Hercules

Here’s another neat Easter egg, and it fits perfectly within the movie. As we’ve seen, the young Diana listens to a story about the Amazons’ history. This is beautifully done, and it reminds us of a Renaissance painting brought to life. It also reflects the history of Krypton as told in Man of Steel.

In the comics, the Amazons are created by goddesses from the clay at the bottom of the lake. In the movie, we learn that Zeus created the Amazons, but they do originate from a lake.

Then man enslaves the Amazons in a nod to the fight between Hippolyta (the first born of her race) and Hercules (Ares’ champion). When Hercules loses, he tricks the Amazons and enslaves them. This, in turn, brings on the war between Ares and the other Olympian Gods.