Batman V Superman: Dawn Of Justice’s 10 Most Significant Easter Eggs

Comic book films are always stuffed to the brim with easter eggs and references to the source material for fans to pick up on, and Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice is no different. It actually might even contain more than the average superhero movie due to the nature of it being packed with so many subplots and characters, as it had the unenviable task of setting up the upcoming Justice League movies and the whole of the newly-minted DC Extended Universe in general. There were many obvious references in the movie - like the cameos from future Justice League members The Flash, Aquaman and Cyborg - but there were also several more inconspicuous nods to things that may well be important later or are just calling back to the comics. So, on that note, join us as we take a look at the film's 10 most significant Easter eggs, and let us know if you caught them all be leaving a comment below! 10) Mercy Graves Not that you would know it from how seriously short-changed the character is in the film, but Lex Luthor’s assistant in BvS is Mercy Graves, a pre-existing character in Superman lore. Graves was first featured on Superman: The Animated Series, in which she was Luthor’s chauffeur/kickass bodyguard. Despite casting Tao Okamoto – who proved herself a dab hand at action scenes in The Wolverine – this version of Mercy sadly didn’t get to show off her fighting skills before she was unceremoniously blown up with the rest of those at Superman’s trial halfway through the film. It's also worth a mention that this trial, plus the lengthy discussion of Superman’s existence and methods, is drawn from a classic comic from 1972. In that story, however, it isn’t the US government that puts Superman on trial but the Guardians of the Universe, who believe that the Man of Steel is a negative force. 9) Metallo This one you really wouldn’t have picked up on unless you studied the credits at the end of the film. The Lexcorp scientist (played by Ralph Lister) who explains Kryptonite to Holly Hunter's Senator Finch is named in the credits as Emmet Vale, the man who turns ex-solider John Corben into Metallo - an enemy of Superman - in the comics. Director Zack Snyder had previously revealed that Metallo could have been the main villain in the never-made Man of Steel 2. We assume his creator’s inclusion here is just a nod to that, then, but it might also be hinting at an eventual introduction later on. Also, when Clark talks to Perry White about how The Daily Planet used to stand for something, White angrily reminds him that “it’s not 1938 anymore.” This isn’t just a randomly-picked date, but is in fact the year that Superman made his first appearance in the pages of Action Comics #1. 8) KGBeast Instead of Mercy, Lex Luthor's main henchman in the film is the Russian mercenary who pops up throughout proceedings. He's there in Africa when Lois Lane is in trouble (plus he later dresses up as a janitor to kidnap her) and he's responsible for almost killing Martha Kent. When Bruce Wayne investigates his identity it is revealed that his name is Anatoli Knyazev – the real name of Batman supervillain KGBeast. While they share a name, nationality and profession, the character in the comics is visually very different. Apart from his more colourful costume, he also has a gun for an arm. Another easily-missed nod comes in the form of Ralli’s Diner, where Martha Kent works before Luthor’s goons kidnap her. This same diner appears in a one-shot comic from 1987, in which Lex gives a waitress a creepy offer: if she comes and stays with him for a month, he'll give her $1 million. He doesn’t try anything like that with Martha, though. 7) Snyder References Snyder There aren’t merely just references to comic books in Batman V Superman, as Zack Snyder also inserts several nods to his own back catalogue into the movie. Actor Callan Mulvey – who played the aforementioned Knyazev - also turned up in 300: Rise of an Empire (which Snyder wrote). Another nod to that film can be seen on the Russian space shuttle that Superman saves from exploding in one scene: it's marked 300. Likewise, three star players from his 2009 superhero movie Watchmen feature in the cast. Silk Spectre Carla Gugino (who likewise lent her tones to the Kelor droid in Man of Steel) voices the computer A.I. that helps Luthor create Doomsday. Patrick Wilson (Nite Owl), meanwhile, plays the President of the United States, heard over the phone. Then there's the most obvious nod, which is Jeffrey Dean Morgan who features as Bruce’s father, Thomas Wayne. Now that we think about it, the ultra-violent Comedian being this version of Batman’s dad does make a lot of sense… 6) Manbat And The Riddler Not content with just squeezing in Metallo and KGBeast, there are two more nods to comics villains hidden in Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice. Firstly, one of Bruce’s many dream sequences in the film sees him visit his mother’s grave, only for a terrifying half-bat, half-man creature to come out of it and attack him. While nothing more comes of this, it will surely put Bat-fans in mind of Manbat - the monstrous villain from Batman's rogues gallery. Also, during the big Superman/Batman