Warning: This post contains spoilers for all of the movies in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Marvel Studios has completely changed the way we watch movies. Every single one of their films is part of a “cinematic universe,” an interconnected set of stories that is incomplete unless fans watch each entry in the studio’s output. An essential part of Marvel’s successful strategy to build the world’s biggest film empire has been teasing future movies in mid-credit or post-credit scenes at the end of each film. These post-credit scenes stoke excitement for the next movie and tease how it might relate to the one you just saw.
This strategy has been so successful that just about every big-budget movie — be it spinoff, sequel or prequel — is now part of a “cinematic universe,” whether it be a DC Comics universe, a Lego universe or a Fast and Furious universe. And it’s now the norm to sit through the credits of these films waiting for some sort of teaser that will preview what movie is coming next. This even applies to non-superhero movies like Vice.
Marvel didn’t invent the post-credits scene: Comedic teasers appeared in the credits of The Muppet Movie (1979), Airplane! (1980) and Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (1986). Some films even used the scenes to wrap up plots from the film, like the Pirates of the Caribbean movies in the 2000s. As franchises became a staple of Hollywood filmmaking, some films would even run the trailer for the next movie after the film, like at the end of The Matrix Reloaded.
But Marvel did leverage the post-credit scene as it never had been used before. And beginning in 2008 Marvel Studios’ post-credit scenes built to the events of the epic Avengers: Infinity War and the upcoming Avengers: Endgame. Ahead of that highly-anticipated fourth Avengers film, here’s a breakdown of every single Marvel post-credits scene and how they impacted the larger storyline of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Iron Man (2008)
What happens in the post-credits scene?
At the end of the movie, Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) declares, “I am Iron Man” on national television. That prompts Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) to break into Stark’s home in the post-credit scene. “You think you’re the only superhero in the world?” Fury asks the billionaire. “Mr. Stark, you’ve become part of a bigger universe. You just don’t know it yet.” He then introduces himself as the director of S.H.I.E.L.D. and says he has come to talk about the “Avengers Initiative.”
Does this scene matter in the Marvel Cinematic Universe?
Yes. This is the first time we see Nick Fury and hear about S.H.I.E.L.D., the counterterrorism organization that eventually will bring the Avengers together. Even before Marvel Studios began production on Iron Man, they planned to eventually film a movie that brought characters with solo films like Iron Man and Hulk together to fight one bad guy, as often happens in comic books. Fury’s use of the word “universe” is intentional: He is hinting to the audience that this film will spawn the entire Marvel Cinematic Universe.
The Incredible Hulk (2008)
What happens in the first post-credits scene?
Bruce Banner (Edward Norton) learns how to control his inner Hulk through meditation.
Does this scene matter in the Marvel Cinematic Universe?
Nope. Marvel replaced Norton with Mark Ruffalo and stopped making Hulk solo films. The studio would like you to pretend this movie does not exist.
What happens in the second post-credits scene?
Tony Stark approaches General Ross (William Hurt), who has been hunting the Hulk throughout the film. Stark says the super-soldier program that created Incredible Hulk villain Abomination “was put on ice for a reason.” We later find out in Captain America: The First Avenger that the government created Captain America (Chris Evans) in the 1940s using a similar serum. Tony then tells Ross, “We’re putting a team together,” teasing the eventual Avengers movie.
Does this scene matter in the Marvel Cinematic Universe?
Not really, but it is further confirmation that an Avengers movie is going to happen. Remember, in 2008 that was a really big deal.
Iron Man 2 (2010)
What happens in the post-credits scene?
S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent Phil Coulson (Clark Gregg) drives into the middle of the desert, gets out of his car and makes a phone call. “Sir, we found it,” he says. The camera then zooms in on the hammer of Thor (Chris Hemsworth).
Does this scene matter in the Marvel Cinematic Universe?
Yes, in that it sets up the model for future Marvel post-credit scenes. The moment was filmed by Thor director Kenneth Branagh and directly teased the next movie in the universe.
Thor (2011)
What happens in the post-credits scene?
