5 MCU Post-Credits That Were Just Scenes From Other Movies & Shows

The Marvel Cinematic Universe may be famous for its post-credit scenes, but that doesn't mean that the sprawling superhero series doesn't sometimes cheat in its last-minute teases. Over the last fifteen years, beginning with 2008's Iron Man, almost every Marvel project has included at least one tag scene meant to set up future films and series. These end-credit moments are typically original scenes that in some way tie into the project in which they appear. However, the MCU occasionally lifts a sequence from an entirely different film and transplants it in the end-credits scene of another, taking a shortcut in setting up its future projects.

Marvel's end-credit scenes have transformed over time, but they all trace back to Nick Fury's recruitment of Tony Stark in Iron Man, which introduced the concept of the Avengers to the MCU for the first time. Since then, the MCU has included over fifty post-credit scenes throughout its various films and series, some proving to be more memorable than others. Over the MCU's fifteen-year run, some of these scenes have set up new characters while others have merely played with the audience's expectations, including one final joke for those who choose to sit through the credits. With countless projects on the way, Marvel's post-credit scenes aren't going anywhere anytime soon.

5 Iron Man 2

The post-credit scene of Iron Man 2 offered audiences their first look at Thor, which was set to hit theaters the following year. After his brief scenes with Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.), SHIELD agent Phil Coulson (Clark Gregg) made a trip out to New Mexico to investigate a strange anomaly. Upon arriving, Coulson calls headquarters to report that he'd found something as the camera slowly pans to reveal Thor's hammer Mjolnir in the middle of a humongous crater. When Thor eventually hit theaters shortly thereafter, this scene stretches on longer, showing the public's reaction to finding the hammer prior to Coulson's arrival.

In contrast to some of Phase 4's more direct post-credit set-ups, Iron Man 2 gives audiences just enough information to be intrigued about Marvel's next offering without revealing too many details. The introduction of Mjolnir was a fun nod to arrival of Thor without giving too much away about why his hammer was on Earth and where the god of thunder himself was at that very moment. These questions would have to wait until Thor's release, which depicts the post-credit scene in an entirely new light, but completely fulfills everything that Iron Man 2 had promised the year before.

4 Captain America: The First Avenger

Steve Rogers and Nick Fury in Times Square at the end of Captain America The First Avenger

Captain America: The First Avenger is an odd case among other Marvel films when it comes to post-credit scenes. The film ends with Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) waking up in New York City nearly seventy years after his plane crash and meeting Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson), the director of SHIELD. The film's post-credit scene begins with a conversation between Fury and Rogers that takes place about a year after their first encounter, as the former recruits the world's first super-soldier for an important mission. The scene then transitions into a full-blown trailer for The Avengers, something that Marvel did not do again until Spider-Man: No Way Home.

The conversation depicted between Nick Fury and Steve Rogers at the end of The First Avenger's credits actually turned out to be a scene from The Avengers, which saw Captain America recruited to become a member of Earth's Mightiest Heroes. Much like the Mjolnir tag in Iron Man 2, the scene is greatly extended for The Avengers, taking more time to flesh out Steve's feelings about waking up decades after his supposed death and to convey his hesitancy in joining Fury's squad of superheroes. Nevertheless, the scene proved somewhat problematic in Captain America's MCU timeline, leading to questions about how it lines up with The First Avenger's ending.

3 Ant-Man

Split Image: Buck Barnes (Sebastian Stan) in Civil War; Ant-Man (Paul Rudd) greeting Sam Wilson

As the final film in Phase 2, Ant-Man took the initiative to give audiences their very first look at Phase 3 of the MCU, which began the following year with Captain America: Civil War. Coming off of his cameo earlier in the film, Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie) is seen conferring with Steve Rogers over the fate of Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan). After the two name-drop the Sokovia Accords, which supposedly makes their situation worse, Steve suggests that they get help in smuggling Bucky out of the country. Remembering his earlier battle with Ant-Man (Paul Rudd), Sam reveals that he knows someone who might be able to help them.

Unlike other post-credit scenes that borrow from future films, Ant-Man's tag is quite upfront about its purpose, making it quite clear through its direction and scripting that it belongs to another movie altogether. In Civil War, this moment is used to bring Ant-Man into the film's storyline, as he joins Team Captain America in their fight against Team Iron Man. This scene proves to be especially important as Scott Lang's first and only interaction with the full Avengers team prior to the events of Avengers: Endgame. Without Scott's introduction to the Avengers in Civil War, he may never have enlisted their help in reversing Thanos's snap.

2 Doctor Strange

benedict cumberbatch as Doctor Strange in thor Ragnarok

Doctor Strange included a surprise cameo in its mid-credit scene, which depicted the first meeting between Dr. Stephen Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) and Thor (Chris Hemsworth). As the god of thunder adjusts to his new magical surroundings in the Sanctum Sanctorum, Doctor Strange expresses his concern about Thor bringing Loki (Tom Hiddleston) to Earth while also revealing that Odin (Anthony Hopkins) is apparently missing. The scene ends with Doctor Strange offering to help Thor find his father, revealing that the wizard would appear in the following year's Thor: Ragnarok. When the third Thor film finally did release, it became clear that Doctor Strange's mid-credits scene had been borrowed.

The sequence between the god of thunder and the Sorcerer Supreme in Thor: Ragnarok is far longer than the post-credit scene of Doctor Strange had let on. Injected with a greater helping of director Taika Waititi's signature humor, the scene takes the opportunity to have some fun as Thor struggles to comprehend the magical nature of Doctor Strange and the Sanctum Sanctorum. The moment also helps to establish Doctor Strange's role in protecting the Earth from otherworldly threats, revealing that Loki, the god of mischief, was high on the list of individuals who Strange felt put his planet in danger.

1 Ant-Man & The Wasp: Quantumania

kang the conqueror in the mcu with his victor timely variant in marvel comics

Marvel's latest theatrical release, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania uses its post-credit scenes to introduce new Kang variants to the MCU. Among these Kang variants is Victory Timely (Jonathan Majors), who is shown in the film's final tag in an early 1900s setting, where he shows off a mysterious invention that he claims can help conquer time. The scene eventually reveals Loki in the audience of Timely's demonstration, joined by Time Variance Authority agent Mobius (Owen Wilson). The scene has since been confirmed to be a part of the upcoming second season of Disney+'s Loki (per ET), which is set to premiere later this summer.

Quantumania's final tag fixes a major problem with Phase 4's post-credit scenes by offering audiences concrete hints at a specific upcoming project, rather than merely introducing characters for the sake of shoe-horning big-name celebrities into the MCU. Moreover, with Kang and his variants serving as the main threat of the Multiverse Saga, the introduction of Victor Timely in a scene from Loki connects two of the most important titles in Phase 5, which set up the highly anticipated Avengers: The Kang Dynasty. As post-credit scenes go, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania's final moments have major implications for the Marvel Cinematic Universe, even if they are lifted from another project altogether.