The Mother Box teaser for Zack Snyder's Justice League is full of symbols and Easter eggs. The countdown continues for Snyder's original version of the superhero epic, which has gone from myth, to rumor, to the DCEU's biggest upcoming tentpole in the span of just over 3 years. With its March 18th debut on HBO Max now only a matter of days away, the marketing for the film has become a deluge, much of it full of cryptic symbolism and references that fans are tirelessly pouring over to decode.
That's certainly the case for the two-minute Snyder Cut teaser released during IGN Fan Fest. Originally intended as the introduction for each chapter of the Snyder Cut when it was planned to be released as a four-part mini-series, the teaser depicts each member of the Justice League in holographic mural form against the Mother Boxes, the image of each a puzzle similar to Snyder's All The God's shirt released through Ink To The People. Additionally, the teaser also includes Tom Waits' song "Time" as its soundtrack.
With short teasers also being released for each individual League member, the door is finally being opened on a movie with one of the most unusual paths to release in cinema history. Even after March 18th, the Snyder Cut is bound to be examined and deconstructed throughout the rest of 2021 and well beyond because of that. Here are the symbols and Easter eggs in the Snyder Cut Mother Box teaser.
The Meaning Of Tom Waits' Time
The use of Tom Waits' "Time" in the teaser seems to connect most directly to The Flash and his powers of time-travel. Among Snyder's teases of the film before the movie was officially greenlit was the revelation that the film will involve Barry Allen's first chronological use of his time-travel powers, his "too soon" appearance in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice taking place (for Barry) during the Knightmare future. Waits' song might also be making a secondary reference to that, as well, with Batman having formulated a plan to undo the Knightmare and Darkseid's invasion by sending Barry into the past to warn the past Bruce Wayne that Lois Lane is "the key" to stop it.
The Meaning Of The Mother Boxes
The inclusion of the Mother Boxes in the trailer is likely meant to contrast them to the Justice League themselves with respect to the Unity. With the three Mother Boxes at their most powerful when combined into the Unity, they represent the tool of Earth's potential downfall to Darkseid and Apokolips. On the other side of the coin, the Justice League uses their unity to stop this from happening. With each member of the team represented in the teaser, the unity they form parallels that of the Mother Boxes in a yin-yang of good versus evil.
Cyborg
As Cyborg being the least fully revealed of the League so far (due to being the most shortchanged of the team in the theatrical cut), his image is the most open to interpretation. Still, there a very unmistakable Easter eggs that can be seen, such as a football helmet and a car tire next to it referencing Victor Stone's athletic career and the accident that changed the course of his life. The image also shows Cyborg on a wall with his legs detached from his torso and his arms not fully formed, which references his transformation scene in Batman v Superman. An arm coming from Cyborg's shoulder is also an Easter egg to his second set of arms, as well. With Cyborg being, per Snyder, "the heart of the movie", this is likely to be prominently featured in the film.
Batman
Batman's image in the montage features the Dark Knight chained to a post. The meaning behind this is a bit ambiguous, though it could be in reference to Batman's planned heroic death in Snyder's overall five-part arc. A bat-signal is also clearly visible in the image, and combined with the falling rain, this harkens back to his use of it to summon Superman to battle in Batman v Superman. A handgun and the Wayne family mausoleum also reference the murder of Thomas and Martha Wayne, in addition to a set of pearls shattering around Batman, while a tombstone for Richard Grayson also an Easter egg to Dick Grayson being the deceased Robin of Snyder's films. Additionally, The Joker is also referenced with a Joker card in the night sky, with the dilapidated Wayne Manor also in the background. Furthermore, the word "Justice" can be seen at Batman's feet on the base of the post, possibly referring to his drive to form the Justice League after Batman v Superman.
The Flash
Barry Allen's image includes an Easter egg right off the bat in the form of Nora Allen's tombstone, referencing her murder that Barry's father Henry was framed for, with the bars of a prison cell also visible. This suggests that the death of Barry's mother and the imprisonment of his father will be more significant plot elements than they were in the theatrical cut. A microscope is also shown, which is in reference to Barry Allen's career as a forensic scientist for the Central City Police Department. Barry's image also shows him in front of a clock with a sundial just above him, which are clear references to his ability to time-travel. The ground beneath his right foot also could be a reference to the Speed Force, as it seems to be rippling in a similar way as the scene of Barry running through the Speed Force in the "Hallelujah" trailer.
Aquaman
Arthur Curry's image references him as a man who can hold his liquor with a whiskey bottle on the right, which is also a more direct reference to the scene of Arthur walking into the ocean from a pier while drinking a whiskey bottle. Looking at the bottle more closely, the logo for Snyder's production company, The Stone Quarry, can also be seen. Aquaman also carries his quindent in the image, while he appears seated, as if on a throne, referencing his future as the King of Atlantis. The tentacles of gigantic squid also take up much of the image, and this could be in reference to Arthur's role as both the protector of the seas and the bridge between Atlantis and the surface world.
Superman
As the League member with the most established history within the DCEU, Superman's image is full of perhaps the most recognizable Easter eggs of the whole League. The Man of Steel Easter eggs in the image include the key to the ship that brought the infant Kal-El to Earth, the school bus he rescued from the river as a child, and the World Engine General Zod attempted to terraform the Earth. The Easter eggs to Batman v Superman include the Kryptonite spear Batman brought to their fight, as well as an area in Superman's chest representing the fatal stab wound inflicted by Doomsday. The positioning of Superman's arms also seems to reference the pose of Atlas, with Superman similarly carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders as Earth's most powerful being. When paired with the Easter eggs referencing his death in Batman v Superman, it could also be in reference to Superman as a messianic figure, Man of Steel and Batman v Superman having both emphasized Superman's parallels to Jesus, and Superman having been in a similar pose after dying in battle with Doomsday.
Wonder Woman
The image of Wonder Woman includes references to her involvement in World War One in her solo film such as a gas mask. The image also shows a lightning bolt striking a human heart, which seems to be a reference to her creation by Zeus, while the image also includes a helmet just above Diana that references the God of War, Ares. The camera near her right shoulder is also an Easter egg to the photo she took with Steve Trevor and his fellow soldiers in Wonder Woman, which was later discovered by Lex Luthor and Bruce Wayne in Batman v Superman. The chain around Diana is a little harder to pin down, but it could be a reference to her determination to break out of the pre-determined roles expected of her in Wonder Woman, seen both in Diana's decision to depart Themyscira to stop the war and her telling Steve Trevor "What I do is not up to you".
At this point, the marketing for the Snyder Cut is nearly as historic as the release of the movie itself is. Whether it's snippets of the movie or teasers with the Mother Boxes, the rabbit hole only seems to be getting deeper and deeper for Zack Snyder's Justice League.