Superman Ending and Post-Credits Explained: Why It’s Not About What’s Next for the DCU

Let's marque this simple: You privation to cognize if determination are immoderate post- oregon mid-credits scenes successful Superman. The reply is yes. The mid-credit “scene” is truly much of a quiescent infinitesimal of reflection, earlier a humorous post-credit country concludes things.

Full spoilers for the movie follow!

Superman has yet deed theaters, acting arsenic the authoritative live-action motorboat of the caller DCU, pursuing the smaller-scale animated bid Creature Commandos coming archetypal successful presumption of merchandise dates. There’s a batch astatine involvement here, with Superman being tasked with laying the groundwork for this caller DCU and providing a cleanable slate for the franchise aft the erstwhile DCEU ended successful 2023 with Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom.

The movie involves Lex Luthor (Nicholas Hoult) releasing accusation Superman (David Cornenswet) himself ne'er knew astir his Kryptonian parents (who intended him to “rule without mercy” connected Earth) successful bid to crook the nationalist against Superman and determination guardant with his ain nefarious plans. So wherever does the movie permission disconnected arsenic acold arsenic mounting up what’s to come? And wherefore is its much wide attack to universe-building astir apt a omniscient telephone compared to immoderate of the much blatant sequel-bait we’ve grown accustomed to successful comic publication movies? Let’s interruption it each down.

Superman Ending Explained: Luthor Unhinged

Luthor, who has successfully presented himself arsenic idiosyncratic lasting up against Superman’s ominous plans, is capable to property guardant with his concern with the president of the state of Boravia to invade Boravia’s neighbor, Jarhanpur – thing Superman had enactment a halt to the archetypal clip Boravia tried it.

The 3rd enactment of Superman involves 2 crises unfolding successful 2 abstracted parts of the world. First, Boravia’s adjacent onslaught is beginning, with the volition of perfectly decimating the radical of Jarhanpur. Boravia and Luthor (who has been supplying Boravia with their weapons) mean to divided the onshore betwixt them aft they conquer and termination anyone who gets successful their way.

But Superman’s effort assistance Jarhanpur is curtailed erstwhile he’s told by Mister Terrific (Edi Gathegi) that the satellite itself is present successful information due to the fact that of a pouch beingness Luthor had created to usage arsenic his ain backstage situation (in which helium imprisoned Superman himself for a clip during the film) that is present causing a carnal rift successful Metropolis, virtually ripping the metropolis apart. And portion Metropolis has been evacuated, the rift volition proceed to turn acold beyond the city, endangering countless lives. Obsessed with sidesplitting Superman, Luthor ignores the warnings of his ain men astir what is occurring, sending his agents Ultraman and the Engineer (María Gabriela de Faría) to combat Superman and Mister Terrific.

In the ensuing fight, Superman is astir killed by the Engineer, but erstwhile helium manages to crook the tables connected his foes, the mysterious, soundless Ultaman is yet unmasked and revealed to beryllium a clone of Superman created by Lex.

Superman and Ultraman person a vicious fight, portion some effort to debar the achromatic spread the rift has opened up, but yet Ultraman is pulled into it, ending his threat. Superman past confronts Luthor successful his office, stopping him from escaping, portion Mister Terrific is capable to usage Luthor’s instrumentality to unopen down the rift, sending the divided portions of Metropolis backmost unneurotic - albeit inelegantly, since it’s inactive evident wherever things erstwhile had been torn successful half. With the information astir Lex’s full crippled revealed publically by the Daily Planet – acknowledgment to Eve Teschmacher (Sara Sampaio) sending info to Jimmy Olsen (Skyler Gisondo) – Lex is arrested and sent to Belle Reve Prison, portion Superman’s estimation is restored. Superman and his beloved Lois Lane (Rachel Bronahan), meanwhile, are reunited and stock a mid-air kiss.

As for Jarhanpur, conscionable erstwhile each anticipation seems mislaid for its people, they are saved by the accomplishment of Mister Terrific’s Justice Gang teammates, Green Lantern (Nathan Fillion) and Hawkgirl (Isabela Merced), on with Superman’s caller ally, Metamorpho (Anthony Carrigan) - each of whom answered Superman’s offscreen petition for help. As his service is defeated, the corrupt, genocidal president of Boravia past finds retired the hard mode that Hawkgirl does not travel Superman’s vow to ne'er termination erstwhile she takes him precocious up successful the aerial and drops him to his death.

The Girl of Steel Arrives… and She’s Plastered!

In the film’s last scene, Superman returns to the Fortress of Solitude, wherever his Superman Robot assistants, trashed during the earlier break-in by the Engineer and Ultraman, person been rebuilt. They are interrupted by a ample crashing dependable that turns retired to beryllium nary different than Superman’s relative - Supergirl (Milly Alcock)!

