It’s a sacred tradition that Marvel has done for nearly twenty years now, one that has kept fans sitting in theaters when anyone else would’ve been long gone after the story ended. Such dedication is only possible through the post and mid-credits scenes, debuting since 2008 and 2012 respectively. Thanks to these iconic staples, fans get brief glimpses into the aftermaths of the current movie’s events while also occasionally giving sneak peaks into future films or shows.
But today, we’re exclusively going through the mid-credits scenes. We’ll be briefly analyzing each one’s importance, impact, and contribution to the overall story of the MCU. Therefore, scenes like Nick Fury meeting Iron Man won’t be included. (Also, I still haven’t seen “Fantastic Four: First Steps” yet, so that won’t be included either)
#23: The Wheaties Box
With the defeat of the Void and De Fontaine’s announcement of the New Avengers, you’d expect there to be some form of popularity. In this case, just like Alexei mentioned earlier in the movie, the whole team is printed on the cover of Wheaties cereal boxes. Jumping on the opportunity, Alexei approaches a lone woman who’s grocery shopping. He tries to get her to recognize him as the Red Guardian and buy a box, but instead manages to weird her out and she promptly leaves him and the box behind.
While it’s a very funny joke and a lighthearted moment, let’s be honest here: it does absolutely nothing for the overall narrative of this universe. It doesn’t hook anyone in with a plot twist, it doesn’t hint at an upcoming project, it’s just a guy trying to seek fame with a cereal box. That’s it. Nothing more, nothing less. Again, it’s still funny and I’ll watch that scene and laugh each time, but it’s ultimately pointless in the long run.
#22: The Stadium Full of Kangs
Speaking of pointless in the long run, let’s transition into “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania.” After Ant-Man and the gang defeat a weaker variant of Kang the Conqueror, we find a trio of Kangs meet to discuss how they should respond to such a deed. This would immediately be followed by a view of a massive stadium, where many Kangs start teleporting inside, and potentially millions more are in the stands and going absolutely wild.
But what should’ve been an exciting introduction to “the next Thanos” ended up as an absolute disaster. Firstly, with Jonathan Majors being fired by Marvel and RDJ returning as Dr. Doom to replace Kang’s threat, it makes this whole scene disappointingly moot. Secondly, the way they set up Kang in this scene was very sloppy and premature. They introduce Kang way too early and out of nowhere, with little to no connection to the previous saga—or even past movies of the current saga—to build off of. Thanos had that proper, slow build up to make “Infinity War” and “Endgame” so iconic and amazing, but Kang only shows that Marvel no longer knows what they’re doing.
#21: Eros and Pip the Troll
After the Sersi destroys Tiamut, she and a couple other Eternals get abducted by Erishem the Judge, leading to the remaining Eternals searching for them in space. That’s when an Eternal named Eros, along with Pip the Troll as his assistant, teleport inside their ship and promise to help with the search. In fact, Eros claims to know where Sersi and the others are.
Four years after this movie released, and still nothing has come of it. This is mainly due to the fact that plans for an Eternals 2 have been scrapped, and Marvel’s focus on different projects most likely being another cause. Much like the fate of Kang and “Ant-Man 3,” these factors automatically make Eros’ debut completely pointless. Even if this plot point was addressed in “Doomsday,” it would most likely be rushed to fit the plot with no proper resolution. Aside from that, there’s also the fact that most people don’t even know who Eros or Pip are. Hardcore comic book fans would, but also like Kang, it just feels like they’re dropping random characters out of nowhere in hopes to get the crowd on board. While most people would be excited to see Harry Styles as this obscure character, the already messy and convoluted plot of the movie only washes over this mid-credits scene.
#20: Zeus Sends Hercules to Kill Thor
Gorr the God-Butcher is dead, Jane sacrifices herself to make it happen, and Thor is raising a child he literally just met. However, while Thor is trying to move on and live his “happily ever after,” Zeus is plotting against him. Earlier in the movie, Thor and the gang absolutely humiliated Zeus and stole his thunderbolt, and he’s definitely not taking it well at all. After lamenting about how the gods have become jokes, he commands his son, Hercules, to go and kill Thor for his treachery.
