Why 'Fantastic Four' ignored 'Thunderbolts' post-credits scene: Director reveals
What's the story
Director Matt Shakman has clarified why his latest film, The Fantastic Four: First Steps, didn't pick up from the post-credits scene in Thunderbolts. The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) film, starring Pedro Pascal and Vanessa Kirby among others, is set in a different timeline from other MCU films. While Thunderbolts hinted at the arrival of the Fantastic Four to Earth-616, this was not referenced in Shakman's film.
Director's explanation
Relay race analogy
Shakman told CinemaBlend, "No, no, because the Thunderbolts post-credit scene was also created relatively late in my process too." "So that was not something that I was familiar with because it hadn't been created at the time that I was working on my script." "It's...like a relay race. You pass the baton, you run your section...do the best you can with your version of Fantastic Four Earth 828." "Then you pass the baton, in this case to the Russo brothers."
Future plans
Doctor Doom's introduction in MCU
Despite not referencing the Thunderbolts post-credits scene, Shakman did drop hints about the future of the superheroes in the MCU. In a post-credit scene, Robert Downey Jr.'s Doctor Doom interacts with Franklin Richards, the son of Sue Storm (Kirby) and Reed Richards (Pascal). This storyline is likely to continue in Avengers: Doomsday, scheduled for release in 2026.