Beginning with Zack Snyder’s Man of Steel in 2013, Warner Bros. and DC have been trying– and largely failing– to establish a cinematic universe that can sustain itself for over a decade, just like Marvel Studios has since 2008.
The DCEU is littered with problems, but one of the main ones may have been looking too far ahead instead of dealing with the project in front of them.
While Man of Steel was good and Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice was decent, the wheels really began to fall off with Suicide Squad and then came off entirely with Justice League.
However, what does any of this have to do with Easter eggs? Simple: because of the failures that the DCEU has faced so far, this means that plans that they may have once had will never fully come to fruition, leaving dozens of Easter eggs and teasers forever unanswered.
The DCEU is not alone in this, however, as DC movies before these, such as Batman Begins and The Dark Knight Rises, were guilty of the same crime: having Easter eggs that lead down a road to nowhere.
So with that in mind, we decided to take a look back at all the DC Comics-based movies ever made and figure out the 15 DC Movie Easter Eggs That Didn’t Go Anywhere.
Supergirl hint in Man of Steel
While Supergirl is doing just fine on her own show, that doesn’t mean that she was immune to being Easter egged in the DCEU.
In Man of Steel, as Clark Kent discovers and investigates the Fortress of Solitude, he gazes upon the pod which brought him to Earth.
However, eagle-eyed fans noticed that next to Kal-El’s pod, is a second pod that is already open.
Many fans believe that this is a hint towards Supergirl.
Whether this Easter egg is hinting at a new DCEU version of Kara Zor-El or the one that already exists in the television show has yet to be determined. While DC and Warner Bros. are still currently planning to go forward with a Man of Steel sequel, we’d be shocked if Clark’s cousin made an appearance.
The Riddler question mark in Batman v. Superman
One of the cooler Easter eggs in the DC Extended Universe came towards the climax of Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice, as the Dark Knight prepares for battle against the Man of Steel.
As Batman is planting his kryptonite spear that he was planning on using to use to kill Superman, a Riddler question mark can be seen spray-painted on a nearby pillar. The Riddler is the villainous alias of Edward Nygma, one of the most recognizable adversaries of the Dark Knight.
While the Riddler is one of the most well-conceived villains in Batman’s rogue’s gallery, he also proves to be one of the hardest to translate to the cinema, so we’d be shocked if this tantalizing Easter egg ever came to full fruition.
The “Robin” reveal in The Dark Knight Rises
One of the more controversial moments of The Dark Knight Rises came at the end when Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s John Blake – a trustworthy police officer character – was actually legally named Robin Blake.
This distinction actually lead to slight confusion over the movie’s ending, as fans were left wondering whether Blake was going to take up the mantle of Batman or become his own Robin.
While the Robin nod at the end of TDKR was ultimately harmless, we felt as though it didn’t need to be included.
This is because it does nothing to impact the audience’s view of the John Blake character, making it seem slightly forced.
Ultimately, it didn’t matter, as the excellent Christopher Nolan-directed The Dark Knight trilogy ended with The Dark Knight Rises, leaving fans to wonder which hero John Blake eventually bame.
Robin’s suit in Batman v. Superman
As an Easter egg so prominent that it was featured in most of the trailer for Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice, the vandalized and battered Robin suit hanging in Bruce Wayne’s DCEU batcave has yet to be explored.
That said, of all the Easter eggs on this list, this one is the most likely to eventually be paid off and explained. Given that Warner Bros. has remained adamant that Jared Leto will continue to be the universe’s Joker going forward, this means that his backstory, which as we can tell by the suit, involves killing one of the Robins.
Which Robin he killed exactly has yet to be revealed, but our money is on Jason Todd, as there are already plans for a Nightwing movie, which means Dick Grayson needs to be alive.
The Green Lantern in Justice League
With a very well-placed Easter egg, Snyder was able to show the audience how long the Green Lantern Corps have been around in this universe.
In the scene, one Green Lantern swats away a swath of Parademons.
Also in the scene, a second, much more extraterrestrial-looking Green Lantern dies at the hands of Steppenwolf.
