Thunderbolts, the 36th film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, is one of the more well-received entries in the franchise since Avengers: Endgame (2019). The film centres on a group of anti-heroes who must confront an unexpected foe while also grappling with their own inner demons. Directed by Jake Schreier, Thunderbolts stars Florence Pugh (Yelena), Sebastian Stan (Bucky aka The Winter Soldier), Wyatt Russell (John Walker aka US Agent), Olga Kurylenko (Taskmaster), Lewis Pullman (Bob aka Sentry/The Void), David Harbour (Alexei aka Red Guardian), Hannah John-Kamen (Ava Starr aka Ghost), Geraldine Viswanathan (Mel), and Julia Louis-Dreyfus (Valentina Allegra de Fontaine). ‘Thunderbolts’ Movie Review: Marvel’s Misfit Team-Up Packs Humour, Action, Emotion and Just Enough Redemption!

As is tradition with most MCU films, Thunderbolts includes two post-credit scenes - one of which is particularly significant, teasing connections to two upcoming Marvel titles.

In this article, we break down what the asterisk in the film's title really means, what happens in the two post-credit scenes, and how one of them could support a popular fan theory that might just be a leaked plot from a future Marvel film. Warning - MAJOR SPOILERS AHEAD!

What Does the Asterisk in 'Thunderbolts*' Mean?

Red Guardian names their chaotic crew (minus Taskmaster, who gets killed early by Ghost) after Yelena’s PeeWee team, though not everyone is fond of the title - Bucky, in particular, takes issue with it. Oddly, no one bothers to clarify that the name sounds like they’re working for the former US President Thaddeus ‘Thunderbolt’ Ross (which is indeed the origin of the name in the comics).

A Still From Thunderbolts

Later in the film, after rescuing Bob and other New Yorkers from The Void, the group confronts Valentina, who ambushes them during a press conference. She claims they are the very team she’s been assembling and announces them as the new Avengers. Eager to be seen as heroes, the team plays along and reluctantly accepts the title of ‘New Avengers’, while Yelena blackmails Valentina claiming they now own her (since they know what she has been up to).

This is where the asterisk in Thunderbolts* comes into play - the team name wasn't sticking anyway. As the end credits suggest, they are transitioning into becoming the 'New Avengers', although they clearly struggle with that identity. More on that in a bit.

First Post-Credit Scene – Red Guardian Gets His Wish

The first post-credit scene is more comedic in tone. Earlier in the film, Alexei expresses a whimsical desire to be popular enough to appear on the front of a Wheaties box. Thanks to their New York heroics during the climax and Valentina dubbing them the 'New Avengers', that dream comes true. However, public reception to them being Avengers is lukewarm at best (which is depicted through headlines played during the end credits).

A Still From Thunderbolts

Alexei is seen in a supermarket awkwardly trying to promote the cereal featuring their faces on the box, but shoppers are uninterested. It’s a light-hearted moment that highlights the team's ongoing struggle for legitimacy with their new identity.

Second Post-Credit Scene – A Major Event Unfolds

The second post-credit scene takes place a few months after the events of the film. The New Avengers are now based out of the former Avengers watchtower and sport updated suits and hairstyles. Yelena references some strange disturbances in space, while Bob is content washing dishes and seemingly in control of Sentry for now.

A Still From Thunderbolts

They have a bigger problem to deal with for now - Sam Wilson, aka the new Captain America, is revealed to be suing them for copyright infringement over the use of the 'New Avengers' name. Bucky admits that this legal spat has led to a fallout between him and Sam, though it's unclear why Sam wouldn’t want to involve them in his Avengers initiative (which, going by the end of Captain America: Brave New World only has the new Falcon).

Red Guardian suggests rebranding as ‘New Avengerz’ and even prints T-shirts with the name - but the idea is promptly shut down by the team. At that moment, an alert goes off: a spaceship is entering Earth’s atmosphere. They check the monitor and see that it belongs to none other than the Fantastic Four.

What Does This Mean for 'The Fantastic Four: First Steps'?

Fair warning: what follows may contain major spoilers for The Fantastic Four: First Steps, scheduled to release on July 25, 2025. Directed by Matt Shakman, the film stars Pedro Pascal (Reed Richards aka Mr Fantastic), Vanessa Kirby (Sue Storm aka Invisible Woman), Joseph Quinn (Johnny Storm aka Human Torch), and Ebon Moss-Bachrach (Ben Grimm aka The Thing). Early trailers suggest the film takes place in an alternate retro-futuristic 1960s Earth, where the Fantastic Four are already well-known heroes.

A Still From The Fantastic Four: The First Steps

However, a compelling fan theory - possibly based on a leaked script - proposes that the Fantastic Four are actually from the main MCU timeline. According to this theory, they were regular astronauts from the 1960s who accidentally crossed into a different dimension, gaining powers in the process. Reed Richards is working on a way to bring them back to their original universe. ‘The Fantastic Four: First Steps’ Plot Leaked? Here’s What We Know About Latest Pedro Pascal and Vanessa Kirby’s Marvel Movie Rumour! (SPOILER ALERT).

Watch the Trailer of 'The Fantastic Four: The First Steps':

If this theory holds water, then the Thunderbolts post-credit scene confirms that they succeed, albeit returning in a slightly altered timeline. This would place the Fantastic Four, the Thunderbolts, and the scattered Avengers back in the primary MCU continuity, setting the stage for crossovers in Avengers: Doomsday.

As for the X-Men, they still appear to exist in an alternate universe - where Monica Rambeau is currently stranded. It is also not clear from which universe Robert Downey Jr's Doctor Doom would be coming from to torment them all.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on May 02, 2025 11:39 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).