Warning: Spoilers ahead for The Batman.
The Batman’s after-credits scene explained. Directed by Matt Reeves from a screenplay by him and Peter Craig, The Batman is the latest DC film in a long line of live-action takes on the Caped Crusader. Starring Robert Pattinson in the titular role, the film teases there is more to come — the story is far from over.
The Batman's after-credits scene isn’t exactly a scene in the typical sense. There are no characters who appear and no location to suggest what may come next for the Caped Crusader. All that appears on the screen is the word “goodbye,” with a question mark — in the format of <?> — at the end. It’s all written in the format Riddler used to communicate with Batman after he realized one of the clues was actually a url. A quick flash of what seems to be a url (that appears and disappears all too fast to read) shows up onscreen before both it and the word “goodbye” fade away into nothing.
The url in The Batman post-credits scene in question could be for rataalada.com, a companion site that was set up specifically for the film and which includes the clue the Dark Knight and Jim Gordon struggled with the most — "El Rata Alada," which means "the winged rat" in Spanish. The site, which includes the blinking question mark, is set up like Riddler’s url conversation with Batman in the film. After asking if the site’s visitor wants to play a game, offers a riddle to solve. The first answer is “renewal,” though it may be different for each person. What’s more, the question mark that appears after “goodbye” in the film certainly fits Riddler’s mode of operation. He left plenty of clues for Batman throughout the film, clues to solve with a big question mark at the end of each. However, using the word goodbye with that specific punctuation also teases The Batman sequel and the return of Riddler.
The Riddler’s comeback may not happen right away because he was arrested at the end of the movie and sent to Arkham, but since The Batman established the serial killer as a worthy foe for the vigilante, it’s doubtful fans have seen the last of him. With Joker — who is quick to befriend the Riddler in The Batman’s penultimate scene — as his Arkham cell block mate, the pair could be plotting something terrible together that won’t come to fruition until later in the future. After all, Reeves’ film hinted at quite a few other villains who could emerge in The Batman 2, including Hush, one of Batman’s greatest enemies. A sequel would be too soon for the Riddler to return, but that doesn’t mean he won’t eventually.
It’s possible that answering all the riddles will lead to something — a clue about The Batman or its sequel — or absolutely nothing at all besides riddles for fans to solve for fun (with the latter being more likely). For now, the clues setup at the url that was seemingly provided at the end of The Batman continues what the Riddler started. It's a great way for fans to work their minds as they attempt to figure out the clues. Either way, The Batman offers a nice surprise despite there not being a traditional post-credits scene at the very end.
