Warning: SPOILERS for Avengers: Endgame
It's finally upon us. The launch of Avengers: Endgame brings the first age of the Marvel Cinematic Universe to a close - and a brand new batch of Easter eggs and franchise callbacks and comic references. The world's love for Marvel's heroes only continues to grow, which means the cast and crew of Endgame now have the chance to bury not only comic book secrets into their films, but layer after layer of MCU connections, too. That means twice as many moments of fan service with Marvel Comic nods, character cameos, shared universe connections and references even the biggest of fans might miss.
The Russo Brothers made sure to make the Avengers' ultimate mission and 'last hurrah' an all-out celebration of Marvel's Cosmic history for fans. The Infinity War may have crushed the Avengers' hopes of saving the day, but their mission to 'avenge the fallen' is fantastic news for the audience. We've collected the very best Endgame Easter eggs, secret backstories, inside jokes, and huge Marvel Cinematic Universe hints that fans could have overlooked - and are breaking them all down here.
So with one final SPOILER warning, let's get started. Here are the 30 Things You Missed in Avengers: Endgame.
Hawkeye's Daughter
There’s no question that the opening scene of Endgame will give Hawkeye fans a special treat. Until the pre-snap sequence breaks their heart, Clint is helping his daughter Lila Barton train up in her archery skills (and she shows some talent, hitting a bullseye before being turned to dust along with her brother and mother). While passing on the "Hawkeye" name will give fans a taste of the upcoming TV series, in which Clint passes on the Hawkeye name and hero moniker to Kate Bishop (his successor in the comics), the actress playing the part is also a bit of an inside joke.
The part of Lila Barton is played by Ava Russo, daughter to director Joe Russo, whose other daughter Sophia previously played a teenage girl in Captain America: Civil War.
Director Joe Russo's Cameo
Sticking with director Joe Russo for a moment, the support group scene which introduces audiences to the world post-snap should be watched closely for a few reasons, as well. On the one hand, fans can have their hearts warmed when they realize that with Sam vanished in Infinity War, Steve Rogers has apparently taken over his job of helping others (as Sam suggested might be helpful when the pair spoke about combat overseas in Captain America: The Winter Soldier).
But one of the attendees will stand out from the others, since he’s director Joe Russo in a cameo. Russo had previously appeared as Nick Fury’s surgeon in Winter Soldier as well, so fans can decide whether they are intended to be the same character, or merely another chance for the director to get in front of the camera.
The Creator of Thanos Finally Gets a Cameo
While most of the attendees of Steve Rogers’ support group (struggling to deal with the task of moving on despite half of the world having turned to dust) all blend together, except of course director Joe Russo’s extended dialogue, one character does stand out. While cutting between the members responding to Cap’s input, one older man in the group is held in frame for longer than the others. He may look familiar to some, but his creations are now known to the entire world.
The man is Jim Starlin, writer of the original Infinity Gauntlet comic book, and the man largely responsible for turning Thanos into the cosmic Titan that the movie version is based on. His influence is felt throughout the cosmic side of the MCU, so it’s only right he should officially join it himself.
Ant-Man Lives in The '616'
After being stranded in the Quantum Realm since the post-credits scene of Ant-Man and The Wasp, fans didn’t know how long Scott Lang would truly be lost. Thankfully, Endgame reveals that what felt like years was actually just a matter of hours. The passage of time is a mystery, just like the possible intervention of a heroic rat bringing Scott back into the normal world. But that’s not what fans should be watching for.
The abandoned van in long term storage will need to be searched in future viewings, but one thing audiences can spot is that it’s stored in the lock-up labeled "616" – an impossible to miss reference to Earth-616, the version of our planet that the heroes of Marvel Comics occupy in the larger Multiverse.
