Warning! This article contains spoilers for Thunderbolts*Just like the trailers suggested, Thunderbolts*‘ final battle affects all of Manhattan, meaning that every major MCU character present in the city must have entered the Void. Instead of the traditional full-fledged battle superhero movies are known for, Thunderbolts*‘ third act presents a more abstract and emotion-based face-off between the тιтular heroes and their main antagonist. The Void is far too powerful to be stopped by sheer force, but Yelena Belova and her newfound friends manage to stop it by empowering Robert Reynolds, who overcomes the Void’s darkness at the cost of his Sentry powers.

Thunderbolts* doesn’t feature as many direct references to other MCU тιтles or as many easter eggs as the usual Multiverse Saga entry. In exchange for that, Thunderbolts*‘ post-credits scene provides the saga’s clearest set-up to Avengers: Doomsday, Avengers: Secret Wars, and of course, The Fantastic Four: First Steps. Thunderbolts*‘ credits tease suggests the New Avengers will team up with the Fantastic Four and Sam Wilson’s Avengers early on in Avengers: Doomsday. But before that exciting crossover scenario materializes, there’s one huge event the MCU might need to address in other projects first.

The Void Affected Most Of New York In Thunderbolts*

The Void Consumes Almost The Entirety Of Manhattan

After Sentry’s Void alter ego wakes up and starts turning innocent pedestrians into shadows, the Void’s ominous silhouette is shown covering Manhattan, almost completely from edge to edge. The exact extension of the Void’s reach at its peak is unknown, as it has already shrunk by the time the Thunderbolts defeat it. Still, the Void certainly takes over key landmarks such as Hell’s Kitchen and the Sanctum Sanctorum.

There’s No Way Future MCU тιтles Won’t Address The Void

The Void’s Temporary Effects On New York Will Be Difficult To Ignore

Considering the effects of the Void in the Thunderbolts, there’s little chance characters such as Spider-Man, Daredevil, Wong, Wilson Fisk, the Punisher, Bullseye, Kate Bishop, and the Defenders didn’t experience the same forced regression as Yelena Belova and her teammates. Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness‘ post-credits scene suggests Doctor Strange is busy in other dimensions or timelines, but all other New York-based characters must be around during Thunderbolts*‘ final battle. While the Thunderbolts control the Void rather quickly, all of New York experience the same kind of nightmare.

The Fantastic Four: First Steps takes place in a separate timeline with little to no connection to the MCU’s Earth-616, and both Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars will have dozens of characters and plot points to balance. The Void may not be a major topic of discussion in future MCU projects, but ignoring it would be just as strange as ignoring the effects of Thanos’ Snap after Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame. The Void’s brief takeover of Manhattan warrants at least a pᴀssing mention in New York-set тιтles like Daredevil: Born Again season 2 and Spider-Man: Brand New Day.

Thunderbolts*’ Ending Could Give At Least Three Upcoming MCU Projects’ Characters A New Subplot

Thunderbolts*’ Final Battle Could Enhance Various MCU Projects’ Story

While the MCU could simply move on without addressing the Void’s effect on Manhattan citizens, Marvel Studios could take Thunderbolts*‘ final battle as a chance to link Phase 6’s projects more closely together. If the MCU’s known New York characters did find themselves inside the Void at the time, they must have revisited memories that could make them take a different direction in upcoming тιтles. For instance, the Void may have trapped Daredevil in his memory of Foggy Nelson’s death, Wilson Fisk with his father, and Jessica Jones with Kilgrave.

Frank Castle may have been stuck reliving his family’s deaths, while Spider-Man must have experienced a nightmare similar to Mysterio’s illusions, which tormented him with images of a ᴅᴇᴀᴅ Iron Man. Similarly to how Spider-Man: Far From Home used Avengers: Endgame‘s Blip as the foundation for its plot, Spider-Man: Brand New Day, Daredevil: Born Again season 2, and the Punisher’s Special Presentation could start with a flashback to each of their characters’ reactions to the Void during Thunderbolts*. Daredevil, Spider-Man, and the Punisher might even approach their next battles with a different mindset as a result.

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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