Does James Gunn Hint at the Future of the DC Universe?

Editor’s Note: The following contains spoilers for ‘Superman’At long last, a new Silver Age is upon us with the release of James Gunn‘s Superman — the first feature film in the new DCU (not counting The Suicide Squad, which is still kind of sort of canon). For the first time since Batman v Superman, Clark Kent (David Corenswet) dukes it out on the big screen with Lex Luthor (Nicholas Hoult), all to fairly explosive results. There are almost too many other characters to list in this explosive DCU debut, but it all makes for an experience that Collider’s Ross Bonaime says is exactly what DC needed in his review.

In addition to a great return to form for the Man of Steel, Superman also keeps up with most superhero stories and features two end-credits sequences. Compared to others, these two sequences really aren’t essential viewing and don’t do much to further expand the new DC Universe, yet they’re a nice bit of fun at the end of this superhero film.

Just before the credits on Superman start to roll, the film confirms a popular fan theory that fans have speculated over for months. Turns out, Krypto the Superdog isn’t Superman’s pet, but rather the dog of his cousin, Kara (Milly Alcock), better known as Supergirl. Kara swings by at the very end of the film to pick up Krypto, potentially setting up her and her trusty dog’s return in her own upcoming Supergirl film, but the mid-credits scene seemingly confirms that Clark and Krypto still have a close bond and relationship.

In fact, the mid-credits scene of Superman is actually ripped straight from the very first look of the alien canine that James Gunn revealed when he first announced that Krypto would be in the movie. The scene is remarkably simple, with Superman sitting with Krypto on his lap as they both gaze at Earth from afar, presumably from some sort of meteor or other space rock. And…that’s pretty much it. Just a Superman looking down on the planet he just saved, right alongside his trusty superdog.

Superman and Mr. Terrific Don’t See Eye-to-Eye in a Comedic Post-Credits Scene

Superman Mr Terriffic Edi Gathegi — Image via DC Studios

At the very end of the movie, the post-credits sequence shines a bigger light on not just Superman, but also arguably the film’s most pivotal supporting character, Mr. Terrific (Edi Gathegi). Terrific is one of the members of the Justice Gang alongside Green Lantern (Nathan Fillion) and Hawkgirl (Isabela Merced). Where those two choose not to get involved in Superman’s battle of wits and PR with Lex Luthor, Mr. Terrific goes against his grumpy exterior to help Clark save the world as best he can.

After helping save Metropolis and the rest of the planet, Superman and Mr. Terrific reunite to assess some of the damage caused by Lex’s pocket dimension rift. While they were ultimately able to keep casualties and collateral damage to a minimum, some of the buildings that were displaced by the event didn’t line up quite as properly to Superman’s liking. This causes Terrific to get fed up with Superman after all his hard work, and Superman admits that he probably should have kept his nitpicks to himself.

What’s Next for David Corenswet’s Superman?

Even if both end-credits scenes are fairly standard, there are still so many unanswered questions about Superman. How did Clark Kent first come into contact with Kara Zor-El? Will the Justice Gang eventually evolve into the much more well-known Justice League sooner rather than later? Did Superman’s Kryptonian parents (Bradley Cooper and Angela Sarafyan) really want him to go full Omni-Man (J.K. Simmons) and colonize the planet with a harem? Who knows, but in addition to a follow-up that James Gunn is already planning, the DCU is also set to expand with a variety of new projects, including the second season of Peacemaker, the inaugural season of Lanterns, and, of course, the highly anticipated sophomore feature of the new DC cinematic universe, Supergirl.

Superman is in theaters now.