Marvel are like Pixar when it comes to hiding Easter Eggs in their films: there are any number to choose from, with different levels of difficulty in finding them, and fans are actively encouraged to crow about their finds. That of course has lead to some Marvel film-makers looking for as obscure a reference as possible, in order to appeal to only the most hardcore of hardcore comic book fans, and explains why the internet still goes wild over an Easter Egg that didn't even make it into the final film, like the first appearance of Wolverine's iconic comic book costume, which was cut from the end of James Mangold's The Wolverine. Sadly, we might not see so many Eggs in future Marvel films (or at least not Avengers ones) as both Marvel head honcho Kevin Feige and Joss Whedon are massive spoil-sports who would like to take your Easter Eggs and stomp them into tiny pieces on the ground, because they both find them off-putting and counter-productive to the experience of watching a film: missing the point that they actively encourage people to watch and re-watch movies, and can earn kudos for film-makers from the very people they should be trying to impress. But as Feige said ahead of The Avengers release:
"I find that they're distracting. Joss finds that they're distracting. Frankly we want Avengers to work as its own movie, as a part one. If you keep saying 'Oh look, it's Janet Van Dyne!' everything collapses. I took out some Easter Eggs in Thor because they were getting too . Selvig would go 'I'll email Dr. Pym who knew a guy named Banner.' It was too much! "When Tony Stark throws up the screens after Coulson gives him , those are Easter Eggs for people who haven't seen the other movies. They're clips of Thor and The Incredible Hulk and Captain America on those screens. Those are the Easter Eggs."
So, what, are we too dumb or too clever for Easter Eggs? Answers on a postcard, please. And while you work that one out, here are the 20 most obscure Easter Eggs you might not have found in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.