Watchmen – The Watchmen is a movie based on the comic of the same name by Alan Moore. In the superhero film by Zack Snyder, we enter an alternative timeline where the Watchmen use their superhuman abilities to influence events. The director hid an Easter egg in the opening that is related to Batman.
What is seen in the opening credits? In the opening credits of the film, there are several scenes showing the Watchmen intervening in world history:
- The assassination of John F. Kennedy was carried out by the superhero The Comedian instead of Lee Harvey Oswald
- The nurse in the famous V-J Day photo in Times Square is kissed by the superheroine Silhouette, not by a sailor
- Neil Armstrong said during the moon landing, “Good luck, Mr. Gorsky.” In reality, this is a myth that was never confirmed. The astronaut revealed that he had a neighbor in his childhood who would have received oral sex from his wife if the kid next door landed on the moon (via Snopes). This is filmed by Dr. Manhattan.
In addition, there is a scene in the opening credits that is related to Batman. Director Zack Snyder is a supporter of the DC universe, having worked as a director or executive producer on various DC films. With Watchmen, he likely aimed to create a connection between the two universes, as one scene proves.
The mentioned scene can be seen in the following video directly as the first scene:
At the beginning of the opening, the superhero Nite Owl is seen preventing a robbery at a theater. In the background, a wealthy couple is visible, which Zack Snyder reveals as Thomas and Martha Wayne. However, Bruce Wayne as a child is not seen in the picture.
The Batman posters in the background also suggest that the scene is somehow related to the Bat superhero. In the world of Batman, it seems there is only Batman in fiction, not in the movie’s reality.
Batman would be a rich snob in Watchmen
What is Batman’s connection to Watchmen? In a 2021 interview, Snyder explains some scenes from his earlier films (via YouTube). He also comments on the Watchmen opening and reveals that there would be no Batman in this alternative universe:
The origin of Batman. The concept is that Nite Owl saves the Waynes from death after a visit to the opera. And that’s why there is no Batman there.
Watchmen is not an official part of the Batman story.
Instead, Snyder envisioned an alternative universe and started a thought experiment about what would have happened if Batman had not existed. Bruce Wayne still exists in that universe, but not as Batman.
What would have become of Bruce Wayne? Wayne only became Batman because his parents were murdered. He vowed to bring justice to the world as a masked superhero. Since his parents do not die in Watchmen, he does not undergo this transformation. Instead, he would have likely enjoyed his wealth and become a pretentious playboy.
Soon a Batman villain will get his own movie:
Instead, the hero “Nite Owl” in Watchmen can be seen as a parody of Batman. The superhero has no special powers but relies on his gadgets just like Batman. He uses many tech gadgets in fights, like a flamethrower and devices that emit an unbearable sound. He even has an “Owlship,” a nod to the Batmobile.
Fans of the superhero genre should definitely take a look at Watchmen, as more comic characters are parodied. If you’re a big fan of Batman, you surely know Christopher Nolan’s trilogy. But did you also know that there was actually another installment? The popular Batman trilogy by Christopher Nolan actually has a secret fourth film that hardly anyone knows about
