The first episode of Marvel's newest Disney+ show, Ms. Marvel, has premiered. The series stars Iman Vellani as Kamala Khan, a teenage Avengers fanatic who discovers she has superpowers of her own. As a result of her love of the superheroes in the MCU, there are plenty of Easter eggs involving some heroes of movies past.
From references to Brie Larson's Carol Danvers to AvengerCon's plethora of Avengers merch, some Easter eggs in Ms. Marvel's first episode are blink-and-you'll-miss-it. Others, however, allude to the future of the series while placing it in the existing MCU. These are some that viewers may have missed on their first watch.
10 Kamala's Avengers: Endgame Recap
The opening sequence of the episode goes a long way in showing Kamala's dedication to her Avengers fandom. She runs a YouTube channel, creating videos about the history of Marvel's greatest heroes, including Captain Marvel. In the last of her ten-part series, she recaps the Battle for Earth at the end of Avengers: Endgame.
Prior to the series' release, many MCU fans wondered how a regular civilian like Kamala would know about the events of Endgame. However, this is easily explained through Kamala mentioning her research into Scott Lang's podcast series. Leave it to Ant-Man to excitedly tell everyone about his first stint as a true Avenger.
9 A Figure Of New Jersey's Past
This opening sequence contains another subtle Easter egg that only comic book fans may have caught. As part of Kamala's Sloth Baby video, a drawing of a bird surrounded by question marks appears briefly. This bird appears awfully similar to the cockatiel owned by a scientist in the comics named Gregory Knox.
Knox appeared as a villain during Kamala's debut run in the comics. The scientist famously cloned inventor Thomas Edison, accidentally fusing him with his cockatiel to form "The Inventor." Given that Ms. Marvel takes place in Jersey City, it's possible the villain of this series will be one of the U.S. state's biggest historical figures.
8 A Plaque For Kamala's Origins
An early sequence in the episode shows Kamala arriving at Coles Academic High School, which retains its name from the comics. Eagle-eyed fans will spot a plaque on the front of the school commemorating the school's founders. Notably, several of these founders share their names with Kamala's comic book creators.
G. Willow Wilson is one of these names, which references the writer of Ms. Marvel Volume 3 from 2014, where Kamala first appeared. This name also refers to Kamala's teacher, the affable Gabe Wilson. Kamala has a scene with Mr. Wilson early in the episode, where he questions her lack of focus and direction in life.
7 Alternate Captain Marvel Looks
Another scene in the first episode finds Kamala and her best friend, Bruno Carrelli, racing home on bikes. On the way, they discuss Kamala's planned costume for the upcoming AvengerCon. She will be competing in a Captain Marvel cosplay contest, but is still missing the piece of her outfit that makes her unique.
Visuals appear on the buildings around Kamala and Bruno as they discuss possible alterations to her Captain Marvel costume. Bruno suggests a cross between Captain Marvel and Black Panther, while Kamala is tempted by one between Captain Marvel and Doctor Strange. They also laugh over the idea of a Zombie Captain Marvel.
6 Easter Eggs Galore At AvengerCon
Nothing makes MCU fans more jealous than the sights at AvengerCon. This expo is attended by Kamala and Bruno, and features more references to the Avengers movies than fans can count on two hands. There are shirts referencing the "America's ass" joke from Endgame, and even Drax and Hulk lookalikes signing autographs for fans.
The sequence also features some official Ant-Man merch, including replicas of his helmet and action figures. Some of the show's cast even made background appearances as cosplayers, dressing as Iron Man, the Hulk, or Captain Marvel. There's also an offer to tour New Asgard, a location introduced in Endgame.
5 Captain Marvel Cosplay Looks
The centerpiece of AvengerCon is a Captain Marvel cosplay competition, which Kamala is eager to win. Sadly, her hopes are dashed when she sees her classmate, Zoe, also in full Captain Marvel regalia. However, Zoe's look seems more reminiscent of Carol Danvers' old comic looks as Ms. Marvel.
That outfit is not the only Easter egg from this cosplay contest scene. The convention's host is played by Ryan Penagos, the Vice President & Creative Executive of Marvel New Media. This subset of Marvel Entertainment develop the company's official websites, as well as podcasts and video series centering on Marvel's content.
4 A Tribute To Fallen Heroes
The most notable Easter egg for Marvel fans throughout the AvengerCon sequence is a mural painted with images of Iron Man and Black Widow. With the text underneath reading "Thank You For Your Sacrifice," this is a nice tribute to Tony Stark and Natasha Romanoff's heroism in Avengers: Endgame.
It's especially poignant, as this is the only official tribute we've seen to Romanoff in the MCU, aside from Spider-Man: Far From Home's opening In Memoriam sequence. Tributes to Tony, however, were rampant in that movie. There was even a scene identical to this where Peter Parker is confronted with a painted mural of Iron Man.
3 Kamala Keeps Her Stretchy Powers
One of the biggest concerns of hardcore comic book fans was the integration of Kamala Khan's powers into live-action. Her debut finds her gaining her powers from Terrigen mist, giving her the ability to stretch like Mr. Fantastic. It makes sense that the MCU would want to divert from this before introducing their own Fantastic Four.
The first episode of Ms. Marvel finds Kamala getting her powers in a very different way. She steals a gauntlet from her attic to accent her Captain Marvel cosplay, only to find that wearing it imbues her with cosmic powers. It still captures the stretchiness of her comic book powers, but in a more Green Lantern-esque style of projection.
2 A Suspicious Moving Van In The Credits
The episode's end credits sequence borrows heavily from the art style of Kamala's comic book solo runs. However, fans shouldn't skip past this too quickly, as they'll miss a big clue to the future of Kamala's story. In one section, a moving van labeled "Trust a Bro" can be spotted crossing an intersection in Jersey City.
MCU will recognize this brand of movers as a front for the Tracksuit Mafia. They were featured heavily in Hawkeye, as this crime syndicate was run by Wilson Fisk, a.k.a Kingpin. This could also mean that Ms. Marvel can tie into a Netflix Marvel series like Daredevil or Jessica Jones, though how this would happen is uncertain.
1 Agent Cleary Returns
Don't turn Ms. Marvel off before the credits, as viewers may miss an important mid-credits scene. In the aftermath of Kamala's display of powers at AvengerCon, a video has gone viral chronicling the events. In the scene, this video is brought to the attention of Agent Cleary, who returns from Spider-Man: No Way Home.
Cleary's appearance in No Way Home was brief but significant. He's an agent for the Department of Damage Control, who interrogated Peter's family and friends over the illegal vigilantism of Spider-Man. It's unclear what purpose Cleary thinks confronting Kamala Khan will serve, but it may spell trouble for her and her family.
Ms. Marvel is available to stream on Disney+.