The MCU is in an interesting place after Avengers: Endgame. For the first decade of the project, almost every film was slowly building to the arrival of Thanos, but with that threat dealt with, what’s next? Well, there are a number of competing theories as to who the next big bad will be, with the smart money being on Galactus turning up at some point. But now fans think a very subtle reference in Endgame might point the way forward.
It comes from a moment at the end of the movie after Thanos has attacked the Avengers HQ. Rubble falls on the team, with Hulk supporting it in order to save his friends. The scene seems to be a nod to the famous cover of Secret Wars #4, in which we see the Hulk holding up a mountain threatening to crush the heroes. On that, the caption reads: “Beneath one hundred and fifty billion tons, stands the Hulk — and he’s not happy!” The Redditor who brought it to light captioned his image with: “This can’t be a coincidence, right?”
See for yourself below:
The Russo brothers have said that Secret Wars, in which the Marvel heroes are transported to another world to battle to the death, is one of their favorite runs. It’s a fun storyline and is notable for introducing the black Spider-Man suit that would eventually become Venom. So, could this be a hint that Marvel Studios are considering Secret Wars for Avengers 5?
Well, it’s certainly possible that we could see Secret Wars on the big screen (albeit loosely adapted in the same way The Infinity War was), though I doubt this shot is intended to be a direct hint. What’s more likely is that the Russos simply wanted to give a nod to one of the most famous Marvel comic book covers of all time.
With Marvel Studios’ plans currently delayed due to COVID-19 and the studio apparently moving away from big crossover event movies for a few years, I’m thinking it’ll be a while until we see something on the scale of Avengers: Endgame again. But let’s hope that the incoming Phase 4 films drop some real hints as to what’s coming.
Published: Jul 14, 2020 10:06 am