But once again, like the fates of the past two mid-credits scenes, this goes absolutely nowhere. Three years later, and we don’t get so much as an Easter egg that sheds light on any kind of development with this cliffhanger. What’s especially disappointing is how Hercules is a pretty popular character in Marvel comics, even taking place in the original “Civil War” event as part of Captain America’s side. So to see such promise and potential overshadowed and forgotten for all this time? It’s just very disappointing and infuriating how they keep setting these important events up, only to never bring it up again.
#19: The Ten Rings’ Broadcast Signal
As the saying goes: “With great power, comes great attention.” After Shang-Chi uses his father’s Ten Rings to destroy an ancient evil, Wong summons both him and his best friend (Katie, who helped in the fight) to examine the Rings. Wong, along with Bruce Banner and Captain Marvel, use their varying degrees of knowledge and can’t trace the origin of these artifacts. They do, however, discover that the Rings are sending a beacon to something unknown and deep in space. Wong ominously warns Shang-Chi and Katie and tells them to rest, but all three of them do karaoke together instead.
I really hate to repeat myself, but this mid-credits scene is yet another thing that Marvel has seemingly forgotten about. Four years later, and once again: no Easter eggs, no callbacks, not even a cameo to make this scene remotely relevant. When I first saw this scene, I was intrigued and wondered if they were calling out to Kang, or even Galactus. But over the years, and I feel like I can speak for many fans, but I honestly forgot this scene even existed and I don’t even care anymore. If you’re gonna make a mid-credits scene, make it worth the audience’s time and make it relevant to the story.
#18: Venom Finally Comes to the MCU
Everything came down to this moment: the villains cured, reality falling apart, and Spidey’s noble sacrifice to make the world forget he ever existed. Mere moments after Dr. Strange casts the spell, we find Tom Hardy’s Eddie Brock sitting at a food stand and asking questions about the MCU. Unseen, the Venom symbiote occasionally chimes in with his own commentary, even proudly saying they were drunk. However, once the spell takes effect, Eddie and Venom disappear back to their own reality, but not without leaving a piece of the symbiote behind.
Overall, this scene is completely disappointing. It does follow up with the post-credits scene of “Venom: Let There Be Carnage” with Venom appearing in the MCU, and Venom recognizing Peter on TV as his identity is revealed to the world. However, where this scene falls flat is the setup. Venom is clearly interested in Peter, and even though Eddie claims he just wants to talk to him, we all know what normally happens when these two meet. Whether it’s a fight or a teamup with Spidey, Venom is too popular a character to be wasted on a five minute cameo. Personally, I would’ve loved to see Venom in the main story of the movie, but maybe this scene is only meant to set up something big with Peter and the symbiote in future movies. With “Brand New Day” coming out next year, and especially with the Punisher debuting in that film, the possibilities for this scene are endless!
#17: Vulture and Scorpion
This was Tom Holland’s first solo movie in the MCU, and a big step in the development of his character. Against all odds and without Stark’s suit, Peter stopped the Vulture from robbing a cargo plane full of Avengers gear. Later on, when Toomes is in prison, he meets up with a previous associate from earlier in the film: Mac Gargan. Gargan tells Toomes that he knows people who wanna take out Spider-Man, and that there’s a rumor that Toomes knows who the webhead is. But out of respect for saving his life and especially his daughter’s life, Toomes replies, “If I knew who he was, he’d already be dead.”
This scene was so exciting! It kept fans questioning for years afterwards, and even hopes for an MCU Sinister Six were bubbling in everyone’s minds. However, just like the many entries so far, Marvel disappoints us with no follow-up to this scene. Granted, there was no room in the narrative in between “Spider-Man: Homecoming” and “Avengers: Endgame” for a follow up, but at least another small end-credits scene would’ve continued to add relevance to it. What’s worse, though, is the fact that “No Way Home” made this mid-credits scene completely meaningless. Now that the entire world has forgotten who Peter Parker is, Toomes has no memory of what Peter did for him or his daughter. Therefore, that small connection they had is now gone. I suppose Marvel could redeem this by giving Toomes a nagging feeling that there’s something about Spider-Man but he can’t remember what it was, and it could lead him to confront Spider-Man again. But after eight years with nothing calling back to this mid-credits scene, it’s doubtful that such a story could take place.
