The Marvel Cinematic Universe is in the middle of its Multiverse Saga, and 2024 entries like Echo, Deadpool & Wolverine, and the upcoming Agatha All Along represent the midpoint of that story, Phase 5. While there has been a lot of conversation about how the MCU is at a bit of a low point, their demise has been greatly exaggerated as Deadpool & Wolverine has grossed over $1 billion worldwide, and movies like Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Thor: Love and Thunder, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, and Spider-Man: No Way Home were all box office hits. However, one thing that many can agree on is that Marvel Studios has a post-credit scene problem.
The post-credit scene has been a staple of the MCU since the first Iron Man ended with the tease of Nick Fury and The Avengers. Since then, Marvel Studios has used those scenes to help build anticipation and buzz for upcoming projects. They used to pay off rather quickly, like Doctor Strange‘s post-credit scene being a scene from Thor: Ragnarok, which came out the following year. Yet, with so many MCU projects in Phases 4 and 5, many teases of potential new storylines, sequels, and characters have not been paid off.
There were some that were recently resolved, like Ms. Marvel‘s tease for The Marvels or Black Widow‘s post-credit scene setting up Hawkeye, which aired four months later, but there are a lot of plot threads that are unresolved and don’t have a clear answer in sight. With that in mind, these are some of the biggest MCU mid and post-credit scenes in the Multiverse Saga and when/where they could be resolved.
10 The Black Knight’s Sword
Eternals (2021)
The first one we must mention is Kit Harington’s role as Dane Whitman in Eternals. He has a small role in the film but was included to set up a more significant role in the MCU as the character eventually becomes the hero, The Black Knight. The post-credit scene of Eternals showed Whitman pulling out an ancient sword with a black texture before being interrupted by an unknown voice off-screen, later revealed to be Mahersha Ali’s Blade.
While audiences still wait for Blade, his movie is coming (theoretically). Black Knight’s role in the MCU is up in the air, particularly following Kit Harrington’s comments about returning to the MCU and Marvel Studios seemingly scrapping plans for Eternals 2. Yet Black Knight’s resolution could come sooner rather than later.
Can Be Resolved in Agatha All Along
While many suspected Harrington’s character was originally intended to be in Blade before that movie was reworked, Marvel Studios’ best place to bring the character back is in their next entry: Agatha All Along. In the comics, Dane Whitman is the descendant of Sir Percy, a knight from King Arthur’s time who wielded the Ebony Blade, the sword teased at the end of Eternals. The Ebony Blade was carved from a meteor and enchanted by the wizard Merlin. The blade also has a blood curse on Dane Whitman’s family line.
Agatha All Along looks to take audiences through a new corner of the supernatural side of the MCU, one focused on witchcraft and teasing a variety of homages to classic supernatural stories like The Wizard of Oz and Evil Dead. Agatha Harkness, or any of the other witches in the cast of the series, could reveal information about the Ebony Blade that both gives a light payoff to the tease in Eternals while punting the storyline a little further down until Marvel Studios is ready for it.
9 Ms. Marvel Recruitment of The Young Avengers
The Marvels (2023)
Ever since Phase 4 began, it was clear Marvel Studios was building The Young Avengers. Characters like Billy and Tommy in WandaVision, Eli Bradley in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Kate Bishop in Hawkeye, Riri Williams in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, America Chavez in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, Cassie Lang back in Phase 2 with Ant-Man, all seemed to be setting up a potential Young Avengers roster. This was all but confirmed at the end of The Marvels when Ms. Marvel recruited Kate Bishop for her own team. Yet it has been three years since the Multiverse Saga began, and there is no news on a Young Avengers project in sight.
The Young Avengers Will Likely Assemble in Their Own Project… After Vision
The Young Avengers still seem like they are primed to get their own solo project, either a movie or a Disney+ series set during the Multiverse Saga, to go alongside Avengers: Doomsday. Marvel still has two release dates in 2026, February 13th and November 6th, unclaimed, and that could be for a Young Avengers film. More setup for them will likely be established in Agatha All Along, with Joe Locke seemingly playing the character of Wiccan, and rumors that the upcoming Vision series will feature Wiccan’s twin Tommy.
