SPOILERS: DAREDEVIL Season 2 - 10 Awesome Easter Eggs You May Have Missed
Like season one before it, Daredevil's second year was crammed full of awesome Easter Eggs which both paid homage to the comic books and the larger Marvel Cinematic Universe. These are the best!
One of the most enjoyable things about Marvel's movies and TV shows is the amount of awesome Easter Eggs they almost always include. While season two of Daredevil was a little lighter on them than the first, there were still plenty to enjoy this year, whether they paid homage to the comic books or other parts of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (specifically those relating to The Defenders).
We've already taken a look at the best and worst moments in season two, and here you will find a breakdown of the ten most awesome Easter Eggs, many of which you no doubt will have missed on a first viewing. From obscure references to certain characters and story arcs to the way the show connects to other small screen Marvel endeavours, these were definitely the best from this year.
10. Nods To Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D.
If motorcycle gang the "Dogs of Hell" rang a bell, it's because this isn't their first time in a Marvel TV series. Way back in season one of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., the team crossed paths with Asgardian villain Lorelei, and she used her powers to take control of some of the gang members.
Surprisingly, that's not the only nod to the series; you may have also noticed a newspaper in the New York Bulletin's office with a headline stating, "Cybertek Settles." They are of course the group responsible for creating Deathlok.
Back to the Dogs of Hell though, and we get another cool nod to the comics when one gang member says to Foggy something along the lines of, "You've got guts, Nelson." That's a reference to a Frank Miller story in which Foggy posed as "Guts Nelson" and ended up squaring off with The Kingpin!
9. Jessica Jones
It's established fairly early on that season two of Daredevil takes place after the events of Jessica Jones, and it doesn't take any time at all for Foggy off and on again girlfriend to drop the character's name during a conversation about the law firm she works at.
That's not the only way the two shows tie together though; police sergeant Brett Mahoney actually mentions advice given to him by Detective Clemons, an ally of Jessica's who was murdered by the deranged Will Simpson.
You may also recall District Attorney Reyes briefly appearing in Jessica Jones in the finale, while Carrie-Anne Moss' surprise appearance is no doubt going to bring Foggy into the sights of Jessica, something which should help bring her and Daredevil's worlds together in time for The Defenders.
8. The Gladiator
Season one of Daredevil gave us a glimpse at some blueprints Melvin Potter (Matt Gerald) had drawn up for a Gladiator suit like the one in the comics, and when he talks here about protecting Betsy, the first thing in his hand is a buzzsaw blade! However, an even better nod to his alter-ego comes when he shows Matt the body armour he's started wearing.
As you can see, it's identical in design to the one worn by his comic book counterpart, and he's now one step closer to going from being The Man Without Fear's costume designer to the out of control Gladiator! Whether that will happen remains to be seen of course.
On another note, did you notice that the area around Matt's heart gets damaged? How much do you want to bet Melvin reinforces that next year with a certain logo?
7. Cell Block D
When The Punisher is transferred into the same cell block as Wilson Fisk, it's mentioned that they're being kept with the very worst of the worst in "Cell Block D." Matt tells Foggy that he's been keeping track of what goes on there ever since Fisk was put behind bars, but its somewhere the character may one day be getting even more familiar with depending on how closely the show follows the comic books.
After his identity was outed to the world, Daredevil was arrested and actually spent some time in the clink during a story arc penned by Ed Brubaker which was titled, "The Devil In Cell Block D."
It's pretty obvious that Fisk and Frank Castle being there is a nod to that, and while it's not necessarily an indication that Marvel will ever adapt this storyline, it could come full circle one day!
6. Matt And Elektra's Joyride
The first season of Daredevil obviously borrowed a hell of a lot from Frank Miller's The Man Without Fear, and during the scenes exploring Matt and Elektra's first meeting, this second batch of episodes takes another.
That is the moment when Elektra takes Matt on a joyride in a red sports car, and while what follows this moment isn't exactly the same as the source material, this is clearly the show's way of paying homage to the writer (even if he has refused to acknowledge this or any other version of Elektra not written by him).
