There are many incredible easter eggs in Marvel Studios’ recent Thunderbolts* debut that you might have missed. Released on May 2, 2025, Thunderbolts* brought together a number of reformed villains and antiheroes from the history of the Marvel Cinematic Universe as a brand-new superhero team intent on saving New York from the Void. Despite not faring so well at the worldwide box office, Thunderbolts* has been celebrated as one of Marvel’s most refreshing and high-quality adventures, thanks in part to the homage it pays to the MCU’s history.
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Thunderbolts* sees Florence Pugh, David Harbour, Sebastian Stan, Hannah John-Kamen, and Wyatt Russell reprise their previous MCU roles and arguably get more development than ever before. Together, they stopped Robert Reynolds’ (Lewis Pullman) dark alter ego, the Void, from trapping everyone in New York in their worst nightmares, and were subsequently outed to the world as the New Avengers. Thunderbolts*’ Marvel easter eggs are plenty, but these are some of the ones you might have missed even on a rewatch.
7) Marvel Studios’ Opening Logo Comprises Thunderbolts & Sentry Comics
Like most previous Marvel Studios projects, Thunderbolts* opened with the typical fanfare and logo reveal, but with some major twists. You surely noticed the Void’s shadow passing over the Marvel logo, but you might have missed some of the issues of Marvel Comics that replaced scenes from the MCU’s history. 2024’s Sentry (Vol. 4), 2008’s Mighty Avengers, 2006’s Sentry (Vol. 2), 2023’s Thunderbolts (Vol. 6), 2018’s Sentry (Vol. 3), 2001’s Sentry/Fantastic Four, 2010’s Siege, 2009’s Dark Avengers, 2000’s original Sentry run, and many more are featured in the Marvel Studios logo, all including the Sentry, the Thunderbolts, or the Void.
6) “A” From the Battle of New York & Other Memorabilia
While the members of the Thunderbolts fight each other in the OXE Group’s underground facility in Utah, Valentina Allegra de Fontaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) throws a gala for New York’s elite in what used to be Avengers Tower. Loki’s sceptre, Chitauri handcuffs, one of Captain America’s suits, and more Avengers memorabilia appears during the gala, but it’s the massive “A” sign that use to form part of the word “STARK” on the outside of the building that is the main event. This “A” was destroyed during the Battle of New York, but is now displayed as an homage to the Avengers.
5) “Who’s This Old Santa?”
When the Thunderbolts first confront Valentina in the bar area of the former Avengers Tower – the new Watchtower – the CIA director questions who Alexei Shostakov’s Red Guardian (Harbour) actually is, as the pair have presumably never met. Valentina asks, “Who’s this old Santa?,” most likely referencing Harbour’s recent celebrated performance as a Viking warrior version of Santa Claus in 2022’s Violent Night. Alexei’s lengthy beard certainly gave off superhero Santa vibes, though he has since trimmed this down to a moustache and goatee as of Thunderbolts*’ end-credits scenes.
4) Bucky Uses His Winter Soldier Weapon
Bucky Barnes (Stan) finally got the chance to become an official member of a superhero team in Thunderbolts*, even while surprisingly operating as a United States Congressman. Bucky takes it upon himself to try and bring the members of the Thunderbolts in, apprehending them by using the same weapon he used as the Winter Soldier to bring down Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) in 2014’s Captain America: The Winter Soldier. The disk blows up Red Guardian’s limo in the same way it did Fury’s armored car, with Bucky shockingly embracing the weaponry he used as the Winter Soldier.
3) The New Avengers Are Sponsored By Real-World Brands
Thunderbolts*’ post-credits scene picks up 14 months after the team was revealed to be the New Avengers, and reveals that they are in a legal dispute with Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie) over the Avengers name. As a solution, Alexei suggests rebranding as the New Avengerz, and he shows off his new NASCAR-style jumpsuit, fit with real-world sponsors. Barbasol, Xbox, Tide, Heineken Zero, and ampm have all worked with Marvel in the real-world to promote each other, while Wheaties also plays a role in the New Avengers’ sponsorship in Thunderbolts*’ hilarious mid-credits scene.
2) The Void’s Power Was Inspired By Hiroshima
The Void’s attack on New York is one of the most terrifying things the MCU has ever experienced, as he could thrust anyone into his dark void dimension at will, seemingly transforming them into shadows that spread across the city. These shadows, as explained by director Jake Schreier to Collider, were inspired by images from the Hiroshima bombing where people’s shadows had been left scorched into the ground after the detonation. This inspiration gives the powerful visual effect even more poignancy and importance, and makes it even more bone-chilling, which made the Void much scarier.
1) The Avengers Theme Returns
Throughout Thunderbolts*, music composers Son Lux included each of the individual members’ themes in some interesting and clever ways. Right at the end, however, a version of the original Avengers theme can be heard when Valentina reveals the New Avengers to the world. Variations of this theme have been heard in many MCU projects, but we haven’t heard it in full since 2019’s Avengers: Endgame. It was great to finally hear this theme return to the MCU only a year before the Avengers, New Avengers, and more heroes will team up to fight Doctor Doom in Avengers: Doomsday.
What are your favorite moments from 2025’s Thunderbolts*? Let us know in the comments!
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