Uncharted end credits explained: What next for Nathan Drake?

But before we get to that, we should probably go over a scene that’s almost a post-credits scene – one of the very last shots of the movie has us catch up with someone who appears to be Nate’s (Tom Holland) lost brother Sam, who was previously described as dead following a gunfight years before with villain Braddock (Tati Gabrielle).

Now, it appears that Sam is alive and in a foreign jail. Writing another postcard to Nate with a hidden message (a key plot point earlier in the film) within his cell, Sam gives his little brother a warning to watch his back…but what could he be referring to? Could Nate’s new treasure-hunting pal Sully (Mark Wahlberg) have landed Sam in jail, and lied to Nate about him being dead? Or is there someone else Nate should watch out for?

For now, it remains a mystery. Though based on the real end credits scene later on, Nate’ll certainly have plenty of dangerous people to watch out for…

Uncharted end credits scene

The proper post credits scene takes place some time later, as Nate cuts a deal with a shady, eyepatch-wearing gangster named Gage (played by Game of Thrones’ Pilou Asbæk) in a sweaty overseas bar. In return for a “Nazi map”, Nate will hand over the ring he wears around his neck, inscribed with the Latin phrase “Sic Parvis Magna”, aka “Greatness from Small Beginnings”.

Gage, of course, tries to double-cross Nate – but Nate double-crosses him right back, thanks to the timely arrival of Sully who holds Gage and his men at gunpoint. At this point, Wahlberg’s version of Sully looks closer to his video game counterpart than he does at other points in the film, with the character’s familiar moustache, shirt style and cigar (courtesy of Nate) all present for the first time.

And Nate also notes that Gage’s boss is called “Roman”, wondering aloud why he’s so desperate to get his hands on Nate’s ring anyway. This should ring some bells for fans, as Gabriel Roman was one of the main villains of the first Uncharted game, pursuing Nate and Sully as they tried to find El Dorado and the tomb of Francis Drake.

In the game, Francis Drake’s coffin is found by transcribing coordinates from Nate’s ring, which once belonged to the great explorer Sir Francis before Nate got his hands on it. The game also includes a wrecked Nazi U-boat, and it’s revealed that a group of German soldiers had tried and failed to track down El Dorado themselves, meeting their deaths in the process.

Taken all together – Roman, the need for the ring, the “Nazi map” – it’s a lot of clues that Uncharted’s next move might be to adapt Drake’s Fortune, abandoning the prequel treatment used in this first film in favour of straight game story adaptation in a possible sequel.

It doesn’t quite line up, of course. Nate and Sully are still a bit too young to fit with the story, the circumstances of their involvement are different and some crucial details appear to have been changed. It could be that this is part of the adaptation process, or it’s possible that this scene was intended as a nod to the first game’s story without committing to a direct recreation down the line (ie, they don’t necessarily have to follow this story in a sequel).

However, the final shot of the credits sequence, which sees Nate and Sully react with horror at some new threat that comes their way, leaves things on enough of a cliffhanger to suggest that Sony is hoping to pick up this story thread at some point in the future. And if you are desperate to see what happens next, good news – I have a 15-year-old PlayStation game to sell you.

Read more Uncharted content:

• Uncharted review: Just play the game, it’s better
• Meet the cast of video game adaptation Uncharted

Uncharted is in UK cinemas now. For more, check out our dedicated Movies page or our full TV Guide.

The latest issue of Radio Times is on sale now – subscribe now to get each issue delivered to your door. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to the Radio Times podcast with Jane Garvey.