Billy Oduory looks at ten post-credit scenes that led nowhere…
Post-credit scenes have redefined the era of blockbuster cinema as everyone now stays glued to the screens to see the mid and post-credit scenes to stay up to date with what the next film (if one ever comes) will be about. The trend, now associated with MCU and DC superhero films, has actually been around since the 1960s, but Marvel and DC have perfected it into a signature move for keeping fans engaged. However, the trend has now spread throughout the industry as many modern non-MCU/DC films are almost certain to feature one version of post-credit scenes or another.
With a sequel now becoming almost certain for every film that is a commercial hit, film producers now take the gamble, tucking a short glimpse of better things to come somewhere before the end of the credits. However, there’s a bittersweet reality to these cinematic teases: not every promising post-credit scene leads to a fulfilling sequel. Instead, some remain unresolved, leaving behind a void in the film’s plot and a sense of unmet expectations, even when the film is a smash at the box office. Here’s a selection…
Charlie’s Angels (2019)
Directed by Elizabeth Banks, Charlie’s Angels (2019) brings back the iconic trio of female spies in a modern, action-packed adventure. The film follows Sabina Wilson (Kristen Stewart), Jane Kano (Ella Balinska), and Elena Houghlin (Naomi Scott) as they work for the mysterious Charles Townsend Agency to thwart a global conspiracy. The post-credit scene of Charlie’s Angels features cameos by multiple celebrities including Hailee Steinfeld, Danica Patrick, Ronda Rousey, and Laverne Cox hinting at their potential involvement in a sequel.
Elena also gets her Angel tattoo in the post-credit scenes suggesting that she is one of the new deadly angels in the team. This tease was significant as it suggested the expansion of the Angels team and the continuation of their adventures with the new recruits. Unfortunately, the film’s underwhelming financial performance, combined with the lukewarm reception, contributed to the decision not to greenlight any follow-up films. As a result, the promising post-credit scene amounted to nothing.
Tomb Raider (2018)
The 2018 reboot of Tomb Raider, directed by Roar Uthaug, reintroduces audiences to the adventurous archaeologist Lara Croft, now portrayed by Alicia Vikander instead of the fan-favorite Angelina Jolie. The film follows Lara as she embarks on a perilous journey to uncover the secrets of her father’s disappearance and thwart a sinister organization’s plans. It then features a post-credit scene in which Lara prepares for her next adventure as she receives her own pair of pistols, implying a continuation of her quest for hidden treasures and ancient mysteries.
Despite Alicia Vikander’s best efforts, the film just didn’t live up to fan expectations, leading to a lukewarm reception. The film’s financial success was not particularly but MGM pushed ahead with plans for a sequel with both Ben Wheatley and Misha Green attached to direct before MGM lost the rights, which were subsequently reacquired by Amazon Studios following the MGM merger. The studio opted to reassess the franchise’s direction, instead opting to move ahead with a rebooted shared universe incorporating a movie, TV series and video game.
Ghostbusters (2016)
2016’s Ghostbusters features a new female-only team of paranormal investigators based in New York City starring Leslie Jones, Melissa McCarthy, Kristen Wiig, and Kate McKinnon. Having been fired from their respective universities and research institutes just like the original teal of Ghostbusters, the female team led by Abby Yates (McCarthy) and Erin Gilbert (Wiig) set up their ghostbusting operation in New York and prove the doubters wrong.
The film then ends in a post-credit scene in which Patty Tolan (Leslie Jones) listens to an audio recording of a mysterious voice and asks “Who is Zuul?”, hinting at a potential sequel. Unfortunately, Ghostbusters: Answer the Call was criticized by fans long before its release and proved to be a financial sinkhole when it was released. Sony, therefore, opted to abandon the sequel altogether when they returned to the original continuity of the franchise with Ghostbusters: Afterlife in 2021.
Pride And Prejudice And Zombies (2016)
Pride and Prejudice and Zombies introduces a unique twist on Jane Austen’s classic novel by bringing a zombie apocalypse into the film’s setting of 19th-century England. Directed by Burr Steers, the film follows Elizabeth Bennet (Lily James) and her sisters as they navigate not only the societal expectations of their time but also a world overrun by the undead. Then comes the post-credit scene in which a lone zombie hand emerges from the ground, hinting at the possibility of further undead shenanigans or a potential sequel.
After the film being stuck in production and postproduction for years, it was a miracle that it ever saw the light of day, let alone the producers hoping for a sequel. Despite the film’s inventive premise and entertaining execution, Pride and Prejudice and Zombies did not achieve significant commercial success, which likely contributed to the absence of any direct sequel or continuation of the hinted storyline from the post-credit scene.
