Top 10 DC Movie Easter Eggs

A young Victor Zsasz has gotten plenty of screen time on the television series “Gotham,” but you probably missed his brief appearance in the first film of Christopher Nolan’s “Dark Knight” trilogy. If you’re unfamiliar with the comics, Zsasz probably just seemed like a random criminal. Anyone that knows Batman’s rogues gallery inside and out, however, will recognize Zsasz as a notorious serial killer who tallies his kills with cuts on his own flesh. In a wonderful little nod to the fans, Zsasz’s trademark scars can fleetingly be seen on his neck when he exits his prison cell. Like the Joker, we’re sure each of his scars has a colorful backstory.

As fun as it is to see comic book movies paying homage to their source material in subtle ways, it’s particularly heartwarming when the artist behind that work gets an acknowledgement. Robert Kanigher and Ross Andru created the first comic book iteration of the “Suicide Squad,” but it shares little resemblance to the version people know and love today. The whole “gang of supervillains forced to work covert ops for a government agency” thing? We have John Ostrander to thank for that. And in recognition of its maker, the “Suicide Squad” film immortalized Ostrander by naming a building after him in Midway City - the building from which the Squad must rescue Amanda Waller.

This film’s nostalgic approach to Superman unfortunately failed to revitalize the franchise as Warner Bros. had hoped. Though we never got to see the planned 2009 sequel, we did get a nod to a larger universe in the form of Lois Lane and Clark Kent’s biological son. Or rather… his pajamas, which are adorned with cartoon images of Aquaman. For eagle-eyed audience members, this was a cute throwback to the more innocent days of comics, before Aquaman became gritty. But one can’t help but wonder… within the world of the film, is Aquaman a fictional hero, or is Superman’s fellow Justice League member alive and unabashedly big on self-promotion? Sadly, we’ll never know!

Can you really blame Warner Bros. for wanting to recapture the magic of the original “Superman” film? The big screen debut of Christopher Reeve as the Man of Steel is the definition of heartwarming and hopeful. As classic as this film feels now, when it was shot in the 1970s, Supes already had a long history, allowing the filmmakers to express a little nostalgia of their own. When Clark is running alongside the train carrying Lois Lane and her family, her parents are played by none other than Noel Neill and Kirk Alyn, the original Lois and Clark from the 1948 serialized “Superman” film. Initially a deleted scene, it was added back into the film for home releases.

Despite setting Batman in a much more realistic world, Christopher Nolan still delivered his own spin on a number of classic Bat villains. For some of the odder iconic characters, however, there was simply no good workaround. And yet, Nolan managed to give some of these inhuman rogues a nod nonetheless. Clayface never would’ve worked in this grounded superhero universe. So instead, Nolan delivered a version of the man who created Clayface in the animated series - Roland Daggett. Although named John Daggett in the film, there’s no denying the resemblance since they are both business adversaries of Wayne who turn to villains to achieve their goals.

Say what you will about this franchise-ending film, but what it lacked in quality it more than made up for with… Bat Credit Cards? While Joel Schumacher’s campy approach to Batman is loathed by many fans, it’s hard to deny the fact that Jim Carrey and Tommy Lee Jones were, in all honesty, a lot of fun as Riddler and Two-Face. Sure, they were over-the-top, but they pulled it off with maniacal style. Sadly, the same cannot be said for Arnie and Uma as Mr. Freeze and Poison Ivy. In a movie with few high notes, the sight of Two-Face and the Riddler’s respective outfits in the property locker at Arkham was a real treat.

Whether you appreciate his cinematic take on DC characters or not, it must be acknowledged that few directors in the comic book movie genre have more genuine love for comics than Zack Snyder. If you need more proof, look no further than the many little on-screen gifts he has left for fans. As the first film in the DCEU, “Man of Steel” made one thing very clear - this Superman does not exist in a bubble. One of the many signs of a larger shared universe, a poster can be seen hanging in the building Superman crashes into. It reads “Keep Calm and Call Batman.” Turns out, Batman was already on the scene.

As we were saying… this is a film overflowing with Easter eggs, but the skyline of Metropolis appears to have been Zack’s greatest canvas for sharing his geek love of DC comics. It features various signs and business names pulled straight from the comics, including S.T.A.R. Labs, Utopia Casino, WGBS, and even Blaze Comics, the fictional publisher behind Booster Gold comics within the DC comics universe. LexCorp, however, is the BIG one. Luthor himself didn’t appear until 2016’s “Batman v Superman,” but he is a big presence in Metropolis. We see his logo not just on his building, but on multiple big rigs too.

Hey, nostalgia might not always translate to massive returns at the box office, but as far as Easter eggs are concerned, throwbacks are solid gold. Published in 1938, Action Comics #1 introduced the world to what would become one of the most iconic figures in pop culture history. This comic book has gone on to become the most valuable of its kind, and by extension, arguably one of the most recognizable images in comics. In a brilliant homage to the source material, “Superman Returns” brought this iconic moment in history to life by having Brandon Routh’s Superman hold a car above his head in the exact same pose.

Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions
- Carol Ferris / Captain Carrie Farris
“Man of Steel” (2013)

- The Classic Harley Outfit
“Suicide Squad” (2016)

- Star Sapphire
“Green Lantern” (2011)

We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again - Zack Snyder LOVES his comic books. Another highly divisive film from the director, “Watchmen” was described for many years by those in the industry as an impossible film adaptation. In the highly stylized opening montage, we see the original Nite Owl punching out a gunman. In the background, a well-dressed couple exits into the alleyway from a theater, where, on a poster, we can see the word “Gotham.” Seem familiar? Years before telling the tragic story of their death in a similarly dramatic opening montage, Snyder actually saved Thomas and Martha Wayne from their fate in crime alley with this epic Easter egg.