What the 'Superman' Post-Credits Scenes Mean for the Future of the DC Cinematic Universe
Superman stars Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane, Nicholas Hoult as Lex Luthor and David Corenswet as the Man of Steel. The movie isn't an origin story; it picks up when Superman is already well-known (and moments after he loses any fight-winning streak he previously had). I won't provide any more details than that, though.
This Superman presents a wholesome hero who inherently believes in humankind. CNET reviewer Aaron Pruner found the film to be "extremely fun, uplifting and filled with joy." The cast also includes Edi Gathegi, Nathan Fillion, Isabela Merced, Anthony Carrigan, Skyler Gisondo, Sara Sampaio and María Gabriela de Faría. Keep reading if you want a spoiler-free answer to your post-credit queries (and then a spoiler-packed explanation of what happens after the movie).
Are there post-credits scenes in Superman?
James Gunn's film includes two additional scenes after the end of the movie. You should plan to stick around for about 10 minutes to catch both.
If you missed the clips or just want all the spoilers, we'll unpack what happened below. Don't read any more unless you want to know what happens in the bonus scenes.
While Superman has mid- and post-credits scenes, they're similar to Deadpool and Wolverine's after-credits scene in that they don't provide a big tease of future projects. However, that might not matter to you as the movie devotes plenty of time to characters we'll undoubtedly see down the line. Superman showcases piles of heroes outside of Clark Kent's alter ego, including the Justice Gang: Mister Terrific (Gathegi), Green Lantern (Fillion), Hawkgirl (Merced) and the latest member, Metamorpho (Carrigan).
Milly Alcock even briefly appears as Supergirl before the end of the movie. She's the star of the next DC Studios movie, due out in June 2026.
The mid-credit scene in Superman is brief and appears slightly more than two minutes after the film ends. The wordless clip captures a sweet moment between Superman and his disobedient pal Krypto the Superdog. Superman, with his back to the camera and arms around Krypto, looks at Earth from the moon. Krypto and Superman have had some rocky interactions, but some moments -- like when Clark wakes up and finds the pooch lying on top of him, and this little interlude -- are just adorable.
Warner Bros. Pictures
Wait seven or so minutes more and you'll catch the post-credits scene, which includes a comedic exchange between Mister Terrific and Superman. During the film, the heroes teamed to reverse damage to Metropolis caused by Lex Luthor and a dimensional rift. The post-credits scene finds them staring at a wonky-looking building after the ordeal. Superman points out that "it's just a little off," causing Terrific to storm off. The ever-humble Superman reflects, "I can be such a jerk sometimes."
What do the Superman mid-credit and post-credit scenes mean?
That image of Kal-El and Krypto on the moon, aside from being peaceful and cute as all get out, is a reference to one of the Superman comic storylines that informed James Gunn's movie. That visual refers to All-Star Superman No. 6, from Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely. This isn't the only comic book iteration of the Man of Steel that Gunn pays homage to in the movie.
That said, production designer Beth Mickle revealed to IGN that it is the movie's "guiding light." From the color palette to the movie's overall vibe, look no further than All-Star Superman.
Cut to the movie's end. This post-credits scene finds Superman and Mister Terrific bantering over the state of Metropolis after Mister Terrific saves humanity, thwarting an attempt by Luthor to destroy the world -- and Superman.
It's a fun interaction that further colors these characters in Gunn's unique vision of the world. Does this scene set up any bits for the future of the DCU? Not really, at least not specifically.
From the opening moments of the movie, it was clear that this was a standalone story for Superman. The post-credits scene gives no hint as to what iconic DC hero or villain will appear in the next project or how it will connect to this one, and that's by design.
Simply put, Gunn is cautious about using a tag at the end of his movies that teases what comes next, until the next script is completely finished. He explained his philosophy to EW, saying this stance is "somewhat related to my own mistakes in my time with Marvel."
He points to the tease of Will Poulter's Adam Warlock at the end of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 as a big reason for this. There was all this setup, which led to fan expectation, that, as he revealed, he "didn't necessarily plan on."
Putting the proverbial cart before the horse is no longer a choice Gunn wants to make with his movies. He's the head honcho of DC Studios and has, on more than one occasion, stated no further DC projects will be greenlit until its script is finished. So, throwing in a big tease at the end of Superman, just for the sake of building buzz, was never in the cards. It takes the pressure off, creatively.