Thor’s friend Dr. Selvig (Stellan Skarsgård) meets Nick Fury in a lab. Fury opens a briefcase to reveal a blue cube with “unlimited power.” In the background, Loki (Tom Hiddleston) appears and says, “Well I guess that’s worth a look.” Dr. Selvig then repeats Loki’s words. Surprise! Thor’s mischievous brother Loki, who supposedly died at the end of the film, lives on. And he’s controlling what Selvig says and does. Fury seems to be none the wiser, as he leaves the mind-controlled scientist alone in the room with a very valuable object.
Does this scene matter in the Marvel Cinematic Universe?
Very. Loki will return as the main villain in Avengers and an ancillary character in several future films. We also get our first look at the Tesseract, a MacGuffin that plays a crucial role in Captain America: The First Avenger, The Avengers, Thor: Ragnarok, Avengers: Infinity War and Captain Marvel. Not only does it hold immense power, but the Tesseract turns out to be an Infinity Stone — one of the stones that Thanos uses to destroy half of all life in the universe.
Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)
What happens in the post-credits scene?
At the end of the first Captain America movie, Steve Rogers, who has been frozen since 1945, wakes up in modern times. In the post-credits scene, Nick Fury approaches him with a mission to “save the world.”
Does this scene matter in the Marvel Cinematic Universe?
Yup. It basically acts as a teaser trailer for the Avengers.
The Avengers (2012)
What happens in the first post-credits scene?
We see an alien (credited as The Other) inform a shadowy figure that the Avengers protected Earth from Loki and his alien army. “To challenge them is to court death,” the Other says. The mysterious figure then turns and reveals himself to be Thanos, a purple alien played by Josh Brolin. He smiles. It turns out he was behind Loki’s bid to take over Earth the whole time and gave Loki an army in exchange for the delivery of the Tesseract.
Does this scene matter in the Marvel Cinematic Universe?
Extremely. Thanos is the biggest of big bads. He will be the man — err, alien — behind the curtain in Guardians of the Galaxy and the featured villain in Avengers: Infinity War. Intriguingly, the “courting death” line suggests that Marvel might have initially considered a different arc for Thanos. In the comics, Thanos collects Infinity Stones because he is in love with Death — yep, the physical manifestation of death — and wants to destroy the universe to impress her. Ultimately, Marvel Studios decided this storyline was too far-fetched for the films. The writers changed his motivation to killing half of all life in the universe for vaguely environmental reasons.
What happens in the second post-credits scene?
In a callback to Tony’s shawarma line earlier in the film, the super team of superheroes sits and eats their shawarma in silence.
Does this scene matter in the Marvel Cinematic Universe?
Not at all. But fun fact: Director Joss Whedon actually shot the scene the night before the film’s premiere and added to the end of the credits at the last minute. Chris Evans had a beard at the time for the movie Snowpiercer, so he had to hide his face behind his hand.
Iron Man 3 (2013)
What happens in the post-credits scene?
Tony Stark seems to be sharing his emotional problems with a therapist, but the camera cuts instead to a sleeping Bruce Banner.
Does this scene matter in the Marvel Cinematic Universe?
Like much of the plot of Iron Man 3, this scene could not be less important to the larger arc of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Thor: The Dark World (2013)
What happens in the first post-credits scene?
Thor’s allies Volstagg (Ray Stevenson) and Sif (Jaimie Alexander) visit the Collector (Benicio del Toro, doing the most). They give him the Aether — the red substance that gave Dark World baddie Malekith (Christopher Eccleston) power. Volstagg explains that the Aether is an Infinity Stone, and they cannot keep it on Asgard because another Infinity Stone, the Tesseract, is already there. After Volstagg and Siff leave, the Collector ominously says, “One down, five to go.”
Does this scene matter in the Marvel Cinematic Universe?
Extremely. This is the first time the movies confirm that both the Aether and the Tesseract are Infinity Stones. We also learn that there are six Infinity Stones in total. The Collector — who seems extremely untrustworthy — will show up again in Guardians of the Galaxy and offer the audience all the necessary exposition concerning the Infinity Stones.
