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One of the trademarks of the recent big screen Marvel renaissance is that the filmmakers have gone to excruciating lengths to be as accurate to the comic books as possible. Things like the costumes, villains, and plots make it seem as if Iron Man, Iron Man 2, Thor, Incredible Hulk, and Captain America: The First Avenger were literally ripped from the pages of the books themselves.
Not all of the dedication to the comics has been as obvious, though. Along the way, the writers and directors of these movies have added hidden Easter eggs and comic book references that only hardcore fans have been able to pick up on; some of these nods and winks at the audience are purely in the background and don’t get in the way of the plot, while others are a bit more obvious. It seems like with each additional viewing there's more to explore.
And with The Avengers finally arriving in theaters today, we’re positive that there will be plenty of subtle references and bonuses that dedicated geeks everywhere can spot and enjoy. So to help you get ready, we’re counting down The 10 Best Easter Eggs in Marvel Movies.
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10. '60s Iron Man Cartoon Theme In Iron Man (2008)
During the first Iron Man movie, when Tony Stark (Robert Downey, Jr.) is playing craps at the casino, the music in the background is a big band version of the original Iron Man cartoon theme from the ‘60s television show The Marvel Super Heroes. Later on, the theme is used again as Stark’s cellphone ringtone. Give yourself a pat on the back if you caught this one during your first viewing of Iron Man without having to resort to Wikipedia; it was a tough one.
9. The Super Soldier Serum In The Incredible Hulk (2008)
When a Captain America movie was seemingly nothing more than a pipe dream, The Incredible Hulk introduced viewers to a Super Soldier Serum that the U.S. government developed during WWII. In this movie, General Ross (William Hurt) injected Emil Blonsky (Tim Roth) with the serum in order to give him the advanced physical powers required to battle the Hulk.
Only the most ardent of comic book fans would have realized that the appropriately blue-colored liquid coursing through Blonsky’s veins was, in fact, the very formula that gave Cap his powers in the comics.
8. Donald Blake In Thor (2011)
You have to be a real comic book head to know that Thor actually had a human secret identity for decades named Donald Blake. In the original Thor comics, Blake would tap his enchanted cane on the ground and transform into the God of Thunder.
In recent years, Blake has been basically erased from the comics in order to make Thor his own, solo character. But Thor director Kenneth Branagh gave fans of the books a subtle wink when Jane Foster (Natalie Portman) gave Thor (Chris Hemsworth) the clothes of her ex-boyfriend, named Dr. Donald Blake. He would later use this name while in S.H.I.E.L.D. custody to protect his identity.
7. The Leader In The Incredible Hulk (2008)
Any longtime Hulk fan would have realized that something nefarious was about to go down when Bruce Banner (Edward Norton) was communicating with a Dr. Samuel Sterns about a cure for the Hulk. In the comics, Sterns is the green-skinned villain with the elongated cranium named The Leader. But in the movie, he’s still a simple doctor looking to solve life’s mysteries, while also storing samples of the Hulk’s blood for a rainy day.
When he's attacked in his laboratory and infected with Banner’s irradiated blood, his head begins to grow for just a second and a sick grin takes over his face. It was brief and went without explanation, but comic book fans knew exactly what the filmmakers were hinting at.
6. Captain America’s Hitler Punch In Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)
One of the most iconic images in the history of the comic book industry is that of Captain America slapping a right-hook across Adolf Hitler's grill on the cover of Captain America Comics #1, the character’s first appearance. And during the USO musical number from Captain America: The First Avenger, Steve Rogers is shown giving an actor playing Hitler the very same punch, much to the delight of the troops. It’s a shame that Hitler wasn’t an actual character in the film; we would've loved to see a full-scale beatdown of the Führer, Inglourious Basterds style.
5. The Ten Rings In Iron Man (2008)
For fans of the Iron Man comic books, it was somewhat surprising to hear that the villain in the first movie was going to be The Iron Monger, as opposed to Tony Stark’s longtime adversary, The Mandarin. But that doesn’t mean that the villain’s presence isn’t felt throughout the course of the story. During Iron Man’s origin sequence in the cave, it's revealed that the terrorist organization holding him hostage is known as The Ten Rings. There's even a Ten Rings banner hanging up in the cave.
This is obviously a reference to The Mandarin, who's powered by ten alien rings that each harnesses a different power. This could have been a harmless wink at the audience, or a hint at bigger things to come in the sequels. We certainly wouldn't mind The Ten Rings stepping out of the shadows and becoming a major threat in Iron Man 3.
4. The Infinity Gauntlet In Thor (2011)
Only the most eagle-eyed fan would have seen the Infinity Gauntlet sitting in Odin’s Trophy Room in Thor. For those unaware, the Infinity Gauntlet is a giant metal glove with five all-powerful Infinity Gems affixed to each knuckle, and one last one attached at the top of the hand. It was forged by the Mad Titan, Thanos, and was the subject of one of Marvel’s most popular miniseries, The Infinity Gauntlet. In Thor, when the Ice Giants attempt to steal the The Cask of Ancient Winters, the Gauntlet can be seen ever-so-briefly in the background.
3. “The Lonely Man” Music In The Incredible Hulk (2008)
Almost everyone is familiar with the famous Incredible Hulk TV show from the ‘70s, starring Lou Ferrigno and Bill Bixby. It was really the first time that a comic book property had been treated with any sort of respect in another medium. So when the iconic “Lonely Man” piano number from the original show played during 2008’s The Incredible Hulk, it was seen as a tribute to the show that made the Hulk a household name.
2. The Human Torch In Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)
At the Stark Expo in Captain America, one of the items on display is a stationary mannequin with the name Phineas Horton on the marquee above it. That mannequin is actually Jim Hammond, the original Human Torch. In the comics, Hammond is an android created by Horton that could control and surround himself with fire. He predated the Johnny Storm version of the Human Torch by decades.
This easter egg is great for a few reasons. First, in a bizarre coincidence, Chris Evans played Johnny Storm/Human Torch in the Fantastic Four movies, and he’s obviously playing Captain America here. And secondly, the original Human Torch was a WWII companion of Cap’s who, along with Namor and a few other heroes, comprised the All-Winners Squad.
1. Captain America’s Shield In Iron Man (2008) And Iron Man 2 (2010)
Now that we’re just about ready to enjoy The Avengers, Captain America’s shield doesn’t seem like much of an easter egg. But when it first appeared on Tony Stark’s work bench in the original Iron Man, it was mind-blowing for fans. Not only was that the closest we got to a shared superhero universe up until then, but a Captain America movie wasn’t even in the cards at that point.
Then, when the shield appeared again in Iron Man 2, it was much more obvious, and we already knew that Chris Evans would be playing the Star Spangled Avenger the following summer. But it was still a very cool geek moment nonetheless.
