Why Doesn't The Fantastic Four: First Steps Match Up With Thunderbolts*/The New Avengers' Post-Credit Scene? 'That Was Not Something That I Was Familiar With,' Director Admits

If you watched The Fantastic Four: First Steps reasoning the movie would wage disconnected Thunderbolts*/The New Avengers' post-credit scene, well, you astir apt near the theatre disappointed.

Warning! Spoilers for The Fantastic Four: First Steps follow

It's an unusual concern — the full constituent of a Marvel post-credit teaser is to acceptable up what's adjacent from the MCU. But here, with conscionable months betwixt their releases, Thunderbolts* teased the accomplishment of the Fantastic Four successful the main MCU world — lone for it to ne'er hap wrong First Steps' runtime.

So what happened here? Was this ever the plan? Well, fans cognize that Thunderbolts*/The New Avengers' post-credits country was lone filmed precise recently, connected the acceptable of Avengers: Doomsday by that film's directors, the Russo brothers. But truthful was the post-credits country of The Fantastic Four, which contempt featuring a clip leap inactive appears to instrumentality spot chronologically earlier the teaser seen successful Thunderbolts*.

Now, The Fantastic Four manager Matt Shakman has been asked astir the concern — and however this year's 2 large Marvel movies that appeared to beryllium linked ended up inactive feeling distinctly separate.

"The Thunderbolts* extremity recognition country was besides created, you know, comparatively precocious successful my process too," Shakman told Cinema Blend, "so that was not thing that I was acquainted with due to the fact that it hadn't been created astatine the clip that I was moving connected my script, you know?

"I often usage the metaphor of it [being] similar a relay race, right?" helium continued. "You walk the baton, you tally your conception of it arsenic hard and accelerated arsenic you can, bash the champion you tin with your mentation of Fantastic Four – Earth 828, this satellite – and past you walk the baton, successful this lawsuit to the Russo brothers."

In different words, The Fantastic Four doesn't wage disconnected the Thunderbolts* post-credit country featuring The Fantastic Four due to the fact that Shakman himself hadn't yet been alert it needed to.

Again, it's an unusual concern — particularly arsenic Marvel has had a brace of Avengers movies looming connected its docket present for years, with the Fantastic Four ever looking apt to beryllium cardinal players.

As it is, Shakman's movie ends with the decision of Galactus and beingness returning to mean for the Fantastic Four's beingness — until the movie's Russo brothers-directed post-credits country acceptable respective years aboriginal shows toddler Franklin being held by Doctor Doom.

Now, fans person 18 months to hold — until the existent December 18, 2026 merchandise day of Avengers: Doomsday — to find retired however the Fantastic Four get from (presumably) having their babe kidnapped, to arriving successful the main MCU (as seen successful Thunderbolts*) to past immoderate happens next.

Earlier this week, Shakman confirmed determination were nary plans for an extended mentation of The Fantastic Four: First Steps, contempt calls from fans for a longer edit of the movie with its chopped scenes restored.

Tom Phillips is IGN's News Editor. You tin scope Tom astatine [email protected] oregon find him connected Bluesky @tomphillipseg.bsky.social