Here’s What Mel Was Doing During That ‘Thunderbolts*’ Post-Credits Scene [Exclusive]

Editor’s note: This article contains spoilers for Thunderbolts*.

If you stayed through the end credits of Thunderbolts*, then you were treated to one of the MCU’s most loaded — and longest — post-credits scenes yet. The mysterious appearance of a spacecraft marked with a giant “4” stole most of the spotlight, and understandably so, given the wider implications of it, but one lingering question remains for fans invested in the shadowy new world of Valentina Allegra de Fontaine’s operations: Where was Mel?

Played by Geraldine Viswanathan, Mel was very quickly one of Thunderbolts*’ most intriguing new characters. As Valentina’s quietly calculating assistant — who might not be as loyal as she seems — Mel operates in the background, subtly pulling strings and shaping the outcome of several pivotal moments in the film, like a true sleeper agent. So when the team ends up inside Avengers Tower (rebranded as the “Watchtower”) and makes contact with what appears to be the Fantastic Four, it’s natural to wonder: Is Mel just offscreen, or has she been sidelined? According to Viswanathan, Mel is still very much in the picture — and she’s finally got an office.

Speaking to Perri Nemiroff for Collider Ladies Night, Viswanathan confirmed that yes, Mel is at the tower during that post-credits moment.

“She is. Yep. She’s got a little office. She’s got a little coffee machine in there. She’s stepping up. She has a little view. But she’s still striving.”

Who Is Mel in ‘Thunderbolts*’?

That single quote might be one of the most revealing things we’ve learned about Mel yet. It tells us she’s still operating within Valentina’s sphere of influence, not cast out or destroyed like some speculated after her morally murky decisions surrounding her boss, particularly when it came to tipping off Sebastian Stan‘s Bucky Barnes as to where the “Thunderbolts” were located early in the movie.

It also suggests that she’s gaining status — quietly moving up the chain of command — but still not quite in control. There’s ambition there. That cup of coffee? It’s probably brewed with precision, just the way Val likes it — because Mel is still playing the long game, and if you’ve seen the movie, you know that Mel can somehow make the perfect coffee no matter where they end up.

In the same interview, Viswanathan also talked about Mel’s power trajectory. Asked what “making it” would look like for her character, she replied: “Just calling the shots, pressing buttons, getting off the damn phone, and not getting coffees for people. I think just having a say, making decisions, making calls. Whatever that position is.”

Thunderbolts* is in theaters now. Check out Viswanathan’s full episode of Collider Ladies Night above.