NOTE: The following post contains MAJOR SPOILERS for Suicide Squad
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When the first two big screen installments of the DC Extended Universe, Man of Steel and Batman V Superman, did not feature mid or post-credits scenes, fans debated whether the decision was in service of the story or an attempt to avoid comparisons with Marvel Studios (which has made post-credits stingers a staple of the Marvel Cinematic Universe). The question became even more interesting when Warner Bros. released its "Communion" deleted scene immediately after Batman V Superman's opening weekend - given that the scene, featuring Lex Luthor communing with a demonic-looking villain we now know to be Justice League baddie Steppenwolf, served a similar function as a post-credits scene would: teasing viewers with a mostly out-of-context scene that only fans will truly understand.
Later, in the lead-up to the Dawn of Justice "Ultimate Edition," it was revealed the clip had been considered as an after-credits scene but Snyder wanted Batman V Superman to end on a rousing note: the idea that Superman might not be dead after all. As a result, any thought of a mid or post-credits scene was abandoned - making it all the more interesting to hear that Suicide Squad director David Ayer had included a mid-credits teaser (no post-credits scene) in his supervillain team-up movie.
So, now that Suicide Squad (read our review) is in theaters, and fans can experience the film for themselves, what exactly happens in that mid-credits scene and what does it mean for future DCEU movies?
Major Spoilers Follow
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The Mid-Credits Scene:
The scene jumps right into the action, returning to Amanda Waller once again enjoying a low-lit evening of scheming and dealing. But this time, it isn't government or military officials she's trying to convince that the Suicide Squad is necessary - it's Bruce Wayne she's meeting with, looking for a way to keep the Suicide Squad a secret. With the entire disaster in Midway City able to be dropped squarely on her shoulders (quite justly, we might add), Amanda Waller has obviously run out of allies on her side of the fence. Which means she's had to turn to the well-connected billionaire for help.
And Bruce promises it, insisting that he and his friends can protect Waller, and help to cover up the fallout from Enchantress and the Squad. For the record, it's not entirely clear that Bruce is referring to his connections and "friends" on the civilian side of his life, but we have to imagine that if Waller knew of Wayne's nocturnal habits, it would have come up. No, Bruce's secret seems safe for now. Besides, it's Waller who's in the weaker position, and Wayne's protection comes at a price.
A price that's described by Waller as "the Crown Jewels," leading many fans to no doubt assume that a mystical artifact may be concealed in Waller's attache case. But it's figurative jewels she's referring to, since the gift Wayne has demanded in exchange is the kind of information that entire world governments would kill to acquire: dossiers and background information on every meta human Waller has on file, with the likes of June Moon (Cara Delevingne), Arthur Curry (Jason Momoa), and Barry Allen (Ezra Miller) chief among them.
We're only afforded a short glance at the files contained in the treasure trove, but from this scene alone, it may finally make sense that the early footage from Zack Snyder's Justice League has Bruce putting this knowledge to good use. It would appear that this is how Bruce actually seeks out and recruits Barry Allen and Arthur Curry, since Lex Luthor's investigation into his 'Meta Human Thesis' seemed to only focus on the subjects' first exposures.
It's a clever way of folding one film into the next, and helps establish the timeline of the DCEU thus far. Suicide Squad's leading team has only been assembled following the emergence of Doomsday, Wonder Woman, and other superpowered individuals. It also explains why Boomerang (Jai Courtney) is so completely confused with how he wound up on a heist one minute, and pressed into Waller's crew the next. Bruce may have seen a glimpse of Barry Allen in civilian attire, but by the time he tracks him down in Justice League, he's already made himself a suit and busted Boomerang (among who knows how many others).
As Bruce takes the information and prepares to leave, Waller can't help but take a jab at the idea that Bruce relies on his friends - even powerful ones - explaining that she relies more on leverage than friendship (a fitting distinction for Amanda Waller). The scene ends with Waller noting that Bruce is looking a little tired, advising him to "stop working nights," another joke for the audience watching this interaction unfold. Bruce bites back, telling Waller in no uncertain terms that the Task Force X program should be completely shut down. And if she won't do it willingly, then Bruce and his friends will have to do it themselves.
The scene may not be the kind of incredible, all-revealing cliffhanger some fans may hope for (although those seem to be harder to find across the genre at the moment). But it does continue David Ayer's style of taking a 'less is more' approach to fleshing out an interconnected DCEU. Batman only appears in a cameo role of sorts through the film, so it's a welcome change to see Ben Affleck out of the suit, being just as important in the realm of Amanda Waller and ARGUS. And for those wanting to see more of the investigating, calculating and intelligent Batman we got in Dawn of Justice, it appears Bruce is consolidating intel and leads even outside of his own movies.
We don't yet know how Bruce Wayne hopes to cover his interactions with the government's most secretive branch, or whether it's a practice he engages in regularly. But where the average moviegoer may see the scene as meaningless, it does more than just wrap up Waller's story. For fans who have already soaked in each and every frame of the Justice League footage from Comic-Con 2016, however, it's all too obvious where Bruce Wayne heads after getting his hands on all of ARGUS' homework into Earth's meta humans.
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What did you think of the mid-credits scene for Suicide Squad? Would you have rather gotten a tease of another Squad movie years down the line, a Wonder Woman preview, or just a different glimpse into the DCEU taking shape? Let us know your own thoughts in the comments.
NEXT: Suicide Squad Review
Suicide Squad is now playing in theaters. Wonder Woman arrives on June 2, 2017; Justice League on November 17, 2017; Aquaman on July 27, 2018; an untitled DC Film on October 5, 2018; Shazam on April 5, 2019; Justice League 2 on June 14, 2019; an untitled DC film on November 1, 2019; Cyborg on April 3, 2020; and Green Lantern Corps on July 24, 2020. The Flash and Batman solo movie are currently without release dates.