James Gunn’s Superman isn’t the primary undertaking launched in the brand new DC cinematic universe he and DC co-chair/CEO Peter Safran are constructing — that honor went to Creature Commandos in late 2024. However Superman is definitely a decisive second for the brand new DCU, each an announcement of intent for DC’s new tone, and a giant, splashy testing of the waters, to see whether or not Gunn’s imaginative and prescient can discover a foothold in a cinematic panorama already so completely occupied each by Marvel Studios’ output and by Gunn’s predecessor within the DC-defining position, Zack Snyder.
All of which makes Superman’s post-credits scenes really feel extra essential than they might be in any other case: That is Gunn’s likelihood to tease the subsequent undertaking in his deliberate DCU lineupto construct anticipation because the post-credits scenes in his Marvel Studios motion pictures have been meant to. Or it’s an opportunity to outline nü-DC motion pictures on his personal phrases, flouting the credits-scenes fad totally, and letting his film stand by itself. Or one thing else totally.
Will it shock anybody to know that Gunn went with the “one thing else totally” possibility? His method of placing his personal signature on Superman’s credit scenes is to make them virtually joyously dumb. This isn’t a wasted likelihood, it’s a discarded one — an virtually potlatch-esque egregious burning of a possibility, simply to point out he can afford to do it his method, not Marvel’s method. Let’s dig in.
What occurs in Superman’s mid-credits scene?
Superman’s mid-credits scene solely lasts just a few seconds. It’s a variant on the picture Gunn shared on X in Oct. 2024, with Superman (David Corenswet) silently sitting on the moon with superdog Krypto — besides this time, he’s holding Krypto in his arms. Superman’s again is to the digital camera, and Krypto is peering over his shoulder, instantly on the viewers, together with his paws draped round Superman’s neck.
It’s an “Awwww” second, besides that it lands just a little weirdly, as a result of the film itself portrays Krypto as an endlessly hyperactive troublemaker who can’t sit nonetheless for a second, and may’t even be trusted to not casually kill the Kent household cows. Additionally, the film’s remaining sequence has Krypto fortunately abandoning Superman to return to his actual proprietor: Supergirl (Milly Alcock), who’s been off partying on different planets.
Certain, a canine that travels at supersonic speeds can clearly examine in on his outdated buddy Supes any time he desires. However when a film that’s expended a lot time on Krypto’s chaotic conduct and lack of actual emotional connection to Superman sends the canine away, then brings him again for this uncharacteristically sentimental picture that comes out of nowhere… Nicely, it feels extra manipulative than like an precise a part of the narrative, and like a industrial for posters, cellphone instances, and anything that might have this picture slapped on it.
What occurs in Superman’s post-credits scene?
Picture: Warner Bros. Footage
The post-credits scene is much more of a moist squib. Superman and Mr. Terrific (Edi Gathegi) stand collectively on a Metropolis avenue, one of many buildings that cut up aside as Lex Luthor’s rift tore via the town. Mr. Terrific reversed the method and stitched the whole lot again collectively, however Superman is noticing that the 2 damaged edges of the constructing don’t fairly line up evenly. They each stare at it, with Mr. Terrific clearly getting edgier about it, till Superman awkwardly factors out the mismatch, and Terrific throws his arms up and storms away.
Superman mutters to himself, “Darn it! I will be such a jerk typically!”
That… doesn’t even actually qualify as a gag. Superman expressing frustration with the mildest, most Captain America-worthy expression of frustration possible is type of mildly amusing, although it’s one thing we noticed earlier within the film, to way more impact. The concept that the Large Blue Boy Scout can’t assist however touch upon the truth that a whole metropolis ripped aside after which stitched again collectively isn’t completely aligned appears extra like one thing precise jerk Man Gardner (Nathan Fillion) would do, to cowl up for his personal insecurities. Mr. Terrific, for his half, by no means comes throughout as this delicate or risky elsewhere within the film.
The scene doesn’t have any actual place within the story — it doesn’t match the tone significantly nicely, or match up neatly with the characters we get to know all through the film. It looks like a mismatch, similar to these barely unaligned constructing halves.
However there’s nonetheless one thing perversely humorous in Gunn utilizing the often priceless actual property of the post-credit scene to not repay a gag from earlier within the film, or to tease Luthor’s inevitable escape and no matter scheme would possibly propel Superman 2or to arrange the Justice Gang’s deliberate look in Gunn’s subsequent launch, Peacemaker season 2.
As an alternative, he spends it on a little bit of anti-comedy, a second so empty and foolish that it looks like an announcement: He isn’t going to repeat Marvel’s stylebook on post-credits scenes, and he isn’t going to repay anybody who sat via the credit, ready for extra. He’s doing this his personal method, and if that leaves viewers just a little befuddled, he’s apparently advantageous with that final result.
