Men in Black: International revives, but doesn't reboot, Sony's 22-year-old action-comedy franchise, with Thor: Ragnarok stars Chris Hemsworth and Tessa Thompson stepping into the signature dark suits made famous by Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones. The studio no doubt envisions a sequel, even if box-office projections and early reviews suggest one is unlikely. Therefore, it would make sense for director F. Gary Gray to include a post-credits scene to help lay the foundation for a follow-up. But does the film actually have one?
Based on the Malibu Comics series by Lowell Cunningham, Men in Black was released in 1997, well before the birth of the Marvel Cinematic Universe sparked Hollywood's current love affair with the post-credits scene. So it's perhaps no surprise that neither the original film nor its 2002 sequel included such a stinger. Despite arriving in 2012, four years after Marvel's Iron Man, Men in Black 3 also eschewed the film technique.
However, Men in Black: International would seem to be ripe for a mid- or post-credits scene, not only because of the timing of its release but also its place in the expanding franchise. That said, the film does not include such a sequence. Once the credits begin to roll, you're free to head for the exit without any fear that you'll miss an important, or at least comical, scene.
The film -- which, as the title suggests, expands the action to a global setting -- is on track for the lowest opening weekend of the franchise, with a projected domestic box office of $35 million to $40 million. By comparison, 1997's Men in Black debuted with $51 million, 2002's Men in Black II with $52 million and 2012's Men in Black 3 with $54.5 million.
Unflattering early reviews won't do Men in Black: International any favors, either. The film debuted this morning on Rotten Tomatoes with a critics' score of 32 percent before slipping to 29 percent. CBR's review notes that the onscreen chemistry Hemsworth and Thompson displayed in 2017's Thor: Ragnarok doesn't carry over into Men in Black: International, which suffers from a dull and sluggish story.
Opening Friday nationwide, director F. Gary Gray's Men in Black: International stars Chris Hemsworth, Tessa Thompson, Rebecca Ferguson, Kumail Nanjiani, Rafe Spall, Laurent Bourgeois, and Larry Bourgeois, with Emma Thompson and Liam Neeson.