WARNING: This article contains spoilers for Thor: Love and Thunder.
Films in the Iron Man, mid and post-credits scenes have been a staple of the MCU, providing viewers with some extra content on top of the films. While some post-credits scenes are insignificant in advancing any storylines, sometimes, Marvel treats its audiences to ground-breaking revelations.
Over Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2.
Most of Marvel's post-credits scenes include great Easter eggs and comic call-backs which hardcore fans will appreciate, while others, normally those attached to precursors to big film events, include trailers or teasers for the next MCU projects. However, every once in a while, an exciting revelation is included in the post-credits scenes, often even introducing new characters that will play an important role in the future of the MCU. Here's a list of all the new characters that have been introduced during the post-credits scenes of films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson)
Marvel Studios' first project back in 2008, Iron Man, was the first film to include a post-credits scene, introducing Samuel L. Jackson's Nick Fury who has since become an MCU staple. Fury makes his first appearance by greeting Tony Stark, a.k.a. Iron Man in mysterious darkness, teasing the bigger universe that the new superhero had just entered. Fury's speech at the end of Iron Man not only brought a fan-favorite character into the MCU, but also teased the introduction of SHIELD. and the eventual formation of the Avengers. Jackson's portrayal of the Director of SHIELD was commanding from the get-go, getting audiences excited for Marvel Studios' future.
Thanos (Damion Poitier & Josh Brolin)
Joss Whedon's Mad Titan in the MCU.
Taneleer Tivan, a.k.a. The Collector (Benicio Del Toro)
Before appearing in a slightly bigger role in Guardians of the Galaxy, Benicio Del Toro's Taneleer Tivan, a.k.a. the Collector, was introduced in a mid-credits scene for ?
Baron Wolfgang von Strucker (Thomas Kretschmann)
Thomas Kretschmann's Baron Strucker, introduced during the mid-credits scene of HYDRA scientist who had been experimenting on human subjects using Loki's scepter. Strucker's comic arc lasted a lot longer than his career in the MCU, with the HYDRA officer being killed during Avengers: Age of Ultron. His appearance at the end of The Winter Soldier was designed to introduce 'the twins' Pietro and Wanda Maximoff, two of his experiments who would have a much larger part to play than their creator in the next Avengers outing.
Pietro Maximoff, a.k.a. Quicksilver (Aaron Taylor Johnson)
Marvel Comics followers were thrilled to see the introduction of Pietro Maximoff into the MCU, alongside his sister Wanda, during the mid-credits scene of Captain America: The Winter Soldier. Since Marvel Studios didn't hold the rights to the mutants in 2014, Pietro, a.k.a. Quicksilver, and his sister's backstories were changed from the comic narratives to that of two volunteers, enhanced with incredible abilities thanks to exposure to the Mind Stone contained inside Loki's scepter. While Pietro would meet his end sooner than expected in Avengers: Age of Ultron, his short stint in the MCU would have an impact on multiple characters for years to come.
Wanda Maximoff, a.k.a. Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen)
Wanda Maximoff's appearance in the mid-credits scene of Captain America: The Winter Soldier showed her using her chaos magic to obliterate objects in mid-air. Her strong introduction would tease her incredible power, which would only grow stronger. Wanda would go on to become a member of the New Avengers, have to sacrifice her love, Vision, to try and save the universe, and would hold an entire town of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. It all started with a small tease way back in Phase 2.
Adam Warlock (Will Poulter)
After being thwarted by the Guardians in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, Ayesha, the High Priestess of the Sovereign reveals she has been working on the next stage of their species' evolution, displaying a strange pod that contains a being she names "Adam". This was later revealed to be the long-awaited Adam Warlock, confirmed to be played by Will Poulter in the Adam Warlock has had a remarkably long career in Marvel Comics, appearing in over four decades of stories, so MCU aficionados were excited to finally see a glimpse of the character. Not much has yet been revealed about the future of this character in the MCU, but it can be assumed that Adam Warlock will be around for a long time to come.
J. Jonah Jameson (J.K. Simmons)
Making his return as J. Jonah Jameson from Sam Raimi's Spider-Man 3.
White Vision (Paul Bettany)
Paul Bettany had the task of taking on two roles in WandaVision, Marvel Studios' first series for Disney+, one being the Vision created by Wanda inside Westview, and the other being that of rebuilt and emotionless Vision, now sporting a sleek new paint-job. Taken straight from the pages of the comics, White Vision was a strange sight for viewers who'd fallen in love with the quirky android, but there is still hope that he can be redeemed, even though his whereabouts after WandaVision are still unknown. His introduction in the post-credits scene of WandaVision episode 8, "Previously On," brings to light the nefarious activities of SWORD in the MCU, which are yet to be developed further.
Loki Variants (Richard E. Grant, Jack Veal & DeObia Oparei)
After the events of Avengers: Endgame, Loki is captured by the TVA and introduced to the concept of the multiverse, which would become the overarching theme of Phase 4 of the MCU. At the end of Classic Loki, Kid Loki, Boastful Loki, and Alligator Loki are featured in the mid-credits scene of the episode and given more development in episode 5, "Journey Into Mystery." The variants' introduction here created opportunities for Marvel Studios to branch out (pun intended) into the multiverse in future projects.
