Marvel Cinematic Universe: Definitive Guide To Easter Eggs, In-Jokes And Foreshadowing
Thor: The Dark World
21. Kurse's Original Design Mirrors The Comics
Kurse, the extremely powerful Dark Elf warrior who causes all Hel in Asgard before later "killing" Loki, goes through a similar trajectory to his comic counterpart - a strong Dark Elf who works for Malekith, made even more stronger through some magical means. That's not the only nod to his origins - the mask he wears pre-transformation invokes the colour scheme (and facial shape) of the print Kurse.
20. Asgard Skiffs Are Designed To Inspire The Vikings
One of the major elements of the first Thor was how the Asgardians had been adopted by the Vikings as their Gods. This is less prominent in the sequel, but still gets the odd reference. Take the design of the Asgard skiffs - they're similar to Viking long-boats, implying the Nordic ship design was based off it.
19. Malekiths Facial Scars Nods To Comic Design
In the comics, Malekith the Accursed has a neatly divided face - half blue, half black. This isn't transferred across to the film, but the original design does get homaged in his lightening-inflicted scarring. The idea of characters of getting their distinctive look during the events of the film is something of a recurring trend in the MCU - the same thing happened to Raza in Iron Man.
