner is an icon like Louis-Dreyfus is just the cherry on top Thunderbolts is set to hit theaters on May 2, 2025.