Summary
Keeping to MCU custom,Thunderbolts*has end credits worth sticking around for, with one in particular setting the fandom ablaze. But that scene wasn’t shot by the film’s own director.
Thunderbolts*follows a Suicide Squad-like mash-up of antiheroes who are forced to work together in an Avengers-less world. The MCU’s final Phase Five entry is backed by solid word-of-mouth, a 90% rating on Rotten Tomatoes—among the highest-rated movies in the MCU—and an A- on CinemaScore. Florence Pugh’s Yelena Belova, Sebastian Stan’s Bucky Barnes, David Harbour’s Alexei Shostakov, Wyatt Russell’s John Walker, Hannah John-Kamen’s Ava Starr, Olga Kurylenko’s Antonia Dreykov/Taskmaster, and Lewis Pullman’s Robert Reynolds/Sentry make-up the unlikely team.
The Most Important Post-Credits Scene InThunderbolts*Was Shot On The Set OfAvengers: Doomsday
And It Was Filmed as Recently as a Month Ago
One ofThunderbolts*’s two post-credits scenesteases a highly anticipated Phase Six movie in MCU fashion. Quite surprisingly, it wasn’t shot by director Jake Schreier. First speaking to ComicBook on YouTube, the 43-year-old filmmaker revealed that the scene comes from the set of an ongoing production he isn’t involved in.
“We always knew the end moment was going to be there from the very beginning and it was about building the right story that lived up to that. But the specifics of what that end credits scene came together quite late.”
Discussing the scene in an interview withVarietya day later provided further context, with the bonus that the set in question wasAvengers: Doomsday.
“That was shot maybe four weeks ago, and I did not direct that. That’s the Russos on the set of “Avengers: Doomsday.” I got to be there, which was very fun, to watch your buddies go on to this grander scale.”
Scherier not directing a post-credits scene in his own movie might sound unusual, but it doesn’t necessarily break MCU tradition. Scott Derrickson, the director ofDoctor Strange, shot the teaser about the wizard at the end ofThor: Ragnarokrather than Taika Waititi; one ofSpider-Man: Homecoming’s post-credits scenes is the product of filmmakers not named Jon Watts. After becoming the ninth MCU director with a 90%-and-above rating on Rotten Tomatoes,Scherier’s stock in the comic book worldwill have undoubtedly risen, and the filmmaker is open to more of where it came from.
Unsurprisingly, the internet is in full theorizing mode, with fans passionately dissecting the significance and appropriateness, or otherwise, of the scene in the movie. Such buzz may prove potent enough to persuade a naysayer or two to giveThunderboltsa shot in the theaters. Industry analysts won’t have to wait long to break down how huge of an impact the word-of-mouth is having on the movie’s commercial performance. Although analysts are predicting a $70-$75 million domestic opening weekend,Thunderbolts’s Thursday preview numbersseem to be going ahead of those projections, aiming for an $80 million opener.