The Vision series might be a Young Avengers-related series, with Vision serving as an older mentor figure. Vision is described as being the third part of a trilogy of stories that include WandaVision and Agatha All Along, and those combined with Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness put a great deal of emphasis on Young Avengers characters like Billy/Wiccan, Tommy/Speed, and America Chavez.
8 The Council of Kangs
Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (2023)
Marvel Studios bet hard on actor Jonathan Majors and the character of Kang the Conqueror. He was first teased in Loki Season 1, setting up his role in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, Loki Season 2, and as the overall villain for the Multiverse Saga with Avengers: The Kang Dynasty. Shortly after Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania hit theaters, actor Jonathan Majors was arrested for assaulting his girlfriend and was found guilty in December 2023, to which Marvel Studios quickly cut ties with the actor, firing him from the role of Kang.
Now Marvel Studios has seemingly moved on from Kang the Conqueror entirely, as Robert Downey Jr. will play Doctor Doom in Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars. Yet Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania‘s mid-credit scene featured a big tease of the Council of Kang’s and the scope of the Kang Dynasty. What happens to that tease now?
Doctor Doom Will Likely Destroy Them in Avengers: Doomsday
Marvel Studios seemingly already found a way to write Kang out of the MCU. Loki Season 2 featured an end scene that showed the TVA monitoring various Kang variants across the multiverse. That could be the end of it, but Marvel Studios also might make a statement in Avengers: Doomsday. Doctor Doom could make his grand entrance to the MCU by destroying the council of Kangs, showing how powerful and quickly establishing the character as a threat. They could show it onscreen or even allude to it happening off-screen, like Thanos destroying the Nova Corp in Avengers: Infinity War.
7 Monica Rambeau Stranded in the X-Men Universe
The Marvels (2023)
The Marvels’ post-credit scene showed that Monica Rambeau had found herself stranded in another universe, but not just any universe. She was found by the X-Men, specifically Beast, voiced by Kelsey Grammer, reprising his role from X-Men: The Last Stand, and also a variant of her mother, Maria Rambeau, going by the codename Binary. While the lab Monica Rambeau wakes up in is similar to the one seen in the 20th Century Fox X-Men movies.
It is unclear if this is supposed to be the same universe that Deadpool & Wolverine classified as Earth 10005, or if this is another parallel X-Men Universe that shares similarities to it. Deadpool & Wolverine did not resolve this plot thread like we speculated on, as it had its own story to focus on. The payoff might come in Fantastic Four: First Steps.
The Fantastic Four Might Tease This, Setting Up Avengers: Doomsday
Fantastic Four: First Steps is confirmed to be taking place in another universe, separate from the MCU 616 sacred timeline. With Galactus as the main villain and Doctor Doom teased for Avengers: Doomsday, the rumor is that the Fantastic Four’s Earth will be destroyed, and the team will be lost in the multiverse. There is a chance that the film could end with the Fantastic Four landing in the X-Men Universe Monica Rambeau found herself in and them realizing a wider threat to the Multiverse, setting the stage for Avengers: Doomsday.
6 The Ten Rings Will Return
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021)
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings featured two after-credit scenes, and while the first will be mentioned in a bit, the final scene might be the most exciting. The film ends with Shang-Chi’s sister, Xialing, becoming the new leader of the Ten Rings organization her father built despite telling Shang-Chi that she would disband them. Her new Ten Rings, featuring men and women operatives, is shown with the film’s final tag being “The Ten Rings Will Return,” both referring to the actual Ten Rings weapons that Shang-Chi wields but also the organization that Xialing is running, showing both of Wenwu’s kids carrying on part of their father’s legacy.
