The MCU’s post-credits scenes have a unique appeal, one that can even turn them into the most exciting part of the movie, rather than the coda they would be in many other films. However, Marvel has shown a few loose ends and teases over the last six years that are yet to play out, and Phase Five will probably deliver on many of those promises.
Still, not all post-credits scenes are cut from the same cloth as for every major moment packed in them, in the past, Marvel has also completely forgotten some of those not-so-tasty previews. Putting aside every closing scene that’s only there for comedic purposes, leaves the MCU with two different kinds of post-credit footage: those that leave no room for guessing what comes next and the more ambiguous scenes whose meaning can be interpreted in several ways, so with all that in mind what does Marvel have in store for the next couple of years?
Just Wait For it
Out of all the hints dropped by Marvel Studios since 2016, a good share of them already have a clear set path for how they will pay off in Phase Five, namely the following: Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2, Spider-Man: Far From Home, Loki and Ms. Marvel. Granted, some of those were barely even teasers at all, as Loki wrapped up only by confirming it would be the only Disney Plus series with a guaranteed second season, probably due to its implications in the whole Multiverse Saga.
On the other hand, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is already confirmed to feature Will Poulter’s Adam Warlock as a major character; Secret Invasion will finally reveal what the real Nick Fury has been up in space since Far From Home; and, Carol Danvers’ strange swap with Kamala Khan will get a proper explanation in The Marvels. Not much to see here.
The Falcon And The Winter Soldier
Sam Wilson’s journey to becoming the new Captain America spent its entire six-episode run teasing its main villain, the Power Broker, only to reveal that the face behind it all was a character many MCU fans barely remembered, Sharon Carter. Having a villain infiltrate the CIA can’t be a good thing, and Sharon will probably lie low until New World Order brings Cap back. Also, watch out for the kind of relationship Carter could have with her big boss at the CIA, Valentina Allegra de Fontaine, who’s bound to be an important figure in Phase Five.
What If…?
At first glance, the animated What If…? ought to be the least interesting payoff Marvel is currently preparing, as it’d be fairly easy to continue Captain Carter’s time and space travels with the show’s parallel storylines tackling new dimensions in season 2. Nevertheless, with the multiverse concept en vogue and X-Men ‘97 on the way, What If…? remains a tempting avenue for the MCU to connect its animated live-action worlds with animation.
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings
Definitely one of the more exciting ongoing setups because Shang-Chi’s powers made him look like for to be reckoned with, and it’s the closest thing to a potential team-up that Phase Four gave fans. Although the plot involving Shang-Chi’s sister will be left untouched until movie star Simu Liu’s next solo film comes around, being onboarded by the omnipresent Wong is a sign of things to come for him, and given the Ten Rings’ origins in the MCU, it wouldn’t be surprising for these events to be referenced in The Marvels or maybe even Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, given the trailer has some pretty specific iconography plastered all over the Quantum Realm.
Eternals
This one is a bit more puzzling since Dane Whitman’s post-credits appearance basically makes him a guaranteed cast member in Blade’s MCU debut, current production woes not accounted for. As for Harry Styles (aka Eros) and Pip the Troll, the Eternals' uncertain future and the Guardians being so busy with their own story makes it a complete mystery when these two cosmic fellas will return.
Moon Knight
Another enigma due to Marc Spector, or rather Jake Lockley being so disconnected from the rest of MCU. Moon Knight’s most natural fit would be Blade, perhaps Daredevil or Echo, and that last one is stretching things quite a bit, so with his future up in the air, probably not even Oscar Isaac knows when he’ll suit up again to meet with Khonshu.
Doctor Strange In the Multiverse Of Madness
Charlize Theron’s last-minute cameo serves a clear purpose in Doctor Strange’s own story, but how that ties in with the rest of the MCU isn’t exactly clear. It’s hard to imagine one of Marvel’s few remaining legacy Avengers being MIA until Doctor Strange 3, so Agatha: Coven of Chaos might provide an update on the deputy Sorcerer Supreme’s whereabouts.
With Wong out and about doing as he pleases, and constant rumors teasing Mephisto's first MCU appearance in Ironheart, there's simply too much going on in the Multiverse that might concern the three-eyed sorcerer, and that's with him not even knowing what Kang is up to right now.
Morbius And Sony’s So-called Spider-Man Universe
Naturally, Sony gets to dictate what happens with all of these guys, but judging from the studio’s track record, anything coming from the likes of Morbius, Venom, and even Spider-Man shouldn’t be taken too seriously. After all, it’s really all about Peter Parker, and this is not Insomniac's well-organized Spider-Man, just ask Mac Gargan.
Sure, Venom, Vulture and Morbius all seem to be stuck in the same Spideyless universe at last, and Eddie Brock left a tiny bit of Venom in the MCU, but none of that matters until Sony and Marvel Studios come to an agreement on what to do with Tom Holland. Basically, it’s just better to wait for any announcements concerning Spider-Man 4 to see what this friendly-neighborhood superhero will be up to in the future.
Thor: Love And Thunder
Clearly a setup for Thor 5, with Chris Hemsworth's involvement with Marvel now thrown in into question, the God of Thunder’s future and that of his adoptive daughter may be a tad frailer than the last film suggested. Jane Foster’s retreat to Valhalla with Heimdall is a promising tease, and so is the MCU adding Roy Kent as its Hercules, but both of those depend on Thor’s future.
It’s borderline impossible to imagine the Avengers in either The Kang Dynasty or Secret Wars without Thor, yet until Hemsworth’s future is sorted out, any related subplots will have to be put on hold.
She-Hulk
If there’s one lesson to take from the entirety of Phase Four, it’s that Wong is the busiest guy in the MCU. One simply doesn’t break out the Abomination out of prison for no reason, and with Wong already taking in promising pupils like Shang-Chi and America Chavez under his wing, the Sorcerer Supreme’s future is one of the most intriguing storylines currently unfolding in the MCU.
Above all, there are really no comic book precedents for what Marvel Studios is doing with Wong right now, meaning that Agatha: Coven of Chaos, Thunderbolts or practically any MCU project is fair game for him. That said, many lamented Emil Blonsky missing out on a Thunderbolts invitation, so with a Red Hulk on the way, that is likely Abomination’s next big assignment.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
Lastly, Ryan Coogler’s handling of Chadwick Boseman’s death culminated in a touching scene that unveiled Marvel's plans to reintroduce a young Prince T’Challa somewhere down the line, so it’s only a matter of time before this boy is aged up to become the next Black Panther. Despite Wakanda Forever laying the groundwork for the African nation to be sieged by Val’s CIA, probably in Thunderbolts, that looks more like a Shuri and King M’Baku problem.
If recasting T’Challa was never an option for Marvel, then Kevin Feige and Coogler’s next best bet might to be turn let his son pick up the mantle by the time Kang’s master plan pays off in Kang Dynasty or Secret Wars, especially since those are the types of events that should kill off several heroes or introduce more than a few variants. If not, well Marvel still has these X-Men lying around somewhere, and there are rumors that a girl called Storm and Prince T’Challa might just hit it off quite well.