The Marvel Cinematic Universe has turned the post-credit scene into a vital part of the movie-going experience. Once a seldom-used novelty, the post-credit scenes are now an opportunity to tease a new hero, slip one more sly joke in, or hint at a looming threat to come. Granted, each one doesn't necessarily live up to its promise, but the best post-credit scenes stoke anticipation in Marvel fans ready for the next film entry.
With more than 30 films in the MCU catalog, there is no shortage of post-credit scenes. Some films have multiple offerings throughout their credits, so viewers fear leaving until the very end, afraid to miss a clue about the next big thing. The future of the MCU has exciting things in store, but until the next big thing arrives, here are the ten best post-credit scenes in the MCU ranked by how worthwhile it was for MCU fans to stay in their seats until the theater turned their lights on.
10 Heroes Have Patience 'Spider-Man: Homecoming' (2017)
The first solo outing for Spider-Man (Tom Holland) was notable for its inclusion of Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) and his alter-ego, Iron Man, but there was another hero offering a different type of guidance. Captain America (Chris Evans) was seen throughout Spider-Man: Homecoming in various hilariously awkward PSAs that covered the perils of getting detention or insight into the changes brought on by puberty. It was a fun running joke, made even more so when Cap popped in for one last PSA to talk about the virtue of patience.
As Captain America addresses how patience sometimes leads to a disappointing outcome, it becomes clear that the last PSA is a meta-reference to the post-credit scenes themselves. Spider-Man: Homecoming embodied the style of classic John Hughes high school comedies, so it was especially fitting for the film to include a spiritual nod to Ferris Bueller's Day Off post-credit scene, where Ferris (Matthew Broderick) tells the audience to go home. When Captain America turns to someone off-camera and asks, "How many more of these?" the audience can see that even Cap is wondering why he's still there.
Spider-Man: Homecoming PG-13 SuperheroActionAdventureSci-FiComedyDrama
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*Availability in US Release Date July 7, 2017 Director Jon Watts Cast Michael Keaton , Martin Starr , Angourie Rice , Robert Downey Jr. , Marisa Tomei , Bokeem Woodbine , Logan Marshall-Green , Garcelle Beauvais , Michael Mando , Zendaya , Tom Holland , Jon Favreau , Donald Glover , Hannibal Buress Runtime 133 minutes Expand 9 Clearing Up a Vile Rumor 'Deadpool & Wolverine' (2024)
By his third film, the audience is well aware that Deadpool (Ryan Reynolds) has a flexible understanding of truth and morality, so everyone assumes he's responsible for Johnny Storm's (Evans) gory death at the hands of Cassandra Nova (Emma Corrin). So it comes as quite a surprise when, during the end credits of Deadpool & Wolverine, Deadpool takes the time to clear his name. Remote in hand, Deadpool plays a clip of Johnny describing Cassandra in a profanity-laden rant that confirms, yes, Johnny did say what Deadpool repeated back to Cassandra.
Audiences most likely weren't expecting any big revelations or appearances from Doctor Doom in the post-credit scene of Deadpool & Wolverine, but they still managed to subvert expectations with Johnny's speech. Evans is so closely associated with the virtuous Captain America that it was surprising to see him deliver lines that would have been more at home in his earlier starring role of Jake Wyler in Not Another Teen Movie. Now, Deadpool still gets Johnny killed by repeating what he said, but the important thing - at least to Deadpool - was he didn't lie about it.
Deadpool & Wolverine R Action Sci-FiComedySuperhero
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*Availability in US Release Date July 26, 2024 Director Shawn Levy Runtime 127 Minutes Writers Rhett Reese , Paul Wernick , Shawn Levy , Ryan Reynolds , Zeb Wells , Rob Liefeld , Fabian Nicieza 8 A Familiar Blue Doctor 'The Marvels' (2023)
The post-credits scene in The Marvels sees Monica Rambeau (Teyonah Parris) wake up in a strange hospital bed and come face to face with a version of her dead mother, Maria (Lashana Lynch). The reunion doesn't go smoothly, as Maria doesn't recognize her, and a certain blue-haired Beast, voiced by Kelsey Grammer, explains why. Monica is in a parallel universe, and in this world, her mother is revealed to be the hero Binary.
