Robert Downey Jr.’s suggestion to revise a single line of dialogue sparked the now-iconic post-credits scene in 2012’s The Avengers, where the superhero team quietly enjoys shawarma. The original script called for Tony Stark, played by Downey Jr., to simply ask, “What’s next?” after the climactic battle of Novel York, but the actor believed the moment lacked sufficient closure for audiences.
Downey, known for his proactive approach to shaping his roles, had previously successfully advocated for including a reference to a “life-changing sandwich” in the first Iron Man film. He brought a similar energy to The Avengers, requesting more dialogue to follow the initial line. Joss Whedon, the film’s writer and director, responded by developing three pages of potential lines, ultimately leading to the shawarma scene.
The scene depicts the Avengers, exhausted but victorious, finding respite at a Shawarma Palace. It shows them silently consuming the Middle Eastern dish, a moment that resonated with audiences and became a defining characteristic of the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s post-credits sequences. According to Whedon, the idea was also inspired by his own fondness for shawarma and a particularly challenging day of filming the television series Angel, a spin-off of Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
The unexpected popularity of the shawarma scene reportedly led to a significant increase in shawarma sales following the film’s release. The scene’s success cemented the practice of including post-credits scenes in Marvel films, often used to tease future storylines or provide lighthearted moments like the one conceived by Downey Jr. A video of the scene is currently available on YouTube, continuing to circulate online more than a decade after the film’s premiere.
As of February 23, 2026, Marvel Studios has not commented on plans for similar character-driven post-credit scene contributions in upcoming projects.
