DC League of Super-Pets is now streaming on HBO Max! The hilarious adventure of Krypto and his new friends is packed with punches and punchlines—and that’s just the first twenty minutes. The brightly animated film not only brings the Justice League back to the big screen, but it also brings the warm fuzzies in the form of Super-Pets Krypto, Ace, PB, Merton and Chip.
Whether you’re watching DC League of Super-Pets for the first time or the 52nd time with your kids, there might be some winks and nods you may have missed between laughs. Here are some of the things we noticed while watching the super-fur fly.
- Of course, the first thing we have to mention is this unbelievable cast. Dwayne Johnson as Krypto, Kevin Hart as Ace and Kate McKinnon as Lulu are the heavy hitters. And then there’s Diego Luna as Chip (sweet, relatable Chip), Jameela Jamil as Wonder Woman, Jemaine Clement as Aquaman and flippin’ Keanu Reeves as Batman. That’s right. Keanu Reeves as Batman. Make sure to read the cast list when the credits roll for more surprises.
- Some of the musical motifs will sound very familiar. You’ll notice the Superman theme, and don’t miss the homage to John Williams’ “The Planet Krypton” as Kal-El’s spaceship prepares to take to the stars. Batman and Wonder Woman’s themes are wonderfully noticeable during their introductions as well.
- During their walkies, Superman and Krypto the Super-Dog take on a Brainiac robot before heading to the park to play fetch.
- Listen to Lois Lane’s first on-camera report for a magical mention of Mister Mxyzptlk.
- Squeezy Bruce!
- When Krypto dons his secret identity with a pair of glasses, he becomes…Bark Kent! It’s just one of so many glorious puns that moms and dads will appreciate.
- Mercy Graves once again stands at Lex Luthor’s side. Mercy, Lex’s loyal chauffeur and bodyguard who debuted in Superman: The Animated Series before making her way into the comics and more stories, is voiced by Maya Erskine.
- Wayne Technology is everywhere, from the microwave Krypto makes popcorn in, to the top-of-the-line television sets.
- Clark Kent has a Dinah Lance vinyl stashed in his record collection, just below the Bottle City of Kandor.
- Merton has a few stickers on her shell, including one for the Metropolis Meteors, the city’s baseball team. Their domed stadium also makes a quick appearance.
- DPNN, the Daily Planet News Network that Lois Lane reports for, is at the top of the chyron game. “Crisis of Infinite Guinea Pigs” and “That Escalated Quickly” are just two of the quirky captions seen on their news reports.
- Among the skyscrapers in Metropolis, one building bears the name of Kord—as in Ted Kord, the Blue Beetle.
- Also in Metropolis, if you blink you might miss signs for Hex’s Texas Steak (a hat tip to Jonah Hex), the Big Belly Burger near the Daily Planet and Two-Face Records.
- Every movie needs a training montage set to awesome ’80s anthems. That’s not an Easter egg, just a fact.
- Jessica Cruz talks about a raccoon on the Green Lantern planet of Oa who she thought was her pet before she realized he had a…different idea. She’s likely referring to B’rr, the raccoon-like Green Lantern from Sector 1014.
- “You can’t have justice without truth” is a surprisingly deep insight from Ace that echoes Superman’s classic catchphrase.
- While listing off his various allies, Batman adds, “And whoever Morgan Freeman played.” He’s talking about the Christopher Nolan Dark Knight trilogy, in which Freeman portrayed the indispensable Lucius Fox.
- Mark and Keith are such…unique superhero names that we had to ask director Jared Stern about them: “They came from an improv Kate McKinnon did that made us laugh,” Stern shares. “They were originally gonna have superhero-y names, but her joke made them forever Mark and Keith, which I kinda love.”
- We also had to inquire about Dog-El’s enthusiastic request to “Tell Gail I said hey!” as the story wrapped up: “Keith David knows our production accountant Gail,” Stern reveals. “After the recording session, he asked us to pass along his best wishes. But the way he said it made us happy, and we were still recording, and it’s in the movie!”
- Stay through the end of the credits for a glimpse of another DC Universe character soon to be played by Dwayne Johnson! It’s definitely a contender for the most hilarious conversation in the entire movie, so don’t miss it.
Catch the Super-Pets and the Justice League in action together in DC League of Super-Pets, now streaming on HBO Max.
Kelly Knox writes about all-ages comics and animation for DCComics.com and her writing can also be seen on IGN, Nerdist and more. Follow her on Twitter at @kelly_knox to talk superheroes, comics and pop culture.
NOTE: The views and opinions expressed in this feature are solely those of Kelly Knox and do not necessarily reflect those of DC Entertainment or Warner Bros.
Source: DC Comics
