TV & Beyond on 2025-07-16 12:10:00

by | Jul 16, 2025 | TV & Beyond Articles | 0 comments

TV & Beyond on 2025-07-16 12:10:00

at the behest of director Edgar Wright — shifted the pop culture landscape and all but ensured audiences would start sitting through lengthy end titles just to catch a few seconds teasing the next big adventure. The trend continues to this day, and it’s almost disappointing when a movie, especially a big blockbuster, doesn’t feature something at the very end.

So, well done, Marvel, for kick-starting the post-credit scene trend.

Except… they didn’t. 

As much as the MCU deserves credit for fully capitalizing on the gimmick, the post-credit scene — also known as a stinger, end tag, or credit cookie — existed long before Tony Stark met Nick Fury. While some are incredibly famous, like “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off” bringing back Ferris to encourage the audience to leave the theater, others have flown under the radar for years, even decades.

Here are 15 movies with post-credit scenes you probably missed!

Airplane! (1980)

Howard Jarvis as a passenger calmly waits in a taxi cab in Airplane!

Paramount Pictures

First up is “Airplane!”, the 1980 classic that pokes fun at all those melodramatic disaster epics of the 1970s. Directed by Jim Abrahams and David and Jerry Zucker, this hilarious farce starring Robert Hays, Julie Hagerty, and Leslie Nielsen follows the chaos aboard a flight from Los Angeles to Chicago after many passengers — including the crew — suffer food poisoning. A former pilot (Hays) and his ex-lover (Hagerty) are forced to step in and land the plane safely. Don’t worry, it’s still incredibly hilarious 40 years later.

The hilarity continues after the credits with a quick scene that pays off a gag set up in the film’s opening moments. Our hero, Ted Striker, makes his introduction by parking his taxi on a curb near the airport entrance, exiting just as a passenger enters the vehicle. “I’ll be back in a minute,” Ted says, flipping on the taximeter before bolting inside. Hilariously, we return to this beat after the events of the film and see the hapless passenger still waiting patiently. “Well,” he says, checking his watch, “I’ll give him another 20 minutes, but that’s it.”

The gag works on its own, but compounding the comedy further is the fact that the passenger is none other than real-life politician Howard Jarvis, known for his fiscally conservative politics. Oh, the irony.

Young Sherlock Holmes (1985)

Anthony Higgins as Rathe stares into the camera in Young Sherlock Holmes

Paramount Pictures

How many people were clamoring for a “Young Sherlock Holmes” movie in the mid-1980s? As it turns out, not that many — at least in the United States, where the ambitious Barry Levinson production earned a meager $19.7 million. Despite boasting the first fully computer-generated character integrated into live-action in a motion picture, audiences turned up their noses and all but nixed hopes of a potential sequel.

Too bad, because the post-credits stinger sets up Anthony Wiggins’ return as the villainous Rathe after he seemingly falls to his death during the final battle. Moreover, he now goes by Moriarty, a name fans of Sherlock Holmes will instantly recognize as the iconic detective’s greatest nemesis.

Fans can only imagine what might have been — or they can tune into Guy Ritchie’s upcoming “Young Sherlock Holmes” Amazon Prime TV series. No, it’s not a direct continuation of the film, but it will likely borrow some ideas and, at the very least, present a more complete iteration of the cult classic.

Adventures in Babysitting (1986)

Ron Canada as Graydon look angry in Adventures in Babysitting

Touchstone Pictures

A 1980s staple, “Adventures in Babysitting” sees Elisabeth Shue’s Chris settle in to watch a trio of kids for the night: the cool-headed Brad (Keith Coogan), the incredibly horny Daryl (Anthony Rapp), and Thor’s biggest fan, Sara (Maia Brewton). When Chris’ friend Brenda (Penelope Ann Miller) gets stranded at a bus station after a failed attempt at running away, our beleaguered babysitter must break all the rules and embark on a chaotic quest to save the day. 

The climax sees our precocious crew chased through a high-rise by a group of criminals desperate to recover a “Playboy” magazine containing important notes. Sara winds up dangling from a window on the outside of the building, pursued by a man named Graydon (Ron Canada). Luckily, the plucky kid escapes, and we’re left to assume her attacker fell to his death, as he’s never seen again.

As it turns out, Graydon does appear after the credits, clinging to the side of the building with a panicked expression on his face. It’s a brief but funny conclusion to a wild adventure.

Masters of the Universe (1987)

Frank Langella as Skeletor lingers in a pool of water in Masters of the Universe

Cannon Films

Some of you may already be familiar with this topic, but we’ll touch on it just in case. After all, if you loved 1987’s “Masters of the Universe” — the first big-screen adaptation of the popular “He-Man: Masters of the Universe” cartoon series — then you’ve probably cried out to the powers of Grayskull for more footage. 

