The Marvel Cinematic Universe's Infinity Saga tells some of the best stories in cinematic history. One of the things that fans always looked forward to when watching each installment was seeing the post-credits scene, which the MCU made famous. These scenes often gave audiences one last laugh or a strong clue about the upcoming storylines.
Nearly every movie in the MCU has had a post-credits scene. At the end of each film, the last scene serves to conclude the movie or ignite excitement in fans for the next MCU installment. As there were many post-credits scenes in the Infinity Saga, some stood out as better than others.
Updated on January 10th, 2022 by Mayra García: When the MCU made post-credit scenes popular, it effectively changed how cinematic universes work. These bits, which hinted at new storylines or simply served as gags, became staples for the fandom.
20 Captain America Talked About Patience At The End Of Spider-Man: Homecoming
In the post-credits scene of Spider-Man: Homecoming, Captain America talks about patience in a stereotypical educational video. He mentions that this virtue can lead to victory before ironically losing his patience. At this moment, he breaks the script and asks the director how many more videos he has to make.
This scene is a gag at Steve's previous cameo in the film. It doesn't really add to the MCU storyline, but it's a good reminder that superheroes have become part of Earth-19999's culture. This topic is better explored in Phase Four, with Kamala Khan being a fangirl, for example.
19 The Heroes Grabbed A Bite To Eat At The End Of The Avengers
Rather than hinting at an upcoming film or revealing a great plot twist like other post-credits scenes have done, the last moments of The Avengers showed Captain America, Black Widow, Thor, Hawkeye, Iron Man, and Hulk eating some food after saving the city. During the scene, they didn't say a word to each other.
This scene was more humorous than anything else as they awkwardly ate for a minute. Regardless, this was one of the first times the OG Avengers hung out instead of only sharing time in battle. Given this, the audience still considers it a fan favorite.
18 A Giant Ant Played Drums At The End Of Ant-Man And The Wasp
In the last scene of Ant-Man And The Wasp, the giant ant that Scott left in his apartment played on Scott's drum set. This humorous moment is only interrupted when an Emergency Alert System appears on TV, warning people about Thanos and how half of life across the universe has disappeared.
This post-credit scene worked in the two levels MCU post-credit scenes usually work. On one hand, it was a ridiculous moment that has become one of the funniest scenes of the MCU. Additionally, it was a gigantic tease to the chaos that was coming for Avengers: Endgame.
17 Kraglin Learning To Use The Yaka Arrow In Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2 Was Funny And Wholesome
After Yondu's sad death in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, Rocket Raccoon gave Kraglin Obfonteri the Yaka Arrow. In the first post-credits scene of the film, fans can see Kraglin trying to learn how to use it. In the end, he loses control of the weapon and stabs Drax by mistake.
This post-credit scene is mostly a gag. However, given that Yondu has one of the most emotional deaths in the MCU, the moment also works as a homage to the character. Fans know Kraglin won't replace Yondu in the team, but his new ability will be a constant reminder of their loss.
16 Nick And Steve Spoke To Each Other In The Post-Credits Scene For Captain America: The First Avenger
As Steve worked out at the end of Captain America: The First Avenger, he accidentally destroyed a punching bag. Nick Fury approached him and asked if he had trouble sleeping. Ignoring the question, Captain America asked Nick if he had a mission for him to save the world. Quickly after, The First Avenger shows a trailer for The Avengers.
This scene, together with the trailer for the first crossover, got the fans completely hyped. The idea of seeing Iron Man, Hulk, Thor, and Captain America come together for the first of many times gave the audience hope for what the MCU would eventually become.
15 Howard The Duck Mocked The Collector In Guardians Of The Galaxy's Post-Credits Scene
At the end of Guardians of the Galaxy, the Collector sat in what was left of his museum and had a drink while Cosmo, his pet dog, licked his face. Watching this, Howard the Duck commented how disgusting it was that the Collector let his dog do that.
This scene didn't really add anything to Guardians of the Galaxy or the franchise. However, it marks the first appearance of Howard the Duck in the MCU. Comic fans immediately recognized the character and got hyped for future appearances. In fact, many believed he should have had a cameo in She-Hulk: Attorney at Law or even star in his own project.
