Kevin Feige Just Dropped A Bombshell About THUNDERBOLTS*'s Big AVENGERS: DOOMSDAY/Fantastic Four Tease

Kevin Feige Just Dropped A Bombshell About THUNDERBOLTS*'s Big AVENGERS: DOOMSDAY/Fantastic Four Tease

Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige has addressed Thunderbolts*'s big Avengers: Doomsday tease, suggesting that spaceship we saw nearing Earth-616 isn't necessarily what it looks like on the surface...

By JoshWilding - Jun 05, 2025 11:06 AM EST
Filed Under: Fantastic Four

In Thunderbolts*'s post-credits scene, the New Avengers have assembled and appear to be struggling with the public's perception of them. We soon learn of a crisis in space and see what appears to be the Fantastic Four's ship entering the atmosphere.

That's a big tease to drop before The Fantastic Four: First Steps arrives in theaters next month, but it may not be the spoiler—Marvel's First Family arriving on Earth-616 after the likely destruction of their reality—most fans suspected.

Talking in the latest issue of Empire Magazine, Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige broke his silence on the stinger when asked if the ship we saw in Thunderbolts* was indeed the Fantastic Four's Excelsior rocket.

"Well, the name of their ship is the Excelsior, and there is a Fantastic Four ship entering the MCU in the tag," the executive teased. "But I'm not sure they're the same ship."

This is a pretty huge reveal, as the implication is that the Fantastic Four aren't on board this vessel. When it comes to who is, there are a few compelling possibilities. The first is that the team has sent Franklin Richards to Earth-616 in a bid to protect him from Doctor Doom. 

Secondly, what if Doctor Doom has stolen the ship and is using Mister Fantastic's technology to travel through the Multiverse? It would be one heck of a surprise to see him step out in place of the heroes. Alternatively, it might be that only some of the team is on board. 

We'll have to wait and see, but The Fantastic Four: First Steps won't necessarily provide any answers (especially as only one of the post-credits scenes has been revealed). After all, it's entirely possible the explanation is being saved for Avengers: Doomsday

Let us know your thoughts in the comments section, and check out the latest trailer for the movie below. 

Avengers: Doomsday stars Chris Hemsworth, Anthony Mackie, Winston Duke, Tom Hiddleston, Sebastian Stan, Letitia Wright, Paul Rudd, and Robert Downey Jr. Wyatt Russell, Simu Liu, Tenoch Huerta Mejia, Florence Pugh, Danny Ramirez, David Harbour, Hannah John-Kamen, and Lewis Pullman all make the Avengers franchise debuts in the movie. 

The Fantastic Four: First Steps leads Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, and Joseph Quinn join them, as do X-Men franchise stars Kelsey Grammer, Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellen, Alan Cumming, Rebecca Romijn, James Marsden, and Deadpool & Wolverine star Channing Tatum.

The Russo Brothers direct the movie from a script by Stephen McFeely, with whom they previously collaborated on the Captain America and Avengers franchises.

Avengers: Doomsday is set to be released on December 18, 2026, with Avengers: Secret Wars scheduled to arrive on December 17, 2027.

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ObserverIO
ObserverIO - 6/5/2025, 11:35 AM
Excelsior was the name of the Fantastic Four's rocket ship in the Heroes Reborn comics (in 616 it's Marvel-1) and in that series the FF do cross over from their pocket universe back into 616 in a ship, but not in the Excelsior in Doom's ship.

Maybe the one we see in Thunderbolts is actually Doom's ship.
KennKathleen
KennKathleen - 6/5/2025, 12:58 PM
@ObserverIO - User Comment Image


























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Django79
Django79 - 6/5/2025, 11:36 AM
I think u exaggerate a lot Josh
TheVisionary25
TheVisionary25 - 6/5/2025, 11:39 AM
@Django79 - I have been shook by this revelation!!

