Black Adam is poised to revive the DCEU and usher in a whole new era for the movie franchise, but will it have a post or mid-credits scene?
Black Adam will change the DC Extended Universe, with a new, powerful antihero, which naturally raises the question of whether the film has an after-credits scene to further shape the franchise’s future. The superhero movie genre and the big movie movie have been forever changed by the Marvel Cinematic Universe, which has not only popularized the storytelling of shared universes in comic book style, but also added post-credits scenes that tease future episodes. The DCEU has approached the shared universe superhero movie genre differently than the MCU, but will the latest installment mimic Marvel by including a post-credits scene?
The DCEU is rather inconsistent when it comes to post-credits teasers, but Yes, Black Adam will indeed have a mid-credits scene. The highly anticipated film will not only bring the iconic DC antihero to live-action, but it will also spell an exciting future for the DCEU franchise. This is ultimately the best, because the Black Adam film is the first of a new wave of DCEU movies, so it’s the right move to assure audiences of the promise of more exciting spectacles to look forward to.
Why Black Adam Needed a Credit Scene
WB (and thus the DCEU) are now under new leadership following WB’s merger with Discovery, leaving the future of the DCEU uncertain. The DCEU was reportedly headed for a continuity reboot following The flashbut the franchise is apparently poised to continue without a timeline reset, but instead a renewed focus on DC’s most iconic characters, such as Superman, Wonder Woman, Batman, and Aquaman. Black Adam star Dwayne Johnson has teased multiple times that a battle between the DCEUs Black Adam and Superman is inevitable, so the film will not only give the DCEU one of its most powerful and morally complicated characters, but also likely spark a rivalry between Teth-Adam and the man of Steel.
WB’s new leadership has also created a sense of uncertainty among much of the DCEU audience, and the abrupt cancellation of batgirl has been the subject of great controversy. The portrayal of Barbara Gordon and Michael Keaton’s Batman in the film was a highly anticipated one, and the cancellation also marked a new direction for DCEU projects that many viewers have been looking forward to with no new changes. Black Adam will usher in a new era for the DCEU, so a mid-credits scene that creates anticipation for this future is imperative.
Why DC Movies Have Credit Scenes Today
The DCEU franchise initially sought a different structure for its shared universe than the MCU, but over time began to mimic the Marvel style in some fundamental ways. The DCEU’s use of post- and mid-credits scenes, both for comedy and setting up future films, is one such way. Black Adam must put their best foot forward in initiating the DCEU’s Discovery era, and including a closing credits scene to spark excitement for the DCEU’s future is an effective way to build such anticipation.
