Almost every comic book movie out there holds a few “Easter eggs,” those little hidden treasures that give a wink and a nod to the storied history of the comics, and DC movies are definitely no exception. You’d think that Easter eggs have only been a recent phenomenon, but they’ve actually been popping up since the earliest comic book films.
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So we’re taking a look back at everything from Superman to the most recent additions in the DCEU to unearth the 10 Best DC Movie Easter Eggs!
Check out our video at the top of the article to see what we picked, and leave a comment here if you wanna talk about any that we didn’t list!
10. Superman
Kicking off our list at No. 10 actually belongs to the comic book movie that started it all. 1978’s Superman. Until Richard Donner and Christopher Reeve came along, superheroes had been relegated to television shows and serials. Back then, Superman was advertised as being “more powerful than a locomotive” and Superman paid tribute to that history with this scene, when a young Lois Lane sees Clark Kent running alongside the train. Not only that, but her parents are played by Kirk Alyn and Noel Neill, the first actors to play Superman and Lois in the 1948 serial.
9. Justice League
Our next pick comes from the end credits scene in Justice League. Not only do we get our first look at Deathstroke, which is awesome on its own, but Lex Luthor asks: “Shouldn’t we have a league of our own?” which everyone who reads the comics knows will inevitably lead to either the Legion of Doom or the Injustice League.
8. Superman Returns
At No. 8, we’ve got an easter egg from Superman Returns. In this movie, a continuation of the Christopher Reeve universe, Lois has a son named Jason who might just be the illegitimate son of Superman himself. And in this scene, when he’s going to bed, you can see he’s wearing Aquaman pajamas, proving the existence of the King of Atlantis.
7. The Dark Knight Rises
No. 7 happened in The Dark Knight Rises. John Blake was practically Batman’s sidekick for most of the film, but a fun little “wink, wink” moment happened at the end, when it’s revealed that John’s actual full name is – what else? – Robin John Blake.
6. Batman V. Superman
No. 6 is a clever easter egg that goes down in Batman V. Superman, a fun nod to director Zack Snyder’s other comic book adaptations. During the fight between Batman and Superman, you can spot graffiti on the background, a phrase that says “Quis custodiet ipsos custodes” which is Latin for “Who watches the Watchmen?” This also ties into an Easter egg you’ll see a short while later on this list.
5. Man of Steel
No. 5 is Man of Steel. While there were several easter eggs in this movie that referenced Lex Luthor and Booster Gold, the best ones foreshadowed the arrival of Batman, such as when we see the Wayne Enterprises logo on this satellite, or during this fight when we see a poster on the wall that says “Keep Calm and Call Batman,” which is what Warner Bros does anytime a DC movie bombs.
4. Batman
No. 4 comes to us from 1989’s Batman. When reporter Alexander Knox is discussing the existence of “the Batman,” he’s handed a sarcastic sketch artist rendition of a bat dressed in a dapper suit. And if you notice the signature, it was drawn by none other than Bob Kane, the notorious co-creator of the Dark Knight himself.
3. Suicide Squad
In the third spot is the classic Harley costume in Suicide Squad. For most of the movie, Harley has her own look, but in a flashback, we do get a brief shot of her hanging out with puddin’ while in her classic Jester suit. What makes this easter egg all the more fun is that it’s a clear homage to the cover of Batman: Harley Quinn #1, a now iconic cover painted by the legendary Alex Ross.
2. Batman v. Superman
At No. 2 we have Robin’s suit in Batman v Superman. Very little explanation was given when Bruce sadly observes the defaced costume of Robin, but if you know anything about the history of the Boy Wonder, you know this is most likely a nod to the death of Jason Todd, Robin #2, who was brutally murdered by the Joker, an event that further cemented the Clown Prince of Crime as Batman’s arch nemesis.
1. Watchmen
But the best easter egg has to go to Watchmen and most of you probably didn’t even realize why. In the opening credits, we see a slow motion shot of Night Owl punching out some random bad guy in front of a theater. But upon closer inspection, he’s not so random as we see posters of Batman #1 hanging up on the wall behind him, the issue that revealed Bruce’s origin, and to the left, confirmation that the scene is happening in Gotham. Plus, coming out of the theatre are a dapper couple who look conspicuously like the Waynes, meaning that in this timeline, Night Owl punched out Joe Chill and saved the day, preventing the Dark Knight from ever existing!
