Does 'Glass' have an after-credits scene? Audiences surely expect one

Before we begin, here's the answer you came for: No. Once "Glass" ends, it ends. There's no post-credits scene. That's it. Donezo. Caput. Finished.

That might be disappointing to you, a fan who probably Googled this exact topic to learn whether you should sit around as the credits roll. At an early screening of the movie, an entire theater in Washington, D.C., sat in excitement for the after-credits scene.

That makes sense. After all, "Split," the second movie in this M. Night Shyamalan trilogy, included a shocking, pivotal bonus scene - one hinting that the movie took place in the greater "Unbreakable" universe.

Disappointed as you might be, it's worth sitting through the credits to read this article - which, if we may say so ourselves, offers a lovely (read: brief) history of post-credits scenes.

They have become so common that they're almost expected, particularly following superhero movies, a genre that "Glass" attempts to upend. Generally used to tease the next installment of a series, the scenes work well in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, which stretches across 20 movies.

They're so popular that YouTube is packed with growing compilations of them.

At the end of "Black Panther," for example, the audience learns the whereabouts of Bucky - who hadn't been seen since the end of "Captain America: Civil War."

But these kind of finales existed long before superhero movies were bankable. Many, including the aptly named website "What's After the Credits?," point to the 1966 Dean Martin-starring James Bond spoof "The Silencers" as having the first post-credits scene. It shows Martin's Matt Helm lounging in bed with several lingerie-sporting women. Text appears on the screen: "Coming up next: Matt Helm meets Lovey Kravezit in Murderer's Row," after which Helm shouts "Oh, my God" and buries his head in his palms.

Some credit the original, 1960 version of "Ocean's 11," because the credits roll over footage of the be-suited heist men walking along the street, but it doesn't actually include any new information or jokes.

The most important early post-credits scene arguably came in 1979 with "The Muppet Movie." The credits roll over footage of the Muppets hanging out and happily partying. When they finish, Animal, left in center frame, opens his eyes and yells: "Go home! Go home!"

A trend was born.

Post-credits scenes became particularly popular in comedies during the 1980s. The one in "Airplane!" finds a man who was left sitting in a cab at the beginning of the film still waiting for his driver to return. "I will give him another 20 minutes, but that's it!" he exclaims, as the meter shows he owes more than $100.

Then there's the famous scene at the end of "Ferris Bueller's Day Off," in which Matthew Broderick's Bueller walks out of a room and looks out at the audience.

"You're still here?" he asks. "It's over. Go home!"

These types of post-credits scenes remained prominent throughout the '90s, but then others began foreshadowing sequels. The first few attempts failed - characters in 1987's "Masters of the Universe" and 1985's "Young Sherlock Holmes" promise to return in different ways, only to never be seen on screen again.

Soon after that, the teaser post-credit scene became almost commonplace, appearing in everything from such children's movies as "Shrek" and "Spy Kids" to blockbusters like "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets" and several films in the "Fast and Furious" franchise.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe is what really taught audiences that remaining in the theater was a worthwhile way to spend their time. And it was an intentional move by Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige.

"I always liked (post-credit scenes), whether it's 'Ferris Bueller' or 'Masters of the Universe,'" he told Slash Film in 2017. "As a film nerd, I never wanted it to end. ... So I would always sit through all the credits and you're about two-thirds of the way through and it's like, oh should I go? Well maybe there's, I mean, that one time there was something in that movie. Maybe there'll be something on this movie. And there never was. Almost never was. So when I started making movies, I'd be like, 'That'd be fun to do.' "

With such history behind the post-credits scene, it's surprising "Glass" doesn't conclude with one. Shyamalan's film spends most of its running time attempting to tear superhero convention apart, only to put it back together again. Perhaps leaving out a post-credits scene was part of his commentary - or perhaps he had nothing left to say.

Either way, rest assured that "The Avengers: Endgame" is coming later this year, and it's sure to whet any fans left with unsatiated appetites for a post-credits doozy.