10 Justice League Easter Eggs You Might Have Missed

Justice League is finally here! It's been a long and bumpy road to get DC's finest heroes united on the big screen for the first time, but at last the wait is over. Unfortunately, it hasn't received the most roaring critical reception ever, but it has been met with much love from the fans, who are delighted that the legendary superhero team has finally been brought to life. And there really is much for fans to love in the film. As it brings together six of the DC universe's biggest names, there's a lot of history to draw from and, while it doesn't have much time to do that in its surprisingly lean 120 minute runtime, Justice League tries its best to call back to a few classic comic book arcs and characters, as well as paying homage to previous DC movies that have come before. For instance, the 1989 Batman and 1978 Superman themes that Danny Elfman snuck into his score. With a full spoiler warning in order, here are 10 of the most significant easter eggs, references and callbacks hidden in Justice League. As always, if you spotted something we didn't, be sure to let us know in the comments section down below. The Death Of Superman Justice League's worst kept secret was the fact that Superman would be returning from the dead, following his sacrifice in stopping Doomsday in Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice. One of the big questions fans had about this was whether or not Henry Cavill would don the black and silver suit worn by Supes once he was resurrected in the comics. As it turns out, he doesn't. But there is a reference to it in the movie all the same. Justice League begins with the world at large mourning Superman's loss, with the House of El symbol displayed on famous landmarks across the globe. For instance, a giant flag of the 'S' emblem is seen draped over Westminster Bridge in London in one scene. As they're a sombre memorial, the banners are in black with a silver 'S', harking back to the black suit. Speaking of Superman's death, the beginning of the film attempts a weird tie-in to real-world events. We see a newspaper comparing Superman to late eccentric musicians David Bowie and Prince, with the headline asking whether they all went back to their home planet. Batman V Superman Callbacks Even though the respective tones of Batman V Superman and Justice League are as different as chalk and cheese, the team-up movie still features several nods back to the film that paved the way for it. One that will jump out to anyone who's seen BvS comes during Superman's battle with Batman while he's still fresh from his resurrection. "Tell me," Supes shouts at Bruce, moments away from pummeling him. "Do you bleed?" This is, of course, a repeat of the line used when Batman taunted Superman back in BvS. In Justice League, the line gets a humorous follow-up from Bruce: "Yeah, something's definitely bleeding." Storywise, we also return to the Kryptonian ship that featured so heavily in BvS, specifically the incubation chamber that Luthor used to create Doomsday. Here, the League use the system to reawaken Superman, by powering it with the energy from the Mother Box. Speaking of Mother Boxes, Batman and Alfred only know about these Apokoliptian novelties at the beginning of the movie because they've got hold of Luthor's notes. We previously found out that Lex Luthor knew about the Boxes in a scene that was cut from BvS's theatrical version but was reinstalled in the Ultimate Edition. It saw Luthor receiving a vision of Steppenwolf and the three Mother Boxes. Green Lanterns During a flashback to the last time Steppenwolf and his Parademon armies attempted to take over the Earth, we learn that only a union of humans, gods, Amazons, Atlanteans and aliens was able to stop them. Specifically, those aliens were members of the Green Lantern Corps. Yes, after months and months of speculation about whether Hal Jordan and John Stewart would be appearing in Justice League, it turns out that they don't, but some generic alien Corpsmen do instead. Though not named in the film, any DC fan will recognize the characters from their green outfits and Power Rings. Noticeably, one unfortunate Lantern is slain by Steppenwolf in battle. The general then watches as the ring slides from the warrior's finger and floats off into space. This serves as a handy reminder of how new Green Lanterns are chosen. Such as Abin Sur's ring seeking out Hal Jordan after its previous master's death. The Old Gods... Speaking of that ancient battle, Diana's voiceover also reveals that the Old Gods fought alongside man to defeat Steppenwolf's army. During the flashback to the fight, we only see two of them, but enthusiasts of Greek mythology should be able to work out who they are. One is a burly, bearded man who hurls lightning bolts at his enemies. No, this isn't an unexpected Marvel crossover with Chris Hemsworth's Thor - it's actually Zeus. Wonder Woman viewers will remember that Diana is the secret child of Zeus and her Amazonian mother Hippolyta. Sometime after this battle, Zeus - and the rest of the gods - were killed by his evil son Ares. Alongside Zeus, we see the archery goddess Artemis. That's a name with a lot of importance to the DC universe. For one, Artemis is also one of the Amazons (played by Ann Wolfe in Wonder Woman). Meanwhile, Artemis Crock is a teenage superhero, most known for her role in Young Justice. Finally, Artemis' Roman counterpart is called... Diana. Earlier in the movie, we see Wonder Woman standing atop a golden statue of Lady Justice in London. In Greek mythology, Lady Justice is known as Themis. Apart from Diana's homeland Themyscira deriving from her name, Themis also appeared in the Justice League animated series. ... And The New Gods Steppenwolf's role in Justice League belies a whole complex mythology that the film only touches on. You see, he's part of Jack Kirby's Fourth World comics. Hopefully, we'll see more of this