James Gunn Explains How MCU Mistakes Influenced Superman

Superman director James Gunn confirms the presence of a post-credits scene and explains how his history with Marvel Studios has influenced how he employs stingers. Speaking with Entertainment Weekly to promote the release of this July’s blockbuster, Gunn noted there’s a little something extra for viewers after the Superman credits. Transitioning to a broader discussion about his personal philosophy for post-credits scenes, Gunn recalled mistakes he made on his Marvel pictures, specifically mentioning the sequence in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 that set up Adam Warlock’s arrival. That boxed Gunn into a corner, and unless a post-credits scene “really, really works” at setting up future developments, he’d rather take things in a different direction.

“I have a philosophy about post-credit scenes. It’s somewhat related to my own mistakes in my time with Marvel,” Gunn said. He continued, “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,” Gunn said. “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.”

Gunn explained how things were different on The Suicide Squad, which included a post-credits scene that set up 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.”

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Gunn previously confirmed Superman has a post-credits scene when answering fan questions about the film’s run time. Including the credits and the stinger, the movie is 2 hours, 9 minutes long, making it the shortest Superman movie since 1987’s Superman IV: The Quest for Peace (which ran 90 minutes).

Superman is the first theatrical release in the new DC Universe franchise, so many fans have been speculating that DC Studios could use the post-credits scene to promote one of its many upcoming projects. Next summer sees the release of Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow, and the TV show Lanterns is currently in production. Nathan Fillion’s Guy Gardner, who will appear on Lanterns, makes his DCU debut in Superman.

Based on Gunn’s comments, fans should probably adjust their expectations for what the Superman post-credits scene will entail. It likely won’t tease anything that’s too far out in the DCU’s future. While fans enjoying getting small tastes of what’s to come, this approach is arguably for the best. Still in its infancy, the DCU’s slate is fluid as Gunn and Co. iron things out. Some projects have been pushed to the backburner or postponed, meaning it wouldn’t be wise to tease something that might not ever come to fruition. This has been a problem that’s plagued Marvel Cinematic Universe post-credits scenes for a while, and Gunn is drawing from his own past there to ensure something similar doesn’t happen with Superman.

With this in mind, the Superman post-credits scene might revolve more around the film itself than the DCU as a whole. Perhaps it will offer some kind of payoff to a lingering thread from the movie’s story or deliver the final punchline to a running gag. For what it’s worth, Gunn told Entertainment Weekly that he’s a fan of the post-credits scene in the first Guardians of the Galaxy, which features a funny appearance from one Howard the Duck. Something along those lines might be what he has in mind for Superman, sending audiences home with a laugh rather than a hint at what’s to come in the DCU.