New spoilers may reveal who was on the Fantastic Four's ship seen in the post-credit scene of Thunderbolts, and it may not be who you expected. The ending of Thunderbolts not only set up a rivalry between the New Avengers and Sam Wilson's Avengers, but also introduced a multiverse element. The New Avengers see the Fantastic Four's ship arriving from space, setting up their role in Avengers: Doomsday.
However, while it may be assumed it was the Fantastic Four arriving, a new reveal suggests they were not alone on the ship. Movie scooper Daniel Richtman confirmed reports that the passengers on the ship also include Doctor Doom and Steve Rogers. Chris Evans has been confirmed to return as Steve Rogers in Avengers: Doomsday, but it is not clear what version of the character is featured in the movie.
It makes sense that Doctor Doom would be on the ship, as the villain was teased in the post-credit scene for The Fantastic Four: First Steps. This confirms that he belongs in the Fantastic Four's universe, and Avengers: Doomsday will have to find a way to bring all these characters into Earth-616.
Which Steve Rogers is on the ship?
If these are indeed the passengers on the Fantastic Four ship that arrives in Wakanda, as seen in the Avengers: Doomsday trailer, Steve Rogers' inclusion raises some big questions. Given that the Fantastic Four and Doctor Doom are coming from another universe, it would seemingly confirm that this version of Steve Rogers is not the one from Earth-616.
This would be a surprising decision, as the first Avengers: Doomsday trailer that confirmed Steve Rogers' return very much made it seem like it was the version of the character we know and love, who went back in time to live a peaceful life as a family man. Having it be a new version of the character would be disappointing to a lot of fans.
However, Hugh Jackman's return as Wolverine in Deadpool & Wolverine made a similar decision. Instead of undoing the ending of the Fox X-Men character from Logan, it was confirmed that this was an alternate version of the character. Avengers: Endgame concluded Steve's story in a very satisfying way, so Avengers: Doomsday could be looking to avoid tampering with that by focusing on a new version.
Of course, when dealing with multiverses and time travel, there are always other possibilities to consider. There is still an intriguing way that this could still be the original Steve Rogers, while also hinting at his role in the movie.
Why would Steve Rogers be on the ship?
One prominent theory surrounding Avengers: Doomsday has been that the multiverse collapse was triggered by Steve Rogers choosing to stay in the past when he went back in time in Avengers: Endgame. Therefore, it is possible that Steve Rogers is not on the ship with Doctor Doom and the Fantastic Four willingly.
When Doctor Doom visits the Fantastic Four at the end of The Fantastic Four: First Steps, he may be recruiting them to prevent a catastrophe by fixing this incursion. They could have gone to find Steve Rogers in the past, taken him prisoner, and are now seeking to return him to his proper timeline.
The trailer for Avengers: Doomsday reveals Ben Grimm, aka The Thing, in Wakanda, suggesting that the heroes came to Earth-616 on their own accord, but Doom may have convinced them that Steve Rogers was the enemy who had to be dealt with. This will certainly not sit well with the other Avengers, which could set the stage for some of the conflict in Avengers: Doomsday.