Does Terminator: Dark Fate Have A Post-Credits Scene?

He's repeated that "I'll be back" promise frequently over the course of the Terminator franchise, but guess who's back for more in Terminator: Dark Fate?

If you answered anything but "Arnold Schwarzenegger," then consider your status as a Terminator fan wholly rebuked. Arnie is indeed back for another ride in the synthetic skin of his iconic T-800 terror machine — and for the first time in nearly three decades, he'll be appearing in a Terminator film with his old captain James Cameron (who produced Dark Fate) on board, and opposite his old The Terminator (1984) and Terminator 2: Judgement Day (1991) frenemy Linda Hamilton, who's ass-kicking Sarah Connor has been noticeably absent from the franchise since T2. 

The return of the trinity of talent that helped place the first two Terminator films among the greatest action flicks of all time would've been more than enough to pique the interest of Terminator fans, but the addition of Deadpool helmer Tim Miller instantly had franchise faithful clamoring to see the old gang and the new blood working together to blow stuff up in brand-new ways. That they'd be doing so with rising star Mackenzie Davis' badass new human-machine hybrid character Grace in tow seemed like icing on the cake. 

If you're wondering exactly what Linda, Grace, and the T-800 are blowing up in Terminator: Dark Fate, well, our initial guess would be anything in sight, and the film's explosive trailer certainly seems to back that up. If you're wondering why they're blowing all that stuff to bits, it's to protect a young woman named Dani Ramos, played by Natalia Reyes, whose wellbeing will somehow factor into the coming battle between man and machine. And anyone thinking, "Hey, didn't Sarah Connor stop Judgement Day at the end of T2?" would only be half right about that. It seems that the would-be savior of humanity only staved off the inevitable rise of the machines, which is apparently once again quite imminent in Dark Fate.

As for what we can actually expect from Miller's unexpected addition to the Terminator franchise, well, we're not entirely sure as of yet — but you can be certain that some big-time action is in order. 

All things considered, Terminator: Dark Fate is very much the sort of blockbuster flick one would expect to see in the heat of summer instead of in the fall. And since the film has that summertime blockbuster vibe, one might be wondering if Dark Fate will follow in the footsteps of so many blockbusters before it by having an after-credits stinger to set the stage for a possible sequel. So, does Terminator: Dark Fate have a post-credits scene?

We regret to inform you that Terminator: Dark Fate will not have any sort of post-credits scene — a fact confirmed by director Tim Miller in a recent interview with the folks at Fandango. Miller explained that he feels Marvel has cornered the market on post-credits madness. He succinctly summed up that sentiment by stating, "I love it, but I think it's a uniquely Marvel thing. So, no."

According to Miller, Terminator: Dark Fate will leave the sequel door open just enough, and doesn't need a post-credits scene smashing that door in. The director previously stated he believes there's enough story in Dark Fate for two movies, and Cameron himself has already fueled the sequel fires by noting that Dark Fate's initial conception was for a three-film arc. While both director and producer claim Terminator: Dark Fate effectively closes the book on Sarah Connor's narrative, Miller was quick to note in his chat with Fandango that the film sets the stage for what's to come.

"If you look at Terminator 2 from a slightly different angle, it opened up a lot of storylines because Sarah says, 'I don't know what happens next.' I think its hubris to say that we were trying to establish a new trilogy and that's what we set out to do," he stated. "But on the other hand, you certainly don't want to get caught flat-footed if the movie is successful, and you want to have some idea of where the story could go. And we certainly do open a lot of doors, but I don't feel like the movie ends in an unsatisfactory way, unless you thought Terminator 2 ended in an unsatisfactory way."

Most action fans would agree that Cameron's T2 ending was beyond perfect, and as Dark Fate is actually a direct sequel to that film, we can only hope Miller and co. manage to match that finale in terms of its open-door emotional closure. Either way, it certainly sounds like Miller and his Dark Fate crew may be back for a fresh run of R-rated, man-versus-machine madness — which should be more than welcome news for Terminator fans who've suffered through the recent string of underwhelming sequels. 

In Miller's own words, the state of a Dark Fate sequel will be directly tied to whether or not "the movie is successful." So if you end up liking what you see in Terminator: Dark Fate's world-expanding storyline, you should know that the only way these characters will "be back" is if the film breaks the box office upon release. Just for the record, that release date — November 1, to be exact — is rapidly approaching, so make sure you grab your tickets ASAP.