‘Shazam!’ Director Confirms ‘Watchmen’ Easter Egg in New Trailer

Fans finally got their first look at the eagerly anticipated Shazam! movie with the first official trailer’s debut this weekend at San Diego Comic-Con. The trailer was full of incredible looks at Asher Angel’s Billy Batson and Zachary Levi’s Shazam, but it was also full of incredible DC Easter eggs — including one for Watchmen that the film’s director has now confirmed.

On Twitter earlier today, a sharp-eyed fan shared some screenshots from the trailer of the social worker’s desk practically littered in bright yellow smiley face items. The fan, who did not tag director David F. Sandberg, asked Twitter if they thought those might be Watchmen Easter eggs. Sure enough, Sandberg got wind of the post and replied with not just a confirmation but a better, more detailed look. You can check it out below.

As you can see, in Sandberg’s detail shot there is very clearly a variation of the Comedian’s iconic badge — best known as The Button — right there on the desk amid a giant cup of yo-yo’s, little toy paddle balls, bouncy balls, and what looks like a stress ball. While the Watchmen nod itself isn’t an exact match to The Button, it’s a pretty obvious nod as it’s the only smiley item with red splattered on it.

This confirmation of the Watchmen Easter egg is just the latest from Sandberg. He also took to Instagram to share a detailed look at one of the trailer’s Justice League-related surprises, a close up of a framed copy of the Daily Planet declaring “Superman is Back” in its headline. Although Sandberg didn’t provide detailed looks or close ups of all of the Easter eggs in the trailer, fans have spotted nods to Wonder Woman and Aquaman as well.

Shazam! is directed by Sandberg and stars Zachary Levi (Shazam), Mark Strong (Dr. Thaddeus Sivana), Djimon Hounsou (The Wizard), Jack Dylan Grazer (Freddy Freeman), Asher Angel (Billy Batson), Grace Fulton (Mary Bromfield), Ross Butler, Adam Brody, and Michelle Borth.

The official synopsis for Shazam! is below.

“We all have a superhero inside us, it just takes a bit of magic to bring it out. In Billy Batson’s (Angel) case, by shouting out one word—SHAZAM!—this streetwise 14-year-old foster kid can turn into the adult Super Hero Shazam (Levi), courtesy of an ancient wizard. Still a kid at heart—inside a ripped, godlike body—Shazam revels in this adult version of himself by doing what any teen would do with superpowers: have fun with them! Can he fly? Does he have X-ray vision? Can he shoot lightning out of his hands? Can he skip his social studies test? Shazam sets out to test the limits of his abilities with the joyful recklessness of a child. But he’ll need to master these powers quickly in order to fight the deadly forces of evil controlled by Dr. Thaddeus Sivana (Strong).”

Did you catch the Watchmen Easter egg in the trailer? Are there other Easter eggs you’ve spotted? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!

Shazam! will open in theaters on April 5, 2019.