Over the past 18 years, Marvel Studios has focused as much on the continuity of its ongoing mega-story as it’s focused on the content of any given superhero film. The 23-film Infinity Saga was never just about individual movie narratives — it was about the buildup to Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame, the two-part blockbuster event that brought the entire sprawling Marvel Cinematic Universe together for one grand battle royale.
Once the Infinity Saga wrapped with 2019’s Spider-Man: Far From Home, Marvel had to find a new central organizing factor, a way to give all the crossovers, cataclysmic conflicts, and multiverse mayhem some meaning. That process has been bumpy, and it’s left Marvel with a lot of loose ends, hints, and promises of sagas to come, which have become difficult to keep track of.
So in case you ever find yourself wondering, Hey, whatever happened to Charlize Theron’s character in that one Doctor Strange flick? or Wait, Harry Styles was in a Marvel movie?, here’s a helpful rundown of all the cliffhangers and post-credits sequences that Marvel hasn’t fully paid off yet.
[Ed. note: The following contains spoilers for almost every Marvel Studios project from 2021 through Avengers: Doomsday]
18
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings
The cliffhanger: Shang-Chi is recruited by Wong and the Ten Rings are reborn
In a mid-credits scene, Wong summons Shang-Chi/Shaun (Simu Liu) and Katy (Awkwafina) to Kamar-Taj. There, they meet Bruce Banner and Carol Danvers — who teleconference in as holograms — to discuss the origins of Shang-Chi’s superpowered rings. The rings, our Avengers pals say, are an ancient beacon transmitting an unknown message to an unknown recipient.
In a post-credits scene, Shaun’s sister, Xialing (Meng’er Zhang), is revealed to be the new leader of the Ten Rings organization, despite saying that she would disband it. Xialing is modernizing the group and making it gender-inclusive.
The eventual payoff
Shang-Chi 2? Director Destin Daniel Cretton is said to be working on a sequel to Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, but Cretton has been busy with Spider-Man: Brand New Day and has a Naruto movie to make. Simu Liu is confirmed to reprise his role as Shang-Chi in Avengers: Doomsday in 2026. What we don’t know yet is who or what the magical rings are calling out to. (Fin Fang Foom, perhaps?)
17
The Falcon and the Winter Soldier
The cliffhanger: Two Captains America
The Falcon and the Winter Soldier’s new Captain America, John Walker (Wyatt Russell), was stripped of his title as the star-spangled superman after a botched mission. Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie), formerly known as The Falcon, becomes the new Captain America — and is clearly superior, because he can fly. But Walker gets a new costume and a new identity, the U.S. Agent, thanks to Valentina Allegra de Fontaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus).
The other cliffhanger: Ex-SHIELD agent Sharon Carter is up to no good
During the events of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, it’s revealed that Sharon Carter (Emily VanCamp) has evolved from SHIELD super-spy to the mysterious Power Broker. In the end, however, she’s pardoned by the U.S. government for crimes committed during the events of Captain America: Civil War and is offered a position at the CIA. She’s later shown having a conversation about selling government secrets, weapons, and technology — you know, real Power Broker stuff.
The eventual payoff
Sam Wilson’s new role as Captain America was explored in Captain America: Brave New World, which co-stars Harrison Ford as Thaddeus Ross and Tim Blake Nelson as The Incredible Hulk’s Leader. As of Thunderbolts*, it’s clear that Sam is now the official and only Captain America, whereas John Walker doesn’t even appear to be operating as “U.S. Agent” anymore, and is now just a merc with a shield and no official government identity. But the end of the movie also makes it clear that Sam’s “new Avengers” and Walker’s “new Avengers” are dueling for the title, so there’s still a question of who’ll walk away with the title.
As for the Power Broker, does anyone really care that much? One thing’s for sure: Sam Wilson and James Buchanan “Bucky” Barnes will return in Avengers: Doomsday.
16
Eternals
The cliffhanger: Harry Styles is Thanos’ brother — and is that Blade?!
The ending of Eternals exposes the people of Earth to Celestials — there’s still a giant marble Tiamut hand and head sticking out of the Indian Ocean! — and sees Thena (Angelina Jolie), Makkari (Lauren Ridloff), and Druig (Barry Keoghan) traveling through space in search of other Eternals. While traveling, the Eternals’ ship, Domo, is boarded by two newcomers to the MCU: Eros (aka Starfox), who is the brother of Thanos (and played by Harry Styles), and Pip the Troll, voiced by Patton Oswalt. Eros warns Thena that her friends “are in big trouble” and offers to help find them.