It’s not the intro immoderate mightiness expect from a precocious illustration superhero, arsenic Supergirl comes stumbling into the Fortress, asking successful a slurred dependable “Why did you determination the door?” earlier asking “Where is my dog?” - arsenic we larn the superpowered dog, Krypto, who’s been accompanying Superman for overmuch of the film, is really Supergirl’s pet. This lines up with dialog from earlier, erstwhile Superman said Krypto wasn’t really his favored and their dynamic was much of a foster situation.

After allowing Krypto to play with her successful an amusingly roughhouse mode -- which is to say, helium stomps connected her with his ace strength, smashing the crushed beneath her arsenic she laughs hysterically – Supergirl and Krypto depart, with her exclaiming to her cousin, “Thanks for watching him, bitch!”

Superman past explains to his robots that Supergirl “likes to spell and enactment connected different planets. Planets with reddish suns. Because of our metabolism, we can’t get drunk connected a satellite with a yellowish sun.”

For those who person work the 2021 miniseries Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow, this volition each dependable precise familiar. That comic archetypal introduces a drunken and foul-mouthed Supergirl sitting astatine a barroom connected an alien planet, accompanied by Krypto, having traveled determination specifically truthful she tin really get drunk connected her 21st birthday. And this notation successful Superman makes sense, due to the fact that adjacent year’s Supergirl movie is specifically based connected Woman of Tomorrow (and until precocious was really titled Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow). Supergirl’s onscreen outfit successful this country – her accustomed Supergirl uniform, reddish skirt included, but with a brownish overgarment implicit it alternatively than immoderate disposable cape – besides mirrors however she looks erstwhile we archetypal conscionable her successful that comic.

So for those expecting oregon hoping the archetypal movie successful the DCU to explicitly acceptable up different DCU movies, it precise overmuch does with this Supergirl tease… but is determination thing beyond that, specifically for Superman himself?

Does Superman Have a Mid- oregon Post-Credit Scene?

It has 1 of both… though calling what happens astatine the mid-credits a “scene” is wildly overstating things. The archetypal closing credits play, utilizing the aforesaid benignant and font arsenic Richard Donner’s iconic 1978 Superman film, and backed by the opus “Punkrocker” by Teddybears, featuring Iggy Pop - a motion to a country successful the movie wherever Lois and Clark banter astir however “punk” idiosyncratic arsenic seemingly quadrate arsenic Clark could person been increasing up, with Clark arguing that possibly his kindhearted attack to beingness is itself what’s punk these days.

When these main credits conclude, we past chopped to a changeable of Superman sitting with Krypto. Superman is lone seen from behind, arsenic helium and his canine – sorry, foster canine – peacefully beryllium and look astatine the Earth from the vantage constituent of the moon, with the 2 lovingly embracing each other.

If this sounds familiar, it’s due to the fact that we’ve seen a saltation connected this representation from the movie for rather awhile, since it archetypal released arsenic a photograph past autumn earlier past serving arsenic the focal constituent of the IMAX poster for Superman. The moment, successful turn, is simply a large comic publication homage, since it’s based upon a leafage from the 2005 comic All-Star Superman, 1 of Gunn’s main inspirations for the movie.

It’s a saccharine small interaction to adhd to the mid-credits of the film, though it lasts specified seconds and isn’t truly a country arsenic overmuch arsenic a moving snapshot.

The post-credits, though, diagnostic an further spot of enactment betwixt Superman and Mister Terrific. In the scene, we spot the 2 heroes lasting adjacent to each other, looking astatine 1 of the galore Metropolis buildings that was torn isolated by Luthor’s pouch magnitude rift, and past brought backmost unneurotic by Terrific erstwhile helium fixed things.

Superman, however, is intelligibly bothered by the imperfect quality of the building’s reconfiguration, and erstwhile helium tells Terrific “It’s conscionable a small off,” Terrific is pissed, replying, “What bash you privation maine to do!? Do you privation maine to instrumentality it isolated and enactment it backmost together!?” When Superman stammers no, “it’s just…” Terrific replies, “Just what!?” and storms disconnected successful frustration.

Superman yells aft him, “Hey man, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to bum you out! I shouldn’t person brought it up!” But erstwhile Mister Terrific continues to locomotion away, Superman says to himself, “Darn it, I tin beryllium specified a jerk sometimes…”

It’s an amusing small infinitesimal betwixt the 2 heroes, albeit not an hysterically comic one, but intelligibly determination much arsenic a spot of a portion of beingness for our clean-cut leader and 1 of his superpals than thing else. Though, yeah, it volition apt pb to immoderate “That’s it!?” reactions from some, who consciousness if they sat done the credits hoping for an other scene, it besides amended beryllium for SOME REALLY COOL THING.

But honestly, that’s asking for thing that not lone has been done galore times but has often proven to beryllium a precarious path, arsenic James Gunn is good aware.

Why It’s OK Superman Functions arsenic a Standalone Story

The deficiency of an “important” mid oregon post-credit country underlines the consciousness of Superman arsenic a movie that is introducing a large caller cinematic universe, yes, but besides is telling its ain self-contained communicative that’s making a connection successful and of itself. Gunn does a deft occupation of layering successful plentifulness of elements that tin beryllium utilized aboriginal successful different projects without ever lingering connected them oregon gratuitously highlighting that you should pay attraction to this guy oregon to immoderate doohickey due to the fact that it’s going to beryllium important successful different amusement oregon film.

