19 Inside Jokes And Crossovers From The MCU That You've Probably Never Noticed

Like the comics before them, all the films are linked, which means there are endless references to previous films in the series.

Stephanie

• Published in Disney
• May 18, 2022

The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is filled to the brim with hidden details and legends that form the foundation of all our favorite Marvel stories. But you may not realize that there are also a lot of inside jokes and running ties between the films.

So, what is the MCU? Well, essentially, it's a media franchise created by Marvel Studios. The franchise includes movies, television series, comics, video games, and short films.

One of the reasons the Marvel franchise has been such an epic success is because of its seamless continuity. Like the comics before them, all the films are linked, which means there are endless references to previous films in the series.

Similarly, the various Marvel TV series' also link together with the comics and films. Each movie and television show will make much more sense to the audience if they have watched all the others in the series.

Along the way, seeds are also planted for future storylines. But it takes a true Marvel fan to pick up on some of these cleverly hidden gems.

From sneaky cameos to character nods to romantic hints, we have them all here. Keep scrolling to enjoy 19 inside jokes and crossovers from the MCU that you've probably never noticed.

1. In The Avengers, when Bruce Banner is desperately trying to stop himself from changing into the Hulk, he can be seen stumbling on a platform that reads, "Warning: Contents Under Pressure."

2. The Russo brothers have directed several episodes of Community, and as a result, some of the show's cast have made appearances in the MCU.

Some actors who have starred in both Community and MCU films include Donald Glover, Brie Larson, Randall Park, Danny Pudi, and Jim Rash. Another interesting tidbit is that Community's creator, Dan Harmon, helped out with the Doctor Strange script, infiltrating some humor into the dialogue.

3. There are multiple hints throughout the MCU about a potential romance between Bruce Banner and Natasha Romanoff.

In Age of Ultron, Tony Stark asks for Natasha Romanoff's location. When he doesn't get a reply, he says, "You and Banner better not be playing 'hide the zucchini.'"

4. Arrested Development was one of the shows that launched the Russo brothers into directing television. In Captain America: Civil War, the brothers included the Bluth's stair car as a nod to the show.

5. In the comic books, Odin sent Thor to earth under the guise of a student named Donald Blake. There are several references to Blake throughout the MCU.

6. In Shang-Chi and The Legend of The Ten Rings, Jon Jon says he speaks "ABC." This was a subtle reference to the acronym (and television series) "American Born Chinese."

7. Tony Stark calls Thor "Point Break" in The Avengers, and later in Thor: Ragnarok, when Thor is trying to gain access to Tony's ship via voice command, he tries "Thor," "Thor, Son of Odin," and "The Strongest Avenger," but he finally gains access by saying "Point Break."

8. In Black Widow, the Red Guardian has "Karl Marx" tattooed across his knuckles. Marx was a philosopher best known for writing "The Communist Manifesto."

9. In Thor: Ragnarok, Matt Damon makes a cameo appearance playing Loki in a play. Damon also played Loki years before that in Dogma.

10. In Guardians of the Galaxy, a section in the ending credits says, "No raccoons or tree creatures were harmed during the making of this feature. The same cannot be said for handlers of said raccoons and tree creatures."

11. In Captain America: The First Avenger, Howard Stark tells Steve that Hydra "won't attack you with pocket knives." At the film's end, a Hydra agent attacks Captain America with a pocket knife.

12. Guardians of the Galaxy, The Avengers, Avengers: Endgame, and WandaVision all reference Pixar's "A113" code. This refers to a classroom used by students of graphic design and character animation at the California Institute of the Arts.

13. When Pepper Potts learns that Obidiah Stane has been selling weapons on the black market, she finds a shipping manifest for the vessel, MSC Lebowski. Jeff Bridges played both Obidiah Stane and The Dude in The Big Lebowski.

14. Peter Quill's ship in Guardians of the Galaxy is a sneaky nod to Alyssa Milano. Star Lord had a major crush on the 80s star, so he named his ship The Milano.

15. Laurence Fishburne starred in both Ant-Man and The Wasp and The Matrix. In a classroom scene in Ant-Man and The Wasp, a chalkboard behind Fishburne has "Matrix" written on it.

16. In Ant-Man, Scott lands on the roof of a cab driver's car. The driver looks up, and the actor playing him is Garret Morris. Morris was the first actor ever to play Ant-Man on screen in a 1979 SNL skit.

17. Kevin Feige is a big Star Wars fan. He figured that if Phase Two of the MCU was going to be their Empire Strikes Back, it would make sense for a character to lose their hand, just like Luke did.

18. In Thor: Ragnarok, there is a subtle game of rock paper scissors. Korg fails at starting a revolution because he didn't print enough flyers (paper beats rock). Later, he accidentally pulverizes Miek, who's essentially a walking pair of scissors (rock beats scissors).

19. In Infinity War, the Russo brothers included a nod to Arrested Development by including Tobias Funke in a scene covered in blue paint (of course).

So, there you have it! Nineteen inside jokes and crossovers from the MCU that you've probably never noticed.

Are we right? Or did you already know some of these little gems?

Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below. If you have any other MCU secrets, we would love to hear them!

Stephanie