What happens in the second post-credits scene?
Thor’s romance with scientist Jane (Natalie Portman) is at the center of this movie. So it’s strange that their relationship status is not resolved until this post-credits scene, during which Thor shows up at Jane’s apartment and kisses her.
Does this scene matter in the Marvel Cinematic Universe?
Sadly, no. We find out in Thor: Ragnarok that the two broke up.
Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)
What happens in the first post-credits scene?
During the movie, Captain America discovers that HYDRA infiltrated S.H.I.E.L.D. In the post-credits scene, HYDRA agent Baron von Strucker (Thomas Kretschmann) predicts that the Avengers will begin rooting out hidden pockets of HYDRA agents. Strucker is keeping Loki’s scepter, which contains the Mind Stone, in his lair. Strucker also reveals that he has two mutants that he created through scientific experimentation locked up in a bunker: Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen) and Quicksilver (Aaron Taylor-Johnson).
Does this scene matter in the Marvel Cinematic Universe?
Yes. The Avengers arrive at Strucker’s hideout in the opening minutes of Avengers: Age of Ultron to retrieve Loki’s scepter and fight Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver. Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver eventually join the Avengers team.
What happens in the second post-credits scene?
It was unclear whether Sebastian Stan’s Bucky — Cap’s long-lost-friend-turned-brainwashed-villain — survived the events of Winter Soldier. In this scene, we see him visiting an exhibit on Captain America and looking at a photo of himself from the 1940s.
Does this scene matter in the Marvel Cinematic Universe?
Yup. Bucky’s struggle to reconcile his past and rid himself of HYDRA’s brainwashing will become the central story arc of Captain America: Civil War.
Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)
What happens in the first post-credits scene?
This is a scene of Baby Groot (voiced by Vin Diesel) dancing. Please enjoy.
Does this scene matter in the Marvel Cinematic Universe?
It’s important to our emotional wellbeing: Groot lives! The tree-alien seemingly sacrificed himself to save his compatriots at the end of Guardians but now he’s growing again. He’ll be a teenager by the time Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 premieres.
What happens in the second post-credits scene?
Cosmo the space dog! Howard the Duck! All sorts of wonderful oddities from Marvel Comics escaped when the Collector’s palace was destroyed earlier in the film, and now they’re wandering free.
Does this scene matter in the Marvel Cinematic Universe?
No, it mostly provides Easter Eggs for fans. Although it does beg the question, did Cosmo and Howard survive Thanos’ snap?
Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015)
What happens in the post-credits scene?
Following his introduction in the Avengers post-credits scene, Thanos retrieves a mysterious golden glove — what we now know as the Infinity Gauntlet — from a vault before menacingly declaring, “Fine, I’ll do it myself.”
Does this scene matter in the Marvel Cinematic Universe?
You bet. The Infinity Gauntlet allows Thanos to wield the power of the Infinity Stones and ultimately destroy half the universe in Infinity War.
The scene itself doesn’t totally align with the plot of Age of Ultron. In this movie, a robot-gone-mad named Ultron tries to destroy humanity (before humanity destroys itself) but fails. Thanos, by picking up the Gauntlet, implies that he had some connection to Ultron (which he did not) or that destroying all Earthlings would solve his environmental problem (which it would not since humans make up a tiny fraction of living beings in the universe).
As for where this scene fits in the Marvel Cinematic Universe timeline, the Russo Brothers have since said that it takes place after Thanos slaughters the residents of Nidavellir and forces Eitri the Dwarf King (played by Peter Dinklage in Infinity War) to forge the gauntlet for him.
Ant-Man (2015)
What happens in the first post-credits scene?
Hank Pym (Michael Douglas) shows his daughter, Hope van Dyne (Evangeline Lily), a prototype of a new and improved Wasp suit.
Does this scene matter in the Marvel Cinematic Universe?
It sets up Hope’s debut as the Wasp in Ant-Man and the Wasp. That’s about it.
What happens in the second post-credits scene?
