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Iron Lung, the 2026 sci-fi horror adaptation of the cult indie video game directed, written, and starred in by YouTuber Mark Fischbach (aka Markiplier), leaves audiences stunned with one of the most haunting endings of recent genre cinema. The closing moments are bleak, ambiguous, and laden with symbolism. It prompts the viewers to ask what exactly happened to the protagonist, whether his mission succeeded, and what the final visuals signify.
What Happens In The Final Scene Of The Iron Lung Movie?
The climax of Iron Lung shows protagonist Simon trapped in the eponymous Iron Lung submarine. It is a tiny, welded-shut vessel sent to explore an ocean made of human blood on the desolate moon AT-5. Throughout the mission, Simon deals with hallucinations, rising terror, and increasing physical degradation as the sub fills with organic matter and fleshy tendrils.
In the climax, Simon uncovers critical data from an earlier submarine (SM-8) that gives him a clue about the information that might help humanity survive after the apocalyptic event known as the Quiet Rapture, which left most stars and habitable planets vanished.
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However, communications from above make it clear that help is not coming; Ava, the surface commander, tells him she cannot rescue him. Simon is faced with a choice: save himself or ensure the data survives.
not enough people are talking about the final still from the iron lung credits pic.twitter.com/8MrWohN6SF
— michele ❥ (@macheteplier) February 3, 2026
Simon chooses to attach the black box containing SM-8’s data to a life vest buoy and sabotages the Iron Lung’s hull so it will implode under deep-sea pressure, destroying both the submarine and himself.
The final image shows the life vest floating on the surface of the blood ocean, its beacon blinking. This suggests that the data might eventually be found, though Simon has paid the ultimate price.
Does Simon Survive?
No, Simon does not survive. The submarine’s destruction, triggered by his own actions, ends with the hull collapsing under intense pressure. Both Simon and the creature that has been lurking in the ocean perish in the implosion. The focus shifts to the life vest and the intact black box, implying that while Simon’s life ends, the data, and the hope it represents, may endure.
This reflects a core theme of cosmic horror: in an uncaring universe, sacrifice may not guarantee salvation, but it can create a slender possibility for others. The life vest’s blinking beacon stands as a symbol of that fragile hope amid overwhelming despair.
Unlike many contemporary genre films, Iron Lung does not include a post-credit scene or mid-credits stinger. The story concludes with the life vest on the blood ocean’s surface and then moves directly into the standard credit roll. This reinforces the film’s themes of isolation and unresolved cosmic terror.
If you’re interpreting the ending as bleak, ambiguous, or symbolic, that’s by design. The movie doesn’t offer a “happy ending” in a conventional sense; instead, it emphasizes sacrifice, uncertainty, and the indifference of the universe, trademarks of cosmic horror that distinguish Iron Lung from more straightforward sci-fi narratives.
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