Warning: This article contains spoilers for Superman
Fans hoping for some big future reveals in the post-credits scenes ofSupermanmay not get exactly what they are hoping for. However,James Gunnknows his time working on Marvel movies gave him a very clear vision about what post-credits scenes should be there for, and it is not for advertising a movie that may not happen for several years – or may not even happen at all.
Speaking toScreenRantahead ofSuperman’srelease, Gunn shared an extensive view on why his post-scenes in the DCU will probably not be like some of the biggest teases put out by Marvel Studios. He said:
“Well, I found in my time at Marvel that, first of all, the post-credit scenes of mine at Marvel that people liked the best were the stupid ones. So, with Howard the Duck at the end of Guardians and Stan Lee at the end of Guardians 2.
And I really have found – and I’ve said it before – but I’ve set up things in the post-credit scenes, and Marvel has set up things in the post-credit scenes that never pay off. Unless it’s really for sure going to pay off… like if we were making – we know what the Supergirl movie is – So if it was a payoff at the end of the credits that had to do with something in the Supergirl movie, I would be open to that. We know that’s happening.
But I don’t want to set up stuff just because it’s a shocking post-credit scene that we’re never going to pay off.”
James Gunn Insists ‘Superman’ Won’t Be a Flop If It Doesn’t Reach This Box Office Milestone
The co-CEO of DC Studios isn’t as concerned as everyone else is about ‘Superman’s box office.
However, while DC fans seeingSupermanthis weekend may not be getting hints of Wonder Woman, Batman, or even Clayface, Gunn still wants to make sure that people stick around long enough to see all the people whose hard work made the film possible. He added:
“However, I do like giving the audience something for having stuck around through the credits and seeing who all the hardworking people are on the film. And so giving them something, I think, is fun. And that’s what I did. So we put Terrific at the end.”
‘Superman’s Post-Credits Scenes
AlthoughSupermanhas both a mid-credits and post-credits scene, the former is barely worthy of being called a “scene.” At the end of the first round of closing titles, there is a shot – which has been seen extensively in marketing material – ofSuperman and Kryptositting side by side watching the world. It lasts only a few seconds, but as well as symbolizing the entire movie’s wholesome undertone, it is also a nod to the“All-Star Superman”comic that greatly inspired Gunn’s version of the DC hero.
The second scene involves interaction between Superman and Mr. Terrific. Again, the scene does not last long, and is probably going to gain some groans from those who feel they have sat through all those credits just to see Superman annoying Mr. Terrific by inadvertently calling out his attempts to repair a building damaged by Lex Luthor’s pocket dimension rift as being “a little off.” As Mr. Terrific takes offense at the comments and storms off. Superman is left to call himself a jerk, and the scene ends.
While these post-credits scenes may not be exactly what people were expecting, it is hard to know what audiences want after sitting through the credits. A tease for a future project is usually referencing characters or places no-one knows about yet (remember when Thanos’ grinning face appeared at the end ofThe Avengersand non-comic book fans all went, “Who the hell is that?”) and any little funny aside is often seen as disappointing. So it really could be seen as a no-win situation that Gunn seems to have navigated the best he could.
