Ranking Every Post-Credits Scene From 2018's Marvel And DC Superhero Movies From Worst To Best
Post-credits scenes are now the norm and we're now taking a look back through every Marvel and DC Comics movie released in 2018 to rank them from worst to best. Which of these stingers came out on top?
2018 has been an exciting year for superhero movie fans. We kicked things off with Black Panther (which could very well end up being Oscar-nominated) before moving on to the game-changing Avengers: Infinity War. Then, Deadpool 2 came along to deliver some big laughs, while Ant-Man and The Wasp proved to be an effective sequel for the pint-sized hero.
As we moved into the Fall, Venom arrived to break box office records no one could have guessed would be shattered, while that was followed by the amazing and spectacular animated feature Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse.
Finally, we have Aquaman; a great DC Comics adaptation which helps put Warner Bros. on the right track ahead of Shazam!'s release next year. Now, with 2018 nearing its end, it's time to take a look back at the post-credits scenes which got all of us talking over the course of the past 300+ days.
SPOILERS for Into the Spider-Verse and Aquaman do follow but there is a warning before each of them so you can just scroll past if you'd rather not see. We think you'll be surprised by this ranking, so click on the "View List" button below t check out this breakdown.
Ant Plays The Drums
It's not the end of the world when Marvel Studios gives us one "serious" and one "jokey" post-credits scene but this effort from Ant-Man and The Wasp was definitely disappointing. Sure, it was interesting getting a brief glimpse of the world after Thanos snapped his fingers but it says a lot that on repeat viewings, most fans decided against sticking around to watch this one.
Simply put, it was nothing special and not a funny enough gag to wait for.
Throw in the fact that it was a visual used in the trailers and the payoff fell flat in a big way, hence why this scene has landed in last place. At least the one that preceded it was better and we'll get to that scene a little later in this feature...
Negasonic Teenage Warhead Makes A Big Mistake
In fairness, this post-credits scene only existed to set up what came next so it was never going to be anything special. However, it still has to be ranked and while Negasonic Teenage Warhead is a fun character, her moody exchange with the Merc with the Mouth was pretty standard and the sequel missed a chance to properly address her relationship with Yukio here and in the movie itself.
Wakanda Steps Out Of The Shadows
This was supposed to be the original ending of Black Panther which might explain why using it as a post-credits scene somehow makes it feel tacked on and more than a little out of place.
It's not a bad sequence by any means, though, and after everything that happened, it was definitely nice to see Wakanda reveal itself to the world. On the other hand, we didn't really need this scene, especially as the actual ending of the movie made it clear that it was T'Challa's plan to do so anyway.
Throw in the fact that we saw this in the trailer and, yeah, it wasn't that great.
Deadpool Saves Vanessa
I think we can all agree that killing off Vanessa in Deadpool 2 was a big mistake but to undo what was supposed to be a huge moment for the Merc with the Mouth in such a cavalier fashion was ridiculous. It made no sense in regards to how time-travel is supposed to work and basically just told all of us that what followed this moment meant nothing. For that reason, I think it sucked!
...And Then Peter
I'm guessing the makers of Deadpool 2 thought that Peter would be the sequel's best and most beloved character because what a waste of a post-credits scene this was! While it was admittedly amusing to see the hero save this sole member of X-Force rather than the others who perished, Peter (like Dopinder before him) feels like a one-note joke who is definitely going to outstay his welcome.
Bucky Returns
Black Panther's second post-credits scene teased the events of Avengers: Infinity War by showing Shuri talking with Bucky and telling him that there was more for him to learn (presumably about his new home). It's a cool tease even if it isn't massively exciting but the best part about it was finding out that the former Winter Soldier was now healed and ready to go back to being a hero.
An argument could be made that seeing him go in the ice in Captain America: Civil War was a rather underwhelming end to his story there, so this resolution was definitely appreciated in February.
Carnage Is Coming
Look, the less said about Woody Harrelson's ridiculous wig, the better, but there's no denying that this post-credits scene was a great tease for whatever Sony has planned for the sequel.
