SPOILERS: JUSTICE LEAGUE - 31 Amazing Easter Eggs, Cameos, And References You Need To See
Justice League is a movie packed full of cameos, references to the wider DC Universe, and Easter Eggs which are hard to spot and we take you through all of the biggest and best ones in this in-depth guide.
Regardless of your thoughts on Justice League, the fact that it was helmed by both Zack Snyder and Joss Whedon (during reshoots) ensures that the DC Comics adaptation is full of moments comic book fans will love. It's also an adventure crammed with Easter Eggs, cameos, references, and nods to both the DC Comics and DC Films Universes and we've scoured through the film to find all of them for you!
Even if you haven't seen Justice League, you'll want to take a look through this list to familiarise yourself with all of the cleverly hidden Easter Eggs hidden throughout as they're really hard to spot.
So, from surprising cameos to the ways Justice League sets up the future of the franchise and the various comic book characters and locations introduced here, keep reading to find the biggest and best Easter Eggs from the divisive DC Comics movie. Did you catch all of these? Somehow, we doubt it...
To view the list of Easter Eggs in its entirety, simply click on the VIEW LIST (ONE PAGE) button below!
Black Mask
Black Mask is a character many comic book fans would like to see brought to the big screen and there's at least a hint of his existence in Justice League. That comes when Batman is battling a Parademon above Gotham as we see a building sporting the "Janus" logo in the background. Janus Cosmetics is owned by the Sionis family and when Roman took over, he turned it into a criminal empire.
Detective Crispus Allen
There's no sign of Harvey Bullock in Justice League but the detective who approaches Commissioner Jim Gordon with news of the Parademons abducting S.T.A.R. Labs scientists is Crispus Allen (Kobna Holdbrook-Smith) a regular in the comics who played a key role in Gotham Central. He also eventually became The Spectre.
"For Darkseid!"
There's no sign of Darkseid in Justice League but Steppenwolf does at one point say he's planning on conquering the Earth not only so he can end his banishment but "For Darkseid!" as well. It seems the villain wasn't actually present when Steppenwolf first invaded Earth and may not even have the planet in his crosshairs at this stage.
A New Hall Of Justice
At the end of the movie, Bruce Wayne decides to finally rebuild Wayne Manor, this time as a base for the Justice League. As he talks about a huge round table that the team can sit around, it's clear this is a reference to the Hall of Justice as that too featured a similar setup for when the League gathered.
Pet Sematary
When the League discusses bringing Superman back from the dead, Barry Allen says he hopes it won't be a Pet Sematary style situation and later whispers that again when the Man of Steel returns not quite himself. This is a reference to the novel by Stephen King which saw a father bring his son back from the dead only to realise he wasn't the same as the boy who died.
Wonder Woman's Father
During the flashbacks to Steppenwolf's initial attack on Earth, we see a number of beings taken aim at the villain and chief among them appears to be Zeus, Wonder Woman's father. His powerful lightning bolts slow Steppenwolf down and Steppenwolf later acknowledges that Diana has the blood of the old Gods flowing through her.
Another Of The Old Gods
Talking of that flashback, one of the many Gods taking aim at Steppenwolf appears to be Artemis, Goddess of the Hunt. She was played by MMA fighter Aurore Lauzeral in the movie and in Greek mythology is actually another of Zeus' daughters.
Green Lantern Corps
A member of the Green Lantern Corps doesn't crash to Earth at the end of the movie as some reports previously claimed but we do get to see one of them during this fight. Flying through the sky and using various constructs to fight off some Parademons, the alien is killed in short order by Steppenwolf before his ring flies away to find a new host.
ACE Chemicals
As we learned in Suicide Squad, The Joker was born in ACE Chemicals, a company clearly still operating by the time Justice League rolls around as it can be seen in the background of the scene where Batman, the Flash, and Wonder Woman spot the Dark Knight's Batsignal in the sky.
The Shirt Rip
While we never learn how Superman has regained his Clark Kent persona, seeing him remove his glasses and tear open his shirt to expose the Superman symbol below is a fantastic nod to the source material and a long overdue moment in the DC Films Universe.
Batman And Wonder Woman Romance
The comic books have frequently teased romance between Bruce Wayne and Diana Prince and it's heavily indicated in the first half of the movie that Batman might have some sort of romantic interest in his fellow Justice League member. Unfortunately, his comments about Steve Trevor (a great reference to Wonder Woman) may have put an end to any possibility of them getting together.
Cyborg's New Look
Right at the end of the movie as we're catching up with the League, we see Cyborg undergoing some repairs and the hero quickly creates a new chest for himself which bears a striking resemblance to his comic book counterpart's appearance. It's considerably better than the look he was sporting throughout the rest of Justice League too.
The New Gods
Steppenwolf mentions that he wants to take his place among the New Gods and any fan of the comics will know who they are. Interestingly, neither Apokolips nor New Genesis is mentioned so where he hopes to do that is unclear.