Yes, That's Ken Jeong in a Cameo
The directors Anthony and Joe Russo have made plenty of room for cameo roles, calling on cast members from Community to round out the background characters of the MCU (a TV series which had the brothers behind the camera for many acclaimed episodes). And when Scott Lang returns to his van in a basically abandoned storage locker, they drop one of their most well-known collaborators… but fans probably won’t recognize him.
Even if they think that the security officer hidden behind a crude disguise actually is Ken Jeong, the fact that he never speaks may make it seem like a long shot, since he is arguably the most recognizable Community cast member to claim an MCU role. But his appearance is all viewers will have to go on, making it one of the best such Easter Eggs for Russo fans.
Another Type of 'End Game'
There’s one other secret detail worth noting when the camera cuts to Ken Jeong’s security guard character, but it’s a bit of a deeper cut than even devoted Marvel fans will care to research. Yet every MCU fan knows that when a character is shown reading a book, the question of which book is the first one they should be asking. In this case, it’s The Terminal Beach, a collection of short stories by British author J. G. Ballard.
While most well-known for his novel Empire of the Sun, along with Crash and High-Rise – all of which have been adapted into films or TV series – Ballard is acclaimed for his variety of short stories. And, no surprise, The Terminal Beach includes one in which a condemned man lies out his life comfortably, completely unaware of when his execution will arrive. The title? "End-Game."
Pepper & Tony's Daughter Morgan
Despite running into some relationship troubles thanks to Tony's PTSD in Iron Man 3, both Spider-Man: Homecoming and Avengers: Infinity War showed that Tony and Pepper Potts were well on their way towards a happy ending. A happy ending that included a child (a biological one, not a surrogate son like Peter Parker). When Tony and Pepper enter the story of 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 name officially bestowed upon the pair's daughter in Endgame.
The name holds special meaning for 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, operating a massive mechanical monster. Hopefully this female version of Morgan will, ironically, face a brighter future (even if it's one in which half the universe died and was brought back five years later).
Pepper's RESCUE Armor
When Tony Stark first introduces his daughter Morgan into the MCU, the bombshell idea of seeing his and Pepper’s child may distract some fans from the setup of another armored warrior in the MCU. The helmet that Morgan appears doesn’t belong to her, but a special present that Tony is working on for Pepper. A suit of armor that Marvel fans know will turn her into RESCUE, her own superhero alter ego from the comics (a surprise somewhat spoiled when Gwyneth Paltrow took a photo of herself in the armor).
Fans had hoped to see Pepper Potts don her own suit and identity for years, and came close when Pepper wielded part of the Iron Man suit in Iron Man 3. But in the final battle she makes her debut, fittingly, coming to the rescue of the Avengers. The color scheme is a perfect match for the version made popular in Marvel’s Iron Man Armored Adventures animated series.
Tonsberg, The New Asgard
The Norwegian city of Tønsberg truly owes the Marvel cinematic Universe some tourism money at this point, now that Avengers: Endgame reveals the seaside town to be not only Thor’s new home on Earth, but what remains of Asgard. The sign welcoming Banner and Rocket Raccoon into the town proclaims it has also been designated "New Asgard." Which is fitting, if fans remember the movie history of the location.
Not only was Tønsberg the site where Odin led his war against the Frost Giants on Earth in the prologue of the first Thor movie, it was also the place where Johann Schmidt a.k.a. Red Skull discovered the Tesseract. Fans didn’t know that the ‘Cosmic Cube’ was actually an Infinity Stone back then, but at this point we’re just assuming the residents of Tønsberg (in reality a city of over 40,000) know every bit of the MCU’s history.
Hulk-A-Hulk-A-Burning-Fudge Ice Cream
After missing two full years of Earth time fighting in the gladiator pits of Sakaar, Dr. Bruce Banner had plenty to catch up on when he returned to the planet at the beginning of The Avengers: Infinity War. Aside from the breakup of the Avengers, Banner also discovered that he had a new flavor of Ben & Jerry’s ice cream named after him. Well, technically, named after his green half.