Harrelson's Cletus Kasady was totally unhinged and definitely menacing and while that line about there being "carnage" once he's free was a total cheese-fest, it's hard not to be excited about seeing Venom square off with Carnage in live-action for the first time.
This scene had its flaws (how did Cletus write in blood when he was in a straight jacket?) but it served its purpose as was good fun.
[WARNING: Spoilers for Into the Spider-Verse follow in the next slide!]
Spider-Man 2099
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse's mid-credits scene is a tribute to Stan Lee and Steve Ditko but that's essentially just a title card!
The actual after-credits scene takes us to the year 2099 and introduced Miguel O'Hara (voiced by Oscar Isaac) as we learn that he has created a device which allows him to traverse different dimensions. It's then that he visits the world inhabited by the Spider-Man from the 1960s cartoon and while this is basically just played for laughs, it offers an exciting glimpse at what might be next.
An awful lot can be done with a character like Spider-Man 2099 and it's easy to imagine him now having a key role in the sequel.
[WARNING: Spoilers for Aquaman follow in the next slide!]
Black Manta Lives
After an epic battle in Italy, Black Manta is defeated by Arthur Curry and seemingly left for dead after falling down a cliff and into the ocean. During a mid-credits scene, however, Manta is found floating at sea by Dr. Shin, a scientist whose theories about Atlantis are widely mocked by his peers.
Waking up in his shoddy looking labratory, Manta tells Shin that he will help him prove that Atlantis is real so long as he helps him find Aquaman and put an end to him once and for all.
This was a cool scene that obviously sets the stage for what comes next and if these two are the big bads of the follow-up, that would be no bad thing. We'll just have to wait and see how James Wan decides to capitalise on this and whether it pays off in a meaningful way.
Captain Marvel Is Coming
Infinity War didn't have a mid-credits scene (we were too busy being left reeling from watching all those heroes die) but the Russos definitely delivered with what came at the end of the film.
As Nick Fury and Maria Hill attempt to figure out what's happening during Thanos' invasion, they witness members of the public turn to dust before going the same way themselves. Before the former S.H.I.E.L.D. Director can completely disappear, though, he grabs a pager from the car and sends a message to parts unknown.
It's then that we see Captain Marvel's logo appear on what is clearly a cosmically enhanced pager and the stage is set both for Carol Danvers' solo movie and Avengers: Endgame. Brilliant.
Deadpool Kills Deadpool
We didn't end up getting the Hugh Jackman cameo we all wanted in Deadpool 2 but Ryan Reynolds still found a clever way to make it happen by having the Merc with the Mouth travel back to the events of X-Men Origins: Wolverine to kill Weapon XI (a.k.a. Barakapool).
He does so while chatting away to Jackman's Wolverine and while Deadpool was basically just inserted into the movie (there was no new footage here), this was a blast to watch and immensely satisfying because, let's face it, it's about time that prequel was wiped from history.
Trapped In The Quantum Realm
Ant-Man and The Wasp wrapped up very quickly so this mid-credits scene was definitely necessary.
Revealing that the heroes were using energy from the Quantum Realm to continue helping Ghost (who went on the run the last time we saw her), things took a shocking turn when Scott Lang ended up being trapped in the mysterious dimension. Why? Well, when the camera panned back to Earth, Hank Pym, Janet Van Dyne, and Hope Van Dyne, had all turned to dust.
That left Scott stuck with no way home but with Janet mentioning "Time Vortexes" moments earlier, this scene left us with lots to discuss and definitely teases what the Russos may have planned for Avengers: Endgame. This is how a post-credits scene should be done and the resolution will be very interesting indeed.
Deadpool Kills Ryan Reynolds
Deadpool 2's final post-credits scene is also its best. As Ryan Reynolds finishes reading the script for Green Lantern and seems convinced that the movie will make him a star, Wade Wilson appears and shoots the actor in the head. It's a really funny stinger and a great example of the way the actor isn't afraid to make fun of himself or some of the mistakes he's made over the years.