It came as a disappointment to some fans that Avengers: Endgame turned out to be the first Marvel Studios film not to feature a post-credits scene. Nonetheless, the MCU’s latest release still offers a quick callback once the credits have finished rolling that effectively brings the franchise full circle. And as we delve into this moment and its significance, be warned that some spoilers lie ahead.
While the post-credits sequences of MCU films are generally intended to tease what’s next for the saga, Endgame lives up to its name as the movie that all the others have been building up to. The fact that the flick offers no last-minute teases of the franchise’s future really hammers in that sense of closure. But speaking of hammers, the Avengers: Infinity War sequel does leave us with the sound of one clanking against metal just as the end credits come to a close. And through this sound, we get a nod to where the series all began.
To elaborate, that sound you hear was taken from the first Marvel Studios movie, Iron Man. Specifically, it’s the sound of Tony Stark, trapped in a cave in Afghanistan, hammering down on the mask of his original Mark I armor. In that sense, you could argue that it’s the sound of the first MCU hero being born.
Of course, as those of you who’ve seen Avengers: Endgame will know, the end credits stinger holds extra resonance due to the death of Iron Man at the film’s climax, reminding us how his journey began after showing us how it ends. And as we move into the next era of the MCU and discover a new array of superpowered stars, perhaps we can also take this moment as a reminder that every hero had to start somewhere.