I'm delighted that Marvel Studios decided to forgo the initial concepts for the post-credits scenes in Thunderbolts*.  In their new film, the Thunderbolts—a group of ethically dubious MCU characters with tumultuous pasts—finally united to become real heroes.  The post-credits scene we ended up with is therefore essential to that development (although the same cannot be said for the scene we nearly got). 

Yelena Belova, Bucky Barnes, red Guardian, Ghost, and john Walker (and technically Taskmaster for about two seconds before her unexpectedly swift death) all make a comeback in Marvel's Thunderbolts*.  After serving as spies for Val and the OXE Group, the "Thunderbolts" eventually band together to prevent Bob, also known as The Sentry, from undergoing his sinister metamorphosis into the Void.  Val finally explains the asterisk in the Thunderbolts* title by giving the team a new moniker near the end of the film.  However, one could argue that if Marvel had stuck with its initial post-credits scene, Thunderbolts*'s ending would not have been nearly as impactful. 

The Thunderbolts target Val, who first tricked them into killing one other and then gave Sentry the order to kill them, once they are able to reach Bob and assist him in regaining control over the Void.  At the conclusion of Thunderbolts*, Val gives them credit for saving the city and tells the media that they have been working for her all along as "The New Avengers" in an attempt to save her own skin in the eyes of the Thunderbolts, Washington, and the general public. 

Thus, 14 months later, this new team is established as the New Avengers in both the Thunderbolts* mid-credits and post-credits scenes. They are based in the former Avengers Tower and have new uniforms and resources.  Therefore, these closing sequences not only certify that they have been officially identified as The New Avengers, but also that they have been functioning as a group of heroes they never would have imagined themselves to be.  The moment is also one of the most significant in terms of the broader MCU interconnectedness of the film, as it sets up both Fantastic Four: First Steps and Avengers: Doomsday.
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Thunderbolts*

G GOWTHAM

29/05/2025 10:25 AM