The Ten Rings, as a massive criminal syndicate, could have easily appeared in projects like Moon Knight, Secret Invasion, or Echo, but it has not been mentioned once. There is a chance they could play a minor role in Captain America: Brave New World or Thunderbolts*, but the most likely place will be a Shang-Chi sequel.
This Is Likely Being Saved for a Shang-Chi Sequel
It seems the obvious place for the Ten Rings organization to return would be Shang-Chi 2, which is in development at Marvel Studios. The movie was likely delayed as Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings director Destin Daniel Cretton was initially supposed to direct Avengers: The Kang Dynasty before it was retooled into Avengers: Doomsday, which has resulted in the large gap between Shang-Chi’s MCU debut and any references to him.
The Ten Rings organization will likely be a big part of Shang-Chi 2, with the dynamic between brother and sister being the heart of the film, the way the story between father and children was for the first film. Cretton is also the creative voice behind the MCU series Wonder Man, so a tease of the Ten Rings could appear before Shang-Chi 2, depending on which project comes first.
5 Clea Recruits Doctor Strange
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022)
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’ post-credit scene teased Charlize Theron appearing as the fan-favorite character Clea. She told Doctor Strange that because of him, an incursion had happened and he should help her fix it, opening a portal to the Dark Dimension. Doctor Strange agreed to go with her, and since then, no word has been made about Doctor Strange or what happened with said incursion.
Might Be a Subplot in Avengers: Doomsday Setting Up Doctor Strange 3
While many would call Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness a disappointment financially, it was far from that, as it grossed nearly $1 billion at the worldwide box office, even without a Chinese release. Marvel Studios thinks Doctor Strange is a big character for their Multiverse Saga, and his storyline will likely continue in a Doctor Strange 3, which we would bet is released between Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars.
Doctor Strange and Clea might also have a subplot in Avengers: Doomsday trying to stop Doctor Doom, only to fail in stopping Doom’s plan, setting the stage for the third movie.
4 Hercules’ Mission to Kill Thor
Thor: Love and Thunder (2022)
Just two months after Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness ended with a tease of a character from the comics with ties to the main hero but no clear indication of what it was setting up, Thor: Love and Thunder did the same. That movie ended with Zeus (Russell Crowe) tasking his son Hercules (Brett Goldstein) to hunt down Thor and kill him while showing the people of Earth not to look up to superheroes but to the gods instead.
Goldstein’s casting as Hercules is an inspired pick, building off his popularity as Roy Kent from Ted Lasso, but Marvel has done nothing with him. While Thor 5 is an obvious answer, Hercules might be better suited for another Marvel property.
Hercules Should Not Return in Thor 5 but Instead She-Hulk Season 2
She-Hulk: Attorney at Law currently does not have a Season 2 in development, but of all the Marvel series, it is the most fitting for a second season. If Marvel Studios did greenlight She-Hulk Season 2, Hercules should appear there instead of in Thor 5. Hercules could arrive on Earth looking for Thor, only to be distracted in his mission to kill the God of Thunder after meeting Jennifer Walters, which is a great way to move the plot point into a new, more exciting one for Hercules than just a fight with Thor.
Hercules and She-Hulk have a romantic history in the comics, one that would spice things up in the MCU, which is often seen to be lacking in the romance department. Contrasting Goldstein’s classic Hercules with Jennifer Walter’s modern woman creates great conflicting personalities while laying the groundwork for a potential romance that sees Hercules matched by a mortal who can beat him. Hercules and She-Hulk could build off the overused but effectively powerful enemies-to-lovers trope that could become a new heart for the MCU.
3 Sharon Carter Selling Government Weapons as the Power Broker
Falcon and Winter Soldier (2021)
The Falcon and the Winter Soldier featured the rather big reveal that Sharon Carter, a character fans have known as a heroic ally since Captain America: The Winter Soldier, was, in fact, a villain under the guise of The Power Broker. The series ended with her being pardoned by the government for her involvement in Captain America: Civil War.
