Paddington in Peru post-credits scenes explained: how many are there and does it potentially set up Paddington 4?

It's time to be beary, beary excited as highly anticipated threequel Paddington 3 is now out in UK cinemas, ready to satisfy fans after such a long seven year wait after the last installment. 

And you may already be wondering, does Paddington in Peru have a post-credits scene? Do you need to stay in your seat during and after the credits? Well luckily for you we have all the answers...

Of course, Paddington 2 featured an iconic mid-credits scene which saw Hugh Grant's iconic villain Phoenix Buchanan perform a fabulous musical number. The question is, then, can we expect something similar with Paddington in Peru?

Scroll down below for everything you need to know about the Paddington in Peru post-credits scenes. But warning: spoilers lie ahead so turn back now if you haven't seen the new film...

Does Paddington in Peru have a post-credits scene?

There is not one but two Paddington 3 post-credits scenes, so make sure you stick around both during the credits and after they have finished rolling for the delightful surprises.

We have broken down both of the scenes below...

Paddington in Peru mid-credits scene explained

As the credits on Paddington in Peru start rolling, you may notice a curious addition in the cast list. At the very bottom, the credit 'Hugh Grant as Phoenix Buchanan' appears, which naturally may leave you puzzled given that the iconic Paddington 2 villain was nowhere to be seen during the film itself.

However, all becomes clear after the main credits have wrapped, as we cut to a mid-credits set at the prison the dastardly Buchanan was sent to at the end of Paddington 2. The prison, as you may remember, was the same establishment Paddington Bear himself served time in when he was framed for the robbery at Samuel Gruber's antique shop.

During the scene, Paddington pays Grant's baddie a visit at the prison, bringing along with him the bears he met during his adventure in Peru, who were revealed to be his long-last family members. Clearly Paddington and Buchanan have stayed in touch following the events of the sequel.

Buchanan tells Paddington that he is shortly to be released, either nearly at the end of his ten year prison sentence or being let go early due to good behavior. As we learnt in the Paddington 2 post-credits scene, Phoenix has been putting his theatrical talents to use in the prison, getting other inmates involved in his elaborate musical numbers.

He clearly wants to continue with this once released, telling Paddington that he thinks the visiting bears could be the performers he needs for a production of the classic fairytale Goldilocks. In fact, Buchanan even starts casting the bears in the roles of Papa Bear, Mama Bear, and more.

Not only is it great to see Grant's legendary villain back on the screen, but the entertaining scene is also a clever reversal of one we see in Paddington 2, when the Brown family visit the bear in prison. As you may remember, Paddington there is joined by his new inmate friends, much to the surprise of the Browns.

We can now only hope that Buchanan may appear in a sequel, with Paddington 4 reportedly in the works. Everyone involved is keeping their cards close to their chests, but perhaps this scene is setting events up. Let's face it, Grant's character is a fan-favorite and they make a point here to emphasize that he's due for release from prison.

So does this mean that Phoenix Buchanan will make a grand return in Paddington 4? We can certainly hope so.

Paddington in Peru post-credits scene explained

Adding more weight to the theory that we are setting up Buchanan's return, the character appears again right at the very end in the Paddington 3 post-credits scene, which comes after the credits have stopped rolling.

This scene is short but sweet, just featuring more of Buchanan's conversation with the bears, exclaiming 'what fun' at his idea of doing a Goldilocks show. He also comments 'what a lot of fur' clearly surprised at the amount of bears that are present on the other side of the glass.

It really doesn't add much and is likely Grant improvising in the role, with the filmmakers including it as an extra treat for the fans who stayed throughout the whole credits. And hey, we will never say no to more Phoenix Buchanan.

Paddington in Peru is out in UK cinemas now before heading to the US next year, hitting theaters on January 17. For more on the movie, here's what director Wilson had to say about the film's tribute to the late Queen and the cast on who would make for a perfect Paddington villain.

And don't forget to check out our guide to the upcoming movies to get on your watchlist.