James Gunn’s Superman isn’t the primary mission 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 actually a decisive second for the brand new DCU, each a press release of intent for DC’s new tone, and an enormous, 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 function, Zack Snyder.
All of which makes Superman’s post-credits scenes really feel extra necessary than they might be in any other case: That is Gunn’s probability to tease the following mission in his deliberate DCU lineup, to construct anticipation because the post-credits scenes in his Marvel Studios films have been meant to. Or it’s an opportunity to outline nü-DC films on his personal phrases, flouting the credits-scenes fad solely, and letting his film stand by itself. Or one thing else solely.
Will it shock anybody to know that Gunn went with the “one thing else solely” choice? His method of placing his personal signature on Superman’s credit scenes is to make them virtually joyously dumb. This isn’t a wasted probability, it’s a discarded one — an virtually potlatch-esque egregious burning of a chance, simply to indicate 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 a number of 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 digicam, and Krypto is peering over his shoulder, straight 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 last sequence has Krypto fortunately abandoning Superman to return to his actual proprietor: Supergirl (Milly Alcock), who’s been off partying on different planets.
Positive, a canine that travels at supersonic speeds can clearly verify in on his outdated buddy Supes any time he needs. 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 business for posters, cellphone instances, and the rest that would have this picture slapped on it.
What occurs in Superman’s post-credits scene?
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 break up aside as Lex Luthor’s rift tore via the town. Mr. Terrific reversed the method and stitched every thing 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 may 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 conceivable is form of mildly amusing, although it’s one thing we noticed earlier within the film, to much 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 unstable 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, identical to these barely unaligned constructing halves.
However there’s nonetheless one thing perversely humorous in Gunn utilizing the often helpful 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 2, or to arrange the Justice Gang’s deliberate look in Gunn’s subsequent launch, Peacemaker season 2.
As a substitute, he spends it on a little bit of anti-comedy, a second so empty and foolish that it looks like a press release: 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 high-quality with that end result.
