Currently sitting pretty atop the worldwide box office with more than $2.6 billion in takings, Avengers: Endgame looks set to soon become the biggest film of all time.

The final Avengers film of Marvel’s current cycle, Endgame is in many ways a thank you to loyal fans of the franchise.

With uproarious comedy (“I would like a Bloody Mary”), epic action and fitting send-offs for much-loved characters, Endgame might be the ultimate Marvel movie.

Another reason why Endgame has proven such a treat for fans: the sheer amount of crowd-pleasing Easter eggs.

Here are 20 of the best Easter eggs in Endgame that you probably didn’t even notice. It goes without saying that spoilers follow.

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20. The surprise funeral guest

As if you could forget, Endgame climaxes with the death of Tony Stark, and a final send-off for the character that includes a full roster of MCU cast members.

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For the funeral scene, Marvel brings together all the familiar Marvel faces – as well as one that’s not so easily recognisable.

As the camera pans over the likes of Paul Rudd, Jeremy Renner and three of the four Chrises, we also catch a glimpse of a skinny teen played by Jurassic World‘s Ty Simpkins.

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For those who don’t remember, Simpkins, before he landed Jurassic World, played Tony’s little sidekick, Harley, in Iron Man 3. Now he’s all growed up, and attending the funeral of his mentor.

Let speculation commence that Simpkins will be the man to replace Robert Downey Jr as Iron Man.

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19. Howard the Duck’s secret cameo

The final battle sequence in Endgame is such an epic, it’s difficult to spot all the appearances even from some of Marvel’s biggest names.

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You’d be forgiven, then, for likely not noticing the fact that Howard the Duck shows up as one of the many faces in the crowd.

It’s not the first time that Howard has shown up in the MCU: last time we saw him, he was hanging out in a bar in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2.

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Before that, Howard could be seen in a post-credits scene for the first Guardians of the Galaxy, sipping a cocktail having escaped from the Collector’s museum.

In Endgame, in a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it cameo, Howard can be seen briefly behind Evangeline Lilly’s The Wasp, wearing a suit and toting what appears to be a massive gun.

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18. The original Jarvis makes an appearance

In the Marvel movie universe, Paul Bettany has played both JARVIS, Tony Stark’s original computerised butler, and Vision, since 2008.

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JARVIS had a predecessor, however: a man named Edwin Jarvis, who worked for Tony’s father, Howard Stark, as his butler.

This guy, who Tony later named his digital butler after, has been played by another actor in the Marvel TV world, specifically in ABC’s Agent Carter.

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The original Jarvis, played by James D’Arcy in Agent Carter from 2015 to 2016, appears briefly in Endgame’s 1970s sequence.

D’Arcy’s Jarvis can be seen briefly opening a car door for Howard Stark, as Stark ponders who the Mungo Jerry-looking guy that just hugged him was.

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17. There’s a reference to a huge Captain America controversy

The scene in Endgame where Cap – having travelled back to NYC, 2012, with Tony, Scott and Bruce – dupes Brock Lumlow, Jack Rollins and co. in the elevator is a double nod to the character’s past.

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First off, there are obvious echoes of a similar scene in Captain America: The Winter Soldier, in which Cap singlehandedly pummels a lift-load of Hydra goons.

As well as referencing Winter Soldier’s close-quarters elevator fight, Cap’s final line in the scene – “Hail Hydra” – also references a controversial Captain America storyline from the comics.

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In 2017’s Secret Empire, it was revealed that Cap had actually been a Hydra sleeper agent all along.

Predictably, fans hated it, and the storyline was dismissed from the canon in subsequent comics almost instantly. Endgame makes fun of the idea that Cap was ever anything other than 100% patriot.

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16. Marvel’s first openly gay character is played by Endgame’s director

It was the moment fans had been waiting for: near the beginning of Endgame, Marvel introduces its first ever openly gay character.

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Introduced in a survivors’ group headed up by Steve Rogers, the grieving man, who discusses the impact that The Snap has had on his life, talks about meeting a potential new male partner.

The ‘actor’ who plays this character is one ‘Gozie Agbo’, actually no actor at all; at least, that’s not his regular job.

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This man is actually Joe Russo, who along with brother Anthony directed both Endgame and Infinity War.

It’s not the first time that Joe has made a cameo in one of the Marvel films he directed: he previously showed up in Winter Soldier and Civil War, again credited as Gozie Agbo.

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15. Hunk-a Hulk-a Burning Fudge

One of the funniest exchanges in Infinity War finds Tony discussing ice cream with Wong and Dr Strange.

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Stark has his own Ben & Jerry’s flavour, he reveals – it’s called Stark Raving Hazelnuts – but Wong confesses it’s not his favourite.

For Wong and Strange, Hunk-a Hulk-a Burning Fudge, evidently named after Bruce Banner’s alter ego, is actually the best special Avengers Ben & Jerry’s flavour.

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This throwaway line gets a nod in Endgame, where Bruce – now Smart Hulk – can be found liberally enjoying a tub of Hunk-a Hulk-a.

