The Marvel Cinematic Universe has a new problem with post-credit scenes that can be resolved during Phase 5. Often used as the franchise's way of teasing new characters or films, post-credit scenes keep the discussion around the MCU going, fueling theories and rumors in the space between projects. However, while the MCU continues to add end-credit scenes to each of its films and series, its method of doing so has recently come under fire during the Multiverse Saga, specifically in its Phase 4 titles. If Marvel Studios doesn't find a way to amend its biggest post-credits scene problem, one of the franchise's signature aspects risks losing all its magic.
While more recent post-credits scenes have been used to tease multiple Kang variants and major heroes, the MCU's earlier stingers were far more simple. Iron Man featured the first MCU post-credit tease, which set up Samuel L. Jackson's Nick Fury and the prospect of the Avengers Initiative. Each film thereafter featured at least one post-credit scene and, beginning with The Avengers, most included a second scene as well. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 even included a whopping five post-credit scenes in a meta-joke about the franchise's love for last-minute teases. Since then, nearly every film has featured one or more of these scenes, with the exception of Avengers: Endgame.
MCU Phase 5 Needs To Pay Off Post-Credits Scene Teases Faster
After Phase 4 of the MCU, Phase 5 must fix its post-credits scenes by paying them off faster. Many of Phase 4's last-minute teases have come under fire, as they have no foreseeable payoff in the near future. Many projects ended with a hint of a character's soon-coming arrival to the MCU, including Starfox in Eternals, Venom in Spider-Man: No Way Home, Clea in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, and Hercules in Thor: Love and Thunder. While these introductions were all individually exciting, none of the characters introduced have a clear path forward, making their debut feel forced and meaningless in the grand scheme of the Multiverse Saga.
In reaction to this problem, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania's post-credit scenes have already taken steps to improve their impact on the MCU. Quantumania introduced several new Kang variants in its final scenes but also provided at least one concrete hint at their future, revealing that Victor Timely would be involved in the events of Loki's second season. This is a great start for Phase 5's post-credits scenes, but it certainly doesn't solve the problem by itself. projects like Secret Invasion and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 will have to follow suit, offering exciting end-credits teases that actually inform specific projects in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Why MCU Phase 1 Post-Credits Scenes Worked So Well
In contrast to recent films, Phase 1 of the MCU revealed a plan for future projects with each of its post-credit scenes. Each new credits scene offered more information on the exciting team-up of Earth's Mightiest Heroes or directly referenced the next film in the timeline. Each Phase 1 film, therefore, used its post-credit scene to build toward The Avengers and its lineup: Iron Man set up the very idea of the Avengers, The Incredible Hulk hinted at the Hulk's recruitment, Iron Man 2 teased the coming of Thor, Thor revealed the Tesseract's importance, and Captain America: The First Avenger debuted the first trailer for the team-up film.
Once its premiere team had been fully formed, Phase 1 ended by introducing Thanos in the post-credit scene of The Avengers, teasing his massive role to come in future films. While Thanos's crusade wouldn't begin in full for another six years, his introduction was meant as a promise of major things to come, and future films continued to build on his arrival. The Mad Titan's future was concrete but also offered room for speculation as the franchise inched closer to Avengers: Infinity War. While the Marvel Cinematic Universe has grown in many ways, it might do well to what made its original post-credit scenes so compelling.
