Warning! This article contains major SPOILERS for Thunderbolts*

I’m sure I wasn’t the only one stunned by the fact that Marvel Studios inadvertently spoiled the big reveal at the end of the Thunderbolts* post-credits scene just a few seconds before it began. The Thunderbolts* post-credits scene was one of the most consequential in recent memory (the post-credits scene for The Marvels notwithstanding), and its impact would have been significantly enhanced had it arrived with no prior warning. Unfortunately, eagle-eyed viewers may have found that the experience was dampened.

That is not to decry Thunderbolts*, a movie that I agree has been a long time coming for Marvel. It felt fresh, energetic, and made me genuinely care for some previously minor characters and for Lewis Pullman’s Bob, a brand-new character that I cannot wait to see more of. I absolutely loved the post-credits scene, but I wish my gaze was averted for the credits crawl that brought us there.

The Thunderbolts* Credits Included The Fantastic Four: First Steps Main Theme

The Fantastic Four: First Steps Credit Appeared Toward The End

While post-credits scenes are one of the foremost mainstays of MCU movies, there is rarely anything nestled within the credits themselves. Nevertheless, as audiences await the pot at the end of the rainbow, they hardly expect watching the credits would yield anything but neutral, if not positive, results. Unfortunately, this wasn’t the case for Thunderbolts*, whose credits included Michael Giacchino’s theme for The Fantastic Four: First Steps.

Given that Thunderbolts* and its distinctly terrestrial setting hadn’t included so much as a nod to the upcoming MCU movie until that point, there was really only one reason this theme music would have been included in the credits, and that was for the scene to follow. As soon as an extradimensional anomaly was mentioned within this scene, the impact of the reveal had been significantly dampened. Sure, I was still hyped to see Thunderbolts* connect to the MCU’s summer movie and Avengers: Doomsday, but I can’t help but wonder if that experience could have been better.

The Post-Credits Revelation Also Spoils The MCU’s Next Movie

Thunderbolts* May Have Revealed What Happens At The End Of The Fantastic Four: First Steps

Not only was the Thunderbolts* post-credits scene spoiled by its own credits, but the post-credits scene was additionally a spoiler itself. The scene takes place 14 months after the main events of Thunderbolts* (which helps to explain the team’s new looks), which is quite the time-jump that will likely measure up to the point of Avengers: Doomsday. The arrival of the Fantastic Four in Earth-616 heralds the upcoming Avengers movie, but also confirms the prevailing theory about how The Fantastic Four: First Steps will end.

The trailers for The Fantastic Four: First Steps paint a bleak picture for the тιтular team. Galactus has marked their Earth for death, while the entire movie takes place against a backdrop of rampant multiversal incursions. This led many to speculate that the Fantastic Four will attempt to flee their universe, bringing them to Earth-616 and the MCU proper. Thunderbolts* seemingly confirms this is the case, which risks dampening the climax of The Fantastic Four: First Steps when we see exactly what we expected to transpire.

The Thunderbolts* Credits Spoiler Continues A Baffling Trend In The Franchise

Marvel Seems To Be Happy With Revealing Huge Developments

Short of the Fantastic Four spaceship being a misdirect, such as the ship perhaps housing another character like Doctor Doom himself, the Thunderbolts* post-credits scene and the credits themselves are indicative of a weird recent habit of Marvel’s. While Marvel used to be particularly fond of misdirects (such as having Hulk involved in the Battle of Wakanda in the Avengers: Infinity War trailer), it’s now seemingly more than happy to reveal huge developments ahead of a movie’s release.

A recent example of this includes heavily marketing Red Hulk for Captain America: Brave New World despite him being the climactic set piece of the movie. Marvel Studios additionally revealed that the Thunderbolts would survive Thunderbolts* by including most of the main cast members in the lineup for the Avengers: Doomsday cast announcement. With that in mind, I am less inclined to believe that the spaceship is a misdirect and that Marvel has indeed confirmed the ending of The Fantastic Four: First Steps ahead of the movie’s release.

Upcoming MCU Movies

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  Thunderbolts*

  Release Date

  
  May 2, 2025
  

  
  
  
  

  
  

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  The Fantastic Four: First Steps

  Release Date

  
  July 25, 2025
  

  
  
  
  

  
  

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  Avengers: Doomsday

  Release Date

  
  May 1, 2026
  

  
  
  
  

  
  

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  Spider-Man: Brand New Day

  Release Date

  
  July 31, 2026
  

  
  
  
  

  
  

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  Avengers: Secret Wars

  Release Date

  
  May 7, 2027
  

  
  
  
  

  
  

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