As the seasons begin to change,Marvelfans find themselves occupied by the nine-episodeDisney+series,She-Hulk. The lawyer show has not shied away from utilizing Marvel’s favorite trick of cameos, as a cameo has been made in the majority of episodes so far. While some of these cameos are just for fun, some have larger connections to theMCU.
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Just likeShe-Hulk, the rest of Marvel’s Phase 4 projects are filled with references to the other works in the cinematic universe. Whether it is epic cameos or just subtle nods to events of the past, this latest phase of the MCU has a plethora of great references, connecting nearly every project to the extensive universe of Marvel.
‘WandaVision’: The Bridge Between Phases
WandaVision,one of the most expensive TV series ever made, follows the two title characters as they attempt to live a normal life as a married couple in the suburbs. It doesn’t take long, however, for the sitcom illusion to begin to break apart, revealing powerful manipulative magic lurking just out of sight.WandaVision’s sitcom theme alone offers enough references from every episode to build an essay. Luckily for Marvel fans, there are just as many MCU references.
WandaVision’s episodes have their very own built-in commercials, and many of them are nods to events that have occurred in Wanda’s (Elizabeth Olsen) past. For example, one commercial advertises Hydra soap and another promotes a Stark Industries toaster. A commercial further down the line mentions Nexus, which is an unconfirmed connection to the events ofLoki. But outside of ads,WandaVisionintroduces new important characters, like Monica (Teyonah Parris) and Agatha (Kathryn Hahn), that will be featured in the near future of the Multiverse saga. And some of the series' best references come from the penultimate episode, which truly explores Wanda’s past for the first time, and the final end credit scene of the show, which shows Wanda with the Darkhold, serving as a direct connection toDoctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.
‘Hawkeye’ and ‘Black Widow’: A Long Way From Budapest
Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner) and Black Widow’s (Scarlett Johansson) relationship did not have a happy ending in the MCU. After Black Widow’s heartbreaking sacrifice inAvengers: Endgame, fans did not think they would see the assassin-turned-Avenger again. Though her future stories have come to a close, her past has not. InBlack Widow, audiences got to see Natasha once again, during that murky time period between the events ofCaptain America: Civil WarandAvengers: Infinity War. Hawkeye also finally got his own story in his holiday-themed show, which focuses on the hero after the fight against Thanos.
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Though the two title characters did not appear in each other’s projects, each had their own references to the other and the greater MCU. In his show, Hawkeye touches on the subject of how he and Nat met more than once, and in Nat’s own movie she tells her sister (Florence Pugh) about the shoot-out she and Clint went through in Budapest when they first met. Nat had the arrow necklace on throughout the duration of her movie (and she has worn it for other films, too), while Clint is constantly reminded of his friend as he goes about his life, at one point visiting an Avengers memorial site to talk to her. Perhaps the biggest connection between the two projects is when Yelena cameos inHawkeye, which extends a bridge between the two works and also sets up her future appearances in the Multiverse Saga.
‘Loki’: The Trickster God Returns
The mischievous Loki (Tom Hiddleston) spends his show trying to discover who rules all time and must learn to face and accept his inner demons during the adventure. The pilot features a handful of great references when the episode dives into Loki’s past, forcing the character to confront the consequences of his choices throughout the MCU. Later on, in the fifth episode, there are a few references to Thor (Chris Hemsworth), and some great Easter eggs from the comics that eagle-eyed fans were thrilled to see.
Loki’s subtle nods to the past and to the comics are a delight to discover, but it is the events of the finale that are poised to have the greatest connections to the wider MCU. The sixth episode shows Sylvie (Sophia Di Martino) killing He Who Remains (Jonathan Majors), which breaks the timeline into infinite branches. While Majors is confirmed to be the villain in the upcomingAnt-Man and the Wasp: Quantumaniafilm, no confirmation has yet been given stating that the events of Loki created the multiverse. Still, many believe that the Multiverse exists as a result of this show.Lokiseason 2 will set up an expanding multiverse, further encouraging the idea thatLokiis a catalyst for the upcoming installments in the Multiverse Saga.
‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’: Where Fans' Wildest Dreams Come True
The entirety of the filmSpider-Man: No Way Homewas a reference to other Marvel projects. Small acknowledgments of Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.) and the Avengers are overshadowed by the greater plot of the film. The wildly popular movie, which just re-released in theaters with new content, follows the adventures ofTom Holland’s Spider-Man after a spell-gone-wrong brings in villains from across the multiverse.
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The cameos of this film are rivaled only by those inAvengers: Endgame’s final battle sequence. Screams of delight across the world could be heard when Doc Ock (Alfred Molina), Green Goblin (Willem Dafoe), and Electro (Jamie Foxx) finally made their way back onto the big screenafter long gaps in their MCU appearances. But it was the entrance ofAndrew GarfieldandTobey Maguirethat caused fans to absolutely lose their minds. Aside from these cameos being simply amazing, they are also very important. This film brings Garfield and Maguire’s universes, which had previously been considered separate, into the ever-expanding MCU. This opens the doorway for a world (or two) of new Spider-Man projects, all but confirming that at least some version (if not all versions) of the web-slinging hero will return.
All The Hidden Details: Easter Eggs Galore
While there are quite a few projects from the MCU’s phase four that feature reference after reference, there are also some shows and films that save their Easter eggs for smaller moments.Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, for example, only references the greater MCU whenBenedict Wong’s Wong (who has appeared in so many projects that he has become a fan favorite reference himself) is fighting Abomination (Tim Roth) in Xu Xialing’s (Meng’er Zhang) secret fight club.
The Falcon and the Winter Soldierbrings in Zemo (Daniel Brühl) as the main character, and also features Sharon Carter (Emily VanCamp) and members of the Dora Milaje for an episode or two.She-Hulkalso offers a wealth of cameos. The big Marvel summer blockbusters of 2022,Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of MadnessandThor: Love and Thunder, are also unique. But it is unclear whether these cameos will have larger effects on the future projects of the MCU. Fans can rest assured, however, that no matter where any of the characters from Phase 4 end up, there will be plenty more references to come.
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