As is the case with many films on this list, the producers of “Masters of the Universe” tacked on a post-credits scene teasing a potential sequel (securing a place on our list of amazing ’80s movies that deserved a followup). In this case, Skeletor (Frank Langella), who had seemingly fallen to his doom after He-Man (Dolph Lundgren) knocked him into a pit, reemerges from a pool of water and declares, “I’ll be back.” Clearly, the fleshless villain hadn’t seen the film’s dismal box office returns.

In an alternate reality, “Masters of the Universe” becomes a box office smash, everyone returns for the sequel, and Courteney Cox reprises her role, thereby missing out on a little show called “Friends.” Now that’s a big What If?

Planes, Trains and Automobiles (1987)

George Petrie as Neal's boss stares at advertisements in Plane, Trains, and Automobiles

Paramount Pictures

Another brief but memorable gag occurs after the credits in John Hughes’ “Planes, Trains and Automobiles,” one of the famed director’s best movies. 

This 1987 comedy follows the exploits of an advertising executive named Neal Page (Steve Martin) as he attempts to get home to his family for Thanksgiving. Unfortunately, that requires the poor guy teaming up with Del Griffith (John Candy), a kindhearted but buffoonish salesman with a knack for overcomplicating an already chaotic situation. Eventually, the duo learn to work together and arrive in Chicago safe and sound — though decidedly with a lot less money.

The whole fiasco kicks off thanks to Neal’s boneheaded boss (George Petrie), who spends far too long silently staring at various ad campaign layouts without ever arriving at a decision. Following an incredibly awkward meeting that drags on longer than it should, Neal bolts out the door to commence his long, arduous journey. Meanwhile, a witty post-credit scene shows his boss still sitting at the table, still staring at the ads, seemingly just as undecided days later.

The Great Outdoors (1988)

Dan Aykroyd as Roman Craig frowns next to John Candy as Chet Ripley in The Great Outdoors

Universal Pictures

Yes, 1988’s “The Great Outdoors” features a post-credits scene that picks up on an earlier gag involving the ravenous, bald-headed bear — nicknamed “Jody” — who terrorizes the main characters and ends up with a hairless butt after being shot with a shotgun.

After checking in with Chet (John Candy), Connie (Stephanie Faracy), Roman (Dan Aykroyd), Kate (Annette Bening), and Wally (Robert Prosky), who are energetically dancing to “Land of a Thousand Dances” in a lively bar, the film cuts to the raccoon family seen earlier in the movie. Their dialogue is once again presented via subtitles. Rather than discussing trash this time, the raccoons comment on Jody’s misfortune, noting she’s “sitting in the lake” after getting “shot in the a**!” One quips, “She’s bald on both ends now!”

It’s a goofy capper that echoes the film’s brand of slapstick humor and reassures the audience that the bear survived. Honestly, the joke is par for the course in this fun, if ultimately half-hearted, effort from director Howard Deutch.

Lethal Weapon 3 (1992)

Mel Gibson as Martin Riggs looks at a bomb next to Danny Glover as Roger Murtaugh in Lethal Weapon 3

Warner Bros.

In 1992, Mel Gibson, Danny Glover, and Richard Donner re-teamed for “Lethal Weapon 3,” the third entry in the popular buddy-cop series. This time, our heroes Martin Riggs (Gibson) and Roger Murtaugh (Glover) must take down a former cop (Stuart Wilson) who spends his days smuggling contraband guns. 

The threequel leans more on comedy than action, placing it on the lower end of Donner’s filmography, but “Lethal Weapon 3” still delivers a plethora of laughs and thrills. Notably, an opening sequence in which Riggs and Murtaugh muck up a car bomb situation and destroy an LA high rise. 

Donner repeats this gag in a fun post-credit sequence that sees our boys pull up to another bomb-laden building. This time, however, the device detonates before they even have time to get out of the car, causing Riggs and Murtaugh to drive away panic-stricken. It should be noted that neither Gibson nor Glover appear in the scene, but they supply a hefty bit of improv over the soundtrack that’s worth a listen.

Super Mario Bros. (1993)

Richard Edson as Spike sits next to Fisher Stevens as Iggy in Super Mario Bros.

