The Thunderbolts trailer is hiding two sneaky Marvel Easter eggs

Sebastian Stan in Thunderbolts
(Image credit: Disney/Marvel)

Thunderbolts*, the upcoming Marvel Phase 5 movie, is hiding some sneaky Marvel references in its first trailer. 

The trailer, which first screened behind closed doors at SDCC and finally dropped for everyone yesterday, sees the Thunderbolts* teaming up – after at first coming to blows – and meeting Bob, who may or may not be Sentry. Plus, Bucky seems to be at odds with the team, at least at first. 

But, hiding in the footage are two significant Easter eggs. One shows Loki's sceptre at an event that seems to be focused on the Battle of New York, if the posters hanging up are any indication. This is where Bucky looks to be watching the Contessa. 

Then, another Easter egg for The Avengers can be glimpsed, too. When the gathered Thunderbolts meet with the Contessa, it looks like they're inside of Avengers Tower. Specifically, the area where Tony Stark faced down Loki in the first Avengers movie. 

Whether these Easter eggs turn out to be key plot points or are just there as fun references remains to be seen. 

According to Bucky actor Sebastian Stan, Thunderbolts* "was kind of like One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest – a guy coming into this group that was chaotic and degenerate, and somehow finding a way to unite them." 

Plus, the asterisk in the name does mean something, though Kevin Feige has teased we won't find out what until the movie has been released. 

Marvel's most recent release is Agatha All Along, which is dropping a new episode weekly on Disney Plus. Check out our Agatha All Along release schedule to keep up to date. 

For everything else the MCU has in store, see our guide to all the upcoming Marvel movies and shows

Molly Edwards
Senior Entertainment Writer

I'm a Senior Entertainment Writer here at GamesRadar+, covering all things film and TV for the site's Total Film and SFX sections. I previously worked on the Disney magazines team at Immediate Media, and also wrote on the CBeebies, MEGA!, and Star Wars Galaxy titles after graduating with a BA in English.