#16: Recruiting Monica Rambeau
In the finale of WandaVision, SWORD Director Hayward gets arrested for illegally rebuilding Vision, and also for framing Wanda in order to have an excuse to kill her. But amidst the cleanup process, Monica is pulled aside by an agent who turns out to be a Skrull. The Skrull tells Monica that she’s been sent by “an old friend of her mother’s,” clearly indicating Nick Fury. The Skrull says that he wants to meet her, but when Monica asks where that is, the Skrull just points up.
From a narrative standpoint, this scene does well enough for multiple reasons. First, it properly advances Monica’s character arc from all the way back in “Captain Marvel,” where she was a kid who was excited about outer space and wanting to go with Auntie Carol. Now, after serving in SWORD and following her mother’s footsteps, she finally gets the opportunity to go into space. Further, this scene also sets up the events of “The Marvels,” where Monica plays a crucial role in defeating Dar-Benn and also establishing additional lore for the multiverse. However, my only complaint is that this scene seemed to hint at something bigger happening. After all, being summoned by Nick Fury to go into space has to mean that something huge is going on. But when we see Monica next, she’s mainly fixing a satellite or something. It’s not that she has to be thrown into some big action sequence in the beginning of the film, but with the hype from that scene’s indications, it feels a bit underwhelming when we actually see what comes of it in “The Marvels.”
#15: Clea Recruits Dr. Strange
The Scarlet Witch was on a war path. She tore through universes and anyone she came across, in order to finally reunite with the children she lost in “WandaVision.” Using the forbidden art of dreamwalking, Dr. Strange confronts Wanda and helps America Chavez to defeat her. However, this act does not come without consequence. Not only does Strange briefly struggle to adapt to his newfound powers, but a strange woman in purple (Clea) approaches Strange. Telling him that his actions caused an incursion, she opens a portal to the Dark Dimension and gets Strange to accompany her inside.
Personally, I have mixed feelings about this scene. For starters, I love how it continued the story of the movie. Specifically, how Strange’s use of dreamwalking came with seemingly disastrous consequences. I’m so glad that they didn’t shrug this off for the sake of a happy ending, because you can’t just say dreamwalking is extremely dangerous without adding some kind of repercussion in the finale. Further, this mid-credits scene also adds more lore to the multiverse. After all, we already got lots of information and hints about the multiverse, but to actually see it happen to a main storyline Dr. Strange is all the more satisfying. Plus, we’re left with the mystery and hope that we’ll get to explore this supposed incursion in future stories. However, in spite of all this, I can’t help but feel like this scene only makes the overall multiverse saga more convoluted. The saga already has too many stories and directionless plots, so it makes you wonder how, when, and where they’re gonna fit in a subplot where Strange and Clea storm the Dark Dimension. In the end, I fear this is only going to make the saga even messier and that much more of a migraine to keep up with.
#14: Dancing Groot
Back in 2014, we got to see a group of nobodies (Peter Quill/Star-Lord, Gamora, Drax the Destroyer, Rocket Raccoon, and Groot) join together to save the galaxy from a dangerous threat known as Ronan the Accuser. During the confrontation, however, Groot sacrifices himself to save his teammates from what would’ve been a deadly crash. After the fight is done, Rocket manages to save a piece of Groot and desperately tries growing him back in a pot. This would ultimately work as we later see Groot dancing to some music in his pot, only pausing when Drax looked over at him.
