How Does THUNDERBOLTS* Set Up AVENGERS: DOOMSDAY? Here's Everything You Need To Know - SPOILERS

How Does THUNDERBOLTS* Set Up AVENGERS: DOOMSDAY? Here's Everything You Need To Know - SPOILERS

With only Thunderbolts* and The Fantastic Four: First Steps set to arrive in theaters before Avengers: Doomsday, both have to lay the groundwork for the 2026 movie. Here's how the former manages it...

By JoshWilding - May 01, 2025 11:05 AM EST
Filed Under: Avengers: Doomsday

Thunderbolts* is now playing in theaters, and with almost the entire cast - sorry, Taskmaster - confirmed for Avengers: Doomsday, it should be obvious to any fan that this is a pivotal chapter in the Multiverse Saga. 

For the most part, Thunderbolts* is a relatively standalone story revolving around Yelena Belova, U.S. Agent, Ghost, Bucky Barnes, Red Guardian, and Bob, though these very different characters coming together to form a team during the movie's final act is crucial to what comes next. 

After successfully stopping The Void from destroying New York, the team prepares to confront Valentina Allegra de Fontaine, only to find themselves tricked into attending an impromptu press conference. 

Val covers up her illicit activities by introducing them as the New Avengers, something the movie's title card in the first round of end credits confirms (explaining that asterisk, in the process).

A series of news headlines play over those, revealing that the public isn't exactly convinced that this group is worthy of being the Avengers. However, it's the post-credits scene which really lays the groundwork for Avengers: Doomsday.

In that, we catch up with the "New Avengers" 14 months later in Avengers Tower. The negative press has gotten to them a little, and Sam Wilson and Bucky appear to have fallen out over the latter's team using the Avengers name (there's talk of a lawsuit, but this is the Government-approved group).

Yelena brings up the crisis in space, and it's then that the team is alerted to a ship entering their atmosphere that's extradimensional in nature: it's the Fantastic Four!

This is obviously a huge Avengers: Doomsday tease and sets the stage for the New Avengers to be among the first to encounter Marvel's First Family when they arrive on Earth-616. With this team rocking uniforms with the Avengers logo emblazoned on them, they're very much "official" (regardless of whether Captain America and the public approve), and that immediately sets up an interesting dynamic with any other groups of heroes they encounter. 

Also of note is the fact that Bob hasn't transformed into The Sentry since The Void was unleashed on New York, out of fear that the same thing might happen again. While Doctor Doom is a big enough threat to warrant him suiting up again, it feels like he'll be a very different Sentry without Val's costume and branding.

Has Thunderbolts* left you more excited for Avengers: Doomsday?

In Thunderbolts*, Marvel Studios assembles an unconventional team of antiheroes - Yelena Belova, Bucky Barnes, Red Guardian, Ghost, Taskmaster and John Walker. After finding themselves ensnared in a death trap set by Valentina Allegra de Fontaine, these disillusioned castoffs must embark on a dangerous mission that will force them to confront the darkest corners of their pasts.

Will this dysfunctional group tear themselves apart, or find redemption and unite as something much more before it’s too late?

The cast of Thunderbolts* will be led by Florence Pugh as Yelena Boleva, Sebastian Stan as Bucky Barnes, David Harbour as Red Guardian, Wyatt Russell as U.S. Agent, Hannah John-Kamen as Ghost, Olga Kurylenko as Taskmaster, Julia Louis-Dreyfus as Valentina Allegra de Fontaine, and Lewis Pullman as "Bob."

Written by Eric Pearson, Lee Sung Jin, and Joanna Calo, and directed by Jake Schreier, Thunderbolts* is now playing in theaters.