Danny Elfman's Original Batman Theme
Joss Whedon hired Danny Elfman to compose the score for Justice League much to the chagrin of fans who wanted to hear Junkie XL's work and decided to include the Dark Knight's theme from 1989's Batman in a number of scenes.
John Williams' Superman Score
This theme was reused from the Man of Steel's first big screen adventure and while it's synonymous with the hero, hearing it when he's battling the Flash and then Steppenwolf later in the movie feels a little strange and doesn't really end up working all that well.
"Tell Me, Do You Bleed?"
When Superman comes face to face with Batman, the slightly deranged Man of Steel isn't best pleased. He wastes no time giving the Caped Crusader a beating and as he chokes his old foe, asks: "Tell me, do you bleed?" This is a fantastic reference to when Bruce said the same to him in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice but look closely at Clark's mouth and you'll see this was added in reshoots!
Arkham Asylum
We've now visited Arkham Asylum a few different times in the DC Films Universe but have yet to get a proper look at it. Justice League does, however, feature another glimpse inside as we see that Lex Luthor has managed to put a decoy in his place after somehow making his escape.
"Boo-yah!"
Cyborg saying "Boo-yah!" has been ridiculed by some reviewers but that's probably because they don't realise it was the character's catchphrase when he was a member of the Teen Titans!
David Bowie And Prince
In one of Justice League's most bizarre moments, we see a newspaper headline speculating that Superman has returned to his home planet alongside David Bowie and Prince. This feels like Joss Whedon all over and while it could be perceived in different ways, it ultimately sticks out like a sore thumb.
Truth, Justice, And The American Way
When Superman arrives to help take the fight to Steppenwolf, he mentions that he believes in truth...and justice. While that's a good way of naming the team, it's also no doubt a nod to the fact the character represents Truth, Justice, and the American Way!
The Flash's Origin
It appears as if some changes may have been made to Barry Allen's origin story as he talks about having been struck by lightning to get his powers. There's no mention of any chemicals and he doesn't get on the path to becoming a CSI until the end of the movie. He does, however, mention the Speed Force so that's something!
Superman Vs. The Flash
Superman and the Flash have raced each other on a number of occasions in the comic books and Justice League finally provides us with that scene in live-action as the two heroes square off in a mid-credits scene helmed by reshoots director Joss Whedon. Unfortunately, we never get to see who wins!
Gorilla Grodd
When Barry Allen first meets Bruce Wayne, he mentions a number of his skills, including the ability to speak not just regular sign language but gorilla sign language! That has to be a nod to Gorilla Grodd but whether or not this inexperienced Scarlet Speedster has ever crossed paths with the villain remains to be seen.
Jimmy Olsen Returns (Sort Of)
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice stirred controversy when Jimmy Olsen was killed off in the opening few minutes of the movie but he makes a return of sorts here in the form of Marc McClure, the actor who played The Daily Planet photographer in Superman: The Movie. In case you missed him, he shows up as a cop shortly after the Man of Steel returns from the dead.
Exploding Parademons
Justice League features a few nods to The New 52 formation of the team and while it probably could have done with even more of them, one of the Parademons exploding after being captured by Batman is lifted straight from Geoff Johns and Jim Lee's story.
The Injustice League
Justice League's second after-credits scene revolves around Deathstroke paying a visit to Lex Luthor on his yacht. Acknowledging the fact that Superman is now once again among the living and that he and his fellow heroes are putting together a League, Lex tells Slade Wilson that he believes they should put together a "league" of their own. This is obviously a nod to the Injustice League!
A Nod To Wonder Woman's Past
While you might think this was just included because it looked cool, there was more to this than meets the eye. Diana Prince is actually standing on Themis, a Titan of Greek, one of Earth's Old Gods with ties to the hero's father, Zeus.
Batman
In Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, Batman is only ever referred to as "The Bat" or "The Gotham Bat." However, when Aquaman calls him Batman, that's the first time we, as an audience, hear the hero referred to by that name.
Queen Atlanna
Most of Aquaman's scenes referring to his history were cut from Justice League, including those introducing Vulko. However, Mera does make reference to Queen Atlanna and the fact she knew Arthur's mother in her youth. In Aquaman, the character will be played by Nicole Kidman, so we can probably expect to learn more about that there.
The Penguin
We spend a fair bit of time in Gotham City but Justice League is sadly a little short of references to the wider world of Batman. We do, however, get to hear about some exploding, wind-up penguins from Alfred, an obvious nod to the days when Ben Affleck's Caped Crusader spent his nights fighting the villainous Oswald Cobblepot, a.k.a. The Penguin.
The Flash Vs. Captain Cold
While the Flash hasn't embraced being a superhero just yet in the DC Films Universe, we know he assisted with the capture of Suicide Squad's Captain Boomerang but the big question Justice League leaves us with is whether or not he's encountered Captain Cold! One of the screens in his pad reveals that Barry has been working on including cold resistance in his suit.
Did you spot all of these Justice League Easter Eggs? Are there any we missed? As always, let us know your thoughts in the comments section down below.