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All of Batman v Superman's Justice League Teases and Easter Eggs
WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD
The critical reception for Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice has been tepid, but that hasn’t stopped the movie from breaking box office records. Like it or not, director Zack Snyder isn’t done yet, and the next DC property he’s set his sights on is Justice League. Taking a page out of Marvel’s book, Batman v Superman sows the seeds for DC’s premier crime-fighting team to make the jump to the big screen. While the majority of these teases are obvious, there are also a couple of subtle allusions to the next movie, and even one that wasn’t included in the theatrical release. We’ve compiled them all for you over the next few pages. Obviously, there be spoilers ahead.
Flash Forward
Showing as much subtlety as Wile E. Coyote wielding a giant hammer, director Zack Snyder drops the first reference on our list by having Barry "The Flash" Allen tear a portal in the space time continuum and invade Bruce Wayne’s dreams (don’t think about it too hard). The Flash looks to be in bad shape, with his iconic crimson suit torn to shreds and his hair noticeably disheveled--which is just not the Barry Allen way. Reaching out of the portal, Flash warns Bruce about an apocalyptic future and tells him he was right, suggesting Batman’s mistrust in Superman was warranted. He also says Lois is the key. The key to what isn’t revealed, but we’d speculate that Superman gives in to his darker side after suffering a devastating loss. Which brings us to...
Omega
That aforementioned dream that The Flash appeared in is also peppered with some Justice League teases. It takes place in a desert-like landscape that prominently features a large omega symbol. This is a reference to Darkseid, one of the all-powerful New Gods, ruler of Apokolips, and almost certainly the villain for the Justice League movie. The symbol represents the Omega Force, which gives Darkseid the ability to fire lasers out of his eyes that vaporise anything they touch. In many iterations of the villain, these beams track their target, and are impossible to avoid. Another ability, known as the Omega Sanction, is capable of trapping a victim in alternate timelines--a fate Batman has suffered in the comics.Basically, Darkseid is a very big bad.
Also shown in this dream sequence are Parademons, Darkseid’s flying footsoldiers. While not particularly powerful or smart, waves of Parademons often number in the thousands, which makes them formidable. Expect to see these guys pestering the Justice League throughout the next film. During this sequence, Superman appears and confronts Batman, and during their heated conversation it is implied that someone close to Supes has been killed.
More Than Human
The phrase "meta-humans" is mentioned a number of times in Batman v Superman (and Lex Luthor seems to have been tracking quite a few), setting up a future where powered people are more prevalent. Interestingly, this concept is one of the few--if not the only--thread between DC’s movie and TV universes, as meta-humans are also used in the Arrow and Flash live-action series’. How does this factor into Justice League? Well, it isn’t exactly clear how much the movie will lean on the concept of meta-humans, but there are a few potential scenarios: the first is that the team may have to deal with villains other than Darkseid (homegrown bad guys, if you will). The other is that it is used as a means to bring in the rest of the Justice League. Currently, only six members of the team have been confirmed, but there could be a few secret additions. Most notable among the MIA Leaguers are Green Lantern and Martian Manhunter. Of course, it could also be a way to set up further cameos from the likes of Zatanna, Shazam, Animal Man, or the many other heroes that have aligned themselves with the team in other incarnations.
Teen Titan
Flash’s appearance was followed by a look at the three other founding members of the movie Justice League. Batman v Superman’s Lex Luthor has seemingly kept an eye on all of them, and after infiltrating his home and stealing some data, Bruce Wayne gets a good look at these meta-humans. One of the first is Victor Stone, who is dead when we meet him. The video the audience sees is shot by Silas Stone, Vic’s father, who is attempting to bring him back to life as a part-man-part-machine hybrid. Over the course of the video clips, we’re shown numerous failed attempts, before one finally succeeds with the help of a strange cube. Silas seems to have done the impossible and revived his son, but unbeknownst to him, he used something with world-destroying potential to do it. But more on that later....