In what turns out to be a clip from Captain America: Civil War, Cap and his buddy Falcon (Anthony Mackie) decide not to call on Iron Man for help after tracking down Bucky. Cap thinks they’re on their own, but Falcon has a different ally in mind. “I know a guy,” he says, referring to Ant-Man (Paul Rudd).
Does this scene matter in the Marvel Cinematic Universe?
Uh-huh. Not only does this scene foreshadow the rift between Cap and Iron Man in Civil War, it also paves the way for Ant-Man to be brought into the Avengers fold. Ant-Man’s role in the Marvel Cinematic Universe has yet to be fully fleshed out, but it seems likely that he will join the Avengers in Endgame. It also stands to reason that his knowledge of the Quantum Realm will be instrumental to their success.
Captain America: Civil War (2016)
What happens in the first post-credits scene?
Cap and Bucky have found their way to Wakanda, where Bucky has decided to go back into cryostasis until his brainwashing can be completely reversed. T’Challa (Chadwick Boseman), a.k.a. Black Panther, ensures Cap that the Wakandans will do everything in their power to protect his friend.
Does this scene matter in the Marvel Cinematic Universe?
Sort of. While we do get our first glimpse of Wakanda — which will become the main battleground in Infinity War — the clip mostly just sets the scene for Black Panther (as well as Bucky’s appearance in one of its post-credits scenes).
What happens in the second post-credits scene?
During the movie, Tony Stark gives Peter Parker (Tom Holland) a fancy new Spidey suit to replace his homemade one. In the post-credits scene, Peter messes around with the suit’s web shooters while Aunt May (Marisa Tomei) questions him about his black eye. He discovers that he now has the power to emit the Spider-Signal and the words “Spider-Man will return” appear on screen.
Does this scene matter in the Marvel Cinematic Universe?
Not particularly. It mostly teases Spider-Man’s solo outing in Spider-Man: Homecoming.
Doctor Strange (2016)
What happens in the first post-credits scene?
In another scene lifted from an upcoming Marvel Cinematic Universe movie — this time, Thor: Ragnarok — Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) offers to help Thor find his father, Odin (Anthony Hopkins), in order to ensure Loki’s swift return to Asgard.
Does this scene matter in the Marvel Cinematic Universe?
Not particularly. It foreshadows the expansion of Doctor Strange’s role in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, beginning with an appearance in Thor: Ragnarok.
What happens in the second post-credits scene?
During the movie, Jonathan Pangborn (Benjamin Bratt) convinces Stephen Strange to seek out the Ancient One (Tilda Swinton) by revealing that he healed his paralysis with magic that he learned at Kamar-Taj. In the post-credits scene, former Kamar-Taj instructer Karl Mordo (Chiwetel Ejiofor) shows up at Pangborn’s workshop to steal his magic, leaving him once again paralyzed.
Does this scene matter in the Marvel Cinematic Universe?
Since he didn’t show up in Infinity War, we can only assume that Mordo will be the main villain in Doctor Strange 2.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017)
What happens in the first post-credits scene?
While testing out the whistle-controlled Yaka Arrow that he inherited from Yondu (Michael Rooker), Kraglin (Sean Gunn) accidentally flies it straight into Drax (Dave Bautista).
Does this scene matter in the Marvel Cinematic Universe?
Not really. But it could set the stage for Kraglin to play a bigger role in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.
What happens in the second post-credits scene?
Following Yondu’s death in the movie, Stakar Ogord (Sylvester Stallone) reassembles his old crew, a team made up of Aleta Ogord (Michelle Yeoh), Charlie 27 (Ving Rhames), Krugarr and Mainframe (a robot voiced by Miley Cyrus). They decide to fight crime again.
Does this scene matter in the Marvel Cinematic Universe?
Marvel has yet to reveal whether this group will appear in any forthcoming films, but in the comic books, they were all members of the original Guardians of the Galaxy team.
What happens in the third post-credits scene?
Ayesha (Elizabeth Debicki), the High Priestess of the Sovereign, faces the wrath of her people when she fails to apprehend the Guardians of the Galaxy after they stole from them. Ayesha reveals that she has created a great weapon. “That, my child, is the next step in our evolution: More powerful, more beautiful, more capable of destroying the Guardians of the Galaxy. I think I shall call him Adam.”
