Though Avengers: Doomsday doesn’t premiere until the end of the year, marketing for Marvel’s all-important upcoming blockbuster is in full swing. Over a period of four weeks, the Doomsday curtain was (slightly) peeled back via a series of four teasers, each one revolving around a different character (or groups of characters). Through these special previews, fans received confirmation of Steve Rogers’ return, got to see the X-Men in comics-accurate costumes, and see the stage set for a poignant Thor character arc. But the fourth and final teaser is arguably the one with the most intrigue.
Now officially online is the Wakandans/Fantastic Four teaser, which shows Ben Grimm meeting M’Baku, Shuri, and others. Immediately, the trailer sparked discussion, such as whether or not Marvel digitally altered the footage to hide key details. Perhaps an even more fascinating talking point is whether or not the latest look at Doomsday retcons a key moment from the best Marvel Cinematic Universe movie of 2025.
Does the Avengers: Doomsday Wakanda Trailer Retcon Thunderbolts*?
The Thunderbolts* post-credits scene has a lot for Marvel fans to take in, picking things up 14 months after the film’s main events. Not only does it establish the current state of the New Avengers and their ongoing legal dispute with Sam Wilson (who has assembled his own Avengers team), it also sets the stage for Doomsday in a major way. The New Avengers notice a mysterious spacecraft that arrived from another dimension, teasing the Fantastic Four’s arrival to Earth-616. The Thunderbolts* stinger was actually directed by Joe and Anthony Russo during Doomsday production.
The way the sequence is constructed made it seem as if the New Avengers would be the ones to greet the Fantastic Four. In a way, that would make sense. The Fantastic Four hail from New York in Earth-828. The New Avengers’ headquarters are located in Earth-616’s version of New York. Upon arriving in another dimension, it’s plausible that the Fantastic Four would set course for Earth-616’s New York since it’s at least something somewhat familiar to them. All that said, the fourth Doomsday teaser suggests that it is perhaps the Wakandans who welcome Marvel’s First Family to the dimension. The Doomsday teaser is brief, so there isn’t much to go off of, but it’s still possible in theory.
Just because the New Avengers saw the Fantastic Four’s ship doesn’t mean those two teams actually cross paths moments later. In the scene, all the New Avengers learn is that an extra-dimensional ship has entered Earth’s atmosphere. They don’t know the ship’s trajectory. Since Thunderbolts* doesn’t confirm where the Fantastic Four are headed, New York is not the only option on the table. The Fantastic Four could be en route to Wakanda and were simply picked up by the New Avengers’ satellites as they flew by. Remember, the Fantastic Four: First Steps post-credits scene teased Doctor Doom’s kidnapping of Franklin Richards, meaning the Fantastic Four could be in pursuit of Doom to save the toddler. They might have tracked Doom to Earth-616, following him to Wakanda.
There are many reasons why Doom would want to travel to Wakanda, a nation renowned for its vast amount of technology and resources. There have also been theories that Doom is targeting the children of powerful MCU heroes for nefarious purposes. After snagging Franklin, he could head to Wakanda to search for Prince Toussaint, the son of T’Challa. In the Wakanda Doomsday teaser, Shuri mentions that she’s lost “everyone that matters to me,” which would seemingly include her nephew. Assuming Toussaint isn’t dead, it’s possible he’s been kidnapped alongside Franklin, leading Shuri to team up with the Fantastic Four to find the children. With so much about Doomsday under lock and key, the possibilities are endless.
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