25+ Spider-Man Easter Eggs Hidden in Every Movie

spider-man easter eggs

Swinging onto the silver screen in 2002, the amazing Spider-Man’s cinematic adventure has been a rocky one, with a trilogy that started great and went downhill, to a contentious reboot and a remarkable rebending inside the MCU.

With the rocketing success of Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse and all the talk about No Way Home, we’re looking back at the Web-Head’s big screen-run to see what clues and secrets have been hidden for the eagle-eyed viewer.

Here are 29 super-cool Spider-Man Easter Eggs… 

1. The Stingray Nod

Movie: Spider-Man

Deep in the montage of costume ideas that Peter plays with in Spider-Man, we see what looks like a wingsuit. This is in fact a reference to the aquatic superhero, Stingray, who uses a pair of giant fins attached to his sides to glide through water. He’s not the most popular superhero, but his mere mention is a great early example of what would become a Marvel staple.

2. Shazam and Superman References

Movie: Spider-Man

There’s always been a special trick to sending webbing out of the hand – among the various attempts include “up, up and away, web!” and “shazam!” The second might easily be recognised as the catchphrase of DC’s Captain Marvel who calls it out to summon or desummon his powers. The other one, “up up and away!” was a classic line Superman would use before flying into the air. Oh yeah, and these words were ad-libbed. Tobey Maguire came up with them.

3. Lucy Lawless Cameo

Movie: Spider-Man

You might miss her but Xena: Warrior Princess actress, Lucy Lawless makes a hidden celebrity cameo in Spider-Man. During a scene when New Yorkers give their opinions on the new spider-hero, Lawless claims that a “guy with eight hands sounds hot”. The actress likely did this for director, Sam Raimi, who was also a producer for the Xena: Warrior Princess series she starred in.

4. Doctor Strange Shout-Out

Movie: Spider-Man 2

Marvel Easter Eggs are always expected but we certainly weren’t expecting this name-drop. When JJJ is discussing the possible names for what to call the now renegade, Otto Octavius, they drop “Doctor Strange” as a good name that happens to be taken. We’re not given any more than that, but more than likely, the Bugle doesn’t want to confuse the new supervillain with a celebrity neurosurgeon.

j jonah jameson doctor strange
u/_kjl_ | Reddit

5. Tobey Maguire’s Brothers Cameo

Movie: Spider-Man 2

You wouldn’t have known this unless you’re, of course, a family member of Tobey’s. Remember that train scene in Spider-Man 2? Well, the boys looking over Spidey, telling him they “won’t tell nobody” about his identity are none other than Tobey Maguire’s younger half-brothers. It’s a family affair no one knew about! 

6. Steve Ditko Hint

Movie: Spider-Man 2

The name “Ditkovitch” should be very familiar, especially if you read the Spider-Man comics. Steve Ditko was one of the power trio alongside Stan Lee and Jack Kirby in creating modern Marvel. Ditko was an important man behind Spider-Man in particular as co-creator alongside Stan Lee. He wasn’t one for the spotlight so even if his name does go to a grumpy landlord in Spider-Man 2, this was a loving tribute.

7. Spider-Man Theme

Movie: Spider-Man 2

Here’s a fun Easter Egg in Spider-Man 2 that you might already have hunted down. While waiting for Mary Jane at the theatre, Peter comes across a woman who starts playing a tune on her violin. She’s a bit tone-deaf, but she’s quite clearly singing and plucking the classic 1960’s theme tune to the Web-head. Spider-Man, Spider-Man! Does whatever a spider can! Spins a web, any size! Catches thieves, just like flies. Look out! Here comes the Spider-Man!

8. Dr. Curt Connors’ Role

Movie: Spider-Man 2 / 3

Dr. Connors appeared in the Sam Raimi trilogy before becoming a principal character in The Amazing Spider-Man reboot. Instead of a man obsessed with using lizard genetics to regrow his arm, he’s Peter’s physics professor and the man Peter goes to in order to understand the Symbiote. Not too far-fetched as Peter has been friends with Connors in the comics – when he’s not a gigantic reptile, of course. 

9. Hobgoblin Tease

Movie: Spider-Man 3

In Harry Osborn’s montage in continuing his father’s legacy, we see a silver version of the goblin mask. This is commonly thought to be an allusion to Hobgoblin, a supervillain copycat to the Green Goblin, right down to the enhancing formula. It seems the movie decided to stick to Harry becoming a new version of the Green Goblin. Shame really.

