Superman Is Hiding a Heartbreaking Easter Egg in Its Final Scene (And Fans Have Found It)

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In the final scene of the film, where Superman returns to the Fortress of Solitude and we see that he’s replaced his Kryptonian parents’ message with home videos of growing up in Smallville with his adoptive parents, one of the Superman Robots reads a copy of The Daily Planet. It’s a blink-and-you-miss-it moment, especially since Supergirl/Kara Zor-El’s unforgettable cameo follows right after, but once fans were able to pause and read the newspaper’s headline, it tugged on everyone’s heartstrings.

image courtesy of DC Studios.

Superman Honors Dead Character in Final Scene

The headline reads: “METROPOLIS’ TRUE HERO: Mali of Mali’s Falafels will be remembered by the City.” For those who can’t quite place him, Mali was the courageous and kind street food vendor who helped Superman when he was battling the kaiju that Lex unleashed on Metropolis. Lex’s team uses facial recognition technology to identify him, so when Superman is imprisoned in the billionaire’s pocket universe, Mali can be used as cudgel in order to make him talk. Lex places a revolver to the captive Mali’s head, and in a display of sheer bravery, the man urges Superman not to reveal anything to Lex, claiming he doesn’t have a family that will miss him if he dies. Lex does end up killing Mali in cold blood, much to Superman and Metamorpho’s horror. It’s Mali’s murder that compels Metamorpho to stop using Kryptonite on Superman, and the pair launch a narrowly successful escape from the pocket universe (one of the more extravagant displays of Superman‘s stellar visual effects).

With all of Superman‘s epic battles, jaw-dropping twists, and poignant moments, forgetting about Mali’s sacrifice is all too easy. Yet, writer/director James Gunn gives the perfect nod to the character by including him on the front page of The Daily Planet. It acknowledges Mali without pulling focus from the culmination of Superman’s arc in the film or slowing the movie down. What makes the article even more touching is who wrote it. It’s in small font, but the byline unmistakably reads Clark Kent.

The fact that Clark himself wrote the tribute to Mali is both fitting and heartbreaking. He may have Mali’s death resting heavily on his conscience, given that Luthor targeted the man for helping Superman. Even though witnessing his death must have been traumatic, Clark’s writing the piece about him encapsulates Superman’s ability to appeal to our better nature and do the right, honorable thing. Furthermore, writing about Mali and allowing Lois to interview Superman instead of interviewing himself also demonstrates how the character grows throughout the film. He’s more thoughtful about his actions and holds himself to an even higher standard of integrity than before, showing that one doesn’t need to have superpowers to make a difference in the world.

Superman is currently available on digital AVOD and in theaters. How do you feel about the nod to Mali at the end of the movie? Let us know in the comments.