“The Gray Man,” the explosive new action extravaganza from Joe and Anthony Russo (directors of “Avengers: Infinity War” and “Avengers: Endgame”), debuts in theaters this weekend and hits Netflix next Friday (July 22), and it marks one of the biggest films Netflix has ever made.
It stars Ryan Gosling, who returns to movies for the first time since 2018’s “First Man,” as the titular Gray Man, a shadowy operative for the C.I.A. who is repeatedly asked to do the what the agency cannot. After a job goes wrong he runs afoul of Chris Evans, a former spy and current contractor whose methods are dubious at best. (Evans is a bit of a psychopath honestly. You can tell by his dastardly mustache.) It’s a real spy-versus-spy scenario, complete with over-the-top action sequences, mass destruction and very quippy one-liners (the rest of the very game cast includes Jessica Henwick, Ana de Armas and Regé-Jean Page).
But as a film made by and starring veterans of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, it’s easy to think that it might have more in common with the MCU: namely, a mid- or post-credits sequence. So: should you stick around in the theater (or not skip forward at home)? Read on to find out.
Does “The Gray Man” have a post-credits sequence?
This is the new film by Joe and Anthony Russo, who previously directed four films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe – “Captain America: The Winter Soldier,” “Captain America: Civil War,” “Avengers: Infinity War” and “Avengers: Endgame.” So you’d be forgiven for assuming the answer is yes.
Alas, no, there is no credits scene at the end of “The Gray Man.”
Aw really?
Yes. Even though there are a number of dangling plot threads and the Russos have been open about wanting “The Gray Man” to be the beginning of an MCU-like “shared universe,” there’s nothing either in the middle of the credits or after the credits are done.
Is there anything to watch after the movie is over?
There is, actually!
What is it?
While the Russo Brothers sidestepped the Marvel Studios tradition of a mid- and post-credits scene, they did indulge in another favorite of Kevin Feige’s – an elaborate main-on-end title sequence, in which characters (and the actors who portray them) are presented as larger-than-life icons! As the camera swirls around, the various characters are shown as three-dimensional metallic statues. It’s very Marvel Studios end credits and very cool.
But there still might be more “Gray Man” adventures?
Probably! It’s Netflix’s most ambitious and most expensive movie ever, with a budget north of $200 million. While it’s unclear what internal metrics it will have to clear in order to be considered a success (and to have spin-offs and sequels ordered), there are certainly enough possibilities introduced in “The Gray Man” to warrant more installments.
Plus the fact that the film is based on a series of spy novels featuring Gosling’s titular Gray Man means there’s plenty more material to mine.
