This article contains spoilers for Ironheart
Summary
Ironhearthas officially come to an end, and it’s left loyal MCU fans with a lot to chew on. There’s plenty to think about in the final episode of this Disney+ miniseries that has been gathering dust since it completed production in 2022. However, even bringing one of the biggest baddies in Marvel’s history to the screen (officially, finally) can’t help the show overcome its greatest weakness.
That’s becauseIronheart’s post-credits scene might just be one of the worst in MCU history. It commits many of the same sins that have condemned some of Marvel’s weakest entries. It doesn’t work to build anticipation for anything, and what it promises feels utterly inconsequential, leaving the viewer to wonder if what they see will ever be followed up on.
Ironheart’s Post-Credits Scene Explained
What exactly is Ironheart promising for the future of the MCU?
Following a morally ambiguous endingthat sees Riri Williams making a deal with Mephisto (he’s finally here, and played by Sacha Baron-Cohen) to bring her friend Natalie back to life,Ironheart’s post-credits scene finds a now hoodless Parker (Anthony Ramos) entering Stanton’s and meeting up with Zelma, who previously helped channel magic into Riri’s new suit (at the cost of losing the AI version of Natalie).
Parker says that he was looking for some heavy-duty magic, but that the shop looks a little “regular.” Zelma assures him that this is no “regular” shop, before transforming a jar of candy. Parker is unimpressed and says that he needs some “Supreme-like help, not party tricks.” This line implies that Parker intends to meet withthe Sorcerer Supreme (a title currently held by Wong). He then surprises Zelma by saying he knows about the “stuff in the back,” likely referring to the alternate shop Riri is taken to in a previous episode. This catches Zelma off guard, leaving Parker to suggest “a little abracadabra” between the two, if Zelma is up for it.
The Big Issue with Ironheart’s Post-Credits Scene
The MCU really has a problem with promising too much on its magic side
Set aside the fact thatIronheart’s Mephisto revealis honestly coming at least 3 years too late, when most audiences and even some fans have lost interest in Marvel. This post-credits scene isn’t setting up anything that interesting. Ramos gave a pretty good performance asParker, but he is ultimately a pretty forgettable villain. Without his hood, who is he really? His motivations have always been pretty weak, as he made his deal with Mephisto purely for material gains. Why should audiences care about where his journey takes him from here? The same goes for Zelma Stanton, who could probably be an interesting character to follow, but hasn’t really been given enough development or screen time throughout this series to make her meeting with Parker that impactful.
Ironheart’s post-credits scene and its connection to the world of Doctor Strange ultimately highlight the fact thatMarvel’s post-credits promisesin the supernatural realm of the universe always seem to fall flat, or worse, they are left hanging, with no actual resolution. This goes all the way back to the very firstDoctor Strangepost-credits scene, which promised Baron Mordo’s villainous turn, and a potential face-off with Strange down the road. This was never paid off, not even inMultiverse of Madness, which itself had a maddeningly pointless post-credits scene involvingthe sudden appearance of Charlize Theron’s Clea, someone who has never been mentioned or seen again.
Going even further into the supernatural realm,Eternalsmay have the most notoriously pointless post-credits scene,teasing Kit Harrington’s future as the Dane Whitman aka Black Knight, as well as featuring a voice cameo from Mahershala Ali’s Blade. Neither of these characters appears to have a future set in stone.The MCUBladehas famously been in development hellfor years, with no sign of moving forward anytime soon. As for Dane Whitman, considering that the character’s introduction was inEternals, one of Marvel’s worst critical and financial failures, it’s unlikely that he will be back anytime soon.
Ironheart’s Post-Credits Scene May Be Setting Up Strange Academy
If that’s the case, how long will fans have to wait for that follow-up, and will they still care?
There’s obviously a lot of speculation that with Zelma Stanton being involved,Ironheart’s post-credits scene is supposed to be a lead-up toStrange Academy, an MCU project that has also been in limbo for the last few years. Considering that Marvel Studios is still unsure whether tomakeStrange Academyinto a movie or a TV show, it seems like anything involving these characters would still be a few years off. By the time that show comes out and these characters appear again, will anyone even remember them? Even if they do, will they still care about their journeys?
This highlights the ongoing problem with Marvel’s post-credits scenes after Avengers: Endgame. Many of them have been laying the groundwork for future projects that never seem to materialize.Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania’s post-credits sceneis now famously defunct, with Jonathan Majors’s Kang being given the boot after the actor faced assault charges. The lack of continuity between MCU projects has been a sticking point during phases four and five. Hopefully, the next phase can turn things around, butIronheartdemonstrates that Marvel still has a long way to go in making people care about its future.
Ironheartis now streaming on Disney+
