Detective Pikachu introduces fans to Ryme City, a place where humans and Pokemon live side-by-side, rather than as trainer and trainee as in the games and other stories. But though it seems like a standalone story of its own, Detective Pikachu actually connects to Pokemon: The First Movie, making it part of the larger Pokemon franchise. (It might also be part of the Home Alone universe.)
With Detective Pikachu coming on the heels of the release of Avengers: Endgame, the culmination of 11 years of Marvel Cinematic Universe movies, one can’t help but wonder: Is Detective Pikachu part of a burgeoning cinematic universe as well? After all, the movie links up to one released 20 years ago, and we already know that a Detective Pikachu sequel has a writer. There could easily be a teaser for another sequel included with Detective Pikachu.
So does Detective Pikachu take a page from the MCU and throw in a post-credits coda scene, or are you free to leave your seat as soon as the credits roll?
The good news (or bad news, depending on your point of view) is that you don’t need to stay in your seat once Pikachu inevitably cracks the case–there’s no post-credits scene at the end of Detective Pikachu, and you won’t miss anything if you cut out before the end of the credits.
Of course, that doesn’t mean there aren’t possible hooks for a sequel in the movie. Check out our Detective Pikachu ending explainer for a rundown of what happens at the conclusion, and what hanging threads could potentially need solving in a future movie. You might also want to read our full Detective Pikachu review and check out how Ryan Reynolds originally wanted to play Pikachu–it could have turned out very differently. We’ve also catalogued all the Pokemon Easter eggs, references, and inside jokes we spotted, and every Pokemon that made it into the movie. You can watch our video breakdown of the movie, read a report from Detective Pikachu’s movie set, and find out about the Pokemon Go tie-in event that’s happening this week.