The new anti-hero squad of the MCU has already created a buzz right before their arrival, not just because of those raving critic reviews and fantastic Rotten Tomatoes ratings, but also because of a few surprising post-credits scenes that seem to have leaked. By now, everyone’s probably aware of the little asterisk next to Thunderbolts, a nod to how the movie’s all about the MCU’s misfits, but there’s more to it than that. Marvel might’ve just snuck in one of its funniest (and cleverest) teases yet. Red Guardian tries to pull a fast one by calling the gang “The New Avengers,” but the reason Reddit is overflowing with theories is because this isn’t just some throwaway joke. This one actually connects big-time to the future of the MCU, especially Fantastic Four and Avengers: Doomsday. Consider this a spoiler alert before you read ahead.
Also read: Thunderbolts* first review on Rotten Tomatoes: MCU film gets 88% rating; critics say ‘misfits’ might’ve just saved the franchise, ‘total game changer’
Thunderbolts*: How many post-credit scenes are there
There are two scenes after the movie ends — one in the middle of the credits (mid-credit), and one right at the end (post-credit), and both have contrasting tones. (SCREEN won’t be attaching any leaked footage)
Mid-Credit Scene
Spoiler ahead
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This one is probably just for some good laughs. Just after the credits roll, David Harbour’s Alexei, aka the Red Guardian, is back in his normal world after completing his mission and doing some regular grocery shopping. That’s when he spots a box of ‘Wheaties’ with his face on it, alongside the other Thunderbolts misfits, all trying to disguise themselves as heroes. But for Alexei, it’s obviously the big superhero moment, right? So now, we see him oozing with happiness, lifting the Wheaties box like it’s a trophy and convincing a random buyer to pick the one with his face on it instead of their regular cereal box. The moment is proud, silly, a little cringe. It doesn’t really set up anything major. “This is what a real hero looks like,” he says, holding up the box like it actually means something.
Also read: Thunderbolts’ Indian connection: Meet the Australian actor with desi roots who’s making her MCU debut
Full post-credit scene: The one teasing Marvel’s future
This is the moment the mystery behind the asterisk is unveiled. The new Avengers, or the fake ones receive a cease-and-desist letter from Sam Wilson (aka the new Captain America). The letter states they can’t use the “Avengers” name because it’s trademarked by the real Avengers. So, the Thunderbolts* are left searching for a new name since they clearly want that title. Red Guardian jokingly suggests calling themselves the “New AvengerZ,” with a Z. Just when you think this post-credit scene is about to end on one cringeworthy dad joke, suddenly, a THUD!
An alert sounds off: A massive ship is entering Earth’s atmosphere. The camera cuts to space, and you see the Fantastic Four’s ship arriving on Earth-616. Marvel’s upcoming movie, set for release on July 25, is how the franchise announces its arrival. And while the post-credit scenes don’t directly connect to Doomsday, one of the upcoming Marvel Cinematic Universe titles where Doctor Doom is being played by Robert Downey Jr., Redditors think the whole thing is still leading right into it. The idea floating around is that all these characters, the Thunderbolts, the Fantastic Four, maybe even Spider-Man, are being slowly pulled together because Doctor Doom is about to become such a dangerous threat to the multiverse that everyone, heroes, anti-heroes, misfits, has to join forces. And since the Avengers are broken and Marvel’s clearly in rebuild mode, for some, this also looks like the first real step toward Secret Wars, the saga that’s expected to close out the multiverse arc by 2027.
