Here's what happens in the end credits of 'Aquaman'

Spoilers for Aquaman ahead.

You didn't think Aquaman would be the last we'd see of Aquaman, did you?

Nope — in typical superhero fashion, his big solo movie has a mid-credits stinger setting up a sequel. Here's what happens in the Aquaman end credits, and what it means for potential future Aquaman films.

What happens in the Aquaman end credits

Black Manta (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II), whom we last saw getting destroyed in battle against Aquaman, is rescued from the middle of the ocean by Dr. Stephen Shin (Randall Park), whom we last saw spouting wild conspiracy theories about the existence of Atlanteans on live TV.

When Black Manta comes to again, he's recovering on a bed in an unfamiliar room papered with articles about Aquaman. Stephen is there, examining Black Manta's armor. "Atlantean tech, isn't it?" he says. "Could you tell me how you got it?"

"Sure, but first, you gotta tell me how to find them," responds Black Manta. He throws a knife at the wall, and it sticks into an article headlined "Who is Aquaman?"

What the Aquaman end credits scene means

Well, it's clear that Black Manta isn't done terrorizing Aquaman. Expect him to return for the sequel. But you probably already guessed that based on the fact that we never saw a body, didn't you?

More interesting is that this scene sets up Stephen Shin to play a larger role in the Aquaman storyline going forward.

In the comics, Stephen is a marine biologist who was friends with Tom Curry, and helped mentor Arthur when he was young. But he became obsessed with finding Atlantis, and eventually turned against Arthur when Arthur refused to reveal it to him.

While there's no indication that the film version of Stephen was friendly with the Currys, the fixation on Atlantis is clearly still there — and based on this scene, he seems willing to team up with Black Manta to satisfy his curiosity.