Warning! This article contains SPOILERS for Thunderbolts*.AfterThunderbolts*completely changed the game for theMarvel Cinematic Universe, I was partly disappointed by what it meant for Sam Wilson, but I know howAvengers: Doomsdaycan turn things around for the new Captain America in a major way.Thunderbolts*was the breath of fresh air for the MCUthat I was hoping it would be. TheMCU’s Phase 5, just like the Multiverse Saga’s Phase 4, suffers from mostly having characters scattered around, not interacting with one another.
Captain America: Brave New Worldwas the first step in a better direction for the MCU. While the movie itself was the least exciting of the Captain America franchise, it had a solid setup for theMCU’s upcoming Avengers movies. At the end of the film,Anthony Mackie’s Sam Wilson decided to restart the Avengers, which I felt was fitting, since Chris Evans' Steve Rogers was the team’s previous leader. While I love thecast ofThunderbolts*and want to see them thrive, I think it’s clear that the film’s big reveal hurts Sam Wilson’s story.
Thunderbolts* Made The Team The MCU’s New Avengers And Started A Fight
Marvel Studios Now Has Two Avengers Teams Co-Existing
Thunderbolts*’s endinghad Valentina Allegra de Fontaineintroduce the team to the world as the New Avengers. Given how the team was mostly made of characters who had been villains or anti-heroes up to that point, I was shocked to see the MCU take such a huge swing. Sure,Thunderbolts*was a movie about those characters becoming heroes and not letting the darkness take over them. Even with that approach, I was surprised that Marvel would take that particular set of characters and make them the New Avengers.
The choice was even more surprising because of the MCU’s first movie of 2025, asCaptain America: Brave New World’s ending had set up Sam Wilson’s Avengers team only a few months beforeThunderbolts*. Besides giving the MCU two Avengers teams in a short span of time,Thunderbolts*’s post-credits scenetook a step further, starting a fight between them, with Sam Wilson going the legal route to get the Avengers trademark. I think the Thunderbolts deserved an upgrade, but I felt the way the movie did it made Sam Wilson’s Avengers look unnecessary and used him for a joke.
Sam Wilson Defeating Chris Evans’ Evil Captain America Would Be The Best Avengers Movie Outcome For Him
Chris Evans Returned To Marvel In Deadpool & Wolverine As Johnny Storm/The Human Torch
SinceCaptain America: Brave New Worldwas not a box office hit, ending its global run with $415 million on a $180 million budget with marketing not included (viaBox Office Mojo), Sam Wilson still has a lot to live up to.Chris Evans' Captain America was the leader of the Avengersand one of the faces of the MCU alongside Robert Downey Jr.’s Iron Man. That is the legacy Anthony Mackie’s Sam Wilson is a part of, and afterThunderbolts*, I know the perfect way to help Sam’s popularity increase.
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Avengers: Secret Wars
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Chris Evans is reportedly inAvengers: Doomsday, with rumors suggesting he could take a page from Downey’s playbook and become a villain, withHydra’s Captain America being at the top of the Avengers movie rumors. Sam Wilson’s status as the leader of the MCU’s real Avengers might have been disputed byThunderbolts*and the creation of the New Avengers, but I believe that if he were to fight Evans' Hydra Captain America inAvengers: Doomsdayand defeat him, the character’s popularity with fans and respect from the MCU’s heroes and general population would increase by a lot.
I Think Sam Wilson’s Avengers Need To Be The Main Team Of Avengers: Doomsday
The Next Avengers Movie Will Feature Many Superhero Teams
Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige has confirmed that there will be many teams in the next Avengers movie, such as the New Avengers (former Thunderbolts), Fox’s original X-Men, the Avengers, the Fantastic Four, and more. That was to be expected when theAvengers: Doomsdaycastannouncement was live-streamed by Marvel, including characters from all over the MCU and the many X-Men franchise stars. Whilethe MCU’s Avengers movies have become synonymous with franchise crossover events, I feel like their title should still count for something.
Despite the many teams that will factor intoAvengers: Doomsday’s plot, the Avengers should still firmly be the film’s main team. Now, there are going to be two versions of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes in the movie — Sam Wilson’s Avengers andThunderbolts*’s New Avengers. The way Marvel canavoid doing Captain America dirty again is by making Sam’s Avengers the main team ofDoomsday, allowing him to have the important franchise role he deserves. If anything other than that happens, I think Sam’s storyline would not get the payoff it should, soAvengers: Doomsdaywill hopefully avoid comparison withThunderbolts*’s team.
Avengers: Doomsday
Cast
Avengers: Doomsday is the fifth Avengers film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and will bring together heroes, new and old, to face off against Victor von Doom - played by the returning Robert Downey Jr.. Avengers 5 will also mark the beginning of phase 6 of the MCU.
WHERE TO WATCH
Thunderbolts follows seven disillusioned individuals who find themselves trapped in a perilous situation. Tasked with a daunting mission, they must face the most shadowy aspects of their histories in order to survive and achieve their goals.
