The Batman post-credits are not exactly what you expect from a new superhero movie. Rather than there being a scene at the very end of the movie, as has become custom for Marvel and DC movies, there's something else.
The question, then, concerns whether it is worth sitting all the way through The Batman credits to see what secrets the movie holds. Because there's a secret, that's for sure, but it will take some deciphering. Scroll on down for everything you need to know about The Batman post-credits scenes – and beware, there are spoilers for the Matt Reeves-directed movie further down.
How many The Batman post-credits scenes are there?
There's kind of a The Batman post-credits scene... At the end of the final credits, something happens. However, calling it a "scene" is a stretch – you'll have to wait and see for yourself. However, we can confirm that it doesn't add anything to the plot or set up a sequel, so you are safe to skip it if you don't want to hang around for an extra few minutes. And, frankly, you may be a little disappointed if you do sit through the whole thing, especially as it points you to something that's now dated...
Warning: from this point on, there will be The Batman spoilers. You have been warned.
The Batman post-credits scene, explained *spoilers*
Two words flash up on the screen after The Batman credits end: "Good Bye?" in neon green type, followed by a chaotic jumble of images that resemble the Riddler's cipher. Eventually, some text flashes up, blink-and-you'll-miss-it fast. It's a link to the Riddler's website seen in the movie, "Rata Alada" (which translates to "winged rat").
Now, here's come the tricky part to explain: the website – www.rataalada.com – has been through multiple variations since The Batman's release in cinemas.
The first version asked users to answer three riddles. By putting in the answers ("Mask," "Renewal," and "Confusion," along with the final password is "promise") you unlocked a mini-movie: the mayoral campaign video for Bruce Wayne's father, Thomas, with a few notes from Riddler.
The word "HUSH!" are painted over Thomas Wayne's face, which could be a reference to the comics, in which Hush is Bruce Wayne's childhood friend Thomas Elliot. Elliot blames Thomas Wayne for saving the lives of his parents when he was actively trying to murder them to inherit their fortune, and eventually aligns himself with the Ridder and takes on the 'Hush' moniker.
In The Batman movie, Thomas Elliot is the journalist who looks into the Wayne family's history, but they are apparently killed by Carmine Falcone. Could they return as a future villain in subsequent Batman movies? We'll have to wait and see.
Soon after The Batman's release in cinemas, the Rataalada website changed. The Riddler no longer prompted you to answer any questions on the website. Instead, some Matrix-esque code showed up on screen, quickly disappearing, and then a hyperlink to another page (still live, as of writing) appeared on the screen. Follow the link and you end up on the page titled "It's Not Over Yet," and there's an image that needs deciphering.
What does it mean? Spoilers for the answer:
"You think I'm finished, but perhaps you don't know the full truth. Every ending is a new beginning. Something is coming."
On this version of the Ratalaada website, there was also another clue pointing toward what may be coming next for R-Batz. That Matrix-esque green text that showed up before the link to the Riddler's cipher was a clue.
Those numbers aren't random. As pointed out by a Reddit user, they each point to a key moment in Bat-History.
27.05.19.39 is May 27, 1939 – which is the day the real-life comic-book Detective Comics #27 was released. That was not-so-coincidently the first-ever appearance of Batman. The rest refer to, in order: the introduction of Catwoman and Joker; Penguin’s first appearance; Riddler’s first appearance; Falcone’s first appearance, and Alfred’s first appearance.
Those characters are all key players through The Batman, but it's the last piece of code that's particularly interesting – and teases a sequel. October 1974 saw the release of Batman #258, which featured Two-Face breaking out of Arkham. Don't be too surprised if Harvey Dent shows up soon.
After the screen of text, a countdown appeared, and when it ended, the website gave you a chance to download a reward. Click on the link and a Zip file will begin downloading with numerous images inside. There's also a message from the Riddler, reading: "You’ve come this far. Now, let’s see if you’re willing to discover more. While you unmask everything that has yet to be revealed, I’m safe here. With my new friend. We will see you soon."
The website then changed again – to another three riddles. The first asks: "It's not a joke, but sometimes you need to shout it twice to really mean it." The answer? Ha. As in 'haha'.
The second was more straightforward: "To wit: a wild card in the truest sense." The answer to that, of course, is Joker. The third was, "Once you've been set up, it hits you at the end, straight on." It took us a minute, but the answer is punchline.
After completing the riddles, a deleted scene featuring the Joker was unlocked. The scene, which would have taken place relatively early in the movie, sees Batman employ the Joker to help profile the Riddler. Watch below.
So, in the end, The Batman did get a post-credits scene – it's just that the scene comes from midway through the movie and would have made zero sense playing after the credits rolled. Director Matt Reeves previously revealed to Total Film why the scene was left on the cutting room floor.
"It was just one of those things where, in the course of the movie, what that scene was doing, other scenes were also doing, and so we didn't need the scene. But as a standalone, that scene is very eerie and creepy and cool," he explained.
But, before you leave, there was one last change to the Ratalaada website: after the deleted scene was unlocked, eventually the Gotham City Police Department took over the website, stopping any further communications from Riddler. It was fun while it lasted!
For more on The Batman, check out our guides to:
- The Batman Easter eggs and references
- The Batman secret message you missed
- Was Joaquin Phoenix's Joker meant to be in The Batman?
- When is The Batman on HBO Max?
- Who plays Joker in The Batman?
- The best Batman movies, ranked!
- How to watch the DC movies in order
