You’re Going to Have to Explain the ‘Spider-Man’ Post-Credits Scene to Your Kids

After finishing off Avengers: Endgame with a definitive and decidedly sweet ending, the next big Marvel movie — Spider-Man: Far From Home — will return to Marvel’s diabolic plans to get you to sit through the credits for extra scenes. Are there post-credits scenes for Spider-Man: Far From Home and do that matter? The answer is a big yes. And, this time, parents will probably have to explain the significance of the scene to their kids.

Spoilers ahead!

It’s hard to know which of these facts feels more surreal:

1. Tom Holland has been in five Marvel movies as Spider-Man at this point
2. It’s only been five years since Andrew Garfield was in his second Spider-Man movie; which also starred Jamie Foxx getting bitten by electric eels.
3. 2019 marks twelve years since Tobey Maguire did his emo-Spider-Man dance routine in Spider-Man 3.

Feeling old yet? If so, there’s some very good news about Spider-Man: Far From Home. The post-credits scene is basically made for olds! If you remember seeing the first Tobey Maguire Spidey-flick like the same year you were able to legally buy alcohol for the first time (or maybe even before) then this post-credits scene is for you. And that’s because J.K. Simmons returns as the newspaper editor of the Daily Bugle; J. Jonah Jameson. That’s right! The guy who you loved in Whiplash is back as the character he made famous in three Sam Raimi-directed Spider-Man movies! So yeah, if you’re kids don’t understand this scene, luckily you do and you can explain it to them. In other words, if you’re asked “who was that old guy being mean to Spider-Man” you already know the answer. It’s this guy!

The return of Simmons as this character is somewhat unprecedented because usually, actors don’t play the same characters they did in previous versions of superhero movies that have been “rebooted.” In other words, it’s not like Michael Caine is going to play Alfred in the Robert Pattison Batman movie. But what does it mean? In the movie, Mysterio makes it seem like there’s no way to get to the multiverse, but now it seems like the multiverse is leaking into the “regular” Marvel Movie Universe. How else could J.K. Simmons get into this universe!

This might not as Endgame-level as some thought, but if you’re of a certain age, it’s very, very cool. And, now is the perfect time to rewatch all the “old” Spider-Man movies with your kids.

Spider-Man: Far From Home is out in theaters on July 2, which is, friendly reminder, is a Tuesday.