When a Marvel Cinematic Universe film is over, audiences rarely walk out of the movie theater at that very instant. Instead, they are glued to their seats until the credits finish rolling to see if they can catch a glimpse of what's coming next. During its early days, every one of the MCU post-credits and mid-credits scenes had a big payoff further down the line that made the journey feel worth it. However, things have been a little different since the release of Avengers: Endgame.
Many loose threads are waiting to be resolved. Some of these will still be addressed in the near future, such as Monica Rambeau being trapped in the X-Men's universe as seen in the post-credits scene of The Marvels, or Clea and Doctor Strange escaping to an unknown dimension to stop an upcoming incursion at the end of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. With Avengers: Doomsday on the horizon, it's highly likely that these storylines will finally have a continuation. However, there are other sequences that Marvel wants us to forget because they will most likely lead absolutely nowhere.
So, without further ado, here are the seven MCU post-credits scenes after Avengers: Endgame that are unlikely to be followed up on in the near future (if at all).
Sharon Carter goes rogue
MCU project: The Falcon and the Winter Soldier
While Sharon Carter was once on the right side of history, aiding heroes such as Captain America and Black Widow, everything changed with the release of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. After the Sokovia Accords were ratified, Sharon was forced to move to Madripoor and become the Power Broker, ruling the city's criminal underworld. But while the government eventually pardoned Sharon and gave her a job in her old division, she had already turned into a full-on supervillain.
The post-credits scene of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier revealed that the Power Broker would keep selling government secrets, prototype weapons, and anything she could get her hands on to the highest bidder. The only problem? Five years have gone by since Agent 13 was established as a force to be reckoned with, yet she has yet to make another MCU appearance.
With the end of the Multiverse Saga on the horizon, chances are that Marvel will leave any street-level threats aside for a moment and focus on building up Doctor Doom as a character. Unfortunately for Sharon, that means that her time to shine as an antagonist is nowhere in sight.
The rings are sending a message
MCU Project: Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings
The Ten Rings have been a very interesting mystery in the MCU for quite some time now. Their origins haven't been fully explained, and it was revealed that they were sending an unknown message to an unknown recipient during the post-credits scene of Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. Bruce Banner, Captain Marvel, and Wong all got tangled up in this intriguing enigma. Unfortunately, we don't have a concrete answer as to what it all means just yet.
The fact that Shang-Chi will return in Avengers: Doomsday could indicate that Marvel is planning on following up on the Ten Rings storyline. However, it had been heavily theorized that these mysterious gadgets were somehow related to Kang the Conqueror, who isn't around in the MCU anymore. If that were to be the case, then it's unlikely we'll ever get an answer as to what the rings truly are.
As is the case with every entry on this list, Marvel could definitely follow up on this post-credits scene. But is it likely to happen in the near future? With Doom's arrival, it seems highly unlikely.
Blade is teased, but never shows up again
MCU Project: Eternals
Back in 2019, Kevin Feige announced that Oscar-winning actor Mahershala Ali would become the MCU's greatest vampire hunter with the arrival of Blade. But before Eric Brooks was supposed to steal the spotlight on his own solo movie, he had a brief voice cameo in the post-credits scene of Eternals. This sequence also indicated that Kit Harington's character would become Black Knight. Unfortunately, both of these teases went nowhere.
Seven years have gone by since Mahershala Ali was announced to play Blade, and not only is the character's solo movie still eluding us, but we haven't seen him in any other crossover project. Furthermore, the Eternals as a whole were seemingly forgotten by Marvel after their film was released to critical and commercial disappointment. With that in mind, both Black Knight and Harry Styles' Eros are unlikely to make a comeback in the future.
Of course, there are rumors roaming around that indicate Marvel wants to make a Midnight Sons movie with Mahershala Ali's Blade being a part of the supernatural team. However, this would happen in the next MCU Phase after the release of Avengers: Secret Wars, meaning it's still a long way off. Surely, Marvel regrets teasing Blade so early in the game.
