The ending of Thunderbolts* delivered one of the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s most welcome surprises, but Kevin Feige’s new comments have spurred theories suggesting all may not be as it seems. Thunderbolts* – or The New Avengers – brought back several antiheroes and reformed villains as a brand-new superhero team who protected New York from Robert Reynolds’ dark alter ego, the Void. However, the New Avengers wasn’t the only team introduced in Thunderbolts*, as the movie’s post-credits scene also teased the Fantastic Four. A new theory posits that the version of the Fantastic Four seen in Thunderbolts* is actually from Earth-838.
Videos by ComicBook.com
Earth-838 is the alternate universe that was home to the Illuminati team in 2022’s Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. Among the Illuminati members was John Krasinski’s version of Reed Richards’ Mister Fantastic, the leader of the Fantastic Four, though he was ultimately murdered by the Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen). A new theory shared on Instagram suggests that the Fantastic Four ship seen at the end of Thunderbolts* could be the remaining team members from Earth-838 coming to avenge the death of their leader, not the upcoming iteration of the team from The Fantastic Four: First Steps.
This theory might be supported by Marvel boss Kevin Feige’s new comments in the July 2025 issue of Empire Magazine. “The name of their ship is the Excelsior, and there is a Fantastic Four ship entering the MCU in the tag,” Feige noted in reference to the appearance of the Fantastic Four ship, presumably from First Steps, in Thunderbolts*‘ post-credits scene. However, he then states, “But I’m not sure they’re the same ship,” which has cast doubt on whether this is, indeed, the group’s vessel from First Steps.
While the Excelsior from The Fantastic Four: First Steps and the Fantastic Four ship in Thunderbolts* do look remarkably similar, eagle-eyed viewers might notice that they do have one major difference: First Steps’ Excelsior has three legs coming from the back of the ship, while the vessel in Thunderbolts* has four, hinting as these ships being from different realities. It would make sense for Marvel Studios to revisit Earth-838’s heroes from Multiverse of Madness, as there’s no way they’d simply forgive and forget the Scarlet Witch’s brutal murder of Mister Fantastic, Professor X, Captain Marvel, and Captain Carter.
There has been speculation since 2022 that the other heroes of Earth-838 would come into the MCU’s main continuity of Earth-616 to seek vengeance. 2026’s upcoming Avengers: Doomsday and its 2027 sequel, Avengers: Secret Wars, would be the perfect place for this to occur, and Thunderbolts*’ post-credits scene may have already set this up. This could bring alternate versions of Magneto, Carol Danvers, the X-Men, the Avengers, and the Fantastic Four into the MCU, explaining some of Doomsday’s already-confirmed cast – while they’ll also be joined by the MCU’s official Fantastic Four team after First Steps‘ July 2025 release.
Are you excited to see the Fantastic Four finally debut in the MCU? Let us know in the comments!
