SPOILERS: READY PLAYER ONE - 30+ Comic, Movie, Gaming Easter Eggs, Cameos, & References You Need To See

Ready Player One marks Stephen Spielberg's long overdue return to the world of blockbuster filmmaking and he's crammed his adaptation of Ernest Cline's book with all sorts of Easter Eggs fanboys will love!

By JoshWilding - Apr 02, 2018 10:04 AM EST

Filed Under: Sci-Fi

Ready Player One finally debuted at the North American box office this weekend and the movie has been Steven Spielberg's biggest success for quite some time based on those opening numbers. Set in a future where virtual reality offers people the chance to escape their lives in a world known as the OASIS, the movie is an enjoyable action-adventure which features a huge array of Easter Eggs.

It goes without saying that there are nods to video games but comic books and a variety of classic blockbusters also get a mention, making Ready Player One perhaps the most crammed movie ever!

It's no exaggeration to say there are literally hundreds of Easter Eggs in the big screen adaptation of Ernest Cline's popular novel but we're focusing on the ones we think will be of most interest to you. There are no plot spoilers for the movie here, so feel free to click through this list without having anything ruined for you. Once you're done, be sure to share your thoughts in the usual place.

Batman

Michael Keaton's version of Batman appears right at the start of the movie as we're entering the OASIS for the first time. He's climbing Mount Everest and the decision to use the classic costume from Tim Burton's 1989 release is definitely a smart move!

During that epic opening race, you'll notice that one of the cars is the Lincoln Futura driven by Adam West's Dark Knight in the Batman TV series from the 1960s.

Superman

It turns out that Halliday's favourite quote was from Superman: The Movie when Lex Luthor said, "Some people can read War and Peace and come away thinking it’s a simple adventure story; others can read the ingredients on a chewing gum wrapper and unlock the secrets of the universe."

When Artemis gives Parzival a pair of Clark Kent glasses to hide his identity, look closely and you may notice that those specs are actually the ones worn by Christopher Reeve in Superman: The Movie.

The Shining

There are almost too many nods to this movie to mention considering the fact an entire sequence is based on Stanley Kubrick's take on Stephen King's novel. The Overlook Hotel is recreated meticulously by Spielberg and there are nods from everything to the Grady twins to Jack's typewriter, the river of blood, Room 237, the beautiful woman who turns into a hag, the axe, the snowy maze, and more.

Jurassic Park

Yes, that is indeed the same Tyrannosaurus Rex which poses such a problem for our heroes in the original Jurassic Park (she obviously made her return in Jurassic World back in 2015 as well).

Dressed For Success

After being invited to the Distracted Globe by Artemis, Parzival agonises over what to wear and goes through a number of outfits, including Prince's "Purple Rain" get-up, Michael Jackson's "Thriller" suit, and a Duran Duran costume which fans of the band will probably have better luck identifying that me!

King Kong

The King Kong that appears on the racetrack isn't the version from last year's Kong: Skull Island; instead, it appears to be the one from the Peter Jackson movie. Spielberg and Jackson worked together on The Adventures of Tintin, so it's easy to see why the filmmaker went with that take on the iconic movie monster.

Terminator 2

The Iron Giant plays a much larger role in the big screen version of Ready Player One than he did in the book and when the loveable robot falls into lava, he gives a thumbs up which is sure to be familiar to fans of Terminator 2 when the T-800 met his maker in pretty much the exact same way.

Aliens

Artemis' weapon of choice throughout the film is an M41A Pulse Rifle, the same gun made famous by another powerful female lead in the form of Sigourney Weaver's Ripley in Aliens.

In the final battle, we also see one of the Caterpillar P-5000 Work Loaders from Aliens being used as an avatar in the OASIS.

When Artemis (in disguise) grabs Parzival, a Chestburster comes out of her chest and chows down on the suit she's wearing.

Serenity

Well, this was unexpected! When Daito goes Gundham to take on Mechagodzilla, look closely and you'll notice that Serenity, a Firefly-class vessel from the Joss Whedon TV series and movie, flies into frame to help out. It seems the show is a cult hit in the future as well as the present day.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

The heroes in a half shell also pop up in that final battle in the OASIS but fans of the characters may be disappointed to see that they're the Michael Bay versions as opposed to the classic ones. As Spielberg produced Bay's Transformers movies, this was probably to be expected, of course.

Spawn

We don't see any Marvel superheroes in Ready Player One (I guess DC has won the war by the time the events of this movie take place) but Spawn is definitely present for that epic war in the OASIS!

Back To The Future

Parzival's vehicle of choice is the DeLorean from Back to the Future but it's been upgraded with KITT! When he later uses the Zemeckis Cube (which has to be a nod to Back to the Future director Robert Zemeckis) to reverse time, Alan Silvestri uses his theme from the movie!

He-Man

We're going to have to pick up a Blu-ray copy of Ready Player One to identify every cameo in the OASIS but He-Man definitely pops up at one point during the final battle in the OASIS to help the cause.

Goldeneye

Millenials will be all too familiar with the classic Nintendo 64 video game Goldeneye from back in 1997 and the fact that it's Halliday's favourite title will resonate with a lot of moviegoers. Both Artemis and Parzival note that Oddjob was his favourite character and he favoured "Slaps Only" mode (which meant players didn't get to use weapons).

Halo

In the final battle in the OASIS, we see an entire squadron of Master Chiefs from the popular Xbox game, a moment which marks a long overdue big screen debut for the now iconic video game character.

