10 Subtle MCU Gags Everybody Missed At First
2. Nick Fury's Lightsaber (Captain America: The Winter Soldier)
Captain America: The Winter Soldier contains some of the MCU's most memorable action scenes, with the fantastic opening sequence showcasing the Russo Brothers' intense, Bourne-esque vision for the film, and the subsequent Nick Fury vehicle chase hammering that vision home in a breathless manner.
Said vehicle chase concludes with Fury escaping the Winter Soldier's metallic grasp by slicing a hole in the ground with a laser-cutter device - officially dubbed a "Mouse Hole". Capable of cutting through almost any material, the Mouse Hole hasn't been seen in an MCU movie since, despite its obvious power and usefulness.
Winter Soldier is such a relentless experience that this gag doesn't immediately strike you on that first viewing of the movie, but in the months and years since, fans have come to realize that the Mouse Hole is a tribute to Samuel L. Jackson's Star Wars days, with the device resembling a lightsaber - the weapon of choice for his character, Mace Windu.
Lightsabers can famously cut through most materials known to man (or droid), and the Mouse Hole, unabashedly, looks exactly like one.
If only Winter Soldier's visual effects team had given the blade a purple tint... though perhaps that would've been a little too on-the-nose.