Every fan of the Marvel Cinematic Universe knows that you don’t move from your seat until the screen goes dark. Ten years and 16 films into the franchise, this tradition has passed into the realm of unspoken movie theatre etiquette. On the one hand, it’s only right – having just enjoyed the collective effort of hundreds of people, we certainly should sit and watch their names scroll past. If a tease (or three) for the next instalment is what’s needed to encourage that, then so be it. For Marvel, it adds to the excitement around the movie, though, and builds cohesion across otherwise disparate projects. The DC Extended Universe is different, however – and no film more so than Wonder Woman.
Wonder Woman is a unique movie in every way – despite forming part of a larger franchise. Apart from the nature of the title character, and the place it holds in cinematic history, the film does not feature a post-credits sequence. Now, while this in itself is not unusual within the DCEU (neither Man Of Steel, nor Batman V Superman: Dawn Of Justice included post-credits sequences, though Suicide Squad had a mid-credits scene), what makes it unique is the credits themselves – which are essentially a self-contained work of art, inspired by the film.
It’s the lack of a post-credits scene that perplexes some audience members, though – particularly given that Wonder Woman is the franchise instalment that precedes Justice League. Now, ahead of the film’s home video release, director Patty Jenkins explained to the Toronto Sun exactly why the movie provides no direct tease for the next DCEU project.
“I’m not always a believer in post-credit scenes. I feel like they make sense if the films are extremely similar. I think if you know the next movie is going to be set in the same world or have the exact same tone, then I think it makes sense. To me, it does not make sense to have a commercial for a completely different style of movie in the credits of another movie. One of my favourite things about the DC Universe is they were super supportive of me doing my own tone, but there’s no other movie that they have that’s of the same tone. So it just felt weird to do some other crossover. Also, the end of the movie was the end. It wasn’t, ‘Tune in later for more.’”
What’s important to note is that “the end of the movie is the end.” Patty Jenkins literally left it all on the screen within the boundaries of the film – and that’s one of the things that makes Wonder Woman so brilliant. It’s an unabashed origin tale that uses a flashback framing device – with the memory of Diana Prince being nudged by a delivery she receives from Bruce Wayne. As such, the film naturally ties in with the Justice League story arc, while the very last frame also ties in to Wonder Woman’s solo arc in the modern day. There is literally no need for a post-credits tease for Justice League (or indeed, Wonder Woman 2), because all of that information is contained within the story told during the movie.
That being said, the home release of Wonder Woman does include an exclusive “Epilogue” centred on Etta Candy, which some suggest might well be a set-up for Justice League. If this is the case, it means that those behind the DCEU are keeping an open mind with regard to how their individual filmmakers lead their respective projects, and connect them to the wider endeavour. It seems there will be no blanket tradition in this franchise – so we’ll all need to pay very close attention.