Marvel Studios’ upcoming ensemble film Thunderbolts* will feature two post-credit scenes, both of which signal significant developments for the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), including connections to Fantastic Four: First Steps and potential storylines beyond Avengers: Doomsday.
Released on May 1, Thunderbolts* follows a team of antiheroes and reformed villains assembled by the government for covert missions. The film will see familiar characters from previous MCU titles come together in a darker, more morally ambiguous storyline that expands Marvel’s evolving Phase 5 narrative.
Why It Matters
The inclusion of two post-credit scenes in Thunderbolts* reinforces Marvel’s strategy of using end-credit moments to set the stage for future films. As with Iron Man and Avengers before it, these scenes aim to tie Thunderbolts* to larger universe-building story arcs.
The dual scenes also give audiences early insight into how Marvel plans to integrate multiple narrative threads from its sprawling universe into a coherent storyline leading toward the much-anticipated Avengers: Doomsday.
What To Know
Thunderbolts* is directed by Jake Schreier and features a cast of returning characters who have operated on the fringes of morality in previous MCU outings. Florence Pugh reprises her role as Yelena Belova, alongside Sebastian Stan as Bucky Barnes, David Harbour as Red Guardian, Wyatt Russell as U.S. Agent, Olga Kurylenko as Taskmaster, and Hannah John-Kamen as Ghost. Julia Louis-Dreyfus plays Valentina Allegra de Fontaine, the government official pulling the strings behind the covert team.
Per Marvel’s official synopsis, the film centers around these characters undertaking high-risk missions under de Fontaine’s direction. Described by Marvel as a group “of misfits and antiheroes,” the Thunderbolts are portrayed as a pragmatic alternative to the Avengers, taking on jobs the traditional heroes won’t.
How Many Post-Credit Scenes Does Marvel’s ‘Thunderbolts*’ Have?
Thunderbolts* has two post-credit scenes.
The first, the mid-credits scene, is a comedic interlude centered on Alexei Shostakov, also known as Red Guardian, reported Screen Rant. Dressed in an attempt at civilian incognito, he’s seen in the cereal aisle of a grocery store trying to draw attention to a Wheaties box featuring the New Avengers. Alexei is clearly fishing for recognition, hoping the woman shopping nearby will identify him as one of the heroes on the box. However, she’s oblivious to his presence, despite his increasingly awkward attempts to prompt her. Eventually, she casually takes the cereal box but leaves it behind as she exits the aisle, unaware of the connection. Alexei is left slightly deflated by the encounter. The scene plays primarily for laughs and character continuity, reinforcing Alexei’s ongoing desire for fame and hero recognition, even as he navigates a world where that recognition doesn’t come so easily.
The post-credits scene significantly expands the narrative stakes. It opens at the newly christened Watchtower—formerly Avengers Tower—where the New Avengers, consisting of Yelena, Bucky, Ghost and John Walker, enter in upgraded costumes bearing their team insignia. The group is embroiled in a debate about naming rights, with Sam Wilson reportedly contesting their use of the “Avengers” title.
Bucky notes he tried to reason with Sam, without success. The levity continues as Alexei reappears, now absurdly clad in a sponsorship-covered suit resembling a NASCAR outfit, flaunting it to the group. Then the tone shifts. Talk turns to Bob (a subdued Sentry), who explains he can’t fly without risking unleashing his dangerous alter ego, The Void.
Yelena references a looming space crisis—quickly clarified to mean actual outer space—and the team is interrupted by an alert: an extra-dimensional spacecraft is entering Earth’s atmosphere. A satellite visual reveals the iconic Fantastic Four logo on the vessel. The scene ends with the text: “The New Avengers And Bob Will Return,” setting the stage for a crossover with Marvel’s first family.
What ‘Thunderbolts*’ Post-Credit Scenes Tell Us About the MCU
The Thunderbolts* post-credit scenes are shaping the next chapter of the MCU by laying critical groundwork for multiversal crossover events and deepening internal conflicts among Earth’s heroes.
The biggest development is the arrival of the Fantastic Four in the primary MCU timeline. Since Fantastic Four: First Steps occurs in a retro-futuristic alternate universe, their ship’s appearance in Thunderbolts* confirms they’ll transition into the main timeline—likely due to the destruction or collapse of their own reality, ComicBook.com reported. This sets the stage for their involvement in Avengers: Doomsday, where they’re already confirmed to join the fight against Robert Downey Jr.’s multiversal Doctor Doom.
At the same time, the Thunderbolts*‘ formation of the “New Avengers” sparks a serious rift with Sam Wilson’s officially sanctioned Avengers team, echoing the ideological split seen in Captain America: Civil War. The friction, particularly between Sam and Bucky Barnes, could weaken the Avengers’ unity ahead of their biggest threat yet.
How Long Is Marvel’s ‘Thunderbolts*’?
According to IMDb, Thunderbolts*‘ run time is two hours and six minutes, which is similar to other films within the MCU.
What People Are Saying
Pugh posted on Instagram about the upcoming release of Thunderbolts*: “The sleep is little but the FRESH Rotten Tomatoes score has us vibrating. Thank you for the last few days. We’ve been hiking, sucking smoothies, finding David’s, sitting in dinky doll cars, bottys getting ready for the premiere after Kimmel, Theo watching The Notebook on little sleep and weeping for hours and starfishing to that unforgettable view. LA WE LOVED YOU.”
X user @GeeklyGoods posted: “There’s a scene in THUNDERBOLTS between Yelena and Red Guardian that is so emotionally powerful it sent chills down my body. I don’t recall a Marvel film that tackles loneliness and inner struggle as bravely and beautifully as #Thunderbolts.”
What’s Next
With a major multiversal conflict looming and Earth’s protectors once again divided, Thunderbolts* may be setting up the emotional and tactical fault lines that will be exploited in Avengers: Doomsday. The post-credit scenes signal not just what’s next—but how fractured the MCU’s heroic front has become.
The post ‘Thunderbolts*’ Has Two Post-Credit Scenes—One Signals a Big MCU Reveal appeared first on Newsweek.