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Vigor
Vigor - 6/5/2025, 11:41 AM
@TheVisionary25 - was this gif from liar liar?
That's the one jim carrey movie I saw the least. I need to go put it on tonight. I think i was too young at the time to appreciate it
TheVisionary25
TheVisionary25 - 6/5/2025, 11:42 AM
@Vigor - yes it is…

Might be one of my favorites
Blergh
Blergh - 6/5/2025, 11:57 AM
@Django79 - there are many legit gripes to have with Josh sometimes (nothing personal, still a really good guy) but this isn’t one of them. He’s an entertainment writer, it’s not his job to be reasonable and down to earth but rather be hyped and engaging for people to storm the article and site.

When he stoked the fires in some genuinely horrible discussions, that was bad to farm engagement.

But cmon, he’s harmless here
McMurdo
McMurdo - 6/5/2025, 11:36 AM
Wow I almost care.
Irregular
Irregular - 6/5/2025, 11:36 AM
I think he is implying it's a different ship. Not that they're not on board.

But I do think Doom is going to kidnap Franklin and the trail leads to 616.
MotherGooseUPus
MotherGooseUPus - 6/5/2025, 12:27 PM
@Irregular - thats how i interrupted what he was saying.. 2 different ships with different people on each of them
HammerLegFoot
HammerLegFoot - 6/5/2025, 11:44 AM
Remember I called it last week that Doom was the one actually on the ship
Oberlin4Prez
Oberlin4Prez - 6/5/2025, 11:47 AM
Bombshell or people just taking at face value the symbol on the ship?

Since seeing that scene I've thought it's either the obvious F4 we know is coming OR it's another version given the variant shenanigans we've been getting.
MotherGooseUPus
MotherGooseUPus - 6/5/2025, 12:28 PM
@Oberlin4Prez - "it's another version given the variant shenanigans"

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Thats Exactly what he is implying... maybe we can get a better F4 team than whats in the movie coming out in July?
marveldc4life
marveldc4life - 6/5/2025, 11:47 AM
I want it to be some of the heroes from earth 838 coming for revenge after the illuminati being killed in Doctor Strange MOM and if it’s not that is a plot thread that will horribly never be resolved on screen or in my mind which will lead to madness
Killuminatic
Killuminatic - 6/5/2025, 3:02 PM
@marveldc4life - So do you think these remaining heroes from 838 would be seeking the Strange from 616, since, (let’s just say for odd reasons), they may not be aware that the Wanda of 616 was responsible for their teammates’ deaths. Or do they not care and want to put it all on Strange, and therefore hunting him?
marveldc4life
marveldc4life - 6/5/2025, 3:51 PM
@Killuminatic - Very good question, but I would take it that they don’t even know of the scarlet witch’s demise. They might even just be looking for strange because Mordo and the Illuminati thought strange was the actual threat to the multiverse. I just think the 838 universe has the potential for cool variants and shouldn’t be left as a dangling plot thread before the multiverse concludes. I think it would be cool to open doomsday with a brawl between the Avengerz (thunderbolts) and 838 universe survivors. Maybe the destruction of their universe was caused by an incursion so the surviving heroes are out for revenge against 616.
MyCoolYoung
MyCoolYoung - 6/5/2025, 11:53 AM
I kinda read it as what if it’s a different fantastic four altogether. With multiverse shenanigans it could very well be the Fox four
TheVisionary25
TheVisionary25 - 6/5/2025, 11:56 AM
@MyCoolYoung - that would be crazy lol

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Its actually the four from the 2015 film lol
MyCoolYoung
MyCoolYoung - 6/5/2025, 1:05 PM
@TheVisionary25 - lol definitely would be crazy and it would go a long way to letting us know doom isba threat because they'd 100% die lol
TheVisionary25
TheVisionary25 - 6/5/2025, 11:54 AM
Interesting…

I like that the ship is called the “Excelsior” not only as an homage to Stan Lee of course but it’s also a pull from the comics since that is a ship they have had in the comics.

