The Thunderbolts trailer is hiding two sneaky Marvel Easter eggs
Thunderbolts* is hiding some Marvel references
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.
Loki’s sceptre in ‘THUNDERBOLTS*’ 🤔 pic.twitter.com/aKm7oG8yVxSeptember 23, 2024
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.
Definitely Avengers tower#Thunderbolts* https://t.co/yJQBVvYK8i pic.twitter.com/AFTxFoXy8vSeptember 23, 2024
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.
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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.