Ever since Nick Fury recruited Tony Stark for the Avengers Initiative at the end of the original Iron Man, Marvel Studios has used the end credits of its movies and streaming shows to tease characters and storylines for the future. From Thanos donning the Infinity Gauntlet to Mysterio revealing Peter Parker’s secret identity to the world, many of these credits scenes have been paid off in subsequent projects.

But that’s not always the case. Not all of the MCU’s credits scenes have led anywhere. Adrian Toomes met Mac Gargan in prison, the original Guardians of the Galaxy team reunited, and Harry Styles made his debut as the Mad Titan’s brother – and, so far, these scenes have gone nowhere.

Adrian Toomes Meets Mac Gargan In Prison

Michael Mando in Spider-Man Homecoming

In the final battle of Spider-Man: Homecoming, in true Spidey fashion, the title character lets the villain live. In spite of all the Vulture’s attempts to kill him, Spidey steps in to save his life, so he ends up behind bars, not six feet under.

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The movie’s mid-credits scene showed Adrian Toomes meeting Mac Gargan, better known as the Scorpion, played by Michael Mando. Gargan’s determination to kill Spider-Man teased the formation of an MCU Sinister Six. However, two movies later, when a Sinister Six-style team was formed, it instead consisted of familiar faces from the multiverse.

The Original Guardians Of The Galaxy Reunite

The original Guardians team

One of the many credits scenes in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 sees the original Guardians team reuniting. Inspired by the sacrifice of their old teammate Yondu, they decide to guard the galaxy once again.

The casting of A-list talent – Sylvester Stallone as Stakar Ogord, Michelle Yeoh as Aleta Ogord, Ving Rhames as Charlie-27, Michael Rosenbaum as Martinex, and Miley Cyrus as the voice of Mainframe – seemed to set up a whole separate Guardians franchise that has yet to come to fruition.

The Karl Mordo Of Earth-616 Wants To Kill All Sorcerers

Mordo confronts Pangborn in Doctor Strange

In the post-credits scene of Doctor Strange, Karl Mordo decided that there were “too many sorcerers” in the world and that he needed to start wiping them out.

The character reappeared in the Doctor Strange sequel, but not the Earth-616 Mordo from this credits scene who wanted Strange’s blood; the Earth-838 version who assumed the role of Sorcerer Supreme after Strange’s death.

Dane Whitman Acquires The Ebony Blade

Kit Harington in the post-credits scene of Eternals

Among many other characters, Eternals promised to introduce the Black Knight to the MCU. Technically, the movie did introduce Dane Whitman, played by Kit Harington, but he didn’t inherit his medieval superpowers on-screen.

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In the post-credits scene, Dane is seen acquiring the Ebony Blade, which gives him his abilities. Blade’s voice is heard off-screen asking if he’s ready for it. The audience is ready for it, but they still have yet to see the Black Knight in action.

Howard The Duck

Howard the Duck in Guardians of the Galaxy

The post-credits scene of Guardians of the Galaxy introduced Howard the Duck to the MCU. Voiced by Seth Green, Howard is seen sipping on a martini in the Collector’s destroyed workshop.

Howard has since made equally limited cameo appearances in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, Avengers: Endgame, and What If...?, and still hasn’t been given his own movie or Disney+ series. His existentialist comic, combining mundane everyday situations with self-aware genre parodies, deserves a much better adaptation than his notorious 1986 outing.

Xialing Takes Over The Ten Rings

Xia Ling in the Shang Chi end credits scene

The mid-credits sequence of Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings brought Shang-Chi and Katy into the larger Avengers fold. Wong introduced them to Bruce Banner and Carol Danvers ahead of a highly anticipated team-up with Earth’s Mightiest Heroes.

The post-credits scene teases a darker future for Shang-Chi’s sister, Xialing, as she takes over her late father’s titular terrorist organization. So, the Ten Rings are still a prevalent threat in the MCU.

Sharon Carter Is The Power Broker

Sharon Carter on the phone in Falcon and Winter Soldier

Throughout The Falcon and the Winter Soldier’s run, the identity of the “Power Broker” was shrouded in mystery. In one of the show’s most predictable twists, the finale revealed that the Power Broker is really Sharon Carter, who acted aloof through the whole series.

RELATED: 10 Ways The Falcon And The Winter Soldier Made Sam & Bucky More Interesting

After defeating the Flag Smashers, Sharon is reinstated at the CIA with a pardon. She then calls a mysterious contact to inform them that she’s been given access to government resources once more.

Ayesha Creates Adam Warlock

Adam Warlock's birthing pod in Guardians of the Galaxy 2

Another one of the many credits scenes in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 reveals that Ayesha is developing an all-powerful A.I. capable of destroying the Guardians. She gives it the name “Adam,” teasing the introduction of Adam Warlock.

While the MCU still hasn’t introduced Adam on-screen, the character is set to appear in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, where he’ll be played by Will Poulter.

Harry Styles As Thanos’ Brother

Eros looking confident in Eternals

The mid-credits scene of Eternals introduced Harry Styles as Eros, also known as Starfox. He greets his fellow Eternals and confirms that he’s Thanos’ brother. He’s also joined by a squire, Pip the Troll, played by Patton Oswalt.

Stunt casting has become a trend in Marvel’s credits scenes. This year has brought Charlize Theron’s debut as Clea and Brett Goldstein’s debut as Hercules.

Nick Fury Is In Space With The Skrulls

samuel l jackson in sword space station looking at beach

Nick Fury replaced Tony Stark as Peter Parker’s mentor in Spider-Man: Far From Home. But despite being played by Samuel L. Jackson, Fury doesn’t quite act like himself in the movie. The post-credits scene explained why with a shocking twist: Fury wasn’t actually there.

Throughout the entire movie, he was Talos in disguise. The real Fury is on a high-tech space station with a team of Skrulls. This reveal still has yet to be paid off after three years, although S.W.O.R.D. was established in WandaVision and there’s a Secret Invasion series on the way, so it’s only a matter of time before this sequence makes sense.

NEXT: The MCU's 5 Most Exciting Post-Credits Scenes (& 5 That Weren't Worth The Wait)