James Gunn Reveals How Past MCU Mistakes Shaped SUPERMAN's Post-Credits Scene
James Gunn knows a thing or two about post-credits scenes. He gave us some of the most memorable ones in the MCU, and also learned a few hard lessons along the way.
Now, as he gears up to launch Superman, the first theatrical entry in the new DC Universe, he’s being a little more cautious with how he handles those stingers.
In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Gunn confirmed that Superman will have a post-credits scene, but don’t expect it to swing the door wide open for ten upcoming DCU projects. Instead, Gunn says he’s drawing directly from past experiences at Marvel, specifically, where he feels he overreached.
“I have a philosophy about post-credit scenes. It’s somewhat related to my own mistakes in my time with Marvel. I did not like what I did in Guardians 2 where we set up Adam Warlock and we set up the Guardians of the Galaxy and we set up all this s— that I didn’t necessarily plan on.
“Well, I guess I kind of planned on fulfilling that [Adam Warlock] promise, but you want to be careful about that. The way a post-credits scene works is a punch to the face, like, ‘Oh my God! Look at this.’
“At times when you’re using it just solely to set something up, sometimes you’re screwing yourself over. It was not easy to work Adam Warlock into Guardians 3.”
If you tease something, you’re eventually expected to follow through, and sometimes, plans change. So unless it really works, Gunn isn’t interested in using the end credits as a dumping ground for setups that might never pay off.
It’s a philosophy that clearly informed how he approached The Suicide Squad and its spinoff series Peacemaker.
“I started shooting the Peacemaker show and then I shot [the post-credits scene] and then put it in there, so it was easy.”
As for Superman, Gunn has already told fans to stick around through the credits. The film clocks in at 2 hours and 9 minutes, including the stinger, making it the shortest Superman movie since 1987’s Superman IV: The Quest for Peace, but if you’re expecting a major reveal or a deep tease of Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow, it might be time to adjust expectations.
With Lanterns in production and Supergirl hitting theaters next year, it’s tempting to think Superman’s post-credits scene could be planting seeds. And maybe it is, but Gunn’s caution suggests a tighter, more contained approach.
DC Studios is still laying the foundation for its universe, and it sounds like Gunn would rather keep the post-credits scene in service of this movie rather than gamble on what’s down the road.