Stephen King’s “The Dark Tower” book series is expansive, and efforts to convert his magnum opus fantasy Western into a film have been going on for years. Now “The Dark Tower” movie is here, and while it’s getting some rough reviews, there’s still plenty of books and stories to adapt in the movie’s universe.
Clocking in at a brisk 94 minutes, you might not even be feeling the need to sprint for the restroom or stretch your legs by the time “The Dark Tower” wraps up. But if you’re wondering if the movie is looking to kick off a franchise by teasing future films with a post-credits scene, the way movies like those in the Marvel Cinematic Universe always do, wonder no more.
There’s no post-credits scene at the end of “The Dark Tower,” so you’re free to go when the credits roll. There is a bit of a hint that the movie franchise might continue if you wait for the screen to go black, though.
There are some light spoilers for “The Dark Tower” from here on out, so read with caution.
The teaser at the end of the credits is an audio one: It’s a person whistling — the implication being that the voice is that of Walter Padick, also known as the Man in Black, played by Matthew McConaughey.
At the end of “The Dark Tower,” the Man in Black and the Gunslinger, Roland (Idris Elba) finally have their showdown confrontation, matching Walter’s dark magic against Roland’s preternatural shooting capabilities. It’s a hard-fought battle, but as one might expect, Roland is eventually victorious, outsmarting Walter by ricocheting one bullet off another so that Walter can’t predict, and then catch, the incoming rounds.
The post-credits whistle is just enough to suggest that while Walter was defeated, he’s not gone, which tracks King’s books from which “The Dark Tower” is adapted. In the series, Walter is a major antagonist through multiple volumes. If there are going to be more movies in a “The Dark Tower” franchise, it’s safe to assume the Man in Black will be back for more.