After just one year, the DCU already has 12 post-credit scenes. Thanks in large part to Marvel Studios, moviegoers have come to expect blockbuster post-credit scenes to offer game-changing twists that set-up future projects and introduce brand-new characters. While Warner Bros. copied this trick for the DCEU, even bringing back Henry Cavill's Superman in the Black Adam post-credit scene only to abandon him shortly after, DC Studios co-CEO James Gunn has been clear that his DCU reboot isn't going to make the same mistake.
The DCU boss told Screen Rant that he likes "giving the audience something for having stuck around through the credits," but explained why scenes created solely for shock value won't be in his plans.
Part of this philosophy comes from Gunn's time at Marvel Studios, as he noted that fans' favorites seemed to be the "stupid ones:"
"Well, I found in my time at Marvel that, first of all, the post-credit scenes of mine at Marvel that people liked the best were the stupid ones. And I really have found – and I've said it before – but I’ve set up things in the post-credit scenes, and Marvel has set up things in the post-credit scenes that never pay off."
Having seen Marvel Studios' own post-credit failures, Gunn was clear his DCU will only feature teases for projects they are certain are happening to avoid risking having a "shocking post-credit scene that we're never going to pay off:"
"Unless it's really for sure going to pay off... like if we were making – we know what the 'Supergirl' movie is – So if it was a payoff at the end of the credits that had to do with something in the 'Supergirl' movie, I would be open to that. We know that's happening. But I don't want to set up stuff just because it's a shocking post-credit scene that we're never going to pay off."
As such, the DCU's first 12 post-credit scenes featured across Creature Commandos, Superman, and Peacemaker Season 2 have mosty lent into the comedic side, but that doesn't mean some don't stick out above the rest...
12.) Peacemaker Season 2, Episode 8 (Post-Credit)
At first glance, Peacemaker Season 2's second finale stinger may seem no weirder than the rest, as one ARGUS agent bursts into intense laughter at John Economos' horrific attempt at comedy to distract Rick Flag Sr.'s gang.
However, this scene is both not awfully funny and greatly undercuts that episode's dramatic cliffhanger that left Peacemaker stranded in Salvation, not to mention the finale's other stinger is far superior and better connects to its ending.
11.) Peacemaker Season 2, Episode 7
Peacemaker's penultimate episode stinger features Lex Luthor's genius employee Sydney Hapeersen enjoying his "spare time" a little too much, taking advantage of the chance to "get back on Pornhub" in front of an ARGUS agent.
Ultimately, this joke is not only somewhat grotesque, but also comes on the heals of a deeply emotional moment in which Peacemaker had just escaped Earth-X amid a tear-jerking meltdown, leaving it feeling rather misplaced
10.) Superman (Mid-Credit)
Funnily enough, the first official look at Krypto the Superdog in the DCU was one of the last things Superman moviegoers saw, as the mid-credit scene showed the Kryptonian icons looking down on Earth in a gorgeous spectacle. However, it loses some points for having been revealed in photo form long before release.
This won't be the last time fans see Krypto looking out across the stars, as his 2026 next DCU appearance has been confirmed to be a "space adventure" akin to the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise.
9.) Peacemaker Season 2, Episode 5
A running gag through Peacemaker Season 2 comes from Freddie Stroma's Adrian Chase delivering regular facts about sealife, many of which prove to be completely inaccurate.
This continues into the Episode 5 post-credit scene with more talk about manta rays, much to the annoyance of Peacemaker and Adebayo.
8.) Peacemaker Season 2, Episode 2
Tim Meadows' Langston Fleury was an instant fan-favorite after his debut in Peacemaker's sophomore outing, and he is bound to become only more important in the DCU's future given his new role at Checkmate.
Of course, any extra Fleury scenes are an absolute win, especially when they are spent with John Economos flexing a sexual encounter with "two hot b****es" after the latter had just delivered a nerdy Pokemon fact.
7.) Creature Commandos Episode 7
James Gunn has been open that most of his DCU post-credit scenes won't mean much for the storyline, but Creature Commandos ended off by confirming David Harbor's Frankenstein's status after the finale's event.
Not only did the scene reveal that Frankenstein survived being gunned down by The Bride as he sought to deliver Rick Flag Sr.'s warning about Princess Illana Rostovic, but also that he remains as in love as ever going into Season 2.
6.) Peacemaker Season 2, Episode 3
Vigilante removing a drunkenly passed out John Economos' pants to clean them is, of course, beyond a strange thing to do.
However, the thought behind the gesture combined with the kiss to the forehead shows just how much Adrian Chase, for all his flaws, cares about John Economos and his other 11th Street Kid friends.
5.) Peacemaker Season 2, Episode 6
Peacemaker Season 2, Episode 6 leaves fans with a little more of the chapter's most laugh-out-loud moment as Harcourt acted to Keith as her Earth-X self, claiming she and Chris often speak with the Smiths' mothers, claiming her to have become a "ghost" after she passed away when the brothers were young.
Interestingly, Peacemaker's mother's young death looks to be exclusive to Earth-X, as James Gunn confirmed on the show's official podcast that he "[knows] where she is" in the DCU and was "almost in this season."
4.) Peacemaker Season 2, Episode 4
A major The Suicide Squad actor was recast as a new villain in Peacemaker Season 2 as Michael Rooker came on board as Red St. Wild, the world's foremost eagle hunter and Eagley's archnemesis.
After grossly tasting Eagly's droppings, St. Wild declared "that eagle eats better than I do," listing everything from beluga caviar to A5 waigu beef. This could allude to the status that comes with Eagly's place as the superpowered Prime Eagle, as it's tough to imagine Chris being able to afford such quality food.
3.) Peacemaker Season 2, Episode 1
James Gunn seemed to put a nail in the coffin of Jared Leto's Joker career in Peacemaker's sophomore premiere, as Jennifer Holland's Emilia Harcourt and John Cena's Christopher Smith roasted the actor's band, Thirty Seconds to Mars.
On the surface level, this scene plays as just another comedic extension to an earlier dialogue, but the metaness behind Gunn's jab at Leto bumps it up.
2.) Superman (Post-Credit)
After the final credits rolled, James Gunn gave Superman audiences just a little more of, arguably, two of the movie's best heroes and actors - David Corenswet's Man of Steel and Edi Gathegi's Mr. Terrific.
As Superman deeply frustrated Mr. Terrific in pointing out that he had pieced Metropolis back together "a little off," fans got one last taste of their chemistry, along with the impact that Lex Luthor's interdimensional rift had left.
1.) Peacemaker Season 2, Episode 8 (Mid-Credit)
Peacemaker Season 2's finale may have been lacking in some areas, but one thing it proved is that the U.S. government's fears of metahumans will be central to the DCU moving forward, leading Rick Flag Sr. to establish the Salvation prison.
In this scene, the Secretary of State proposed a "vaporizing barrier" around the Salvation world to act as a "bug zapper" for any escaping metahumans, which is ridiculed by points to the level of paranoia going on.
