The trailer's use of "Hallelujah" has a few moments.
But you don't really care for music, do ya?, which plays over a shot of the Earth ravaged by Apokolips. Darkseid always hated music.
And even though it all went wrong, I'll stand before the Lord of Song. Lois looks up in the sky and sees Clark has been resurrected. Superman vanquished Darkseid by singing.
Zack Snyder already used the song in Watchmen, for the sex scene of Nite Owl and Silk Spectre II.
One of the January 2021 teaser posters is inspired by the cover of The Death of Superman with Superman's damaged cape floating in the wind like a Tattered Flag (photo).
Barry Allen doesn't make an official appearance until an hour into the movie, but the opening shot featuring the circular DC logo intercut with a bolt of lightning looks just like his insignia.
After Alfred tests the energy-absorbing gauntlet, Diana suggests he work on a lasso next. In black, of course.
In ancient times Darkseid fought Ares - the God of War - and nearly died. In the comics his son and foe Orion is known as the New God of War and is prophesised to kill Darkseid.
Darkseid's holographic projection resembles a golem made of lava. In the comics, Apokoliptians actually made a lava golem called Brimstone, who originally fought the Suicide Squad in the 80s.
The way Steppenwolf’s purple spider... thing positions itself on the Atlantean guard’s face sorta resembles how Starro The Conqueror deploys his stars on victim's faces. Starro was also the first ever villain fought by the JL. This becomes a case of Hilarious in Hindsight when it was revealed that Starro would be the main villain of The Suicide Squad.
During the History Lesson sequence, Uxas attempts to grab a Green Lantern ring after killing its previous possessor. In the comics, Darkseid once destroyed a Lantern Ring with his bare hands.
The hot dog stand the truck crashes in during Barry Allen/Flash's introduction scene is called "Granny Goodness", one of the New Gods of Apokolips. She actually appears alongside Darkseid and DeSaad in the climax.
At the very beginning of Part 3, a frozen food truck passes by with the name "Gard'ner Fox" — Gardner Fox having been the original creator of the Justice League of America, among many other characters and concepts.
It's referenced that the student whose grades were raised by Victor Stone via hacking is named Sarah, a possible nod to his comicbook love interest Sarah Simms.
Victor drops $100,000 in the bank account of a Struggling Single Mother named Linda Reed. "Linda Reed" is the name of a minor (and completely different) character from the Green Arrow comics.
Barry Allen outrunning an explosion (albeit towards it rather than away from it) while being wounded and having initial difficulties running is reminiscent of Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox.
Flash being the one to save the day by using his speed at levels he otherwise won't go to recalls how he beat Lexiac in Justice League Unlimited, where he ran around the world to build up speed and basically turn Lexiac back into Lex Luthor.
The Arkham logo on the prisoner uniforms is identical to the logo designed for the Batman: Arkham Series.
This is not the first time that a high-ranking black military officer who worked closely with a Kryptonian hero was revealed to be the Martian Manhunter.
Nor is this the first time where Superman returns and flies up in the air absorbing some sunlight with his arms spread out.
Clark standing in a cornfield with a butterfly perched on his hand is reminiscent to a similar shot◊ from The Dark Knight Returns. The intention behind the reference serves as a Decon-Recon Switch, as Frank Miller intended for Clark to look too pretentious to be taken seriously while Zack Snyder's take showcases Clark's down-to-Earth and humble nature.
After Arthur saves the guy who didn't "respect the storm," his unlaced boots appear to form fins attached to his calves, much like the animated version.
Arriving in Themyscira, Steppenwolf declares that he's come to enlighten the Amazons to "the Great Darkness".
As a nod to a tradition that originated in Greek mythology: In the Knightmare timeline, when Diana is being cremated on an Amazonian funeral pyre, she has two coins covering her eyes. This is the fare that the souls of the dead have to pay to Charon so that he can ferry them across the river Styx.
Bruce's line about Darkseid never having faced Earth's heroes united is very similar to a line he used to try and rally Superman from the brainwashing of the Anti-God Mageddon in Grant Morrison's JLA (1997):
Justice League: I don't care how many demons he's fought in how many hells, he's never fought us. Not us united. JLA: I don't care if it can destroy every god in every heaven, Clark! It's never faced us before!
featuring the circular DC logo intercut with a bolt of lightning looks just like his insignia.
