For today's blockbusters the post-credits scene has become almost mandatory. The short, usually whimsical, tag scene rewards the hardcore fans for waiting until the end of the credits and plants a seed for a potential sequel. Pinpointing the exact moment the post-credits scene was coined is not an easy task, however, the movie consistently being credited with popularizing the modern post-credits scene is the 1979s' The Muppet Movie. Aside from incorporating a sequence while the credits are rolling, the film also has a scene at the end of the credits. Breaking the fourth wall, the psychotic Muppet, Animal, turns to the camera and tells the audience to "go home". That little stinger kicked off the 1980s post-credits scene mania.

Over the years, the trend just kept growing and now we've reached the post-credits scene era of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Fans of the superhero franchise have long learned that if they remain in their seats once the credits start rolling their patience will be rewarded with a post-credits scene. Marvel started its now-long-running tradition of post-credits scenes with the first Iron Man movie. Iron Man's post-credits scene introduced Nick Fury and the 'Avenger Initiative', launching the Marvel Cinematic Universe we know and love today. Every single MCU movie since Iron Man has had at least one post-credits scene. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 tops the charts with a total of five post-credits scene. We went through all 35 MCU post-credits scenes and ranked them from the least good to the best. Oh, the list includes Ant-Man and the Wasp, so spoiler alert if you haven't seen it yet.

35 HOME IS WHERE THE HEART IS (THOR: THE DARK WORLD)

Thor: The Dark World saw Thor and Jane experiencing some long-distance relationship issues. In order to give the couple some happy moments together, there was a cute little post-credits scene in which Thor comes back and kisses Jane on the roof.

The scene then cuts away from the romantic rooftop kiss to a misplaced Jotunheim beast running around chasing a flock of birds. It’s not a bad scene but given that this ended up being Jane’s last appearance it feels out of place and pointless now.

34 FALCON'S HIDDEN WEAPON (ANT-MAN)

Ant-Man Civil War Bucky

Ant-Man’s post-credits scene is actually a cut-down scene taken directly from Captain America: Civil War. We see Captain America and Falcon discussing what to do with Winter Soldier, mentioning ‘the accords’ that prevent them from calling Tony Stark.

The Cap seems to think they’re on their own, but Falcon may know a guy who could help. The guy in question is none other than Scott Long, who, as we know, plays for Team Cap. It was a cool teaser, just not Marvel’s best work.

33 GOOFING AROUND WITH GUNNS (GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL. 2)

Kraglin practicing his whistling technique to control Yondu’s Arrow felt like the two brothers James and Sean Gunn decided to have some mindless fun on the set and tagged it on the final cut of the movie just for the heck of it.

The first post-credits scene of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 doesn’t have a narrative purpose, but it is a pretty funny scene and it fits the tone of the movie to a T. Luckily, the movie has five of these, so one of them may as well be a gag.

32 RAVAGERS REASSEMBLE (GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL. 2)

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 Ravagers

In Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, we got to learn more about Yondu Udonta -- or as he himself put it, Peter Quill’s daddy. Showing that he truly cares about Peter, Yondu sacrificed himself for his adopted son to live.

We also got to see the other members of the Ravagers, including Yondu’s mentor Stakar Ogord, played by Sylvester Stalone. Stakar and his team make an appearance in one of the mid-credits scenes, where they decide to reassemble the team inspired by Yondu’s sacrifice.

31 GIANT ANT DRUMMING (ANT-MAN AND THE WASP)

Ant-Man and the Wasp Giant Ant

The latest movie in the MCU, and the 20th movie overall, Ant-Man and the Wasp was as hilarious as the first Ant-Man film, though it ended on a grim note. Even the post-credits scene which would have been a zinger under different circumstances.

In the post-credits scene, we’re at Scott Lang’s empty house and there’s an emergency broadcast on the TV after the snap. We also see the giant ant tasked with performing Scott’s duties, drumming away as if nothing had happened. It's all very unsettling.

30 ONE DOWN... (THOR: THE DARK WORLD)

Thor The Dark World The Collector

Thor: The Dark World is often cited as forgettable, filler and boring, but it did have its moments. The post-credits scene wasn’t all that insightful or needed for that matter, but the mid-credits scene actually served a purpose.