Does this scene matter in the Marvel Cinematic Universe?
Probably. Adam Warlock is an important character in the Marvel Comics and likely will be an antagonist in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 alongside Ayesha.
What happens in the fourth post-credits scene?
Star-Lord (Chris Pratt) admonishes a teenage Groot for not cleaning up his room.
Does this scene matter in the Marvel Cinematic Universe?
Not at all, but at least Star-Lord is finally maturing somewhat.
What happens in the fifth post-credits scene?
Stan Lee has been regaling the Watchers — an alien race that observes the goings on of the universe but swears to never interfere — with stories from his past. In the post-credits scene, the Watchers abandon Lee on a planet.
Does this scene matter in the Marvel Cinematic Universe?
Not at all, though some fans theorize that Lee has played a Watcher throughout all the Marvel films.
Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)
What happens in the first post-credits scene?
Adrian Toomes, a.k.a. the Vulture (Michael Keaton), is confronted by a former associate named Mac Gargan (Michael Mando) in prison. Mac tells Toomes he blames Spider-Man for his injuries and asks Toomes whether he knows Spider-Man’s identity. Toomes lies and says he does not.
Does this scene matter in the Marvel Cinematic Universe?
Potentially. In the comics, Mac Gargan becomes the Spider-Man villain Scorpion — an arc that will likely make its way to the big screen given Mac’s scorpion tattoo in this post-credits scene. The interaction also suggests that Vulture wants to take Spidey on himself. The two characters’ appearances also suggest that either Disney or Sony plans to make a Sinister Six film about six of Spider-Man’s foes teaming up to defeat him. Vulture and Scorpion would likely be a part of that team.
What happens in the second post-credits scene?
Throughout Homecoming, Peter Parker and his friends sit through Public Service Announcements by Captain America in class. In this scene, Captain America offers audiences one last announcement: “I’m here to talk to you about one of the most valuable traits a student or a soldier can have: patience. Sometimes patience is the key to victory. Sometimes it leads to very little and seems like it’s not worth it. And you wonder why you waited so long for something so disappointing.”
He then turns to someone off camera and asks, “How many more of these?”
Does this scene matter in the Marvel Cinematic Universe?
Not at all, but it is the ultimate flex from the creators of the Marvel Cinematic Universe: They know that they can make moviegoers wait in their seats for anything — and even poke fun of them for doing so — and they’ll still coax fans back for more.
Thor: Ragnarok (2017)
What happens in the first post-credits scene?
Thor and Loki discuss returning to Earth now that their homeland of Asgard is destroyed. They then see a gigantic ship overtaking their escape pod.
Does this scene matter in the Marvel Cinematic Universe?
Extremely. This scene leads directly into the first scene of Infinity War, in which Thanos and his minions board Thor’s ship, kill Loki and Heimdall and steal the Tesseract, an Infinity Stone.
What happens in the second post-credits scene?
The Grandmaster (Jeff Goldblum) tells the angry aliens on his planet that their revolution has been a success. “I’ve played a big part of it because you can’t have a revolution without somebody to overthrow,” he says. “It’s a tie.”
Does this scene matter in the Marvel Cinematic Universe?
It does not, but we’re always happy for more Jeff Goldblum in our lives.
Black Panther (2018)
What happens in the first post-credits scene?
T’Challa tells the United Nations that for the first time in Wakanda’s history, they will be sharing their hidden resources and knowledge with the outside world. In perhaps the most political statement ever uttered in a Marvel movie, T’Challa says, “More connects us than separates us. In times of crisis, the wise build bridges while the foolish build barriers.”
Someone asks, with all due respect, what a country like Wakanda has to share with the world. T’Challa, who knows that Wakanda is secretly the most technologically advanced nation in the world, smiles.
Does this scene matter in the Marvel Cinematic Universe?
Only in that it sets up the fact that the Avengers will be able to travel to (and fight in) Wakanda in Infinity War. The promise that Wakanda will help the rest of the world will also likely factor into Black Panther 2.
