In a rather unexpected turn given its genre, Murder on the Orient Express actually sets up a sequel. But does it go as far into franchise-teasing territory as having a post-credits scene?
Kenneth Branagh's classical reimagining of Agatha Christie's prime Poirot pits the actor-director against a glitzy cast of suspects (and a not-in-it-anywhere-near-as-much-as-you-feared Johnny Depp), forced to solve a mystery on the claustrophobic, isolated train of the title. The reviews for the film have been mixed so far - critics have praised the director's style but not his handling of suspense - although with such a great source is sure to connect with its audience regardless. And that audience needs to know whether they can skip out once the mystery's solved or need to wait through the credits for one further clue.
Related: Murder on the Orient Express Trailer
It's definitely worth sticking around through the first part of the credits for the accompanying song but, after that, you're good to go - there is no post-credits scene for Murder on the Orient Express.
However, you'd be forgiven for having Poirot-like suspicions of a little stinger given how the film ends. Of course, this is an ostensibly faithful adaptation of Christie's plot (albeit with some adjustments to the personality of the detective at its core), but it's made in 2017 and seems aware of franchise potential; the final moments rather coyly play up the possibility of a new take on the next most famous Poirot story (we won't spoil which to maintain the surprise).
With that in mind, it would have definitely been cool to get a tease of that - a glimpse of the murder or even a neat location setter - snuck in at the end of the credits. It's not like Branagh's not got form in this area; he obviously directed MCU movie Thor, which directly set up Captain America: The First Avenger and The Avengers, but his live-action remake of Cinderella also included a humorous little stinger from Helena Bonham Carter's Fairy Godmother.
Of course, they may have chosen to not include one to avoid signs of hubris. The establishment of a new mystery in the film itself doubles as a rounding off of Poirot's arc, a meta-textual trick played by Branagh, so doesn't actually feel like obsessive sequel teasing. A post-credits scene, however, totally would. No second film is set (although the producers and director have talked about their desire for more) and it really hinges on how successful Murder is; best wait until those box office numbers are in before getting too cocky.
