Captain America may miss a few cultural references here and there, but who can blame him? And even so, he isn’t the only one! We bet you weren’t able to spot these hidden details, Easter eggs, and references cleverly scattered throughout the films. So, test your master fan knowledge with some of the things you may have overlooked in your favorite Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) movies.
Overlooked MCU Details List
1. Lost Arms as a Tribute to Star Wars
Source: Cinemablend
If you’ve noticed several of the Marvel characters losing limbs every other movie, it’s no coincidence. Kevin Feige, the president of Marvel Studios, is a huge fan of Star Wars and made sure the MCU paid tribute to the iconic epic space opera by including their own bits of limb chopping.
So, the Marvel characters joining the likes of Anakin (or his later identity as Darth Vader), Luke, and Mace Windu in limbless fates are Thor, Aldrich Killian, and Bucky.
2. Fake Infinity Gauntlet
Source: Syfy
Remember the fake Infinity Gauntlet in Thor: Ragnarok? It turns out that it was actually fake since it was the original prop that was mistakenly designed as a right-handed gauntlet than the true version, which goes on the left hand.
The line Hela delivers in the film is a meta-reference to the much earlier films. Cool, right?
3. Vine Reference
Source: Reddit
Before TikTok, Vine videos dominated were the latest Internet craze — one that was actually referenced in Black Panther! T’Challa’s sister, Shuri, being the tech-nerd that she is, referenced one of the earlier memes made famous on the micro-video platform in the sequence where she mocks her big brother’s sandals.
Her long, drawn-out question asking, “What are thooooose?!” mimics the same tone and delivery of a similar Vine that mocked a police officer’s shoes.
4. Stan Lee
Source: Comicbook.com
Every fan has come to expect Stan Lee’s famous cameos in each MCU movie, but some keener folks may have even spotted him in the Marvel television series that are on Netflix. While he doesn’t physically appear in each episode, Lee’s face can be seen in fleeting moments on every Marvel Netflix series.
For example, he appears in Daredevil and Jessica Jones on a plaque displayed at the police station. He also appears in The Defenders as a poster in the background while Matt Murdock follows Jessica Jones.
5. The Return of Harley Keener
Source: Insider
As most of us should know by now, most characters that show up are of great significance in the MCU. Their appearances are planned and never by coincidence. This applies to Harley Keener, which may sound unfamiliar to many fans who will nevertheless recognize him as the boy who helped Tony Stark in Iron Man 3 after his house was destroyed.
He had to escape Aldrich Killian’s men. Harley also reappeared in Avengers: Endgame to say his final farewells to Tony following his death.
6. Proud Flag
Source: Reddit
Black Panther was widely recognized as the Marvel film that paved the way for black representation across the globe. In the scene where T’Challa, Nakiya, and Okoye enter the casino in Korea, the camera focuses on the colors of their outfits, which mirror the pan-African flag.
7. Pulp Fiction Reference
Source: Variety
Nick Fury is just one of Samuel L. Jackson’s iconic roles. After faking his death in Captain America: The Winter Soldier, the camera zooms in on Fury’s gravestone, which has a Bible quote from the book of Ezekiel saying, “The path of the righteous man…”
This was a reference to Quentin Tarantino’s film Pulp Fiction, where Samuel L. Jackson played Jules Winnfield. His character in this film quotes the same Bible verse during an interrogation scene.
8. The Right Stuff
Source: Little Movie Moments
There are many hard-to-spot details in the MCU, and this is one of the more difficult ones. In Captain Marvel, Carol Danvers picks up a videotape of the movie The Right Stuff after crash landing in a Blockbuster Video rental store.
This particular film just so happens to take place in Edwards Airforce Base, where Danvers was stationed before she left Earth.
9. Farmer Thanos
Source: IGN
Thanos seems to have liked farming after wiping out half the universe to restore its balance. In the final scenes of Infinity War, he can be seen overlooking a peaceful valley from his cabin. This is true to the Infinity Gauntlet comic’s ending, where Thanos settles down as a farmer after the Avengers seek to reserves his genocide.
10. The X-Men Jet
Source: Imgur
While the X-Men were never explicitly said to be part of the MCU, there were already many references linking the two throughout the years. The Scarlet Witch is our biggest clue, but references are dating back as early as Iron Man when Tony was testing out his prototype suit’s altitude performance.
He is seen trying to outdo the Blackbird, which is the same jet used by the X-Men. Another fun tidbit: this jet is used by pilots in real life!
If you enjoyed learning about these overlooked MCU details, then keep an eye out for our other articles on films and read this in the meantime.
