Captain Marvel: 20 Easter Eggs And References Explained

Just how many outfits does one hero have?!

by Ewan Paterson
Marvel/Miramax/Blockbuster/Fox/Gramercy

After years of waiting, Captain Marvel finally crashed into theatres last week. It is the second MCU prequel and potentially one of Marvel's most important films to date, spotlighting Brie Larson's Carol Danvers as she rediscovers her past, and the roots of a centuries-old conflict between two alien civilisations.

It is a major milestone in superhero cinema and, despite its relatively few shortcomings, is a truly commendable superhero origin story. It brings to life so many aspects of the Marvel Universe while imbuing them with a modern makeover, which grants the film a whole other (and potentially unexpected) kind of salience.

But, as with pretty much every Marvel movie these days, it also has a whole bunch of Easter Eggs, references and wider allusions to the Marvel canon. Whether it's seeding events that occur later in the MCU or putting a new spin from something from the comics, Captain Marvel is packed to the ceiling with brilliant little nods and winks that are sure to get Marvel fans very excited.

What's more, though, is that there are also several Easter Eggs based around nineties culture in general. The film takes place in 1995 after all, so for audiences who aren't necessarily diehard Marvel fans, there's still plenty there for them to sink their teeth into.

MAJOR SPOILERS AHEAD...

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Content Producer/Presenter

WhatCulture's very own resident movie guy, Ewan has been working in the content creation biz for over 10 years now, having started as a freelance contributor to WhatCulture Gaming all the way back in 2015. After graduating with a First-Class Honours in History from Northumbria University in 2017 (where he won a prize for a totally killer dissertation on the Watergate years), Ewan took on the role of Comics Editor at WhatCulture and quickly developed WhatCulture Comics into one of the biggest superhero-focused channels on YouTube. He followed this with a brief hiatus at Screen Rant in 2021, where he worked across the Gaming and Film sections as a writer and editor, before returning to WhatCulture as a Senior Content Producer / Presenter in 2023. He started his own podcast, We Love Dad Movies, in 2022, and has contributed several written pieces to the Eisner-nominated comics website Shelfdust as well. In his current role, Ewan incorporates his love of cinema, comic books, and history into written pieces and video essays for WhatCulture's Film & TV channel, as well as WhatCulture Gaming and WhatCulture Horror, with a particular focus on nineties-era Dad Movies, old school Westerns, and Golden Age Hollywood Noir. John Carpenter is his fave, and he thinks Batman Beyond should never have been cancelled. If that's your vibe, you'll probably like his stuff.