Movies with Post-Credit Scenes You Won’t Want to Miss

Post credits scenes used to be rare, then they became a reason to stay in your seat until the very end. Studios use them to tease sequels, confirm character fates, or add a final joke that rewards anyone who did not leave with the first wave of the crowd. If you are the person who always wonders whether to wait, this list gives you clear answers about what appears after the credits and why it matters.

Below you will find twenty films where something important or memorable happens once the main story is done. For each one, you get a quick rundown of what appears after the credits and how it connects to future plots, characters, or a larger franchise timeline. Keep it handy the next time the lights go down.

‘Iron Man’ (2008)

After the credits Tony Stark returns to a darkened living room and meets Nick Fury for the first time. Fury mentions the Avengers Initiative and signals that other heroes exist in the same world.

This tag marks the formal start of the shared universe concept that links later entries. It also introduces S H I E L D as an ongoing presence that will recruit and coordinate multiple characters.

‘The Avengers’ (2012)

There are two tags to watch. The first shows a silent profile of Thanos turning toward the camera during the credits. The second arrives at the very end with the team quietly eating shawarma at a small restaurant.

The Thanos reveal sets up the long arc that runs through later crossover entries. The restaurant scene was filmed after the premiere and added for general release, which is why it appears without dialogue and requires no new plot setup.

‘Ferris Bueller’s Day Off’ (1986)

When the credits end Ferris steps into a hallway in a bathrobe and addresses the audience directly. He tells viewers to go home and signals the end of the show.

This early use of a curtain call style tag became a reference point for later fourth wall stingers. The scene closes out the movie’s direct to audience storytelling device and confirms that no extra plot remains.

‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ (2014)

In the rubble of the Collector’s museum a familiar figure lounges with a drink. Howard the Duck appears on screen as part of the closing tag.

The cameo brings a legacy Marvel character into the modern continuity. It also confirms that the Collector’s trove contains deep cuts from across the wider mythos, which matters in later cosmic storylines.

‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2’ (2017)

This film uses multiple tags during and after the credits. They include Kraglin practicing with Yondu’s arrow, a teenage Groot in his room, a reunion of classic Ravagers, a conversation that names Adam, and Stan Lee in space with Watchers.

The Adam cocoon scene previews a character who later appears in the series. The other tags check in on subplots and character status so viewers know who is active and where they are headed next.

‘Deadpool’ (2016)

The tag shows Wade in a robe addressing the audience from a hallway. He tells viewers to leave and teases the arrival of Cable in the next story.

The robe and hallway setup nod to the ending of ‘Ferris Bueller’s Day Off’. The Cable mention signals the time travel angle that shapes the next entry and confirms the creative direction for new characters.

‘Deadpool 2’ (2018)

The after credits sequence expands into several quick visits through time. Wade saves Vanessa, rescues Peter, removes the earlier version of Deadpool from ‘X-Men Origins Wolverine’, and interrupts Ryan Reynolds before he commits to ‘Green Lantern’.

These appearances rely on a repaired time device that Negasonic Teenage Warhead and Yukio fix earlier. The tag clarifies the status of key characters and cleans up continuity points that the next story no longer needs to address.

‘Spider-Man: Homecoming’ (2017)

A classroom style public service spot plays at the very end. Captain America appears on a TV set and talks about patience as a reward for waiting.

The film also includes a mid credits prison meeting between Adrian Toomes and Mac Gargan that hints at future foes. Together these pieces show the school setting in use for official messages and introduce names that matter later.

‘Spider-Man: Far From Home’ (2019)

There are two major tags. A news broadcast uses a video left by Mysterio to reveal Peter Parker’s identity and brings back J K Simmons as J Jonah Jameson. The second tag shows that Talos and Soren were posing as Nick Fury and Maria Hill while Fury works in space.

The identity reveal drives the next film’s plot from its opening scene. The Skrull reveal links the story to the broader cosmic thread and explains some earlier behavior that viewers had questioned.

