As the days and weeks leading to Aquaman’s December 21 release date tick by, certain rumors and speculation can be confirmed. Release News reports that Aquaman will, like so many superhero features to come before it from both DC and Marvel, will have a mid-credits sequence, and possibly a post-credit scene as well.
Screenings are taking place (which we previously reported) and audiences are finally viewing James Wan and Warner Bros.’s theatrical cut. After-credit sequences are typically saved for opening day, so test audiences and early screenings won’t see the tease of Warner’s future plans for their shared cinematic DC-verse. The fact the studio is maintaining the practice of mid- and after-credit scenes indicates they are imitating Marvel’s successful model, but also shows they are setting up further adventures for their characters, even if they reboot the entire franchise, which some rumors suggest.
The runtime can also be confirmed, per the websites of theater chains such as AMC and Regal Cinemas. The film clocks in at 143 minutes or roughly 2 ½ hours. Warner obviously wants to stick with the epic nature of superhero movies established by Marvel as well, which could bode well for Wan’s vision and the studio hopes this will be a big movie event.
Corroborating that, advance ticket listings are showing up online and early, Thursday-evening showings begin at 5 pm, instead of the usual 7 pm, on Dec. 20th. This is a bold move but not without a precedent. Sony’s [easyazon_link identifier=”B07J2V85WZ” locale=”US” tag=”boundingintocomics-20″]Venom[/easyazon_link] did the same thing with last month. And if Venom’s tally at the box office means anything then Aquaman is in for a huge opening, despite projections.
Warner Bros. looks like they believe in their movie, but this could also be an attempt by a doubtful studio to give the release every chance to succeed and make as much money as they can if it doesn’t. Yet, even with that in mind, there is enough positive feedback – including from Release News’s own source – coming in to get excited about.