The scene in question sees Lady Sif and Volstagg arrive at Knowhere where Carina introduces them to Taneleer Tivan, aka the Collector, to whom they entrust the Aether. The scene introduced the Collector and his pursuit of the Infinity Stones, and it foreshadowed the Guardians of the Galaxy.

29 WHO LET THE DOG OUT? (GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY)

Guardians of the Galaxy Cosmo the Spacedog

After appearing briefly in Thor: The Dark World’s mid-credits scene, the Collector gets to play a bigger role in Guardians of the Galaxy. In his pursuit of the Infinity Stones, Taneleer Tivan hired Gamora to get him the Orb in exchange for four billion Units.

As we all know, plans changed and the Guardians ended up leaving the Power Stone on Xandar in the safe hands of the Nova Corps. The Collector made another appearance in a funny post-credits scene which showed his museum in ruins and both Cosmo and Howard the Duck out of their cages.

28 THE LAST RECRUIT (CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE FIRST AVENGER)

Captain America The First Avenger Fury Team

Captain America: The First Avenger ends with Steve Rogers running out on the street only to find himself in the strange 21st century world. The scene cuts to black and we’re then shown Steve taking out his frustrations on a bunch of punching bags.

Steve’s training session is interrupted by Nick Fury, who arrives to inform the Cap about a world-saving assignment. The scene then cuts to a brief teaser for The Avengers, making sure the audience is hyped for the upcoming team-up.

27 THANOS IS COMING (THOR: RAGNAROK)

Thor Ragnarok Thanos Ship

Despite having lost his father, his friends, half of his people, and Asgard itself, Thor was brimming with optimism as he set course for Earth. However, just as he assured his somewhat apprehensive brother Loki that everything will be fine, a giant ship appeared right in front of them.

We immediately suspected the Mad Titan to be aboard the large ship and in Avengers: Infinity War our suspicions were confirmed at the very beginning of the movie. Ragnarok's mid-credits scene was a foreboding glance at darkness that followed in Infinity War.

26 SINISTER SIX (SPIDER-MAN: HOMECOMING)

Spider-Man Homecoming Prison

Spider-Man: Homecoming’s villain the Vulture immediately became a fan-favorite. Adrian Toomes was well-written, sympathetic and believable. His goal wasn’t to ‘take over the world’ but simply to support his family in these difficult times.

In the post-credits scene, we see Toomes lie to Mac Gargan about not knowing Spider-Man’s true identity. Yay for Toomes. Plus, the scene teases Gargan’s transformation into Scorpion and potentially the introduction of the Sinister Six, since Gargan mentions going after Spidey with a group of friends. Here's hoping this does actually come to pass.

25 BUCKY, YOU THERE? (CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE WINTER SOLDIER)

Captain America The Winter Soldier Bucky

In Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Steve Rogers had to face the harsh truth that his presumed-dead best friend Bucky had been brainwashed and sent to kill him. But, Steve refused to give up hope that his friend is still there, despite all the evidence pointing otherwise.

Until, the post-credits scene reveals a masked Bucky Barnes visiting the Captain America exhibit at the Smithsonian Institute, suggesting that maybe his memories are coming back to him. The scene laid the foundation for Bucky’s return.

24 JEFF GOLDBLUM DOES HIS THING (THOR: RAGNAROK)

Thor Ragnarok the Grandmaster

Jeff Goldblum’s Grandmaster is one of the most hilarious, quirky, entertaining characters in the MCU and we appreciated every second of screen-time he got. The post-credits scene with Jeff Goldblum being -- well, Jeff Goldblum is absolutely bonkers.

After being defeated by a revolution on Sakaar, the Grandmaster addresses the rebels, congratulating them on a job well done and decides to call the revolution a ‘tie’. It’s a shame this scene was probably the last we’ll ever see of the Grandmaster.

23 TOO MANY SORCERERS (DOCTOR STRANGE)

Doctor Strange Karl Mordo

At the end of Doctor Strange, Stephen Strange and his sidekick Karl Mordo had a falling out over Stephen’s alleged wanton use of magic. In the post-credits scene, Mordo is shown stripping the magic that allows Jonathan Pangborn to walk from him.

