From new films and sequels that are yet to materialize to potential new villains and subplots that were dropped, there’s plenty to unpack with DC’s post-credits Easter eggs. With a major change-up in direction of late for the franchise - including the outright cancelation of projects such as Batgirl, as well as Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom’s post-production delay - it could be a while before some of these scenes ever get the payoffs the filmmakers were aiming for.
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The infamous Joss Whedon cut of Justice League boasts two curious post-credits scenes. The first is a throwback to a classic, recurring challenge between Superman and The Flash. In a test to see who’s truly the fastest man alive, the two agree to race to the Pacific.
The winner of the race is left unrevealed by the time the end credits resume rolling. In the years since, there’s been no follow-up as to who might’ve won, or indeed any follow-up at all to the story of the Justice League bar a new, considerably more well-received cut in 2021 that omitted the race scene completely.
Lex Luthor winds up as an inmate in Arkham Asylum due to his crimes in Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice. He’s not seen again for most of either Justice League cut until a post-credits outro in the Whedon cut that also serves as an epilogue scene in the Snyder Cut.
It’s revealed that Luthor hired Deathstroke to rescue him from the Gotham facility. Now on Luthor’s yacht, Deathstroke and Superman’s nemesis discuss the arrival of the Justice League. Luthor then suggests they form a league of their own, with many fans and pundits believing this was supposed to lead to the Injustice League in a future film.
Aquaman sees a young-in-his-villainy-career Black Manta struggle to get the better of Arthur Curry. Every time they meet, Manta is soundly defeated, even losing his father early on after the pair’s crimes are thwarted by the ocean king. Dr Stephen Shin, a marine scientist who has an obsession with Atlantis, offers Black Manta a lifeline during the post-credits.
In exchange for Black Manta helping Shin discover the underwater city, the increasingly unhinged doctor agrees to aid the supervillain in finally getting some payback on his hated, heroic nemesis. This scene will likely pay off next year with the release of the long-awaited Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom.
Following his showdown with - and eventual defeat at the hands of - Shazam, Dr Sivana is behind bars for his crimes. Now without superpowers, the miserable Sivana is drawing a variety of symbols on the walls of his prison cell when a minuscule, alien caterpillar arrives to share some curious information.
Mister Mind, a classic member of Shazam’s rogues gallery, mocks the human species before providing a major revelation for the mad scientist. The telepathic creature speaks of the pillars of evil that will form in the near future to conquer the seven realms of magic. This could be a reference to his villainous group, The Monster Society of Evil. With the recent reveal that Mr Mind won’t be in Shazam!: Fury of the Gods, this scene is unlikely to pay off any time soon.
Batman is curiously absent from the Gotham hijinks on display throughout the Harley Quinn-dominated Birds of Prey. His mysterious disappearance from the world of crime fighting is another key factor that leads to the Birds having to take Black Mask - one of his countless criminal rivals - down instead.
For viewers who sit through the entirety of the end-credits, Harley Quinn breaks the fourth wall via voiceover, acknowledges the audience, and promises to reveal a secret about Batman. The audio then cuts out before she can finish her sentence, leaving the viewer hanging in regard to the info she might have provided. Harley Quinn’s next film appearance in The Suicide Squad provided no follow-up on her dynamic with Batman, leaving this humorous moment as a mystery for fans.
The DCEU’s most recent release provided a potentially game-changing scene after its credits started rolling. Black Adam has embraced his role as Kahndaq’s guardian, when Amanda Waller warns that he should stay in the fictional nation unless he wants trouble. Never one to shrug away a threat, an angered Adam is confronted by none other than Henry Cavill’s Superman.
The surprise reveal of Superman opens many questions moving forward. For one, many viewers will likely be curious about Superman’s dynamic with Amanda Waller and, by extension, a potential showdown with Black Adam. Another major point to consider here is the official confirmation of Cavill’s return to the role, something that was, at one point, considered unlikely to happen. With both Black Adam 2 and Man of Steel 2 reportedly in the works, this post-credits scene will likely pay off over the next couple of years.
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