The Marvels, streaming now on Disney Plus, is packed with so many Easter eggs and references you'd be forgiven for missing a few in all of the power-swapping chaos. Carol Danvers returns in the long-awaited sequel to Captain Marvel to team up with Kamala Khan (AKA Ms. Marvel) and Monica Rambeau (Teyonah Parris) after the trio becomes linked by their light-based powers – and a mission to stop revenge-driven Kree ruler Dar-Benn wreaking havoc on the universe.
In short, there's a lot going on, so you may not have caught every Marvel Easter egg hidden in plain sight. We're talking wider MCU references, musical cues, and a whole lot of cameos (although check out our breakdown of all The Marvels cameos for a deeper dive on that one). We've looked closely at every frame and shot, pulling out all the juicy details – you never know what Marvel Studios may be setting up, so it's always worth taking a closer look.
Be warned though, we’re getting into major spoiler territory for the latest Marvel Phase 5 outing below…
The Marvels Easter eggs
Kamala’s room
As fans of the Disney Plus show Ms. Marvel will know, Kamala is a huge fan of the Avengers. Her bedroom is covered ceiling-to-floor with posters, gadgets and drawings showcasing her love. Among the ones we spotted (aside from a lot of Captain Marvel posters) were an Iron Man helmet, action figure, and a Thor-style lightning bolt.
The Annihilator
Captain Marvel is referred to by the Kree as the Annihilator, a moniker she earned by destroying the Supreme Intelligence. This name actually has a pretty interesting comics history too as The Annihilators are a superhero team, and one that includes Kree warlord Ronan the Accuser. Full circle, right?
Kamala's shirt
Of course Kamala is wearing a Captain Marvel shirt when she gets swept up in the power-swapping struggles. But it's what is on her shirt that really stood out to us, as she's got two versions of the hero on the cover of comic books: one is her with glowing eyes and short Avengers-style hair and one says "the earth's greatest hero".
Cameos
Okay, let’s talk about cameos. There are so many packed into this relatively short Marvel runtime. These include: Tessa Thompson as Valkyrie, Lashana Lynch as Maria and Binary, Kelsey Grammar as Beast, and Hailee Steinfeld’s Kate Bishop (and Lucky the Pizza Dog of course).
Valkyrie’s comment
Another of the cameos may have been spoiled by the trailer, but we were still happy to see Valkyrie turn up to help the Skrulls in the movie. "I've been on some unintentional teams," she tells her old friends, seemingly referencing her experiences with Thor and being dragged into the Avengers dramas.
The Bifrost
It was a blink and you'll miss it appearance, but Valkyrie made her way to The Marvels' space ship via the Bifrost. It’s nice to see it’s still working well for Asgard’s king after Thor: Love and Thunder.
Cosmi-Rod
If you thought you recognized Dar-Benn’s weapon, there’s a reason. She’s got the Cosmi-Rod, which was Ronan’s war hammer. It’s the weapon of the Accuser corps of the Kree.
Movie quotes
Nia DaCosta and her co-writers Megan McDonnell and Elissa Karasik worked in a lot of fun movie references into the final film. Some of our favorites included Kamala quoting Dead Poets Society (and that Walt Whitman poem) with "Oh captain, my captain" when Captain Marvel was being particularly awesome and Monica's "give me some of what they're having" when they landed on singing planet Aladna, referencing the iconic When Harry Met Sally scene.
There was also another Disney nod from Kamala too when the team worked out where they might find Dar-Benn. "We have our heading," she beams, calling back to Pirates of the Caribbean.
Monica's nicknames
Kamala takes it upon herself to decide what superhero nickname might most suit Monica, despite her protestations. There are a lot of fun choices in there, including Supernova and Professor Marvel, as well as a Vision nod referencing Paul Bettany's synthezoid. However, that one was quickly shot down by everyone involved...
Dar-Benn’s X
The Marvels trailers certainly teased that we were going to finally get to see the X-Men in the MCU, and they didn’t disappoint. But before we even got into the post-credits scene, there was a little nod to the superhero group in the film too. When Dar-Benn gets both bangles she makes an X with her arms, before opening the wormhole to the new dimension. It’s certainly a neat little nod to what comes next…
Quantum Bands
The bangles are referred to as Quantum Bands at one point, which actually have a rich comic book history. They’re essentially energy-manipulating devices that were given to the Protectors of the Universe, chosen by Eon to protect life in the universe.
Loki reference
During the attack on Aladna, Dar-Benn in full, brutally powerful form, instructs Prince Yan to "kneel". Now, any Marvel fan will think back to another MCU villain when they hear that word: Loki. Back in The Avengers, he tells a group of civillians in Germany to kneel. This is not only a reference back to a great Marvel villain: Dar-Benn actor Zawe Ashton is actually Loki actor Tom Hiddleston’s partner in real life!
'Memory' needle drop
In what may be one of the best needle drops in the MCU so far, 'Memory' from the musical Cats plays when the Fler-kittens are eating everyone at S.A.B.E.R. HQ. It’s not only an incredible scene, but does some good in reinventing the song after the critically-panned musical film of Cats.
Young Avengers
The long-teased Young Avengers team up seems almost inevitable after Kamala visited Kate Bishop, and suggested a team up. Intriguingly too, it seems like she has her sights set on Ant-Man’s daughter Cassie Lang after the events of Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania.
X2 and Days of Future Past theme
There are some audio Easter eggs in the movie too, including some familiar themes playing in The Marvels post-credits scene. Both the themes for X2 and Days of Future Past play as we see Grammar return as Beast. Very intriguing indeed…
Charles Xavier’s mansion
While it’s not clear at first where the post-credits scene takes place, if you look in the background, you’ll notice some metal doors with an 'X' on them. These, along with that reference to Charles (Xavier, of course), makes us convinced that we’re in the X-Mansion.
Binary’s costume
When we see Maria in the final post-credits scene, she’s wearing a very intriguing costume. Yes, this seems to be the Binary costume! This implies this version of the character is another Captain Marvel…
The Marvels is in cinemas now. For more, check out our spoiler-heavy deep dives in the links below.
- The comics that influenced The Marvels, according to Nia DaCosta
- Nia DaCosta explaining The Marvels' "lighter, softer" Fury
- The Marvels director weighing in on whether or not you need to have watched the TV shows beforehand
- The MCU movies and shows to watch before The Marvels
- How many Captain Marvels are there in Marvel Comics?
- Ms. Marvel: The powers and comic book origins of Kamala Khan
- The comic book history of Monica Rambeau
- When does The Marvels take place on the Marvel timeline?
- The Marvels ending explained
- What team is Kamala Khan recruiting for at the end of The Marvels?
- How does The Marvels ending set up Deadpool 3?
- Breaking down Kelsey Grammer’s Beast cameo in The Marvels
