Despite its flaws, Justice League is one of the most entertaining DC Extended Universe movies to date. In addition to the action sequences and the excellent chemistry among the stars, Justice League is filled with delightful Easter eggs and references. Some are in blink-and-you'll-miss-it scenes, but others arc throughout the story.
And they all work, because even though there are so many of them, they don't overburden the film. Zack Snyder and Joss Whedon did a great job from this standpoint, especially with the film’s brevity.
Obviously, there are major spoilers ahead for those who haven't seen Justice League!
Justice League: Origin
We knew from the start that the DCEU would be built on stories from the New 52. Even with all of the references and Easter eggs spanning the entire history of DC Comics, Justice League may be the most faithful DC comic book adaptation.
The Zack Snyder/Joss Whedon hybrid is essentially a Justice League: Origin story. Origin, which was already adapted in the animation Justice League: War, had a different roster of heroes and had Darkseid as its main antagonist.
However, the invasion, Cyborg's origin and troublesome existence, the Parademons, and even the idea of an evil Superman can be traced back to this comic book.
The film’s opening scene, which was among Joss Whedon’s reshoots, is similar to the opening scene in the comic book. Sure, Green Lantern and Superman are absent, but Batman captures a Parademon that then self-destroys, revealing the first hints of a bigger invasion.
The Batman Universe
This is a different Batman from the established DCEU character, which might be regarded as a fault, but there are tons of Easter eggs and references to the Caped Crusader. The first shows up in the background, as Batman battles his first Parademon and relates to Black Mask via the Janus logo on a building.
Then there’s the ACE Chemicals logo in the scene in which Bruce Wayne, Barry Allen, and Diana Prince see the Bat signal in the sky. Another related location is the Arkham Asylum, which is a Joker reference that reveals that Lex Luthor is no longer in residence there.
You probably spotted Alfred’s Penguin tease, since it was featured in promotional trailers and clips. However, it might have been more difficult to spot another Easter egg in regard to Crispus Allen, a Metropolis detective who transferred to Gotham, and who also became The Spectre. He informed Commissioner Gordon that additional scientists had been abducted.
There are also references to earlier Batman movies, the most notable being the use of the Batman theme. But the movie also sends a nod to the do you bleed scene in Batman v Superman. And it can be argued that the Waynes’ deaths show up in Justice League, particularly when the bullet casing falls in slow motion during Batman's suicide mission. In addition, Batman pleads for Superman’s resurrection, saying that there’s a fraction of a chance that the Man of Steel might be helpful. The playing well with others line may be yet another Batman v Superman reference (Batman became a murderer after refusing to replace the deceased Robin).
Obviously, tons of Justice League’s Easter eggs can be traced back to comic books. Most interestingly, we see Batman on horseback, which might be a callback to The Dark Knight Returns. But check this one out, too:
What else can we add here, besides Gotham’s Tim Burton feel?
The Wonder Woman Universe
The appearance of the Amazons is Justice League’s strongest connection to both the Wonder Woman film and the comics. In addition, Steppenwolf senses that Wonder Woman has the blood of the Old Gods (the Olympian Gods in the comics) flowing through her veins.
The shot of Wonder Woman on the arm of the Titan Themis is an indication of this. The Olympian Gods are descendants of the Titans, so Diana is related to Themis.
In the most important reference, Bruce Wayne physically pushes Diana and mentions Steve Trevor. As big a douche as he is, Bruce's point gets through. Frankly, that was one of our favorite scenes in the movie.
Also, and this might actually fit into the Batman category, there’s the romance and/or sexual tension between the two characters. Although it appears that all of that fell apart when Wayne mentioned Trevor, we wouldn't bet on it.
Lastly, we have that classy lady who’s taken away by the police and the girl wearing cat ears standing nearby. Is that a reference to Catwoman? Or Cheetah?
Aquaman's Story
Apparently, Aquaman drew the shortest straw when Justice League was cut, since most of his backstory wound up on the cutting room floor. But this isn’t that major an issue, because his 2018 solo movie should clarify things.
This isn't the Aquaman everybody’s always made fun of. His looks are clearly inspired by the comics of the 1990s, in which he actually looks like a barbarian. Zack Snyder put a lot of thought into his appearance, especially the tattoos. Click here to discover what they mean.
Vulko is nowhere to be seen (a shame, since we suspect he gives Aquaman his armor), but we do get to see Mera, who provides Aquaman’s weapon in what’s evidently their first encounter. The dialogue is a bit expositional, but given the movie’s runtime, that makes sense. We can't wait to learn more about Mera!
Mera also mentions Aquaman's mother, Queen Atlanna, who will be portrayed by Nicole Kidman in Aquaman.
Setting the Flashpoint
Ezra Miller's Flash is a scene-stealer who brings quite a few Easter eggs along with him. The gorilla sign-language could be a Grodd tease. Based on the schematics in his headquarters, we assume he’s already battled Captain Cold, he’s a Batman fan, and his origin is oversimplified.
Most importantly, the movie teases the Flashpoint. When Flash meets his father (who’s also in the movie, despite rumors saying otherwise), he’s urged to make his own future, which is a bit on-the-nose for DC Comics fans.
