The Marvel Cinematic Universe was forever changed when Thunderbolts* arrived in movie theaters. That isn't a sentence that many MCU fans thought they would read prior to the movie's release, but this deceptively important flick evolved from a fun on-the-surface action-adventure to an emotional, game-changing outing with major repercussions on the future of the Multiverse Saga and the MCU as a whole. As pleasant surprises go, this was one of the most pleasant of all.
After some early buzz from the first audiences to see the movie, Thunderbolts* debuted on Rotten Tomatoes with a score north of 90% (it currently stands at 88%) with reviews that called it brilliant, bold, and the best Marvel movie since Avengers: Endgame. You won't find any arguments here.
Naturally, fans want to know if there is a future for the Thunderbolts (a.k.a. the New Avengers). The answer to that question isn't a straightforward one (it never is with Marvel) but it's an exciting one nonetheless.
Although Marvel hasn't announced Thunderbolts* 2, the New Avengers' story continues in Avengers: Doomsday
Prior to the release of Thunderbolts*, Marvel had not announced any plans for a sequel. Fans felt that this was set to pan out somewhat like DC's Suicide Squad in that the titular team would be a sub-franchise all of its own within the MCU. But that's not exactly how things went down.
First of all, the elephant in the room here is that Thunderbolts* underperformed at the box office. It shouldn't have - and, quite frankly, it deserved better - but the sad truth is that it did. The film reportedly needed to make north of $400 million to break even and it finished its box office run at $373 million. So not far off the mark at all (and let's face it, Marvel will quickly make up for those losses through merchandise, and home media sales) but perhaps not enough to bank on a Thunderbolts* 2 ever getting made.
The good news is that Thunderbolts* is also an Avengers movie, thanks in no small part to the reveal at the end of the movie that the titular heroes are, in fact, the New Avengers. And, well, the New Avengers (and Bob) will return in next year's Avengers: Doomsday. Being that they are now the titular team of that movie (along with a few other rumored Avengers factions), they are set to lead the larger-than-life showdown, with Florence Pugh's Yelena expected to be one of the main characters.
Avengers: Doomsday is set to bring back a number of familiar faces from Marvel's past - both MCU and pre-MCU - as Marvel Studios unveiled the first 27 names to join the cast earlier this year in a five-hour livestream. Among the confirmed returnees are Thunderbolts* stars Florence Pugh, Wyatt Russell, Hannah John-Kamen, Sebastian Stan, David Harbour, and Lewis Pullman.
If you've watched Thunderbolts* the whole way through, you'll know that the movie sets up something of a direct sequel. Well, that sequel is none other than Avengers: Doomsday.
Thunderbolts*' post-credits scene sets the stage for Avengers: Doomsday to act as a sequel
The Thunderbolts* post-credits scene is set 14 months after the events of the film and the New Avengers are all brandishing new looks, weapons, and suits. They look like more of a team and there is one main reason for that: This scene was filmed on the set of Avengers: Doomsday, meaning that their appearances here are very likely how they are going to look in the upcoming movie.
But that's not the only connection to Avengers: Doomsday. The post-credits scene directly sets up the events of the game-changing 2026 film in a way that will allow it to act as a direct sequel. Yes, the teaser also hints at the MCU's debut of the Fantastic Four (which was well-timed due to the release of The Fantastic Four: First Steps this year) but the quartet of heroes don't actually arrive in their solo outing. And that means that Doomsday will be where that happens.
Avengers: Doomsday is set to see the New Avengers seemingly unite with the Fantastic Four and Sam Wilson's team of Avengers (as well as the X-Men) to battle a potential incursion along with the arrival of Doctor Doom (played by none other than Marvel legend Robert Downey Jr.).
The film will also act as a direct sequel to The Fantastic Four: First Steps, carrying on from some of the narratives that kicked off in that movie while also facilitating the famous foursome's arrival on Earth-616, a.k.a. the MCU.
So, yes, the upcoming movie has a lot of plates to spin at the same time, but above being the fifth official Avengers movie, it's also a direct sequel to the two most recent MCU outings. And we can't wait to see our beloved Thunderbolts suit back up for what is sure to be a truly game-changing adventure for the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
The best thing about Avengers: Doomsday acting as a sequel to Thunderbolts*? The fact that there is already a sequel to that one in the works, with Avengers: Secret Wars set to carry on the story in 2027.
Avengers: Doomsday arrives in movie theaters on December 18, 2026.