The launch of Avengers: Infinity War brings the MCU to its biggest
climax – and a brand new batch of Easter eggs. The world’s love for
the Marvel movie universe only continues to grow, which means the
cast and crew of Infinity War now have the chance to bury not only
comic book secrets into their films, but MCU connections too. That
means twice as many moments of fan service, with Marvel Comic
nods, character cameos, shared universe connections and references
that even the biggest of fans could miss. At the opening of Avengers:
Infinity War, there is a new logo for Marvel Studios in honour of the
10th anniversary of the studio, with the IO in Studios turned into a
10. That follows the general collection of clips from the various
Marvel Studios films that lead into the new logo. The fact that these
films have collected a decade of continuity really shows in Avengers:
Infinity War, which is a true celebration of the Marvel Cinematic
Universe and all of its history. It is also a celebration of the work of
Jim Starlin, as this movie really does a marvelous job of adapting
Starlin’s Infinity Gauntlet storyline to the big screen… at least in its
own way. Here is a breakdown of Infinity War's biggest
Easter eggs that u might have missed.
1. CAPTAIN AMERICA’S ORIGINAL ARMOR SCALES
Fans were disappointed from the beginning, with Captain
America: The First Avenger confirming that the classic scale-like
Armor of Steve Rogers wasn’t really a fit for live action. Even so,
Cap’s official costume has been updated several times over the
years, before his Age of Ultron Armor became a new standard
for his public, Avengers uniform. Civil War saw the Avengers’
insignia removed, sadly. And in Infinity War, even the red
details and shining star on his chest has been dulled mirroring
itself to the shadows. But this time the directors made sure to
pay a tribute to the comic books like never before. After Steve
has taken some damage from the myriad enemies lining up
against him, the fabric of his suit frays to reveal what’s
underneath. It might be missed, but keeping your eyes peeled
for close-up shots, and you’ll see that the classic scales have
been providing Cap’s protection the whole time.
2. THE FAMOUS THANOS SNAP
“The entire time I knew him, he only ever had one goal: to wipe
out half the universe. If he gets all the Infinity Stones, he can do
with a snap of his fingers Snap”. The promise of a famous comic
book moment being adapted to screen was made when
Gamora claimed in the Infinity War trailer. In the comic book
version of the Infinity War story, Thanos was completely
motivated in his gathering of the Infinity Stones by his mission
to erase all life. Now, it appears as if Avengers: Infinity War
might bring this very comic book moment to life.
3. THOR’S NEW HAMMER, THE STROMBREAKER
Last year, Thor lost his iconic hammer, Mjolnir, during the
events of Thor: Ragnarok. And while the God of Thunder
eventually found his power within, it’s just not the same
watching him go into battle without a mighty hammer in his
hand. Fortunately, a new toy leak from Avengers: Infinity War
appears to show us Thor is getting a new hammer, and it’s not
the one you may have expected. Either way, the secret of
Thor’s new weapon ended up being revealed long before the
movie thanks to tie-in toys, concept art, and collectible figures.
But the weapon forged by Thor isn’t a new Mjolnir also known
as
The strombreaker. One look at the new weapon is all comic
fans will need to see that it’s based on the Ultimate Mjolnir, so
named because it is the weapon held by Thor in Marvel’s
Ultimate Universe. Its main feature is the half-hammer, half-
axe.
4. EBONY MAW VS DOCTOR STRANGE SCENE BROUGHT TO LIFE
Doctor Strange gets a particularly harsh treatment over the
course of the film, thanks to the Infinity Stone around his neck.
He gets an early win thanks to protection spells placed on the
Eye of Agamotto, but eventually winds up being attacked
aboard one of Thanos’s ships by Ebony Maw, the most eerily
twisted of the Children of Thanos. The spikes used to torment
Strange into giving up the Time Stone are new, but Marvel
Comic fans will remember this very scene being played out in
the comics.
