Spider-Man’s Jacob Batalon Explains the Naruto Easter Egg Hidden in Ned’s Room
Spider-Man: Brand New Day features an Easter egg to Destin Daniel Cretton‘s next project. During its successful theatrical run, many fans noticed multiple Easter eggs within the movie. One of the most notable references was a Naruto poster in Ned Leeds’ room.
In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Jacob Batalon explained what the poster meant. Batalon claimed that it was a nod to Cretton, who is currently developing a live-action Naruto movie. The actor said, “Yeah, he’s definitely shouting himself out there, and we absolutely talked about his Naruto movie. So it was a really cool nod to himself. He deserves it.”
However, the reporter initially assumed the anime reference was Batalon’s suggestion, since the Brand New Day star previously claimed to be a fan of the manga series. Moreover, another Easter egg with the Naruto poster was a Solo Leveling poster, which is also getting a live-action adaptation.
Spider-Man director’s planned live-action Naruto movie inspired the reference
The Naruto poster in Brand New Day was not random, as the director has been working on a live-action adaptation since 2024. Although it is currently in the pre-production stage, he is set to direct and write the movie.
The manga’s creator, Masashi Kishimoto, will also be working closely on the production. As of now, details about the movie remain under wraps.
But in a previous interview with RollingStone, the Spider-Man: Brand New Day director confirmed that the story will focus on Naruto’s early years as an outcast. Cretton approached this project by feeling “very connected to that character.” The director added, “I think his journey in the story that we are going to tell is something that I find very personal, not only culturally, but emotionally.”
Cretton’s Spider-Man: Brand New Day has become a major box office success as it has grossed $1.155 billion in its first week. His planned involvement with Avengers: The Kang Dynasty changed after Marvel reworked the project into Avengers: Doomsday.
Apart from the live-action Naruto adaptation, the director also shared an update on Shang-Chi 2, which remains one of his upcoming projects.
Originally reported by Christie D’Silva on SuperHeroHype.com.
Source: Comingsoon.net