James Cameron’s latest sci-fi epic, Avatar: The Way of Water, has become one of the biggest box office hits of all time. The film is widely considered an immersive VFX masterclass, and with moviegoers now able to watch the film at home, there is even more chance to pour over every distinct visual detail in the Pandoran epic.

One naughty Easter egg from Avatar: The Way of Water alluded audiences for months, but after the film’s digital release, some eagle-eyed fans have seemingly spotted it. Twitter user Avatar Guy spotted a naughty Easter egg hidden in the film. On one of the RDA’s submarines during one of the film’s many underwater sequences, a pinup of a female Na’vi can be seen on the nose of the vessel. The image sees the woman straddling a weapon of some sort in front of a target shape.

A Reference To The Real-Life Practice of Applying Pinup Artwork

The Na’vi woman is a clear reference to the real-life practice of applying pinup artwork to the fuselage of a military aircraft, something that began in 1913 during World War I. This is not the first Disney property to feature such a reference, with a Republic Dropship in Star Wars: The Clone Wars sporting a similar homage, albeit much tamer than the one depicted in Avatar 2.

Getting NSFW With Avatar 2

While the Avatar franchise has never been one to shy away from the world of the NSFW (with many of the characters being largely unclothed for much of the movie), this is a little bit different and brings up a few interesting questions. Nose art was originally an effort to help soldiers remind themselves of home, evoking memories of what they can look forward to getting back to at the end of their tour. So, it might be a little odd to some to see that same practice used featuring a Na’vi.

It makes sense as set dressing in-universe, but why would a provocative Na’vi woman evoke memories for these human soldiers? This was likely just a fun way to spruce up some of these RDA ships.

Avatar: The Way of Water is available to purchase digitally now, with a Disney+ release expected sometime this year. The Na’vi woman pinup is a small but interesting Easter egg in the movie that nods to the real-life practice of applying pinup artwork to the fuselage of a military aircraft. While it raises some questions, it ultimately adds to the visual details and set dressing of the movie.