For X-Men fans, this was a tremendous reveal, as Beast's appearance implies that the rest of the X-Men will make their MCU debut sometime in the future. Disney's acquisition of Fox and their properties, such as the Fantastic Four and the X-Men, was completed in 2019, so fans have anxiously awaited developments for the famous comic book heroes. While not all post-credit scenes have led to their teases being paid off, it's hard to imagine fans will wait too much longer before the merry mutants arrive on the big screen via Disney.
The Marvels PG-13 AdventureActionSuperhero
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*Availability in US Release Date November 10, 2023 Director Nia DaCosta Cast Brie Larson , Zawe Ashton , Teyonah Parris , Iman Vellani , Samuel L. Jackson , Park Seo-joon , Zenobia Shroff , Mohan Kapur , Saagar Shaikh , Gary Lewis Runtime 105 Minutes Writers Gene Colan , Roy Thomas 7 The Twins 'Captain America: The Winter Soldier' (2014)
The end of Captain America: The Winter Soldier left Captain America as he embarked on a quest to find his old friend turned brainwashed enemy, Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan), with the knowledge the threat of the evil organization HYDRA was no more. But as audiences learn in the first post-credit scene, HYDRA has two tricks up its sleeve: Pietro (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) and Wanda Maximoff (Elizabeth Olsen).
The twins' introduction was an exciting development, as both characters have a long history with the Avengers. It also raised questions about how the two could make an appearance while being part of the X-Men universe, which Fox still owned at the time. The future misuse of Quicksilver makes his first appearance a little bittersweet, but at least the Scarlet Witch would go on to make an impact in the MCU.
Captain America: The Winter Soldier PG-13 AdventureActionSci-FiSuperhero
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*Availability in US Release Date April 4, 2014 Director Joe Russo , Anthony Russo Runtime 136 Minutes Writers Christopher Markus , Stephen McFeely 6 Earth's Last Page 'Avengers: Infinity War' (2018)
Never had an MCU film ended on such a dark note as Avengers: Infinity War and the losses continued into the end-credits scene. Fans who waited for more would see Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) and Maria Hill (Cobie Smulders) driving when chaos from the blip breaks out into the streets. Fury watches Hill disintegrate into dust, leading him to desperately send a distressed page before the same fate befalls him as well. As the camera zooms in on the pager, it's revealed the message was received by none other than Captain Marvel (Brie Larson).
The action was so focused on the hero's struggles that watching the devastation from a civilian perspective grounded the fallout of Thanos' (Josh Brolin) actions. As cars swerved with no drivers and helicopters careened into buildings, audiences realized they were watching the modern generation's answer to The Empire Strikes Back. The situation seemed hopeless, but true believers could have renewed faith that the powerful Captain Marvel would even the odds.
Avengers: Infinity War PG-13 ActionSci-FiSuperheroAdventure
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*Availability in US Release Date April 27, 2018 Director Joe Russo , Anthony Russo Runtime 149 minutes Writers Stephen McFeely , Christopher Markus 5 Dance Like No One Is Watching 'Guardians of the Galaxy' (2014)
MCU fans had just gotten to know Groot (Vin Diesel), the scene-stealing, plant-based member of The Guardians of the Galaxy before they were forced to say goodbye. Near the end of the film, Groot nobly sacrifices himself to protect his team, but a piece of him found at the finale's crash site is planted to grow a new version of the hero. A post-credits scene shows Groot is growing nicely, and even though he's rooted to his planter, it doesn't slow down the rhythm in his soul.
The post-credits scene of Groot dancing, while Drax (Dave Bautista) tries to catch him in the act, resonated with viewers for multiple reasons. One, it's adorable, but additionally, it represents healing for the newly formed Guardians by showing that Groot's spirit lives on in a different form. It's a touching and light-hearted note to close out one of the MCU's greatest successes.
Guardians of the Galaxy PG-13 AdventureActionFantasySci-Fi
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*Availability in US Release Date July 30, 2014 Director James Gunn Cast Zoe Saldana , Karen Gillan , Vin Diesel , Michael Rooker , Djimon Hounsou , Lee Pace , Benicio Del Toro , Glenn Close , Dave Bautista , Chris Pratt2 , Bradley Cooper , John C. Reilly Runtime 122 Minutes Writers James Gunn , Nicole Perlman , Dan Abnett , Andy Lanning
4 I'll Do It Myself 'Avengers: Age of Ultron' (2015)
The post-credit scene of Avengers: Age of Ultron may have been brief, but it spoke volumes about what was to come. In a darkened screen, viewers see a shape being raised on a platform as the whirring of machinery echoes in a chamber. As the doors to the compartment open, lights wash in to reveal the golden Infinity Gauntlet. Thanos steps in, puts the gauntlet on his hand, and ominously says, "Fine. I'll do it myself."
