10 Awesome Easter Eggs In Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2

As Rocket might say, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 is finally here, a-holes! While the James Gunn-directed sequel is getting pretty positive reviews across the board, fans and critics alike can't seem to make up their mind as to whether it's superior to the 2014 surprise hit or not. One area that it definitely excels in, though, is easter eggs. While the first movie wasn't short on sly nods and references, Vol. 2 is stuffed to the rafters with allusions to pop culture, hilarious celebrity cameos and a deeper dive into the cosmic side of the Marvel comics universe. There's a lot in here for fans to pick up on, that's for sure, but we've whittled it down to the 10 best when it comes to Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2's easter eggs. Some are pretty obvious, while others you may not have caught on your first viewing. Either way, they're all fun nods and references that should definitely be on your radar. Of course, spoilers will follow from this point on, so if you haven't yet seen the film, you might want to bookmark this page and return at a later date. 10) Yondu's Fin In Vol. 2., Yondu has his head fin destroyed after Nebula shoots it off. It's revealed that this is a cybernetic implant and the controlling mechanism for his whistle-activated Yaka Arrow. Handily for him, Yondu has a prototype replacement spare, which is much larger and a brighter shade of red. For those who didn't pick up on it, this is a reference to the character's head fin in the comics. Though he isn't connected to the modern version of the team that the movies are based off, Yondu was a founding member of the original Guardians of the Galaxy who were created back in 1969. In those stories, his fin is biological rather than a technological headpiece. Vol. 2 gets even deeper into obscure Marvel continuity elsewhere in the movie, too, as the film travels to the planets Contraxia and Berhert during its run, both of which hail from the comics. Contraxia is the home planet of the mother of half-alien hero Jack of Hearts. Berhert, meanwhile, played a major role in a 60s Incredible Hulk story where Bruce Banner freed the indigenous Sagittarians from the evil Galaxy Master. 9) Howard The Duck Returns The post-credits scene to the first Guardians of the Galaxy saw the hilarious and unexpected return of Howard the Duck to the big screen, for the first time since the character's critically-reviled 1986 movie. It turns out that Howard is a regular part of these films now, as he also gets a cameo in Vol. 2. This time, he turns up in the main bulk of the movie. On the planet Contraxia, where the Ravagers are entertaining themselves with booze and sexbots, Howard can be seen chatting up one (un)lucky lady. "They say you're out of luck," he boasts. "Until you've had duck." Howard's lewd comment here could be a nod to an infamous scene in the previously-mentioned 1986 outing, in which Howard's human pal Beverly (Back to the Future's Lea Thompson) tries it on with her feathery friend. The voice of Howard, by the way, is once again Family Guy's Seth Green, who first played the part in Guardians of the Glaxy and then reprised the role for an episode of the Ultimate Spider-Man animated series. 8) Ego The Living Planet As was - somewhat controversially - revealed before the film hit theatres, Vol. 2 sees Peter Quill find out that his father is Ego, an ancient being who takes the form of a whole planet. In the comics, Peter's father is Emperor J'Son of Spartax. Ego, meanwhile, is usually a villain of several Marvel heroes including Thor, Nova and the Fantastic Four. In the movie, we learn that Ego is a Celestial, an all-powerful race from the beginning of the universe. The Celestials were first mentioned in Guardians of the Galaxy, where it was revealed that they were the original users of the Infinity Stones. By the end of Vol. 2, we're told that Ego is not the wholesome dad he pretended to be and actually wants to spread his will throughout the galaxy. This recalls a storyline in the comics where Ego became "a living bio-verse" called Super-Ego. Lastly, when Ego is romancing Peter's mother Meredith, his convertible has an orange and teal colour scheme. His son would later use the same paint job on his spaceship, the Milano. 7) David Hasselhoff A few times throughout the movie, we hear that Peter used to claim that his dad was David Hasseloff when he was a boy. In particular, Hasselhoff's character in classic 80s series Knight Rider, complete with his talking car KIT. While this seems like a fun, throwaway pop culture reference, it actually sets up a couple of cameos from the man himself. First, when Ego's true motivations come out, he reveals that he tried to pick a form that would be pleasing to Peter. Cue a brief cameo from the Hoff as Ego transforms into him. Secondly, Hasselhoff also appears again during the movie's credits. Just as other members of the cast are seen in bubbles dancing along to the music, Hasselhoff appears to give us a timely message that goes something like: "In these times of great hardship, just remember that we are Groot." Staying on the theme of 1980s TV, Peter compares his and Gamora's "unspoken thing" to that of Sam and Diana from Cheers. The long-running sitcom featured Ted Danson and Shelley Long's characters in an on-again/off-again relationship across its first five seasons. 6) Pac-Man Attacks! The 1980s references don't end there, though. When Peter learns that his Celestial heritage means that he can create forms out of the energy of Ego's planet, he says that he would use the ability to create "Pac-Man, Skeletor and Heather Locklear." Peter does indeed live up to his promise when, in the film's climax, he defeats Ego by creating a giant Pac-Man to eat him - complete with the classic sound effects. Sadly, however, we don't see the villain from He-Man or the Melrose Place actress turn up. The movie also features a nod to a much less famous 1980s game. In the opening scene where the Guardians protect the Sovereign's Anulax batteries from the Abelisk, Peter keeps an eye on its whereabouts with the aid of a Classic Football game from Mattel Electronics. 