9 Easter Eggs In The New 'Wonder Woman' That Prove Just How Clever The Movie Is
Well, another weekend has passed and another superhero movie has dominated the box offices.
This time, the heroine getting all the praise is none other than the Amazonian demigoddess, Wonder Woman.
Obviously, director Patty Jenkins' Wonder Woman is packed with all the factors that make for a hit comic adaptation: There's plenty of action and excitement, there are incredible graphics, and there is a badass female superhero dominating every scene from beginning to end.
What might not be so obvious, though, are all the subtle (and not so subtle) references to other films, comics, and characters in the DC Extended Universe (DCEU).
That's right, like any great superhero movie, Wonder Woman is filled with Easter eggs that allude to plots from DC Comics' history, and, as always, it's my job to point them out and blow your mind.
1. Artemis Shows Up Twice In The Film
Ann Wolfe is Artemis pic.twitter.com/3tMSL4Bla9 — ☆Stephanie☆ (@GeekPride5) April 28, 2017
Throughout Wonder Woman, you can see famed boxer Ann Wolfe as Artemis in two separate scenes. Artemis is an Amazon warrior who shows up frequently in the comics but hasn't seen any time on the big screen until now.
Is it too early to start asking for an Artemis movie?
2. Doctor Poison's Lab Coat And Goggles Make Their Own Cameos
Elena Anaya's Dr. Maru wears a green lab coat just like the original comic's villain does. More important, though, are Dr. Maru/Doctor Poison's signature goggles that Anaya never actually wears in Wonder Woman, but that sit subtly on her head as a nod to the original depiction of Dr. Maru.
3. Ares Appears As A Ship
This one seems to be a bit of a stretch, but logically, it makes sense.
If you look closely during one scene in Wonder Woman, you'll notice there is a German battleship named SMS Schwaben. Seems normal, right? Right.
But, if you're a German naval history buff, you'll know this name is more significant than that.
Mhm, in 1905 the SMS Schwaben replaced the obsolete SMS Mars, which just so happens to be the Roman name for Ares. It's interesting to think that this small detail could be a reference to Diana Prince's grandfather.
4. There Is A Nod To The Goddess Hestia
Throughout Wonder Woman, audiences see Diana using her Lasso of Truth to force anyone wrapped in it to be 100 percent honest.
While the concept of the lasso forcing people to tell the truth doesn't necessarily allude to any one particular character in DC history, its ability to get scaldingly hot until whoever is wrapped in it tells the truth relates back to Hestia, the goddess of home and hearth, who gives the lasso its powers.
5. We're Reminded Of The Original Superman Film
Director Patty Jenkins pays unmistakable homage to director Richard Donner and actor Christopher Reeve's Superman in one scene where Diana's wrist brace is used to deflect a bullet headed for Steve's heart.
The scene is blatantly reminiscent of the original Superman film where Clark catches a bullet headed for Lois Lane.
6. "Paradise Island" Brings Us Back To Diana's Origins
At one point in the film, Steve Trevor (played by Chris Pine) refers to Diana's homeland Themyscira as "Paradise Island," a reference to Wonder Woman's beginnings when creator William Moulton Marston envisioned Diana inhabiting a perfect, paradise-like island that had not been tainted by men. The name was changed to Themyscira in 1987.
7. The Blackhawks Appear
Though it's never outwardly stated in Wonder Woman, it appears as if Saïd Taghmaoui's character, Sameer, might be a member of the Blackhawk Squadron.
A while back, Taghmaoui shared a photo of his character Sameer side-by-side with Andre Blanc-Dumont (another Blackhawk member), which certainly leads me to believe Sameer is, in fact, a Blackhawk.
8. Fausta Grables Shows Up
Actress Rachel Pickup can be seen as Colonel Fausta Grables in a very quick shot on her way to General Erich Ludendorff's gala.
9. And Finally, Gail Simone And Bernard Chang's Wonder Woman Is Pretty Blatantly Referenced
Close to the end of Wonder Woman, Ares (previously disguised as character Sir Patrick Morgan) reveals himself to Diana and tries to persuade her that mankind is not worth saving.
He tells her he is not directly responsible for the war, rather he just gave mankind the motivations to incite war. In this version of things, Ares argues that he is, in fact, the "God of Truth," not of War.
Since this idea dates back to an earlier exchange between Diana and Ares, where Ares says to his granddaughter, "War is truth, princess," it is seemingly a nod to Gail Simone and Bernard Chang's Wonder Woman #37 from 2009.
There ya have it, folks, all the sly cameos from awesome actors and subtle nods to DCEU characters that show up in Patty Jenkins' Wonder Woman. Let us know in the comments if we missed any!