After she is repositioned at the CIA, she lines up buyers for government secrets. It seemed like Marvel was positioning Sharon Carter/The Power Broker to be an important player in MCU stories like Hawkeye or Secret Invasion or even appear in the upcoming Captain America: Brave New World and Thunderbolts*, which are continuations of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. Yet star Emily VanCamp is not confirmed to reprise her role in either of those films.
Power Broker Could Kick off Armor Wars
The fact that Sharon Carter was last seen looking to sell government secrets suggests she is supposed to play a significant role in Armor Wars, originally a Disney+ series that has since been reworked into a film.
The premise for Armor Wars sees much of Tony Stark’s technology getting into the hands of villains, so The Power Broker could be the explanation for how Tony Stark’s Iron Man technology ended up in the hands of various criminals, which requires Rhodey/War Machine to save his fallen friend’s legacy. Armor Wars currently has no planned release date.
2 Shang-Chi’s Ten Rings Beacon
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021)
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings’ first after-credit scene was the one that left fans speculating the most, as it saw Shang-Chi and Katy meet Wong, Captain Marvel, and Bruce Banner to talk about the mysterious ten rings. Audiences find out that the rings don’t match any alien technology Captain Marvel knows about or any mystical records that Wong has.
They also discover that when Shang-Chi used the rings for the first time, they activated a signal, but what remains unclear is where that signal went or who it went to. Also on the table are where the rings came from and specifically why they did not send out a signal the entire time Wenwu used them.
The Beacon Might Tie Into Fantastic Four: First Steps
Given that Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings director Destin Daniel Cretton was supposed to do Avengers: The Kang Dynasty, it seemed likely the Ten Rings would be tied to Kang and his multiversal plan as some fans noted that Kang’s rings in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania looked a lot like giant versions of The Ten Rings.
Now that the plan has shifted from Kang to Doctor Doom, this mystery is unlikely to tie back to Kang. However, they could still be multiversal and tie into the upcoming Fantastic Four: First Steps. The rings might come from another universe and are signaling Doctor Doom, who could be revealed as their creator.
1 Eternals Will Return
Eternals (2021)
Easily the biggest cliffhanger of the MCU is now the fate of the Eternals following the news that Marvel Studios is not moving forward with Eternals 2. The original ended with Thena, Makkari, and Druig meeting the Eternal Eros and Pip the Troll on their way to go save Sersi, Kingo, and Phastos after the Celestial named Arishem took them and vowed to scan their minds to see if humans were worthy of saving or if they deserved judgment.
Just because a sequel won’t happen doesn’t mean Marvel won’t revisit these concepts and characters. While The Incredible Hulk never got a sequel, Bruce Banner’s story has continued across the MCU, and in recent years characters like Abomination, Thunderbolt Ross, The Leader, and Betty Ross have all returned, so the same could be true of the Eternals, and Marvel has two big cosmic properties to do that with.
Eternals Could Be Folded Into Thor 5 or a New Guardians of the Galaxy Movie
The clear place for the Eternals to show up again is, of course, Thor 5. Marvel already used the Thor franchise as a backdoor entry for The Hulk in Thor: Ragnarok, so the same could happen with the Eternals. Much of the Eternals’ mythology introduced in the comics was later expanded into the Thor comics, making the two properties a natural fit for the films. Thor 5 is not official, but it appears to be something Marvel wants to do, and the Eternals would fit right at home.
There is also the Guardians of the Galaxy. Despite Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 being an end for the team that James Gunn introduced back in 2014, the film’s mid-credit scene established that the concept still lives on with Rocket leading a new team that consists of characters like Groot, Adam Warlock, and Phyla-Vel.
Marvel Studios has no plans for a fourth Guardians of the Galaxy movie, but folding in the Eternals might be best for both properties. The Guardians of the Galaxy could investigate a situation with the Celestials, find the Eternals, and have the Eternals eventually join the Guardians of the Galaxy to shake up both brands.
