Top 10 Easter Eggs in Batman Movies

Welcome to Gotham City, where you’ll find secrets aplenty. Welcome to WatchMojo.com, and today we’re counting down our picks for the Top 10 Easter Eggs in Batman Movies. For this list, we’re looking at the coolest hidden gems in Batman films. Since some of these Easter eggs contain key plot details, a spoiler alert is in order. #10: Joker’s ‘Final’ Appearance “The Dark Knight Rises” (2012) Sadly, the Joker didn’t appear in the flesh. But as a testament to his enduring presence in Gotham, Christopher Nolan apparently snuck in two subtle nods to the Clown Prince of Crime in TDKR. In one scene, a magazine can be seen lying on a chair near Bruce Wayne, and from the viewer’s limited perspective, the face on the cover appears to be that of the Joker. Later, during the unveiling of the statue of Batman, the overhead shot of the ceremony reveals a distinctly Joker-ish smiley face. Even in his absence, the Joker still managed to leave his mark behind. #9: Shark Repellent Bat Spray “The Lego Batman Movie” (2017) Over his decades-spanning crime-fighting career, the Caped Crusader has amassed quite the collection of gadgets - many of which leave much to be desired in terms of originality, credibility, practicality, and you know... all around common sense. But even against steep competition, the Shark Repellent Bat Spray, as seen in the 1966 Batman film based on the 1960s TV series, remains arguably the most ridiculed tool in Batman’s arsenal. Until 2017 that is. In “The Lego Batman Movie,” the shark repellent received its moment of redemption when, in a tongue and cheek nod to the colorful history of the Dark Knight, it was used to take down the most legendary shark in cinematic history - Jaws. #8: The 1989 Batmobile “The Lego Batman Movie” (2017) The Lego Batman Movie is basically one glorious celebration of all things Batman, from his most grim and gritty moments to, as we just saw, his most absurdly silly. Paying homage to the other big screen Batman films that preceded it, “The Lego Batman Movie” Batcave features a jaw-dropping collection of Batmobiles. We could easily go full nerdgasm over any of them, but the appearance of the classic 1989 Tim Burton Batmobile arguably resonates most. How can you not get excited seeing the Batmobile from the first live-action film to take the character seriously, so lovingly recreated out of Lego nearly three decades later? #7: The Batphone “The Dark Knight Rises” (2012) From a film like “Lego Batman,” we expect Easter egg throwbacks to the Batman series of the 1960s. In the world of Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight, though, not really. And yet, a bright red telephone can be seen in the scene where John Blake (whose middle name is Robin) meets Bruce Wayne for the first time. It looks like it was pulled straight from the world inhabited by Adam West and Burt Ward’s Dynamic Duo. That’s not all, though. Sitting right beside it is a bronze bust - you know… like the one they used to access the cave? Like we said before, nothing is accidental when Nolan is at the helm. #6: Bob Kane’s Paper Cameo “Batman” (1989) If it weren’t for artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger… well, Superman and Spider-Man would have significantly less competition for the title of world’s most popular superhero. A big supporter of the Batman films from the very beginning, Bob Kane was actually supposed to have a cameo in Tim Burton’s 1989 Batman, but sadly he was unable to make it on the day he was scheduled to shoot. Nonetheless, a drawing of his, including his trademark signature, made the final cut of the film in his place. Although he himself never appeared in a Bat-flick, his wife, Elizabeth Sanders, played the role of Gossip Gerty in later installments. #5: A Tale of Two Cities “The Dark Knight Rises” (2012) Director Christopher Nolan’s “Dark Knight” trilogy may exist in the genre of comic book movies, but his cinematic take on Batman tends to be fairly high concept stuff. In the third and final installment, the Nolan brothers, along with David S. Goyer, took inspiration from the Charles Dickens classic “A Tale of Two Cities.” They did more than borrow story elements, however. In one scene, Tom Hardy’s Bane can be seen twirling a piece of twine - a direct reference to Dickens’ Madame Defarge and her knitting. And later, when giving Bruce Wayne’s eulogy, Commissioner Gordon actually reads directly from the novel. #4: Hinting at Other Villains from Rogues Gallery “The Dark Knight” franchise (2005-12) In the relatively realistic Nolanverse, we met grounded versions of classic Batman villains. Of course, if you’re familiar with Batman’s gallery of rogues from the comics, you know that a good number of them simply don’t fit into the world Nolan has created - regardless of how much tweaking you do. A few such characters, however, do seem to have received knowing winks in “The Dark Knight Rises”: Killer Croc gets a nod with the giant alligators rumor, while a comment on cryo-sleep serves as an allusion to Mr. Freeze. In “The Dark Knight,” we even got a nice little teaser that Bruce Wayne could tangle with a cat in the future. And who could forget Mr. Zsasz from “Batman Begins?” #3: The Man Behind Clayface “The Dark Knight Rises” (2012) While those secondary and off-camera villains all made for satisfying Easter eggs, it’s the inclusion of John Daggett in “The Dark Knight Rises” that proves most tantalizing. Clearly inspired by Roland Daggett from the animated series, Daggett himself is nothing more than a corrupt business rival of Bruce Wayne’s willing to get involved with villains to get ahead. So he’s not exactly an A-list villain by anyone’s standards. But in the animated series, Daggett was responsible for creating Clayface, the b-list actor turned shape shifting criminal and villain extraordinaire. While Daggett makes no reference to his creation within the Nolanverse, we can’t help but wonder… what has he been up to off-screen? Any little science experiments? #2: The Joker’s Clown Mask “The Dark Knight” (2008) Nolan and company surprised us again with yet another reference to the Batusi-ing Batman series of the 1960s. Although this time, it’s with a truly obscure reference that only the most serious of Batman fans would’ve been likely to notice. In the opening bank heist scene from “The Dark Knight,” all of the robbers are wearing clown masks. But the one worn by the Joker himself has a real history to it. You see, back in 1966, in the fifth episode of the series, Cesar Romero’s Joker dressed up as another clown in order to take control of a theater performance of “Pagliacci.” And these two masks... bear an undeniable resemblance. Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions. - Selina Kyle & the Joker Connection “The Dark Knight Rises” (2012) - Robin’s ‘R’ Logo “The Dark Knight Rises” (2012) - Riddler’s Question Mark “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice” (2016) #1: A Treasure Trove of Villain Costumes “Batman & Robin” (1997) Hey, “Batman & Robin” might be the least popular modern Batman film, but we believe in giving credit where credit is due, and this was one good Easter egg. When henchman Bane is tasked with fetching Mr. Freeze’s cryogenic suit, he has to break into the appropriately titled “Criminal Property Locker” in Arkham Asylum. Had he taken time to snag a few more items, however, he could’ve made a killing online. In that room, for all to see, are the Riddler and Two-Face’s respective costumes. But that’s not all. In the scene, we also saw items that suggested other villains, including the Toyman and the Clock King.