Hollywood Pictures

Who can forget the travesty that is “Super Mario Bros.,” the 1993 big-screen adaptation of Nintendo’s video game that crashed and burned at the box office? Starring Bob Hoskins and John Leguizamo as the famed New York plumbers, this middling adventure that our own Russell Murray ranked amongst the worst video game adaptations of all time, sees our pair of heroes dropped into a parallel dimension where they encounter dinosaurs, race to save Daisy (Samantha Mathis) from the hideous President “King” Koopa (Hopper), and deal with enough ravenous fungus to make the cast of “The Last of Us” jealous. 

Everyone behind the project assumed people would dig it. So much so that they included a tease in which Daisy arrives to whisk our boys away on another mission. If that weren’t enough, the filmmakers even included a tag where a pair of Japanese businessmen propose a video game based on the film’s events to… Iggy (Fisher Stevens) and Spike (Richard Edson), King Koopa’s traitorous cousins.

“What should we call it?” the businessmen ask. “How about ‘The Koopa Cousins?'” the pair retorts. Oof.

Street Fighter (1994)

Raul Julia as General Bison stands in front of his minions in Street Fighter

Universal Pictures

Only the ’90s could deliver something as delightfully cheesy as 1994’s “Street Fighter.” Jean-Claude Van Damme stars as Colonel Guile, taking on Raul Julia’s gloriously hammy General M. Bison in a loose but colorful adaptation of the Capcom game. It’s goofy, over-the-top fun that delivers enough action, familiar faces, and even a young Kylie Minogue to satisfy its target audience.

Oddly, despite earning a nice chunk of change at the box office, “Street Fighter” never received a direct sequel. Meaning, the incredibly cool post-credit tease hinting that Bison may have survived his encounter with Guile was all for naught. Truly, there wasn’t a youngster alive in those days who didn’t dream of another matchup between the pair — even if it meant recasting Bison after Raul Julia’s death.

“Street Fighter” marked the final performance from the acclaimed actor, which is either really sad or really cool, depending on who you ask.

Heavyweights (1994)

Ben Stiller as Tony Perkis looks diabolical in Heavyweights

Walt Disney Pictures

“Heavyweights” is a goofy ’90s comedy about kids at a fat camp who rebel against Ben Stiller’s deranged fitness guru. There’s junk food, revenge, and enough life lessons to help explain how it went from flop to beloved ’90s classic.

Still, while this early Judd Apatow project contains plenty of laughs from its young stars — including Kenan Thompson and Paul Feig — Stiller runs away with the production. Ostensibly playing an early variation of his equally maniacal White Goodman in “Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story,” the actor upstages everyone; his energetic performance dominates at every turn. 

It’s no surprise, then, that director Steven Brill opted to conclude the picture on one final humorous beat with Stiller’s character. You have to wait through the end credits to see the additional bit, which shows Tony going door-to-door unsuccessfully trying to sell healing crystals. His sales pitch carries the same bombastic tone as his fitness classes, and it’s little wonder that the client quickly slams the door in his face.

Jingle All the Way (1996)

Arnold Schwarzenegger as Howard Langston stares at the camera in Jingle All the Way

20th Century Fox

After “True Lies,” Arnold Schwarzenegger hit a rough patch, landing in goofy fare like 1996’s “Jingle All the Way.” He plays a workaholic dad racing to find a Turbo Man doll action figure for his son Jamie (Jake Lloyd) on Christmas Eve, only to battle Sinbad’s unhinged mailman for the last one in town. It’s harmless entertainment that occasionally tickles the funny bone but is too awash in slapstick to rise above its paper-thin concept.

Regardless, everyone involved clearly thought they had another “Home Alone” on their hands and tacked on a post-credit scene just in case audiences wanted more from this broad selection of characters. Remarkably, this extra footage provides the best gag of the entire film. 

We see an exhausted Arnold decorating the Christmas tree with his wife (Rita Wilson), who beams over his devotion to their son and says, “Everything that you went through today for Jamie really shows how much you love him. And if you’re willing to go through all of that for him just for a present, well, that makes me wonder. What did you get me?” Our beleaguered father/husband gapes at the camera, realizing that in all the holiday commotion, he had failed to buy her a gift. Ah, if only the rest of the film were as clever.

Monsters Inc. (2001)

John Goodman as Sulley walks next to Billy Crystal as Mike Wazowski in Monsters Inc.

Pixar Animation Studios

Pixar delivered a handful of fun post-credit gags for audiences to enjoy. “A Bug’s Life” and “Toy Story 2” famously included gag reels, featuring the films’ characters messing up their lines or accidentally ruining scenes. “Monsters, Inc.” ditched the outtakes (at least, initially) in favor of something far grander. Patient viewers willing to endure the lengthy credits are rewarded with a two-minute short film that plays on an early joke. 

