Marvel Studios has effectively transformed the act of viewing a film’s credits into a thrilling competitive endeavor. Properties once considered unlikely to include, let alone necessitate, post-credits teasers—*Transformers* x *G.I. Joe*, for instance—now regularly churn them out. Yet, at one point, the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) had truly mastered this promotional technique. In sporadic instances, Nick Fury would make an appearance, inviting new heroes to join his burgeoning coalition, occasionally hinting at formidable antagonists, like the menacing visage of Thanos or the superpowered twins, Wanda and Pietro Maximoff, lurking ominously behind bars. However, since around 2021, it appears the studio has lost its grip on the marketing artistry it once pioneered, as evidenced by the utterly uninspiring teaser following *Captain America: Brave New World*.

Typically, these closing moments introduce viewers to new characters, captivating locales, or innovative concepts. At a minimum, they often serve as comedic interludes. Yet, the teaser following *Brave New World* offers none of these elements. It showcases the film’s cerebral villain, The Leader, portrayed by Tim Blake Nelson, reprising his role from *The Incredible Hulk* starring Edward Norton. Following his defeat, Sterns finds himself incarcerated within the mid-ocean facility known as the Raft, which makes its return since its introduction in *Captain America: Civil War*. Sam Wilson, the new Captain America played by Anthony Mackie, visits him for ambiguous reasons, only for Sterns to foreshadow—a drum roll, please—the multiverse.

He alludes specifically to the interconnected tapestry of alternate realities that has unfolded on screen for four years in series such as *Loki* and films like *Spider-Man: No Way Home*, *Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness*, and the anticipated *Deadpool & Wolverine*. Sterns cryptically asserts to Wilson that while they may not share a sense of humor, their worlds are intertwined, ominously hinting, “It’s coming. I’ve seen it in the probabilities, I’ve seen it plain as day. All you heroes protecting this world, you think you’re the only ones? You think this is the only world?”

His words resonate strongly with the remarks made by Nick Fury in Marvel’s inaugural post-credits scene following *Iron Man*, where he proclaimed to Tony Stark, “You think you’re the only superhero in the world? Mr. Stark, you’ve become part of a bigger universe. You just don’t know it yet.” Whereas Fury was setting the stage for expansive superhero crossovers leading to an unprecedented Avengers alliance, Sterns merely reiterates what the viewers already discern—information that, judging by the disappointing box office returns of *Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania*, audiences seem weary of already. Wilson’s response to Sterns is one of apathetic silence, almost as though Mackie was left without a line to articulate during filming.

This tag appears to exist purely for the sake of inclusion, reminiscent of the inconsequential closing of *Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice*, where Jesse Eisenberg’s incarcerated Lex Luthor cryptically intimates that “he” is coming, without clarifying his identity. Comic readers may have speculated that this referenced Darkseid, yet the film lacked any significant connection to him. Similarly, Sterns’ exposition identifies an issue the Avengers have grappled with since at least the post-credits moment of 2021’s *Shang-Chi: The Legend of the Ten Rings*, in which heroes anticipated that the titular rings were transmitting some otherworldly signal.

Had Sterns’ discourse followed a film such as *Black Widow*—released in 2020 when the multiverse was merely a notion in Kevin Feige’s contemplations—it could have provided an intriguing glimpse of forthcoming events. However, it has now been two years since Kang, the multiverse-centric villain, was last portrayed in *Quantumania*, with whispers suggesting his immediate replacement by Robert Downey Jr.’s Doctor Doom. Multiple films have showcased characters traversing different realities; merely intimating that additional adventures may occur fails to inspire anticipation.

Above all, Sterns’ insinuation serves as a poignant reminder that this newest phase of the MCU is still seeking a coherent narrative purpose. It attempts to reassure audiences that the series is poised to regain its footing. Yet, skepticism arises when the MCU’s approach to multiverses thus far has predominantly involved cameos and slightly altered iterations of well-known characters, rarely exploring the rich narrative possibilities of alternate timelines. Upcoming films like *Fantastic Four: First Steps* and *Avengers: Doomsday* may similarly hinge on this concept, but without a fresh interpretation, sustaining audience engagement may prove challenging. When even the lead of *Brave New World* appears unfazed by the prospect of further multiversal escapades, is it any wonder that audience enthusiasm appears to be dwindling?