In a post-credits scene, we see Dane Whitman (Kit Harington) opening a mysterious box that contains the Ebony Blade. Off-screen, we hear Marvel’s vampire-hunter Blade (Mahershala Ali) ask, “You sure you’re ready for that, Mr. Whitman?”
The eventual payoff
Eternals’ final scenes strongly hint at the continuing adventures of the ancient superheroes, though the film wound up being among Marvel Studios’ worst-rated releases to date. Marvel does not have a sequel on its current list of announced projects, but director Chloé Zhao has said she’d return for a follow-up.
The post-credits scene positions Whitman to become the superhero known as Black Knight, who has been a member of the Avengers in Marvel Comics (and has roots in Arthurian legend, which would be a whole new thing for the MCU). The Black Knight and his Ebony Blade were presumably set to be a component of Marvel’s stand-alone Blade movie, which is now all but dead. Mahershala Ali and Kit Harrington seemingly have no plans to return to the MCU.
15
Spider-Man: No Way Home
The cliffhanger: The world has forgotten Peter Parker and the MCU gets a drip of Venom
Doctor Strange and Peter Parker royally screwed things up in Spider-Man: No Way Home, and the fix involved a big old mindwipe. The end result? No one knows that Spider-Man is Peter Parker in the MCU. In fact, no one knows who Peter Parker is, forcing our friendly neighborhood Spider-Man to start his superhero life from scratch. No fancy nanotech suit. No friends or family. No high school diploma, even! That world-changing event has since been fully explored in Spider-Man: Brand New Day, with Peter Parker fully reckoning with his choice in No Way Home.
In a post-credits sequence in No Way Home, Strange’s messy multiverse manipulations mean that Eddie Brock (Tom Hardy) and his symbiote BFF Venom enjoyed a brief vacation on Earth-199999, the core MCU reality we know and love. Strange’s spell eventually sends Eddie and Venom home, but a teeny-tiny piece of the symbiote stays behind.
The eventual payoff
Spider-Man: Brand New Day reintroduces Peter Parker to a handful of people who have forgotten him: namely MJ and Ned Leeds. The “forgettiness” thus far seems permanent, though an elaborate handshake between Peter and Ned leaves the latter’s recollection up to interpretation.
Will the MCU get its own version of the Spider-Man black suit saga and its own version of Venom? That’s also now in the cards, thanks to No Way Home’s stray symbiote goo. Tom Hardy is reportedly done playing Venom, but has said he’d return to the role if he got to play opposite Tom Holland’s Spider-Man — though he’s also said that movie has already fallen apart in planning once. Spider-Man: Brand New Day didn’t address the black symbiote goo at all, though a post-credits scene in the film leaves the possibility open.
14
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness
The cliffhanger: Stephen Strange gets another eye, Clea joins the MCU
After developing a spooky third eye as a result of utilizing the Darkhold, Strange is approached on the street by the sorceress Clea (Charlize Theron). She warns him that his actions have triggered an incursion that Strange needs to fix. Strange follows Clea into the Dark Dimension, home of Doctor Strange villain Dormammu — who is also Clea’s uncle.
The eventual payoff
Stephen Strange and Clea are an off-again-on-again item in Marvel comics, so a future cinematic (and romantic) team-up seems likely. Multiverse of Madness also introduced America Chavez to MCU lore, and she seems perfect for a future Young Avengers project (more on that later).
13
Moon Knight
The cliffhanger: This is getting out of hand. Now there are three of them!
Moon Knight’s mid-credits scene reveals a secret the show had been teasing throughout its six-episode run: Marc Spector (Oscar Isaac) and Steven Grant (Oscar Isaac) are not the only people in their head. There’s a third personality neither of them are aware of: Jake Lockley (Oscar Isaac). Khonshu, who still has influence over Jake, has Arthur Harrow (Ethan Hawke) murdered in the back of a limousine. With the god Ammit inside of Arthur, that would presumably mean the end of Ammit, too. Jake and Khonshu drive off, hinting at further adventures for Moon Knight.
The eventual payoff
Marvel hasn’t confirmed a second season of Moon Knight (and at this stage it doesn’t seem likely), but it’s possible that the character could show up in future Marvel projects. He seems like a good fit for the mystical and horror side of the MCU, which has been explored in Werewolf by Night and Agatha All Along. It would certainly be a shame not to bring Oscar Isaac back as Moon Knight and May Calamawy as Layla El-Faouly/Scarlet Scarab.
