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Post-credits scenes were by no means invented by the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but the movies within the ever-growing series have popularized the phenomenon. Broadly speaking, the term explains itself: these are scenes — usually brief — that play after a movie's end credits and generally aim to reward viewers who sit through the credits with some bonus content.
Post-credits scenes are sometimes there as an extra joke, sometimes they'll be there to wrap up a minor plot detail or extend a film's normal ending in some way, or they'll be there (usually when it comes to the MCU) to set up a future film. Looking through all the pre-MCU post-credits scenes reveals some very interesting titles, such as the ones below, ranked from most recent to oldest and ending with the first true post-credits scene.
10 '28 Days Later' (2002)
21st-century zombie movies don't get much better than 28 Days Later (if you want to call the infected people in the movie zombies, as they are much faster-moving than the classic zombie). It follows a small group of survivors trying to get by after a viral outbreak almost instantaneously brought society to a halt.
The post-credits scene is interesting because, in some versions of the film, it's presented as an alternate ending, and in other versions, it's completely absent. Some cuts feature it as an extra — and much darker — ending after the end credits have rolled, meaning those who stick around until after the credits will be "rewarded" with an arguably more fitting — and much more miserable — "true" conclusion.
9 'Super Mario Bros.' (1993)
Not to be mixed up with 2023's animated The Super Mario Bros. Movie, 1993's Super Mario Bros. was the first attempt at adapting the classic video game to the big screen. Here, it was presented in live-action and had an overall feel/story that was very different from what fans of the game were used to, with Bowser (Dennis Hopper) being "President Koopa," and he kind of just looked like a dude, instead of a turtle/dragon hybrid.
It's not a film loved by everyone, though it does have its fans. Both camps would probably be able to appreciate the post-credits scene, though, which features two Japanese businessmen discussing making a game called "The Super Koopa Cousins," based on two cousins of President Koopa who become stranded on Earth at the film's conclusion.
8 'Gremlins 2: The New Batch' (1990)
The first Gremlins is an untouchable holiday classic, of course, and one of the greatest movies released in 1984. Its 1990 sequel, however, shouldn't be overlooked, as it comes close to matching the original's charms and maybe even exceeds in when it comes to wild humor, over-the-top moments, and gremlin-related hilarity/depravity.
It aims to parody numerous films, including the first movie, and as such, there's a good deal of meta-humor throughout. The playful sense of humor and self-deprecation extends to the end credits, too, with Daffy Duck intruding on the credits several times until they finish rolling, commenting on the scrolling names and making remarks like "Long, isn't it?"
7 'Planes, Trains and Automobiles' (1987)
1980s comedies don't get much funnier or more classic than Planes, Trains and Automobiles. It's a wonderfully simple road movie about two very different people who are forced to work together on a long trip, as one of them needs to be home in time for Thanksgiving. Everything that could go wrong does go wrong, yet the two main characters do eventually learn to get along, despite their initial differences. It ends up being surprisingly heartwarming stuff.
The comedy doesn't end with the movie, as after the end credits, there's a brief scene of the lead character's client looking over the photos he was seen holding near the start of the film. Here, he's shown doing it still, despite it being Thanksgiving (he has a Thanksgiving dinner spread out before him at a conference table).
6 'The Mission' (1986)
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The Mission is likely one of the most serious movies out there to contain a post-credits scene (and it's so brief it barely qualifies as a "scene"). It's a historical drama set in the 1750s and centers on a Jesuit mission in the Paraguayan jungle that comes under attack from Portuguese and Spanish forces who want to take the land for themselves.
It won the Palme d'Or in 1986 and is a highly acclaimed film owing to its beautiful visuals and a fantastic score from Ennio Morricone. After the dramatic final scene, the end credits roll, followed by a brief shot of one of the film's side characters/sort of antagonists finishing a letter before looking almost right at the camera. It's not clear exactly what he's thinking or feeling, but it could be read as regret for the part he played in what ended up happening.
5 'Ferris Bueller's Day Off' (1986)
One year before putting a post-credits scene in Planes, Trains and Automobiles, John Hughes inserted one at the very end of the 1986 classic Ferris Bueller's Day Off. This scene is probably one of the most well-known of the pre-MCU post-credits scenes, and fits in with the fourth-wall-breaking nature of the film, courtesy of its cocky and audience-addressing title character.
There's a scene that plays during the end credits, showing the film's antagonist wallowing in defeat and feeling embarrassed. And then at the very end of the credits, Ferris (Matthew Broderick) approaches the camera, tells the viewer that the film is over, and that they should now "Go home."
4 'Airplane!' (1980)
Airplane! is a movie that aims to cram as many jokes as possible into its runtime, with it being fairly uncommon for 20 seconds to go by without something to laugh at. It parodies popular disaster movies of the 1970s with a story about a war pilot who has to take control of a passenger plane, even though trauma's put him off flying. Nothing is taken seriously, and everything's played for laughs.
The sheer quantity of jokes carries over to the end of the end credits, where the filmmakers found one extra opportunity to squeeze some comedy in. The main character had been shown driving a taxi at the start of the film, and had left a passenger in his cab. After the credits, viewers see him still waiting in the taxi, commenting, "Well, I'll give him another twenty minutes, but that's it!"
3 'The Muppet Movie' (1979)
The first movie featuring The Muppets, The Muppet Movie was made while the original The Muppet Show was still on the air. It's a road movie that explains how The Muppets started as a group, showing Kermit traveling across the U.S. to Los Angeles and meeting many fellow Muppets along the way.
The post-credits scene here is extremely similar to the one Ferris Bueller's Day Off would have approximately seven years later. After the credits have rolled, Animal appears on-screen and, like Ferris, speaks to the audience and tells them to "Go home," as the movie is (obviously) over.
2 'Night of the Living Dead' (1968)
While George A. Romero's greatest zombie movie might be the Dawn of the Dead — the sequel to Night of the Living Dead — this 1968 zombie film still packs a punch. It might not be as entertaining as Dawn of the Dead, but it was more important for horror overall, and pretty much did for zombie movies what 1927's Metropolis did for science-fiction movies.
Following on from the film's bleak ending, what happens during and after the end credits is similarly downbeat. Various bodies — some undead, and some simply dead — are shown being piled up during the end credits. After the credits, there's a shot of a bonfire being lit, burning all the bodies. It's a reminder of the sheer amount of death seen in the movie and ends things on a somber and thought-provoking note.
1 'The Silencers' (1966)
The Silencers isn't remembered much for what it does for a movie, and more because it has what's considered the first post-credits scene. It checks out because end credits were far less common until the late 1960s, or maybe even the early 1970s, and before then, extended credits were usually shown before the movie rather than after.
This comedic spy movie aims to parody the James Bond series, particularly with how those movies would often end with a title saying "James Bond will return." The scene in The Silencers shows the main character on a bed with various women, there's text that says he'll return with another high-stakes mission, and then he reacts in despair to said text. It may not be particularly funny by today's standards, but hey, every trend has to start somewhere...