This scene might not seem important at first glance, but it’s actually the complete opposite. First, it’s no question that, next to Gamora, Groot was the heart of the Guardians of the Galaxy. After all, Groot gave a flower to a kid who was dirty and poor on the streets of Knowhere. He convinced Rocket to save the only friends they ever had, and most importantly, he didn’t think twice about making himself a living shield to save everyone. He knew full well he was gonna die, but he did it anyway. To see that bright, goofy tree come back gives the Guardians (as well as the audience) hope. This is especially the case when you think of the crucial role that Groot played in “Infinity War:” turning his arm into the handle of Stormbreaker, the weapon that would wound and behead Thanos. Just think of how that encounter would go if Groot was still a pile of splinters from the first Guardians movie. Maybe it wouldn’t necessarily be bad, but it would definitely make defeating Thanos more difficult.
#13: Thor Meets Dr. Strange
At the end of Dr. Strange’s first movie, fans were pleasantly surprised to a time jump where Dr. Strange sits down with Thor. Strange offers Thor some tea, to which Thor says he doesn’t want any and vaguely responds that he wants something that isn’t tea, so Strange gives him some beer. Afterwards, Strange tells Thor that he has a list of dangerous beings from other worlds, Loki being one of them. Thor replies by explaining that they’re looking for Odin and will return to Asgard when they’re done, which Strange quickly agrees to help him find his long lost father.
The moment is clearly made to hype up “Thor: Ragnarok,” but it still sets the stage nicely. For instance, we haven’t seen Thor since “Age of Ultron,” and especially haven’t seen any updates about Loki or Odin since “Thor: The Dark World.” Therefore, hearing this discussion not only (sort of) wraps up some unfinished plot points, but it also progresses the story along. We finally have a lead on Odin, we have a clue that Loki’s rule has come to an end somehow. The only questions at that point are “what happened with Loki,” “what happened with Odin,” “how will they even find Odin,” and so many more. This also serves to hook fans in and truly get them invested in the Infinity Saga’s story, as any narrative should hope to accomplish. On a personal note, though, I feel like the hype with this meeting should’ve led to something more than a five minute cameo from Strange. It’s not like Strange had to have a significant role in Thor’s movie, but the tone of that discussion was pointing to a big team up moment or something. Still, the scene was great and I love how the magic sides of the MCU continue to build off of each other with a Norse god meeting with the Sorcerer Supreme.
#12: GOTG 2 Shenanigans (Except for Stan Lee)
The cost of destroying a galaxy-annihilating Celestial—Ego, the father of Peter Quill—was high: in order to save Quill from being suffocated in space, Yondu gave him the only device that could protect him while he froze to death. It was a heavy moment as much as it was a redeeming one for his character, but we get to see the good and bad sides of this aftermath. First, we see Kraglin practice using Yondu’s arrow, but accidentally stabs Drax and quickly runs away. Then the leaders of the different Ravager factions finally unite into a single force, in honor of Yondu’s memory. Next, we see Groot as a teenager with a messy room and one heck of an attitude. Finally, the high priestess of the Sovereign reveals that she’s making the ultimate specimen to destroy the Guardians for stealing from them, hinting at the debut of Adam Warlock.
Now, before we go any deeper, I need to point out that I didn’t include Stan Lee and the Watchers because technically that’s the last scene after the credits, therefore making it a post-credits scene and not eligible for this list. Anyway, with that covered, let’s establish why these scenes are so important. It may seem like a random conglomeration of funny or meaningless moments, but I beg to differ. For instance, we get to see how the Guardians and other characters have been effected by Yondu’s death or the overall story. We see them grow as characters, we see the story move onwards, and we even get a cliffhanging glimpse into the future of the group. With Adam playing an antagonistic role in Guardians 3, all the Ravagers helping the Guardians break into a facility, and Kraglin ultimately mastering the arrow, this is very important in establishing the groundwork for these meaningful moments.
#11: The Prototype Wasp Suit
“Ant-Man” was a pleasant surprise for many fans, but as any fan would know, you can’t have Ant-Man without the Wasp. Well, in this mid-credits scene, we finally get that (in a way). After Scott’s miraculous return from the Quantum Realm, Hank believes that his long lost wife (Janet, who supposedly shrank to death) is actually alive. Before making preparations to find her, Hank finally shows his daughter, Hope, a prototype Wasp suit so she can help him. Eager to finally get the chance she was trained for, she says “well it’s about time!”
