As a huge fan of The Umbrella Academy on Netflix, I’m so sad the show ended after four seasons. Showrunner Steve Blackman did a great job staying true to the comics, but he also had some fun sprinkling in surprises for the fans to pick up on. And after binging the fourth and final season when it was released earlier this month on the 2024 TV schedule, I was pleasantly surprised to discover the show seemingly referenced some very well-known famous movie scenes.
The Umbrella Academy is no stranger to mimicking pop culture. I mean, the entire second season takes place in the 1960s and surrounds the assassination of JFK and the conspiracies that followed. Meanwhile, Season 3’s hotel scenes were strongly reminiscent of The Shining. In a recent segment for Tudum, Blackman discussed a bunch of hidden callbacks from past Umbrella seasons they snuck into the final installment of the show, saying:
We really love to put Easter eggs into the show.
Without further ado, here are four famous movies the Umbrella Academy seemingly referenced in Season 4, including Kill Bill and Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.
The Little Miss Sunshine Van Scene
Starting off strong, we see our first potential, though not confirmed, reference in Episode 2, titled “Jean and Gene”. Though we don’t see the two aforementioned married villains until the very last minute of the episode, we do see a scene that reminds us a lot of Little Miss Sunshine.
In both the beloved movie and this sci-fi comic book show, the driver of the packed, three-row van that's full of dysfunctional family members is told to pull over. However, in The Umbrella Academy, it’s not because someone is having a panic attack, but because all of the passengers have been dosed with marigold against their will and are feeling quite sick.
The Trench Coat Scene From Ferris Bueller’s Day Off
In one of the best movies of the ‘80s, Ferris Bueller gets away with some pretty incredible things on his “day off” from school, including sneaking out his girlfriend from right under the principal’s nose. In the scene, Sloane and Principal Rooney are waiting outside when a bus pulls away to reveal Ferris standing across the street, disguised in a trenchcoat.
In a very similar way, in The Umbrella Academy episode “End of the Beginning,” a bus passes by to reveal Diego and Luther standing on the sidewalk, dressed in trench coats. A coincidence in attire? I think not!
The Grave Scene From Kill Bill Vol. 2
This one is actually confirmed by the dialogue itself, so there is no guesswork to be done here! Episode 5 finds Klaus buried alive in a pet sematary (oh Klaus!), and after trying all other options, he tells himself to channel his inner Uma Thurman to escape the grave.
Our favorite eccentric medium has a lighter instead of a flashlight, but otherwise, the scenes are exactly the same, with Klaus lining up his hand and punching the wood, Black Mamba style. As a Kill Bill fan, I absolutely loved this direct reference!
Captain America: The Winter Soldier Elevator Scene
Every Marvel fan knows the famous elevator scene from Winter Soldier in which Captain America beats up an elevator full of S.H.I.E.L.D. henchmen with his hands tied.
The Umbrella Academy seemingly recreated that scene, where in a similar vein, Luther becomes a threat to the underground organization that has infiltrated the CIA, and they send a bunch of men into the elevator to take him out. But in true Steve Rogers fashion, the elevator opens to all of them unconscious on the floor, with Luther standing over them. As a Captain America fan, I recognized this one right away. Iconic!
I certainly enjoyed finding these unofficial references, as well as the intentional easter eggs hidden by the crew, especially in the last scene with all the old characters. Although I might need another watch-through to get them all. I might even rewatch the whole series to catch all the Bennifer easter eggs, and no, I don’t mean the tumultuous celebrity relationship. My Brellies know what I’m talking about.
But you can try and find these references and other Easter Eggs for yourself by watching Season 4 of The Umbrella Academy with a Netflix subscription.