During the montage where the surviving Avengers plan their ‘time heist’, Hulk can be seen scooping up some of his namesake ice cream.

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14. A post-credits Easter egg

Unusually for a Marvel film, there is no post-credits scene after the credits run on Avengers: Endgame.

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There’s no footage, anyway – those who stay to the end will instead hear what should be a familiar sound effect.

As the credits come to a close, a clanging sound of a hammer hitting metal rings out on the soundtrack.

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This is the sound of Tony Stark building the first Iron Man suit in 2008’s Iron Man, the very first Marvel movie.

Marvel have also added something after the credits for recent screenings of Endgame: the spoileriffic trailer for Spider-Man: Far from Home.

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13. Community cameos

Since the Russo brothers joined the Marvel franchise with 2014’s Captain America: The Winter Soldier, cast members from the sitcom Community have been popping up in fleeting cameos.

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It’s not a coincidence: the Russos, who first cut their teeth in TV, were producers and occasional directors of Community during its six season run.

The Russos kicked their Marvel stint off with cameos from Danny Pudi (Abed), in Winter Soldier, and Jim Rash (Dean Pelton), in Civil War.

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For Endgame, the brothers have brought along two more Community actors: Ken Jeong (Senor Chang) and Yvette Nicole Brown (Shirley).

While Jeong appears in a wordless cameo as the security guard who witnesses Ant-Man’s return from the quantum realm, Brown plays the suspicious military base employee in the film’s 1970s sequence.

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12. Introducing Namor the Sub-Mariner?

There are so many characters in Endgame, it’s almost hard to keep up with the ones you already know, never mind the new ones being introduced.

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It’s even harder to notice the character being subtly hinted at as a possible newcomer to the Marvel-verse.

Near the beginning of the film, Natasha holds a holo-conference, attended by Captain Marvel, Rocket and Okoye.

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At one point, Okoye mentions mysterious underwater earthquakes off the coast of Africa, a likely nod to Marvel’s Namor the Sub-Mariner.

In the comics, Namor rules Atlantis, an underwater city whose people have often found themselves clashing with the people of Wakanda. Going forward, he may a new addition to the Avengers team – or a possible villain for the next Black Panther movie.

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11. The original Ant-Man suit

As well as being a fun look at the Avengers in a period the MCU hasn’t covered before, there are Easter eggs galore in Endgame’s 1970s sequence.

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One of the best comes courtesy of young Hank Pym, who appears only very briefly, played by a de-aged Michael Douglas.

Viewers likely distracted by a severely young-looking Douglas may have failed to notice what was on Pym’s desk.

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Sitting there is a prototype Ant-Man helmet, made for the original Ant-Man, aka Pym himself.

This version of the helmet is modelled after the original comic book version of the suit.

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10. Looking for Dr Zola

Unsurprisingly considering the Russos directed it – and considering it’s one of the best-loved films in the MCU – there are more than a few callbacks to Winter Soldier in Endgame.

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As well as a nod to the film’s elevator fight, Robert Redford’s Winter Soldier villain, Alexander Pierce, also makes a cameo.

This isn’t the only Winter Soldier ‘cameo’: there’s also an appearance from another Captain America foe, of sorts.

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Keep an ear out in the 1970s sequence, and you’ll hear Arnim Zola, Toby Jones’ First Avenger and Winter Soldier villain, is in the area.

Though Zola never actually appears in Endgame, Howard Stark tells Tony that he’s looking for the former Nazi scientist, apparently hanging somewhere around the military base.

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9. Stan Lee’s cameo references his past

Stan Lee, who died last year aged 95, left behind two more of his traditional Marvel cameos before he passed.

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Sadly, after 22 films, Stan Lee’s Endgame cameo will be his last in the Marvel Cinematic Universe – but it might be one of his best, and certainly his most personal.

Lee appears in the Easter egg-heavy 1970s sequence, as a man driving by the military base yelling: “Hey man, make love, not war!”

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Lee, who enlisted in the army during WWII when he was just 19, later became a socially conscious comic book writer, exactly the kind of peace and love type he plays in Endgame.

By the 60s and 70s, Marvel comics were addressing such hot button topics as the Vietnam War, student protests and racial discrimination, topics that Lee considered close to his heart.

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8. A113

Look closely at almost any movie from Disney (and literally every movie from Pixar), and you’ll likely see ‘A113’ written in there somewhere.

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A113 was the classroom attended by the likes of Tim Burton, Henry Selick, Brad Bird, John Lasseter and a host of other Disney affiliates back when they were graphic design and character animation students at California Institute of the Arts.

CalArts alumni who have gone on to work in Hollywood have, as an in-joke/tribute, subsequently included ‘A113’ references in numerous films and TV shows.

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In the Marvel-verse, A113 has previously been spotted in The Avengers, Guardians of the Galaxy and Spider-Man: Homecoming, with the latest example being found in Endgame.

In the middle section of the film, when Bruce Banner is running some tests in preparation for the time heist, a computer monitor can be seen with the A113 on it.

