DC fans have a lot to think about when it comes to The Dark Knightas the film contains many Easter eggs and references to try to identify. After its release in 2008, The Dark Knight It took the world by storm and, almost two decades later, is still considered one of the best comic book movies ever made. The Dark Knight's legacy will last a long time, with many retellings in the future.
The Dark Knight it was a much simpler time for DC, before the divisive DCEU took its last breath, and the new DCU officially launched with James Gunn Superman. The Dark Knight existed in his own universe, far from anything that could tie him to some larger film franchise, but the film still managed to reference iconic DC properties and pop culture references through Easter eggs scattered throughout. Christopher Nolan's epic.
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Joker Mask
A nod to the original
The Dark Knight The opening scene is iconic and one of the best in superhero history. The Joker's henchmen are robbing a bank, eliminating each man who finishes his part of the job so that their share is bigger in the end. Eventually, Joker reveals himself by taking off his mask and killing the last member of the crew, taking all the money for himself, an absolutely iconic introduction to Heath Ledger's incredible performance.
The mask that the Joker wears throughout this scene is actually a small reference to a mask that Cesar Romero wore as the Clown Prince of Crime during Adam West's 1960s Batman television series. Romero was actually the first live-action version of the Joker, setting the stage for some of the most memorable performances in film history. It's a good thing The Dark Knight wanted to allude to what came before, as the superhero landscape could have been very different if something like the 1960s series had never been released.
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Movie release date in Joker photo
The beginning of something beautiful
There is a scene in The Dark Knight which has a blink-and-you'll-miss-it meta-reference thrown in there. Detective Jim Gordon is showing an image from security footage that shows Joker when he was robbing the bank. There is a timestamp on the photo, with a date of July 18, 2008. It's a tiny detail, but it refers to the film itself.
The Dark Knight it was actually released in theaters on that same date, making the subtle nod to the actual film a fun little connection. The film exceeded all expectations and, at the time, broke the record for the biggest opening weekend of all time. It changed the superhero genre forever, which means July 18, 2008 will always be an important date for DC movies and comics as a whole.
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Batman able to move his head
It's about time he could
The Dark Knight owes much gratitude to Batman begins that came before it, as the film laid the fantastic foundation upon which its sequel could thrive. THE Batman begins the batsuit was great, but for The Dark KnightChristian Bale's Batman decided he needed to make some updates if he wanted to continue fighting crime. This led to Lucius Fox helping to make an entirely new suit for Bruce Wayne.
It's a funny quirk that only adds to Keaton's character.
Besides just being a general upgrade for your first Batsuit, The Dark Knight the bat suit breaks the neck cowl, which allows Christian Bale as Batman actually turn your head without turning your body. This, of course, was a fun jab at Michael Keaton's suit in Batman and Batman Returns. Keaton couldn't turn his neck and had to move completely to face whatever direction he needed to face. Upon rewatch, it becomes obvious, but it's a funny quirk that only adds to Keaton's character.
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Lucius Fox alluding to Catwoman
Cat got your tongue?
Before you put on your new suit The Dark KnightBatman has a run-in with some dogs that actually do some decent damage to him and the suit. During the scene where Lucius Fox shows Bruce Wayne his new suit and the upgrades that come with it, Wayne asks if he will resist the dogs. Lucius Fox assures Bruce that “should work well against cats.”
At the time, it was just a sly nod to the idea of Catwoman being in the franchise, but it became a reality after Anne Hathaway portrayed the character in The Dark Knight Risesstarting out as an antagonist to Batman before evolving into a love interest, saving him from Bane at the end of the film. Catwoman is one of the Caped Crusader's most popular villains, so at the time of The Dark Knightthe references to characters like her were incredible.
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Joker is a fan of Eminem
Please get up, please get up!
One Fun Thing The Joker Does All The Time The Dark Knight is leaving your business card in different places with different people. In fact, the original calling card was first shown at the end of Batman beginssetting up the character to be the villain of The Dark Knight. The best part about the Joker's “business card” is that it leaves you with the people you want to do business with, and it's just the Joker's card.
Something silly like this just shows the twisted humor the Joker is operating with. The Dark Knightmaking him funnier and more threatening at the same time.