14 Talos And Soren Disguised Themselves As Nick Fury And Maria Hill In The Last Scene Of Spider-Man: Far From Home
At the end of Spider-Man: Far From Home, Maria Hill and Nick Fury seemed to be driving in a car when they suddenly changed their appearances and revealed themselves to be Talos and Soren. They then called the real Nick Fury, who hung up on them and headed back to work with the rest of the Skrulls.
This was one of the most exciting moments in Phase One, and it strongly hinted at Secret Invasion. Now that the series is close to its premiere, fans remember the incredible scene when it became obvious this storyline would have its own adaptation in the MCU.
13 Bucky Learned More About His Past At The End Of Captain America: The Winter Soldier
At the end of Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Bucky went to the Captain America exhibit in the Smithsonian Museum. Here, he found the exhibit about himself, which allowed him to learn more about the person that he used to be before Hydra brainwashed him.
This scene marks Bucky's first step to understanding himself beyond Hydra. Years after this, he would become a hero and fight alongside Captain America and the other Avengers. MCU fans particularly love this scene for what it means in Bucky's character development as he becomes one of the greatest heroes of the MCU.
12 Ant-Man Teased The Appearance Of Wasp In Future Installments
As a foreshadowing for Ant-Man and the Wasp, Ant-Man's first post-credit scene features Hank Pym and Hope van Dyne as they discuss the prototype of the Wasp suit. While chatting about the new costume, Hope looks at her father and states, "it's about damn time."
After the introduction of Scott Lang as Ant-Man thanks to the Pym Particles, hardcore Marvel fans simply knew the Wasp would appear soon. However, they also knew Janet van Dyne wouldn't play the part. This post-credit scene confirmed that Hope would become a superhero, which truly hyped the fans.
11 Bucky Woke Up At The End Of Black Panther
At the end of Black Panther, Bucky woke up to find a group of Wakandan children looking at him. As they ran out of his hut, Bucky walked outside to find Shuri. Here, the future Black Panther and the White Wolf (as Wakandans know Bucky) had a conversation about his time in Wakanda.
After a few films had passed with no mention of Bucky, Black Panther reminded the fans that the former Hydra agent was being taken care of by Shuri in Wakanda. This post-credit scene hints at Bucky's deprogramming process, teasing the fans about his future as a hero.
10 Thor Reunited With Jane At The End Of Thor: The Dark World
In the post-credit scene of Thor: The Dark World, Thor returned to Earth to see Jane. When she saw the God of Thunder, she ran outside, and they kissed. Because Jane and Thor have one of the best relationships in the MCU, fans were pleased to see them together again.
This post-credit scene is one of Thor and Jane's milestones. Unfortunately, after Thor: Love and Thunder, their relationship ended in tragedy. Sadly, Thor: Ragnarok didn't delve into this relationship. It wasn't until the fourth installment of the series that fans learned why they broke up. As such, this post-credits scene is one of the most romantic moments of the MCU.
9 Erik Selvig Began Working With Nick Fury At The End Of Thor
In the final minutes of Thor, audiences saw Erik Selvig and Nick Fury meet. The agent told the professor that S.H.I.E.L.D. wanted to work with him and introduced him to the Tesseract. In the mirror facing them, Loki came before Erik and told him that it was worth a look, getting him to join Nick.
Learning that the God of Mischief had a lot more tricks up his sleeve definitely hyped the fans, who thought he was dead. Since then, Loki has become a beloved character. He went from a villain to an antihero to basically a hero. Fans are eager to see him in the second season of Loki.
8 The Watchers Left Their Informant At The End Of Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2
In the post-credits scene of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, the Watchers ditch their informant, who is portrayed by the legend Stan Lee. As a gag, the Informant explains that the Watchers were supposed to give him a ride home, but he didn't convince them of this.
In this scene, the Informant puts the Watchers in an uncomfortable but relatable position. Since they're a group of superpowered beings, it's ridiculous that he's just hanging out with them. Fans hold this scene in their hearts because of Stan Leee's appearance, who appeared in practically all Marvel projects until his unfortunate passing.