12
Thor: Love and Thunder
The cliffhanger: Love and Hercules
In addition to Thor now having an adopted daughter who wields Stormbreaker, the fourth Thor movie introduces a whole bunch of gods — with Zeus (Russell Crowe) sending his son Hercules (Brett Goldstein) on a quest to kill Thor.
The eventual payoff
Thor… 5? Maybe! Chris Hemsworth seems to be down for more Thor, with his only condition being that the next movie be “unpredictable.” Ragnarok and Love and Thunder director Taika Waititi has also said he was surprised to see the “Thor will return” text at the end of Love and Thunder, but that he’d consider coming back for a particularly “surprising and unexpected” story with the hero. One thing’s for certain: We can’t just let Marvel tease Brett Goldstein as Hercules — a member of multiple teams in Marvel comics, including the Avengers — and then do nothing with him.
Hemsworth is confirmed to return to the MCU in Avengers: Doomsday, as is Thor’s daughter. Whether Goldstein’s Hercules will join him is unknown.
11
She-Hulk: Attorney at Law
The cliffhanger: Hulk has a kid and the Abomination escapes
Jennifer Walters, after getting her season-finale rewrite, is in a pretty good spot at the end of She-Hulk: Attorney at Law.
Also, her cousin Bruce Banner, The Hulk, has a kid! Apparently, while on Sakaar (during or before the events of Thor: Ragnarok), Hulk got someone pregnant — in the comics, that would be the alien Caiera — and now we have Skaar. Yes, Skaar from Sakaar. Also, Wong popped up again with a portal to yeet Emil Blonsky (aka the Abomination) out of his supermax prison cell and straight to Kamar-Taj.
The eventual payoff
Almost certainly not more She-Hulk: Attorney at Law: Series star Tatiana Maslany says Marvel’s passed on continuing the series. But Skaar could show up again, possibly as a Young Avenger. It’s unclear where Abomination will end up, but he seems like a good fit for a future Hulk movie. We’ve got quite a few Hulks now. Maybe Wong and Blonsky are just going to host a rewatch podcast of The Sopranos. The possibilities are endless.
10
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
The cliffhanger: Black Panther will return
The closing credits of Wakanda Forever clearly state “Black Panther will return.” Who will carry the mantle remains to be seen, as the film’s mid-credits sequence introduces the late T’Challa’s son with Nakia, born in secret. That may be less of a future Black Panther sequel tease than a heartfelt nod to the late Chadwick Boseman and the original version of Ryan Coogler and Joe Robert Cole’s story for Wakanda Forever. Coogler and Cole originally envisioned the Black Panther sequel as a father-son adventure in which “T’Challa has to go save the world with his son on his hip,” Coogler told the New York Times in 2022.
The eventual payoff
Black Panther 3! Letitia Wright will return to the MCU in Avengers: Doomsday, and a third Black Panther movie is coming. T’Challa’s son will eventually become the new Black Panther, and this time he’ll be portrayed by David Jonsson (Alien: Romulus, The Long Walk).
9
Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania
The cliffhanger: Ant-Man kills Kang, and everything is fine. Maybe.
Kang the Conqueror (Jonathan Majors) gets sucked into a power core and dies, potentially ushering in something cataclysmic. A mid-credits scene reveals that disaster to be The Council of Kangs (Jonathan Majors). We see hundreds of variants of Kang, led by Immortus (Jonathan Majors), hooting and hollering and frothing at the mouth as they prepare for multiversal domination.
The eventual payoff
Boy, is that the big question! Kang was positioned to be the Thanos-sized bad of Marvel Studios’ Multiverse Saga. He was even getting his own Avengers movie, Avengers: The Kang Dynasty. But a lot’s changed. Majors was dropped by Marvel after a jury found him guilty on assault and harassment charges. The Kang-led multiversal problem also appears to have been pretty neatly nipped in the bud during the course of season 2 of Loki.
Avengers: The Kang Dynasty has since been reworked and retitled to Avengers: Doomsday, with Victor Von Doom (Robert Downey Jr.) taking over as the fifth Avengers film’s main antagonist. Like one of the massive teases of Eternals, Kang’s variants look like a dead end, and Marvel may just try to forget this ever happened.