‘Kong: Skull Island’ (2017)

Survivors sit in a debriefing room as Monarch reveals cave paintings. Images show Godzilla, Mothra, Rodan, and King Ghidorah recorded in ancient art.

This tag places Kong within a shared world that includes other classic kaiju. It also confirms Monarch as the connective agency that tracks these creatures across different locations and eras.

‘Black Panther’ (2018)

Two tags appear. T’Challa announces that Wakanda will open its resources to the world during a press event. A second scene shows Bucky Barnes recovering in Wakanda and using the name White Wolf.

The first scene sets up diplomatic and technological outreach that appears in later films. The second verifies Bucky’s status and location so audiences know where he has been between appearances.

‘Ant-Man and the Wasp’ (2018)

A mid credits sequence strands Scott Lang inside the Quantum Realm when the snap occurs. The tag at the end shows a giant ant drumming in an empty house while emergency alerts play on televisions.

The Quantum Realm strand explains how Scott misses the snap and sets up his role in time travel work later on. The final tag confirms the wider impact of the event and shows the state of the home environment after it happens.

‘Captain Marvel’ (2019)

The pager from ‘Avengers Infinity War’ sits on a table at Avengers headquarters during the credits. It shuts off as Carol Danvers arrives and asks where Fury is. A second tag shows Goose coughing up the Tesseract onto Fury’s desk.

The first tag places Carol into the present day timeline and connects her to the remaining team. The second clarifies the custody path of the Tesseract so viewers can follow the movement of that object through the series.

‘Fast Five’ (2011)

In a mid credits scene Luke Hobbs receives a file that includes a photo of Letty Ortiz. Monica Fuentes delivers the briefing and confirms that Letty is alive.

This reveal sets the direction for the next mission and repositions key relationships in the crew. It also ties the Rio heist story to upcoming operations through an official law enforcement channel.

‘Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets’ (2002)

After the credits a bookstore window displays a new release by Gilderoy Lockhart. The cover reads Who Am I as Lockhart appears in a straitjacket and smiles.

This tag confirms the lasting effect of the backfired memory charm. It is the only main series entry to include an extra scene after the credits, so it is easy to miss without a heads up.

‘Pacific Rim’ (2013)

A brief tag shows Hannibal Chau cutting his way out of the baby kaiju’s body in the wrecked street. He pops up and asks about his missing shoe.

This confirms his survival after the attack on his black market shop. It also leaves the door open for the character to continue dealing in kaiju parts after the main battle ends.

‘The Wolverine’ (2013)

Logan passes through an airport metal detector during the credits when time seems to pause. Magneto and Charles Xavier appear and warn him about a threat that requires his help.

This encounter sets up the crossover events that follow in the next X-Men chapter. It also confirms that both figures are active in the timeline and still tracking Logan closely.

‘Venom’ (2018)

Eddie Brock visits San Quentin during the credits and meets Cletus Kasady in a cell. Kasady promises that there will be carnage when he gets out.

This tag points directly to the next film’s main antagonist. The release also attaches a bonus animation from ‘Spider-Man Into the Spider-Verse’ for audiences who remain seated through the credits.

‘Rise of the Planet of the Apes’ (2011)

A credits sequence traces the spread of the ALZ-113 pathogen around the world. Flight routes and news updates show how infections jump continents and grow rapidly.

This visual epilogue explains the global state seen at the start of the next film. It establishes the cause of the human population decline and the circumstances that allow apes to build a new society.

‘The Super Mario Bros. Movie’ (2023)

Two tags appear. A mid credits moment cuts back to Bowser singing while reduced in size inside a cage. The final tag reveals a Yoshi egg in a New York sewer as it begins to crack.

The egg signals the arrival of Yoshi in future stories. The Bowser bit confirms his status and location after the final battle so viewers know where he ends up by the time the credits roll.

Share your favorite after credits discovery in the comments and tell everyone which tag you always stay to rewatch.