7 Mordo Took Away Pangborn's Magic In Doctor Strange's Post-Credits Scene
At the end of Doctor Strange, Mordo approached Pangborn and told him he had concluded that sorcerers were meant to steal things. Despite Pangborn insisting that he had magic without stealing anything, Mordo attacked him and stripped him of his power.
After his feud with Stephen Strange, Mordo promised the world would lose its sorcerers as they were too powerful. Up until Phase Four, Earth-19999's Mordo hasn't appeared again. However, this post-credits scene got everyone excited about Mordo's revenge on Strange.
6 Iron Man 2's Post-Credits Scene Hinted At Thor
The post-credits scene in Iron Man 2 shows Phil Coulson as he arrives at a crater in New Mexico, surrounded by government agents. At the center of the crater, fans were able to see Mjolnir. When Coulson announced the discovery to Nick Fury over the phone, fans realized Thor would debut in the MCU soon.
When Iron Man 2 teased the God of Thunder's appearance, only more hardcore Marvel fans truly knew Thor, so the fandom was curious and also excited to see him. A decade and four movies later, the God of Thunder is one of the MCU's most popular characters.
5 Aunt May Took Care Of Peter In The Post-Credits Scene Of Captain America: Civil War
At the end of Captain America: Civil War, Peter returned home from his fight with the Avengers. As Aunt May took care of his injuries, he explained that a guy named Steve hit him. He didn't reveal it was Steve Rogers, aka Captain America. When Aunt May left, Peter noticed Tony had added a Spider-Signal to his Web-Shooters.
When Peter Parker debuted in Captain America: Civil War, fans were thrilled to see him. The film's post-credit scene confirmed that he would return for a solo film. Instead of portraying Peter as a member of Iron Man's team, the scene showed him as his own person, a teenage hero who would become one of the most popular icons of the MCU.
4 Captain Marvel Connected Carol Danvers With The Avengers
The first post-credit scene of Captain Marvel foreshadows Avengers: Endgame's team-up. Carol appears in front of Steve Rogers, James Rhodes, and Natasha Romanoff demanding to see Nick Fury. This is after the three Avengers analyzed Nick Fury's Transmitter Pager to understand who he wanted to contact before disappearing in the Snap.
After a whole movie that served as her origin story, Carol Danvers got to interact with the MCU Avengers. Since she was the only hero Phase One introduced completely on her own, this scene was necessary to mark the beginning of her time as an Avengers ally.
3 Fans Got To See Thanos For The First Time In The Avengers
The first post-credit scene in The Avengers marks the first time fans saw Thanos in the MCU. The Mad Titan had been referenced already, but this scene serves as his first appearance. He smiles after The Other announces Loki's defeat at the hands of the Avengers.
As Thanos is the main villain of this storyline in the comics, his appearance in this scene gave fans all the proof they needed about the future of the MCU. Even though Thanos' first look in the MCU aged poorly, this scene is central to the Infinity Saga.
2 Nick Fury And Maria Hill Faded Away In The Post-Credits Scene Of Avengers: Infinity War
After Thanos' snap during Avengers: Infinity War, fans saw their favorite heroes fade away. Since Nick Fury and Maria Hill weren't part of the battle, the final scene of the movie doesn't show their fate, but the post-credit scene does. As they notice the progressive chaos in town, Fury and Hill disappear.
Before this happens, Fury uses the Transmitter Pager to contact Captain Marvel, with her symbol on the gadget being the last thing they see. This moment announced Carol's team-up with the rest of the Avengers. As fans were getting ready for Avengers: Endgame to be the ultimate crossover, this scene was the perfect way to tease the end of the Infinity Saga.
1 Nick Fury Was Introduced At The End Of Iron Man
By the end of Iron Man, Tony arrived home and noticed Nick Fury on the other side of his living room. Fury revealed that there were other superheroes besides him. He introduced the billionaire to the Avengers Initiative, hoping Tony would join them.
The first MCU post-credit scene ever, this moment changed the game in the cinema industry. It was impactful for two reasons. Firstly, nobody expected another scene to appear after the credits. Additionally, this scene introduced the whole Marvel Cinematic Universe to the world.