10 Comic Book Movie Post-Credits Scenes That Changed Everything

Throughout the movies of the MCU, the DCU, and beyond, there are a number of post-credits scenes that shook up their franchise or the superhero genre as a whole. Though they were undoubtedly popularized by the movies of the MCU, post-credits scenes have been a staple of superhero cinema across multiple franchises for a number of years. As a result, using post-credits scenes to either offer up a final gag or a teaser for an upcoming movie within the same franchise has become standard practice for comic book movies.

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However, not all post-credits scenes are equal in their importance. A select few have marked a moment of massive change for their franchise or for the entire genre, with the post-credits scenes of the MCU, the DCEU, and beyond all having had a major impact on occasion. With that in mind, here are 10 comic book movie post-credits scenes that changed everything.

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10 Hitler & Lenin Meet

The King’s Man (2021)

There are many types of post-credits scenes, but most are either jokes or directly set up a future story or character. However, The King’s Man’s post-credits scene appeared to do both at once, setting up a sequel to the prequel with a satirical scene introducing a new character. The scene shows the film’s villain meeting with Vladimir Lenin and introducing him to the newest member of their secret organization, who reveals himself to be none other than Adolf Hitler.

As well as setting up a sequel, the scene was clearly written to poke fun at the nature of modern post-credits scenes. By making a joke of the practice, The King’s Man subtly changed things by forcing its audience to consider how silly such scenes can seem when presented in a serious manner. Though the changes it inspired might not be obvious, it certainly challenged its audience’s perception of what a comic book movie post-credits scene should be.

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Director Matthew Vaughn Release Date December 22, 2021

9 Xavier’s Unlikely Survival

X-Men: The Last Stand (2006)

The third film in Fox’s X-Men movie timeline, X-Men: The Last Stand, is commonly considered one of the worst in the franchise. It also featured a post-credit scene that changed the Marvel movie universe, and not for the better. After the movie saw the death of Charles Xavier in a conflict with Jean Grey, the film’s post-credits scene confirmed his survival by implying that his consciousness had been transferred into the body of a coma patient.

The scene cemented that not only did The Last Stand poorly handle the deaths of multiple characters, but that it didn’t take them particularly seriously, either. Killing off Patrick Stewart’s Professor X only to immediately bring him back was a clear cop out, and seemed to mark the beginning of the end for Fox’s original X-Men continuity. Rounding off an underwhelming movie by undoing one of its biggest narrative developments changed the franchise by undermining the integrity of its storytelling.

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Director Brett Ratner Release Date May 25, 2006

8 Morbius Meets Vulture

Morbius (2022)

Sony’s Spider-Man Universe might not have achieved the same heights of success as the MCU, but Morbius’ post-credits scene inextricably links the two franchises. Released as it was just a few months after Spider-Man: No Way Home, Morbius tapped into the MCU’s Multiverse by having Michael Keaton’s Vulture cross over into the SSU. The post-credits scene shows Adrian Toomes materializing in Morbius’ continuity before meeting up with his fellow villain and hinting at a Sinister Six team-up.

The post-credits scene changed a lot for both the SSU and the MCU. Naturally, having a character completely jump over to or from another continuity creates waves throughout each franchise, and despite the fact that it has yet to be properly explored in either the SSU or MCU, it’s a major development. The tease of a Sinister Six movie also implies the impending appearance of Spider-Man in the Sony Universe, which itself would be a massive development.

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Director Daniel Espinosa Release Date April 1, 2022

7 The DCEU’s Injustice League

Justice League (2017)

One of the main differences between the MCU and DCEU’s post-credits scenes was that the DC franchise’s final teasers were rarely as impactful as those of its Marvel counterpart. The short-lived nature of the franchise also saw many such teases go unfulfilled, despite hinting at promising developments. Justice League’s post-credits scene, for example, introduced Joe Manganiello’s Deathstroke, and set up the DCEU’s Injustice League, with Slade Wilson forming an alliance with Lex Luthor.

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The scene established a side of the DCEU that never fully materialized, despite being desperately needed. One of the franchise’s biggest issues was the lack of depth in its villains, and the post-credits scene hinted that this would be rectified. It changed audiences’ perception of the DCEU by including what appeared to be a more exciting post-credits teaser, although it was ultimately forced to leave the promise unfulfilled.

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Director Zack Snyder Release Date November 17, 2017

6 Thanos And The Infinity Gauntlet

Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015)

When it comes to the MCU’s most important post-credits scenes, Avengers: Age of Ultron’s is too often overlooked entirely. The scene in question shows Thanos opening a vault and collecting an Infinity Gauntlet, announcing: “Fine. I’ll do it myself.” The 2015 post-credits scene subtly marked a major development in the MCU, both in a narrative and conceptual sense.

