The following contains spoilers for The Toxic AvengerThe Toxic Avenger‘s brutally comedic edge hides a pretty soft heart, which becomes apparent in the film’s surprisingly sweet ending. The latest entry in the cult classic franchise, The Toxic Avenger, is a hard-R reboot that leans heavily into the juvenile humor and gory fight scenes.
Empowered by toxic sludge and transformed into an unstoppable monstrous state, Peter Dinklage’s unᴀssuming everyman Winston is still just trying to do right by his step-son and fight back against the corporations that ruined his life and the world.
Despite the number of explosions, beheadings, and murders in The Toxic Avenger, the critically acclaimed remake actually has a pretty happy ending for the heroes and their loved ones.
Even the film’s clear tease for a potential sequel direction is filtered through another subversive gag about the industry and a chance for Dinklage’s soft-spoken nice guy to talk directly to the audience. Here’s how the Toxic Avenger ends, how it sets up a sequel, and the surprisingly sweet throughline of the brutal superhero riff.
Winston Gets A Happy Ending In Toxic Avenger
Winston’s happy ending at the conclusion of Toxic Avenger is an undisputed win for him and the other heroic characters in the film, all while setting up a happy (and potentially dangerous) future for the average Joe turned radioactive hero. Winston’s battle against Bob Garbinger and his criminal allies takes up much of the film’s second half after Winston’s transformation.
After surviving a mob hit, Garbinger’s experiments, and a brutal confrontation with the mutated CEO, Winston awakens to discover himself in a hospital. He’s safe, sound, considered a hero by the public, and (thanks to a woman he helped earlier who turns out to be a federal agent) will have his less savory actions effectively “swept under the rug.”
It’s overall a happy ending for Winston, with even his relationship to his step-son Wade improved by his newfound confidence. Winston is a hero by the community at large and specifically by Wade, Garbinger’s crimes have been exposed, and the heroes are accepted by a community that initially shunned them. It’s a fun ending after all the earlier bloodshed.
Toxic Avenger’s Post-Credits Scene Explained
The Toxic Avenger‘s post-credits scene does set up a future danger to bring back for a future movie — at first. Kissy Sturnevan is Bob’s primary ᴀssistant, helping carry out his whims and wishes. Although she’s initially hesitant about his decision to kidnap Wade, her ingestion of the same radioactive material that transformed Winston and Bob makes her more viciously villainous.
Kissy fights J.J., wounds Winston, and tries to have Wade killed. This all sets her up as just as dangerous (and potentially even more vindictive) than Bob. Although Bob is definitely killed in the film’s ending, Kissy is revealed in the post-credits tag to have survived. Although she’s injured, she’s already set up to be a returning villain.
This isn’t a bad direction for a prospective sequel of The Toxic Avenger to go in, especially if it means the potential follow-up brings back J.J. However, the post-credits scene then fizzles out into a different scene, where Winston talks directly to the audience about how to make a perfect grilled cheese.
Coupled with the film’s gag about making Toxic Avenger 2 if this film makes $1 billion domestically, it’s a poke at the general shape of intended franchises and pre-planned sequels. It’s a perfectly silly 4th-wall gag in a movie full of them, setting up a sequel while poking fun at the very concept of doing that in the first place.
How The Toxic Avenger Sets Up A Sequel
Still, it’s worth considering how The Toxic Avenger could potentially turn its strong critical reception into a potential sequel. The most obvious direction would be to bring back Kissy as a new villain, seeking revenge on Winston and his loved ones for bringing down Bob. Her transformation into a Joker-like state could become a major threat to the franchise.
Another lingering thread is Fritz, Bob’s put-upon brother and chief of security. Initially Bob’s ally, Fritz turned against him and helped save Wade. A sequel could explore his fate after surviving having his throat slashed by Bob, setting him up to either remain a friend of Winston’s family or set him up as a villain to take over Bob’s place.
A prospective sequel to The Toxic Avenger could also take more direct cues from previous films. Peter Dinklage’s version of the character is a reimagined take, without many of the elements present in previous versions (like a love interest). A sequel to The Toxic Avenger could bring in those elements, albeit in new ways to fit the fresh continuity.
The True Meaning Of Toxic Avenger
The Toxic Avenger is ultimately a very sweet story about a man trying to fight back against a society that has left him hopeless. Although the movie portrays the despair and dire circumstances of the world so far that it comes across as darkly comedic, The Toxic Avenger‘s world is a genuinely bleak one when the film opens.
By the end of the movie, the crowds who quickly ᴀssembled a mob are now celebrating Winston. The lies the corporation embraced have been exposed. The people, spurred on by Winston and his allies, have begun to fight back against a world that wants to be callous and cruel.
It’s symbolized hilariously through two reporters who appear throughout the film. While the female anchor tells the news and has empathy for Winston, the older male anchor complains and scaremongers about potential threats he could be related to. By the end of the movie, the female anchor tells him to shut up, Winston’s defiant influence spreading.
As a regular guy, Winston was nice enough. As a hero, Winston is unstoppable. He also inspires people to fight, too, despite their own circumstances, whether that be to expose the truth of a corporate cover-up or just go to a talent show. It gives the gruesome comedy of The Toxic Avenger a cute emotional core.