The Final Battle In The OASIS

There are a mind-boggling number of cameos in the OASIS' final battle and while we've already touched on a few of them, here are those related to the world of video games. There are StarCraft marines from StarCraft, Big Daddy from BioShock, Chocobo from Final Fantasy II, a plethora of characters from Overwatch, and Chun-Li from Street Fighter II.

Harley Quinn

An avatar of Harley Quinn pops up a few times in the movie but she can be spotted alongside someone who looks an awful lot like The Joker during that dance sequence in the club. You may also notice that Catwoman and Batgirl are present for the final fight in the OASIS as well.

Wade Watts

When he talks about his real-life identity, Wade reveals that his father named him that because he wanted his son to have a name like a superhero; Peter Parker and Bruce Banner are mentioned but there's surprisingly no mention of Scott Summers, a character Tye Sheridan also plays.

Robocop

Among the avatars who pop up at the start of the movie in the OASIS is Robocop. However, a couple of much smaller avatars race past him - Looney Tunes' Marvin the Martian and Hello Kitty!

Some Familiar Vehicles

That exciting opening race is crammed with familiar vehicles, including Stephen King's Christine, the Mach Five from Speed Racer (it fares a little better here than the last time it appeared in live-action) and the iconic van used by The A-Team!

Gremlins

Not even Spielberg knew about this one but the Gremlins do indeed appear in Ready Player One's final battle. I'm not sure how much they would have helped turn the tide but they are pretty terrifying. However, it's another tiny 80s icon that manages to steal the show during this sequence...

Chucky

A few different horror icons appear in the movie, including Jason Vorhees, Freddie Kruger, and most crucially, Chucky. His scene steals the show and is surprisingly R-Rated for a PG-13 release.

REBEL MOON: Zack Snyder Hits Back At Claims He's Delusional After Saying It Would've Made $1.6 Billion

Recommended For You:

REBEL MOON Director Zack Snyder Reveals Weird Alien Link Between A CHILD OF FIRE And ARMY OF THE DEAD

DISCLAIMER: ComicBookMovie.com is protected under the DMCA (Digital Millenium Copyright Act) and... [MORE]

ComicBookMovie.com, and/or the user who contributed this post, may earn commissions or revenue through clicks or purchases made through any third-party links contained within the content above.

Do you have what it takes to write for us?

Want to contribute?

81 Comments

1 2 3

DezKoda - 4/2/2018, 10:49 AM

Hard to believe it's already been over 40 years since Goldeneye came out. I feel old.

regularmovieguy - 4/2/2018, 11:15 AM

Really entertaining movie. Enjoyed more than I thought I would after the underwhelming marketing. Kept waiting to hear "Take Me On" at some point because it was so apparent in the marketing.

Check it out, though. Have yet to hear someone who's outright disliked it.

regularmovieguy - 4/2/2018, 11:16 AM

Correction:

^AlvaTRON doesn't like it

bobevanz - 4/2/2018, 11:35 AM

@regularmovieguy - He's mad because Ultraman wasn't in it, even though it was impossible because the creator was in legal battles at the time. Oh well haha. I loved it! Regular, Dolby Cinema, and soon IMAX 3d!

regularmovieguy - 4/2/2018, 11:46 AM

@bobevanz

Yeah, I saw it in regular 2D. Wouldn't be opposed to catching a screening in IMAX.

And don't kill me...but I don't know who Ultraman is :0

bobevanz - 4/2/2018, 11:51 AM

@regularmovieguy - Dolby Cinema rocked my socks, seeing a movie in the format is the definition of cranking it to an 11 haha. That's alright, if you like Godzilla type insanity then youtube Ultraman haha

RickGrimes95 - 4/2/2018, 1:57 PM

@regularmovieguy - my favorite movie of the year so far. It's going to be hard to top.

regularmovieguy - 4/2/2018, 2:11 PM

@RickGrimes95

My top movies of 2018:
1.) Annihilation
2.) Game Night
3.) Black Panther
4.) Ready Player One
5.) Love, Simon

All good to great movies. Very happy with the year so far.

JosephCronos92 - 4/2/2018, 11:17 AM

This movie was great, i knew i was gonna like it already but damn i came out loving it, it is far from perfect of course i had few issues with it tho they didn't bother me as much and never took away from the movie. It is right when they said this pure Spielberg magic, i was having a smile ear to ear as a videogame and movie lover, the pop culture icons were on point, the action was insane and so beautiuily shot, i love how immersive the OASIS is, how so on point it is when it comes to details as buying items, chossing them using them and having them in action etc etc. I liked the characters tho i didn't buy the love arc but Ar3mis was so good, i wish Sho and Daito would've gotten a bit more screentime but i understand why they couldn't,Aech was great, Mendelson never dissapoints me, and T.J was hilarious i actually found the whole cast enjoyable, and Halliday's just so heart warming. It leaves a great message at the end and is just pure magic and fun.

Oh, and MECHAGODZILLA?! F***KING MECHAGODZILLA? Shit that drove me crazy. MECHAGODZILLA v GUNDAM v THE IRON GIANT? i was hyperventilating, it didn't last too long but daaaamn i loved it, MECHAGODZILLA looked so f**kn damn good and i was cheering the whole damn scene, my sister didn't understand when me and a bunch of old school dudes starting clapping and losing our collective shit at that moment jajaja. I had such a great time with the movie, few issues but great time nonetheless, thank you Spielberg.

sorry for the long post :D

noahthegrand - 4/2/2018, 11:20 AM

Can't wait to see this, hopefully I'll have time as today I actually plan to begin my marathon of EVERY MARVEL CINEMATIC UNIVERSE MOVIE in preparation for Infinity War.