5. STAR-LORD’S ZUNE MUSIC EASTER EGG.
The soundtracks of both Guardians of the Galaxy movies played
a sizable role in the story, delivered fictionally in the form of
cassette tapes left to Peter Quill by his mother, Meredith. But
the formula for the music changed at the close of Guardians
Vol.2, when Peter was gifted music from another parental
figure: Yondu Udonta. The tunes came delivered on a Zune, of
all things but also cranked the future song count. And in Infinity
War, it seems that the audiences got their first track. The song
“The Rubber band Man” by The Spinners can be heard playing
in the Milano when the Guardians’ story overlaps with that of
Thor, and it’s not a coincidence. For those eager to see if
Yondu’s songs pack the same emotional punch as Star-Lord’s
mother, “The Rubber band Man” may be particularly
meaningful. But if we had to guess, the fact that the track was
used during a mud wrestling scene in Stripes 1981 may be the
real reason behind its inclusion here.
6. WATCH OUT FOR THE CAULDRON!
When Tony Stark enters into the damaged Sanctum Sanctorum
of Doctor Strange after the Sorcerer Supreme summoned him
following Bruce Banner’s grave warning, Tony and Strange
quickly get on each other’s bad side with their respective
attitudes towards each other. Tony especially draws Strange’s
ire when he leans up against something at Strange’s home and
Strange and Wong quickly have to tell him that he really should
be leaning on the Cauldron of the Cosmos. The Cauldron of the
Cosmos is an artifact that Doctor Strange has had in the comics
since the early days of The Defenders. What is interesting
about it is that it really does not have the same place in his
armory as things like the Eye of Agamotto. Instead, it was
mostly something that Strange used to relax. You see, the
Cauldron allows Strange to view different realities and
timelines and he would often “sit for hours upon end and dwell
upon the immutable mysteries of the universe!” That said, it
does have a more practical application, as it has powerful
scrying abilities, as well. In addition, Strange can treat it as a
sort of cosmic Alexa, when he needs quick information about
something.
7. STEVE ROGERS GETS HIS COMIC BOOK BEARD
The fact that Steve Rogers has been forced to toss the title of
Captain America, along with his shield, his allies, and his
reputation as a ‘good guy’ should probably be the most notable
change. But from the very first trailer for Infinity War, it was
the long hair and thick beard boasted by Chris Evans that
dominated the Cap conversation. Apparently, sliding into the
shadows and avoiding detection was aided with more hair than
America’s poster boy. And just like the Nomad persona, this is
also a change originally seen in the pages of Marvel Comics. It
was after Steve’s time away from his country as Nomad that
the storyline called “Captain America No More” arrived,
starting in Captain America #332. Steve gave up the title and
costume to a hero named John Walker and things only went off
the rails from there. We won’t dive into the details, but when
Steve finally decided it was time to come back and reclaim his
rank, he also noted that time off the superhero beat meant the
chance to grow some serious “facial foliage.”
8. CAPTAIN AMERICA & BLACK PANTHER REUNION
Not every detail worth spotting has to do with a vague
connection to Marvel Comics mythology, or even MCU films of
past or present. Sometimes, it’s the artistry of the actual
movie-making that deserves to be called out. Like the
unforgettable shot in the post-credits scene of Captain
America: Civil War of Steve Rogers and T’Challa standing side
by side, gazing out into the fog – a pretty meaningful bit of
symbolism, now that we know how unpredictable the days
ahead really were for both men. That same shot gets a call back
when Steve is equipped with his new Wakandan shields, and
once again takes his spot at T’Challa’s side, if more menacing
battle is ahead. The echo of the shots will be missed by most,
but for the fans who enjoy the glimpse back through time to
when Steve was so recently the clean-cut Captain America, and
T’Challa not yet crowned as King of Wakanda it’s a moment to
treasure.
9. SQUIDWARD NEVER GETS ANY RESPECT
Of all the Black Order, of Thanos the Ebony Maw is clearly the
biggest sycophant for Thanos. His whole deal is that he is
basically the hype man for the Mad Titan. In the beginning of
the film, he tells the dying Asgardians, “Hear me, and rejoice!
You have had the privilege of being saved by the Great Titan.
You may think this is suffering. No… it is salvation. The universal
scales tip toward balance because of your sacrifice. Smile… for
even in death… you have become children of Thanos” Creepy.
