Thunderbolts*’ Previous Post-Credits Kang Plans Are A Big Reminder About How Much The MCU Has Changed

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When Kang the Conqueror was the arch-villain of the Multiverse Saga, the post-credits scene of changed from Avengers: The Kang Dynasty to Avengers: Doomsday with little to no further explanation. This now makes one post-credits scene, namely the one from Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, feel either pointless or misplaced, depending on whether and how Avengers: Doomsday follows up.

Loki, at least, helped to lay the groundwork for Kang's surreptitious departure from the franchise when it ended with the TVA actively searching for and quelling Kang-related threats throughout the multiverse. Short of a more overt revelation in the greatest threat in the Multiverse Saga has been taken care of, with Robert Downey Jr.'s Doctor Doom instead stepping up to the plate. Now, further insight into the making of Thunderbolts* has confirmed that this pivot wasn't always part of the plan.

Thunderbolts*' Big Post-Credits Scene Majorly Sets Up The Fantastic Four: First Steps & Avengers: Doomsday

It Reveals The Fantastic Four's Spaceship Entering Earth-616

Thunderbolts* wasn't expected to be as pivotal as it became, with the name change from MCU post-credits scenes that may never be followed up on.

Florence Pugh's Yelena Belova looks directly at the camera in Thunderbolts poster

Captain America: Brave New World's Credits Scene Explains Exactly Why Sam Wilson Is Suing The New Avengers & It's Not For The Reason You Think

Thunderbolts*' ending tease may have hinted that Captain America: Brave New World's puzzling post-credits scene has been mostly misinterpreted.

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The scene depicted the New Avengers 14 months into their not-so-new roles, operating (still rather chaotically) from their base in what used to be Avengers Tower. After receiving a signal about an extradimensional entity entering Earth's orbit, the New Avengers pivot from their discussion about Sam Wilson's threats of legal action against their team name to address the issue. Upon further inspection, the entity is revealed to be the distinctive spaceship of the Fantastic Four, apparently entering Earth-616 from their own universe. Given Avengers: Doomsday will feature multiple universes coming together, this seemingly sets up the events of that movie directly.

Previous Thunderbolts* Plans Tied The Post-Credits Scene Into Avengers 5's The Kang Dynasty Instead

The Hollywood Strikes Delayed The Decision

The Thunderbolts* post-credits scene that was ultimately delivered was just one of several drafts. In an interview with IGN, Thunderbolts* co-writer Eric Pearson revealed that a direct set-up of Avengers: Doomsday and The Fantastic Four: First Steps wasn't always the plan. Clarifying that the Hollywood strikes of summer 2023 delayed a final draft by several months, Pearson revealed that the initial post-credits scene was going to set up Kang, similarly to Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, stating:

"So I was throwing together at the beginning a post-credit sequence that had to deal with Kang."

Pearson also notes that he considered featuring Baron Zemo in the post-credits scene, showing him pulling the strings from behind bars.

It was only the delay that caused Pearson to change course, a delay that occurred in the midst of Marvel's decision to pivot from Kang to Doom. At this time, of course, The Fantastic Four: First Steps was already part of the plan, as Marvel Studios got to work on developing a Fantastic Four movie almost as soon as Disney acquired Fox and, as a result, the rights to the X-Men and the Fantastic Four. Still, Marvel's First Family may not have featured in the Thunderbolts* post-credits scene had the original plan been adhered to, which raises an interesting point.

The Final Thunderbolts* Post-Credits Scene Shows Just Far Much The MCU Has Changed During The Movie's Development

The MCU Pivoted Significantly In A Matter Of Months

It seems that Thunderbolts* was being developed at the height of a major metamorphosis for the MCU. It was heavily rumored around the time of the Hollywood strikes that Marvel was already planning to pivot from Kang to Doom following a bombshell report from Variety that detailed discussions at a Marvel Studios retreat. This report was ultimately vindicated less than one year later when Marvel Studios unveiled Avengers: Doomsday at 2024's San Diego Comic Con, with Robert Downey Jr returning as Doctor Doom.

In fact, bringing the arch-villain forward to feature in two Avengers movies (like Thanos in Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame) gives Marvel more room to flesh the character out, and Thunderbolts* has successfully stoked anticipation for his arrival.

The implications of this change are ittedly hard to pin down, which is probably a good thing. While the immediate effects render the Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania post-credits scene and conversations between Loki and He Who Remains potentially obsolete, it isn't as if Avengers: Secret Wars wasn't always going to feature Doctor Doom. In fact, bringing the arch-villain forward to feature in two Avengers movies (like Thanos in Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame) gives Marvel more room to flesh the character out, and Thunderbolts* has successfully stoked anticipation for his arrival.