Marvel’s Thunderbolts*, released May 1, 2025, has electrified fans with its gritty antihero team-up and two post-credits scenes that drop major bombshells for the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). These scenes not only rebrand the Thunderbolts as the “New Avengers” but also herald the arrival of the Fantastic Four, setting a thrilling course for Phase 6. With Deadpool & Wolverine revitalizing the MCU in 2024, Thunderbolts* cements Marvel’s return to form, weaving a tight narrative that tees up Avengers: Doomsday and The Fantastic Four: First Steps. Here’s how these scenes reshape the MCU’s future.
A New Avengers Dawn
Directed by Jake Schreier, Thunderbolts* unites a rogue’s gallery of MCU veterans: Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh), Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan), John Walker (Wyatt Russell), Ava Starr/Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen), Alexei Shostakov/Red Guardian (David Harbour), and Bob/Sentry (Lewis Pullman). The team, initially manipulated by CIA director Valentina Allegra de Fontaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus), thwarts a catastrophic threat from Bob’s dark alter ego, The Void. In a cunning move, Valentina rebrands them as the “New Avengers” at a press conference, explaining the mysterious asterisk in the film’s title, as noted by Variety. This pivot transforms the Thunderbolts from misfits to Earth’s Mightiest Heroes, filling the void left since Avengers: Endgame (2019).
The mid-credits scene, set shortly after the main story, delivers a comedic payoff for Red Guardian’s quest for glory. Alexei, beaming with pride, accosts a grocery store shopper to show off a Wheaties box featuring the New Avengers. The woman, unimpressed, tosses the box aside, but Alexei’s glee is undimmed, as GamesRadar+ describes. This lighthearted moment, echoing classic MCU gags like the Avengers’ shawarma scene, underscores Alexei’s obsession with heroic fame while hinting at the team’s struggle for public acceptance.
Tension with Sam Wilson’s Avengers
The second post-credits scene, set 14 months later in the Watchtower (the rebranded Avengers Tower), is a game-changer. The New Avengers, now sporting updated suits and a confident vibe, bicker over their name. Yelena reveals that Sam Wilson, the new Captain America (Anthony Mackie), is suing them for copyright infringement, as he’s assembling his own Avengers team. This legal spat, with Alexei jokingly suggesting “New Avengerz” with a “z,” sets up a brewing rivalry. Sam’s team, teased in Captain America: Brave New World, includes Joaquin Torres (Danny Ramirez) as Falcon, but its full roster remains unclear. Avengers: Doomsday’s cast, including Chris Hemsworth (Thor), Paul Rudd (Ant-Man), and Simu Liu (Shang-Chi), suggests a clash of Avengers squads looms in 2026.
This tension mirrors Captain America: Civil War’s ideological split, with Bucky’s strained relationship with Sam adding personal stakes. Posts on X capture fan excitement, with users like @update_marvel calling the scene a “huge” setup for Doomsday. The New Avengers’ claim to the title, backed by Valentina’s government clout, challenges Sam’s authority, potentially fracturing Earth’s heroes as multiversal threats emerge.
Fantastic Four’s Cosmic Arrival
The post-credits scene’s biggest shock comes when the New Avengers receive an alert about an “extra-dimensional ship” entering Earth-616’s orbit. Satellite imagery reveals a retro-futuristic vessel with a bold “4” logo, accompanied by Michael Giacchino’s score for The Fantastic Four: First Steps, as reported by Inverse. This marks the Fantastic Four’s entry into the main MCU timeline, a pivotal moment for Phase 6, which kicks off with their solo film on July 25, 2025. Starring Pedro Pascal (Reed Richards), Vanessa Kirby (Sue Storm), Joseph Quinn (Johnny Storm), and Ebon Moss-Bachrach (Ben Grimm), the Fantastic Four operate in a 1960s-inspired alternate universe, per director Matt Shakman.
The ship’s arrival raises questions. Trailers for First Steps show the Fantastic Four facing Galactus, a planet-devouring villain, suggesting their universe may be destroyed, forcing them to flee to Earth-616, as speculated by Newsweek. Alternatively, they could be seeking aid against a multiversal threat, possibly tied to Doctor Doom (Robert Downey Jr.), the villain of Avengers: Doomsday. The scene, filmed on the Doomsday set, is the MCU’s longest post-credits sequence at three minutes, per Entertainment Weekly, and ends with text: “The New Avengers and Bob will return,” confirming their role in Doomsday.
Connecting to Ryan Reynolds’ X-Men Ensemble
The Fantastic Four’s arrival dovetails with Ryan Reynolds’ reported plans for a Deadpool-led X-Men ensemble film, as covered by The Hollywood Reporter. Reynolds is developing treatments featuring Deadpool in a supporting role alongside three or four X-Men, potentially including Gambit (Channing Tatum) or Storm (with Cynthia Erivo rumored). Avengers: Doomsday’s cast already includes X-Men veterans like Patrick Stewart (Professor X) and James Marsden (Cyclops), suggesting a multiversal convergence. The Fantastic Four’s ship could signal broader mutant integration, with the New Avengers caught in the crossfire of these colliding teams.
Reynolds’ project, still in early development, could intersect with the Fantastic Four and New Avengers in Doomsday, especially if Deadpool’s multiversal antics from Deadpool & Wolverine tie into the incursions referenced in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. This aligns with Thunderbolts*’ post-credits hint of a “space crisis,” possibly linked to multiversal rifts or Galactus’ fallout, as theorized by ScreenRant.
Why It Matters for Phase 6
Thunderbolts* closes Phase 5 on a high note, earning praise for its character-driven story and 82% Rotten Tomatoes score. Its post-credits scenes restore the MCU’s knack for exciting teases, unlike unresolved stingers from Eternals or Quantumania. By establishing the New Avengers and introducing the Fantastic Four, the film lays a clear path to Avengers: Doomsday (May 1, 2026) and Avengers: Secret Wars (2027), which will tackle multiversal collisions. The rivalry with Sam’s Avengers and the Fantastic Four’s arrival signal a crowded heroic landscape, potentially leaving Earth vulnerable to Doom’s schemes, as Vulture notes.
Fan reactions on X are electric, with posts like @cosmic_marvel hyping the Fantastic Four tease as “the most exciting in years”. The scenes’ focus on tangible setups—unlike vague teases like The Marvels’ X-Men nod—has restored confidence in Marvel’s direction. With First Steps poised to explore the Fantastic Four’s origins and their multiversal jump, and Reynolds’ X-Men project possibly adding Deadpool’s chaos, Phase 6 promises a thrilling clash of heroes.
Catch Thunderbolts* in theaters now, and stay tuned to Geek Vibes Nation for updates on the MCU’s next moves. As the New Avengers, Fantastic Four, and maybe even Deadpool’s X-Men collide, the Multiverse Saga is heating up!
Elara is a dynamic writer and blogger who specializes in pop culture and movie reviews. With a background in film studies and journalism, she combines her deep knowledge of the entertainment industry with a sharp, insightful writing style that keeps readers coming back for more.
