Warning: This article contains spoilers for Supergirl.
The latest DC movie makes a potentially controversial decision about whether to include post-credits scenes in Supergirl, but it falls in line with what DC Studios co-CEO James Gunn has said about the burgeoning franchise. The DC Universe officially launched on the big screen last year with Superman, introducing audiences to both the new Man of Steel (David Corensweet) and the new Girl of Steel (Milly Alcock).
This summer, Alcock's Kara Zor-El takes center stage, and although reviews of Supergirl have been mixed out the gate, the character already has a bright future ahead in the DC Universe. Before the release of Supergirl, it was confirmed that the titular character will return in next summer's Superman sequel, Man of Tomorrow. While the exact plot hasn't been revealed, it's believed Man of Tomorrow will see Superman and Lex Luthor (Nicholas Hoult) team up against Brainiac (Lars Eidinger).
The ending of Supergirl perfectly sets up Kara to join that fight as well, with the Girl of Steel returning to Earth and showing up at her cousin's apartment, with Krypto in tow. In the final scene, Kara tells Clark she's going to "stay awhile," and the cousins proceed to have an argument/discussion about whether Krypto is welcome in the apartment, as the super-dog starts making a mess in the kitchen.
With Man of Tomorrow confirmed as Supergirl's next appearance in the DCU, it's unclear if her solo movie will get a sequel. While typically a superhero movie, especially one part of an interconnected franchise like the DCU, might include something during the credits to set up the character's future, Supergirl doesn't have any post-credits scenes, teases or hints. Although that's strange for a superhero film, it's in line with what Gunn has said about the DCU.
While promoting Superman last summer, ScreenRant asked James Gunn about the film's post-credits scenes being more about paying off jokes or character beats from the film than setting up future films or storylines. In discussing Superman's post-credits scenes, Gunn laid out the philosophy for the DC Universe's use of credits scenes as a whole:
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.
Post-credits scenes that lead nowhere have become one of the most frustrating pitfalls of superhero franchises — and even non-superhero franchises. In the early days of the MCU, Marvel Studios would sometimes include actual scenes from their upcoming movies as post-credits teasers, but they've largely moved away from that practice. Now, the MCU has a number of post-credits scenes they've never paid off, and some they never will, like the Council of Kangs.
However, Gunn is being much more intentional, especially in the early days of the DCU. His promise not to include credits scenes just for shock value, only to never be paid off, is refreshing. Of course, it also subverts certain expectations of the genre. With the rise of the MCU and other superhero franchises, audiences have come to expect credits scenes at the end of their superhero movies. The fact that Supergirl doesn't is extremely rare, and may prove to be controversial.
It's unclear why Supergirl didn't include any credits scenes like Superman, ones that were jokes or a chance to feature fan-favorite characters like Krypto. It's also not clear who made that decision, whether it was director Craig Gillespie or DC Studios. Gunn may yet explain why Supergirl doesn't have a credits scene, but for now, we know why it doesn't have a bonus scene setting up Man of Tomorrow — because that setup came before the credits rolled.
It remains to be seen whether future DC Universe movies will continue the trend of not including post-credits scenes. The next DC movie, Clayface, hits theaters in October, so we'll have to wait and see if it includes any extra scenes or if it, like Supergirl, will end before the credits begin.
