Warning! This article contains spoilers for The Fantastic Four: First Steps.

A potentially big issue with The Fantastic Four: First Steps after Thunderbolts* was, thankfully, avoided by Marvel Studios. Thanks to upcoming Marvel movies like Avengers: Doomsday, the storylines of Thunderbolts* and The Fantastic Four: First Steps are somewhat linked. Both include MCU characters that were confirmed in Avengers: Doomsday‘s cast list, explaining how they will eventually tie together.

The post-credit scene of The Fantastic Four: First Steps was proof of this. Fantastic Four: First Steps’ ending saw the тιтular team defeat the villainous Galactus, yet Marvel risked revealing exactly how two months before the film’s release via the interconnectivity between it and Thunderbolts*. Gratefully, though, Marvel Studios avoided this issue in a big way.

Thunderbolts*’ Post-Credit Scene Risked Spoiling The Fantastic Four: First Steps

We Found Out A Big Fantastic Four Fact In Thunderbolts*

The risk Marvel took in potentially spoiling The Fantastic Four: First Steps came in Thunderbolts*’ post-credit scene. This scene saw the тιтular team operating under their new name, the New Avengers, by investigating several space-based anomalies. One such anomaly was a ship entering the dimension, revealed to be The Fantastic Four aboard the Excelsior.

This was a neat tease for the story of Avengers: Doomsday, but many worried it was premature. After all, this scene was shown two months before The Fantastic Four: First Steps, with audiences ᴀssuming that this Thunderbolts* tease had spoiled the former. The ᴀssumption was that The Fantastic Four: First Steps would end with the team in the MCU’s Earth-616.

This was, naturally, a big worry for people going into The Fantastic Four: First Steps. No one wants to go and see a movie where the ending has already been spoiled, which is what many ᴀssumed Thunderbolts* did for First Steps via its post-credit scene. Fortunately, though, Marvel Studios anticipated these concerns and addressed them ahead of time.

The Fantastic Four: First Steps’ Ending Still Leaves Thunderbolts*’ Questions Unanswered

The Big Mysteries Remain Intact

As already alluded to, The Fantastic Four: First Steps ends with Thunderbolts*‘ big questions still unanswered. The film culminates with the team defeating Galactus and transporting him, without his ship, to the edge of the universe, saving Earth from his hunger. This marks the end of the story, with even The Fantastic Four: First Steps’ post-credit scene avoiding the connections to Thunderbolts*.

The appearance of Doctor Doom and his seeming desire to use Franklin Richards’ powers will undoubtedly tie to Avengers: Doomsday, but even that scene ends with The Fantastic Four still in their universe of Earth-828, which is a neat Fantastic Four: First Steps Easter egg to creator Jack Kirby. Therefore, it is still unclear how Reed, Sue, Ben, and Johnny end up in Earth-616.

In all likelihood, Avengers: Doomsday‘s opening moments will further explain The Fantastic Four: First Steps’ end-credit scene. Whatever happens between Doom, Franklin, and the Four will kickstart the 2026 film’s story. Only then will we find out exactly how The Fantastic Four end up being discovered by the New Avengers, proving Marvel avoided a big worry about their film.

Marvel Studios Played With Audience Expectations In The Fantastic Four: First Steps

The Film Could Have Answered Thunderbolts*’ Questions

After watching The Fantastic Four: First Steps, it seems as though Marvel understood that audiences will be searching for answers after Thunderbolts*. When discussing how to defeat Galactus, Reed Richards’ initial plan is to use his teleportation technology on a mᴀssive scale, so that the Earth can be transported to another location, thus fleeing Galactus’ hunger.

When I heard this plan in the theater, I immediately thought of Thunderbolts*. I ᴀssumed that Reed would succeed in his plan and teleport the Earth, but that something would go wrong, and it would be sent through dimensions. This would have been as good an explanation as any as to why The Fantastic Four were in the 616 universe in Thunderbolts*.

However, the film proved me wrong. The third act of The Fantastic Four: First Steps saw the Silver Surfer destroy Reed’s teleporters, prompting a different plan to defeat Galactus. This allowed the conclusion of the film to still be surprising, all while leaving the mysteries that link Thunderbolts* and The Fantastic Four: First Steps for Avengers: Doomsday to answer.