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As Superman flies onto our screens, it also kicks off the theatrical arm of James Gunn's new cinematic universe. The movie, which sees David Corenswet take on the role of the Man of Steel, is the first movie to be released in DCU Chapter One: Gods and Monsters, and it's a big, bold way to start.
There's a lot going on in the movie, as Superman faces off against Lex Luthor, brushes up against the Justice Gang, contends with his Kryptonian heritage, and cultivates a burgeoning relationship with Lois Lane. Oh, and gets caught up in international politics. It's a lot to have on anyone's plate, we'll put it that way.
In short, you may have missed all the Superman Easter eggs, cameos, and references jam-packed into the movie. This includes comic book references, cameos from elsewhere in the DCU, and even callbacks to Gunn's previous movies. But that's where we come in, and we've got everything you need to know right here – all you need to do is look up (and scroll down). Be warned, though, there are major Superman spoilers ahead!
Article continues belowEvery Superman cameo and Easter egg, listed
Boravia and Jarhanpur
In Superman, the titular hero gets himself in trouble when he intervenes in a conflict between Boravia and Jarhanpur after the former threatens to invade the latter. Both countries are fictional, but they have their origins in DC Comics. Boravia, an Eastern European nation allied with the US in the movie, first appeared in the comics back in the '30s, while Jarhanpur, presented as a Middle Eastern country in the movie, is a more recent addition, debuting in 2002.
Superman robots
In Superman's Fortress of Solitude in the Antarctic, he's not completely solitary. Along with Krypto the Superdog, he's aided by a group of Superman robots who help nurse the Man of Steel back to health after a big fight. These helpful droids are voiced by some familiar actors: Pom Klementieff, who played Mantis in Guardians of the Galaxy, Alan Tudyk, who voices several characters in Creature Commandos, Michael Rooker, who played Yondu in the Guardians movies and Savant in The Suicide Squad, and Jennifer Holland, who played Emilia Harcourt in The Suicide Squad and Peacemaker (and is Gunn's wife irl).
Bradley Cooper
Clark Kent's Kryptonian father, Jor-El, is played by Bradley Cooper in the recorded message that was sent to Earth with him when he was a baby. Cooper voiced Rocket Raccoon in the Guardians of the Galaxy movies, so he's no stranger to working with Gunn. Angela Sarafyan plays his Kryptonian mother, Lara.
General Rick Flag Sr.
Frank Grillo reprises his Creature Commandos role as General Rick Flag Sr. in Superman, making his live-action debut in the role. He's part of the defense council meeting to discuss Superman's involvement in the Boravia and Jarhanpur conflict at the start of the movie, and he pops up a couple of times after that, too. Rick Flag Sr. will return in Peacemaker season 2.
LordTech
LordTech, Maxwell Lord's company, gets a name drop in Superman, and Maxwell himself appears right at the end of the movie (played by Sean Gunn, a frequent collaborator of Gunn's and his real-life brother). LordTech funds the so-called Justice Gang, AKA Mister Terrific, Hawkgirl, and Green Lantern.
Superman's powers
Superman features two of the Man of Steel's powers from the comics that don't often get portrayed on the big screen: freeze breath and X-ray vision. When Supes is able to use his breath to propel objects (or people) away from him, that's freeze breath. This particular power was in the Man of Steel's arsenal in the theatrical cut of Justice League, but isn't in his usual array of powers on-screen. Neither is X-ray vision, which we see (no pun intended) in Gunn's movie when Clark is checking out the organs of the kaiju ransacking Metropolis.
Green Lantern Corps
Guy Gardner, AKA Green Lantern, namedrops the Green Lantern Corps when he's talking to Superman. The Green Lantern Corps is an intergalactic peacekeeping organization and we'll get more insight into how the team operates in the DCU with new TV show Lanterns, which debuts on HBO next year (it'll star Kyle Chandler and Aaron Pierre as Guy's fellow members Hal Jordan and John Stewart, alongside Nathan Fillion's Guy).
Peacemaker
Christopher Smith, AKA Peacemaker, makes a cameo in Superman as a guest on the talkshow The Sphere News. It's no surprise that he isn't a fan of Supes, seeing as their ideologies are a little opposed (let's just say Peacemaker doesn't quite believe in the goodness of every living being…). Although The Suicide Squad and Peacemaker season 1 aren't technically in the DCU, those projects are still canon, and Peacemaker season 2 will be part of Gunn's new universe.
Hypno glasses
"But the only difference between Clark Kent and Superman is a pair of glasses! How can no one recognize him?" Well, that would be because they're hypno glasses, which hypnotize anyone who looks at him to make sure they don't identify Clark as Superman. He wears them in the comics, but they're not often included in on-screen depictions of the character.
Will Reeve
Will Reeve, the son of the late Christopher Reeve, who played Superman in four movies in the '80s, has a cameo in the movie. He's the reporter on the scene for GBS News while Supes is taking on the kaiju destroying Metropolis.
Water tower
When he's facing off against the kaiju, Superman up-ends a water tower to use as a weapon. Smallville, the town in Kansas where Clark was raised by Martha and Jonathan Kent, has a water tower. In the TV show Smallville, the water tower is destroyed during the meteor shower in the first episode.
Hall of Justice mural
When Lois visits Green Lantern, Hawkgirl, and Mister Terrific at the Hall of Justice, we get a glimpse of a mural on the wall. This features paintings of a number of superheroes of yore – including Wildcat, as one eagle-eyed viewer pointed out.
The Mighty Crabjoys
Clark Kent's favorite band, The Mighty Crabjoys, don't actually exist in real life – but they do elsewhere in the DCU. If the name rings a bell, it's because Eric Frankenstein wore their merch in one of his fights against the Bride in Creature Commandos. Clark has a poster on his bedroom wall back in Smallville and insists they're punk rock, although Lois isn't so sure.
Belle Reve
When Lex Luthor is arrested at the end of the movie after Jimmy and Lois' damning exposé in The Daily Planet, the cop manhandling him into the police vehicle says they're going to get his "bald ass to Belle Reve." Belle Reve is a prison from DC Comics located in Louisiana that's also been used as a base for both Task Force X and the Suicide Squad. It houses incarcerated supervillains and other metahuman criminals.
Supergirl
Right at the end of the movie, we get one last cameo: Kara Zor-El, AKA Supergirl, Clark's cousin. She's played by Milly Alcok in the DCU, and is set to headline her own movie in 2026. She arrives at the Fortress of Solitude to collect Krypto, who Clark has been minding while Kara parties on other planets. She promptly disappears again with Krypto in tow, but don't worry – we have less than a year to wait until the duo are back on our screens.
Is Batman in Superman?
No, Batman isn't in Superman. There's a DCU Batman movie in the works, The Brave and the Bold, but progress is quite slow on that front (although James Gunn did recently tell us that a screenwriter is "hammering away" at a script), and Matt Reeves' The Batman 2 (which isn't part of the DCU) is also coming our way. Gunn has said that we'll see the Man of Steel and the Caped Crusader cross paths in his new universe, but not just yet.
Superman is out now in theaters. For more, check out our Superman review or our guide to untangling how to watch the DC movies in order.