Back to the sequence between Superman and Terrific. Considering the explanation I just laid out, it's pretty easy to see that Gunn is telling the audience that this DC film universe will be different from what was built before.
It's a subversive way for the filmmaker, the new Commander in Chief of the DCU, if you will, to tell the audience to buckle up. We don't know where things will go, but by the looks of things, it's sure going to be fun.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
24 minutes ago
- Yahoo
'Spartacus: House of Ashur' to premiere on Starz this winter
July 27 (UPI) -- Starz has narrowed the premiere window for Spartacus: House of Ashur to "this winter" and released a new teaser for the eagerly awaited period drama. Nick E. Tarabay will reprise his role of Ashur from 2010's Spartacus: Blood and Sand. Spartacus franchise creator Steven S. DeKnight is the showrunner for the latest chapter. "What if he lived, and the Romans rewarded his treachery with the gladiator school where he once bled? Welcome to the House of Ashur. No longer a slave, Ashur has clawed his way to power, owning the same ludus that once owned him," a synopsis for the show said. "But ruling a band of merciless gladiators is child's play compared to surviving the savage world of Roman politics -- a cutthroat game in which betrayal isn't a sin, it's currency." The cast will also include Tenika Davis, Graham McTavish, Jamaica Vaughan, Jordi Webber and Jaime Slater.
Geek Tyrant
26 minutes ago
- Geek Tyrant
How Dark Gritty Reboots Paved the Way for Today's Lighter Escapism in Cinema — GeekTyrant
For years, Hollywood loved its dark, grounded reboots. But times have changed, and so have audience tastes. A recent video essay by Pyramid Peak takes a deep dive into why the bleak tone of early 2000s blockbusters has shifted toward something lighter, more hopeful, and even escapist, like Superman . After September 11, 2001, American audiences gravitated toward stories that reflected their fears and uncertainties. Movies embraced gritty realism, and no franchise exemplified that better than Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight trilogy. 'You can imagine just how incredible it was to see this in 2005 for the first time audiences saw a Batman who looked like he belonged in our world and faced dangers that felt almost too real. 'Needless to say Batman Begins was a massive success to critics and general audiences the movie's dark and gritty tone felt like a breath of fresh air.' Following that, other franchises leaned hard into the 'realistic' approach, turning comic book worlds and action sagas into moody character studies. But that was 20 years ago, and as Pyramid Peak explains, that tone no longer resonates the same way: '20 years later the reboot doesn't pack the same punch. So what happened to the dark and gritty era? Right now we're living in a world of constant noise a million channels of conflicting information are all shouting at once. 'That overwhelm might inspire stories where the hero is someone who cuts through the chaos sees the bigger picture and finds a clean focused solution a narrative where all the threats are secretly connected and one brave person untangles them giving us the simple clarity we crave.' This shift is more than just stylistic. It's a reflection of our cultural mood. Back then, villains were symbolic. Today, the issues feel personal and systemic. As Peak notes, future stories might even tackle wealth inequality head-on. 'If another global recession makes wealth inequality the popular issue of the day, the real enemies might be the rich, the powerful the out of touch elite. We could see a resurgence of stories about the common person rising up against unchecked greed and corruption and a generation dealing with the housing crisis and endless inflation would connect with the hero who's dealt a crappy hand but make something of it.' The era of gritty antiheroes might be behind us, replaced by characters who bring clarity in chaos or challenge corruption head-on. In other words, escapism is evolving, and Hollywood will follow wherever our cultural compass points next.
Bloomberg
28 minutes ago
- Bloomberg
‘Fantastic Four' Tops Box Office in Reset for Marvel Franchise
The Fantastic Four: First Steps, the first picture in a new phase of superhero movies from Marvel Studios, opened as the No. 1 film this weekend in US and Canadian theaters, delivering ticket sales of $118 million. Adapted from the 1960s comic books of the same name, Fantastic Four stars Pedro Pascal and Vanessa Kirby as superheroes seeking to prevent Galactus from destroying Earth. The picture, which has a retro look, scored strongly with critics on Rotten Tomatoes. Industry tracker Boxoffice Pro had forecast sales of $115 million to $135 million.