Yes, this movie includes characters similar Rick Flag Sr., with Frank Grillo reprising the relation helium originated successful Creature Commandos and volition proceed successful Peacemaker Season 2. But for those who aren’t alert of immoderate of that, he’s conscionable a Washington DC powerfulness player. Nathan Fillion volition reprise his relation arsenic Guy Gardner successful the Lanterns TV show, but the movie doesn’t spell retired of its mode to name-drop Hal Jordan oregon John Stewart oregon belabor that Guy isn’t the lone Lantern, it conscionable presents him arsenic the superpowered, arrogant a-hole helium is.

This is simply a Superman movie focused connected this peculiar story, and Clark rightfully remains astatine the halfway of the movie from commencement to finish, contempt the different superpowered characters successful his orbit. It doesn’t repetition the mistakes of immoderate messier superhero films, which often consciousness preoccupied with assorted crippled threads and characters aiming towards thing down the line.

Gunn’s “let this communicative basal connected its own” attack extends to the credits and connects to his wide doctrine connected however to trade a superhero beingness present that he’s the feline calling the shots. As helium precocious explained to EW, helium doesn’t emotion the thought of utilizing a post-credit country to tease a marque caller quality oregon storyline without a locked-in circumstantial program for them down the line. Gunn uses his ain tease of Adam Warlock’s accomplishment successful the credits of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 arsenic an example, noting that by the clip helium was really penning Guardians Vol. 3, Warlock wasn’t an casual acceptable successful the communicative helium was telling, yet present helium felt beholden to see him.

Gunn has besides stressed repeatedly that nary movie volition beryllium afloat greenlit and produced by DC Studios without a implicit publication successful place, and you tin spot immoderate crossover with this mandate and wherefore helium didn't privation to, say, enactment a country successful the mediate of the credits of Superman wherever we conscionable Brainiac oregon General Zod. He’s acknowledged their plans to bash much with this mentation of Superman, of course, but without a circumstantial follow-up already 100% successful spot (script included), Gunn apt doesn’t privation to hindrance himself to thing that mightiness not really marque the astir consciousness aboriginal on. Which is wherefore the movie’s 1 existent blatant tease, for Supergirl, is the 1 that helium would consciousness comfy with - due to the fact that that movie’s really been filmed and is simply a done deal!

The astir important extremity for Superman, much than declaring “here is the caller DCU,” was making definite this was a large Superman movie, and Gunn has excelled successful that regard, delivering what is easy the champion movie for the quality since Richard Donner’s beloved mentation successful 1978. The Lois and Clark dynamic is fantabulous (fueled by the fantastic chemistry betwixt Corenswet and Brosnahan), portion the juxtaposition betwixt Clark’s Superman HQ astatine the Fortress of Solitude and the loving location Martha and Jonathan Kent person fixed him is expertly defined. Martha and Clark consciousness similar conscionable the benignant of brackish of the Earth, loving, caring radical you tin judge raised a antheral arsenic bully arsenic Clark.

This mentation of Superman is precisely the benignant of sweet, benignant and possibly sometimes endearingly naive leader helium should be, without feeling similar he’s excessively old-fashioned oregon retired of interaction to put in. The mode this Superman goes retired of his mode to effort and prevention each azygous beingness helium can, whether it beryllium guiltless radical targeted by villains, dogs and squirrels (!) successful the enactment of fire, oregon adjacent a elephantine kaiju he’s fighting, makes him basal retired arsenic idiosyncratic who genuinely feels similar a idiosyncratic everyone should, yet fewer do, signifier themselves after. But astatine the aforesaid time, erstwhile helium needs to spell each retired successful a fight, remainder assured, helium does so, and it’s awesome - conscionable portion making definite to besides support an oculus retired for anyone successful information arsenic a effect of the fight.

The movie is simply a joyousness to watch, exuding axenic comic book-derived joyousness successful a mode we haven’t truly seen successful live-action since Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man, which is insane considering however galore comic publication movies person opened since then. When the credits began to rotation connected Gunn’s film, I knew I’d happily invited much of this mentation of Superman, but astir of all, I wanted to rewatch this movie arsenic soon arsenic imaginable (which is astir apt wherefore I’ve already seen it twice, with a 3rd viewing already planned).

So yeah, Gunn could person moved the Superigirl cameo truthful that it was the post-credits scene, to permission disconnected connected a bigger “here’s what’s next” hype move, but that conscionable wasn’t necessary. Because adjacent if Gunn had removed the Supergirl country entirely, Superman would inactive beryllium a joyous, exciting, feel-good movie that doesn’t necessitate immoderate baton passing to consciousness satisfying.

As Clark himself mightiness say, that’s the darn truth.

For much connected Superman, cheque retired IGN's ranking of each the live-action Superman movies and our ranking of each Superman actor.