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If Doom is from their reality and they find out his actions are causing an incursion between the MCU and the X-Men reality we encounter in the film then I could see perhaps the team splitting up on 2 rockets to go to each reality to help stop it.
Waifuslayer2
Waifuslayer2 - 6/5/2025, 11:58 AM
Josh when Feige says literally anything
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KennKathleen
KennKathleen - 6/5/2025, 1:01 PM
@Waifuslayer2 - 😆 🤣 😂 😹 😆

This..... this is just good old fashioned trolling. 😆

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I needed that one.
Oberlin4Prez
Oberlin4Prez - 6/5/2025, 1:05 PM
@Waifuslayer2 - I envision josh more like this whenever Feige says anything. User Comment Image
MakeAmericaGrea
MakeAmericaGrea - 6/5/2025, 2:28 PM
@Oberlin4Prez -

Let's be civil.
Oberlin4Prez
Oberlin4Prez - 6/5/2025, 2:34 PM
@MakeAmericaGrea - if you insist
Blergh
Blergh - 6/5/2025, 12:00 PM
Would be fun synergy with Superman if Reed and Sue put Franklin on that ship as their universe crumbled.

Would give the Thunderbolts a clear mission throughout the movie: protect the baby. Meanwhile Sam’s Avengers are fighting the X-Men and in the caused confusion Doom is chasing down Nate.

Would be fun to see Walker and Ghost protect a baby
Order66
Order66 - 6/5/2025, 12:23 PM
You know I actually didn’t think of that. Could very well be Franklin in there or Dr. Doom.
MotherGooseUPus
MotherGooseUPus - 6/5/2025, 12:30 PM
As others have said i think it means its a completely different F4 team and not the one from the July movie. It's either the Foxmen which would be cool... or maybe another team we havent seen and havent been spoiled to yet... that would be pretty awesome actually
hainesy
hainesy - 6/5/2025, 12:39 PM
The Excelsior ship probably gets destroyed in the FF movie and this is just a new ship.
Timerider
Timerider - 6/5/2025, 12:46 PM
Doom kidnaps Franklin and boards the ship and blast off. Reed already has the coordinates set for Earth 616, but Doom steals it the night before with Franklin. In Avengers Doomsday, the Fantastic Four arrive in another ship set for the same coordinates to get their son back. The ship that the New Avengers are looking at has Doom and Franklin on it.
NGFB
NGFB - 6/5/2025, 12:50 PM
It's full of brown recluse spiders.
vectorsigma
vectorsigma - 6/5/2025, 12:51 PM
Congrats Kevin, the general audience cares about that tidbit, lolz
Killuminatic
Killuminatic - 6/5/2025, 3:04 PM
@vectorsigma - He was asked a direct question about it for a magazine piece promoting the film. You’re a really smart individual.
vectorsigma
vectorsigma - 6/5/2025, 9:00 PM
@Killuminatic - sure marvel fanboy.

Im old enough to remember he rarely reveals things in the past. He is desperate now
DocSpock
DocSpock - 6/5/2025, 1:10 PM

Look. Only one dude can truly save this messed up multiverse. And he's in that ship.

Howard the Duck!!

He's gonna lay some serious nuclear Quack-Fu on that b!tch Doom.

Blergh
Blergh - 6/5/2025, 1:13 PM
@DocSpock - I'm genuinely baffled how there hasn't been much more Howard in the MCU. He's a character ripe for fun roles in the movies. He could have been a great addition to the Guardians or even in a solo movie/series.

Besides, Seth Green is still a bankable name.

Most people look back at the George Lucas film fondly nowadays, so go for it!
DocSpock
DocSpock - 6/5/2025, 1:16 PM
@Blergh -

Hell YES!!

Howard for President. 2028

Matador
Matador - 6/5/2025, 1:15 PM
When Josh adds tease to the title.

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JustAWaffle
JustAWaffle - 6/5/2025, 1:56 PM
It’s an Avengers movie. I’m gonna pay to see it.

But I don’t care much beyond that at this point.
amxt
amxt - 6/5/2025, 4:31 PM
It will be that damn robot Herbie.
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