The Thunderbolts* Post-Credits Scene Spells Doom for One Marvel Superhero Team

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Spoilers ahead for the plot, ending, and post-credits scene in Thunderbolts*.

If you’ve been curious about the asterisk in the title “Thunderbolts”, the movie’s ending reveals its reason, accompanied by an additional scene that delves into its significance. In contrast to Marvel’s previous post-credit scene in “Captain America: Brave New World”, which featured characters discussing potential future events before the next major crossover, “Avengers: Doomsday”, this time we witness significant progress, as depicted in a three-minute sequence (Marvel’s longest tag to date). This sequence sets the stage for the Marvel Cinematic Universe by introducing some crucial figures: Marvel’s original family, the Fantastic Four.

At the end of the film, the remaining Thunderbolts – Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh), Bob Reynolds (Lewis Pullman), Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan, also known as the Winter Soldier), Red Guardian (David Harbour), Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen) and John Walker (Wyatt Russell) – find themselves alongside CIA director Valentina Allegra de Fontaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) at an impromptu press conference. Valentina, who has been under investigation for her covert activities like hiring the Thunderbolts for secret missions, is seeking a new successful defense project to clear her name in the absence of the Avengers. Simultaneously, the Thunderbolts have been trying to gain recognition. Despite Valentina’s attempts to eliminate them to clean up her mess – by summoning the villainous Void, an alter-ego of Sentry – they reach a truce. The Thunderbolts agree to conceal Valentina’s role in the Void’s defeat, and in return, she introduces them as “The New Avengers” to the public. As the credits roll, the original title disappears, replaced by their new name, symbolizing their transformation.

For fans who enjoy comics, it was quite predictable that this rebrand was imminent. Following the 2005 comic series known as “Civil War”, partially mirrored in the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Captain America trilogy, the Avengers divided into two teams: one genuine team, often referred to as the New Avengers even though they don’t call themselves that within the storyline, and a government-backed group known as the Mighty Avengers. The post-credits scene of “Thunderbolts” suggests a similar division, but with Valentina’s CIA-approved team adopting the previous title.

Approximately several months following the movie’s events, the team reunites at the previously owned Avengers Headquarters, now called “Watchtower” under Valentina, dressed in their stylish black-and-red uniforms. The main topic of discussion is their new adversary: copyright violations. It’s revealed that Captain America/Sam Wilson has applied for the rights to the Avengers name, enabling him to utilize it for any team he forms. As of yet, the other members of his future team are undecided (besides his faithful companion Joaquin Torres, the new Falcon). In the interim, the Red Guardian opts to avoid potential intellectual property problems by adorning a vibrant uniform featuring a “New Avengerz” logo—yes, with a “z.

However, there’s not much room for argument. The team is suddenly faced with an urgent situation known as a “space crisis,” and an “extra-dimensional spacecraft” is making its way through our atmosphere. A satellite image abruptly appears on the screen, revealing a retro-futuristic rocket on a collision course with Earth. As the rocket rotates, a familiar “4” emblem becomes visible on its exterior – a sight accompanied by the playful orchestral composition of Michael Giacchino, hinting at the imminent release of The Fantastic Four: First Steps.

In this scene, though they’re not visibly present, it seems likely that the Fantastic Four are transitioning into the mainstream Marvel universe (Earth-616) following the storyline of their standalone film, which appears to be set in a unique, 1950s-inspired reality. The upcoming Avengers movie, “Doomsday,” will pave the way for the crossover event “Avengers: Secret Wars” in 2027, mirroring the comics’ storyline involving the merging (and possible annihilation) of various universes. This concept of merging realities, or “incursions,” has been introduced previously in films like “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.” All this suggests that the appearance of the Fantastic Four in Earth-616 may signal trouble for their cinematic comeback on July 25th. They might be coming to Earth-616 to tackle a multiversal threat, or perhaps to find shelter after the potential demolition of their own reality.

The arrival of the Fantastic Four adds an extra layer of complexity on Earth, considering all the superhero teams that could potentially show up when Avengers: Doomsday starts. Besides the New Avengers mentioned earlier, there’s a possibility that Sam Wilson might gather his own Avengers team. Although we don’t know who will be part of it, Thor (Chris Hemsworth), Scott Lang/Ant-Man (Paul Rudd), Shuri/Black Panther (Letitia Wright), and Shang-Chi (Simu Liu) are likely candidates for the team in Doomsday. Moreover, the closing scene of Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings suggests that Wong (Benedict Wong), Captain Marvel (Brie Larson), an enigmatic Bruce Banner without Hulk (Mark Ruffalo), and possibly others could be involved in dealing with a mysterious threat. This might hint at who we’ll see debating over who should take the lead against multiversal invasions.

Additionally, there’s another intriguing aspect to consider – the emergence of a junior league within the Avengers, hinted at throughout Marvel productions. This team seems to be causing some displeasure for Nick Fury, given his role in evaluating global threats. Although the team hasn’t officially materialized yet, the ending of The Marvels suggests that it might soon, with teenage superheroes Ms. Marvel/Kamala Khan (Iman Vellani) and Hawkeye protégé Kate Bishop (Hailee Steinfeld) potentially teaming up in a manner reminiscent of Fury himself. Furthermore, it’s possible that other young heroes like Ant-Man’s daughter, Cassie Lang (Kathryn Newton), the Scarlet Witch’s son Wiccan (Joe Locke), and super soldier Isiah Bradley’s grandson Eli (Elijah Richardson) may join this team, as they are members of the Young Avengers in the comics.

There are currently three possible groups of Avengers on location, and the Fantastic Four joining from another dimension, which already makes the scene quite crowded. Add to that a third of the cast for “Avengers: Doomsday” who are characters from the Fox’s X-Men films that have been around for 25 years, and there’s going to be a lot of interaction between their universe and the one known as 616. This is before we even factor in the various characters returning from those X-Men movies.

Additionally, it’s possible that characters yet to be revealed could make an appearance in Doomsday, including Spider-Man, Doctor Strange, and the latest Guardians of the Galaxy. Fingers crossed that with so many prominent comic book characters such as the mutants, the Fantastic Four, and some original Avengers taking center stage, there will be enough space for the Thunderbolts to shine – this delightful new anti-heroic misfit team is a refreshing addition to the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

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2025-05-02 05:54