Noting how post-credits scenes can shoot the studio in the foot, DC Studios heads James Gunn and Peter Safran may be using them minimally.

The post-credits scene actually dates back to the 1960s. While the James Bond movies were teasing via that 007 “would return”, it was actually Dean Martin’s Matt Helms movies that first used an actual scene. But comic books movies have turned the page on the device, using it to tease well into the future for their universes. And while Marvel continues to utilize them as they trudge through Phase Four, James Gunn may be hinting that the DC Universe will be ditching them.

Appearing at recent press event (as reported by ComicBook.com), both James Gunn and Peter Safran – who serve as co-CEOs of DC Studios – spoke on the usage of post-credits scenes and how they too often work to put the filmmakers and movies at a disadvantage. As Safran put it, “We know where we’re headed to with, you know, the larger story and so James makes sure that those building blocks are going to be put in place. Then around that, there’s a tremendous amount of latitude in terms of what we do.”

James Gunn elaborated further, citing his days at Marvel as a prime example of how they put writers in a box. “…They can be a real nightmare. I’ve done things before where I’ve put in post-credits scenes and, you know, like writing Guardians 3, and I was like, I wasn’t really sure if Adam Warlock should be in it, but I f*cking  promised people. You know what I mean? And I’m like, oh, well, now, like, I’m writing the script and things change, and I’m like, he’s kind of, you know — cramming him in there. And I like him in the movie. I like the character, but it made it a little less elegant in some ways, the film. And so I’m really careful about those sorts of promises that we don’t know that we can deliver on.”

Of course, Marvel isn’t the only major studio to have relied on post-credits scenes to tease fans, as DC has utilized them in everything from Justice League to Shazam! to Black Adam, pretty much all coming to nothing – sorry, Henry!

While it seems unlikely that the soon-to-launch DC Universe will entirely get rid of post-credits scenes, it does seem like a smart move to play it cool to start, lest the studio make more promises they can’t deliver on.

Do you think superhero movies use post-credits scenes too frequently? Would you miss them if they were cut? Give us your thoughts below.