Thunderbolts*’ art book has revealed a scrapped storyline. The dropped concept focused on Captain America’s broken shield and showed how it could have reappeared after Avengers: Endgame.
Captain America’s shield could’ve been reassembled in Thunderbolts*
Avengers: Endgame left Captain America’s broken shield without a clear fate, but Thunderbolts* nearly resolved the mystery. Marvel Studios’ Thunderbolts: The Art of the Movie revealed early concepts that brought the shield back.
An early Thunderbolts* concept showed Valentina Allegra de Fontaine acquiring the shield and placing it on display in Stark Avengers The Watchtower. This concept would have directly tied Endgame’s events to Thunderbolts*’ storyline.
Thanos shattered the shield during the Battle of Earth. Steve Rogers later handed Sam Wilson a new one. The scrapped Thunderbolts* idea made Val the owner of the original shield fragments, cementing her influence in the MCU.
In the film, Val already showed her reach by curating a Battle of New York exhibition. The display included Loki’s scepter, Chitauri cuffs, and the giant “A” from Stark/Avengers Tower. Adding Captain America’s shield would have extended her collection even further.
Thunderbolts* portrayed Val as both a manipulator and a collector of Avengers history. The art book stated, “While not easy to make out specifics, there also appears to be more memorabilia in the Watchtower when the Thunderbolts arrive and first face The Sentry.”
The shield would have reinforced this theme, showing how Val preserved pieces of past battles while shaping her own agenda. Phase 5 added more context to the shield’s absence. Nick Fury deployed Skrulls to recover Avengers DNA after Endgame. The book noted it was “surprising they would’ve left the shield behind.”
This detail suggested Val may have seized it first, proving her ability to outmaneuver even Fury. Although Marvel abandoned the plan, Thunderbolts* still highlighted Val’s collection and her Watchtower. The film used both to bridge Avengers history with its new team of anti-heroes, keeping Endgame’s legacy alive.
Originally reported by Vritti Johar on HotNewBreak.
