‘Independence Day: Resurgence’ After-Credits Scene: Is It Worth Staying Until The Very End Of This Summer’s Alien Invasion Blockbuster?

Viewers who see Independence Day: Resurgence will want to know if there’s an after-credits scene, something to reward them for sitting through all two hours and nine minutes of alien disaster.

The after-credits scene — known in the movie industry as a stinger — is a common feature of summer action movies. Tucked all the way at the end where only the die-hard viewers will wait, this scene can give an extra bit of information or closure about a certain plot line or character and sometimes is used to preview a coming movie in a series.

Marvel is great at these, utilizing two different end-credits scenes to each of its movies to give viewers a glimpse of the superhero movies set to come next in the ever-expanding universe. But beyond this superhero franchise, it’s spotty whether movies or directors utilize an after-credits scene.

[Warning: Independence Day: Resurgence spoilers ahead]

But fans hoping to see an after-credits scene in Independence Day: Resurgence will be better served packing up their empty popcorn bag and soda cup and heading for the exits. According to AfterCredits, a site that tirelessly compiles lists of which movies have a stinger, there is nothing at the end of the latest Independence Day movie — no scene during the credits itself, and nothing at the end.

That was the story with the first Independence Day movie, which wrapped up all the action before the credits rolled. But even without the extra scene at the end of Independence Day: Resurgence, there are still plenty of extra bits for fans of the series, including plenty of call-backs to the original 1996 movie. This includes skeletons of the original aliens (which can be seen in the trailer).

The Richest has a full rundown of other references that fans may have missed, including a nod to some classic alien invasion movies like The Day The Earth Stood Still and other 1990s action movies like Jurassic Park.

The movie is the sequel to the 1996 blockbuster Independence Day, a groundbreaking movie of sorts that ushered in a new series of urban destruction summer action movies. As Den of Geek noted, there was an entire sub-genre of movies that came as a result of the blueprint created by Independence Day.

Released in 1996, Independence Day marked something of a crossroads in the evolution of summer movies. Its ensemble cast and city-wide destruction anticipated the 21st century wave of effects-driven blockbusters: it’s possible to see elements of Independence Day in Michael Bay’s Transformers movies, Guillermo del Toro’s Pacific Rim, Marvel’s Avengers and DC-Warner’s Man Of Steel.

The latest movie also exists in a world heavily influenced by the alien invasion thwarted in the original Independence Day. It is set in modern times, but the world is fused with technology taken from the alien ships left over from the failed attack on Earth.

Independence Day: Resurgence director Roland Emmerich told Den of Geek that the humor and intricately put-together action scenes have helped the original movie hold up very well, and set the stage for the eventual sequel.

That’s a little bit of the reason why I said, “I think we should do a sequel,” because it felt that the mixture of humour, the disaster element, alien invasion… it’s used a lot in the Marvel universe. And because of that…. I think, when people kept saying to me, “Wow, Independence Day holds up so well.” I think it’s exactly that. It’s like the elements felt very familiar to people.

Emmerich also said he is happy to bring back an old-school, aliens-attacking-earth summer blockbuster in an age when studios only seem interested in making superhero movies. He said that his 1990s action movies — which include Universal Soldier and Stargate along with Independence Day — would be a lot harder to get made today.

“If there isn’t a cape, or like, some funny clothes or superpowers, you’re going to have a hard time these days,” he said. “Or at least, it has to be a famous youth novel or something like that. I wish the film industry could see that this can lead to disaster, because there are still shrinking audiences.”

While there isn’t an after-credits scene in Independence Day: Resurgence to reward fans, Emmerich is sure to give enough interesting scenes during the two hours or so of running time to make up for it.

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