Looking back on this scene, I feel like it’s seriously underrated! Yes, it sets up the Wasp for future stories and her roles—big and small—in each of them. However, the true greatness lies within the context of the story. Throughout this whole movie, Hank was training Scott to wear and use the Ant-Man suit, absolutely refusing to let Hope wear it because he doesn’t want to lose her the same way he lost Janet. Finally revealing why he sent her off to boarding school and not let her wear the suit was a great first step, but finally letting her wear her own Wasp suit? That was the final step in letting go of all his worries and guilt, and just allow his daughter to fly. Hope was finally able to reach her full potential, and it was all because of her father being honest and supportive of her.
#10: Wanda and Pietro
“Captain America: The Winter Soldier” marks the fall of SHIELD and HYDRA (to an extent), and the return of Bucky Barnes in a modern world. But just because HYDRA was defeated, it doesn’t mean everything is all right with the world right off the bat. In a hidden base, we see Baron Strucker and Dr. List discuss the events of the movie and how they’re going to respond. This leads to the revelation that they not only have Loki’s scepter from “Avengers,” but that they have also experimented on two individuals with it: Pietro (who has super speed) and Wanda (who has telekinesis, among many other things).
This is a great scene, because it serves the narrative so well in so many ways. For instance, we get a glimpse into the aftermath of HYDRA’s defeat, and a surprisingly good monologue along with it. Strucker points out that HYDRA and SHIELD are “two sides of a coin no longer in currency,” which is very interesting to hear this take on his own organization. Further, when referencing the Maximoff twins, he also says “It’s not a world of spies anymore. Not even a world of heroes. This is an age of miracles, Doctor. There’s nothing more horrifying than a miracle.” Instead of bragging about their newfound power in the scepter and the Maximoff twins, lording it over others like any villain would, Strucker points out their “miraculous” scientific breakthrough and subtly hints at its massive potential. Further, such an ominous yet vague warning sets the tone for “Age of Ultron,” where the twins truly put the Avengers to the test with their horrifying miracles. Aside from that, and much like most other mid or post-credits scenes, this establishes one of the most important and popular characters in the whole franchise: The Scarlet Witch. Unwittingly starting the Civil War, destroying the Mind Stone, subconsciously rewriting reality itself, among many other incredible feats? All of these acts make this one scene automatically one of the most important in the whole saga.
#9: Bucky Back On Ice
The Civil War ended in the most brutal way imaginable. Tony found out that Bucky killed his parents, beat Bucky to submission, and then he and Cap beat each other near to death. After Cap disabled Tony’s suit and got Bucky to safety, we eventually cut to this scene where Black Panther helps put Bucky back into stasis. T’Challa was eager to help because he believed that both Bucky and T’Challa’s dad were both unwitting victims, so when Cap said they might come for him, he solemnly replied that they could try. From there, the camera pans to reveal that they’re all in Wakanda itself!
What makes this whole moment shine so brightly is how satisfyingly it closes or continues different character arcs. Take Bucky, for example. He never wanted to hurt anyone, but Pierce and many others forced him to be a mindless killing machine. Steve was the only one who saw the true Bucky, while everyone else seemed to forget Bucky’s character and didn’t help him. Therefore it was satisfying that Bucky remembered himself but especially that Black Panther was willing to help him. And with their ridiculously advanced technology, they’d soon help Bucky completely recover from HYDRA’s brainwashing. Further, this would also help Black Panther’s character arc because he finally let go of his hate and anger. Throughout the whole movie, he thought that Bucky killed his father, obsessively and relentlessly hunting him down and taking out anyone in his way. But when he learned the truth from Zemo, he regretted his actions and wanted to help Bucky because of all that Zemo and many others put him through. As a bonus, this scene also adds a layer of mystery as to what’ll happen next for the former Winter Soldier, and if this will effect Black Panther’s story at all.