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HashTagSwagg
HashTagSwagg - 5/1/2025, 11:44 AM
No
HammerLegFoot
HammerLegFoot - 5/1/2025, 11:52 AM
So Sam tells Bucky in Brave New World that Ross wants him to restart the Avengers, and then Bucky goes off and does it first? I could see them having a bit of tension there.
Yellow
Yellow - 5/1/2025, 11:55 AM
@HammerLegFoot - I can see the tension coming from a place of "I don't agree with working with Val"
tRuckRogers46A
tRuckRogers46A - 5/1/2025, 12:40 PM
@HammerLegFoot - but Ross is no longer president.
HammerLegFoot
HammerLegFoot - 5/1/2025, 1:38 PM
@Yellow - True dat. But from my understanding Bucky isn't working with her because he think she's great.
HammerLegFoot
HammerLegFoot - 5/1/2025, 1:38 PM
@tRuckRogers46A - True, but Captain America decided that he should bring the Avengers back together
BigPhilbowski
BigPhilbowski - 5/1/2025, 1:39 PM
@HammerLegFoot - bucky doesn't do it. Val announces them as the new avengers before they even have a chance to react
HammerLegFoot
HammerLegFoot - 5/1/2025, 1:57 PM
@BigPhilbowski - I worded it wrong. I know Val starts it like the little tit for tat is Sams upset that Buckys apart of the team at all
Yellow
Yellow - 5/1/2025, 11:57 AM
They made Yelena a much better team leader in one movie than Sam in a whole show, let's be honest.

MakeAmericaGrea
MakeAmericaGrea - 5/1/2025, 12:23 PM
@Yellow -

That's a low bar to jump over.
HammerLegFoot
HammerLegFoot - 5/1/2025, 1:57 PM
@Yellow - What team has Sam lead?
SonOfAGif
SonOfAGif - 5/1/2025, 1:58 PM
@Yellow - Cut Sam some slack. He was never a leader. He was always a follower. His character was the sidekick to Steve Rogers and then Steve up and vanished while declaring Sam the next Captain America. Imagine being a regular employee and your boss announced you as the next Manager with absolutely no training. Sam is pretty much winging this entire thing
TheFinestSmack
TheFinestSmack - 5/1/2025, 12:03 PM
Now it feels like i've seen this movie 3 times already lol.
mountainman
mountainman - 5/1/2025, 12:04 PM
I wonder if Doom will also be talked down from his villainy, since that seems to be how the MCU heroes are defeating villains lately.
vectorsigma
vectorsigma - 5/1/2025, 12:44 PM
@mountainman -

Let's see. Done are

- dance off
- group hug

So what else can Marvel use? And sing a long?
TheVisionary25
TheVisionary25 - 5/1/2025, 12:05 PM
I doubt they get into any fisticuffs over it but I could see the 2 new Avengers teams being a source of some tension & friction amongst them if not just Sam & Bucky…

However I feel both are smart enough to put it aside for the greater good given the threat they’ll face in Doom.

The movie needs as much drama as possible given the shift in villains and thus lack of buildup so this is one way to get that.

Also given that apparently Yelena is aware of some crisis in space , I wonder if we’ll see this scene again from the FF’s perspective in Doomsday rather then First Steps!!.
MakeAmericaGrea
MakeAmericaGrea - 5/1/2025, 12:22 PM
I watched it for free.

It's not worth the time, energy, and money to see in a theater.

Save your money for something better.

The jokes don't land.
theprophet
theprophet - 5/1/2025, 2:28 PM
@MakeAmericaGrea - you do know that probably no one cares about your opinion right?
RedFury
RedFury - 5/1/2025, 1:39 PM
I just realized that we're likely going to get a little F4 vs. the New Avengers/(Real?) Avengers at the beginning of Doomsday thanks to this.

In true comic-book fashion I expect no less than a little fight to go down when the F4 emerge from their ship and are greeted by a cast of heroes that are quite uneasy with a spaceship showing up out of nowhere.

It'll be cool to see how they all stack up against eachother even if it's just for a moment! I would love it if we get to see The Hulk going toe to toe with The Thing.
SonOfAGif
SonOfAGif - 5/1/2025, 2:00 PM
I will say one thing I miss about this site. I wish we could go back to discussing the characters without labels and just based on what we have seen. I have seen so many people on here who want the movies to "explain" something that is open for discussion. I do miss the theories and the character breakdowns that many of you used to do. Now we just fight all the time. It's a bit disheartening.
bkmeijer1
bkmeijer1 - 5/1/2025, 2:25 PM
It's not so much a set-up for Doomsday as a scene from that movie. They wouldn't put the "14 months" in there for nothing. Maybe we'll get the FF perspective in First Steps.

Also, doubt we'll get any fighting over the name. Last time the Avengers were divided, they lost. Although I do think Doom will still win by unleashing The Void again.

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