Patty Jenkins' Wonder Woman movie is a pretty great standalone origin story for the iconic
superhero, and includes some very cool easter eggs and homages to the comics, the DC Extended
Universe and, of course, Wonder Woman's previous incarnations on the small screen.
Yippee-ki-yay, movie lovers, it's Jan here, and in this video, I'm going to peel back
the layers of the new Wonder Woman movie to uncover some awesome easter eggs, references
and little details you might have missed.
If there's any others you spotted or enjoyed, leave a comment below and make sure you're
also subscribed for a chance to win one of two fantastic bundles, each of which includes
the official movie novelization and "The Art and Making of Wonder Woman", which showcases
the gorgeous concept art, designs, sketches and storyboards from the film.
Spoilers, of course, lie ahead for the movie, so be aware of that, otherwise, you can check
out my video of Wonder Woman at Comic Con by tapping in the top right and come back
here after you've seen the movie.
Wonder Woman director Patty Jenkins has described the movie as Superman and Indiana Jones meets
Casablanca, and there is definitely a nice nod to Richard Donner's 1978 Superman movie
during the alley scene when Diana stops a bullet that's about to hit Steve Trevor, and
the bullet falls into the palm of Steve's hand.
This moment recalls how Clark Kent saved Lois Lane in an alley from a mugger's gunshot by
catching the bullet in the palm of his hand.
When Steve reveals his identity to the Amazons, under the influence of the Lasso of Truth,
he tells them his serial number is 81 41 921, which is a subtle easter egg to the comic
book where both Wonder Woman and Steve Trevor made their first appearance: volume 1, issue
8 of All-Star Comics, December to January 1941 to 1942.
Just before Diana leaves London for the Front with Steve, there's a rather sweet moment
at the train station where she tastes ice cream for the first time.
This scene is a call-back to a very similar moment in the 2011 Justice League: Origin
comic where Wonder Woman got her first taste of ice cream.
And in the new movie, she even tells the vendor, "you should be very proud", just as she does
in the comic.
By the way, this moment was also recreated in the 2014 animated movie, Justice League:
War.
To stop Diana revealing herself as the Princess of Themyscira, Steve Trevor hastily introduces
her as Diana Prince.
In the comics, Diana Prince was the secret alias that Diana first took on in 1942 when
she met a nurse with that name who looked just like her, but wore glasses.
And in the movie, when Diana puts on a pair of glasses as part of her new identity, that's
also a hat-tip to that same comic book story.
By the way, Patty Jenkins has said she included several subtle homages to actress Lynda Carter's
Wonder Woman from the 1970s TV series.
For example, when Diana translates Dr Poison's notebook for the army generals, Steve lies
to them, saying Diana is his secretary, which is a hint to the 70s TV show where Diana Prince
was indeed Steve Trevor's secretary.
And in the movie, when Steve insists Diana wear glasses so that she looks 'less distracting',
it's a throwback to the TV pilot for the 70s series, in which Steve says that after all
the trouble he's had with "pretty girls", he wants an "ordinary-looking secretary",
after which he meets a glasses-wearing Diana Prince.
At the department store, when Steve asks Etta Candy where Diana is, Etta replies that she's
"trying on outfit number 226", which is an interesting number for Etta to pluck out of
the air as in the Wonder Woman comics, the cover of issue 226 features Superman raising
a tank above his head, much like the moment in the movie when Wonder Woman does the same.
There's a shout-out to Paradise Island, the original name of Wonder Woman's homeland in
the comics and the 1970s TV show, when Steve asks Diana if they have dancing on Paradise
Island.
By the way, the name Themyscira, which is used for Diana's homeland in the movie, appeared
in later comics.
The humorous moment on the boat when Diana tells Steve she's read all 12 of Clio's books
on Bodily Pleasure is a reference to the royal Amazon scribe called Clio who appeared in
the Wonder Woman comics.
There's an interesting call-back to the prevalent use of chains in the Wonder Woman comics during
Diana's final battle with Ares when the God of War manages to momentarily chain her arm.
In the early Wonder Woman comics, welding chains to an Amazon's bracelets could temporarily
weaken them, though this changed in later comics, so Ares' use of a chain as a weapon
against Diana and her breaking free from it are symbolic.
Any Wonder Woman fan will, of course, be familiar with her Lasso of Truth, but in the movie
Diana calls it the Lasso of Hestia, which is a reference to the Goddess of the Hearth
and Home, Hestia, whose fires gave the lasso its power.
Wonder Woman links back to Batman v Superman where her character first appeared in the
DCEU when modern-day Diana who's working at the Louvre receives a package from Wayne Enterprises.
In the package is the photo of her, Steve, Sameer, Charlie, and the Chief that Bruce
Wayne stole from Lex Luthor in BvS.
And there's also a little tease to the Justice League in the letters "JL" which appear on
the license plate of the Wayne Enterprises van that delivers that photo.
Before Wonder Woman defeats Ares, he makes a proposition to her that has strong echoes
of Man of Steel.
Ares asks Diana to join him and rid the world of humankind, and she responds, "I can never
be a part of that", a clear call-back to how Superman refused Zod's proposition to help
him with the World Engine on Earth with the words, "No, Zod.
I can't be a part of this."
Diana, of course, finally defeats Ares but it turns out that it's not her sword that's
the God Killer, but herself, which is a really interesting easter egg because, in the comics,
the God Killer sword was actually wielded by Deathstroke in a story that also featured
Wonder Woman.
But what's even more intriguing is that the way Wonder Woman defeats Ares in the movie
by taking the electrical energy he blasts at her and powering it back at him is very
reminiscent of how the God Killer sword in the comics can take the energy it receives
from an aggressor and turn it back on them with double the force.
Now, what was your favourite moment or easter egg in Wonder Woman?
Did the movie get you hyped up for seeing Diana back in Justice League and a Wonder
Woman sequel?
Be sure to comment and subscribe for a chance to win this awesome hardback book "Wonder
Woman: The Art and Making of the Film" plus a copy of the movie's official novelisation.
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Thanks for watching and see you next time.
Yippee-ki-yay, movie lovers!