Val's debut in the Marvel Cinematic Universe sparked instant speculation among MCU fans: was the team she was secretly assembling going to draw its inspiration from the comic book DARK AVENGERS or from the similarly-crafted Suicide Squad-esque THUNDERBOLTS? While reasons for selecting each existed, time would prove that it would be The Thunderbolts that Marvel Studios would be bringing to theaters in mid-2024.
In truth, the cinematic team of Thunderbolts will be, more accurately, equal parts of the essences of both comic book teams. The decision to name Val's team 'Thunderbolts' is simple logic: Thunderbolts is a proper noun, whereas 'Dark Avengers' is a description, an adjective. Thus, The Thunderbolts are like "dark Avengers" in the only way usage of the either truly makes sense.
Despite this rationale, the focus of many collectors has turned away from key Dark Avengers comics in preference of Thunderbolts keys. We're here to caution you against that trend, as books for both remain equally relevant., if not lean slightly more in favor of Dark Avengers than T-Bolts. Recent revelations and event more recent confirmed casting announcements suggest that THE SENTRY will be introduced in the film. His presence in the film, along with the fact that the identities of the team's other members cast most of them as alternatives to the main Avengers team, skews Thunderbolts towards the Dark Avengers side of the spectrum.
As for the First Appearance of the Dark Avengers in New Avengers #49 -- a comic with, very notably, THE SENTRY on its cover -- collectors debate whether it or Dark Avengers #1 is the actual key. Given the date of the former's actual release came three weeks after Dark Avengers #1 hit the shelves back in 2009, some say NEW AVENGERS #49 ranks as the Second Appearance of the titular team. Others, because the books were published in the same calendar month, claim both books function as First Appearance keys. If the team's creator BRIAN MICHAEL BENDIS had anything to say about it, he'd definitely side with the latter opinion, as Marvel's release schedule doesn't always jive with story-logic.