While Wakanda kept all of its wealth and resources secret for centuries, the mid-credits scene in Black Panther showed that it still challenged the world's status quo more than most other powerful entities in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Black Panther was Marvel's most important Phase 3 movie because of its quality, success, and cultural impact, but it was also the most important within the MCU due to Wakanda's shift toward helping the world after the events of the movie. Although the Avengers' high-octane battles offered more spectacle, this transition is the first one to signify a direct benefit to Earth, radically changing its history for the better.

Black Panther presented a hidden paradise that secluded itself from the greed and colonization of the rest of the world, overflowing with natural and highly advanced technological resources that allowed it to maintain a peaceful, secret presence in Central Africa. Deeply connected to nature, Wakanda thrives on its own due to the abundance of vibranium - an extremely rare kind of metal with extraordinary properties that crashed in the region several thousand years ago. As ideal as it sounds, the land wasn't without its moral dilemmas. When Erik Killmonger (Michael B. Jordan) arrives to claim the Wakandan throne, he argues that the kingdom's resources must be shared with the communities of African descent around the world and used to bring justice to the oppressed. This leads to an unprecedented conflict in Wakanda that results in T'Challa's decision to uncover the kingdom before the United Nations, promising to share its treasure with the rest of the Earth.

Related: Black Panther: Was Killmonger The Rightful King of Wakanda?

The familiarity of the early MCU's fictitious depiction of everyday life made Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) seem like the trailblazer, but actually, several other heroes already existed in the MCU long before Iron Man. More importantly, most of these figures were powerful and influential enough to fix many of the hardships that still afflict the world to this day. The Pym Particles created by Hank Pym (Michael Douglas) - capable of solving global hunger and water scarcity with their ability to increase the scale and density of matter -  were perfected as far back as the 1960s, but the Pym Particles were never given any philanthropic use other than as fuel for his Ant-Man suit. The multiple versions of the Super Soldier serum were always intended for militaristic purposes, even though all of Steve Rogers' (Chris Evans) ailments were replaced by physical perfection back in the 1940s. All of the Stark family's numerous inventions such as advanced holographic technology, arc reactors that could power entire cities for years, and state-of-the-art artificial intelligence never escaped Tony's hands. It was only when Wakanda came out of the shadows that the world stopped being an idle spectator to the Marvel characters' extraordinary advancements.

Hank Pym Tony Stark And The Super Soldier Serum Never Shared Their Tech With The MCU World

In their defense, they were all plagued either by the ubiquitous presence of Hydra or the shifty intentions of faceless bureaucratic entities. Darren Cross (Corey Stoll) and S.H.I.E.L.D. almost got their hands on the Pym Particles with the intention of transferring them to Hydra and the Ten Rings, Red Skull (Hugo Weaving) and Emil Blonsky (Tim Roth) proved how the Super Soldier serum could be used for evil, and nearly all of Tony Stark's antagonists - including the government - perfectly demonstrated the wide array of catastrophes that could happen if his technology fell in the wrong hands. Still, Wakanda's act of selflessness finally involved using superpowered technology to change the status quo instead of reinforce it.

The mid-credits scene in Black Panther may have been overshadowed by the post-credits scene, where Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan) wakes up in Wakanda and receives his new vibranium arm. However, the implications it has on the Marvel Cinematic Universe make it a crucial historical event that completely changes the Earth's future.

Next: Black Panther 2: Every Possible Villain For The Sequel (& Who's Best)

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