fight, hidden amongst the graffiti is a familiar question mark – the symbol of the Riddler. Snyder confirmed recently that both the Joker and the Riddler were at one point set to make cameos in the film – and there is a rumour that Jesse Eisenberg was first hired to play Edward Nygma rather than Lex Luthor. Given that news and this easter egg, we'd bet that the character will turn up later on in the DCEU. 5) Jimmy Olsen One of the big omissions of Man of Steel was Jimmy Olsen. Superman’s best friend in the comics, Olsen usually follows his superpowered pal onto the screen. Though Snyder believed that the typically comic relief character had no place in the serious-minded DCEU, he did include a nod to him in BvS, though it's a particularly cruel one. When Lois Lane is interviewing an African warlord, it's revealed that her photographer is a CIA plant… before the poor guy is unceremoniously murdered. Though the original character isn’t a secret agent, the fact that he is a photographer should mark him out to fans as a version of Olsen. About the cameo, Snyder had this to say: “We just did it as this little aside because we had been tracking where we thought the movies were gonna go. And we don’t have room for Jimmy Olsen in our big pantheon of characters, but we can have fun with him, right?” That's your idea of fun, Zack? 4) Flash Forward One of the most head-scratching moments of the movie came when Bruce is visited by someone who has apparently travelled back in time to warn him of future events. While fans will easily work this out to be The Flash (who is known to time travel), it also references a specific event in comics history. In the famous universe-shattering story Crisis On Infinite Earths, The Flash goes back in time to warn his fellow heroes about the danger that is coming. However, what Flash is warning Batman against here is different from in that comic. He tells Bruce that “you were right about him” - which presumably refers to Superman. It seems likely, then, that an adaptation of the Injustice: Gods Among Us video game is set to happen. The game sees Superman, after losing Lois Lane, turn into a totalitarian ruler who uses lethal force. This certainly fits in with Bruce’s so-called Knightmare scene. Speaking of which… 3) Darkseid If you know your DC comics, Batman V Superman presents a lot of heavy hints that Darkseid will be the big bad of the Justice League films. In the Mad Max-esque Knightmare sequence, for instance, an Omega symbol can be seen in the sand – in other words, the symbol from which Darkseid draws his power. Likewise, the winged creatures that are flying around hugely resemble Parademons, the big guys’s henchmen in the comics. Another reference to the Ruler of Apokolips occurs in the footage of Cyborg’s creation. The strange device that binds to Victor Stone is the Mother Box, a mysterious cosmic object that has healing powers and is tied in with Darkseid. Likewise, a deleted scene that can be seen above sees Luthor apparently communicating with a hologram of a hideous alien creature before being arrested. Though there's no confirmation from the studio on the matter, it's widely believed that the creature is Steppenwolf, one of Darkseid’s generals. Say, you don’t think they are trying to hint at something with all these references, do you? 2) "Your Doomsday" Thanks to the spoiler-heavy trailers, not many fans were surprised when Superman’s nemesis Doomsday turned up for Batman V Superman’s final act. While the brute isn’t really given a name, Luthor references his usual moniker by telling Superman that he is “your doomsday.” Just as in the comics, the monster goes on to kill the Man of Steel. Though his usual status as an ancient Kryptonian abomination is referenced, Doomsday is here retooled as a genetically-altered version of Superman’s fellow Kryptonian, General Zod. In this way, it's a closer origin to the one from the Justice League Unlimited TV series in which he's a deformed clone of Superman. Speaking of the influence of animated adaptations on Batman V Superman, at one point Alfred calls the White Portuguese that Bruce is hunting for a “phantasm.” It might be a coincidence, but this calls to mind the titular character from 1993 animated movie Batman: Mask of the Phantasm. 1) The Dark Knight Returns When Batman V Superman was first announced, fans were excited that the movie might be a close adaptation of the acclaimed The Dark Knight Returns, a graphic novel by Frank Miller which sees an older, embittered Batman fighting with Superman. The film is actually very different from that comic, but there were still many nods to it hidden throughout. These include visuals lifted from Returns, like Batman’s enhanced metal suit in his fight with Supes and the unusual sight of him carrying guns, something he also does in that story. Events such as Superman regenerating himself after being hit by a nuclear bomb and most notably the death of the Waynes – with Martha’s pearls hooking onto her killer's gun – are also borrowed from the graphic novel. A few lines of dialogue are repeated wholesale here as well, such as Alfred’s “I hope the next generation of Waynes don’t inherit an empty wine cellar” and Batman’s “I believe you” to Knyazev when he says he'll kill Martha.