With James Gunn’s Superman trailer making waves and a new era for DC films on the horizon, it’s the perfect time to revisit a fascinating piece of comic book movie history. What if the seeds of a shared DC Universe actually took root on the big screen more than thirty years before Zack Snyder’s Man of Steel? A single blink-and-you’ll-miss-it moment in Tim Burton’s Batman Returns might just be the ultimate proof.
Before shared cinematic universes became Hollywood’s favorite superhero team-up, each comic adaptation usually stood alone – or, at most, formed a loose trilogy. That was the landscape in 1992, when Tim Burton’s Batman Returns hit theaters. Yet, eagle-eyed fans discovered something remarkable: at the 1 hour, 35 minute, 34 second mark, a masked partygoer is unmistakably sporting the wing-tipped helmet of Jay Garrick – the original Flash from DC’s Golden Age comics. For context, Jay Garrick first appeared in 1940, and his unique helmet (inspired by the Greek god Hermes) makes him instantly recognizable to comic aficionados.
The Easter eggs don’t end there. Standing next to the “Flash” cosplayer, another guest can be spotted with a red hood and mask – a look that channels Jesse Quick, a beloved speedster heroine introduced in the comics years later. While these party costumes could have easily been dismissed as quirky set dressing, their specificity hints at something more intentional. Even though Tim Burton’s vision for Batman was a far cry from the interconnected storytelling of today’s comic book movies, these wardrobe choices suggest the early glimmer of a bigger DC tapestry.
Of course, it’s clear in hindsight that these were probably playful nods for eagle-eyed fans rather than a true attempt at launching a sprawling, interconnected DC Universe. The idea of a shared superhero world wouldn’t become a Hollywood trend until Marvel’s blockbusters made it the new standard. Still, it’s remarkable to think that decades before Zack Snyder’s Man of Steel (2013) or James Gunn’s Superman reboot (set for July 2025), filmmakers were already slipping in subtle references to a larger heroic world.
This moment in Batman Returns serves as a reminder that even the earliest comic book movies loved to wink at longtime fans — and that the dream of a connected DC movie universe, that said faint, has been flickering for a very long time. As DC’s latest reboot approaches, it’s fun to look back and wonder: What if Warner Bros. had gone all-in on these hints back in the ’90s? Would the superhero landscape look very different today?
TL;DR: A hidden Flash Easter egg in Tim Burton’s Batman Returns hints that DC’s shared universe could have started decades before Zack Snyder’s films — long before the trend went mainstream. With James Gunn’s Superman on the way, the hunt for cinematic connections continues.
Source: Warner Bros. Pictures via GamesPress