The third act used to be where movies cemented their legacy. It was where stakes peaked, characters evolved and audiences left feeling fulfilled. Now, it’s where many blockbusters pump the brakes, drop a few breadcrumbs and cue the credits — just in time for a mid-credits scene to point toward the next installment. Welcome to the era of the vanishing third act.
Modern franchises seem less interested in telling a full story than in building out a cinematic universe. Final showdowns often feel incomplete, emotional arcs stall mid-flight and resolutions are postponed in favor of sequel bait. A film’s end is no longer its conclusion — it’s a trailer for the next chapter. Take recent superhero entries or franchise juggernauts: instead of climaxing with a definitive victory or failure, they end with questions. Who’s that shadowy figure watching from a rooftop? What’s that glowing object someone tucked into their pocket? Where did Tony Stark come from to meet with General Ross? These aren’t payoffs — they’re cliffhangers in disguise.
There’s logic to the shift. Studios want returning viewers. Ongoing storylines drive streaming buzz and extended merchandising. Teasing a sequel is a marketing strategy in a world where intellectual properties are king. But in chasing the long game, many films forget the satisfaction of a proper ending. This trend isn’t limited to tentpole films either. Even genre thrillers and sci-fi indies increasingly pull the rug out in the third act, swapping resolution for ambiguity or the hint of a second installment that may never come. It’s a gamble that rarely pays off for storytelling purists.
Of course, some films do manage to tease future narratives while delivering a meaningful ending — Dune and The Batman come to mind. But those are the exceptions, not the rule. A great third act doesn’t just close a story — it echoes after the credits roll. Audiences can spot when a film pulls its punches and over time, the lack of narrative closure may undermine the very loyalty studios are trying to cultivate. The question is no longer “How will it end?” but “What’s next?” And maybe that’s the problem.