Under The Sea
The next video plumbs the depths of the ocean to reveal a strange man emerging from what looks to be a shipwreck. This mysterious underwater figure is Aquaman, King of Atlantis. Despite what you may have heard about him, he is actually incredibly powerful. Along with raw strength, Aquaman can also telepathically speak to marine life and get them to do his bidding. That may not sound very impressive, but let’s not forget that, in the DC universe, sharks are probably the least scary thing underwater. It’s unclear why Aquaman would join the league; it may be that Darkseid lays claim to Atlantis, or that the threat of Earth being completely destroyed forces Aquaman to join the cause. It’s worth noting that as of yet it isn’t clear whether the version of Aquaman in the movie universe is Arthur Curry.
Amazonian Primed
Diana Prince, better known as Wonder Woman, is featured heavily in Batman v Superman. She starts off the movie as a mysterious figure slinking around Lex Luthor’s home and making off with the data Bruce Wayne was also after. Eventually, it is revealed Diana was actually after an old photo of herself as her superhero alter-ego that was taken in 1918. It turns out Wonder Woman has been at the superhero thing for a long, long time. Hiding among humans, the Amazonian warrior lost her faith in people and decided to put an end to her career as a vigilante. The events of Batman v Superman--specifically the appearance of Doomsday--make her reconsider. She joins Batman and Superman in their fight against the villains and reveals herself to be arguably the most capable of the three heroes.
Wonder Woman goes toe-to-toe with Doomsday and, in one of the movie's most memorable moments, is shown taking pleasure in laying the Themysciran smackdown on the monster. Although Superman has traditionally led the Justice League, and Batman is the smartest among them, the movie makes a convincing argument for Wonder Woman leading the squad. The movie’s final moments show Wonder Woman and Bruce Wayne deciding to round-up the other known heroes, which marks the beginning of the Justice League’s formation.
Ping! Ping! Ping!
The box that Silas Stone uses to bring Victor back to life could be what brings Darkseid to Earth. Known as the Mother Box, it is a sentient supercomputer created in the Fourth World, which is inhabited by the New Gods. These cube-shaped objects are capable of things that are inconceivable to most beings, giving them limitless power and the potential to reshape all known existence, should its owner want it. They are most commonly used to summon Boom Tubes, which can teleport beings, but can also heal. They also have knowledge of everything ever, are capable of controlling the mental state of a person, and even merging sentient beings. As you can imagine, anyone who possesses one of these becomes almost unstoppable, and the more you have the better. In the comics, Darkseid is almost always in possession of one, but if Silas Stone has one, that could be a problem for him. It could also suggest there are more on Earth, which would certainly give Darkseid a reason to visit our little blue planet. And wherever he goes, death and destruction follows. Another Mother Box connection, though a little looser, can be found at the very end of the film. When Lex is in his cell he can be heard saying “ding ding ding ding,” which may be Snyder’s way of invoking the “ping” sound Mother Boxes make when used.
Yuga Khan?
The final Justice League tease for our list is from a deleted scene called Communion, which you can watch here. During Batman v Superman, Lex finds his way onto the Kryptonian ship that General Zod brought to Earth in Man of Steel. Once on board, he interfaces with the ship AI and asks to see all of Krypton’s knowledge database. The scene removed from the theatrical release shows a SWAT team discovering a strange horned being holding three cubes, likely Mother Boxes. There are also spheres orbiting him, perhaps representing different planets in the galaxy. After an agonising scream, the alien being is scattered like dust in the wind. The scene cuts back to Lex, who looks a bit worried and then looks up above him, which could mean something when you bear in mind his earlier speech about devil coming from above, instead of below. But who is this devil-like being? We’re not certain, but we’re currently theorising it’s Yuga Khan, father of Darkseid and original ruler of Apokolips. As for the meaning of the deleted scene, well, we’re not quite sure. But feel free to give us your best guesses on how Darkseid’s old man factors into the Justice League movie.
