5 Disappointing MCU Post-Credits Scenes That Everyone Forgets, Ranked

The Marvel Cinematic Universe has turned post-credits scenes into one of its defining trademarks. Ever since Nick Fury stepped out of the shadows at the end of Iron Manfans have enjoyed sitting through the credits, waiting for a surprise twist, shocking twist, or a teased look at the superhero franchise's future projects. However, not all post-credits scenes have gone down well with audiences.

Many post-credits scenes disappointed fans, whether they hinted at something that has yet to come true, confused the audience, or simply felt underwhelming compared to the scenes that preceded them. This is especially true in recent years, mainly after Avengers: Endgame. The MCU's best post-credits scenes are still celebrated, but several disappointing ones have faded from memory.

5

Spider-Man: Homecoming has one last joke

While some fans thought Spider-Man: Homecoming's post-credits scene was hilarious, others thought it was a boring and forgettable joke that wasted an opportunity for a great tease. At the end of the film, Steve Rogers walks in front of a white background and gives a speech about the importance of patience and how it can sometimes lead to disappointment. It was an on-the-nose meta joke about fans waiting for the credits to roll to see what the MCU had in store for them.

The joke immediately fell apart Home-coming viewers. It was a playful way to poke fun at the MCU's post-credits scene tradition, but as it deliberately avoids setting up future stories, including Avengers: Infinity Warwhich was slated for the following year, it's rarely ever mentioned among the MCU's best final scenes. Unfortunately, the “patience” PSA has no rewatch value, like other good and funny lines in the franchise, because it just told viewers that they hadn't been waiting for anything.

4

The MCU never followed up on Doctor Strange's second ending scene

The end of Doctor Strange featured an exciting scene that focused on Karl Mordo, who has become completely disillusioned with the abuse of magic. Mordo hunts down Jonathan Pangborn and robs him of the magical energy that allowed him to walk again, embracing a much darker philosophy. The post-credits scene made Mordo a major antagonist in the Doctor Strange sequel, but unfortunately, as seen in Multiverse of Madnessthis was completely abandoned. Instead, fans got a sort of consolation prize in the form of an alternate version of Mordo.

Nearly a decade later, the Earth-616 version of Mordo was teased Doctor Strange has yet to pay off in any meaningful way, disappointing fans who were hyped after such an amazing post-credits scene. This set was once a promising thread but has now been largely forgotten thanks to the considerable passage of time.

3

Iron Man 3's post-credits scene undermined one of the most introspective MCU films

The MCU's jokes can often miss the mark, especially when they undermine the tone of an otherwise serious or emotional scene. One of the biggest examples is the end of Iron Man 3where the post-credits scene reveals that Tony actually recounted the recent events to Bruce Banner, therapy-style, all while Bruce slept. He woke up and told Tony that he was “not that kind of doctor”, before falling back asleep. It serves as a light-hearted punchline after a particularly deep film.

Iron Man 3 was a character-driven film that focused on Tony Stark's mental well-being and panic attacks. What could have been an important bonding scene between the two characters was tossed aside for a joke that felt a little inappropriate. Phase One had taught MCU fans to expect big reveals from its post-credits scenes, so the joke felt largely anticlimactic. It hasn't advanced Tony's story or teased future projects, and it's largely overshadowed by Iron Man's far more significant scenes in the franchise.

2

The Eternals had two post-credits scenes

Eternal had two post-credits scenes, but the second one seemed to have the biggest impact on the MCU. It was a perfectly okay scene where Dane Whitman hesitates but finally decides to pick up the Ebony Blade, a weapon that can cut through anything at the expense of the user's mental state. Just before he picks it up and seemingly embraces his comic book identity as the Black Knight, a man steps in and asks him if he's ready for it. Marvel later confirmed that this voice was Mahershala Ali's Blade.

Seemingly poised to introduce an exciting supernatural corner to the MCU, the post-credits scene actually became one of the franchise's most frustrating loose ends. It teased Ebony Blade, Dane Whitman's transformation into the Black Knight, and featured Blade, but almost nothing happened with either plot. This is probably thanks to Leaf's development hell and Eternal' lackluster success, making it one of the most disappointingly forgotten post-credits scenes.

1

Avengers: Age of Ultron featured an iconic line in a forgettable scene

Avengers: Age of Ultron ends with one of the franchise's most iconic lines, “Fine, I'll do it myself,” as Thanos retrieves the Infinity Gauntlet. The brief scene was designed to show that the Mad Titan would finally emerge from the shadows and set the stage for the ultimate conflict of the Infinity saga. While seeing Thanos don the Infinity Gauntlet caused a ton of hype among fans, the scene was downright confusing.

Thanos' line alludes to the fact that Loki and Ronan failed to retrieve the Infinity Stones, and those failures prompted him to take matters into his own hands. However, the scene comes after Ultron's defeat, suggesting that the villain's fall was the catalyst for Thanos' appearance, despite him having no meaningful relationship with Ultron in the film. Thanos' quote eventually became iconic thanks to Infinity War, but the post-credits scene never explained why this was the moment the Mad Titan decided to intervene. Many fans remember the line, but few can fully remember the scene.