Elektra's origin story and return to Hell's Kitchen is otherwise so different to the comic books that there really aren't all that many Easter Eggs in regards to her other than this one, but you have to hand it to the team behind the show for their attention to detail!
5. The Irish And Max The Dog
There are quite a few Easter Eggs relating to The Punisher in Daredevil season two (including the fact that he's driving a van which could one day be converted to his battle van from the comics), but the show seemingly takes most of its inspiration from the work of Garth Ennis.
The Irish mobsters who target Frank also squared off with him in Punisher MAX, but this version of Finn Cooley (Tony Curran) seemingly meets his maker with a shotgun blast to the face. While it's worth noting that a blast like that probably would have killed him, there's a chance that if he did survive, he'll be returning with the same hideous visage you see above.
Max, the dog Frank rescues and later saves from being tortured also hails from the source material, but this time from way back in Punisher War Zone #37.
4. Luke Cage
Daredevil obviously ends with a teaser trailer for Luke Cage (if you watched the series quick enough and managed to avoid that being spoiled online beforehand, it must have been a great surprise), but that's not the only reference to the character during season two.
Claire Temple mentions to Foggy early on that she got in some trouble for helping someone with superpowers, and that was obviously a nod to Luke, someone she'll be getting much closer with in his upcoming series.
Interestingly, Fisk's lawyer is Benjamin Donovan (Danny Johnson), a Steve Englehart and Billy Graham creation who first appeared in the pages of Luke Cage, Hero for Hire in 1973. He's a hulking brute there though, but I wouldn't be surprised if he were to somehow factor into Luke's world when his show starts.
3. "Micro"
Frank Castle's story arc wraps up on quite the cliffhanger, with a hint of something strange going on in Kandahar and The Punisher going home to retreive a CD with the word "Micro" written on it. That's obviously a nod to Microchip, someone who started out by building weapons, supplying technology and providing friendship to The Punisher, but later became one of his enemies.
It's also worth noting that Colonel Ray Schoonover was Frank's superior officer and a heroin smuggler in the late '80s during Carl Potts' stint on Punisher War Journal, but played a very minor role there.
"The Blacksmith" meanwhile isn't a character from any Punisher comic book, and the only person he shares a name with from the source material is a rather obscure alien who I'm willing to bet won't end up being featured here!
2. The Kingpin Gets His Name
I may be wrong here, but I don't recall Wilson Fisk being referred to as "The Kingpin" in season one of Daredevil. There may have been an off the cuff menton about him being a Kingpin of Crime, but it's never a title which is actually given to him by any of the show's characters.
However, during his stint behind bars, that nickname is finally given to Fisk, and it's one he seems to embrace as he literally takes control of the entire place. The prisoners and guards are all in his pockets, and all that talk of him ruling over New York City upon his escape is classic Kingpin.
Also, while it's not an Easter Egg as such, Fisk's promise to destroy the lives of Matt and Foggy is a clear nod to the "Born Again" storyline, while the fact he has a file on the lawyer is reminiscent of the "Murdock Papers" arc.
1. Chained Up
Now, this is an Easter Egg we've obviously known about for quite some time, but those of you unfamiliar with the comic book this scene was borrowed from (The Punisher #3 by Garth Ennis and Steve Dillon in 2001) may not realise that it ends up playing out very differently there.
Whereas the small screen version of The Man Without Fear heroically shoots the chains which are holding him - which could have gone terribly wrong - his comic book counterpart actually pulls the trigger while the gun is aimed at Frank. Bear in mind that he isn't quite as anti-killing as Charlie Cox's version, but it turns out that The Punisher has removed the firing pin and the whole thing was just a test!
Frank having that conversation with the old man about Vietnam may have also been a nod to his origins.
Have we missed any of your favourite Easter Eggs from season two of Daredevil? Which of those listed here was your favourite? As always, let us know your thoughts in the comments section.