While 2013's Man of Steel was the first DCEU movie, it wasn't until Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice three years later that this shared world meant to rival the MCU started taking shape.
You all know what happened next, of course, and the DCEU came to a disappointing end last year. Now, DC Studios' James Gunn and Peter Safran are relaunching the franchise as the DCU, an exciting development which bodes well for these DC characters on screen.
Of course, we won't soon forget the DCEU, and this feature takes a look back at our 10 favourite post-credits scenes from that time. Some went nowhere, others were undeniably huge, and a few could even be addressed in the new DCU.
You can check out our 10 favourite DCEU stingers by clicking on the "Next"/"View List" buttons below.
10. A Big Batman Secret (Harley Quinn: Birds Of Prey)
Okay, so it's not a post-credits "scene" in the traditional sense, but this is still miles better than Orm eating a cockroach in Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom.
Right at the end of Birds of Prey (And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn), Margot Robbie's Harley is heard expressing her surprise that people have stuck around this long. She promises to reward them with a big secret about Batman but is cut off before she can reveal it. Who did "Batman f-"? We'd love to know.
Not everyone loved this movie and that's okay. However, it was good fun for the most part, and while we'd have liked a proper stinger, this was a decent enough reward for fans patient enough to wait.
9. Black Manta's Revenge (Aquaman)
Black Manta only had a very minor role in Aquaman, so a scene essentially confirming him as the sequel's big bad was welcomed by fans. It also promised a much larger role for Randall Park's Dr. Shin in the follow-up, and comic book fans will be well aware that he has quite a storied history with Arthur Curry.
As post-credits scenes go, this was a fairly simple one, but it did its job extremely effectively.
Black Manta did indeed step up to the plate in Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom with mixed results. Dr. Shin was also something of a non-factor, but we're not going top judge this scene on how poor the eventual payoff was.
8. Peacemaker Lives (The Suicide Squad)
In The Suicide Squad, Peacemaker's demise seemed pretty definitive. Moments after murdering the heroic Rick Flag on the orders of Amanda Waller, the Task Force X member was gunned down by Bloodsport and seemingly crushed. We can't say he didn't deserve it.
However, the post-credits scene revealed that Christopher Smith was alive and the only person who could save the world. That's a pretty darn effective way to keep moviegoers invested in where his story went next.
That story played out in HBO Max's stellar Peacemaker TV series and managed to redeem the character for the most part. Now, we'll catch up with the anti-hero when he makes his DCU debut in the show's upcoming second season.
7. A Wonderful Cameo (Wonder Woman 1984)
Wonder Woman 1984 wasn't a particularly good movie, though there are plenty of people out there who did appreciate what filmmaker Patty Jenkins was going for with this 80s-set sequel.
During this adventure, we learned of Asteria's existence, a legendary Amazon warrior who donned the golden armour eventually worn by Diana Prince. Seemingly laying the groundwork for the now-scrapped Wonder Woman 3, a post-credits scene revealed that she's still alive, dashing into action to save a passerby.
However, the mind-blowing reveal comes when we learn this Amazon is played by none other than original small screen Wonder Woman actress Lynda Carter. As fan-pleasing stingers go, this achieved what it set out to do.
6. Bruce Wayne Meets Amanda Waller (Suicide Squad)
When Suicide Squad was released, the DCEU was very much in its infancy, so getting to see Batman pop up in during Task Force X's big screen debut was a treat for fans. With Justice League rapidly approaching at the time, any hints about what that might entail were appreciated, so this meeting grabbed everyone's attention.
As well as revealing that the Dark Knight was doing a Nick Fury by finding out all he could about Earth's Metahumans in order to put a team together, we discovered that Waller knows how Bruce spends his nights.
At the time, we wondered if it might be setting the stage for a Suicide Squad sequel revolving around Task Force X hunting down Batman. Unfortunately, there was no concrete plan in place and this ultimately went nowhere. It was still cool, though!
5. Ted Kord Lives (Blue Beetle)
Following a disastrous 2023 for the DCEU, Blue Beetle was really the only bright spot and the character's story is now expected to continue in the DCU courtesy of an upcoming animated TV series.
In this post-credits scene, we return to Ted Kord's lab and watch as a distorted video message plays which confirms the hero is still alive! This was a chill-inducing moment for fans of the original Blue Beetle and the perfect use of a stinger to both tease a sequel and get fans excited about what comes next.
We hope this particular plot thread carries over to that TV show because it was a fun tease and a nice way to eventually have Jaime Reyes and Ted Kord share the screen.
4. Meet Mister Mind (Shazam!)
It's fair to say that most of us were hoping to see a Black Adam tease of some sort at the end of Shazam!, but Dwayne Johnson's selfish plans to take charge of the DCEU seemingly put an end to that possibility early on.
Despite that, the unexpected introduction of Mister Mind was awesome, and while he may not be an A-List villain, he's one of Shazam's greatest foes and someone we'd hoped to see make the Shazam Family's life very difficult upon his return. Visually, he's obviously very unique, while the return of Dr. Sivana also had potential.
Shazam! Fury of the Gods dropped the ball on that front and poor Mister Mind was relegated to another post-credits scene which, sadly, wasn't anywhere near as effective.
3. The Injustice League Assembles (Justice League)
This sequence was heavily reshot by Joss Whedon, something made clear by the release of Zack Snyder's Justice League. That version of the movie set the stage for Deathstroke to target Bruce Wayne in Ben Affleck's The Batman, but the theatrical cut instead focused on the Injustice League's formation.
We're assuming that's where Whedon and Warner Bros. wanted to take the franchise next, and there's no denying it's an idea with potential.
Lex interacting with Deathstroke in a live-action setting was also a comic book fan's dream come true. Sure, it didn't ultimately lead anywhere, but it made for a strong post-credits scene in its own right, and we do wonder what this villainous roster would have looked like had things played out differently.
2. Superman Races The Flash (Justice League)
This scene was also shot by Joss Whedon, and his fingerprints are all over it. However, say what you will about the now-controversial filmmaker, but this is what most fans wanted from the DCEU (rather than Zack Snyder's often bleak vision for these superheroes).
Sure, we don't get to see who wins the race between Superman and The Flash, but just the fact that they have one at all is fantastic...even if it's somewhat ruined by Henry Cavill's horrible CGI jawline.
For a time, it looked like this was the end for the actor's Man of Steel. That briefly changed thanks to Black Adam, though Ezra Miller's time as Barry Allen is thankfully over. As a result, if these two race again, it will be with David Corenswet and a new Fastest Man Alive.
1. Superman Returns (Black Adam)
Black Adam was no masterpiece, but how can we find fault with the movie's post-credits scene?
With the anti-hero making it clear he's Khandaq's new protector, the world is worried, and Amanda Waller makes it clear to Adam that he's not to leave his home. He isn't intimidated and will clearly do what he likes, showing little in the way of concern when she threatens to send someone there who is powerful enough to deal with him. That someone? Superman.
Henry Cavill's return in this stinger felt absolutely monumental, and while Black Adam didn't leave us wanting more of Johnson's anti-hero, we do wonder what an eventual clash might have looked like, not to mention Man of Steel 2. Now, we'll never know...