We can’t begin to imagine what Hulk-A-Hulk-A-Burning-Fudge would taste like, although it’s apparently better than Tony Stark’s "Raving" tribute. Thankfully the scene of the remaining Avengers sharing meals includes a shot of Hulk diving into a massive tub of the dessert, meaning he too is a fan of the Hulk-inspired creation. We hope… otherwise that’s just a bit tacky.
'Professor Hulk' Joins The MCU... With a Twist
Marvel fans have guessed for some time that the movies were building Bruce Banner and the Hulk towards some form of a shared identity. In the comics, the two managed to find common ground in the formation of a new, third form, dubbed ‘Professor Hulk.’ As Bruce explains in Avengers: Endgame, it’s a version of themselves that combines Hulk’s brute strength and invulnerability with Bruce Banner’s intellect and self-control.
In the comics that Professor Hulk was actually a distinct character, while the movie casts aside most of the idea of Banner and Hulk as separate beings. Instead, Bruce found a way to sort of… half-transform into Hulk. Possessing more of his natural appearance, voice, and mind. While still being green and almost impossible to kill, obviously.
Hawkeye Becomes Ronin
As the only true ‘family man’ of the Avengers film franchise, Clint Barton’s wife and children were revealed as part of Avengers: Age of Ultron, helping to raise the stakes for his character, in particular. That makes it all the more heartbreaking to consider what he lost in the snap of Thanos’ fingers. When the first whispers of Hawkeye becoming an avenging angel began to surface, fans knew exactly what would cause his fall…
In the opening scene of Avengers: Endgame the worst comes true, as fans watch while Clint’s family is erased. He responds by donning a black and yellow costume, a mask and hood, and a samurai sword to kill killers around the globe. A not so subtle transformation into Ronin, the masked moniker he took on following the comic book Civil War, but a faithful adaptation all the same.
Captain Marvel's Modern Haircut
For a regular movie, the fan base coming out of the theater wanting to talk about the height of characters’ hair might be a bad thing. For Captain Marvel Carol Danvers, it’s actually called out on screen by Rocket Raccoon. But for fans of Marvel Comics, the change from Carol’s ‘90s hair to a short up-do is perfectly in keeping with her modern character re-design.
While neither her origin movie nor Endgame explain why she’s able to breathe in space, it’s obvious that she no longer needs a full face mask or partial helmet to pull off space flight. As a result, she no longer needs to worry about a hairstyle that would be beaten down by a helmet. The answer? A short, seriously coiffed cut that might deserve a supporting cast nod all on its own.
There Might Be a Hint of Namor & Atlantis
With the world more broken than ever before and only half of the heroes left alive to keep the pieces together, Black Widow has taken it upon herself to organize what’s left into an overseeing task force. But in the scene where her teammates communicate via holographic projection (first seen in Captain America: The Winter Soldier) the movie may also drop a hint of another, aquatic superhero in the MCU’s future.
When it’s revealed that a massive seismic incident has occurred along the ocean floor, the action plan offered by Okoye is… well, to do nothing. As it stands, the Avengers aren’t really built to handle "earthquakes at the bottom of the ocean." But it seems odd to mention the home of Marvel’s Atlantis in potential crisis, and a disaster that only Namor the Sub-Mariner could address. It might be a stretch, but so was the Wakanda Easter Egg in Iron Man 2, and look where that ended up.
"Hail Hydra"
The Avengers traveling back to the events of their previous movies is a premise filled with small gags and callbacks (like audiences first enjoyed in Back to the Future). For Steve Rogers, it means the opportunity to fight himself during the events of The Avengers. But it also means the chance to homage one of Cap’s greatest fight scenes to date: the elevator ambush in Captain America: The Winter Soldier.
Only this time around, it’s to give Steve the upper hand. Since he knows everyone present in Agent Sitwell’s team are Hydra sleeper agents, he whispers “Hail Hydra” to fool them into thinking he’s on their side. While it serves the movie’s plot first, it’s worth mentioning the comic book version that stirred up controversy when Captain America revealed he was Hydra all along by uttering the same phrase (the Hydra mantra).
