Justice League's Post-Credits Scenes, Explained

WARNING: The following articles contains spoilers for director Zack Snyder's Justice League, in theaters now.

Justice League finally brings together the key heroes of the DC Extended Universe following four films' worth of setup and teasing. DC Comics fans are no doubt elated to finally see Batman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, Cyborg and The Flash together in their live-action glory, but this is a superhero movie in 2017. While Justice League has impressed critics more than Suicide Squad and Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, there’s one thing audiences will be mulling over until the next film arrives: those end-credits scenes.

So, what did directors Zack Snyder and Joss Whedon hide away in the recesses of Justice League, and what does it mean for the future of the DCEU? Let’s dig into the scenes and speculate about what it all might mean.

Mid-Credits Scene

The mid-credits scene looks to answer an age-old question: Who’s faster, The Flash or Superman? The scene starts with Ezra Miller's The Flash and Henry Cavill's Superman on a road in the middle of nowhere, preparing for a cross-country race. The ground rules are set: If Superman wins, Barry must take the Justice League out to brunch (Barry mentions early in the film that things like brunch make him deeply uneasy, as he just can’t understand the motivations of most people). If Barry wins, however, he gets to boast to everyone that he beat Superman in a race.

While neither Justice League member seems to consider the race a competition, the moment is nonetheless dramatic. The scene cuts off right as the two lunge forward, so no conclusive winner can be determined. The question of who’s faster has plagued comic book readers for ages. A similar race in Superman Vol. 1 #199 resulted in a tie, but subsequent races have shown that the various Scarlet Speedsters throughout the years have the potential to blast past the Man of Steel when push comes to shove.

Whoever the winner might be in Justice League, this is surely a scene that will pay off in future films, whether that be Barry talking about how badly he beat Superman or Clark recalling that one, very special serving of Eggs Benedict (with a slice of humble pie).

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After-Credits Scene

The after-credits scene takes on a decidedly darker tone. It begins with a group of prison inmates exiting their cells, with one ominous, bald figure remaining behind, facing the wall. A guard calls to the figure, addressing him as Lex Luthor, and demanding that he exit the cell. Lex doesn’t comply, but when he turns around it is revealed that the prisoner isn’t Lex Luthor at all: he’s a body double.

Cut to a masked, sword-wielding man on a river-bound jetboat riding out to meet up with a yacht. The man climbs aboard the yacht, revealing himself to be none other than the battle-hardened mercenary Deathstroke, played by Joe Manganiello. He stands before Luthor (Jesse Eisenberg), newly liberated from his prison cell but already enjoying the luxuries of a decadent lifestyle. Luthor remarks on the resurrection of Superman and the formation of the nascent Justice League. He tells Deathstroke that the two should have a league of their own.

The Deathstroke revelation isn’t a new one if you’ve been paying attention to the ever-churning DCEU rumor mill. It was originally reported last year that Manganiello would play the mercenary in The Batman. As that film’s future changed dramatically, with Matt Reeves succeeding Ben Affleck as director, Deathstroke's role became uncertain. Now it appears that Manganiello will star in a Deathstroke solo movie directed The Raid’s Gareth Evans. The mid-credits scene in Justice League suggests that Lex and Slade will team up to form a group of their own designed to take down the Justice League.

Lex has been part of many different supervillain groups in comics over the years, but the use of the world “league” in the after-credits scene immediately brings the Injustice League to mind. If that’s the case, the DCEU would take some liberties with the team’s roster, perhaps so that it mirrors Alexander Luthor’s Secret Society of Supervillains (known simply as The Society), founded by Alexander Luthor Jr. posing as Lex Luthor, along with Calculator, Dr. Psycho, Deathstroke, Talia al Ghul and Black Adam.

Of the six villains responsible for creating the group (which was featured prominently in DC Comics' Villains United: Infinite Crisis Special one-shot), Lex and Deathstroke have already debuted, while Dwayne Johnson’s Black Adam is rumored to appear as a primary antagonist in the Suicide Squad sequel. Unless the Justice League sequel delves into some serious multiverse territory, the Earth-Three Alexander Luthor Jr. storyline could be dropped, as Jesse Eisenberg’s portrayal of the megalomaniacal villain is already sufficiently youthful. It's also totally possible the DCEU's Injustice League lineup will be exclusive to the films.

Whatever the after-credits scene sets up, it’s almost certain that the next slew of DCEU movies will deal with the formation of Lex and Deathstroke’s league. Apparently, a counterattack from Darkseid isn’t the only thing Earth has to worry about.

In theaters now, Justice League stars Ben Affleck as Batman, Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman, Henry Cavill as Superman, Amy Adams as Lois Lane, Jason Momoa as Aquaman, Ezra Miller as The Flash, Ray Fisher as Cyborg, Jeremy Irons as Alfred Pennyworth, Diane Lane as Martha Kent, Ciarán Hinds as Steppenwolf, Jesse Eisenberg as Lex Luthor and J.K. Simmons as Commissioner Gordon.