Mid-Credits Scene: Superman and Krypto Share a Moment on the Moon

• Gunn's Superman was the first big-screen appearance of Krypto the Superdog.

• Krypto will likely return in next summer's Supergirl, since Superman revealed he's Kara Zor-El's dog in the DCU.

• Gunn's real-life dog, Ozu, inspired Krypto's appearance in the film.

Krypto was a major addition to the Superman ensemble, but not a surprising one given Gunn's love of animals and his use of them in past films. Gunn has also shared that the inclusion of Krypto was a major piece to the puzzle that helped him crack the story for Superman. Traditionally, Krypto belongs to Superman, but in the DCU, the 2025 film revealed the super dog is Supergirl's, explaining his unruly behavior throughout.

While Supergirl picked up Krypto at the end of the film, there's still one more moment the dog shared with the Man of Steel later on.

In the mid-credits scene, a brief shot featured Superman and Krypto sitting on the moon. As it turns out, this was actually the first look Gunn revealed of Krypto in the DCU film back in October 2024. The scene was also featured in a recently released TV spot for the film.

However, there's another layer to the short mid-credits scene, since the imagery emulates a panel from Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely's All-Star Superman. It's been no secret that the 12-issue comic book series published in 2005 was a major inspiration for Gunn when he developed his own take on Superman, and this moment paid homage to it.

Post-Credits Scene: Superman and Mister Terrific Clean Up Metropolis

• Edi Gathegi, who previously appeared in X-Men: First Class, played Mister Terrific in Superman.

• In Gunn's Superman, Mister Terrific is a member of the Justice Gang, a new group created for the DCU and founded by Maxwell Lord.

Superman also featured a post-credits scene, which is a bit more extensive than the one with Krypto. During the post-credits scene, there's an exchange between Mister Teriffic and Superman as they clean up Metropolis after the destruction caused by Lex Luthor and his minions. Mister Teriffic and Superman both stare at a building wall that's a bit uneven.

Superman then makes a comment on it that upsets Mister Terrific.

The post-credits scene played out more like a deleted scene and showcased more of David Corenswet's likable Superman with a classic aw-shucks moment. The scene is also a rare moment where Mister Terrific displays an adequate level of emotion.

Moreover, the Superman post-credits scene secretly addresses a common complaint regarding superhero movies that typically end in citywide wreckage. Superman and Mister Terrific helping out Metropolis in the aftermath of a major battle is a nice touch, showing that the heroes do more than just bring buildings down. Gunn's Superman doesn't shy away from destruction, but it also avoids the criticisms that spun out of Zack Snyder'sMan of Steel and other superhero films with little moments like this.

Superman's Tags Don't Repeat Past MCU and DCEU Mistakes

Superman might've been a universe launcher for DC Studios, but it goes the safe route with its tags. In the past, Gunn's comic book films have featured some major post-credits scenes with teases of Adam Warlock, the MCU debut of Howard the Duck and Peacemaker's return.

James Gunn's DC and Marvel Films

Guardians of the Galaxy

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2

The Suicide Squad

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3

Superman

To this day, Gunn's Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 includes an MCU record five post-credits scenes. This time around, with far more at stake, Superman's post-credit scenes are a bit more uneventful compared to what some audience members may expect, but that's actually a good thing.

While post-credits for the MCU have become a tradition, recent projects have teased storylines fans are still waiting for a follow-up on. The DC Extended Universe is also guilty of baiting fans with false promises, ranging from the Legion of Doom to Henry Cavill's short-lived return as Superman in Black Adam. Gunn's experience with comic book movies keeps Supermanfrom teasing fans with something that may never come to pass.

“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. 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.

I loved working with Will, 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. I started shooting the Peacemaker show and then I shot [the post-credits scene] and then put it in there, so it was easy. I knew it was coming, so that was fine, but I got to be a little bit careful about it. I do love giving something back to the audience, so I will try to put something in the end credits for audiences to see, because I think it's great. I love my crew, and I want you to stick around and see who the gaffers were." -- James Gunn on learning from post-credits scenes in past Marvel and DC projects.

Over the years, the MCU cleverly used post-credit scenes to prop up the franchise's future. Marvel Studios' first film, Iron Man, famously introduced Samuel L. Jackson's Nick Fury to tease the Avengers. While the MCU was going strong, DCEU films were resistant to using post-credit scenes to distance themselves from them. The first Suicide Squad film eventually broke the mold, and other DCEU films would follow. Some DCEU tags were just comedic bits, while others hurt the franchise's brand.

As the first film of the DCU, Superman had the chance to follow in Iron Man's footsteps and could've easily teased a major storyline or character. Instead, Gunn's Superman played it safe with a couple of fun sequences that provide viewers with a little more entertainment.

Superman featured tags that honor the source material and more of a fun dynamic between superheroes. The explosion of superhero films has led to many unforgettable cinematic moments, but it has also come with some tiresome trends. Superman's post-credits scenes may not include a huge surprise, but audiences will leave the theater talking about the film's merits rather than the future, an experience lost with some recent comic book films.