As is the tradition in Green Lanter lore, the ring flies off this alien creature in search of the next worth ring-bearer. Given that this battle took place at the dawn of man, that exact ring immediately heading to Hal Jordan’s or John Stewart’s finger is unlikely.
Nevertheless, the Easter egg certainly established the Green Lantern Corps’ ancient presence in the DCEU.
Blaze Comics is seen during the Battle of Metropolis in Man of Steel
While Man Of Steel wasn’t officially decreed the beginning of the DCEU until after it came out, it was still littered with Easter eggs from other characters in the DC Universe, such as references to Wayne Enterprises and STAR Labs, both of which eventually came to fruition
However, there were plenty of Easter eggs in Man Of Steel that never came to fruition, one of which was the nod to Blaze Comics and Booster Gold.
Blaze Comics is a fictional publishing company in the DC universe that was responsible for the fictionalized version of the Booster Gold comics.
In DC Comics Lore, the Booster Gold comics are one of the many forms of merchandising based on the time-traveling hero, who makes a comfortable living from self-promotion and selling out to anyone able to make him more famous than he already is.
Carrie Farris’ appearance in Man of Steel & BvS
No, not Carol Farris from Green Lantern (because she was a full blown character, not an Easter egg), but minor background character Carrie Farris appeared in Man of Steel and Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice.
In the movie, she is a United States Air Force officer who is attached to the operations of United States Northern Command and the assistant to General Swanwick.
Carrie Farris’ character is widely considered to be a nod and allusion to Carol Farris, the longtime love interest of Hal Jordan.
In DC Comics lore, Carol Farris is one of the many women to use the name “Star Sapphire,” a typically villainous character who comes from an immortal race of warrior women, the Zamarons.
Given the tumultuous nature of the DCEU, we have major doubts that the character of “Carrie” Farris is ever fully fleshed out.
Brainiac’s logo can be seen in Man of Steel
Despite getting mixed reviews initially, Man of Steel has actually appreciated in value since it’s release (partly because of how much of a mess the rest of the DCEU is), making it easily the second best DCEU movie behind the exceptional Wonder Woman.
While director Zack Snyder saved most of the Easter eggs for the Battle of Metropolis in the movie’s final act, there were others scattered throughout the film, most notably the appearance of the Brainiac logo on one of General Zod’s ships.
Brainiac is, of course, one of Superman’s most powerful adversaries. Given that Krypton is featured prominently in the first act of the movie, a Brainiac connection was certainly plauisble, as he is responsible for shrinking and stealing Kandor, the capital city of Superman’s home planet Krypton.
However, like most of the Easter eggs in the DCEU, this one has gone nowhere so far. Fingers crossed for a Brainiac appearance in the eventual Man of Steel sequel.
Barry Allen mentioning “Gorilla Sign Language” in Justice League
If you’re being honest with yourself, you know deep down in the pit and core of your soul that Justice League was, ultimately, an absolute failure. What should have been one of the biggest events in comic book cinema history ended up as being definitive proof that the DCEU is a mess.
However, all that said, one of the surprising bright points of the movie was the introduction of Barry Allen’s Flash. Humorous without seeming forced (like most of the other “jokes” in the movie were), Ezra Miller’s portrayal of the Flash, against all odds, was actually one of the redeeming factors of the controversial movie.
One of Allen’s better lines in movie (and he had many) was that he was fluent in “gorilla sign language.”
This ia an obvious nod to Gorilla Grodd. As previously stated, though, given the current state of the DCEU, we doubt this one ever comes to fruition.
The Killer Croc reference in The Dark Knight Rises
One of the staples of Christopher Nolans’ The Dark Knight universe was its hyperrealism – that anything that happened in the movie could, theoretically, happen in the real world.
While this hyperrealism is what made the movies so successful, it also bracketed in the franchise in terms of what villains they could use: a character like the Joker could plausibly exist in the real world, however, villains like Mr. Freeze or Killer Croc proved to be too “comic booky” to adapt into this universe.