One card he leaves is a direct call to Batman and a great reference to one of the best rappers in the world. “Will the real Batman please stand up?” is written on the card, a obvious nod to Eminem's incredibly popular song “The Real Slim Shady” this only includes Batman in the lyrics. Something silly like this just shows the twisted humor the Joker is operating with. The Dark Knightmaking him funnier and more threatening at the same time.
5
Joker's hidden shoe knife
A cinema icon
During Harvey's fundraising scene, Joker and his henchmen crash the party, looking for Harvey Dent and probably hoping to attract Batman at the same time. Joker threatens Rachel Dawes and then fights with Batman as soon as he shows up at the party. The fight scene itself shows off some of the fun tactics the Joker uses during the fight and an iconic weapon from the film appears during the fight; a knife hidden inside a shoe.
The shoe knife has appeared in several films over the years, and despite being a little silly, it has also proven to be quite effective. Maybe the the most iconic version of this weapon is the 1963 James Bond film, From Russia with love. The villain, Rose Klebb, attempts to use the shoe knife as a last-ditch effort to kill Bond at the end of the film. It's an iconic moment that features one of cinema's most creative yet simple weapons.
4
Bruce Wayne's Lamborghini
Does it come in black?
When he's not being Batman, driving his military vehicle known as the Tumbler, Bruce Wayne still needs to get places in style. To do this, he drives a Lamborghini Murciélago. It's a beautiful car that actually plays an important role in the film, as Bruce purposely destroys it to prevent the whistleblower, Coleman Reese, from being killed. The meaning behind the vehicle's name also perfectly matches Bruce Wayne's alter ego.
Murciélago actually means “bat” in Spanishwhich is self-explanatory. Even when Bruce Wayne isn't acting as Batman, he's literally driving a Batmobile. Things like this are fun to include for those who like to dig into little details like this, showing that whoever is behind the film really thought of pretty much everything. It's a shame that Bruce Wayne destroyed something so beautiful.
3
Spider-Man 3 makes an appearance
A nod to Marvel's greatest hero
One of the first photos in The Dark Knight remains on the Joker's back before he is about to enter the bank and rob it. Deep in the background of the scene, a familiar poster can be vaguely seen. In fact it is a poster for Spider-Man 3released on May 4, 2007, just over a year before The Dark Knight was released in theaters.
Different The Dark KnightSam Raimi's third Spider-Man the film was divisive when it was released and still is today, although it has gained a lot more love over the years. Whether the poster was intentionally included as a little homage to Spider-Man 3, or just hanging in the background when the film was being made, it's a little nod to the pre-MCU Marvel Era.
2
Possible Riddler Connection
Riddle me that, Batman
The Dark Knight has some of the best villain performances in any superhero film, with Heath Ledger delivering something truly spectacular with his Joker. Aaron Eckhart is no slouch either, and his descent into Two-Face is tragic. Outside of these two villains, there is a small nod to a possible third in the film, though it ultimately doesn't come to fruition.
Coleman Reese is an employee of Wayne Enterprises and eventually discovers that Bruce Wayne is Batman. After taking this information to Lucius Fox in an attempt to blackmail them, Fox quickly shuts him down and during the interaction calls him Mr. This sounds quite similar to “mysteries”, which could be a subtle nod that this Could be Nolan's version of the Riddler. The villain never appeared in The Dark Knight trilogy, however, and did not make another cinematic appearance until Batman in 2021.
1
“You complete me”
Joker loves these pop culture references
The Dark Knight features one of the best superhero scenes of all time, as Batman interrogates Joker in an attempt to find out where he keeps Harvey Dent and Rachel Dawes. The scene itself highlights this incredible dynamic between the characters, revealing their ideals and thoughts about their existence in Gotham. Being the Joker, he sometimes tells subtle jokes and references one of Tom Cruise's most popular films during his interrogation.
Joker reveals to Batman that he doesn't want to kill him at all, and he mocks their relationship a bit, telling the Caped Crusader, “You complete me.” This, of course, is the iconic line from the 1996 Tom Cruise film Jerry Maguire. In the context of The Dark Knightnot only is it funny, but it also reveals something more ominous, and a hint that the two characters are practically inseparable from each other in pop culture. It's touches like this that make The Dark Knight even better.
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