It's finally time to take off. After years of wondering what would happen with the future of the DC Extended Universe, learning that a reboot was on the table, and waiting a long period without any major project, Superman is finally here. The first chapter in the new DCU had the difficult task of introducing a new version of the world's most recognizable hero, launching an entire cinematic universe, balancing multiple new characters on the big screen, and giving us a tease of what's to come — all while delivering a compelling and cohesive stand-alone narrative. Fortunately, it delivered big time.
Superman's story never slows down. From the get-go, audiences are introduced to important plot points that paint a clear picture of how this new iteration of the DCU operates. There are also geopolitical conflicts, shocking revelations about Superman's family, and a (great) villain who will manipulate the entire world to achieve that which he most desires. So if you're like Lois Lane and are looking for some much-needed answers (or simply want to relive the movie), then you're in the right place. It's time to go over the ending of Superman and explain its post-credits scenes.
*** Warning: there will be major spoilers ahead for Superman ***
Lex Luthor's master plan to deal with Superman
Beneath all the complexities and intricacies of Superman's plot, there's a story of envy. We all know how the tale goes in comic book pages: Lex Luthor completely despises Metropolis' saviour, and will stop at nothing to hunt him down. The billionaire believes that the "all-powerful being" diminishes all of humanity's accomplishments and, in turn, his very own success. Beyond the hatred and anger, there's also a layer of envy. So, how does a genius with basically unlimited resources handle such a situation? By trying to get rid of the "problem", of course.
Unfortunately, Lex can't directly kill anyone because he is also a public figure who pretends to operate within the law to keep his business going. As such, he was forced to manufacture a reason to get rid of the Man of Steel while still having the Government's support. That's when we dive into the movie's geopolitical conflict.
Boravia, an ally of the United States, was on the verge of invading Jarhanpur with the excuse of liberating them from a dictatorship. The two countries were on the brink of war, and Lex knew Superman wouldn't sit still with his arms crossed while the lives of thousands of people were on the line. With that in mind, Lex sided with Boravia by providing their military leaders with free weapons. And since we know the evil businessman is also very opportunistic, he asked for something in exchange: to govern over half of Jarhanpur and turn it into a technological utopia called Luthoria.
Throughout most of the film, audiences are led to believe Lex Luthor's main goal is to found and reign over Luthoria. However, that was just a side dish. He simply wanted to kill Superman, and his plan almost became a reality when the superhero intervened in the conflict between Boravia and Jarhanpur to prevent a war. Lex reunited with key figures of the United States government and made them question Superman's political stance and whether his actions would cause big repercussions for the country.
To further cement this idea, Lex launched an online hate campaign against the beloved hero, manufactured a supervillain called Hammer of Boravia (who attacked the US and claimed it was in retaliation for Superman's actions), and even infiltrated the Fortress of Solitude searching for any incriminating evidence that could work in his favor. Unfortunately for our hero, Lex got exactly what he wanted when he decrypted a message from Kal-El's parents, which revealed they wanted their son to rule over Earth.
At long last, Lex Luthor had everything in his favor to convince the United States Government to let him "handle" the Superman situation. On the bright side, Lois Lane and Jimmy Olsen slowly uncovered this mischievous plot, gathered all the necessary evidence, and exposed the truth to the world. Just when Superman was fighting a losing battle, his friends came to the rescue, and their combined efforts allowed them to save the day.
But what about the ongoing war? Well, with all the evidence stacked in its favor, Clark asked the Justice Gang to go to the battlefield and put an end to all of Boravia's senseless killing. Fortunately, that's exactly what they did, and Jarhanpur finally knows what it means to be free.
Superman's post-credits scenes don't tease anything too super
At this point, it's become a bit of an unspoken rule for superhero movies to tease what's coming next with their post-credits scenes (we have the Marvel Cinematic Universe to thank for that). However, Superman breaks this mold. The mid-credits scene showcases the Man of Steel and Krypto sitting on the moon, watching over Earth. It's a small sequence, albeit one that will surely warm your heart.
The post-credits scene features Superman and Mister Terrific discussing how the interdimensional fissure was fixed... albeit not without a small flaw. During the events of the movie, the world was quite literally being torn apart thanks to Lex Luthor's inventions, but Mister Terrific managed to undo this catastrophe. Unfortunately, there was a slight misalignment when all the separated pieces of land were brought back together, and Superman criticizes this. Mister Terrific does not find this commentary funny and simply walks away.
While Superman's post-credits scenes aren't anything too groundbreaking, it's worth keeping in mind that the movie's true surprise was in the ending sequence, where Supergirl makes a brief appearance. After all, she's set to have her own standalone film next year. Oh, and there was also that Peacemaker cameo that took us by surprise.