#8: Revealing Wakanda to the World
Killmonger is dead, T’Challa reclaimed his throne, and a potential world war has been prevented. But not without long-lasting effects: haunted by the actions of his father and those before him, T’Challa decides to open Wakanda to the world. He accomplishes this by meeting with the United Nations, who at first dismiss him out of belief that they’re a third world country with nothing to offer. Their opinions quickly change when T’Challa reveals the truth about Wakanda, hidden underneath their protective barrier for generations.
Even though T’Challa is different in many ways as a king and Black Panther, he was still deeply indoctrinated in the old ways that his father followed. Throughout half of the movie, T’Challa still believed in Wakanda’s secrecy. Even though he worked with many superheroes in “Civil War,” he still deeply distrusted any outsider and only worked with people like Agent Ross when he had no choice. But after learning about Killmonger and how Wakanda turned their backs on him, it completely shattered everything T’Challa once believed. Therefore, by taking this massive leap in revealing his country’s greatest secret, it concludes his character arc. He hated how the old ways did things, so he wanted to break free and make a better future for his country, starting with extending an olive branch to the world. In spite of the fact that this would create future tensions and conflicts with the world by the time of “Wakanda Forever,” this extremely bold act perfectly shows T’Challa’s character and his compassion for everyone.
#7: Captain Marvel Returns
Way back in 1995, Captain Marvel remembered her identity and defeated the Kree, saving the Skrulls from further persecution at their hands. Cut to 2018, where she would hear Nick Fury’s old distress signal that he made for her. Thanos had obliterated half of all life in existence, and the remaining Avengers were distraught as they were processing everything. That’s when Rhodey would tell the gang that Fury’s signal stopped transmitting, so they investigate, and Nat expresses her desire to know who’s on the other end. She’d immediately get her wish, as she turned around to see Carol standing there and asking where Fury was.
Whether you love or hate the movie, there’s no denying how important this scene was. Firstly, to get the obvious out of the way, it adds more to the aftermath of “Avengers: Infinity War.” I honestly can’t believe I never thought that the Avengers would find Fury’s pager and bring it to the compound, because it makes a lot of sense since Fury is linked so closely with the group. But here it is, stored safely in the Compound and finally ready to offer a solution that the Avengers desperately needed. Secondly, and this is what truly makes the scene so significant, but it sets up a game-changing outcome for “Avengers: Endgame.” Tony and Nebula are stranded in space, no food or water, and remaining air is all but gone. It can’t be understated how close to death Tony was, but thankfully that’s when Carol came in and brought the whole ship back to the Compound. If Carol never came back to Earth, we might not have gotten the very key to defeating Thanos and restoring life in the universe. Further, by bringing Carol back, she becomes a vital piece in defeating Thanos. She may not have defeated him herself, but she gave the Avengers a fighting chance by blowing up past Thanos’ ship when he invaded the present. Also, she held her own against the Mad Titan very well, and she definitely would’ve taken him down if he didn’t cheat when he punched her with the Power Stone. So again, say what you will about this movie, but this mid-credits scene laid the groundwork for one of the most important pieces of Endgame’s plot.
#6: The New Guardians
Once the High Evolutionary is defeated and his experiments were saved, most of the group splits up to do their own things. This would lead Rocket as the new leader, along with Groot as a continuing member. In the mid-credits scene, we see the group expand to include members like Kraglin, Cosmo the Spacedog, Phyla (one of the High Evolutionary’s child experiments), and the redeemed Adam Warlock. The group talks about their favorite songs and bands from Earth, before running off to defend a town from invading creatures.
