Marvel’s Thunderbolts* Post-Credits Scenes Explained

by

Contains spoilers for “Thunderbolts*”

The Marvel Cinematic Universe is gearing up for a climax of its Multiverse Saga by releasing two major films, titled “Avengers: Doomsday” and “Avengers: Secret Wars,” which are set to hit the screens next year. While many recent Marvel movies have delved into alternate realities, the upcoming film “Thunderbolts*” may come across as more grounded compared to the grandeur of these saga installments. However, it’s crucial to note that “Thunderbolts*” will significantly impact the future of the MCU, given that several characters from this movie are expected to appear in “Doomsday,” as hinted by Marvel’s recent cast reveal featuring the chairs.

The film titled “Thunderbolts” has garnered positive feedback, including from us at Looper, making it a standout in the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s recent years. It brings together characters from previous MCU films such as Yelena Belova (played by Florence Pugh), Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen), and U.S. Agent (Wyatt Russell). They unite to take down a mutual enemy, Valentina Allegra de Fontaine (portrayed by Julia Louis-Dreyfus). Interestingly, at the end of “Thunderbolts”, they no longer call themselves the Thunderbolts; instead, they are rebranded as the New Avengers. Let’s examine what their future might hold based on the post-credits scenes shown at the conclusion of “Thunderbolts.

The New Avengers make it to a Wheaties box

In the intermission scene, the joke about the Thunderbolts appearing on a Wheaties cereal box is continued from earlier in the film. Alexei Shostakov, also known as Red Guardian (played by David Harbour), attempts to sell the Wheaties boxes adorned with the New Avengers image at a grocery store. However, a shopper fails to recognize him and discreetly returns the box. This scene is a nod back to an earlier moment in the movie where Red Guardian suggests that the Thunderbolts could gain fame by working together and becoming heroes, perhaps even gracing a Wheaties box.

Marvel’s mid and post-credits scenes often serve as humorous side notes or previews for upcoming films. This particular scene is more like a funny aside, with no significant long-term implications. However, during a Q&A session for “Thunderbolts”, director Jake Schreier shared an alternative concept for this sequence. Earlier in the movie, there’s a joke about another girl on Yelena’s old soccer team, the Thunderbolts, having an accident during a game. Schreier expressed his wish to portray the day when Mindy had her incident at the soccer game, like a vintage video of Alexei yelling at the referee.

As a devoted fan, I can share that Schreier explained they opted against altering Alexei’s accent because transitioning him to an American accent, as seen in “Black Widow,” would have been perplexing after his use of a Russian one in “Thunderbolts.” Instead, they chose to preserve the Wheaties box callback, which has played a crucial role in the film’s promotional strategy, to maintain consistency and avoid confusion.

The Thunderbolts* post-credits scene introduces the Fantastic Four

The scene following the credits of “Thunderbolts” is the longest in Marvel cinema history, lasting a total of two minutes and 54 seconds. Set 14 months after the film’s events, the team has already been operating as the New Avengers for some time. However, they receive information that Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie) is forming a new traditional Avengers squad and has filed a legal dispute against them. This implies there could be two separate Avengers groups, though one might need to be spelled “Avengerz,” as suggested by Red Guardian. As for the future, let’s hope they manage to cooperate before Doctor Doom (Robert Downey Jr.) makes his appearance in “Avengers: Doomsday.

Following news of an unusual event in space, they bring up a video transmission to find a ship appearing right outside Earth. The ship’s hull carried the symbol “4”, signifying that it belonged to the Fantastic Four, hinting at their official entry into the primary Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) timeline. This is significant because “The Fantastic Four: First Steps” takes place in another universe. However, we now understand that the team will indeed show up on Earth-616 at some point, whether it’s near the end of “First Steps” or during “Avengers: Doomsday.

In the upcoming release, “First Steps,” set for July 25, it remains uncertain what will transpire; however, it’s clear that the Fantastic Four will be compelled to depart from their own reality for some reason or another. Despite the New Avengers apparently having subdued the Void (portrayed by Lewis Pullman), defeating Doom will require more than just a friendly embrace. Currently, “Thunderbolts*” is running in cinemas.

Read More

2025-05-02 19:30