5) Stan Lee In Space When Yondu, Rocket, Groot and Kraglin are zooming through space to try and reach Ego's planet, we briefly cut away to an asteroid where an elderly astronaut is chatting away with some haughty-looking aliens. This astronaut is, of course, the one and only Stan Lee. This is the second time that Lee's Marvel cameos have landed him in space, after he appeared on the planet Xandar, as a bit of a Casanova, in the first Guardians. "And then there was this time I was a Federal Express agent..." we hear Lee say to the aliens (who we'll identify in a minute). This is naturally a reference to Lee's cameo in Captain America: Civil War, when he appeared as a short-sighted FedEx man who delivers a parcel to "Mr. Tony Stank." The implication of this scene is that Lee's cameos all see him playing the same man, which Marvel head honcho Kevin Feige has since confirmed is indeed the case: "Yes, we always thought it would be fun. Stan Lee clearly exists, you know, above and apart from the reality of all the films. So the notion that he could be sitting there on a cosmic pit stop during the jump gate sequence in Guardians was something very fun." 4) The Watchers Though they appear in the same scene as Stan Lee's cameo, the inclusion of the Watchers is so major it deserves its own entry. Yes, the haughty-looking, bulbous-headed aliens that Lee is seen with are, in fact, the Watchers. In Marvel comics continuity, the Watchers are an ancient race of powerful beings who are sworn to observe the universe but never interfere. Uatu is the Watcher assigned to Earth's solar system and he often bends the Watchers' code by visiting - occasionally allying with and occasionally antagonizing - the Avengers. It's long been theorized by fans that Stan Lee has been playing Uatu in disguise all along, which would explain why he's always hanging around superheroes. Depending on how you read this cameo, that theory is either confirmed or ruled out. Stan doesn't appear to be one of the Watchers here, but it isn't outright stated that he's a mere human, either. 3) Credits Cameos The credits sequence of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 has to be the best in the whole Marvel Cinematic Universe. Not only does it have an incredible five scenes hidden in it, but the 80s-style that's used makes for a lot of fun. Like we've said, the stars of the film dance along to the music in little bubbles. As well as the main players, a few supporting characters also pop up. Howard the Duck, for one, appears in a bubble, while an illustration that shows up at one point before one of the extra scenes features Cosmo the Space Dog. Cosmo previously cameoed in the first movie as part of the Collector's collection on Knowhere. In the comics, he's actually able to talk and is a regular ally to the Guardians. The best cameo, however, has to be the sneaky inclusion of a character from one of Marvel's other upcoming movies. Towards the end of the credits, Jeff Goldblum can be glimpsed in one of the bubbles. He's in character as the Grandmaster, who he'll play in a much more substantial role in Thor: Ragnarok this November. You might also notice that various credits also first read "I am Groot" before switching to the correct text. Likewise, there's a fun twist on the classic 'no animals were harmed...' disclaimer. Here, it reads: "No raccoons or tree creatures were harmed in the making of this movie. However, the same cannot be said for their handlers." 2) Stakar's Team Fans have long wondered who Sylvester Stallone would be playing in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 and, as we found out a few weeks ago, it turns out he's portraying a loose version of a classic Marvel hero. Namely, Stakar Ogord AKA Starhawk. Like Yondu, Starhawk is another of the original Guardians in the comics. In the film, he's the leading captain of the Ravagers. After Yondu's death, Stakar reappears in a post-credits scene where he reunites with the other captains. In honour of Yondu, he suggests that their old team gets back together. The assembled captains are, of course, the rest of the original Guardians squad: Aleta Ogord, Charlie-27, Martinex and Mainframe. Though it's difficult to notice any of them beneath the heavy make-up, prosthetics or full-on CGI, each of these characters are played by notable stars. Charlie-27 is Mission Impossible's Ving Rhames, Aleta is action heroine Michelle Yeoh, Martinex is Smallville's Michael Rosenbaum and the voice of Mainframe is pop star Miley Cyrus. Obviously, Marvel aren't going to waste these guys on just a post-credits scene, so it comes as no surprise that the original Guardians are expected to reappear in future movies. Just like this next character... 1) Adam Warlock Is Coming The most significant post-credits scene sees Ayesha of the Sovereign reveal her next move to capture the Guardians: she's created a new and better lifeform to deal with them. As we see an incubation chamber, Ayesha declares: "I think I shall call him... Adam." Marvel fans will immediately recognize this as the introduction of Adam Warlock. In the comics, Adam - also known as Him - is an artificial being created by the Enclave. Ayesha - AKA Her - is usually the second creation of the Enclave, rather than his creator. Adam has a major role in the Infinity Gauntlet saga in the comics, as he's tied up with the Soul Gem and aids the Avengers in their war against Thanos. As such, fans have been expecting him to turn up before Avengers: Infinity War for a while now. Though we're not yet sure if he'll appear in that movie, he is apparently locked in for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 already.