How Moana 2’s Post-Credits Scene Sets Up the Moana 3 Endgame

This week marks Moana’s long-awaited return to the big screen. The original Moana has become one of the most beloved entries in Disney’s storied library since its release in 2016, and the House of Mouse was originally planning to follow up that success with a Disney+ TV series. That idea was pivoted into the feature film we now know as Moana 2, which is set for a massive showing at the box office over the course of Thanksgiving weekend.

Given the sheer popularity that Moana has earned over the last few years, it should come as no surprise to learn that Disney’s plans for the character don’t end with Moana 2. In fact, it appears there are already ideas out there to complete a Moana trilogy, as teased by an all-important post-credits scene at the conclusion of Moana 2. WARNING: This article contains MAJOR SPOILERS for Moana 2! Continue reading at your own risk…

By the end of Moana 2, fans learn that the storm god Nalo is actually the big bad of the story. We’re not just talking about the story of Moana 2 — Nalo is the villain of the entire Moana saga. Information is revealed that ties Nalo to Maui’s past, as well as the events of the first Moana.

Nalo only shows up as an enormous storm cloud during Moana 2, but that changes in the post-credits scene. The real Nalo is featured in that final scene, as the villain shows up in a more human form, revealing himself to Matangi and laying out his master plan.

In the scene, Nalo binds the hands of Matangi and confronts her for helping Moana throughout the film. He explains that he plans to destroy Moana, stopping her from uniting all of the nations throughout the sea. Basically, everything she’s done to discover the history of her island and bring the people of the ocean together again has been undermining Nalo’s control.

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And as a nice little bonus, Nalo has a very recognizable henchman at his side. The post-credits scene shows Tamatoa (the crab that sings “Shiny”) working with Nalo and enforcing his plans.

This sets up a third — and probably final — film in the Moana series. Nalo is after Moana and wants to keep her from uniting the people. Moana, with her newfound abilities and a better understanding of the sea than ever before, is on a mission to finally make the people whole once again. Then you’ve got characters like Maui and Matangi who have their own issues with Nalo, and could dramatically affect the story in one way or another.

Given the mass popularity of the first Moana, and the fact that the sequel is shaping up to break box office records, it likely won’t be long before we hear some concrete information about Moana 3. This time, Disney won’t be pivoting from a TV series, so it can be in development as a feature film from the jump.