It may not be a gut-wrenching cliffhanger like Fury turning into dust, but this was still a beautiful scene! It offers a very satisfying conclusion to the previous iteration of the Guardians, while also providing a hopeful glimpse into the future of the current version of the group. For instance, after seeing Adam spend most of the movie trying to hunt the Guardians, it was heartwarming to see him fully redeemed and getting along with everyone. It was also great (and pleasantly surprising) to see one of the High Evolutionary’s creations willingly join a ragtag group of heroes, and act like she’s always been part of the group. In the end, it’s the synchronicity in how they work together that gives the audience hope for the future. Kraglin insisted he could take the creatures on by himself, but where Rocket would normally not care, he instead says they should all do it together. The icing on the cake is when everyone waits for Rocket to give the word, and he smiles as he says “Word.” Not only does this portray Rocket as a respectable leader, but it’s so heartwarming to see Rocket become a better individual after learning about his horrible past. He more than deserves a break and character growth by this point, and James Gunn definitely didn’t disappoint.
#5: Mysterio Reveals Spider-Man’s Identity
Marvel dropped a huge bombshell on us with this one! After defeating Mysterio and witnessing his supposed death, Spidey returns home to NYC and begins his new relationship with MJ. However, even in death, Mysterio would get the last laugh. In a news broadcast by the Daily Bugle, an anonymous source would release a video that framed Spider-Man for the destruction of London and also painted him as Mysterio’s killer. Worst of all, Mysterio would reveal Spider-Man’s identity as Peter Parker to the whole world.
This is more than just a plot twist, though. It’s a very good plot twist, but I feel like the more important thing is how brilliantly it portrays Mysterio’s character. Throughout this whole movie, Mysterio was always ten steps ahead of Peter and even Nick Fury (technically he was a Skrull standing in for him but still). He planned out the elemental attacks, perfectly manipulated Peter into giving him EDITH, and constantly threw him off with his illusions. You’d think after all that, Peter would finally get a break, get a happy ending, and embrace his role as Iron Man’s successor. Nope. Even before his death, Mysterio clearly had a contingency in the event of something like this. If he couldn’t be the hero, neither could Peter. However, this scene gets much worse when you realize how much trouble this gives Peter and his friends in “No Way Home.” Thanks to Mysterio, Peter is dubbed a war criminal and neither he nor his friends are accepted into colleges or by people in general. Their lives became nightmares, all because of one unstable yet incredibly intelligent man.
#4: Scott Gets Stranded in the Quantum Realm
The Pym family is finally reunited! Hank found his long lost wife in the Quantum Realm and brought her home, she was able to heal Ghost, and Scott finally got out of house arrest. The only thing left to do was to find more healing particles to keep helping Ghost, but the process would hit a small snag. Just before the Pyms can bring him back, all three of them get turned to dust because of Thanos’ snap, leaving Scott trapped for what would become five years.
Most fans knew this movie would take place during or after “Infinity War,” but after how long the movie went on without referencing the film, it became doubtful that they were connected. In fact, regardless of the serious moments of the movie, it was mainly just two hours of laughs and chill characters. Therefore, to end what would’ve been a comedy with one of the most tragic and frightening plot twists in the MCU was truly shocking. Not only is it a genius move to keep the audience invested, but it also perfectly lines up with the events of “Infinity War.” Natasha mentioned that Scott and Clint took deals to serve time outside of prison, and since no one came to get Scott and tell him what’s going on, it makes sense that nothing from “Infinity War” was brought up. But to make sure everyone knew this was still taking place around that time, that’s where this mid-credits scene comes in. However, the most crucial thing to keep in mind is that this scene foreshadows the Avengers’ ultimate victory. If Scott hadn’t been trapped in the Quantum Realm, if he hadn’t learned how time works down there, the time heist most likely wouldn’t have happened. The Avengers wouldn’t have been able to bring anyone back, and Thanos would have the satisfaction that he won. It may have been tragic at first, but Scott’s predicament became a fighting chance for his friends.
#3: Bringing the Reality Stone to the Collector
Once Thor destroyed the leader of the Dark Elves—Malekith—and extracted the Aether (AKA-The Reality Stone), Volstagg and Sif brought it to the Collector. Most notable from his appearance in the first “Guardians of the Galaxy” film, the Collector reassures the Asgardians that it’ll be safe amongst his massive collection. However, once they leave, he ominously says “one down, five to go.”