What happens in the second post-credits scene?
Bucky Barnes — sans robotic arm — emerges from a hut in Wakanda. He thanks T’Challa’s sister Shuri (Letitia Wright) for curing him.
Does this scene matter in the Marvel Cinematic Universe?
Sort of. We now know that Bucky is back to his old, pre-brainwashed self, and ready to fight Thanos in the next movie.
Avengers: Infinity War (2018)
What happens in the post-credits scene?
Nick Fury and Maria Hill (Cobie Smulders) nearly get into a car accident. When they look for the driver in the other car, they see nobody there. They then see a helicopter crash, and Maria begins to disappear. Fury pulls out a beeper and starts typing a message as he begins to disintegrate — punctuated with the word “Motherf-cker.” The beeper lands on the ground and shows Captain Marvel’s distinctive symbol.
Does this scene matter in the Marvel Cinematic Universe?
Extremely. We learn in this scene that Fury had some sort of friendship with Captain Marvel (Brie Larson), one that will be fleshed out in Captain Marvel’s origin story film. It’s also the first major hint that Captain Marvel will also play an important role in Avengers: Endgame.
Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018)
What happens in the first post-credits scene?
The Wasp, Hank Pym and Pym’s long-lost wife Janet Van Dyne (Michelle Pfeiffer) send a subatomic Ant-Man into the Quantum Realm for an experiment. Janet warns Ant-Man, “Don’t get sucked into a time vortex. We won’t be able to save you.”
While Ant-Man is in the Quantum Realm, his radio goes dead. The camera flashes outside the Quantum Realm, where The Wasp, Hank and Janet have all turned to dust. Ant-Man seems to be stuck in the Quantum Realm.
Does this scene matter in the Marvel Cinematic Universe?
Extremely. This scene offers a number of hints as to how the events of Avengers: Endgame may play out. Ant-Man features heavily in trailers for Endgame. But the teasers don’t suggest how he escaped the Quantum Realm. It may have something to do with time travel though.
Janet mentions that people traveling in the Quantum Realm could get sucked into a time vortex. It’s unclear what the means, but that comment could suggest that scientists could use the Quantum Realm to master time travel. Fans have speculated that the Avengers will need to travel back in time in order to stop Thanos from snapping his fingers. Could Ant-Man offer them the solution? Maybe he did, indeed, get caught in a time vortex, one that could help the Avengers.
What happens in the second post-credits scene?
A gigantic ant plays the drums.
Does this scene matter in the Marvel Cinematic Universe?
At this point, who knows? Maybe the giant ant will play a pivotal role in Avengers: Endgame. Anything could happen.
Captain Marvel (2019)
What happens in the first post-credits scene?
The Avengers have recovered the tricked-out pager that Captain Marvel gave Fury. The pager stops sending a signal, and they decide to start it up again. “I want to know who is on the other end,” says Black Widow. As she turns around, she almost runs into Captain Marvel herself, who asks, “Where’s Fury?”
Does this scene matter in the Marvel Cinematic Universe?
Definitely. This is the first real confirmation that Captain Marvel will indeed appear in Avengers: Endgame. In fact, it seems she will enter the fray very early, shortly after the Avengers decamp to their headquarters hours or days after Thanos’ snap.
What happens in the second post-credits scene?
Back in the 90s, Goose the cat — well, actually the Flerken — spits up the Tesseract he’s been carrying inside his belly onto the desk of Nick Fury.
Does this scene matter in the Marvel Cinematic Universe?
Sort of. In Captain Marvel, we learned that Carol Davners’ old mentor used the power of the Tesseract in order to create a super-fast ship. Goose protected the Tesseract from the evil Kree aliens by swallowing it whole. Now, he deposits it on Nick Fury’s desk, essentially handing over the Infinity Stone to S.H.I.E.L.D.
We know from the post-credits scene in Thor that S.H.I.E.L.D. gained possession of the Infinity Stone sometime between the events of Captain America: The First Avenger and Thor. Now fans know how that happened.
