Similar to “The Simpsons,” the post-apocalyptic thriller “I Am Legend,” starring Will Smith, demonstrated an uncanny ability to predict the future of blockbuster cinema, a decade before it happened – although, in this case, not with favorable results.
Easter eggs, those hidden details in films that reference other movies, pop culture, or even real events, have become a staple in nearly every other film. To truly decipher all the nods to Marvel’s history and Spider-Man in the 2023 animated hit “Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse,” one would likely need months of dedicated research.
However, in the post-apocalyptic blockbuster “I Am Legend” from 2007, where Will Smith battles nocturnal vampire-like creatures as seemingly the last human in New York, there’s a particularly intriguing Easter egg. It’s one that not only (almost) everyone can immediately grasp but also foreshadows a real-world development that wouldn’t become reality until a full ten years later.
Prophetic Abilities – I Am Legend
While “I Am Legend” thematically aligns more with contemporary series like “The Last Of Us” or “The Walking Dead,” this touch of clairvoyance is reminiscent of the cult series “The Simpsons.” Over its more than 30-year run, “The Simpsons” famously “predicted” various real-world events, including Donald Trump’s planned return to the U.S. presidential race next year, a prophecy made by Homer Simpson & Co. as early as 2015.
On the other hand, “I Am Legend” foresaw the DC event “Batman V Superman: Dawn Of Justice” – nearly a decade before the mammoth production, directed by Zack Snyder (featuring Ben Affleck as Batman and Henry Cavill as Superman), would actually be filmed.
If you pause the movie at precisely 7 minutes and 47 seconds, you’ll notice a banner at the iconic Times Square in New York, with the symbols of Batman and Superman stacked atop each other – exactly as it was later announced during Comic-Con that the superhero crossover would take place.
However, while the announcement received thunderous applause, the end result a few years later proved to be a massive disappointment and one of the biggest DC catastrophes of all time – and not solely due to the infamous “our mothers have the same name, so we must work together” plot point. In fact, the conclusion of the 2-star FILMSTARTS review can be summed up succinctly: “A disappointment.”
After “Batman V Superman: Dawn Of Justice,” which, despite critical reception, managed to break even at the box office, the sequel “Justice League” disappointed on every level. This marked the end of the old format for the DC Extended Universe (DCEU). Consequently, in October 2022, “Guardians Of The Galaxy” mastermind James Gunn and top producer Peter Safran were brought in to completely overhaul the DC Universe.