Why the Superman post-credit scenes are different and what they mean for the future of the franchise

Director James Gunn explains why he is breaking from tradition

David Corenswet plays the title role in Superman. Photo: Warner Bros Pictures

Spoiler warning

Some Superman fans are torn after discovering the post-credit scenes reveal nothing about what’s next – a break from the tradition of teasing future films. But director James Gunn insists that was always the plan.

The first post-credit scene features a shot of David Corenswet as Superman and Krypto the dog sitting peacefully on the Moon and looking at Earth – an homage to the comic books. Meanwhile, the second post-credit scene features a light exchange between Superman and Mister Terrific (Edi Gathegi), as they survey the damage to the city of Metropolis following events in the film.

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There are no new characters or cameos, or any plotline teases.

The decision aligns with the strategy of the newly formed DC Studios, of which the reboot of Superman is the first big-ticket release. Films from the DC Comics franchise were previously released under the DC Films banner.

James Gunn, right, with David Corenswet and Nocholas Hoult on the set of Superman. Photo: Warner Bros Pictures

“I have a philosophy about post-credit scenes. It's somewhat related to my own mistakes in my time with Marvel," Gunn, who is also the co-chairman and chief executive of DC Studios, told Entertainment Weekly.

He said he has decided to no longer use post-credit scenes to tease new characters or storylines without having a solid plan for them down the line, he said.

“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 that I didn't necessarily plan on.

"I guess I kind of planned on fulfilling that promise, but you want to be careful about that. It was not easy to work Adam Warlock into Guardians 3. I loved working with Will [Poulter, who plays Adam Warlock] and I liked dealing with the character, but at the end of the day, was he kind of fitting a weird square peg into a round hole? A little bit, yeah."

Superman has received rave reviews since its release on Thursday, with many praising the film's cast, as well as Gunn's mix of reverence for the character, which first appeared in comic books in 1938, with reinvention.

The film opens with Superman, an alien, now a longtime resident of Earth, thwarting an invasion by Boravia – a powerful US ally – of the weaker nation of Jarhanpur. But when the scheming Lex Luthor uncovers explosive details about Superman’s origins, public opinion begins to shift, forcing the hero to stand firm in his convictions as the world turns against him.

The film has also courted controversy among right-wing commentators and supporters of US President Donald Trump's sweeping anti-immigration policies, after Gunn likened the superhero to an immigrant and called his film "the story of America".

On social media, some have even suggested the film was critical of Israel and its ongoing war on Gaza, namely the plot regarding the Boravia-Jorhanpur conflict. Boravia’s plan, it is later revealed, is a settler-colonial project that aims to displace the indigenous Jarhanpurians and expand the Boravian state.

In an interview with The Times before the film's release, Gunn acknowledged that his film does delve into politics, but that it was ultimately "about human kindness".

Rachel Brosnahan, left, and David Corenswet in Superman. Photo: Warner Bros Pictures

“This Superman does seem to come at a particular time when people are feeling a loss of hope in other people’s goodness,” Gunn said. "I’m telling a story about a guy who is uniquely good, and that feels needed now because there is a meanness that has emerged due to cultural figures being mean online.”

Besides Corenswet, Superman stars Rachel Bornahan as his love interest Lois Lane and Nicholas Hoult as villain Lex Luthor. The film also features a number of cameos by stars such as Bradley Cooper, John Cena and Milly Alcock, who is set to play Supergirl in a new film set to release in June next year.