During the film, when the Maw tries to get the Time Stone from
Doctor Strange (while Strange is with Tony), Iron Man tells him,
“Go away, Squidward, Earth is closed!” In case you are
unfamiliar with the genius of SpongeBob Square pants,
Squidward is a reference to Squidward Tentacles, the next door
neighbour of SpongeBob Square pants, who SpongeBob
believes is one of his best friends. This is despite the fact that
Squidward is practically openly hostile to him all the time. As
you can tell from his name, Squidward is a squid and he has a
big, odd-looking gray head and he really does look a lot like
Ebony Maw, so Tony’s reference game is tight.
10. THEY REALLY WILL FRY ANYTHING
On top of all the seemingly non-stop action in the film, the
movie also tries to find time to explore some character
development. One of the notable examples of this came when
we first meet Scarlet Witch and Vision in the film. They are
together at a hotel in Edinburgh, Scotland. In the two years
since Captain America: Civil War, they have grown close, even
though Scarlet Witch has been doing her heroics while on the
run as part of Captain America’s “Secret Avengers” team which
is basically the same thing that Cap ended up doing in the Civil
War comic book series. Meanwhile, Vision has been working
regularly for Iron Man presumably as a registered superhero
alongside War Machine, and Vision is looking for something
more with their relationship. While they walk together in the
streets of Edinburgh, there is a visible sign noting “We will deep
fry your kebab” in a store window. Since that sign was added
for the film, it sure appears to be a planned Easter egg. The
joke has drawn a lot of happy responses from Scottish viewers,
who view it as a gag about how Scotland is known for their
willingness to deep fry nearly anything, including kebabs.
11. THANOS WEB SHOT COMIC CALLBACK
The trailers may have left enough of Infinity War‘s plot
ambiguous to assume the final fight would be close to the
comics, but in the finished film, it’s not at all. Instead of fighting
all of the world’s heroes in the middle of space, Thanos and his
forces are divided up to tackle two fronts at once. But that
doesn’t mean some memorable moments aren’t adapted for
these new circumstance. The most obvious homage to the final
comics fight is Spider-Man announcing his presence by flinging
a hefty dose of web directly into the face of Thanos and the
Mad Titan. It’s not the only moment, either. The change from
comic book panel to filmed scenes and action sequences means
comparing specific moments is difficult. The moment that
Thanos catches Spider-Man in his palm and slams him down to
the ground makes it clear Spidey is best keeping his distance
from the supervillain. That moment has the same impact in the
Infinity Gauntlet comic, although it’s Thanos’s newly created
lover Terraxia who does the grabbing and slamming… and
brutal beating shortly after. Thanos gets that privilege this time
around.
12.SPIDER-MAN’S IRON SPIDER LEGS
When it was first rumoured that Spider-Man would be joining the
MCU in time for Civil War, fans hoped it would mean he could play
a similar role. In the comics, Peter chose to take the side of Tony
Stark – and won a new, advanced suit of Stark technology to
remake him as the Iron Spider. The suit was red and silver, but the
biggest change was the addition of a set of robotic spider legs
deployed from Peter’s back to help him in all aspects of super
heroics Peter got a new suit in Civil War, but it was a long way
away from the official Iron Spider Armor. However, the metallic
suit offered up to Peter in the movie’s final scenes was a much
closer match. In Infinity War Peter finally accepts the Iron Spider
Armor and the robotic legs that help him scurry along the ground,
and anchor his teen-sized frame when he needs to make the most
of his superhuman strength.
13. THANOS RE-ENACTS SNATCH
The Collector’s obsessive need to collect interesting things is
ultimately his undoing in Avengers: Infinity War, as the
Collector has the reality stone at his home on Known here and
Thanos shows up to collect the stone from the Collector.
Interestingly, this, in and of itself, is a bit of an Easter Egg, as in
the original story of Thanos’ search for the Infinity Stones,
Thanos Quest, Thanos actually did get the reality gem from the
Collector. However, what is interesting is what Thanos says to
the Collector when he is trying to get the reality stone from
him. “Where is the stone?”
