Warning: We're venturing into MASSIVE SPOILER territory.
Massive spoilers for "Avengers: Endgame" below.
Avengers: Endgame is billed as an end to Marvel's cinematic universe as we know it, a promise that is delivered on and then some with major, irreversible changes to the Avengers roster and the MCU at large: Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) and Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) both die during the mission to undo Thanos' snap, while Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) grows old after traveling back in time for a do-over with his longtime love, Peggy Carter.
Endgame has fewer casualties than Infinity War before it, but they are just as devastatingly felt. And then the credits roll.
Is there a mid-credits scene?
No. As they did with Infinity War, the Russo Brothers opted not to include a mid-credits tease with Endgame. Instead, the credits unfold as a tribute to anyone and everyone who has been part of the MCU, basically, since they all show up in this movie, too. (Natalie freaking Portman filmed new material for Endgame! I could not believe it.gif)
Those title cards -- which unfold in a truly baffling billing order -- lead into a tribute to the original six Avengers and on to the standard crawl. Unlike Infinity War, Endgame does not include an end-credits scene, either. This is the culmination of 22 films, after all, and excluding a tease to any future movies emphasizes that finality. (This is not the end of the MCU, however. More on that later.)
What's after the end credits?
Not nothing. As the closing credits end and the screen fades to black, the soundtrack cuts to the distinct clang of metal on metal: The sound of Tony Stark hammering out his first-ever Iron Man suit, all those years ago. It could be a subtle tribute to the movie that started it all, or it could be a tease of what's to come...
See, Tony Stark isn't the only Iron Man in the comic books. He is certainly the most popular, but that sound cue could hint that somebody inspired by Tony is out there making a suit of his or her own, that another Iron Man will rise in the MCU.
Who would that new Iron Man be? There's Riri Williams, the teenage science prodigy who reverse-engineered a suit of her own (complete with A.I. inspired by Tony Stark, himself) and in the last few years has become the comic universe's Iron Man, though she goes by the moniker Ironheart.
Endgame includes another intriguing possibility: Harley Keener (Ty Simpkins), who appears at the end of the superhero processional at Tony's funeral. (Anyone wondering who the random kid at Tony's funeral is, there's your answer.) In this movie, it is a touching Easter egg, of sorts, calling back to the importance of the wiz kid's relationship with Tony in Iron Man 3.
Harley could be the one to take up the Iron Man mantle. Give us the Disney+ series where Harley, as a version of Iron Lad, enlists Cassie Lang (played by Emma Fuhrmann), Kate Bishop (after Hawkeye's Disney+ series wraps) and more (Wiccan! America Chavez!) to form The Young Avengers, with Peter Park (Tom Holland) popping in as their mentor. And thus, Tony Stark's legacy lives on. (How did I just turn a non-tease into a full-on tease for a series that doesn't exist? That's the MCU for you, baby.)
RELATED CONTENT:
