If you didn't know already, Batman v Superman was not a movie for the critics, but a movie for the (hardcore) fans. And you should have known this, since the stars and the director of Batman v Superman have defended the movie time and time again in response to all the negative reviews.

This being said, Batman v Superman is indeed a movie for the fans, with countless of nods to the comics that inspired it. And you most certainly spotted many of them. From the obvious Darkseid teases (Mother Boxes and nightmarish scenes), to the special appearances from secondary comic book characters (Mercy Graves, KGBeast, and others), the movie is riddled (see what we did there?) with Easter Eggs.

However, there are some which might have escaped you - or maybe not. Anyway, this is a list about those hidden Easter Eggs and their possible long-term impact on the DCEU.

Most obviously, this will be a spoiler-filled list. So, if you haven't seen Batman v Superman, you might want to look away.

Still here? Well, our first mention is…

Brainiac

There are a couple of hints in the movie, Easter Eggs that tease multiple galactic threats in the DCEU. As previously mentioned, the most obvious one is Darkseid. However, just as he did in Man of Steel, Zack Snyder has also teased Brainiac.

In Man of Steel, it’s a blink and you'll miss it scene, when Superman destroys the world-engine. It was just fan-service, a simple nod without any long term consequences. However, Batman v Superman also teases the villain we have so long awaited.

Leaving aside the tasty (and much needed) deleted scene featuring Lex Luthor in the scout ship, there are several references made throughout the entire movie, mostly by the same character. In Batman v Superman, Lex Luthor is hungry for knowledge and he even says that a couple of times. However, this doesn't mean anything until the final scene, in which Lex says that someone is coming and he is hungry.

Now, for what it’s worth, Darkseid will most certainly appear in one of the future Justice League films. However, he isn't known for being hungry for anything, whereas Brainiac is the one villain who always craves more knowledge. And, even better, there are precedents in which the two villains worked together in the comics.

And we can bet that you heard about that movie in which Brainiac and Lex were supposed to be fused into a single uber-villain"¦So yes - we believe that Brainiac will arrive in the DCEU, most likely in the (actual) Man of Steel sequel, which is yet to be announced.

Oh, and there is also the Lex OS operating system teased in the marketing campaign that, according to many, sets up the arrival of the Collector of Worlds. Speaking of which"¦

Kandor

Ok, you might have caught this one - in the scout ship, the beautiful voice of Carla Gugino tells Lex that Zod was born in Kandor. And, as you might have known, Kandor is the one Kryptonian city that actually escaped the destruction of Krypton.

Well, this isn't the whole truth. Kandor did escape the destruction, but only because it was miniaturized and stolen by Brainiac himself.

So this could be yet another connection with the future of the DCEU. Who knows? Maybe Superman will defeat Brainiac in the Man of Steel sequel, and maybe he will establish a new Krypton on another planet. At any rate, this is one of the Easter Eggs that opens the possibility of having the Man of Steel exiting the DCEU for a while.

Injustice

Now this is a big one - the Knightmare sequence in which Superman, aided by Parademons, has taken over the world is taken (almost) straight out of the Injustice universe.

Obviously, the nod could also be for the Elseworld Superman: The Dark Side. However, Injustice works better here, simply because Superman turns evil because of the same reason: the death of Lois Lane (talk about fridging). And this is an Easter Egg combined with an Easter Egg, if we can say so.

While the scene was advertised as being a (k)nightmare, it isn't actually a dream sequence, but rather a memory of what could happen (mind-bending notion, of course). And this is courtesy of the Flash traveling in time and creating a time boom (similar to the sonic boom, but in time).

And this is straight out of the Flashpoint story arc or the Flashpoint Paradox animated movie, in which the same Flash inadvertently changes the past and, thus, the future, bringing the apocalypse. How could this change the DCEU?

It opens up the possibility of rebooting the entire DCEU (sometime in the future), via the adaptation of the same story arc from the comics. It is a bit early to think about that, but the rumors have already started to appear, saying that an Atlantis - Themyscira war is inevitable. And if Superman does indeed settle on a new Krypton, we have all the requirements for a Flashpoint in the DCEU, including Batman being a killer.

Riddler and Joker

If you believed the movie was overstuffed, then you are not a hardcore fan - for what it’s worth, we believed the movie suffered because of the poor directorial skills of Zack Snyder. And this might come as a surprise, since more Easter Eggs could have been inserted in the background.

The next one was - Riddler AND Joker reference, in a scene teased from the first trailer. But this isn't all. The Joker was actually supposed to make an appearance in Batman v Superman, but he was ultimately cut out, because it would have stolen the Batman and Superman focus (yeah, a good villain always does that).

There is another Easter Egg in the Knightmare scene, where you need a magnifying glass, even if you saw Batman v Superman in IMAX - a joker card can be seen on the machine gun used by the Dark Knight. Is this yet another reference to a weird future in which the Joker and Batman become besties? We have no idea.

Doomsday

Many had a problem with this part of Batman v Superman: Doomsday as the big baddie of the movie. While his introduction could have been a bit better, and while his fight moves could have been more elaborate, we had no problem with the character.

And that is because, even if it didn't stick to the comic book origin, the Batman v Superman Doomsday was actually pretty close. Yes, it contained some Bizarro elements - however, the creature did evolve like its comic book counterpart.

And what’s even better is that it actually delved even deeper into the Doomsday mythos than most believed. For example, this version of Doomsday has heat vision, just like one of the clones from Reign of Doomsday. Furthermore, the adaptive capabilities of the creature are very clear, since the Batman v Superman Doomsday is able to counter anything that is thrown at him. His regenerative powers are also displayed, since he is able to grow his arm back almost immediately. And so on and so forth.

Yes, people might complain that this version of the character comes from a dead Zod and some Lex blood. However, other than that"¦

And this could have an impact in the long run. As we all know, the comic book Doomsday cannot be killed. And the Batman v Superman creature also showed that it cannot be killed (the nuclear explosion). So, basically, we are certain that at one point or another Doomsday will return.

Before the Dawn

This might not be an Easter Egg, but rather some speculation. And it’s all based on the tone of Batman v Superman, as well as on a long-awaited movie.

The second part of Batman v Superman is all about the Dawn of Justice. And this might just be about the moment before the Justice League assembles, with (almost) all of the members being mentioned. However, this could also refer to something else.

In the media, Lex Luthor says that Superman is the herald of Dark Justice. Now we may be reading too much into this, but there are two possibilities, one already explored. As said, it can all go downhill, with Superman turning evil after the death of Lois Lane.

However, it could also be a subtle nod to another DC property called Justice League Dark - after all, darkness precedes light. We have no idea how this could play out in the DCEU - but we do know that a Justice League Dark was already written by Guillermo del Toro and is waiting to be announced.

Aquaman

We previously mentioned some rumors that say that Atlantis will battle Themyscira. Those rumors can be tracked back to the official reveal of Aquaman, who looks ferocious - from back then we said that this version of the superhero is so menacing-looking for one reason and one reason only.

However, Batman v Superman also shows something else - in the cameo many derided (since Jason Momoa appears to hold his breath), Aquaman looks a bit furious when encountering the technology of the surface dwellers. As a result, he destroys it.

This might be because he blames the humans for the destruction the World Engine has caused. Anyway, this could set up two major story arcs. We’ve mentioned the first one, which involves rebooting the DCEU. However, the second might just be adapted from the first Justice League film.

And that arc is that of the Throne of Atlantis, in which Aquaman has to deal with the effects of a previous war - in the comics, it was the first arrival of Darkseid. In the DCEU, it is the arrival of Zod. The Atlanteans want a war with the surface dwellers - so Aquaman must find a way to become the rightful king and stop all the madness.

Batman v Superman: A Balance of Terror

This could have been a better full name for Batman v Superman, even if nothing was changed in the actual movie. We didn't need yet another reminder that the Justice League is coming. However, this title would have perfectly showcased what the DCEU has been all about until now.

A Balance of Terror is actually the painting seen behind Clark Kent during his first conversation with Bruce Wayne. Created by Cleon Peterson, the painting is about the way in which power corrupts - the fears of both Batman and Lex Luthor. However, it is also about the victims who will rise and become executioners themselves, thus beginning a never-ending cycle of destruction.

And we don't think we read too much into this detail. For example, Zod tries to destroy Earth and is killed by Superman, thus becoming a victim himself. However, by the end of Batman v Superman, he returns in a different form and kills his executioner, while also opening the possibility of further appearances.

How does it all end? It never does. The DCEU, just like any shared universe featuring superheroes, will be about the never-ending battle between good and evil.

Must there be a Superman?

This is a line said by Senator Finch and is actually the title of a comic book arc in which Superman realizes that he can do harm just by doing good. In other words, his presence is the one which stops humanity from reaching its full potential. So it isn't a question asked by someone else - it is a question asked by the Man of Steel himself.

In Batman v Superman we do see this question being teased on several occasions, including when Superman decides to leave. However, if anything, it will pay off later on down the road, when the Man of Steel will be retired (temporarily, of course) from the DCEU.

And that is because the humans will need to realize that Superman can only play the Big Brother role for so long.

Of course, Must There Be a Superman is also an arc in which the Green Lanterns are featured.

Lastly

Robin is dead - and this small Batman v Superman tease will certainly pay off in the first Batman solo flick. As Zack Snyder revealed, Robin died about 10 years ago, so this does open up the possibility of a Red Hood adaptation.

Although some other paths could also be taken - such as a prequel, in which we actually see A Death in the Family. Of course, it all depends on Ben Affleck at this point, since he will write, direct, and star in that Batman flick.

And this also brings up another question - will we ever see a Robin on the big screen, knowing that Batman blames himself for losing one? It's hard to say - but we won't.