Specialist in the art of the post-credits scene, has Marvel reached a limit in the use of this process?
As Spider-Man No Way Home hits theaters, wouldn’t it be time to ask the question of post-credits scenes in the Marvel movies? This process, inspired in particular by La Folle Journée by Ferris Bueller, was popularized with the release of the first Iron Man in 2008.
La Maison des Idées instituted this tradition, encouraging spectators to remain seated until the end of the credits to have access to this little bonus. The latter generally gives a taste of the rest of the adventures of our superheroes.
It all started in 2008. At the very end of the credits of the first Iron Man, Tony Stark met the famous Nick Fury, who revealed to him that he was not the only one in his fight against the supervillains. Other heroes existed and the character played by Samuel L. Jackson thus revealed the Avengers project.
THE MCU BUILDS ITS MYTH
Then, each feature film came to add its little piece of the puzzle, preparing the reunion of several iconic superheroes in Avengers in 2012. The post-credits sequences of the films of phase 1 therefore made each time revelations about the sequel to intrigue or introduced a new superhero. They made sense as the Marvel Cinematic Universe was building its legend, with the Avengers movies at the peak of each phase.
By the end of Phase 3 and the releases of Avengers Endgame and Spider-Man Homecoming, however, we started to see a big problem with these scenes. Indeed, the last reunion of all the superheroes closed much of the plot, making mythical characters disappear and scattering the other heroes. Everything was finally deconstructed and fans were wondering what Marvel could build through the post-credits scenes of Phase 4.
So the franchise continued with Black Widow, which was supposed to kick off the next stage of the MCU, which continued with Shang-Chi, The Eternals, and Spider-Man No Way Home. And this is where the post-credits scenes started to turn out to be blurry. After Endgame, which marked drastic changes in the saga, putting an end to a global plot spanning more than 10 years, viewers wondered what they were going to be embarked on next.
WHAT DIRECTION IS THE MCU GOING IN?
It looks like Marvel doesn’t yet have as powerful a guiding idea as the Avengers movies, failing to infuse meaning into its post-credits scenes. The project for this phase 4 is still hazy. And it is not the official arrival of the multiverse in the intrigues that will help to see more clearly. As a result, a fad eventually set in. We stay glued to our seat just to see the latest joke concocted by Marvel when the names have finished scrolling in the credits.
The post-credit streak ends up becoming more anticipated than the film itself, eliciting amazing reactions from critics or viewers alike. “Especially stay until the end, the film is worth it thanks to its post-credits scene”, can we read sometimes. This process ends up backfiring on Marvel, which makes its feature films seem like just trailers for the next film, without injecting meaning or bringing any real revelations leading to a concrete project, as could be. be Avengers.
POST-GENERIC, STOP OR AGAIN SCENES?
A general feeling seems to be spreading among viewers, making the post-credits sequences seem ultimately more important than the film itself. In the previous phases, these scenes enhanced the work that we had just viewed, bringing real added value. From now on, they have become the limits of commercial arguments to encourage people to see the film. It would be wise for Marvel to think about rectifying the situation, under penalty of completely distorting this process.
MCU fans point to a glaring lack of structure in this new phase. The post-credit sequence is no longer the icing on the cake of a film-event but becomes the event itself. And that is a big problem. This is corroborated in the latest Marvel, Spider-Man No Way Home.
While this feature isn’t quite as anecdotal Shang-Chi, Black Widow, or The Eternals, its post-credits scenes are reduced to a
joke with venom
and an
long trailer for Doctor Strange 2
. Not the shadow of a big project on the horizon, especially if we have to include the plethora of Disney + series in the equation as well as the multiverse. Very smart the one who can predict the future of the MCU from now on.
