‘Thunderbolts*’ Ending and Post-Credits Scene, Explained

Warning: This article contains spoilers for Thunderbolts*Ever since Avengers: Endgame and Spider-Man: Far From Home concluded the Multiverse Saga, there has been a sense among fans and critics that MCU post-credits scenes don’t lead anywhere. From actors revealed to be playing minor comic book characters or teases for Kang the Conqueror that are no longer relevant, each new MCU ending no longer feels as vital to the overall franchise as it used to. However, Thunderbolts* changes that. Its ending suggests a significant MCU change that connects to Captain America: Brave New World, while the post-credits scene teases some exciting developments for the MCU that will pay off soon in upcoming titles.

Thunderbolts* has two post-credits scenes, following the MCU format: one is a comedic scene that pays off a joke, and the other is a big set-up for a future MCU project. In contrast to past titles like Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness or Captain Marvel, which saved their big comedic scene for the end, Thunderbolts* puts that scene up front. The post-credits scene, though, is truly a big one. Here is how the endings of Thunderbolts* mark major shifts in the MCU’s future heading into Avengers: Doomsday.

Meet the New Avengers…

But What Does That Mean For Sam Wilson’s Avengers?

Ever since Thunderbolts was given an asterisk in its title, the mystery surrounding what that meant has been a central marketing hook for fans. The film’s closing moments reveal that it is, in fact, The New Avengers, as after the movie’s credits, the Thunderbolts* title card is pulled away to reveal the New Avengers logo. In the MCU, the New Avengers are a last-minute spin by Valentina Allegra de Fontaine to save her skin after the Sentry debacle. When the Thunderbolts go to arrest her, they find themselves walking into a press conference where Valentina reveals that she has assembled a new team of heroes: the New Avengers.

The roster consists of Yelena Belova, Bucky Barnes, The Red Guardian, U.S. Agent, Ghost, and Bob, who the people of New York don’t seem to know was the evil presence that almost destroyed the city. Valentina is living up to her end of the bargain to give Yelena Belova a public-facing position to save herself from being impeached and arrested, but now the New Avengers have dirt on her, and she works for them.

But wait a minute? Didn’t Captain America: Brave New World end with Sam Wilson discussing reforming The Avengers with Joaquin Torres? How does this New Avengers team factor into that?

Well, the post-credits scene cuts to 14 months after the main action of Thunderbolts*, as the New Avengers team is operating out of the old Avengers Tower, now known as The Watchtower. They have new uniforms, with matching new Avengers logos on them, and Sam Wilson is apparently suing The New Avengers for copyright infringement on the name “The Avengers.” This post-credit scene also reveals that Sam Wilson and Bucky Barnes are not on the best of terms, as Bucky has tried to reach out to Sam about the matter. Bucky tells Yelena it did not go well.

Public sentiment is not on The New Avengers’ side, as John Walker says there are plenty of memes and social media posts dunking on The New Avengers. While not shown in the film, Thunderbolts* seems to imply that Sam Wilson has already assembled a new team of Avengers. Who is on Sam’s team will seemingly have to wait until Avengers: Doomsday, but we have some ideas about who should be on The Avengers.

Two Avengers Teams

The idea of two Avengers teams operating in the MCU might be new, but it is nothing new to the comics. Marvel has told the stories of the West Coast Avengers, Captain America’s Secret Avengers/Iron Man’s New Avengers, the New Avengers, and the Dark Avengers. The latter of which came from the Dark Reign storyline. Led by Norman Osborne, the Dark Avengers are a public-facing Avengers team sanctioned by the United States government, operating outside the law.

This seems to be the setup that the MCU is aiming for, as the Thunderbolts* seem to have a lot in common with the comic book Dark Avengers, down to the fact that the Thunderbolts* form into an Avengers team under the government’s control. In contrast, Sam Wilson’s team will be the more traditional Avengers.

This was teased in the Thunderbolts* post-credits scene as the team has been monitoring a space issue, possibly multiverse incursions. The final moments of the film show worlds colliding as the Thunderbolts / New Avengers are about to come face-to-face with Marvel’s next superhero team.

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Fantastic Four!

Yelena Belova pulls up a visual image of a space anomaly happening. A ship is shown flying through space, and when the screen zooms in, it reveals a giant number 4, accompanied by the now-iconic musical cue from The Fantastic Four: First Steps, playing underneath it. The Fantastic Four have finally arrived in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

While The Fantastic Four are new to the MCU, they are a team known by general audiences due to their legendary status within Marvel. Nobody who sees this tease will be googling who The Fantastic Four are, particularly as the new trailer for Fantastic Four: First Steps is playing right before Thunderbolts*. These two MCU films are connected, leading into one another in a way that the MCU hasn’t done so cohesively in a long time.

Additionally, while recent MCU post-credits scenes have teased hypothetical projects, this now sets up two immediate films, with one coming out in two months and the other exactly one year away.

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Thunderbolts* Solves Marvel’s Post-Credits Scene Problem

For much of the MCU’s history, post-credits scenes would tease a future project. Iron Man 2‘s post-credits scene teased Mjolnir, which paid off the following summer with Thor. Phase 2 switched things up a bit, with Thor: The Dark World teasing Guardians of the Galaxy. Between those films was Captain America: The Winter Soldier, whose post-credit scene teased Avengers: Age of Ultron, which was released after Guardians of the Galaxy. There was a formula that served Marvel well, where hype led to engagement, creating a constant cycle of fan anticipation.

After a while, though, Marvel moved away from this direct formula. From Harry Styles as Eros in Eternals to Charlize Theron as Clea in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, fans are used to big reveals that might not lead anywhere soon. The Thunderbolts* post-credits scene is very different, as the big final moment is not only one that teases characters fans already know, but also teases two major MCU projects, while implying some exciting new developments in character growth.

What is happening with Sam Wilson and Bucky Barnes’ friendship? Will Bob suit up as the Sentry and risk becoming The Void to fight the possible threat of Doctor Doom? Are things cool between Ghost and Ant-Man? How will these two Avengers teams work together, and how will they respond to The Fantastic Four? These are the exciting teases that Marvel fans can speculate about, which will (hopefully) have an answer next year when Avengers: Doomsday opens in theaters.