This article contains spoilers for Ironheart

Summary

Ironheart's underwhelming post-credits scene adds little to the MCU magic side.
Some characters featured lack development, making their future impact questionable.
Ironheart's scene may hint at Strange Academy, but delays could diminish viewer interest.

Ironheart has 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 because Ironheart'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 Review: An Imperfect Reminder Of Why Marvel Changed Its Television Strategy For the Better

Ironheart isn't the least consequential series from Marvel Studios, but it feels like a remnant of an era that is thankfully over.

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By Colin Leggett

Ironheart's Post-Credits Scene Explained

What exactly is Ironheart promising for the future of the MCU?

Following a morally ambiguous ending that 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 with the 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 that I ronheart's Mephisto reveal is 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 as Parker, 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 that Marvel's post-credits promises in 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 first Doctor Strange post-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 in Multiverse of Madness, which itself had a maddeningly pointless post-credits scene involving the sudden appearance of Charlize Theron's Clea, someone who has never been mentioned or seen again.

Going even further into the supernatural realm, Eternals may 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 MCU Blade has famously been in development hell for years, with no sign of moving forward anytime soon. As for Dane Whitman, considering that the character's introduction was in Eternals, 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?

Doctor Strange Academy Benedict Wong America Chavez Xochitl Gomez

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 to Strange Academy, an MCU project that has also been in limbo for the last few years. Considering that Marvel Studios is still unsure whether to make Strange Academy into 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 scene is 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, but Ironheart demonstrates that Marvel still has a long way to go in making people care about its future.

Ironheart is now streaming on Disney+

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