Infinity War shattered the MCU's teaser trend.
Post-credit scenes have a long history of being included into Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) films. Often teasing future events or introducing fresh characters, these scenes leave viewers humming with excitement. But Marvel dared to deviate from this custom with Avengers: Infinity War. Rather than a hazy tease, Infinity War's post-credit scene showed Nick Fury sending a distress signal to Captain Marvel, a straight setup for the next film. This shift was a welcome one since it let viewers see clearly what was ahead. It gave the post-credit scene more of a real, fascinating glimpse into the future of the MCU than it did of an empty promise.
Unresolved Teases Create a Major Issue With the Modern MCU
Infinity War demonstrated Marvel's ability to create meaningful post-credit sequences, but the MCU has lately reverted to old practices. Particularly Phase 4 has suffered with unresolved teases. Post-credit sequences introduced characters like Eros, Pip, and Blade; their roles in the greater MCU are yet unknown. The symbiote left behind in Spider-Man: No Way Home is likewise. Fans may become disappointed and disillusioned from these unresolved teases. After all, the MCU is based on the promise of linked stories, thus the whole enjoyment of the franchise may be reduced when those links seem to be broken.
The Biggest Loose Ends Marvel hasn't tied up.
Among the most prominent instances of unmet teases are the arrival of Hercules in Thor: Love and Thunder and Eros and Pip in Eternals. These folks have not been seen in later projects and were introduced with little to no background. Fans may thus be left wondering whether these characters are part of a bigger scheme Marvel has yet to unveil or if they were merely thrown in for a cheap thrills. Marvel naturally prefers to keep some things under wraps, but leaving too many unresolved issues might cause the whole narrative to seem jagged. Marvel has to balance teasing the future with giving the tales they create closure.
Marvel's Post-Credit Scene: The Future
The MCU is an ever changing beast. Marvel Studios has shown flexibility, and the way they approach post-credit scenes suggests they are paying attention to their audience. Marvel should concentrate on making post-credit scenes more powerful even if it is doubtful that they will entirely stop using them. They ought to be used to create explicit goal-oriented concrete plot points or introduce characters with obvious intent. Marvel can guarantee that those scenes are a significant part of the whole story while also preserving the excitement and expectation their post-credit scenes have always produced.
