Expected performance and scientific potential of the METIS high-contrast imaging modes

The Mid-infrared ELT Imager and Spectrograph (METIS) completed its final design review in 2023, and is now making strides in its manufacturing, assembly, integration and test (MAIT) phase. Together with MICADO, it is bound to be one of the first instruments installed at the ELT, performing first scientific observations by the end of 2030. High-contrast imaging is at the heart of the various observing modes supported by METIS, including the combination of coronagraphic capabilities with high-resolution integral field spectroscopy. In this contribution, I will give a brief overview of the METIS observing modes, review in more detail the design and MAIT status of the METIS high-contrast imaging modes, and discuss their expected performance based on end-to-end simulations. I will then introduce some of the most compelling science cases that will be enabled by the METIS high-contrast imaging modes in the field of planet formation and exoplanets, including the prospects of directly imaging temperate low-mass planets around the nearest Sun-like stars.