The First Film with a Post-Credits Scene: 'Iron Man' and the MCU Launch
The film that changed post-credits scenes forever.
Directed by Jon Favreau, Marvel’s Iron Man is widely recognized as the first film to feature a post-credits scene that teases future Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) movies.
This innovative addition transformed how studios build anticipation for interconnected stories, turning post-credits scenes into a staple of blockbuster filmmaking. In Iron Man, the scene shows Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) approaching Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.), hinting at the formation of the Avengers and setting up a shared universe that would dominate Hollywood for over a decade. This clever tease not only kept audiences in theaters after the credits, but also sparked a new storytelling trend across genres.
The success of this post-credits scene helped establish Marvel Studios’ strategy of planting seeds for future films, making Iron Man a pivotal film in cinematic history. Today, post-credits scenes are expected in most major blockbusters, but it all started with this groundbreaking moment in 2008.
