With the Multiverse Saga comprised of so many movies and TV shows, it's begun to feel like none of them are as connected as the stories told in the Infinity Saga.
There's an element of truth to that, primarily because of overlapping production schedules (Sam Raimi, for example, didn't get to see WandaVision before working on Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness). However, at least a few of those lingering questions from Phase 4 now look set to be addressed during Phase 5.
Captain America: Brave New World is expected to finally touch on the massive Celestial sticking out of the Indian Ocean. As for Thunderbolts, it very much looks like a direct follow-up to Black Widow and The Falcon and the Winter Soldier.
Time will tell, but a couple of reliable social media scoopers have weighed in on how those two movies won't connect.
We've previously heard that both projects would link up in various ways, but it appears Marvel Studios has since dialled back on those plans. For example, Valentina Allegra de Fontaine is no longer set to appear in the next Captain America movie, with Thunderbolts' latest writer, Lee Sung Jin, seemingly making big changes to the script after being tapped for a rewrite.
This isn't necessarily a bad thing, and we're sure there will still be plenty of connective tissue; after all, it's impossible to imagine the Thunderbolts team not being named after General President "Thunderbolts" Ross!
It's also recently been claimed the Thunderbolts will be the MCU's take on the Suicide Squad, with Val assembling them to take down The Sentry. And yes, that means we should brace ourselves for some big casualties.
Captain America: Brave New World is currently set to be released on July 26, 2024, with Thunderbolts scheduled to follow on December 20, 2024.