Cruella created Disney’s biggest-ever retcon when its end-credits scene revised the plot of 101 Dalmatians. Supposedly the origin story for the one of Disney’s most infamous villains, Cruella never fully explains how Estella becomes the bloodthirsty puppy-killer who appears in the 1961 animated classic. The end-credits scene is even more problematic, raising questions about foundational facts of 101 Dalmatians.
In Cruella’s short end-credits scene, two Dalmatian puppies appear on the doorsteps of Anita, a journalist, and Roger, a lawyer-turned-composer. The puppies, of course, are revealed to be Pongo and Perdita, the two main characters of 101 Dalmatians. As the camera zooms out, Roger starts composing the movie’s signature song, crooning, “Cruella de Vil. Cruella de Vil. If she doesn’t scare you, no evil thing will.”
The movie’s short tag hammers in a point that, up till the end, had been arguable. Cruella, like many recent live-action remakes, completely ignores Disney canon in favor of telling a more nuanced story. DC’s Joker did the same thing in 2019, prompting fans to criticize its compete disregard of Batman canon. The changes to Cruella’s backstory make her a more sympathetic character, but undermine her villainous nature and ruin 101 Dalmatians.
Cruella Gives Pongo To Roger & Perdita To Anita In The End-Credits Scene
In the original 1961 movie 101 Dalmatians, aspiring songwriter Roger Radcliffe and his love interest Anita each coincidentally own a unique breed of dog — the Dalmatian. That connection is the major force that brings the two together, as Pongo searches the street to find a suitable love match for himself and Roger. The fact that the dogs are revealed to be gifts from Cruella imposes a new meaning on the movie. Was buying back Pongo and Perdita’s puppies part of Cruella’s plan all along? She signs her notes to Anita and Roger, “See you soon,” suggesting she has a future agenda. But how could she know Anita and Roger would meet? Did she facilitate it in some way?
Cruella’s end-credits scene makes her mission to buy the puppies in 101 Dalmatians a strange sort of reclamation. It makes sense in some ways — Cruella may feel she has a right to the puppies after gifting their parents to Roger and Anita. But what makes her want to turn them into fur coats? In the end-credits scene, Cruella’s gifting of Pongo and Perdita seems like heartfelt thank-you to two friends who helped her achieve her goals. It suggests Cruella’s feelings about Dalmatians have changed, as she gives two innocent puppies to loving homes. Cruella’s revisionist history also makes Pongo and Perdita quasi-siblings, part of the same litter of puppies that one of the Baroness’ Dalmatians presumably gave birth to. Most of the movie argues that nurture beats nature, but it’s still a little odd that such good-natured animals are the children of a vicious attack dog.
Roger Has A History With Cruella (& Wrote The Song Before 101 Dalmatians)
The biggest inconsistency between Cruella and 101 Dalmatians is the history the 2021 film creates between Cruella and Roger. The movie’s end-credits scene confirms Cruella’s Roger, who was the lawyer for the Baroness before being fired, is the same character as Roger in 101 Dalmatians. Cruella mentions during the movie that Roger blames her for being fired, foreshadowing their future enmity. In 101 Dalmatians, however, the two don’t seem to have a strong relationship. The movie suggests Cruella and Anita have a shared history, with their relationship shown to be the distant politeness of former acquaintances. Roger seems to know Cruella only through Anita.
In a key moment, Roger’s interactions with Cruella during the 2021 live-action Disney film are used to explain the origins of his hit song, “Cruella de Vil.” In fact, he starts composing the song during the end-credits scene, rather than spontaneously writing it before Cruella’s visit in 101 Dalmatians. The change subverts Roger’s character development in 1961 animated movie, where he goes from aspiring songwriter to professional success. In 101 Dalmatians, it’s Roger’s conflict with Cruella that inspires him to finally pen a hit. Cruella reveals that inspiration struck Roger much earlier in the Disney timeline, raising the question — if Roger had a good song to sell, why was he sitting on it all this time?
Cruella’s End-Credits Scenes Completely Change 101 Dalmatians
Cruella‘s end-credits scene is revisionist, changing the plot and meaning of 101 Dalmatians. If Anita and Roger both have strong relationships with Cruella pre-101 Dalmatians, why isn’t that explored in the movie? Cruella is meant to explain how Estella becomes the Disney villain, but the end-credits scene doesn’t close the gap in the timeline. Instead, it just puts a new spin on Roger and Anita’s characters that complicates their interactions with Cruella and means their roles in 101 Dalmatians no longer make sense.
The end-credits scene raises multiple new questions about the plot of 101 Dalmatians that must be answered in Cruella 2. If the sequel is a remake of Disney’s animated classic, presumably told from Cruella’s perspective, it will likely explore her connection to Anita and Roger more deeply and put a different spin on their relationships given the new point of view. At the end of Cruella, she and Anita are friends — so why does that change? Does Roger really have a grudge against Cruella he hopes to avenge in the future? Does Cruella have a long-term plan in which she hopes to again get the help of Anita and Roger?
Of course, the one overriding question is: How does Cruella become the villain of 101 Dalmatians? Throughout the 2021 movie, Cruella brushes against evil, but never truly embraces it. At one point, she suggests killing the Baroness’ Dalmatians to make a coat, later appearing in a spotted dress suggesting she did just that. The shocking reveal doesn’t last long, however. In the very next scene, Disney plays the “just kidding” card, avoiding the moral quagmire that is skinning puppies for fashion. Cruella enjoys the post-fashion show scandal that paints her as an anti-establishment criminal, but it turns out she doesn’t truly have the heart to kill dogs. This play with perspective and reputation could carry on into the sequel, should it happen.
Cruella’s end-credits scene also suggest she has started breeding Dalmatians, overcoming her childhood fear and adult hatred of the breed. What are her plans for the Dalmatian puppies? Is her determination to make a Dalmatian fur coat in 101 Dalmatians the fulfillment of an aspiration held over from Cruella? If so, why? Cruella ends with the defeat of the Baroness and a conclusion to Cruella’s emotional arc. After reconnecting with her family (Jasper and Horace) and moving into a new home, what sends Cruella back over the edge into madness?
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