Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes Of Grindelwald - 19 Easter Eggs & References Explained

18. Batman Begins

Fantastic Beasts The Crimes Of Grindelwald Thestrals Batman Begins
Warner Bros.

One of the most striking images early in the movie is the shot of the Thestrals diving off the MACUSA HQ and swooping along the New York skyline, and keen-eyed viewers may have noticed just how similar the visual is to a certain 2005 superhero movie also released by Warner Bros.

Batman Begins' final shot memorably features the Caped Crusader taking a heroic leap off a tall building and gliding towards the camera before we cut to black.

Considering that the Thestrals themselves look quite a bit like bats, the building layout is pretty similar and the camera movement is virtually identical, it's easy to believe this was David Yates' absolutely intentional nod to Christopher Nolan's masterful origin story.

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