Directed by Elizabeth Banks from a screenplay by Jimmy Warden, Cocaine Bear aims to entertain and, while it has a rather conclusive ending, does it tease what might come next in a post-credits scene? Cocaine Bear is loosely based on events that actually occurred in 1985, though the film gets quite creative in regard to what happened, as fiction is wont to do. Post-credits scenes have become the norm in many big movies, and they’re often used to hint at what’s to come in a sequel or simply thrown in for a bit of additional fun.
Cocaine Bear marks Banks’ return to directing after 2019’s Charlie’s Angels, which starred Kristen Stewart, Naomi Scott, and Ella Balinska. Cocaine Bear, however, strikes a different tone. When the action comedy’s trailer was released, it went viral, and the film itself was ready to ramp up the gore and utter absurdity that stems from, well, having a 175-pound bear intake so much cocaine and go on a rampage thereafter. Cocaine Bear — which stars Keri Russell, Solo: A Star Wars Story’s Alden Ehrenreich, and O’Shea Jackson Jr., and the late Ray Liotta — has received mostly positive reviews from critics, and it joins the plethora of films that include a post-credits scene.
Cocaine Bear Has Two Post-Credits Scenes
Cocaine Bear has not one, but two additional scenes after the film officially ends. The first arrives shortly after the screen goes black and right before the main credits begin rolling. The second comes at the film’s mid-credits point, and is meant to be more of a fun inclusion than the first post-credits scene, which is more of a teaser. Looked at separately, neither of Cocaine Bear’s post-credits scenes heavily imply a sequel, but it wouldn’t be out of the question considering where things leave off in the actual film. While Cocaine Bear doesn’t have a scene that comes after all the credits are done rolling, there is a nice treat for audiences.
The credits themselves are creative, with various colors of paint being splashed across the screen, a callback to the film. Cocaine Bear makes it the second time that the actress-turned-director has included a couple of post-credits scenes. Banks’ Charlie’s Angels movie had multiple post-credits scenes, and they included some great cameos as well. Charlie’s Angels was already established within a larger franchise, however, and the cameos in the action film were able to lean into that aspect, while adding to the world-building. Cocaine Bear is a standalone movie that chronicles one particular event, and the post-credits scenes add to the comedic absurdity of it all.
Will Cocaine Bear 2 Ever Happen?
Though screenwriter Jimmy Warden teased ideas for a sequel, he didn’t think Cocaine Bear would ever be made, so the film still works as a standalone. Not only does Warden have plenty of ideas for several Cocaine Bear sequels, it would allegedly conclude with Cocaine Bear in Space. The screenwriter believes the film’s story can continue being told, suggesting a promising future for a potential franchise. Universal is certainly hoping Cocaine Bear will be a hit with movie-goers, and if it’s as successful as M3GAN, then it’s not impossible to think Banks’ gory action comedy could also get a sequel (or two or three) at some point down the line.