More...
The critical reception for Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice has been tepid, but that hasn’t stopped the movie from breaking box office records. Like it or not, director Zack Snyder isn’t done yet, and the next DC property he’s set his sights on is Justice League. Taking a page out of Marvel’s book, Batman v Superman sows the seeds for DC’s premier crime-fighting team to make the jump to the big screen. While the majority of these teases are obvious, there are also a couple of subtle allusions to the next movie, and even one that wasn’t included in the theatrical release. We’ve compiled them all for you over the next few pages. Obviously, there be spoilers ahead.
Flash Forward
Showing as much subtlety as Wile E. Coyote wielding a giant hammer, director Zack Snyder drops the first reference on our list by having Barry "The Flash" Allen tear a portal in the space time continuum and invade Bruce Wayne’s dreams (don’t think about it too hard). The Flash looks to be in bad shape, with his iconic crimson suit torn to shreds and his hair noticeably disheveled--which is just not the Barry Allen way. Reaching out of the portal, Flash warns Bruce about an apocalyptic future and tells him he was right, suggesting Batman’s mistrust in Superman was warranted. He also says Lois is the key. The key to what isn’t revealed, but we’d speculate that Superman gives in to his darker side after suffering a devastating loss. Which brings us to...
Omega
That aforementioned dream that The Flash appeared in is also peppered with some Justice League teases. It takes place in a desert-like landscape that prominently features a large omega symbol. This is a reference to Darkseid, one of the all-powerful New Gods, ruler of Apokolips, and almost certainly the villain for the Justice League movie. The symbol represents the Omega Force, which gives Darkseid the ability to fire lasers out of his eyes that vaporise anything they touch. In many iterations of the villain, these beams track their target, and are impossible to avoid. Another ability, known as the Omega Sanction, is capable of trapping a victim in alternate timelines--a fate Batman has suffered in the comics.Basically, Darkseid is a very big bad.
Also shown in this dream sequence are Parademons, Darkseid’s flying footsoldiers. While not particularly powerful or smart, waves of Parademons often number in the thousands, which makes them formidable. Expect to see these guys pestering the Justice League throughout the next film. During this sequence, Superman appears and confronts Batman, and during their heated conversation it is implied that someone close to Supes has been killed.
More Than Human
The phrase "meta-humans" is mentioned a number of times in Batman v Superman (and Lex Luthor seems to have been tracking quite a few), setting up a future where powered people are more prevalent. Interestingly, this concept is one of the few--if not the only--thread between DC’s movie and TV universes, as meta-humans are also used in the Arrow and Flash live-action series’. How does this factor into Justice League? Well, it isn’t exactly clear how much the movie will lean on the concept of meta-humans, but there are a few potential scenarios: the first is that the team may have to deal with villains other than Darkseid (homegrown bad guys, if you will). The other is that it is used as a means to bring in the rest of the Justice League. Currently, only six members of the team have been confirmed, but there could be a few secret additions. Most notable among the MIA Leaguers are Green Lantern and Martian Manhunter. Of course, it could also be a way to set up further cameos from the likes of Zatanna, Shazam, Animal Man, or the many other heroes that have aligned themselves with the team in other incarnations.
Teen Titan
Flash’s appearance was followed by a look at the three other founding members of the movie Justice League. Batman v Superman’s Lex Luthor has seemingly kept an eye on all of them, and after infiltrating his home and stealing some data, Bruce Wayne gets a good look at these meta-humans. One of the first is Victor Stone, who is dead when we meet him. The video the audience sees is shot by Silas Stone, Vic’s father, who is attempting to bring him back to life as a part-man-part-machine hybrid. Over the course of the video clips, we’re shown numerous failed attempts, before one finally succeeds with the help of a strange cube. Silas seems to have done the impossible and revived his son, but unbeknownst to him, he used something with world-destroying potential to do it. But more on that later....
