It’s a good thing the mysterious post-credits scene of Thunderbolts* wasn’t explained in The Fantastic Four: First Steps. Marvel Studios’ most recent movie took us to a whole new universe, as the Fantastic Four from Earth 828 were introduced to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Some have suggested we might have already glimpsed this team in the final moments of Thunderbolts*, but the Phase 6 movie left this tease very ambiguous. This leaves the door open for Marvel to subvert our expectations and perhaps provide a more surprising explanation in its upcoming projects.
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Thunderbolts*’ post-credits scene caught up with the New Avengers 14 months after their battle against the Void (Lewis Pullman). In their new headquarters of the Watchtower, the New Avengers see satellite footage of a ship arriving on Earth 616 from another universe – a ship with the Fantastic Four’s logo painted on the side. This is clearly the Excelsior, the Fantastic Four’s ship, suggesting this marks the scene from Avengers: Doomsday in which Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach’s Fantastic Four characters are joining the MCU’s primary continuity, but First Steps didn’t provide confirmation about this idea.
Some theorized that the ending of Thunderbolts* could have spoiled the end of The Fantastic Four: First Steps, but the latter did not end with the titular team traveling across the multiverse. The fact that First Steps didn’t address Thunderbolts* means the audience’s expectations for the Phase 6 movie were completely subverted, keeping us guessing throughout, which avoided making one of the MCU’s most highly-anticipated movies ever predictable and boring. Instead, First Steps hyped us up even further for Avengers: Doomsday.
The Russo brothers’ upcoming crossover event is scheduled to premiere on December 18, 2026, starring Robert Downey Jr. as Doctor Doom, and pitting him against many of the MCU’s most powerful and notable heroes. Downey Jr. made his first uncredited appearance as Doctor Doom in The Fantastic Four: First Steps’ post-credits scene, perfectly setting up Doomsday, and leaving the mysterious ending of Thunderbolts* still unexplained. Theories have been rife about what this ending could mean, however, even though many think Thunderbolts*’ Excelsior was not the same as First Steps’.
The Excelsior in Thunderbolts* had four legs extending from the back of the ship, while the Excelsior in The Fantastic Four: First Steps only had three. This minor difference may hint at these two ships being entirely different and perhaps containing different Fantastic Four teams. Some have theorized that Thunderbolts* could have teased the arrival of the surviving Fantastic Four members from Earth 838, or a past version of the team from Fox’s Fantastic Four movies. The fact we’re still guessing means it was a great choice for Marvel to avoid explaining this mystery in The Fantastic Four: First Steps.
Are you glad The Fantastic Four: First Steps didn’t address Thunderbolts*’ post-credits scene? Let us know in the comments!
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