The scene marked a big moment for the MCU, as it quite literally had Thanos stepping out of the shadows and into the spotlight. Bringing Thanos to the forefront of the MCU as the main antagonist of the Infinity Saga was a key development, and one that ultimately led to the massive success of both Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame. Conceptually, it added another dimension to the MCU’s post-credits scenes, having them further the wider plot of the MCU rather than simply teasing the next movie, making it doubly impactful.

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Director Joss Whedon Release Date May 1, 2015

5 Spider-Man’s Identity Is Revealed

Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019)

Spider-Man: Far From Home saw Peter Parker dealing with the death of his mentor while also contending with the manipulations of Quentin Beck, A.K.A. Mysterio. Despite Spider-Man overcoming the villain in the end, the movie’s final post-credits reveal proved a major development for the MCU. In what may well be the MCU’s most shocking post-credits scene, Peter Parker’s secret identity is revealed to the world, along with Beck’s assertion that Spider-Man murdered him.

The scene changed everything for the MCU by starting a chain of events that led the franchise into the Multiverse Saga. Mysterio exposing Spider-Man’s identity led to Doctor Strange’s Multiverse-breaking spell, which in turn marked the beginning of the MCU’s foray into the infinite potential of its countless realities. Though it may seem to be more impactful for Spider-Man as an individual hero, Far From Home’s post-credits scene actually had a much greater effect on the MCU as a whole.

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Director Jon Watts Release Date July 2, 2019

4 Henry Cavill’s Return As Superman

Black Adam (2022)

As one of the final movies of the DCEU, it wouldn’t seem that Black Adam had much chance to effect change within the franchise. However, Black Adam’s post-credits scene did appear to change a great deal for its audience, albeit not in the way that was clearly intended. The film’s mid-credits teaser saw the surprising return of Henry Cavill’s Superman, teasing a potential conflict or alliance between the two characters.

Immediately upon release, the post-credits scene changed audiences’ perception of the DCEU. Confirming that Henry Cavill would seemingly return as Superman after years of doubt was a major development, if a short-lived one. The swift announcement that the DCEU would be rebooted into the DCU and Cavill would not return was a swift turnaround, and instead painted Black Adam’s mid-credits scene as a cautionary tale not to make promises that cannot be kept.

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Director Jaume Collet-Serra Release Date October 21, 2022

3 Thanos’ First MCU Appearance

The Avengers (2012)

The final film of the MCU’s Phase 1, The Avengers, was a monumental moment in the franchise’s history. As well as being the first major movie team-up and a clear indicator of the potential of the superhero genre, it also featured a groundbreaking post-credits scene. The scene served as an addendum to the film’s story, confirming that not only had Loki been acting on Thanos’ behalf, but that the Mad Titan’s sights were firmly set on Earth.

The Avengers’ post-credits scene changed everything by introducing the MCU’s first heavy-hitting antagonist. Confirming Thanos as the power behind the power set up the MCU’s future in a big way, establishing a narrative vein that ran through the franchise’s entire Infinity Saga. In a conceptual sense, The Avengers’ post-credits scene changed everything for the MCU, and marked a massive moment in the franchise’s history.

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Director Joss Whedon Release Date May 4, 2012

2 Bullseye Survives

Daredevil (2003)

In the overall history of comic book movies, 2003’s Daredevil isn’t likely to be remembered as an overly influential title. However, it does feature a landmark moment for the superhero genre as a whole, because it was the first modern superhero movie to make use of a post-credits scene to tease a potential sequel. The scene in question shows Colin Farrell’s Bullseye lying injured in a hospital bed before managing to impale a fly with a needle, confirming that he can still utilize his remarkable aim.

Despite the fact that Farrell never returned as Bullseye, the scene changed everything for the genre in a far-reaching way. Daredevil’s post-credits scene started something within the genre by outlining the potential for teasing sequels or other developments. Considering that the practice has since become standard for Marvel movies, it’s safe to say that Daredevil’s post-credits teaser was perhaps the most influential in the history of the genre.

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Director Mark Steven Johnson Release Date February 14, 2003

1 Nick Fury’s Avengers Initiative

Iron Man (2008)

The MCU’s first movie, 2008’s Iron Man, did so much more than simply introduce Robert Downey Jr.’s iconic take on the titular Marvel hero. It spawned the entire MCU, a franchise which continues to expand and adapt the wider Marvel Universe with each passing year. It also happened to feature a post-credits scene that teased exactly that, setting up the groundbreaking shared movie universe that was to come.

At the time of Iron Man’s release, shared universes were considered a gimmick at best, not to mention all but impossible to pull off. Iron Man’s post-credits scene tapped into audiences’ desire for a greater depth to their movies, hinting at the potential for interconnectivity across titles spanning decades. As the first film in the franchise, Iron Man started something massive, with its post-credits scene being perhaps the most iconic across the MCU, the DCU, and the wider genre of comic book movies.

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