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10. The Belltower Reference

Movie: Spider-Man 3

If you know your comics, then this Easter Egg in Spider-Man 3 might be familiar to you. The scene where Peter removes the Symbiote within a church belltower, with Eddie Brock down below, is a clear reference to the most common imagining of how the Venom symbiote bonds with Eddie. This scene was iconic enough in the comics that when the 1992 Spider-Man TV show introduced Venom, they recreated it to a T.

11. Flash Thompson at the Funeral

Movie: Spider-Man 3

Were you eagle-eyed enough to spot this Spider-Man Easter Egg? Among the guests attending Harry Osborn’s funeral is a surprising appearance by Flash Thompson. Most viewers might remember him as Peter’s resident high school bully in Spider-Man 1. In the comics, the two actually patched up and became friends when they went on to University, so maybe that’s what happened here. 

12. The Rhino Foreshadowing

Movie: The Amazing Spider-Man

Among the creatures we see Curt Connors looking into splicing DNA with, one of the samples is a hologram of a rhinoceros. While they don’t have what he’s looking for, this seems like a rather on-the-nose reference to the brick-dumb juggernaut known as the Rhino. It’s ultimately a red herring, since the next movie reveals the mech-like Ultimate version of the character. But cool allusion nonetheless.

13. Electro Foreshadowing

Movie: The Amazing Spider-Man

The Amazing Spider-Man teases what was coming in the next Spider-Man instalment with a typical Marvel-style end-credits scene featuring Curt Connors in prison. Seeing a shadowy man appear and disappear to the cue of a lightning bolt might have seemed overly dramatic, but if you know your comics, it can only be one guy this was referring to – Electro. 

14. Electro’s Electric Birthday Cake

Movie: Amazing Spider-Man 2

One of the big departures from the comics was ditching Electro’s yellow-green Christmas tree comic-look for a black getup. Despite the disappointment, the production team still left a nod in Amazing Spider-Man 2. Max Dillon’s birthday cake, which had green frosting and yellow lightning-bolt detailing is surely a reference to his classic electric costume.

15. The Incy Wincy Spider

Movie: Amazing Spider-Man 2

Listen closely during Electro and Spider-Man’s final battle and you might hear the riff to Incy Wincy Spider playing with every hit Spidey takes. The Green Goblin also sang the song as he was flying about blowing things up way back in the first Raimi movie. So when a knocked-about Spidey complains “I hate this song” in TASM2, we feel him; it’s brought him nothing but grief.

16. That Famous Upside Down Kiss

Movie: Spider-Man Homecoming

Original Spider-Man fans were treated to a humorous nod during Homecoming, one that pays direct tribute to that infamous kiss with Mary-Jane. When Spidey is hanging upside down in front of his crush, Liz, his suit’s AI, Karen, says “This is your chance Peter. Kiss her!”

17. “The Amazing Spider-Man” #33

Movie: Spider-Man Homecoming

Comic references are always the most fun of Easter Eggs. Just when Spider-Man is feeling helpless and injured after a confrontation with The Vulture, he manages to pull through and push all rubble off of himself. This is said to be a direct tribute to one of the best Spider-Man arcs of all time, “The Amazing Spider-Man #33”. Fans also saw it as a way to honor legendary comics artist and creator, Steve Ditko.

18. Star Wars Feature

Movie: Spider-Man Homecoming

Marvel and Star Wars sure like to connect their movies in the coolest of ways. The influential franchise was also sneakily incorporated in Homecoming, too! Not only were several Star Wars figures spotted in Peter’s room, but Ned was also seen holding a LEGO Death Star model. Let’s just say, Peter and his bestie sure have good taste.

19. The Comics Code Authority

Movie: Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse

A little humor for comic book fans of the past! Into the Spider-Verse begins with a little stamp that reads “approved by the Comics Code Authority.” That badge was a staple not just of Marvel, but of all comics between the 1940’s and the 1990’s. The authority itself, which made all kinds of rules on what comics were and were not allowed to include, lost a lot of influence and was all but gone by the 1980’s. But the stamp would not completely disappear until the early 2000’s. 

Comics Code Authority

20. Real Spider-Man Adventures

Movie: Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse

Peppered across the story are various issues that get called “True-Life stories of Spider-Man”, and how true they are – if we’re talking comic continuity, that is. Plenty of real Spider-Man issues such as “Amazing Fantasy No 15” and “Amazing Spider-Man #7” get snuck in at various points in the story.

