Avengers: Endgame is going to have a record-breaking weekend at the worldwide box office and a global bow of over $1 billion currently seems highly likely. That’s unprecedented and while Avatar might be safe at the #1 spot of all-time highest earners, Titanic’s record should be dusted by the time all is said and done. Regardless, now that the movie is playing in theaters, we’re delving into all of its biggest Easter Eggs, references, and cameos relating to the wider Marvel Cinematic Universe, the comic books, and beyond.

#1 Roscoe Simmons

When Steve Rogers disguises himself as a soldier in the 1970s, he’s shown wearing a uniform with the name “Roscoe” on the pocket. This has to be a reference to the comic character Roscoe Simmons. He took over as Captain America when Steve became Nomad but was ultimately murdered by the Red Skull.

#2 Nebula And The Infinity Gauntlet

In the comics, it’s Nebula who uses the Infinity Gauntlet to undo Thanos’ actions and she restores herself to her rightful appearance in the process. Given the nature of the Stones in the MCU, that doesn’t happen here but she does briefly get her hands on it and it’s hard not to wonder if that moment is about to play out!

#3 New Asgard

In the source material, New Asgard floats above a small town in Oklahoma but the MCU version is a small fishing village somewhere in Norway. It’s actually Tonsberg, the village from Captain America: The First Avenger where the Red Skull found the Tesseract. That’s quite a contrast but definitely a fun way to reference the fact the God of Thunder once brought his people to Earth when they found themselves without a home.

#4 Namor The Submariner

When Black Widow meets with Okoye, Rocket, Captain Marvel, and War Machine after the five year time jump, there’s talk of an earthquake under the sea which Okoye notes they’re best off leaving well alone. It’s pure speculation for the time being but could this be a reference to Namor the Submariner? We know there are complicated rights issues surrounding the character but something about this feels like a tease…

#5 Jim Starlin’s Cameo

Equally as deserving of a cameo given how much his work influenced this movie, Infinity Gauntlet writer Jim Starlin is also part of the aforementioned support group and has a couple of lines of dialogue which he delivers with great effect. It’s awesome to see him score an appearance here, and he’s definitely deserving considering how important his work to the entire Infinity Saga has been.

#6 Ant-Man’s Helmet

During that trip back to the 1970s, we spend a few moments with the young Hank Pym and see that he’s been working on a prototype Ant-Man helmet. It just so happens to bear a striking resemblance to the one his comic book counterpart wore during that period and looks amazing.

#7 A-Force

It’s a little on the nose but during Avengers: Endgame‘s epic final battle, the women of the Marvel Cinematic Universe unite to take on Thanos and they’re led by Captain Marvel. This doesn’t necessarily mean we’re going to see A-Force (the all-female Avengers team) down the line but it’s certainly a nice taste of what could be if Marvel heads in that direction.

#8 The Post Credit Scene

Avengers: Endgame doesn’t feature any additional scenes during the credits and that’s obviously a first for an MCU movie. However, stick around right to the very end and you’ll be treated to an Easter Egg of sorts as the noise of Tony building his rudimentary Iron Man armour in the 2008 movie can briefly be heard, referencing where it all began for this shared world.

#9 Cheeseburgers

Right at the very end of the movie, Happy Hogan attempts to comfort a crestfallen Morgan Stark after her father’s funeral. Asking her what she wants, the youngster says she’d like some cheeseburgers and he vows to get as many as she likes. What you may not recall is that shortly after her father returned from captivity in the first Iron Manmovie, he too had a craving for them. This is a lovely way to reference where it all began and to show the connection between these two.

#10 Captain America’s Destroyed Shield

The moment Thanos smashes Captain America’s shield is lifted straight from the Infinity Gauntlet comic book and is a moment fans have been hoping to see on the big screen ever since these movies were announced. By the time the credits roll, Steve has luckily brought back a repaired version from the past which he then gives to The Falcon, naming him the new Captain America in the process.

#11 Morgan Stark

It was teased in Avengers: Infinity War but Tony Stark and Pepper Potts’ daughter does indeed wind up being called Morgan in this film. However, the Morgan Stark from the comic books wasnt a sweet little girl who loved Iron Man “3000.” Instead, he was Tony’s cousin and he had a lot of criminal connections!

#12 Hydra Cap

A few years back, Marvel Comics came under fire for revealing that Steve Roger’s was secretly a HYDRA agent and while it was later revealed that it was all a result of the Red Skull altering reality with a Cosmic Cube, people still hated it for the most part. Avengers: Endgame has a lot of fun with the concept, though, as Steve Rogers – in 2012 – utters the line “Hail, HYDRA!” to Jasper Sitwell in a great play on the elevator scene from Captain America: The Winter Soldier in order to get Loki’s staff from him.

#13 Community Cameos

It’s become commonplace for actors from Community to pop up in Marvel Studios movies directed by the Russo Brothers, and this time it’s Ken Jeong and Yvette Nicole Brown who do the honours. Brown plays someone who is very suspicious of Steve Rogers and Tony Stark on that Army base in the 1970s, while Jeong is a security guard watching over the storage boxes where Scott Lang’s van has been kept during the time he was lost in the Quantum Realm.

#14 Rescue Pepper Potts

As expected, Pepper Potts does indeed suit up as Rescue in Avengers: Endgame. She gets the armour from Tony as a birthday present but what you may not realise is that the colour scheme is based on how the character appeared in Iron Man: Animated Adventures TV series rather than the comic books.

#15 Tony Stark’s Funeral Cameos

Iron Man 3 Harley (Ty Simpkins) Photo Credit: Film Frame ©Marvel Studios 2013

Tony Stark’s funeral sees all of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes assemble to say goodbye to Iron Man but there are some unexpected faces in the crowd. For example, May Parker, Thunderbolt Ross, Maria Hill, and Harley Keener (the kid from Iron Man 3, now all grown up) are all in attendance despite not playing a role in the film beforehand. The floating funeral banquet features the Arc Reactor Pepper had customised in Iron Man to read, “Proof Tony Stark Has A Heart.”

#16 Edwin Jarvis

Well, I guess Agent Carter is now officially canon! Moments after Howard Stark unwittingly meets his son, we see him turn to his driver Edwin Jarvis and point out that the man he just spoke to was awfully familiar. Regardless of whether you watched the show, Jarvis’ appearance obviously offers some insight into who Tony named his first A.I. after and it’s a neat moment for fans of the series.

#17 Stan Lee’s Final Cameo

While no one would have known it at the time, Avengers: Endgame features the late, great Stan “The Man” Lee’s final cameo appearance in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It comes during that trip back to the 1970s when he drives past an Army base and shouts, “Hey man, make love, not war!” Not a bad final message from the legendary creator, eh?