The Venom symbiote arrives in the MCU
MCU Project: Spider-Man: No Way Home
This tale begins as far back as 2021 with the post-credits scene of Venom: Let There Be Carnage. Against all logic, everyone's favorite Lethal Protector traveled to the MCU, where he saw Tom Holland's Spider-Man on a TV screen. This sequence was followed up in Spider-Man: No Way Home, where audiences witnessed as Eddie Brock traveled back to his homeworld, but not before leaving a piece of the Venom symbiote behind.
Half a decade has gone by since superhero fans around the world thought Peter would get the black suit, and that day is still to come. Granted, part of the problem is that the wall-crawler himself hasn't appeared in any other MCU project since then. But while Spider-Man: Brand New Day will finally change that, it is unlikely that the highly anticipated project will feature a symbiote. After all, Scorpion, Tombstone, Tarantula, and Boomerang are confirmed to appear in the movie, while it has been rumored that The Hand, Ramrod, 8-ball, and The Enforcers will have a role to play as well.
Adding Venom into the mix could risk making Spider-Man: Brand New Day a very messy film. That's not to say Marvel isn't planning on bringing the Lethal Protector back in the future. However, chances are that such a day is very far away.
Jake Lockley finally shows himself
MCU Project: Moon Knight
Oh, Moon Knight. Superhero fans were excited about your debut back in 2022, and with good reason. If only we knew you wouldn't be seen again for years to come.
Oscar Isaac officially confirmed that Moon Knight will not be back during the events of Avengers: Secret Wars, which means the character isn't likely to appear in Avengers: Doomsday either. Of course, that doesn't mean he won't ever return to the MCU. After all, it has been reported that Marc Spector will have a role to play in the upcoming Midnight Sons movie. But considering that such a project won't be released until after the release of Avengers: Secret Wars, it's safe to say that we'll have to keep waiting to finally see Jake Lockley in action for a very long time.
The Multiverse Saga heavily suffered from poor planning, which means many new heroes weren't seen again for years to come after their debut. Moon Knight, Werewolf by Night, and She-Hulk are all perfect examples. But, with a bit of luck, we'll still see more of them in the next phases of the MCU.
Hercules promises to hunt Thor
MCU Project: Thor: Love and Thunder
Thor: Love and Thunder culminated with Zeus sending his very own son, Hercules, to hunt Thor for his reckless actions in Mount Olympus. However, it's very unlikely audiences will ever see the resolution for such a sequence. On the one hand, it has been confirmed that Thor still has a long future in the MCU, even after the release of Avengers: Doomsday. On the other hand, due to the poor reception of Thor: Love and Thunder, it's unlikely Marvel will stick to the original plan for the character.
If a new Thor movie were to be released, it's all but confirmed that Taika Waititi won't be back as a director. So with someone new at the helm, the God of Thunder could embark on a completely new adventure that doesn't involve the gods of Olympus. With Avengers: Secret Wars on the horizon, could we finally see a Thor Corps adaptation? Will the original Avenger go back to his more serious ways? Could he finally reunite with Loki? There are many exciting possibilities, and watching Thor being hunted by Hercules isn't necessarily one of them.
The Council of Kangs is ready to take over
MCU Project: Ant-Man and the Wasp- Quantumania
There was a time when the big bad of the MCU's Multiversal Saga was Kang before being ditched in favor of Doctor Doom. Back in those days, the villainous conqueror was slowly built up as a very menacing antagonist in the Loki series. Audiences were eager to see what Marvel could accomplish with the character, but all that excitement quickly faded away with the release of Ant-Man and the Wasp- Quantumania.
There's a whole discourse to be had about whether it was a good idea to have Kang be defeated by Ant-Man in the villain's first proper MCU appearance. But beyond that, it's clear that he's now gone from the MCU (at least for the time being). That's why that post-credits scene showcasing the Council of Kangs getting ready to go to war won't be followed up on. Instead, Marvel will focus all of its energy on establishing Doctor Doom as the next big bad to fear in as little time as possible.
We might never know what the MCU would've looked like had Kang stuck around. However, let's hope that things go terribly wrong (in a good way) with Doctor Doom in charge of the multiverse.