That didn’t stop Chris Nolan from referencing them, though. At one point Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s John Blake character suggests that there are “giant alligators” in Gotham’s sewers, an obvious nod to Killer Croc. Even though there was no shot of Killer Croc making an appearance, the reference was still a sly one that most fans enjoyed.
Victor Zsasz in Batman Begins
For millennial fans of Batman, Batman Begins was really the jumping point into the fandom of the character. The three movies that came out in the 1990s – Batman Returns, Batman Forever, and Batman & Robin – were either too dark or too childish, so Batman Begins served as a proper cinematic introduction to the character for young fans.
While most movie-goers remember the massive Easter egg that ended the movie (then-Lieutenant Jim Gordon giving Batman a Joker playing card found at the scene of a crime), there are other Easter eggs to Batman characters throughout.
One of the most notable Easter eggs is the appearance of Victory Zsasz.
Although Victor Zsasz is not a well-known enough character to warrant being fully featured a Batman movie, it was a nice nod to Batman’s notoriously large rogue’s gallery.
Mercy Graves in Batman v. Superman
One of the biggest criticisms of Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice was Zack Snyder’s decidedly liberal use of iconic DC Comics supporting characters, such as Jimmy Olsen and Mercy Graves.
As fans now know, Jimmy Olsen got blown away in the opening scene of the movie as he and Lois were undercover in that African nation. However, he wasn’t the only Superman supporting character that met their grizzly end in Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice.
For example, Lex Luthor’s trusty assistant Mercy Graves was also blown away when Luthor planted a bomb at the United States Capitol building.
Ruthlessly tossed aside by the boss who she was so loyal to, Mercy Graves barely got a chance to speak in the DCEU, let alone make a lasting impact.
Emmett Vale in Batman v. Superman
Another “blink and you’ll miss it” cameo in the DCEU is the appearance of Emmett Vale, the character known for creating the Superman villain Metallo in the comics.
In BvS, Emmett can be seen working on a piece of Kryptonite found at the crash site of the Scout Ship in Metropolis during the Black Zero Event and Battle of Metropolis. Vale and the other scientists used it to discover that it can destroy Kryptonian cells, as he stood by as Lex Luthor presented his findings to Senators June Finch and Barrows.
Similar to the Carrie Ferris character, Vale’s inclusion in the movie was likely more of a wink than a potential future payoff.
We’ve got to imagine that if Metallo does ever make it to the DCEU, the scientist who creates him will be played by a bigger name.
“Who Watches the Watchmen” is spraypainted in Batman v. Superman
The Latin phrase for “Who watches the Watchmen” can be seen spraypainted in Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice, which was only spotted by only the most attentive fans. This Easter egg is two-fold, as it could be a reference to both the movie’s director, Zack Snyder, or the movie’s source material, DC Comics.
As we know, Snyder himself directed the big-screen adaptation of Watchmen. However, the other aspect of this Easter egg is the Watchmen’s current standing in the DC Comics Universe, as Doctor Manhattan is currently the main antagonist in the New 52.
Either way, whether it be a wink to Zack Snyder or a nod to the comic books, we have major doubts that Doctor Manhattan or any of the Watchmen will be appearing in the DCEU anytime soon.
Kenny Braverman, aka the Conduit, in Man of Steel
As perhaps the most obscure Easter egg on the entire list, a young Kenny Braverman appears in Man of Steel.
The main bully who picks on a young Clark Kent, Kenny Braverman grows up to become little-known supervillain “Conduit.” According to the comics, Braverman was born in Smallville on the same night that Superman’s rocket landed.
He received Kryptonite-based energy powers from the rocket’s radiation.
While none of that was discussed in the movie, Braverman definitely had the demeanor of a future supervillain.
Given the Man of Steel’s long line of iconic and illustrious villains, we get the feeling that the supremely obscure “Conduit” ever makes his way into the DCEU as a fully realized bad guy. However, being a fully realized bully is a different story entirely.
Are there any other DC Easter eggs that you found that didn’t go anywhere? Let us know in the comments!
