James Gunn Explains Controversial Superman Post-Credits Scene Decision

Warning: This article contains spoilers for Superman.

James Gunn’s Superman movie is the official launchpad for the new DC Universe, but it kicks off the superhero franchise reboot in an unexpected way. In the early days of the MCU, Marvel Studios popularized the practice of superhero movies having post-credits scenes setting up future projects, and now credits scenes have become common in Hollywood.

As such, it was expected that Superman would include at least one credits scene to tee up one of the upcoming DC Universe projects, which include the Green Lantern show Lanterns and the Supergirl movie, both of which release in 2026. However, though Superman includes two post-credits scenes, neither work as setup for announced DC projects.

That’s not to say Gunn’s Man of Steel movie doesn’t set up anything on DC Studios’s slate. In fact, the Superman movie ending shows Supergirl (Milly Alcock) crashing into the Fortress of Solitude to take back her dog, Krypto, who Clark Kent/Kal-El (David Corenswet) was watching. But that occurs before the credits roll.

The Superman credits scenes take an atypical approach for superhero movies, serving as fun moments that aren’t necessarily major character or casting reveals. It might be a controversial decision for Superman’s credits scenes to go this way, but writer and director James Gunn explained the reasoning behind it.

Superman Has 2 Post-Credits Scenes – Here’s What They Are And What They Mean

The Superman Credits Scenes Highlight A Couple Of Scene-Stealing Characters

In the Superman mid-credits scene, the Man of Steel holds Krypto as the two of them watch the Earth from afar – presumably while sitting on the moon. It’s a brief scene that’s very similar to an early motion poster DC Studios released for Superman, which showed Corenswet’s hero and Krypto sitting in space with Earth in the background.

The Superman post-credits scene is a proper scene, with Superman and Mister Terrific (Edi Gathegi) staring at a crack in a building. The structure had been split in half, then put back together when Terrific closed the dimensional rift. Superman points out that it’s “a little bit off,” and Mister Terrific defends himself for closing the rift as best he could.

When Mister Terrific storms off, kicking rocks and debris on the sidewalk, Superman calls after him, saying he didn’t mean to bum him out. When Terrific doesn’t respond, Superman mutters to himself, something to the effect of, “I’m such a jerk sometimes.” Then the scene ends.

What The Superman Post-Credits Scenes Mean

The mid-credits scene showing Superman and Krypto having a nice, quiet moment together is likely meant to just be a simple button scene to highlight the dynamic between the two characters. For much of the movie, Superman and Krypto are at odds, with Clark often scolding the super-dog for his behavior.

Though Superman figures out a way to put Krypto’s destructive tendencies to good use when battling Ultraman in the climactic moments of the movie, the dog remains ill-behaved until the end. It’s only when Clark wakes up at his parents’ home in Kansas and during the mid-credits scene that Superman and Krypto share some sweet moments.

As for the post-credits scene, the little tiff between Superman and Mister Terrific is seemingly meant to further showcase the superheroes’ relationship, and provide one last joke for viewers. Terrific is one of the standout characters in the film, according to Superman movie reviews, and the button scene further showcases his dynamic with the Man of Steel.

It’s possible that friendship could be developed even more in a future DC Universe project featuring Superman and Mister Terrific. Presumably, the DC Universe will do more with both Superman and the Justice Gang, and any kind of team-up would see more of Clark and Terrific having the kind of banter they do about the crack in the building.

James Gunn Explains Why Superman’s Credits Scenes Don’t Set Up Any Specific Project

In an exclusive interview with ScreenRant’s own Ash Crossan, Superman writer and director James Gunn explained why he chose credits scenes that don’t set up upcoming projects. The filmmaker, who previously helmed all three Guardians of the Galaxy movies for Marvel Studios, said it had to do with ensuring the DCU pays off everything it sets up.

Well, 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.

However, I do like giving the audience something for having stuck around through the credits and seeing who all the hardworking people are on the film. And so giving them something, I think, is fun. And that’s what I did. So we put Terrific at the end.

One problem with post-credits scenes becoming more common in superhero movies is exactly what Gunn says, that sometimes they don’t get paid off for many years, if ever. Marvel has received criticism for introducing huge actors or major characters in post-credits scenes, only for them to never be seen again – like Harry Styles’ Starfox.

But Marvel isn’t the only perpetrator. DC’s Justice League teased the Legion of Doom, which never came to fruition. Then, among others, there was the Black Adam credits scene, which brought back Henry Cavill’s Superman, only for Warner Bros. Discovery to soon after hire Gunn to reboot the Man of Steel.

Audiences are no doubt growing weary of post-credits scenes that tee up something exciting, but inevitably fail to deliver on what’s promised. Based on Gunn’s comments, he’s aware of this problem and is actively working to combat it by being careful about what scenes are selected for DC movies. It’s a smart way to run a superhero franchise, especially a new one like the DCU.

It might be disappointing for some that Superman’s credits scenes don’t introduce any new characters or offer any indication of where the DCU overall is headed, but the movie already does some of that.

Aside from introducing Supergirl at the end, Superman also tees up the “Gods and Monsters” storyline in the opening moments of the movie. While we don’t know exactly what that means, Superman is only the first DC Universe release on the slate, with more to come. Where “Gods and Monsters” is heading will no doubt be revealed in due time.

Until then, it’s good to see Gunn has a reasonable explanation for why Superman’s post-credits scenes don’t set up anything specific. Hopefully, as he says, audiences will enjoy the silly and sweet nature of the scenes themselves. After all, the Superman movie itself already sets up the new DC Universe and a number of upcoming projects.