explored in future movies, but for now, we enjoyed picking up on all the hidden references. Firstly, Diana tells us that when combined, the three Mother Boxes will create something called the Unity that will terraform the Earth into a copy of Steppenwolf's homeworld. Though it isn't named, fans will know this as the planet Apokolips. The opposite of the idyllic New Genesis, Apokolips is a hellscape ruled over by Steppenwolf's all-powerful nephew. Speaking of whom, though fans have been expecting to see him in the movie, he doesn't make an appearance in the finished product. However, Steppenwolf does give him a namecheck at one stage: "For the unity, for Darkseid!" A much more subtle nod comes when Steppenwolf fights the Amazons on Themyscira. He tells the warrior women that eventually they will love him. It's not clear what he means in the film itself, but presumably this is a reference to the Anti-Life Equation. In the comics, Darkseid's ultimate goal is to crack this formula that will allow him to bend anyone to his will. The Flash's Rogues Barry Allen wouldn't classify himself a superhero at the beginning of Justice League, as he admits he's never done battle before, he's just pushed some people and run away. However, some clues in the movie hint that he's just being modest and has actually faced some supervillains in his time. There's a lot to pick out in Barry's hideout, but if you have Superman's eyes you might have noticed the schematic for a suit upgrade on one of his screens is labelled "Cold Resistance." This has to be a nod to the Flash's recurring rogue Captain Cold. Later on, Barry lists his skills, one of which is "gorilla sign language." Has Barry already encountered his comics foe Gorilla Grodd? Meanwhile, the character's backstory and future career are also hinted at. We meet Billy Crudup's Henry Allen, who Barry believes is wrongfully-imprisoned for his mother's murder. Fans of The CW's The Flash will know that he's right - Reverse-Flash is the real perpetrator. Henry is also keen for his son to use his criminal justice degree to get a good career. By the end of the film, Bruce has pulled some strings to get Barry a job at a crime lab. Which sets the stage for him to become a forensic scientist. Christopher Reeve Superman Callbacks After two movies that have been heavily criticized for portraying Superman as too dour, Justice League attempts to put things right. As if to bang home how Henry Cavill is now playing the classic version of the character, the film features several callbacks to Christopher Reeve's iteration. For one, Clark's fashion sense is ripped straight out of Reeve's wardrobe. Once he gets his memory back and returns to the Kent farm, Clark dons a red and black plaid shirt and stands in a field. Basically recreating a shot of the teenage Clark from 1978's Superman: The Movie. At the end of the film, Clark Kent is back on the streets of Metropolis, dressed in his geeky finest - before he hears a call for help, turns to the camera and lets loose the classic shirt rip to reveal the Superman suit underneath. Apart from being the first time this iconic moment has appeared in the DCEU, Cavill's beige coat in the scene mirrors the colour scheme Reeve's Kent often sported. Finally, an actual cast member from 1978's Superman appears in Justice League: Jimmy Olsen himself, Marc McClure. McClure has previously been glimpsed in the trailers as a cop saved from being squished by Cyborg. However, this must have changed during the reshoots as McClure actually stars as the guard at Henry Allen's prison. Gotham City's Heroes And Villains A fair bit of Justice League takes place in Gotham and the filmmakers don't miss the opportunity to squeeze in a few references to Batman's friends and foes. One that was previously included in the trailers is Alfred's lament about the dangerous threat of Steppenwolf. "One misses the days when one's biggest concerns were exploding. wind-up penguins," says the faithful butler. This is obviously a reference to iconic Batman villain Oswald Cobblepot AKA the Penguin. One that's easier to miss can be glimpsed when Batman is tussling with a parademon at the beginning of the film and they pass a neon sign reading 'Janus.' The name of the two-faced Greek God, this ties in with the Greek myths leanings of the film and also brings to mind Harvey Dent AKA Two-Face. However, it's most likely a nod to Janus Cosmetics, the company run by Roman Sionis AKA Black Mask. Is this a reminder that he might be appearing in Gotham City Sirens? On the side of the law, J.K. Simmons' Commissioner Gordon has little more than a couple of cameos in Justice League. In one, he's chatting with a fellow officer. This is Crispus Allen (played by Kobna Holdbrook-Smith), a detective from the Gotham Central comics. Superman Races The Flash The first of two post-credits scenes in Justice League (we've discussed the other here) is a light-hearted callback to a classic comic book story. With the world safe again, Superman and the Flash are free to indulge in a bit of fun competition. To see who's the fastest, the duo decide to race to the Pacific. Sadly, the scene ends before we get to see who the winner is. Back in 1967, the Flash and Superman were asked to race around the world for charity. However, the pair got distracted by some errant criminals and the end result was a tie. This began a long history of Flash vs. Superman races, a favourite for adaptations, too. Check out the versions from Smallville, Superman: The Animated Series and Supergirl (with Kara in place of her cousin). It's such a classic scene that it's referenced twice in Justice League. During the movie's big climax, Flash is off trying to save random citizens when Superman rushes up beside him, teasing his teammate by calling him "slowpoke." It's not clear who wins in this sprint, but Superman definitely saves more people. While Barry rescues one family, Supes lifts a whole building block to safety.