As one might expect, Helstrom doesn’t include any major crossovers with other characters in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. That means for those hoping to see Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.) or Captain America (Chris Evans) pop up, you might not want to hold your breath. Like other properties from Marvel Television, however, there are nods here and there that provide some fun Easter eggs for Marvel fans to look over.
Light spoilers incoming. Proceed with caution if you want to head into the show completely spoiler-free.
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Right out of the gates, Helstrom makes sure to include a stop at a gas station to remind fans that it’s Marvel-adjacent. In the show, the gas station is branded with Roxxon logos and branding, the go-to Easter egg for most shows involved in the Marvel Television sphere. A long-time comics entity, Roxxon’s also appeared in the three Iron Man movies and most Marvel shows include Agents of SHIELD, Agent Carter, Daredevil, and Cloak & Dagger.
Furthermore, newspaper names that have popped up elsewhere in the MCU appear in the first two episodes, including the fictional Dallas Record, New Orleans Gazette, and San Francisco Tribune.
Fittingly enough, Helstrom creator and showrunner Paul Zbyszewki said during the show’s press junket earlier this month that the series was completely removed from the MCU in its own separate corner of the Marvel world. As most know, it was initially supposed to kick off something called “Adventure Into Fear,” a subsection of the MCU focusing on Marvel’s horror characters. Those plans were disrupted when Marvel Studios assumed control of Marvel Television.
“We are not tied to the MCU. We are our own separate thing,” Zbyszewski told FanBoyFactor. “There are Easter eggs in the show for sure, but they’re more towards that Helstrom universe, and that Ghost Rider universe.”
The first season of Helstrom is now streaming on Hulu.
Have you had a chance to binge through the horror series yet? If so, let us know your thoughts either in the comments or by hitting our writer @AdamBarnhardt up on Twitter to chat all things Marvel!