Jungle Cruise ending explained

What happens at the end of Disney's Jungle Cruise? Will Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt characters return?

Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt in Jungle Cruise

What happens at the end of Jungle Cruise? The new Disney movie is a wild ride, wherein Emily Blunt and Dwayne Johnson navigate the Amazon in search of the mysterious Tears of the Moon. On their trail are Prince Joachim (Jesse Plemons), and the deadly conquistador Aguirre (Edgar Ramírez).

It should come as no surprise that the heroes succeed, but not without some casualties. In a daring rush, the Tears of the Moon are protected, and evil thwarted. But what happened leaves some lingering questions that are worth answering, not to mention the possibilities for a Jungle Cruise 2, which seems all but inevitable at this point in time.

What were the Tears of the Moon? Who was Aguirre? What happens to Johnson’s character, Frank? Is there a sequel on the way? We’re not much for being captain of a ship, but we know movies, and we know how to break them down to help you understand them better. Strap in, and we’ll show you the sights of the Jungle Cruise ending.

What happens in the Jungle Cruise ending?

In the final act of the family movie, all parties converge at a hidden temple where the Tears of the Moon lay. Lily and Frank manage to solve the entrance puzzle, granting access to the great, ancient holding area, where the plant lays dormant. Naturally, everyone’s there right when the moon shines down perfectly for the tears to bloom.

Prince Joachim and Aguirre arrive, with Jack Whitehall’s MacGregor. The two sides begin fighting as the moonlight starts to wane, causing all the petals to wilt. Frank distracts Aguirre and his men by making it look like he has one of the last remaining pieces of the Tears of the Moon, but it’s a double-cross to ram the boat into the wall, damaging them both.

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Lily preserves an actual petal, and Prince Joachim is crushed under falling debris. The curse on Aguirre and Frank means they’re locked in the temple, but Lily decides to use the last petal to save Frank, and they all go back to London in the last scene.

What are the Tears of the Moon?

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They are petals from a special plant that’s essentially Disney’s Tree of Life. It’s hidden deep in the Amazon, protected by certain tribes who keep an arrowhead engraved with a map to its whereabouts. As explained in the opening narration, Aguirre tried to steal the arrowhead from tribal elders centuries ago. He failed and was cursed to never leave the river, but his efforts led to the object going missing and winding up in a museum in London.

The movie plays it light on actual specifics for what activates the leaves, but when the moon shines down on the tree in a particular way, it blooms pink flowers. These, when consumed, have incredible healing properties, to the point they can bring you back from the brink of death almost instantly.

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Lily wants to study this for humanitarian purposes to help the sick and frail, Prince Joachim wishes to use it to protect Imperial Germany’s armies in World War I. Neither gets to have their way, because only one petal is gleamed from their encounter with the mystical tree, and that’s used to save Frank.

Is there a Jungle Cruise post-credits scene?

No, there’s scene during or after the credits in Jungle Cruise 2. Instead, we get an artful rendition of all of the major actors, and more of James Newton Howard’s classical score.

Will there be a Jungle Cruise 2?

Right now, nothing has been confirmed, but Lily and Frank surviving in one piece and living together in London definitely leaves the door open for more. Jungle Cruise’s story is self-contained, in that everyone was after one thing, and they found it.

A second could really go anywhere. Maybe, since we got Frank’s backstory this time around, we’ll get Lily’s, or perhaps MacGregor’s. Whatever happens, hopefully it’ll have more wild boat stunts, and some more heavy metal to boot.