For longer than most fans care to admit, Marvel Studios has had a post-credit scene problem. Whether as a cameo fest that takes away from the body of the project or as a check that’s written without the guarantee of being cashed, the studio’s most well-known tradition has outlived its utility. Despite being an issue for the better part of the last decade, nobody at Marvel seems to have any inclination to stop. In fact, the powers that be just delivered the most foolish PCS to date.
Though sound in premise, the return of Tim Blake Nelson‘s Samuel Sterns fell woefully short in execution. What could have been one of the studio’s most sinister villains ultimately fell so far short of his potential that longtime fans of the franchise were likely reminded of the days of unbelievably bad baddies from Phases 1 and 2. Unable to let a sleeping dog lie, however, the studio couldn’t let the man with the deflated scrotum for a head just go to prison…they had to give him one more job to do.
Inconceivably, Samuel Sterns–a man with no hands on experience with the Multiverse–delivered what amounts to this Saga’s “Thanos is coming” line. You know, because math! From his cell in The Raft, Sterns laid out the basic plot of Doomsday and/or Secret Wars for Captain America, warning him of a time soon to come when he and Earth’s Mightiest Heroes would have to defend their world against others. Setting aside the ridiculousness of how Sterns’ gamma-infused brain could process the information on the incursions he’s never seen or heard of, the idea of anyone other than a character directly impacted by an Incursion being used as the Paul Revere of Secret Wars is just…lazy.
One common complaint about the Multiverse Saga has been that it’s about the Multiverse (yes, it’s ridiculous but it’s also true) and in Captain America: Brave New World, the studio rolled out a grounded, political thriller that could and should have skipped all ties to the Multiverse and just been another Cap and the boots on the ground film. While the film itself isn’t a masterpiece, it was fine enough in its efforts to put Sam Wilson in the same sort of predicaments Steve Rogers often found himself in. It gave Sam room to work as a hero and a counselor and established him as the kind of character people will look to for leadership. As a result, Sam will clearly play a large role in the next two Avengers film which means he’s going to have to get very comfortable with the Multiverse…which means he probably should have learned about it from someone who experienced it. Maybe, for once, Torres has a good idea and they should have gone to meet Ant-Man, who has a history with Sam and experienced a thing or two. Monica Rambeau? Stephen Strange? Hell, have Captain Carter show up! Or even Kang!!
If you’ve seen the movie, you know the PCS meshed poorly with the film’s framework and just felt stuck on the end like when you multiply by numbers with big exponents…sure that 10^23 is there but what does it really mean? If you haven’t seen the movie, the scene has leaked online but please, don’t search for it. Don’t watch it. And if you’re going to see it, don’t stay for it. The was done for the sake of doing it and if this is the quality of scene we have to look forward to, add that to the list of reasons the studio needs to abandon this ridiculous tradition.
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