Black Widow hits cinemas in May 2020, but insider reports combined with leaks from the set mean that we now have a fairly good idea of what the film’s post-credit sequence will be.
Word is that the breakout character from the pic will be Florence Pugh’s Yelena. She’s the next bearer of the Black Widow codename and went through the same super-spy training as Natasha, but never strayed from the sinister black ops path laid down for her in the Red Room. Apparently, Pugh is knocking the part out of the park and there are big plans for her to continue in the MCU.
In fact, we’re now hearing that Black Widow’s post-credits scene will set up her next appearance. We recently got news that William Hurt’s General “Thunderbolt” Ross was spotted on set filming something with Pugh. A couple insiders on Twitter reported that said scene will be set in the modern-day (i.e. after Avengers: Endgame) and Ross will be attempting to recruit Yelena for his new Thunderbolts team. And now, sources close to WGTC have confirmed that this indeed what was going on in that scene, with Black Widow‘s post-credits tease planting the seeds for a new team in the MCU.
Of course, a Thunderbolts MCU movie has been rumored for a long time now. Essentially Marvel’s take on The Suicide Squad, the Thunderbolts are a team of semi-reformed supervillains assembled for covert ops, with those in the group hoping for some kind of redemption for their past sins. Rumored members (aside from Yelena) are Tim Blake Nelson’s the Leader (last seen in The Incredible Hulk) and Ant-Man and the Wasp‘s Hannah John-Kamen, who’s already said she’s up for Ghost joining the Thunderbolts. Other comic members already in the MCU include Winter Soldier, Baron Zemo and Ghost Rider.
This could also fold into the long-rumored plans Marvel Studios have for a Dark Avengers project. I can’t imagine them going forward with two separate films about teams of supervillains though, so it’s entirely possible they could just roll their ideas for that movie into Thunderbolts.
In any case, Black Widow opens this coming May and at that point, we should have a much better idea of what’s in store for this new MCU team.