Under The Sea
The next video plumbs the depths of the ocean to reveal a strange man emerging from what looks to be a shipwreck. This mysterious underwater figure is Aquaman, King of Atlantis. Despite what you may have heard about him, he is actually incredibly powerful. Along with raw strength, Aquaman can also telepathically speak to marine life and get them to do his bidding. That may not sound very impressive, but let’s not forget that, in the DC universe, sharks are probably the least scary thing underwater. It’s unclear why Aquaman would join the league; it may be that Darkseid lays claim to Atlantis, or that the threat of Earth being completely destroyed forces Aquaman to join the cause. It’s worth noting that as of yet it isn’t clear whether the version of Aquaman in the movie universe is Arthur Curry.
Amazonian Primed
Diana Prince, better known as Wonder Woman, is featured heavily in Batman v Superman. She starts off the movie as a mysterious figure slinking around Lex Luthor’s home and making off with the data Bruce Wayne was also after. Eventually, it is revealed Diana was actually after an old photo of herself as her superhero alter-ego that was taken in 1918. It turns out Wonder Woman has been at the superhero thing for a long, long time. Hiding among humans, the Amazonian warrior lost her faith in people and decided to put an end to her career as a vigilante. The events of Batman v Superman--specifically the appearance of Doomsday--make her reconsider. She joins Batman and Superman in their fight against the villains and reveals herself to be arguably the most capable of the three heroes.
Wonder Woman goes toe-to-toe with Doomsday and, in one of the movie's most memorable moments, is shown taking pleasure in laying the Themysciran smackdown on the monster. Although Superman has traditionally led the Justice League, and Batman is the smartest among them, the movie makes a convincing argument for Wonder Woman leading the squad. The movie’s final moments show Wonder Woman and Bruce Wayne deciding to round-up the other known heroes, which marks the beginning of the Justice League’s formation.
Ping! Ping! Ping!
The box that Silas Stone uses to bring Victor back to life could be what brings Darkseid to Earth. Known as the Mother Box, it is a sentient supercomputer created in the Fourth World, which is inhabited by the New Gods. These cube-shaped objects are capable of things that are inconceivable to most beings, giving them limitless power and the potential to reshape all known existence, should its owner want it. They are most commonly used to summon Boom Tubes, which can teleport beings, but can also heal. They also have knowledge of everything ever, are capable of controlling the mental state of a person, and even merging sentient beings. As you can imagine, anyone who possesses one of these becomes almost unstoppable, and the more you have the better. In the comics, Darkseid is almost always in possession of one, but if Silas Stone has one, that could be a problem for him. It could also suggest there are more on Earth, which would certainly give Darkseid a reason to visit our little blue planet. And wherever he goes, death and destruction follows. Another Mother Box connection, though a little looser, can be found at the very end of the film. When Lex is in his cell he can be heard saying “ding ding ding ding,” which may be Snyder’s way of invoking the “ping” sound Mother Boxes make when used.
Yuga Khan?
The final Justice League tease for our list is from a deleted scene called Communion, which you can watch here. During Batman v Superman, Lex finds his way onto the Kryptonian ship that General Zod brought to Earth in Man of Steel. Once on board, he interfaces with the ship AI and asks to see all of Krypton’s knowledge database. The scene removed from the theatrical release shows a SWAT team discovering a strange horned being holding three cubes, likely Mother Boxes. There are also spheres orbiting him, perhaps representing different planets in the galaxy. After an agonising scream, the alien being is scattered like dust in the wind. The scene cuts back to Lex, who looks a bit worried and then looks up above him, which could mean something when you bear in mind his earlier speech about devil coming from above, instead of below. But who is this devil-like being? We’re not certain, but we’re currently theorising it’s Yuga Khan, father of Darkseid and original ruler of Apokolips. As for the meaning of the deleted scene, well, we’re not quite sure. But feel free to give us your best guesses on how Darkseid’s old man factors into the Justice League movie.
More...