14. BUCKY BARNES, THE “WHITE WOLF”
This one is arguably more of a Black Panther Easter Egg, but since it also
appears in this film, we figure we should count it here, as well. Towards
the end of the film, the Avengers come together in Wakanda to help
protect Vision while T’Challa’s sister, Shuri, tries to remove the mind
stone from Vision without killing him. The plan would then be for the
Scarlet Witch to destroy it. Obviously, this did not end up happening, as
Thanos was able to use his time stone to reverse time to before Scarlet
Witch destroyed the mind stone. When Steve dropped Bucky Barnes off
with T-Challa at the end of Civil War, it wasn’t clear just how long he
would spend back in suspended animation – or how Wakanda’s science
and technology could actually help him along the way. But Bucky was
reintroduced to the Marvel movies in the end credits scene of Black
Panther, awaking to find that he really was back to being his old self
again, and living in solitude outside of the hustle and bustle of
Wakanda’s capitol. The local children had even given him a nickname:
White Wolf. Instead, White Wolf was the name given to T’Challa’s
adopted brother, a Caucasian boy abandoned in Wakanda who was
welcomed, eventually rising to the highest position in Wakanda’s
security. Hard to know if Bucky will eventually fill that role, but the
continued use of the “White Wolf” title in Infinity War is no accident.
15. PETER’S FIRST SPIDER-SENSE
Fans of Marvel’s resident wallcrawler can take special joy in
Infinity War, as the movie finally sees Spider-Man dubbed an
official Avenger for the first time on film. But Peter Parker gets
to partake in another first long before that scene, even before
he leaves his school bus to go swinging into danger. Even
before the spaceship is spotted by the heroes in the Sanctum
Sanctorum, Tony Stark can sense its arrival. He’s even farther
away, but Peter senses it just as quick thanks to his Spider
Sense. The moment is small enough for some fans to miss it,
but its history-making nature means audiences should keep
their eyes peeled. It’s not the classic approach of having tingling
lines or sound effects used to trigger Pete’s perception here,
simply an instant raising of all the hairs on Peter’s arm. It
happens before even he can make sense of what it means,
making it the first use of the power in this MCU-integrated
incarnation.
16. STAN LEE CAMEO AS PETER’S BUS DRIVE
Every Marvel moviegoer knows that it’s bound to arrive at some point,
and be impossible to miss – yet the sudden appearance of comic book
legend Stan Lee still takes viewers by surprise. But ever since Guardians
of the Galaxy Vol.2 revealed that Lee’s cameos are actually all the same
character – working for the cosmic Watchers to monitor superhero
activity on Earth – the cameos have been imbued with more meaning
than ever. In Infinity War, Lee makes his appearance as the driver of
Peter Parker’s school bus. When Peter notices the spaceship hovering
over New York City, he relies on the shocked reactions from his fellow
students to let him slip away as Spider-Man. Apparently, Stan Lee’s
cover story is starting to slip, since he’s anything but shocked, acting as if
seeing a spaceship is old news. Hopefully none of Peter’s fellow students
noticed that their bus driver is actually a cosmic narc.
16. CALLING ALL CAPTAINS
Over the last six years, Marvel has been doing its best to try to build up
Carol Danvers, the hero once known as Ms. Marvel, Binary and Warbird,
as one of the biggest characters in the Marvel Universe as the new
Captain Marvel. She has been a key member of a number of superhero
teams and she was actually in charge of one side of the fight in the
debate in Civil War II. She was on the side that wanted to use the visions
of an Inhuman to arrest people before they commit crimes while Iron
Man was on the side of “No, don’t do that! That’s just Minority Report
and Minority Report made it clear that that was a bad idea!” However,
while they are building her up and she will soon star in the first Marvel
Cinematic Universe solo film to be headlined by a woman, she is not yet
that well known to the general public. Therefore, in the post-credits
scene of Avengers: Infinity War, it likely escaped the notice of a lot of
fans as to what the importance was in the film of Nick Fury getting out a
strange looking pager that sent out a distress signal as Nick Fury faded
into non-existence along with half of the universe. As it turns out, that
pager responded with a logo and that logo is the one that is currently
used by Captain Marvel in her own series.
