Pretty much every recent comic book movie is riddled with tons of clever Easter eggs, secrets and references, and David Ayer’s Suicide Squad is no exception to the matter. From taking a jab at previous DC movies to an appearance of what might be another comic book villain, here are six Suicide Squad Easter Eggs you might have missed amidst the film’s glorious action pieces.
Please do take note that this list contains some heavy spoilers, so it comes highly recommended that you see Suicide Squad and Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice before checking out this full list, especially the massive spoiler at the end. With that being said, let’s kick this list off.
“Where is she?”
The Joker steals pretty much every scene he’s in, and being so starstruck may make it difficult to spot some of the secrets that lurk within almost all of them. One of those little references is a small jab at Christopher Nolan’s excellent Dark Knight trilogy and Christian Bale’s Batman.
In the Dark Knight trilogy, one of the most recurring complaints from fans and general viewers was Batman’s heavy and nearly inaudible voice, which could practically give you a sore throat just by hearing him speak. Suicide Squad’s Joker took note, reciting 2009’s Dark Knight by grunting “Where is she?” when asking about Harley’s whereabouts, likely referring to when Batman was interrogating Heath Ledger’s version of the Joker who had kidnapped Bruce Wayne’s childhood friend, Rachel Dawes.
From the Cover to the Big Screen
This Easter egg is quite obvious, yet the average moviegoer won’t realize it is an Easter egg at first glance. Slight spoiler alert ahead, but there are multiple instances where Joker’s tuxedo and Harley Quinn’s traditional costume can be seen throughout the movie, but the most obvious one comes in the form of a flashback.
When the Joker turned doctor Harleen Quinzel into the Harley Quinn we know and love, there is a small scene that features the two playfully dancing around, which is a direct nod to the cover art of Batman: Harley Quinn as illustrated by Alex Ross. Harley’s costume makes an appearance once more when she’s enlisted in Task Force X and is given back her possessions, and the Joker is wearing that very same tuxedo in a scene near the end of the movie.
Joker’s Wardrobe
Aside from the aforementioned outfits, pretty much all of the Joker’s outfits come directly from the pages of a variety of comic book story arcs, from the black tux to his trademark purple coat. This is a gentle reminder that this Joker is one of the most comic book accurate adaptations we’ve seen to date. Whereas Jack Nicholson was more of a gangster and Health Ledger was an anarchist, it’s clear that this Joker is just plain insane.
Another hint these outfits give you is that they didn’t choose just one version of the Joker to create Jared Leto’s version for Suicide Squad, but that he’s rather a collection of the Jokers we’ve come across throughout the character’s time on the comic book pages. It may also be a reference to how there’s no one origin story for the Joker as made clear in The Killing Joke, but that may just be a tad far-fetched.
Tattooed Man?
The fourth and final Easter egg out of all six that somehow relates back to the Joker, this one has been speculated for a long time. Whether it’s actually the character in question or just a nod towards him, it’s still a pretty neat secret for the comic book veterans.
During yet another flashback scene, we see Harley Quinn and her puddin’ kicking it in a club. A man (who happens to be covered in tattoos) comes to visit the Joker as they seem to have a past relationship of some sort, and while his name isn’t mentioned (he’s credited simply as Monster T), this might very well be the Tattooed Man, a DC villain that usually goes toe-to-toe with the Green Lantern.
His superpower is that he can bring his tattoos to life and use them to fight, ranging from razor sharp knives to fire breathing dragons. The form the main villain of the movie takes on led some people to speculate that the Tattooed Man would be the film’s big bad, which turned out to be false. Regardless, this might still be a nice nod towards this fan theory.
Who Watches the Watchmen?
Probably one of the more subtle yet noticeable Easter Eggs in the movie, Suicide Squad features a Watchmen reference that’s so in your face you’ll question how you even missed it.
It seems to be a trend in the DC Extended Universe to include at least one nod to Watchmen (as was the case multiple times Batman v Superman and its Ultimate Cut). A yellow smiley pin is to Watchmen what the S is to Superman, and a large yellow smiley face can be seen in the background of a clothing display when Deadshot is getting all nostalgic about his daughter. It may just be coincidence, but regardless, it’s pretty striking when you know what you’re looking for.
Justice League Members Flashing By
Not as much an Easter egg as it is fan service, but besides Batman, there’s two other Justice League members that get mentioned, one of which even gets a small cameo in the movie. There will be massive spoilers from this point on, so if you haven’t seen Suicide Squad, do yourself a favor and click away now.
Still here? Alright, let’s delve right into it then.
When we’re introduced to the soon-to-be members of Task Force X, we’re treated to a few origin stories and how these villains came to be imprisoned in Belle Reve. Two of which – Deadshot and Harley Quinn – involve Batman apprehending the both of them.
When Captain Boomerang is caught stealing diamonds from a bank, he is apprehended by none other than the Scarlet Speedster himself: Barry Allen as The Flash. His appearance was a very well-kept secret that is bound to take many comic book fanatics by surprise. During the end of the film, when Bruce Wayne is gives dossiers by Amanda Waller, Jason Momoa as Aquaman is also seen in a photograph.
Again, these scenes weren’t particularly Easter eggs as much as they were nods to future and past DCEU movies, but they made for some nice additions none the less.
That wraps up this small list of Easter eggs, secrets and references we’ve noticed in Suicide Squad! What Easter eggs did you spot? Make sure to share your secrets and findings in the comment section below.
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