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7. The Luke Skywalker moment

For whatever reason, since Iron Man 3, the people over at Marvel have been paying a very specific tribute to Luke Skywalker.

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In the original Star Wars trilogy, Skywalker suffered repeated hand trauma, first having his hand severed in The Empire Strikes Back and having his new robotic hand laser-blasted in Return of the Jedi.

From Iron Man 3 onwards, somebody has lost a hand or arm in every MCU film. It’s a tradition that continues in Endgame.

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Right at the beginning of the film, before lopping off the supervillain’s head, Thor cuts off Thanos’ arm to prevent him from using the Infinity Gauntlet again.

Later in the film, Nebula half-melts her robot arm reaching for the Infinity Stone orb on Morag.

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6. Thanos’ creator makes a cameo

You might not know the name Jim Starlin, but you’ll know the former Marvel Comics writer’s work.

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In his time at Marvel, Starlin created or co-created characters including Drax the Destroyer and Gamora and revamped Captain Marvel. Oh, and he also created Thanos.

As a tribute to Starlin, the Russos brought him on board for Endgame, albeit as an actor, not a writer.

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Starlin can be seen in the survivors’ group scene with Joe Russo, delivering a single line in a brisk cameo.

Posting photos of his time on set, Starlin later wrote on social media: “Had a great time with some terrific folks, like Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely, the script writers… They and director Joe Russo were exceptionally open with me and for that I sincerely thank them, even though I had to keep my mouth shut for a year and a half afterwards”.

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5. Morgan is named after a villainous comics character

In Endgame, Morgan Stark is Tony and Pepper Potts’ beloved daughter, who coins the sentimental fan-favourite phrase “I love you 3000”.

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Morgan Stark in the Marvel Comics, on the other hand, is an altogether less innocent and much more villainous member of the Stark family.

Having first emerged in 1965’s Tales of Suspense #68, Morgan Stark is Tony’s cousin, envious of Tony’s success and with a plan to steal it.

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Morgan, convinced that Howard Stark cheated his brother – Morgan’s father – out of the Stark family fortune, endeavours to take Stark Industries for himself.

This Morgan Stark last appeared in the 2008-09 Dark Reign story, as a humanoid robot.

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4. Korg is wearing Taika Waititi’s wardrobe

Korg, a humanoid “pile of rocks” who first showed up as Thor’s sidekick in Thor: Ragnarok, is one of the best-loved characters to recently appear in the Marvel-verse.

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Played by Ragnarok’s director, Taika Waititi, Korg proved such an instant fan favourite it was probably inevitable he’d show up for a cameo in Endgame.

When we meet Thor five years after The Snap, it’s revealed the former King of Asgard has been living with Korg as a flatmate.

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Reintroduced playing Fornite and living in student-y squalor, Korg has also taken to wearing a pretty mean Hawaiian-style outfit.

The shirt and shorts combo is identical to an attention-grabbing outfit Waititi wore to Comic Con to promote Ragnarok in 2017.

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3. The obsession with Cap’s behind is based on a popular meme

Endgame has a hilarious, and some would say justifiable, obsession with Captain America’s derriere.

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After Tony ridicules Cap’s shape in the 2012 Captain America suit, Scott Lang calls Steve Rogers’ behind “America’s ass”, a title Steve himself later uses when he gets a proper look at his 2012 self.

If it seems like a fairly random in-joke, well, that’s because it is, and it all started where so many obscure modern jokes do: online.

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As part of the promotion for Infinity War, several character posters were released, including one of Captain America and his prominent backside.

After Chris Evans‘ rump became a memeified internet sensation, the Russos seemingly decided to incorporate references to the gag in Endgame.

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2. Tony’s heart

As the send-off of the superhero who made the Marvel Cinematic Universe possible, Endgame naturally makes tribute to Tony Stark in more than a few moments.

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At the end of Endgame, Tony’s original arc reactor – inscribed with the words ‘Proof that Tony Stark has a heart’ by Pepper in the first Iron Man film – makes another appearance.

A shot from much earlier in the film, prior to the Avengers embarking on the time heist, also strongly resembles Tony’s original chest device.

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As Tony, Cap, Thor and co all put their arms together over the time machine, an overhead view replicates the arc reactor.

The implication, one theory goes, is that the Avengers together are Tony’s heart, the real centre of his life.

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1. Cap and Peggy’s song is called It’s Been a Long, Long Time

If there were tears to be had for Endgame, for most viewers the waterworks surely started with Steve and Peggy’s dance at the close of the film.

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Transported back to some time and place in the immediate post-war era, Cap chooses to stay with his “best girl” and live out the life he always wanted.

The song that plays in this scene might not be familiar to modern audiences, but in 1945 it was a number 1 hit.

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The name of the song? It’s Been a Long, Long Time, a fitting title for a fitting end to a much-loved character’s story.

Performed by Kitty Kallen and big band leader Harry James, It’s Been a Long, Long Time soundtracks the dance that Cap promised Peggy all the way back in 2011’s Captain America: The First Avenger.