Major spoilers ahead for Avengers: Endgame. Part of the fun of being a member of the MCU's robust fandom is the fact that the superhero films have so much history to work with that almost every movie contains hidden meanings that only those with deep familiarity with past films will appreciate. Because Avengers: Endgame literally revisits the past, the directors Joe and Anthony Russo had plenty of opportunities to slip in little winks to the audience members who really, really love Marvel. Most of the Marvel Easter eggs in Endgame reference the fandom itself and important moments for Captain America (Chris Evans) and Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.), due to it being their last movie.
With so many Easter eggs that hearken back to simpler times in the MCU, well, sort of, you could easily call Endgame as the most schmaltzy of all superhero movies. It's no wonder that, when asked about his reaction to it, Chris Evans told The Hollywood Reporter, "I cried like six times.” Most people who go see the big follow-up to Infinity War could probably say the same.
Fortunately, many of these Easter eggs are super silly, too, proving that the MCU will always have as much room for humor as it does action and sentimentality.
1
Joe Russo In The Support Group
At the support group for people who lost their loved ones after the snap, co-director Joe Russo shows up, wearing glasses and talking about his grief.
2
Hawkeye & Black Widow Talk About Budapest
Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner) and Black Widow's (Scarlett Johansson) history goes back further than most. And Hawkeye's reference to their infamous (and yet unexplored) Budapest escapades could also be a nod to Clintasha 'shippers. Perhaps in the rumored Black Widow prequel that the MCU might have in the works, fans will finally get to find out what the heck happened out there.
3
Morgan Stark
Towards the beginning of Infinity War, Tony tells Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow) that he dreamt that they had a son named Morgan. Morgan Stark is actually Tony's cousin in the comics, also a man. So the gender swap is a cool twist.
4
Tony Gives Captain America A New Shield
Cap went shield-less for quite a while after he gave it up in Captain America: Civil War, but it was only right that Tony give him a replacement, since it was Howard Stark who presented Rogers with the first Vibranium shield.
5
Captain America In The Elevator With Undercover Hydra
The scene in the elevator is a fun callback to the iconic elevator scene in Captain America: The Winter Soldier — minus the brawl.
6
The Original Mr. Jarvis
We briefly see the original Mr. Jarvis, who was a major character in the Agent Carter series, pick up Tony's father from the S.H.I.E.L.D. base.
7
'I Can Do This All Day'
As you can tell from the supercut above, this boast is one of Cap's favorite phrases. In Endgame, when the past Cap says it mid-fight with future Cap, who he assumes is Loki, is a hilariously meta moment. "Yeah, I know," the future Cap responds.
8
Captain America Summons Mjolnir
Captain America is worthy, which Thor (Chris Hemsworth) — and every Cap stan — always suspected.
9
"Proof That Tony Stark Has a Heart"
At Tony's funeral, the first arc reactor that Tony built is laid in a bouquet and placed in the lake. After Tony gave the first reactor to Pepper, she was the one to frame it with this reminder.
10
Cap Saying "Hail Hydra"
At one point in the comics, Captain America actually became a Hydra agent, which he'd indicated with the words "Hail Hydra," per Vulture. While fans of Marvel comics will easily spot that reference, strictly MCU viewers will still appreciate it due to the irony alone.
11
Korg's Pineapple Romper
Korg wore the pineapple romper Thor: Ragnarok director — and the voice of Korg — Taika Waititi wore to Comic-Con in 2017. The short suit was a huge hit on the Internet, so Korg's wardrobe is a funny shoutout to the director's fans.
12
Harley Keener
Harley Keener, the boy from Iron Man 3 shows up at Tony's funeral. And he’s played by the same actor, Ty Simpkins.
13
"America's Ass"
As the future Avengers watch the 2012 Avengers, Ant-Man (Paul Rudd) dubs Captain America's derrière in the spandex superhero suit, "America's Ass." Later, looking at his own unconscious self, Steve confirms that it really is America's ass, validating every fan who pointed out that Marvel seems to want everyone to appreciate Chris Evans's physical asset.
14
'Community' Cast Cameos
Since the Russo brothers worked on several episodes of Community, actors who starred in the Joel McHale comedy frequently show up in Marvel movies. This time, Kevin Jeong shows up as the security guard at the lot where Ant-Man returns from the Quantum Realm, and Yvette Nicole Brown plays the security guard in 1970, who meets Steve and Tony in the elevator — and later reports them.
15
Hawkeye Training His Daughter
In Endgame, Hawkeye trains his daughter in archery, which may hint that the MCU is setting up the next generation of superheroes.
16
'I Am Iron Man'
Who could forget that momentous scene at the end of the first Iron Man when Tony Stark comes forward and publicly announces that he is Iron Man? Who would have known that those would be among his last words?
17
Cheeseburgers
After returning from Afghanistan, Tony requests a cheeseburger from his bodyguard, Happy Hogan (Jon Favreau). Happy tells Morgan that her father loved cheeseburgers too when she requests one after Tony's funeral.
18
Science Bros
The shared penchant that Tony and Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo) have for science led their friendship and collaborations to inspire a whole subset of fanfic known as "science bros," which pairs the two men as nerdy lovers. Seeing the two superheroes working together on *science* could definitely be a nod to the popular Marvel meme.
19
The Sound Of Tony Stark Making His Suit After The Credits
There's no end credits scene, but after the Marvel Studios logo appears on screen, the sounds of Tony Stark building the first Iron Man suit can be heard, as a sentimental nod to the very beginning of the MCU.
Endgame is the culmination of so many stories, and these Easter eggs reference just about all of them.
