Why Fantastic Four Doesn’t Address Thunderbolts Post-Credits Scene

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This post contains spoilers for The Fantastic Four: First Steps

Director Matt Shakman from the movie “The Fantastic Four: First Steps” explains why the film didn’t continue the storyline hinted at in the post-credits scene of “Thunderbolts.” Initially, fans got a glimpse of these characters in the “Thunderbolts” end-of-movie scene, which showed the New Avengers learning about the Fantastic Four’s arrival on Earth-616. Since this seemed like something that would be further explored in “First Steps,” it was disappointing to fans when it didn’t happen. However, according to Shakman, this was due to practical reasons: The “Thunderbolts” post-credits scene was added very late in the production process, making it impossible for him to incorporate it into the script for “First Steps.

Regarding the end credit scene for Thunderbolts, it was produced later in my creative process, so I wasn’t aware of it as it hadn’t been made when I was working on my script. It’s like a relay race: I gave my best to my interpretation of Fantastic Four – Earth 828, and then passed the baton to the Russo brothers.” (Shakman explained to CinemaBlend.)

Instead of depicting the Fantastic Four journeying to Earth-616, the post-credits scene in First Steps veers off course, offering viewers their long-desired debut of Robert Downey Jr. as Doctor Doom. Notably, he’s shown taking a keen interest in young Franklin Richards. In a manner reminiscent of the Thunderbolts*, the intriguing scene at the end of First Steps was directed by Joe and Anthony Russo during the filming of Avengers: Doomsday.

*Note that “Thunderbolts” refers to a fictional superhero team in Marvel Comics.

Jake Schreier, director of “Thunderbolts”, shared with us that the movie’s post-credits scene was added extremely late in the film’s production process. He mentioned that it wasn’t filmed until about a month before “Thunderbolts” hit theaters. By this time, “The Fantastic Four: First Steps” was already deep into its post-production phase.

While some viewers might have hoped for more insight into the Thunderbolts post-credits scene in “The Fantastic Four: First Steps”, it’s reasonable why this didn’t occur. The footage for the Thunderbolts stinger wasn’t created until just a few weeks before the movie was released, making it impossible to include in the Fantastic Four script. Even though audiences enjoy seeing links between different Marvel productions, Shakman couldn’t address something he hadn’t been informed about. “First Steps” needed to stand on its own as a film with a start, development, and conclusion, so Shakman chose to keep everything set on Earth-828.

The reason why the post-credits scene of First Steps doesn’t tie into Thunderbolts is because it serves a different purpose. By now, viewers are familiar with the Fantastic Four appearing in the Sacred Timeline, so repeating that sequence wouldn’t create as strong an effect. Instead, Marvel decided to hint at the next Avengers film in an innovative manner. This move has added even more excitement for fans who wonder if Doom might abduct Franklin and the Fantastic Four might chase him to Earth-616. As we wait, our imaginations will continue to run wild with possibilities.

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2025-07-29 23:41