Hitman: Agent 47 (2015)
Hitman is another videogame adaptation whose films haven’t pulled down any trees at the studios, although 2015’s Agent 47 has become a cult classic. In the film, Agent 47 (Rupert Friend) is forced back into the service of the now-defunct Agent Program whose mandate was to create the world’s deadliest killers. Agent 47’s arch-nemesis is John Smith (Zachary Quinto), an extremely sadistic remnant of the Agent Program. Having successfully killed the villain by electrocution, a post-credit scene shows that John Smith is still alive and now features blonde hair as a result of the electrocution.
The scene hinted at the rebirth of John Smith as the blonde-haired villain known in the video game as The Albino, which would have made a more interesting plot for a sequel. Unfortunately, Hitman: Agent 47 was a box office bomb just like its predecessor eight years earlier. As a result, the post-credit scene teasing a new antagonist ultimately remained unresolved, leaving fans of the Hitman series wondering about the fate of Agent 47 and his mysterious new adversary.
Terminator Genisys (2015)
Terminator Genisys, directed by Alan Taylor, stars Emilia Clarke as Sarah Connor, Jai Courtney as Kyle Reese, and Arnold Schwarzenegger reprising his iconic role as the Terminator. The story presents an alternate timeline where events from the original Terminator films are altered, leading to a new series of conflicts between humans and intelligent machines. The film’s mid-credit scene is a setup for potential sequels as it shows the Genisys system’s core having survived the Cyberdyne explosion.
Initially intended as the first film in a trilogy that would relaunch the Terminator franchise, the film received mixed reviews from critics and faced challenges at the box office. The planned sequels were subsequently put on hold, and the hinted storyline from the post-credit scene never progressed into future films. The film attempted to cash in on Clarke’s popularity after the fame of her role as Daenerys Targaryen in Game of Thrones. Unfortunately, the storyline was too thin and formulaic to turn it into a blockbuster.
22 Jump Street (2014)
Directed by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller 22 Jump Street is a comedy film, starring Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum as undercover police officers Schmidt and Jenko. It is a direct sequel to 21 Jump Street and follows the duo as they infiltrate a college campus to bust a drug ring. The film features a humorous post-credit scene with a series of mock movie posters and trailers showcasing future installments of the Jump Street franchise, including 23 Jump Street: Medical School and 24 Jump Street: Foreign Exchange.
Despite the comedic success and positive reception of 22 Jump Street plans for further sequels directly following the teased concepts from the post-credit scene did not materialize. The filmmakers chose to conclude the series with this self-aware nod to sequelitis, emphasizing the absurdity of extending a franchise beyond its natural lifespan.
Battleship (2012)
Starring Taylor Kitsch, Rihanna, and Liam Neeson, Battleship is a science fiction action film directed by Peter Berg. It was inspired by the classic naval combat board game of the same name and follows an international fleet of battleships as they combat an extraterrestrial threat to humanity.
The post-credit scene of Battleship features a brief tease hinting at the potential return of the alien threat. Unfortunately, despite its star-studded cast, ambitious setup, and impressive visual effects, the film received mixed reviews from critics and underperformed at the box office. the film failed to impress, causing huge losses for the studios which ended any possibility of a sequel. As a result, plans for the continuation of the story hinted at by the post-credit scene never materialized.
Slither (2006)
The small town of Wheelsy, South Carolina becomes the potential center of the apocalypse when an alien parasite brought by a meteorite lands in the town and infects a local resident named Grant. As the parasite takes over Grant’s mind, he seeks to turn all life forms into breeders of the parasite’s offspring which appear like giant slugs. After the threat is eliminated towards the end of the film, a post-credit scene shows a cat approaching Grant’s body and eating one of the slugs, effectively becoming infected.
Being his directorial debut, it is fair to say that James Gunn did a great job with Slither as it features an impressive blend of horror and dark comedy, with sufficient plot twists to keep fans engaged. Unfortunately, the film was a box office bomb, meaning Gunn never got the approval to explore the idea implied in the post-credit scene. Fans will therefore never know what happened to the alien parasite after it infected the cat.
Street Fighter (1994)
Many Jean-Claude Van Damme films are now cult classics, and Street Fighter is not left behind, although it was a commercial flop upon its release. In Street Fighter, Van Damme plays the non-relenting Colonel William F. Guile of the Allied Nations military faction of the fictional Asian nation, Shadaloo, in a civil war. He takes on the sadistic drug lord M. Bison, whose forces are hell-bent on tearing the country apart.
The film, which is also based on a video game, features a post-credit scene in which the villain, M Bison, raises his fist through the rubble of an exploded building after he is presumed dead. Despite the scene suggesting the potential return of the deadly drug lord, actor Raul Julia had sadly passed away prior to release, while the franchise remained dormant on the screen until it was rebooted with 2009’s Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li.
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Billy Oduory