He knows that his father didn't kill his mother. The movie’s conclusion makes it clear that Barry becomes a police scientist, which should give him an edge when he investigates her murder.
In Superman, Flash has someone who will push him to become better and faster. Prior to joining the League, he ran on his own, but now he has Superman to race against. One of the best scenes of the film is the one in which he realizes that someone else is as fast as he is. This means that his abilities and powers will be honed by time we see him again.
Read More: Is The Flash Faster Than Superman?
The point is that so far Flash hadn’t been aware of his ability to time-travel. But he’ll discover it as soon as Superman's speed pushes him over the limit!
To be noted, Iris West was also supposed to appear in the film. Her unfinished scene was leaked online almost immediately as Justice League was released.
Cyborg
Like Aquaman, Cyborg had a number of scenes that were left out of the film. Most of the scenes, some of which have turned up online, trace his evolution and how he came to realize that his powers are limitless.
Cyborg's catchphrase Boo-yah! is a reference to his time as a Teen Titan. In the end, his appearance – revealed when he agrees to collaborate with his father, Silas Stone (head of STAR Labs and his father in the comics as well) – is also a nod to the moment in the comics when Steppenwolf rips Cyborg in half.
And there’s this shot, which has Tim Burton written all over it:
Again, most of the scenes exploring Cyborg's backstory seem to have been cut. Have we missed any Easter eggs in those that remain?
Superman
It's a shame that there was no time left to fix that damn "˜stache!
We can begin by saying that the original Jimmy Olsen (Marc McClure) puts in an appearance in Justice League as the guard who leads Barry to his father. We believe that the scene was shot after Warner Bros. and Joss Whedon decided to cut his original cameo, which took place during Superman's resurrection.
In a throwback to the old movies, Superman's theme is heard in Justice League, with a dark twist added as the Man of Steel is brought back to life. The plaid the character wears in the field also hearkens back to previous Superman incarnations.
In another nod to Man of Steel, the Krypton theme plays as the team enters the Kryptonian ship.
Comic book references have Superman asking how he can help and speaking to Steppenwolf about truth and justice.
The last and most beautiful nod to any Superman ever shows Clark Kent ripping his shirt open to expose his superhero suit.
Steppenwolf's First Invasion
Before the movie came out, we were led to believe that this short history of Steppenwolf's first invasion would rival epic battle scenes from The Lord of the Rings trilogy. That didn’t happen, but we want to believe that the rest of the sequence in question will be released on Blu-ray.
What we got instead was a couple of special appearances. Leaving aside the awesomeness of a couple of Amazons, who were also featured in the Wonder Woman Themyscira scenes, Justice League introduced the Green Lanterns!
Given the timeframe, this didn’t occur on Earth, but still! This Green Lantern heroically battles Parademons, only to be killed by Steppenwolf, whose ring then flies off in search of the next valiant hero.
This scene also gives us more of a taste of the Olympian Gods’ power than we got in Wonder Woman. This hasn’t been confirmed, but Zeus joined the alliance of Men, Atlanteans, and Amazons, throwing lightning bolts at the invaders. We also see the Olympian God Artemis (Diana in Roman mythology), the Goddess of the Hunt, taking aim with her bow.
We should mention that the lightning bolt tosser could be an ancient version of Shazam! or even the wizard himself. We don't know, and we probably won't find out until Shazam! is released (oh, it's happening!).
The Credits Scenes
Not to be repetitive, but Justice League proved Flash that there’s someone whose speed rivals his own. However, we don't know who’s fastest. The second credits scene doesn't tell us, but it’s one of the nicest nods to this friendly comic book rivalry ever!
The first credits scene is actually more interesting, revealing Lex Luthor’s escape from Arkham Asylum and his big plans for the League’s future. And he’s not alone. In a surprise appearance, Deathstroke is by his side and willing to help (he is a mercenary in the comics, although he has aspirations of his own).
We don't know what the future holds for these characters. Most infamously, both Lex Luthor and Deathstroke have been Injustice League members in the comic books. Of course, this could also set up a different sort of movie – maybe even an adaptation of the Tower of Babel storyline.
Whatever happens, the decision to leave these cameos in the film signals that a plan is in place.
Other Easter-Eggs and References
Again, as brief as the movie is, Justice League is full of Easter eggs and references to comic books, the DCEU, other movies, and even real-life events. The deaths of Prince and David Bowie appear in the same newspaper headline as Superman’s demise. Bruce Wayne casually mentions the Doomsday Clock in a reference to both the Rebirth events and Snyder's Watchmen. Barry Allen, a fan of Rick and Morty, brings up Pet Sematary on a couple of occasions.
And throughout the final act, the movie sends a huge nod to this iconic shot. You probably know why Snyder chose those red skies:
Of course – and this could have been included in the Batman bullet – the Hall of Justice will be in Wayne Manor. And we should mention the strong resemblance between the Justice League logo and the one that appears on Wayne Tower.
We're sure we’ve missed some things! What do you think?
