You're absolutely right to draw connections between the newly released still from The Fantastic Four: First Steps and the post-credits scene from Thunderbolts*/New Avengers—and what makes this moment particularly exciting is how it hints at a larger, interconnected Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) narrative that's beginning to take shape.
The still in question—featuring Pedro Pascal as Reed Richards and Joseph Quinn as Johnny Storm floating in a zero-gravity environment, both clad in their iconic spacesuits—is indeed a strong indicator that we’re seeing a later-stage moment in The Fantastic Four: First Steps, likely after their initial space mission that granted them powers. The presence of the Fantastic Four logo on a door or airlock suggests they're in a high-tech, possibly interstellar or orbital facility—possibly even a NASA-like or Stark-aligned space station, or something more advanced.
This detail is crucial: the spacesuits are only worn after the team's transformation in space, which aligns with the timeline of their origin story. So the image isn’t from the film’s opening chapters but rather a later, more heroic phase—possibly after they’ve returned from space, saved Earth from Galactus (as teased in trailers), and begun operating as a full-fledged superhero team.
Now, here’s where the Thunderbolts*/New Avengers post-credits teaser comes in:
In that scene, a team of reformed or rogue Avengers and former villains (including John Walker as U.S. Agent, Yelena Belova, and Patriot) are seen in a futuristic-looking bunker, working on a mission involving a large, glowing energy core. The atmosphere is tense, and the implication is that they’re preparing for a new kind of threat—one that might require cosmic-level heroes.
The link between the two? The zero-gravity setting, the advanced tech, and the distinctive Fantastic Four logo on the airlock in the still all suggest that The Fantastic Four: First Steps might not only feature the team in their prime—but could be setting up their role in a larger interstellar or multiversal threat, one that directly ties into the Thunderbolts*/New Avengers storyline.
This could mean:
Why fans are excited:
And yes—the spoiler warning stands. If the post-credits scene from Thunderbolts*/New Avengers hints at a new cosmic threat, and this still from The Fantastic Four: First Steps shows them already operating in that same universe, it’s not a stretch to think the team might appear in a full team-up in a future Thunderbolts film—or even as core members of a new Avengers team.
In short: This isn’t just a teaser. It’s a breadcrumb in a much bigger story.
And if the MCU’s next chapter is about cosmic unity and redemption, the Fantastic Four might be right at its center. 🌌💥
Keep your eyes on that airlock. The universe is opening.