By this point in the MCU, fans were aware of Thanos lurking in the shadows, pulling strings but not yet in the battle. With his donning the infinity gauntlet, the intention was clear - Thanos was about to make his presence known to Earth's Mightiest Heroes. With the Infinity Gauntlet storyline an epic showdown in the comic books, fans were left speculating about what that many heroes would look like on screen and if it could live up to their expectations.
Avengers: Age of Ultron PG-13 ActionSci-FiSuperhero
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*Availability in US Release Date May 1, 2015 Director Joss Whedon Runtime 141 minutes Writers Joss Whedon 3 Spider-Man's Identity Revealed 'Spider-Man: Far From Home' (2019)
Peter was tasked with overcoming self-doubt and grief to beat Mysterio (Jake Gyllenhaal) in Spider-Man: Far From Home, but the villain had one last move to use in defeat. The post-credits scene would show Spider-Man swinging MJ (Zendaya) around on a long overdue date, but the romance was cut short with breaking news from a surprise appearance by J.K. Simmons as J. Jonah Jameson. Jameson announces to the world that he has proof from Mysterio that Spider-Man is Peter Parker, and audiences are left to guess what could possibly happen next.
As far as cliffhangers go, this was a monumental one for Spider-Man fans because, unlike many of the other MCU characters, Peter fiercely guards his identity to keep his loved ones safe. On top of the implications for the character, fans were overjoyed to see Simmons reprise his role as Jameson from the Sam Raimi original trilogy. While as divisive as most anything regarding comic book movies can be, Simmons' performance was universally considered pitch-perfect, making him a welcome addition to the MCU.
Spider-Man: Far from Home PG-13 AdventureActionSci-FiSuperhero
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*Availability in US Release Date July 2, 2019 Director Jon Watts Runtime 129 Minutes Writers Erik Sommers , Chris McKenna
2 Courting Death 'The Avengers' (2012)
While there was a second end-credits scene with The Avengers having a quiet post-battle meal, the impactful scene in question happened earlier. The camera pans into the vastness of space while the audience hears the fretful explanation for why the attempt of Loki's earthly takeover was thwarted. When it's mentioned that battling the Avengers would be like "courting death itself," Thanos turns to the camera with an evil smile.
With so many post-credits scenes hinting at a new hero or developments in the forming of The Avengers, having the Avengers actually star in a movie seemed like the end. One of the most unlikely experiments in movie history was not only completed but in blockbuster fashion -- what else was there to do? As it turns out, so much more. Viewers unfamiliar with Thanos might not have understood the threat on the horizon, but they soon would.
The Avengers PG-13 Science FictionActionAdventureSuperhero
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*Availability in US Release Date May 4, 2012 Director Joss Whedon Runtime 143 minutes Writers Joss Whedon , Zak Penn
1 The Avengers Initiative 'Iron Man' (2008)
It's hard to imagine the tradition of post-credit scenes without Samuel L. Jackson donning Nick Fury's eye patch and breaking into Tony Stark's house. The first Iron Man opened the door for the rest of the MCU thanks to a career-reviving performance from Robert Downey Jr., but the brief scene during the credits mentioning the Avengers Initiative hinted at a larger world to come. The Marvel comic series "The Ultimates," a retelling of the Avengers' origins, had drawn Nick Fury with the likeness of Jackson, so seeing him appear in the flesh was a surreal moment for comic fans.
Much like Stark himself, audiences didn't necessarily believe the scene would accurately predict the future. The logistics of introducing all the Avengers teammates, along with the budget and scope necessary to make such a film possible, seemed like a fantasy at best. Now, years later, the MCU domineering cineplexes worldwide definitively serve as proof - when Fury has something in mind, it almost always happens precisely as he planned.
Iron Man PG-13 Sci-FiActionAdventure
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*Availability in US Release Date May 2, 2008 Director Jon Favreau Cast Robert Downey Jr. , Jeff Bridges , gwyneth paltrow , Terrence Howard , Leslie Bibb , Shaun Toub , Clark Gregg , Paul Bettany Runtime 126 minutes Writers Matt Holloway , Art Marcum , Hawk Ostby , Mark Fergus
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