Post-credits scenes were usually brushed off by audiences in theaters in the early days of cinematic history. Not only do such show up only after the rolling credits scene, but they also require an amount of patience from its viewers.
Post-credits scenes were usually on display as an afterthought or comedic relief for the audience to further enjoy their experience in theaters.
And so, with its prominence in films, it’s only natural to wonder if the Barbie movie would have post-credits scenes, too. Well, read on to find out more!
WARNING: This article contains MAJOR SPOILERS for the Barbie Movie, so READ AT YOUR OWN RISK!
Post-Credits Scenes Explained: Why Do Movies Have Post-Credits Scenes?
Post-credits scenes are often used as a form of an aftermath revelation, not only to its audiences, but also to the characters in the film.
Although, on the slight chance that a post-credits scene is not used for such purposes, it could also contain a little extra behind-the-scenes filming or perhaps even bloopers to keep the viewers on edge and still entertained with the additional information in making the movie.
The most notable example of a franchise that utilizes post-credits scenes are the Marvel and DC films and series.
In Marvel’s case, though, their post-credits scenes allow viewers to formulate a sort of pattern and tradition, in which you can tell which of the viewers are MCU fans and which are not, depending on how long they stay in theaters.
Because post-credits scenes matter in the MCU, it depicts the connection between films, revealing the timeline of when a particular film or series occurred on the MCU timeline.
Additionally, it also potentially teases what to look forward to, what next film or series should be expected moving forward, whether there will be a sequel or not.
Although the MCU and DC weren’t exactly the first to come up with post-credits scenes, Marvel Studios head Kevin Feige previously told Entertainment Weekly on his thoughts as to why the major franchise established this tradition:
“[The ending] is before the credits, that’s really how we look at it. That’s the conclusion of the story that we’re telling, and then if there’s a credits scene after the main one ends or the first one, it’s usually something that ties into the movie you’ve just seen that’s extra. At the very end of the credits, that’s what’s to come.”
To recognize such patterns, then we first trace the history of the filmmaker behind the Barbie movie, Greta Gerwig. Do her movies normally include post-credits scenes?
RELATED: Will There Be A Barbie Movie Sequel?
Do Greta Gerwig’s Previous Movies Have Post-Credits Scenes?
Greta Gerwig’s White Noise movie (2022), which was adapted from the classic 1985 novel bearing the same title written by Don DeLillo, had a post-credits scene.
Instead of bloopers or behind-the-scenes antics of the main actors in the film, the seven-minute post-credits scene featured a dance sequence to LCD Soundsystem’s New Body Rhumba.
As White Noise movie writer/director Noah Baumbach explained the utilization of the post-credits sequence for the 2022 film in an interview:
“White Noise depicts rituals that we use to distance ourselves from our own mortality. There’s danger and family, it’s to escape, it’s like a disaster film. And, well, we survive death this time, but can we go back to the supermarket and shop the same way that we did before? Can we go about life the same way we did, now knowing that this other thing exists? And that is what the dancing scene at the end of the movie is about.”
As for her other prominent films, such as Lady Bird (2017) and Little Women (2019), both have no post-credits scenes.
However, Lady Bird’s ending was more than enough to not require extra time for such, similar for Little Women, which was adapted from the classic 1868 novel written by Louisa May Alcott.
But there is a sliver of hope for the Barbie movie. Possibly.
Does Margot Robbie’s Barbie Movie Have Post-Credits Scenes?
The Barbie movie has a confirmed runtime of 1 hour and 54 minutes, which includes the end-credits and post-credits scenes, meaning that the film could feature one.
Considering it's a satirical movie, there's an off chance that the Barbie movie's post-credits scenes would tease a potential sequel movie?
To answer your question, no. Gerwig did NOT include a post-credits in the Barbie movie.
Although at some point in the film, they did include a satirical ad promoting the 'depressive' Barbie dolls who, for example, 'liked to watch Pride and Prejudice over and over again', or perhaps 'scroll through their best friend's wedding photos on their Instagram for weird reasons'.
Some fans were actually expecting Gerwig’s Barbie movie to be a franchise on its own, expecting some notable cameos such as characters from Life in the Dreamhouse or even in classic Barbie movie such as The Princess and the Pauper.
In fact, some fans went even as far as to reference how Marvel movies did it when the Avengers team was slowly emerging:
READ MORE: How Old Are Barbie and Ken in the Movie?