21. Stan Lee Cameo

Movie: Spider-Man: Into the Spider-verse

Marvel’s no stranger to featuring Stan Lee in their movies. Other than the MCU, our favorite old guy also happened to star in Into the Spider-Verse as a cheeky Easter Egg. The animated version of the Marvel mogul serves Miles a Spidey costume behind the cashier – “I’m going to miss him,” the old man says, we were friends, you know.”

22. Green Goblin’s Appearance

Movie: Spider-Man: Into the Spider-verse

Remember that big green hulking monster that the Spider faces? Hard to believe, but that is indeed the Green Goblin. More precisely, it’s the Ultimate Spider-Man continuity version but with classic Goblin’s purple hat. This version is a supersoldier attempt called the Oz Formula that transformed Norman Osborn into a giant hulking green beast that can throw around and summon fire.

23. Spider-Ham’s Cameo

Movie: Spider-Man: Into the Spider-verse

We’re including this one precisely because there’s a bit of a misconception that The Simpsons invented the pig-version of Spider-Man. This pig’s first appearance is actually from the limited series, Marvel Tails Starring Peter Porker, the Spectacular Spider-Ham way back in 1983. Like Marvel Pets (think the Amazing Throg), he lives in a universe where everyone is an animal person. Although not the best Spider-Man, still one of the coolest.

24. Uncle Ben’s Feature

Movie: Spider-Man: Far From Home

We haven’t heard of Uncle Ben since The Amazing Spider-Man saga, so when he featured as an Easter Egg in Far From Home (well, kinda), fans were super stoked. As Peter packs his bag for a trip across Europe, imprinted on his suitcase are the initials “BFP”. Could it be that the bag belonged to his late uncle? We’d like to think so. Plus, it was about time the MCU touched upon Uncle Ben!

uncle ben far from home

25. Peter Parker’s Birthday

Movie: Spider-Man: Far From Home

During Far From Home, we get a glimpse of Peter’s funny passport. But it has more significance to it than you think. Peter’s birthday is listed as August 10th – turns out, this is the same date as the day the first ever Spider-Man comic book was released, AKA  “Amazing Fantasy #15”!

26. MJ’s Fall

Movie: Spider-Man: No Way Home

It’s hard to forget the agonizing moment Peter was unable to save his love, Gwen Stacy from falling to her death in The Amazing Spider-Man 2. In fact, her death scars him to this very day. Well, Andrew Garfield’s Spidey gets some sort of redemption in No Way Home when he saves MJ from falling off the scaffolding. A heroic moment, indeed.

27. Dum-E

Movie: Spider-Man: No Way Home

There’s no Spider-Man movie without an Iron Man reference, right? In No Way Home, one of Tony Stark’s assistant robotic arms, Dum-E is spotted in the background of Happy’s condo. Ah, what a way to remember the legend…

28. The ‘Amazing’ Spider-Man

Movie: Spider-Man: No Way Home

Tobey Maguire’s Spidey gives a sneaky little nod to The Amazing Spider-Man franchise during some cheeky dialogue with Andrew Garfield’s Peter. When Garfield’s Spidey feels less impressive after the others reveal they’ve fought aliens in the past, Tobey’s Spidey tells him, “You are amazing”, clearly alluding to the actor’s Marvel instalments.

29. That Pointing Meme

Movie: Spider-Man: No Way Home

They just had to do it, didn’t they? Indeed, No Way Home featured an epic and funny reference to the iconic Spider-Man pointing meme. When Ned asks for Peter while assembling a science experiment to help fix the villains, all three Peter Parkers point at themselves and then each other, questioning which Peter Ned is asking for. Hilarious.

It seems his penchant for dropping hints and subtle nods is as frequent as his use of terrible jokes. What Spider-Man Easter Eggs have you picked up throughout the years? Were there any in the Web-Head’s movies that we missed? Let us know in the comments section!

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Tale Teller
Mark S

Mark S

Mark Stamp has a head for writing, whether it's short stories, logs, journals or the latest news. When not deep in exploring a new tale or world he is on the lookout for movie, video game and TV news. What brings him back to the narratives are often the deeper or hidden philosophies in great works, niche publications and new releases. Mark also enjoys sharing discoveries, answering queries or pondering an implication or two.