Why Marvel Studios Began Using Post-Credits Scenes

CBR

By Geoff Miller

Published May 7, 2017

Studio President Kevin Feige explains the origins of the post-credits scenes that have become a signature of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

There are three things audiences can count on in life: death, taxes and a post-credits scene at the end of a Marvel Studios film. "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2" pushes the latter to the extreme with a staggering five end-credits sequences.

Much like the shared cinematic universe itself, those stingers were popularized by Marvel but have now become a fixture of films from other studios. But how did they get their start at the House of Ideas?

"I always liked that sort of thing, whether it’s 'Ferris Bueller' or 'Masters of the Universe," Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige explained to Slashfilm. "As a film nerd, I never wanted it to end. I didn’t want the experience … no matter how good or bad the movie was, just the experience of being in the movie theater, I didn’t want to end. So I would always sit through the credits.

"So when I started making movies, I’d be like that’d be fun to do," he continued. "We didn’t wanna put [the Nick Fury scene] in the body of the film [2008's 'Iron Man'] ’cause we thought it would be distracting. So we thought we’d put it at the very end of the credits for people who like me when I was a kid could be rewarded for staying.”

Marvel's "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2," with its five post-credits scenes, is in theaters now, on its way to a U.S. opening weekend of around $140 million.