The Marvel Cinematic Universe has grown since its inception. While I was watching that first Iron Man movie, I never in my life imagined that we would get ourselves a movie about Infinity War. Look at us now. Marvel heroes that I thought I would only ever enjoy within a comic book are now proudly displayed on a screen. Names like Steve Rogers and Tony Stark are now household names. For a comic book nerd, it's sometimes easy to forget that things were not always like this.
However, comic books still have a few characters left up their sleeves. There is a long history behind Marvel super heroes, and the MCU has barely scratched the surface of what they could potentially slip into a movie. That doesn't mean they haven't tried to inject some good old Marvel lore into their films already. There are some pretty nifty character references in the MCU that only hardcore fans of Marvel comics would get. And some of those references might even get past those same comic books fans as well!
Don't worry though! I've got your back. I have watched every single movie Marvel has released more than once (including the ones that are not-so-great). I have peered at every scene just waiting for some hidden reference to finally make itself known to me. (I also have online search engines as a secret weapon to help me find the ones I just could not get.) Read on if you want to know who Marvel has included into their universe without you being aware of it.
25 The Mandarin Cover-Up
Fans were disappointed while watching Iron Man 3 when they realized that the "Mandarin," the villain of the film and one of Iron Man's most iconic foes, was a fake. Paid actor Trevor Slattery was hired by scientist Aldrich Killian to play the part.
This was a bold story decision on Marvel's part, but I was personally upset that the Mandarin never existed. Turns out I spoke too soon. A one-shot short film was released titled All Hail the King that basically revealed that a real Mandarin was still in play in the MCU.
24 The Original Torch
Many might not be aware that there was a Human Torch long before the Human Torch from Fantastic Four appeared. The original Human Torch was an android that could light itself on fire and was one of the first heroes in Marvel's roster.
In Captain America: The First Avenger, the Human Torch makes a cameo appearance at the Stark Expo that Steve and Bucky visit before they're deployed. Who knows? Maybe since the Johnny Storm Human Torch is unavailable to the MCU, we'll get the OG Human Torch to make an actual appearance later on.
23 Ultron's Wife
After Jarvis transformed into Vision, Tony was in need of a new AI to help him out during missions. As Tony rummages around looking at cartridges that hold different AI personalities, we can see that they are labeled under different names. Tony ends up selecting Friday, but in the background we can see one named "Jocasta."
In the comic books, Ultron wants a bride AI for himself, so he builds himself one and calls her Jocasta. Maybe Jocasta will make an appearance in the future.
22 Man's Best Friend
I, for one, think that the Guardians of the Galaxy were missing out when they didn't include Cosmo the Spacedog as one of their members. But then again, the MCU group already had a talking raccoon.
But maybe in the future, Cosmo, who we saw as one of the Collector's prizes in the first Guardians of the Galaxy movies, will join the team. After Infinity War, it looks like the Guardians have some new slots available to be filled, and I'm sure Rocket wouldn't mind having Cosmo around.
21 Like Father, Like Daughter
Admittedly, everyone has seen Cassie Lang in the Ant-Man movies. She's the adorable daughter of Scott Lang, the protagonist. She's not exactly a hidden character.
But what you may not realize is that Cassie grows up to be Stature, a member of the Young Avengers, in the comic books. She has the same powers as Ant-Man. Last I checked, Scott was stuck in the Quantum Realm after the Thanos snap, so maybe Cassie will be the one who steps up and saves the day.
20 Tinkering Away
We're used to seeing the Tinkerer in the comic books as a bald man stooped with age and with eyes obscured by thick glasses. Imagine our surprise when we found out that Phineas Mason had made an appearance in Spider-Man: Homecoming.
Turns out this villain was one of the Vulture's associates.
He helped make devices from salvaged Chitauri technology that powered up Vulture's gear. That's a kind of tinkering, I suppose, but I can't reconcile these two versions of the Tinkerer in my mind.
19 An Ally In The Sanctum
There's a deleted scene in Doctor Strange that gives Stephen Strange a short conversation with the protector of the New York Sanctum. This protector is none other than Daniel Drumm. Daniel Drumm might not ring any bells for non-comic nerds, but it should sound familiar to those of you who have heard of Brother Voodoo.
Brother Voodoo is a supernatural hero whose real name is Jericho Drumm. Daniel is Jericho's twin brother. If Daniel appeared in Doctor Strange, maybe Brother Voodoo will make an appearance as well.
18 Prowling In The MCU
Aaron Davis' encounter with Spider-Man in Spider-Man: Homecoming was not only hilarious, it was also intriguing. In certain Spider-Man comic books, Aaron Davis is known as a criminal that is called the Prowler.
The Aaron Davis we met in Homecoming seemed like a reasonable dude, even with his criminal proclivities. I simultaneously have my fingers crossed that we'll see a Prowler appearance later and that we will never have to see this version of Aaron Davis turn into a conniving person.
17 What Is That Thing?
There have been several references to Man-Thing in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and I hope that they eventually pay off. Man-Thing is basically a super swamp monster. Who doesn't want to see a super swamp monster in the MCU?
The Man-Thing is referenced in the television show Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. in a conversation between Maria Hill and Pepper Potts. Man-Thing is also shown to have been a previous champion on Sakaar since his visage appears on the Grandmaster's building.
