Marvel's Thunderbolts movie will end Phase 5 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, positioning it as a major event for the Multiverse Saga. The veil of secrecy surrounding what is coming next for the MCU finally lifted at San Diego Comic-Con 2022. It was during Marvel Studios panel that Kevin Feige revealed when Phase 4 ends, announced the entire MCU Phase 5 slate, and introduced a few projects for Phase 6. The long-rumored Thunderbolts MCU movie was among the announcements for the Multiverse Saga slate.
The seeds for an MCU Thunderbolts movie have long been planted, but Phase 4 made it abundantly clear the team was part of the future plans. Contessa Valentina Allegra de la Fontaine has been seen assembling a group of villains/anti-heroes throughout multiple projects, starting with U.S. Agent in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier and continuing with Yelena Belova in Black Widow. The confirmation that Thunderbolts is releasing in 2024 made the project officially part of the MCU's future, but this is also where Kevin Feige confirmed it was the last project of Phase 5 overall.
Thunderbolts ending Phase 5 is a massive deal for the movie, the MCU, and the Multiverse Saga's overall storyline. Yet, the decision to have the villainous Marvel team get such a significant place in the Multiverse Saga might confuse some. Marvel is not using Avengers movies to cap Phases anymore, as Black Panther: Wakanda Forever ends Phase 4 and the team-up franchise will end sagas now moving forward. It is unlikely that Thunderbolts features a multiversal plot or has any real major connections to Marvel's Secret Wars plans. The reason that Thunderbolts ends Phase 5, though, is likely twofold; Marvel gets a team-up movie to end the phase and the Thunderbolts are put in a position to be heavily featured in the MCU Phase 6's Multiverse Saga conclusion.
How Will Thunderbolts Set Up Phase 6?
The MCU's Thunderbolts movie might not scream multiverse setup, but the introduction of the team ahead of Kang's multiversal war in Phase 6 is no accident. The plans for Avengers: The Kang Dynasty and Avengers: Secret Wars signal that the Thunderbolts could play a major role in what is coming. The comics' original version of Secret Wars saw the Avengers fight a team of iconic Marvel villains on Battleworld. Marvel Studios could replace the villain group with Thunderbolts potentially.
Even if the Thunderbolts are villains for the Avengers at some point in the Multiverse Saga, it is difficult to imagine them not becoming allies in the multiversal war against Kang. The threat of Kang the Conqueror and potentially destroying multiple universes means that this will be an all-hands-on-deck scenario for the MCU. This will especially be true if incursions and Kang threaten to destroy Earth-616. Thunderbolts ending Phase 5 then makes all the more sense, as the team's introduction will tie into Marvel's larger plans of assembling more superteams. It could mean seeing the Thunderbolts, a new Avengers team, the Fantastic Four, the Young Avengers, and more work together to stop Kang in Phase 6.
