Ant-Man is big at the box-office.
Marvel’s latest adventure starring Paul Rudd as the titular hero won the weekend in a film filled with Easter Eggs, references and homages to Marvel’s cinematic and comic book history.
We’re working on a whole post devoted to that post-credit sequence but for now here our favorite Easter Eggs in Ant-Man.
If you’re just a Marvel movie fan, recent or old school comic book reader join the fun as we share our list:
But before we begin here’s a….
Spoiler Warning!
If you have not seen Ant-Man yet stop reading now.
Seriously.
Ok.
Here it comes.
Tales of Astonish! Villain Darren Cross (Corey Stoll) calls Hank Pym’s legendary exploits as the first Ant-Man “propaganda, Tales to Astonish.” Ant-Man’s first comic book appearance was in the classic Tales to Astonish #27 anthology comic book.
Stan Lee! Of course “The Man” would have a cameo. The co-creator of Hank Pym is seen not heard as a bartender in a hilarious finale sequence.
The Triskelion! The S.H.I.E.L.D. HQ destroyed in Captain America: The Winter Soldier is seen in a flashback early on in the Ant-Man. The iconic building in still under construction in the 198o’s when Pym is in a meeting with Peggy Carter, Howard Stark and Mitchell Carson (Hayley Atwell, John Slattery, Martin Donovan) when he leaves S.H.I.E.L.D. to strike out on his own.
Mitchell Carson? Carson is a former S.H.I.E.L.D. officer and Pym’s rival who comes back as a power broker connecting Hydra with Cross’s Yellowjacket invention. In the comics, Carson actually is a S.H.I.E.L.D. operative connected to the third man to wear the Ant-Man code-name: Eric O’Grady.
Earth’s Mightiest Heroes! Pym and Lang both reference The Avengers and not in a flattering way citing the event of Age of Ultron, showing Pym’s continued distrust of S.H.I.E.L.D.
New Avengers! Pym sends Lang on a mission to a former Stark facility not knowing it’s the new (secret?) home of the Avengers leading to a superhero smackdown between Ant-Man and Falcon (Anthony Mackie) which will lead to a post-credit sequence teasing Lang’s future in Civil War.
Wasp! Janet Van Dyne does exist in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Janet is lost in the Quantum Realm after a mission in the 80’s. Daughter Hope Van Dyne (Evangeline Lilly) has the stylish cut, now she has the uniform to become a new Wasp. (Here’s a tribute to Ant-Man and Wasp by artist Phil Noto.)
Spidey? There’s even a reference to heroes who “crawls up walls” citing the new Spider-Man set to appear in Captain America: Civil War then a rebooted solo movie from Sony and Marvel.
Did you catch more Marvel Easter Eggs or have questions? Send us a comment or join the conversation on Twitter.
Watch tomorrow for our analysis of the post-credit sequence.
By Editor