16 Comic Book Korg
In Thor: Ragnarok, Korg comes across as mere comic relief. He's one of the fellow fighters Thor meets when he is trapped on Sakaar. While everyone who saw the movie knew Korg, they may not have known that Korg was a much more serious character in the comic book series Planet Hulk.
Korg fought alongside the Hulk in that storyline.
Together with a bunch of other fighters, Hulk and Korg eventually break free of Sakaar and stage a revolution. And let me tell you, this revolution involved more battling than it involved pamphlets.
15 The Thundering Red Hulk
Thaddeus Ross has become a fairly common presence in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. He's that general who constantly appears and gets on the Avengers' case for saving the world. As a matter of fact, the last time we saw him in Infinity War, he was trying to order Rhodey to arrest Captain America.
However, Ross is more than just a bureaucratic tyrant. In the comic books, Ross is also the Red Hulk, a red-hued behemoth who has it out for Bruce Banner.
14 Good Old Union Jack
While Captain America: The First Avenger was by no means the best Captain America movie, it was a solid little film in its own right. Plus, it included a few surprise appearances from some comic book characters. James Montgomery Falsworth is one of the companions in Cap's Howling Commandos.
You may be surprised to learn that Falsworth is the identity of the original Union Jack. Bet you didn't realize you were watching Captain America and Union Jack take on the Nazis when you first saw that movie.
13 The Real Guardians Of The Galaxy
One of the things the Guardians of the Galaxy movies did really well was make obscure comic book characters really cool. The average person may have heard of Captain America, but I bet they had no clue who Star-Lord was before Guardians came out.
One of the best throwbacks to the history of the Guardians of the Galaxy happened at the end of the second movie after Yondu's funeral. In this amazing little scene, Yondu's former companions mourn him. These companions are none other than the original Guardians of the Galaxy.
12 Whose Staff Is That?
The sorcerers in Doctor Strange get neat weapons to use in order to protect the Sanctum Sanctorum. Mordo gets this glowing staff that stretches to twice its length and kind of functions like a whip as well. This staff is called the Staff of the Living Tribunal.
Well, the "Living Tribunal" is an actual person.
The Living Tribunal is an entity that appears in Marvel comics who tries to maintain the balance in all realities available. So if that guy's staff is in the MCU, I bet you anything that he's around too.
11 Another Spider-Man
Miles Morales is a young boy who takes up the mantle of Spider-Man. It has more or less been confirmed that he exists in the MCU. Earlier in this list, we mentioned how Aaron Davis, the Prowler, appeared in Spider-Man: Homecoming.
Well, Miles is Aaron's nephew, and since Aaron did drop a mention of having a nephew, we're willing to bet that he was talking about little Miles. I'm already looking forward to when Peter Parker and Miles Morales team up and take down baddies.
10 The New Hulk
Amadeus Cho made a name for himself in comic books by being a guy who actually enjoyed turning into the Hulk. He's a prolific character in Marvel comics, but he hasn't appeared much in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Or has he?
In The Incredible Hulk, a character named Amadeus Cho in the official movie novelization helps Bruce Banner get into a lab. Honestly, I'm kind of let down by this short appearance. Cho is considered to be one of the smartest people on the planet in the comics, and in the movie, he was just that guy holding a slice of pizza who opened a door.
9 First There Was Adam
Quite a few people may have missed the reference that was made at the end of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2. The distraught and humiliated Ayesha, the Golden High Priestess of the Sovereign, is seen constructing someone in something that looks like a sarcophagus.
This is an acute reference to Adam Warlock.
Adam Warlock is a perfect android that fights against and alongside our favorite Marvel heroes on different occasions. I can't wait to see how he interacts with the Guardians later on. Err, that is, after all this unpleasantness with Thanos is over, I mean.
8 The Collector's Offspring?
Most of us looked at the pink-skinned girl who was a servant of the Collector and just dismissed her as an unfortunate servant of the Collector. Turns out that in the comic books, she is more than the Collector's assistant.
She is his daughter.
Her name is Carina Tivan, and the Collector's name is Taneleer Tivan. I can't get over the fact that these two people are meant to be related. I'm sure in the MCU, the father-daughter aspect is missing from their relationship.
7 Yet Another Spider-Person
Spider-Man's abilities are so popular, I feel like every character in Marvel comics is going to start web-slinging. The same might be said for the Marvel Cinematic Universe. One of Peter's classmates in Spider-Man: Homecoming is named Cindy Moon. She's on the decathlon team with Peter.
In the comic books, Cindy Moon is also the spider-person known as Silk.
Who knows if we'll get to see Cindy and Peter web-slinging around New York together. But maybe Miles will join them too.
6 M'Baku Is Back As Someone Else
M'Baku made a delightful appearance in Marvel's Black Panther movie. He starts off as a bit of an opponent for T'Challa, but he later becomes one of T'Challa's strongest allies against Killmonger.
This is different from how M'Baku usually appears in the comic books.
In the comics, M'Baku is a villain who calls himself Man-Ape. I much prefer M'Baku as a friend. However, Black Panther nods at M'Baku's origins by having him challenge T'Challa to a fight at the beginning of the movie wearing an ape mask.