17. TONY’S FUTURE SON, ‘MORGAN STARK’
Another pleasant twist offered up in Spider-Man: Homecoming, it turns
out Tony Stark and Pepper Potts have continued their love affair in
relative contentment, with marriage, and even starting a family now
entering Tony’s radar. When we meet him and Pepper in Infinity War,
Tony shares a dream in which Pepper and he already had a son. Not only
that, but the child was named after Pepper’s eccentric uncle, ‘Morgan’ –
a moniker guaranteed to win squeals of delight from fans of Iron Man
comics. Morgan Stark wasn’t Tony’s son, but his cousin, at least in the
classic comics. Originally introduced as the scheming son of Howard
Stark’s brother, later comics would see Morgan’s jealousy towards Tony
transform him into the supervillain Ultimo. Hopefully this version of
Morgan will face a brighter future if he ever gets to see it, once the dust
from these Infinity films settles.
18. GROOT’S DEFENDER VIDEO GAME.
Throughout the film, one of the most amusing bits is seeing Groot now
acting like a sullen teenager, who is not interested in anything but the
video game that he carries with him. The video game in question is
called Defender, a 1981 release that was one of the most acclaimed
video games of the early 1980s. The game is probably not a coincidence,
since it challenges players to take out wave after wave of alien enemies,
while trying to protect them from abducting humans on the planet’s
surface below. That covers plenty of Infinity War‘s plot, give or take a
few extra plot twists. While it may lack the instant name recognition of
Space Invaders or Asteroids, but it was just as important to the early
days of video game arcades. From the official description of the game,
“Your mission, as captain of the Defender, is to protect the humanoids
stranded on the planet from their alien abductors. The scanner will help
you determine a strategy to shoot down the alien ships before they
reach the humanoids. If you destroy the aliens after they have captured
their prey, you must return the humanoids to the safety of the planet or
they will fall to their death. You could get away with simple graphics
because you were inventing new characters without set designs; but
still, the similarities are neat.
19. WAKANDA’S “YIBAMBE” WAR CRY
The tribes of Wakanda delivered more than one memorable song,
dance, and war cry in Marvel’s Black Panther, usually reserved for
customary celebrations surrounding the coronation of King T’Challa.
M’Baku was the first to let his war cry be heard, chanting to responses
from his Mountain Tribe brothers – and he returns to do the same
throughout the battle against Thanos’s forces in Wakanda. But it isn’t
just “Wakanda Forever” that the Black Panther himself gets to chant,
right before the combined soldiers sprint towards their enemy. T’Challa
also lets loose a cheer of “Yabimbe!” to hear the same response back
from his fighters. The word translates to “Hold!” and is used here to rally
the troops to stand fast, knowing that Wakanda lays unprotected behind
them, that’s not a made up bit of language substituting for a Wakanda
chant, either. It’s taken from the Xhosa language spoken by almost 20
million people across the south of Africa.
20. ANY EXCUSE TO MENTION THE THANOSCOPTER.
Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely are two of the most important
Marvel Cinematic Universe writers. They are responsible for writing all
three Captain America films, the second Thor film and now Avengers:
Infinity War and it’s still untitled sequel. During the sequence when War
Machine is discussing the attack by Thanos with Security of Defense
Thunderbolt Ross and the other under-secretaries, one of the under-
secretaries was played by Stephen McFeely. We mention that now to
give you a sort of bonus Easter Egg that you can use for this entry if you
want to disagree with us as to whether our other thought here is an
actual Easter Egg or not. In the post-credits sequence, a helicopter
crashes. It is interesting to see a helicopter prominently featured at the
end of the film because of the most infamous Thanos appearances of all
time is when he appeared in a story in Spider Man’s super stories, a tie
in comic book series based on the old Electric Company TV series that
featured Spider-Man short stories in it. The story shows Thanos fighting
Spider-Man and Cat for control of the Cosmic Cube. Hilariously, Thanos
travels around in a helicopter with his name on it. It’s quite possibly just
a coincidence, but we don’t want to live in a world where a helicopter
appearance in a Thanos move is not a Thanoscopter reference.
