Heading into
Spider-Man: Far From Home, it's fair to say that we all expected the movie's post-credits scenes to set up the Sinister Six or to simply reveal that Oscorp is the new owner of Avengers Tower.
Well, neither of those things happen, but we do get a shocking return, a jaw-dropping status quo shift for the web-slinger, and a reveal that may or may not set the stage for a Secret Invasion of sorts.
Now, we're delving into both of
Far From Home's post-credits scenes to not only explain what happens, but to address where things could go next for Peter Parker in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
So, to check out this breakdown in its entirety, simply click on the "View List" button down below!
The Daily Bugle Is A Website Now
After the wall-crawler drops off MJ, a news report starts playing which reveals that the "controversial news website" TheDailyBugle.net has shared an exclusive video from that final battle between Spider-Man and Mysterio. That's right, the MCU's version of the newspaper isn't a newspaper at all, and, honestly, that's a timley update that does make sense.
It seems that TheDailyBugle.net is similar to something like
The Alex Jones Show, and even the design of the set looks somewhat similar. J. Jonah Jameson being portrayed in this way seems fitting given how things are these days, and the way "news" outlets report information online across platforms like YouTube and social media. Talking of Jolly Jonah...
J.K. Simmons Returns As J. Jonah Jameson
Marvel Studios clearly realised that no one could replace J.K. Simmons as J. Jonah Jameson, so they decided to make the shocking decision to bring the actor back to play a new version of the character in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
He looks a little different, however; his moustache is still there but he's now balding and dressed in a somewhat more contemporary manner. Still, this is very much the JJJ we know and love from the comics and while it's unclear whether he'll make his presence felt elsewhere in the MCU, it definitely seems fitting for him to be the one to drop the bombshell about Spider-Man's secret identity.
Mysterio's Final Manipulation
Before we get to that, the reason TheDailyBugle.net has landed an exclusive is thanks to Quentin Beck. He's manipulated the footage of Spider-Man stopping those drones to make it appear as if he was the one attacking London, and Mysterio - dubbed the world's greatest hero by Jameson - claims to have sent the Elementals back to his Earth before being taken down by the wall-crawler.
In reality, Beck died (at least it seems that way) from his wounds after being hit by a stray bullet, but the world now believes Spider-Man was responsible for murdering the man who saved Earth simply because he doesn't want anyone else to be seen as the new Iron Man.
Spider-Man's Identity Is Outed
At the very end of Jameson's report, he shares a clip of Mysterio revealing that Spider-Man's real name is Peter Parker! A photo of the high school student is shown on the screen (and presumably on televisions around the globe) and that's where things end. Now, the world knows the truth, not only about Spidey being a "menace," but also who is beneath the mask.
In the comics, Spider-Man willingly chose to reveal his identity and later regretted it, hence why he used Doctor Strange's magic to once again hide it from the world. This is something completely new, though, so where on Earth can the wall-crawler go moving forward?
Where Things Could Go Next
Peter can obviously try to deny that he's Spider-Man, but that's pretty compelling evidence and with o way of proving that Quentin Beck was a fraud, we can probably expect him to have to go on the run, and that no doubt means his time in high school is over. However, hopefully that won't mean that the likes of Flash Thompson and Ned Leeds disappear from our screens!
While you would hope that they might know better, it's entirely feasible that the next MCU cameo in this franchise will be from a hero attempting to hunt the web-slinger down to make him pay for his crimes. Throw in the fact that he's probably wanted by the authorities, and it will be interesting to see whether Spidey will fight to clear his name or have his hands full with a new villain.
Talos And Soren
The second post-credits scene reveals that the Nick Fury and Maria Hill we've been spending time with are actually Talos and his wife Soren, the Skrulls from
Captain Marvel. Neither of them have aged, and before you go jumping to conclusions about them being revealed as villains, guess again!
They've actually been dispatched by Fury to take his place and were simply supposed to hand over E.D.I.T.H. to Peter Parker in his absence. Instead, they (mostly Talos) crossed paths with Mysterio and chose to trust him, something which obviously caused things to go pretty wrong for Spider-Man.
Nick Fury's Vacation
Fury has actually been on vacation and is shown chilling out on a beach with a nice drink. However, that's just a simulation and the former S.H.I.E.L.D. Director is actually aboard a Skrull ship in outer space. He hangs up on Talos, and it's unclear whether he's planning to return to Earth or simply doesn't want to hear about how badly the shape-shifter has screwed things up.
We don't learn where Hill is so perhaps that's a question that will be answered somewhere down the line. Either way, it's now hard to imagine the
Captain Marvel sequel not being set in the present, even if there are a few gaps in her history (like that eventual confrontation with Ronan the Accuser). After all, the stakes are definitely lessened now we know Talos survives that conflict.
How Many Skrulls Are On Earth?
"Fury" briefly mentions that there are Kree sleeper cells on Earth and it's hard not to wonder whether there are other Skrulls impersonating key figures, especially following the events of
Avengers: Endgame. Kevin Feige has alluded to there being villainous versions of the aliens, and they could have easily replaced the dusted and taken them out when they returned.
Ultimately, that feels like a story for the next
Captain Marvel movie to tell, and even though this scene was played for laughs, there's a small possibility that the stage has been set for a
Secret Invasion!
What About Captain Marvel?
She's nowhere to be seen in this post-credits scene, but it's safe to assume that Fury is on a ship she commands and that the Skrulls are still following her. Whether this means her next solo adventure will be set in outer space remains to be seen, but it certainly seems likely, and now that we've seen her in the present, it's hard to believe the sequel will spend too much time in the past.
It definitely feels like we need to see what happened when Yon-Rogg returned to Hala and how the Supreme Intelligence feels about Carol's newfound freedom, but it would also be good for this post-credits scene to be addressed and to see what she and the Skrulls are up to following
Avengers Endgame; perhaps that's something Marvel Studios is holding off on showing until
Captain Marvel 3!
Secret Invasion
Had Fury and Hill been revealed as evil Skrulls, Marvel Studios could have set something very exciting up, but the scene is played for laughs and that might mean it won't have too many ramifications.
That's a shame, but at least the idea of the Skrulls posing as familiar faces has been introduced to moviegoers, so it's definitely a plot point that can be touched on somewhere down the line if we're lucky.