While it may seem controversial to put the mid-credits scene from a hated movie this high in the list, it’s actually necessary from a narrative standpoint. For example, there’s the obvious fact that we get an introduction into another Infinity Stone. Of course, in the long run, this would prove to be a crucial part of Thanos’ plan to eradicate half of all life in existence. It would be how he’d trick the Guardians and later defeat the heroes on Titan, all because Thor’s friends gave it to one of the shadiest people in the galaxy. However, this scene actually does more than introduce another Infinity Stone. Before anyone knew the truths of the Tesseract and Loki’s scepter, no one knew what the Stones were and why they were so important. Fans would know what the Stones were, but for the most part, the vague mention of them only draws people in and makes them more curious. This would also set the stage for “Guardians of the Galaxy,” with a much larger emphasis on the Stones and their ultimate power. What was once a small lore drop suddenly became the main focus of the Infinity Saga, all because of a small mid-credits scene blending into a popular James Gunn movie. Say what you will about Thor’s sequel, but just like “Captain Marvel,” its mid-credits scene makes it extremely important to the overall narrative and should not be overlooked or understated.
#2: The Aftermath of Ragnarok
The only way to defeat the Asgardian goddess of death—Hela—and stop her from wreaking havoc across the Nine Realms, Thor would have to cause Ragnarok (the destruction of Asgard). In the aftermath of such destruction, the remaining Asgardians would head to Earth and start fresh. During the flight, Loki expresses his anxiety about returning to Earth, but Thor quickly brushes it off saying that everything would work out. Of course, like clockwork, that statement is immediately followed by a huge ship rising up in front of them (which would later be revealed as Thanos and his crew in “Endgame”).
After watching “Infinity War,” you can see why this mid-credits scene is #2! But even before that, we all knew that “Infinity War” was the next film on the release timeline after “Black Panther,” so of course something big was gonna happen. It wouldn’t be explicitly made clear, but on the other hand, indications of Thanos were definitely there. Thanos had been subtly hinted at ever since the first “Avengers” film, and he’s appeared in GOTG and at least one other post-credits scene. With a character as big and formidable as Thanos is, it makes sense that this would be him. Further, once you watch “Infinity War,” things make a lot more sense. For instance, Loki managed to steal the Tesseract from Odin’s treasure vault, thus drawing Thanos and his forces right to them. Aside from the context, though, this mid-credits scene manages to accomplish what most other scenes in this list have done: set the stage. Just like Ant-Man, this film has a humorous tone and even a hopeful ending, which was soon replaced by an ominous one. This bleak tone would prepare the audience for the equally bleak beginning of “Infinity War,” with the continued extermination of the Asgardians, even though they already lost half their people and their whole world. In spite of setting up the climactic finale of this whole saga, there’s still one mid-credits scene to top them all…
#1: Thanos’ First Appearance
The first team-up of the MCU. Six of the most popular heroes and actors would assemble for the first time on the big screen, and fight a massive alien army led by Loki. The battle was hard-fought, but the Avengers won the day. However, this would attract the attention of Thanos. His minion—The Other—would point out how Earth wasn’t as weak as they thought, and “to challenge [the Avengers] is to court death,” to which Thanos smiles at.
Narratively, this is literally the most important mid-credits scene ever! First of all, it not only sets up the main villain of the Infinity Saga, but it also establishes the main conflict of the saga. Down the line, Thanos would understand the threat of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes, adapting his plan to where he can defeat them with the greatest of ease. Of course, he would lose in the end, but Thanos remains as their greatest enemy and the Battle of New York foreshadowed that. Second of all, the best part about this massive setup is the fact that they did so without saying or doing much. There was no big, obvious statement like “one day I will conquer this world” blah blah blah. Instead, it was all in the implications of everything going on. The Other did warn Thanos about the Avengers, but Thanos didn’t say anything. He only smiled. The Mad Titan didn’t even have to speak, his smile gave everyone the message that he was not a force to be reckoned with. He would not ignore his destiny. He was ready for the challenge, and he was ready to go through whatever Earth dished out in order to achieve his dream.