As he does so, Mordo explains that there are too many sorcerers, suggesting that he’s on a quest to purge magic from the world. The scene probably sets up Mordo as a villain in the Doctor Strange sequel.

22 THE WHITE WOLF (BLACK PANTHER)

Black Panther Shuri White Wolf

Last time we saw Bucky Barnes was in the post-credits scene when he was put in cryostasis in Wakanda. In Black Panther, when an injured Everett Ross is brought to Shuri, she references Bucky by calling Ross ‘another white boy for us to fix’.

In the post-credits scene, we get to see Bucky recovering from his treatment surrounded by the gorgeous nature of Wakanda. It was nice seeing Bucky again, and confirming that he will be there for Infinity War.

21 SPIDEY SYMBOL (CAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL WAR)

Captain America Civil War Spicer-Man

Tom Holland made his debut as Spider-Man in in Cap's third movie outing and stole the show. Peter Parker even got his own mid-credits scene in which he explains to aunt may how he got into a fight with a friend that was really huge -- Giant Man.

When May leaves, we see Peter fiddling with his web-shooters and discovering a Spidey Symbol, in the style of the Dark Knight. It was an adorable moment between aunt and nephew followed by an awesome teaser for what’s to come in Spider-Man: Homecoming.

20 T'CHALLA DELIVERS AN IMPORTANT MESSAGE (BLACK PANTHER)

Black Panther T'Challa UN

There’s a lot we can learn from Black Panther, and that goes for the mid-credits scene as well. The scene shows T’Challa at the UN accompanied by Nakia, Okoye and Ayo. Introducing himself to the other UN members, T’Challa delivers a powerful speech about unity and humanity.

Just like the message of Black Panther, T’Challa’s message strongly resonated with audiences. By opening his country to the world and refusing to stand on the sidelines, King T’Challa is saying that in the face of danger we are stronger together. A fitting lesson in the prelude to Infinity War.

19 AGE OF MIRACLES (CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE WINTER SOLDIER)

Captain America The Winter Soldier Quicksilver Scarlet Witch

Captain America: The Winter Soldier is one of the most important MCU movies. It managed to connect with Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. in the most substantial way, it introduced a bunch of new characters and plotlines, and it upended the entire MCU.

The mid-credits scene gave us our first look at the Maximoff twins -- Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch, who returned in Avengers: Age of Ultron. The twins were shown in holding cells at a facility led by Wolfgang von Strucker who’s also seen studying Loki’s Scepter.

18 WIZARD MEETS GOD (DOCTOR STRANGE)

In a mid-credits cut-down scene from Thor: Ragnarok, Doctor Strange interrogates Thor about his plans on Earth and especially the presence of his adopted brother Loki. Obviously, Strange hasn’t been living under a rock for the past five years. He’s seen The Avengers. He knows what’s up.

It was a fun meet-cute between Earth's Sorcerer Supreme and the Asgardian God 0f Thunder exquisitely portrayed by Benedict Cumberbatch and Chris Hemsworth, respectively. The infinite beer trick and Thor's reactions were hilarious. Luckily, we got an extended version of this scene in Ragnarok.

17 I SHALL CALL HIM ADAM (GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL. 2)

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 Adam Warlock

In the third post-credits scene from Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, we are back with Ayesha and the Sovereign. The High Priestess tells her chambermaid that she’s cooking up a special kind of Sovereign -- one capable of destroying the Guardians of the Galaxy.

We are then shown a cocoon, which we immediately associated with Adam Warlock. Our suspicions were confirmed almost instantly by Ayesha herself who decides to name her creation Adam. James Gunn stated that this wasn’t just a meaningless teaser and that Adam Warlock will play a crucial role in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.

16 GAMER_GOD_GROOT (GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL. 2)

All right, let’s get one thing straight, any scene that has Groot is by default awesome. Whether it’s grown-up, baby or teenage Groot, Groot is always adorable.

In one of the many mid-credits scenes of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.2, Peter Quill tries to discipline the teenage Groot, who can’t seem to put away his game for even a second to clean up his messy room. Essentially, Groot is a 21st century teenager -- he’s argumentative, rebellious and addicted to technology.