The Shawarma Scene is Avengers Canon
What began as an offhand joke by Tony Stark in the first Avengers movie eventually became a delight to fans after the movie’s credits. We’re referring, of course, to the Avengers’ group meal of shawarma, after they managed to defeat Loki and the invading Chitauri army in New York City. The audience was treated to a short clip of the Avengers cast silently enjoying shawarma… and now Avengers: Endgame has worked the scene into the MCU timeline. When the Avengers descend their tower, fans may be too focused on Tony’s attempts to hijack the Tesseract to listen to the past version.
If they do, they will hear Tony and Thor explain to S.H.I.E.L.D. Director Pierce that "where they’re headed" is to take in some lunch, and then on to Asgard. This puts the shawarma scene into the timeline between Loki’s defeat and their gathering to send him home in shackles. Which begs the question… where was Loki while they were filling their stomachs?
The Stan Lee Cameo
The Marvel movies have ranged from obvious to subtle and poetic when it comes to Stan Lee cameos, and Endgame’s means of paying tribute to the comic icon definitely falls into the 'fans will notice it' variety. As the first Avengers film to include a glimpse of Lee after his passing, audiences may be pleased to see one of the most outrageous cameos yet. After Doctor Strange got trippy, and Ant-Man and The Wasp basically alluded to acid flashbacks for the elderly Lee, Avengers: Endgame once again waves the ‘hippie’ flag proudly.
Lee appears driving past Camp Lehigh with a female friend, proclaiming to the military base that they should "make love, not war" with a bumper sticker shouting his 'Nuff Said!' slogan. The license plate also includes the number "420" because… well, it was 1970.
The Last Community Cameo?
Tony and Steve’s plan to travel back to 1970 and steal the Tesseract from government custody (before accidentally allowing Loki to steal it just after The Avengers) is a solid one, as plans go. Unfortunately they don’t realize until they are actually on site that to the employees of the Strategic Scientific Reserve, the face of Captain America might be a little familiar. However, it ends up being Tony Stark’s facial hair that is the real tipoff for one suspicious woman.
The woman is perhaps better known to audiences as ‘Shirley,’ yet another cameo from a Community alum. This time being played by actress Yvette Nicole Brown, in what might end up being the last of its kind now that Anthony and Joe Russo have decided to step away from Marvel Studios.
Cap's Secret Identity: 'Roscoe (Simons?)'
Fans can debate the effectiveness of any disguise worn by Captain America, but in army uniform, it’s not impossible to believe that another soldier could have the body or looks of Steve Rogers. But make no mistake, Marvel fans: Steve’s choice of disguise is no coincidence. According to the name on his dress shirt as he’s picking his way through camp Lehigh with Tony, he’s undercover as "Roscoe" – which is a key name in the Captain America legacy.
It refers back to Steve’s time out of the Captain America identity. While Infinity War paid homage to Steve’ Nomad persona, the name her refers to the man who stepped up to replace Steve as Cap (one of them, anyway). The man was Roscoe Simons… who is perhaps best known for being tortured, killed, and put on display by Red Skull. Not a happy story for Roscoe, but a fitting tribute all the same.
Ant-Man's Vintage Helmet
As part of the Ant-Man movie’s story, it was required that Hank Pym’s original Ant-Man suit and technology be more or less identical to the one that Scott Lang stumbles across. The version of Scott in Endgame has the newer model, but because the film never dove into Hank’s prototype phase in the 1960s, there was never a chance to see how his designs actually began. Until now.
Well, fans at least get a good look at his first attempt at a helmet. The shiny chrome helmet can be seen on Hank’s workbench before Steve Rogers calls him to get him out of his laboratory. It’s a dead ringer for his first comic book version of the Ant-Man helmet (and a seriously far cry from where he eventually took the technology).