Filming for Superman is now well underway, and set photos of the DCU flagship have just revealed an Easter egg that confirms DC’s Stan Lee parody as canon. Superman is set to release on July 11, 2025, and will launch DC Studios’ new cinematic franchise, which will be rife with new takes on longstanding characters.

Despite opening with Superman, one of DC’s most famous and prolific characters, the movie already promises to debut a significant number of lesser-known DC characters, ensuring that the latest Superman adaptation will stand out from the many movies that preceded it. Set photos of the movie have already begun confirming this, and one deep cut suggests that a particularly surprising character exists.

Behind-the-scenes shots of the production have revealed such things as a first look at Edi Gathegi’s Mister Terrific and a bloody Nicolas Hulot as Lex Luthor with his iconic bald look. Other set photos, meanwhile, have focused on set pieces rather than actors, and in the process have started to reveal possible Superman plot points way ahead of release. Among them is what will likely be an Easter egg in the movie, canonizing a character modeled on Marvel Comics’ Stan Lee.

Superman’s Set Photos Confirm A Funky Flashman Easter Egg

In a collection of set photos posted by u/M00r3C on Reddit, there’s one that reveals a bright red-and-yellow newspaper/magazine vending box for Flashman Auto Trader, which offers to buy, sell, and trade all kinds of automobiles for under $8,000. The magazine is priced at $2.95 and professes to be the “#1 Autotrader in the Metropolis area.” It sits beside a picture of a more official-looking vending box for the Daily Planet, the newspaper that Clark Kent writes for, which is more modestly priced at $1.25.

The image appears to be a direct reference to Funky Flashman from DC Comics. The flashy color scheme and money-making venture correspond closely to the relatively obscure DC character. While it remains to be seen whether Funky Flashman will make an appearance in the flesh, the fact that Flashman Auto Trader exists, even as an Easter egg, means that the DCU is about to make a character that was overtly created to be a parody of Stan Lee canon.

DC’s Funky Flashman Origin Explained

Funky Flashman is an ostentatious grifter in DC Comics whose various money-grubbing schemes frequently fail to come up trumps. While he did at one point join the Secret Society of Super-Villains, he is largely meant to be a decidedly innocuous font of comic relief rather than a serious threat to any DC hero. He also became a used car salesman at one point in his comic book career, lending credence to his auto trader status in Superman.

The character was created in 1972 by Jack Kirby as a caricature of Marvel Comics’ Stan Lee. Kirby’s move from Marvel to DC in 1970 is attributed to a fall-out with Stan Lee, whom he believed exploited his work at Marvel. This is reflected in Flashman’s first outing in DC Comics, where he attempts to con Mr. Miracle in his self-titled comic. This friction makes his inclusion in the DCU an interesting move, though it is highly unlikely that DC Studios will do anything to besmirch the legacy of the late, legendary Marvel creator in Superman.

Source: M00r3C/Reddit