The following contains spoilers for Samaritan, now streaming on Prime Video.
Samaritan has brought Sylvester Stallone back to the mainstream, particularly in the superhero arena. The former Rocky star previously waded into the comic book movies via Judge Dredd and as Starhawk in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2. Well, now he's portraying Joe Smith -- someone similar to David Dunn from Unbreakable. In this movie, Joe has to help a young kid, Sam, after his former enemy in Nemesis gained a successor to demolish the place. And as Joe went about his quest, Samaritan paid homage to a few other iconic superhero stories.
Samaritan Had a Thor-Like Hammer
As Marvel fans know, only the worthy can wield the Asgardian hammer, Mjolnir, harnessing the Odinforce to become the Mighty Thor. Well, Samaritan has a power hammer, too, thanks to Nemesis, Joe's twin brother. The villain wanted to raze Granite City, so he poured all his hatred into the weapon after their family got killed. While it didn't summon thunder and lightning, once the right person harbored malice in their hearts, they were deemed worthy to lift it and cause immense shockwaves of damage.
Samaritan Shaped Joe Into a Reclusive Batman
The grisly Joe killed Nemesis in a brawl 25 years ago, which is why he retired. He didn't want anything to do with violence or a decaying Granite City, as it took everything from him. That paid tribute to Frank Miller's Bruce Wayne from The Dark Knight Returns and Christian Bale's Caped Crusader in The Dark Knight Rises. Batman Beyond's Terry McGinnis even got a call back when Joe initially tried to shoo Sam away.
Samaritan Made Joe a Superman
When Sam got accosted by gangsters, Joe saved him, showcasing his superhuman strength as he tossed folks around. Later, when Cyrus, who took up the hammer and became Nemesis 2.0, had the rest of the army fire on Joe, he deflected bullets just like the Man of Steel. In addition, when Joe had to rescue Sam in the finale from a burning building while he couldn't fly, he made a big leap, nodding to a budding Clark in Smallville and Jordan from Superman & Lois.
Samaritan Showcased Wolverine's Healing Factor
When Cyrus' gangsters realized Joe was helping Sam, they plowed into Joe in the streets at full speed. They pitched him up in the air, and as they drove off, he crashed into the asphalt, limbs mangled. However, just like Wolverine's healing factor, Joe's body began cracking into form again. His body even overheated when he healed, which resulted in him needing water to cool off. That was also similar to Logan, who once developed heat claws from excess healing energy.
Samaritan Used Captain America's Fighting Style
In the finale, when Joe careened into Cyrus' lair to get Sam back, he blew a truck up to kill most of the thugs. They kept firing, though, which led to Joe using a door as a shield. He ran through different rooms, making it difficult to get shot. That moment paid homage to Captain America: Civil War, where Crossbones' army tried to gun down Steve. And to make things even more obvious, the way Joe flung the door felt like a tribute to Cap and his shield in The Winter Soldier.
See how Joe honors these heroes in Samaritan, now streaming on Prime Video.