Early in the film, you see, Mike Wazowski (Billy Crystal) and Sulley (John Goodman) are debating what to do with Boo (Mary Gibbs), the two-year-old girl who wandered into the Monsters universe. An argument ensues with Mike yelling, “Put that thing back where it came from or so help me…” His voice trails off as he realizes the other monsters in the facility are watching them curiously. Attempting to cover up their outburst, Mike conjures up a fib: that he and Sulley are rehearsing a play. 

Fast-forward to the end, and we see the culmination of that lie, as Sulley introduces an actual play detailing the film’s events, albeit in a melodramatic manner. There are songs, tears, more laughs, and an appearance from Mike’s mom — you gotta love it!

A Knight’s Tale (2001)

Heath Ledger as William Thatcher looks worried in A Knight's Tale

Columbia Pictures

“A Knight’s Tale” is one of those rewatchable flicks that seems to get better with each viewing. A medieval tale cheerfully adorned in early 2000s pop culture, this enjoyable farce stars Heath Ledger as a peasant squire named William Thatcher, who enters a jousting tournament by posing as a knight. Determined to “change his stars,” William, aided by his friends Roland (Mark Addy), Wat (Alan Tudyk), Kate (Laura Fraser) and Chaucer (Paul Bettany), adopts Sir Ulrich von Liechtenstein as his new name and rises through the jousting ranks, falling for noblewoman Jocelyn Shannyn Sossamon) along the way. Will our hero win the tournament, earn Jocelyn’s heart, and vanquish the dreaded Count Adhemar of Anjou (Rufus Sewell), all amidst a rocking contemporary soundtrack?

A minor classic, “A Knight’s Tale” makes the most of its young cast, including a post-credit scene in which his friends Roland, Wat, Chaucer, and Kate engage in a farting contest while sitting in an attic. The bit is nothing to write home about, but succinctly sums up the essence of Brian Helgeland’s picture. Too bad we never got a sequel to this charming adventure.

Napoleon Dynamite (2004)

Jon Gries as Uncle Rico stands next to Jon Heder as Napoleon and Efren Ramirez as Pedro in Napoleon Dynamite

Fox Searchlight Pictures

We pity those who were too young (or old) to experience the “Napoleon Dynamite” phenomenon. This low-budget and incredibly quirky 2004 comedy from Jared Hess (director of “The Minecraft Movie,” believe it or not) appeared out of the blue and immediately cemented its place in the annals of pop culture, leading to everything from Halloween costumes to a truly atrocious animated series. 

The plot — such as it is — concerns a high schooler named Napoleon (Jon Heder) and the various exploits he engages in with his buddy Pedro (Efren Ramirez), brother Kip (Aaron Ruell), and Uncle Rico (Jon Gries). Uh, and hilarity ensues. Awkward, weird hilarity. And that’s probably the best way to describe it.

Running a brisk 95 minutes, this $400,000 production keeps the fun going even after the credits roll. In fact, the additional sequence in which Kip marries his girlfriend LaFawnduh (Shondrella Avery) is one of the most expensive scenes in the movie. Audiences were all too happy to stay through the credits to experience a few additional moments with this bizarre cast of characters. Indeed, the sight of Napoleon riding to the event atop a white horse is worth the price of admission alone.

Constantine (2005)

Shia LaBeouf as Chas looks intense in Constantine

Warner Bros.

Finally, we reach 2005’s “Constantine,” a kick-ass comic book flick starring Keanu Reeves as the titular John Constantine, a chain-smoking exorcist battling demons in Los Angeles. Our hero, you see, hopes to secure a place in Heaven by doing good deeds following a life of selfish behavior. His journey places him directly in the center of a war between Heaven and Hell, featuring fallen angels, Satan (played by the terrific Peter Stormare), and a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it cameo from Michelle Monaghan.

Aiding John in his quest are grieving LAPD detective Angela Dodson (Rachel Weisz) and Chas Kramer (Shia LaBeouf), a young upstart hoping to learn all he can from his mentor. Nothing goes according to plan, however, leaving our heroes struggling to prevent Gabriel (Tilda Swinton) from unleashing Hell on Earth. Sadly, Chas dies during the final battle, leaving John mourning his loss.

Still, we wanted more of the kid, and thankfully, director Francis Lawrence obliges with a lengthy post-credit stinger. Here, our beleaguered hero visits Chas’ grave to bid farewell to his fallen comrade. Then, he turns around and begins walking away. Suddenly, a pair of wings appears behind him, and John turns to see an angelic Chas crouched atop the tombstone. The kid smiles and then zips into the sky — likely teasing a sequel that unfortunately never came to fruition. At least, not yet.

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