These days, movie fans know that the credits rolling doesn’t always mean the movie is
truly over.
Even before Marvel Studios was using scenes during and after the credits to tease their
upcoming films, studios and directors were relying on small scenes to bookend their entire
story, or just offer audiences another laugh.
But some of the best after-credits scenes hit theaters long before audiences knew to
find them.
Make sure you rank your favourite in the comments section below!
Here are Screenrant’s 10 Hidden Movie Scenes You’ve Never Seen.
Pirates of the Caribbean
Disney's swashbuckling series used post-credits scenes for small gags, including a ghostly
Monkey and a worshipped dog.
But for the third movie, series star Will Turner made a serious sacrifice, choosing
to take over as captain of Davy Jones’ ship - which meant setting foot on land just one
day every decade.
Will still got to marry the love of his life, Elizabeth, but it was the post-credits scene
that delivered the real happy ending.
With the pair's son now ten years old, he and Elizabeth watch as Will's ship returns
in a flash of green light, with the wayward sailor set to meet his son for the first time
- teasing an obvious adventure starring the Turner family, if Disney ever decides to tell
it.
Harry Potter
He may not be what comes to mind when you picture a magical con man, but the magical
celebrity Gilderoy Lockhart lied, exaggerated, and charmed his way into the Harry Potter
series.
But his swagger cost him his memory in the second film, when a spell backfired and wiped
his mind.
A post-credits scene proved his talent for fame wasn't affected, already out promoting
his new biography, "Who Am I?"
The Grey
The story of a plane load of oil workers forced to survive in an Alaskan winter wasn't a happy
one - as one by one, the men are picked off by a pack of grey wolves.
The film ended with Star Liam Neeson strapping broken glass to his hands and taking on the
pack's alpha, but cutting to black before audiences could know who came out on top.
The ending fit the endless struggle between man and nature, but director Joe Carnahan
offered one more hint.
A post-credits scene shows both the wolf and man wounded and wheezing, and even if fans
can't really tell who won the fight, it's an even more powerful image to drive home
the movie's message.
The A-Team
The big screen reboot of the classic TV series wasn't the hit that the studio hoped for,
but that didn't mean members of the original cast had any hard feelings.
Although their cameo appearances were cut from the film, the scenes were spliced back
into the movie's end credits.
Fans of the TV series can watch as actor Dirk Benedict, the original "Face" gives some advice
to Bradley Cooper, and a white coat-wearing Dwight Schultz finds out just how much crazier
the new version of "Howling Mad" Murdock is compared to his original performance.
Zombieland
There’s no question that the surprise cameo from Bill Murray in this zombie killfest is
among the best in years, appearing as himself, just trying to survive in a zombie apocalypse.
The actor winds up being killed by the stars of the movie, followed by a memorable final
scene.
But following the film’s credits, audiences got an added bonus that didn’t make the
cut of the movie.
Rather than using his last breaths for a deadpan gag, the scene shows Murray reciting one of
his best-known lines from the classic golf comedy, Caddyshack.
Hancock
Will Smith was anything but your typical superhero in this action/dramedy, but by the end of
the movie, Hancock had accepted the role of a superpowered do-gooder.
Of course, he still had a bit of an edge.
Those who stayed through the credits got to see that for themselves, when an armed hostage
taker decided to disrespect the movie’s star.
It was a fitting joke to end the movie on, but comic book fans will appreciate that the
criticized black leather suits of the X-Men movies made its way into another superhero
story.
Lethal Weapon 3
Post credits scenes are usually used to tease a sequel these days, but they can also be
used for one last gag.
But no end credits joke is more staggering than Lethal Weapon 3.
The movie opens with stars Riggs and Murtaugh trying, and failing to defuse a bomb.
The studio had actually paid for the demolition of the building so it would be even more convincing
in the movie – and when director Richard Donner found out the Soreno Hotel nearby was
going to be demolished, he had to take advantage.
The post-credits scene put the partners in harm’s way one last time, even though that
explosion wasn’t technically their fault.
Baseketball
This sports comedy from the minds behind South Park has become a cult hit since its release,
but it boasted some truly impressive talent.
Outside of the main cast, famous sports commentators Bob Costas and Al Michaels showed a sense
of humor, appearing as the go-to play-by-play men for the movie’s strange baseball/basketball
hybrid league.
But those who sat through to the end credits were treated to even more of the pair’s
comradery, with a post-credits scene that shows the two broadcasters working their way
to a passionate kiss, before playing coy to the camera.
Green Lantern
Post-credits scenes don’t always make a movie better.
Since DC’s first Green Lantern movie was less than a hit with fans and critics, most
viewers left the theater as quickly as they could.
But to make things worse, the post-credits scene wasn’t meant to deliver a joke, or
even a bit more action.
After Hal Jordan managed to wipe out the movie’s villain, the bonus scene showed his mentor,
Sinestro, slipping on a yellow ring to master the power of fear.
In the comics, it was the exact action that created Hal’s greatest enemy, and the perfect
villain for a Green Lantern movie – and fans were enraged.
Choosing a silly, big-brained bad guy because you don’t know any better is one thing.
But when this scene showed the filmmakers knew Sinestro was the real threat, and were
just saving him for a sequel, fans took it as the final straw.
Super Mario Bros.
OH YES WE DID!
It might be famously known as the worst video game movie ever, but the makers of the Mario
Bros. movie definitely had an imagination.
Fans of the video game were disappointed to realize that the movie had almost nothing
in common with the actual games, but according to the movie’s fiction, Nintendo is to blame
for the differences.
In a post-credits scene, two Japanese men are shown talking to the movie’s comedic
relief – Iggy and Spike – about developing a video game based on their adventures.
Every child of the 1980s saw the movie, but few may realize that the games are based on
the movie… according to the writers, anyway.
So what do you think of our list?
Did we miss any of your favorite after-credits scenes and stingers?
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