Moana 2 Post-Credits Scene Explained: The Disney Sequel Takes A Cue From Marvel

Warning, landlubbers! If the headline didn't give it away, this article contains major spoilers for "Moana 2."

We've seen our favorite characters sail across the ocean, help the demigod Maui (Dwayne Johnson) to restore the heart of Te Fiti, and save Moana's (Auli'i Cravalho) people and bring them back to their seafaring roots — now, "Moana 2" has teed them up for their biggest challenge yet. The long-awaited sequel has all the makings of unleashing a massive storm at the box office this Thanksgiving weekend, which means fans will soon be flocking to theaters to catch the blockbuster and judge for themselves whether it can live up to the sky-high expectations set by the 2016 original. All signs seem to be pointing that way (as you can see from /Film's review by BJ Colangelo), setting up this franchise as a juggernaut for years to come. Next up will be the live-action remake, which we recently caught a glimpse of with various set photos. But what about a potential third animated film?

As revealed in the first reactions for "Moana 2," there is a major post-credits scene attached to the end of the movie ... and it sure seems like it's teasing something big. The first "Moana" included a fun nugget for fans who stuck around during the end credits, revisiting the shiny-obsessed crab Tamatoa (voiced by the great Jemaine Clement) as he's left all alone in his monstrous lair after his earlier run-in with Moana and Maui. That stinger was played entirely for laughs — he even fires a shot at his fellow Disney crustacean Sebastian from "The Little Mermaid," hilariously enough — but the same can't be said for the one in "Moana 2." Yes, it includes a very familiar face playing a very similar comedic role as before. But, for the most part, it seems to indicate that the "Moana" franchise is taking its cues from Marvel and setting up a third movie to come.

"Moana 2" is a very straightforward movie, taking place a few years after the first movie (to account for the introduction of Moana's younger sister Simea, voiced by newcomer Khaleesi Lambert-Tsuda) and reuniting most of the main cast for another adventure at sea, but not everything gets wrapped up in a neat and tidy bow by the end. Moana is joined by a trio of new faces to make up her new crew, but the most significant character added to the ensemble would have to be the wild card of Matangi (Awhimai Fraser). We first meet her after she's imprisoned Maui, who is attempting to open up a mystical "portal" to the gods that will bring them to the lost island paradise of Motufetu. Unbeknownst to our heroes, Matangi is currently forced to do the bidding of the fearsome god of storms Nalo, who will stop at nothing to prevent our Wayfinder Moana from uniting her scattered people from across the sea and diminishing his power. Matangi chooses to help Moana during her journey anyway, risking Nalo's wrath, but we don't actually see the consequences of this choice ... until the mid-credits scene, that is.

We return to the antagonist-turned-friend Matangi as she's brought before the vengeful Nalo, now seen for the first time in the flesh as if he were Thanos himself during the mid-credits tease of 2012's "The Avengers." It's beyond clear that the god has only faced a temporary setback by Moana and her friends, rather than a wholesale defeat. The ominous threats he hurls at Matangi might as well feel like a promise on the part of directors David G. Derrick Jr., Jason Hand, and Dana Ledoux Miller that he'll be returning to wreak even more havoc in another sequel down the line — that is until Tamatoa interrupts the two to offer his own services against Moana and Maui. A potential threequel uniting Nalo and Tamatoa against our heroes so they can team up with Matangi again? Yes, please!

There's no word on "Moana 3" getting the official green light, to be clear, but the early box office projections are certainly promising. Until then, you can catch "Moana 2" in theaters right now.