Spider-Man’s Reference in the DC Universe Explained
The DC Universe is still an emerging superhero franchise. The latest directional effort from James Gunn has officially established the beloved Marvel hero Spider-Man as canon. Following Superman’s successful launch of the DCU this summer, the franchise has expanded with the launch of Pacifier Season 2. This season sees masked vigilante Christopher Smith (John Cena) exploring an alternative dimension.
In Pacifier Season 2, Episode 6, Chris’s friends follow him to the alternative dimension after abandoning his life to live as his doppelgänger, whom he accidentally killed in a previous episode. Upon reaching the dimension, they immediately separate, with Adrian Chase, also known as Vigilante (Freddie Stroma), looking for his own doppelgänger. Despite warnings from Leota Adebayo (Danielle Brooks) that things could go wrong with his alternative self, it all turns out fine.
Vigilante meeting his alternative dimension gives Gunn, who wrote and directed the episode, the opportunity to reference a well-known meme and make Spider-Man canon as a result.
The scene where Vigilante meets his alternative universe is delightful, thanks to Stroma’s animated and endearing performance as the masked sociopath. It also provides Gunn with the perfect opportunity to include a reference to the Spider-Man meme, with two almost identical versions pointing at each other, saying: «Spider-Man Meme’d».
This line in Pacifier confirms that Spider-Man, and likely many other Marvel Comics characters, exist within the DC Universe as fictional superheroes. It also establishes that Spider-Man is popular enough for the meme to exist, although its origins in this universe remain unknown.
In the real world, Spider-Man’s pointing meme originates from the 1967 Spider animated series’ episode titled «Double Identity.» The meme has gained popularity over the past decade and has been referenced in official media, including Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse and its sequel.
Spider-Man’s meme reference in Pacifier is a fun confirmation that the web head exists as a fictional character in the DC Universe. While this reference may hint at challenges for a crossover between the DCU and MCU, the possibilities in the world of superheroes are endless, especially with the multiverse and alternative dimensions. Fans will have to wait and see if Marvel and DC can pull off the ultimate comic movie crossover.
