You no doubt remember how Avengers: Infinity War ends. With the heroes still reeling from the deaths of half of the entire universe, Thanos has retired to some backwater planet and as he sits on the porch of his alien cottage, he smiles, as in his warped brain he believes he’s done something heroic.
If you’re a comic book fan, you’ll also remember that this is a close homage to the ending of The Infinity Gauntlet storyline, upon which IW is loosely based. Though the surrounding circumstances are different, both endings see the Mad Titan retire from his life of tyranny and apparently begin a more humble existence. There’s also one other connection between the comic and movie scene though in the form of a very easily-missed easter egg.
Just before the shot of his smiling face, a scarecrow upon which Thanos has displayed his golden armor can just about be seen in the bottom right of the screen. This is a direct lift from the comics when we see the villain dress the scarecrow up in his clothes and contemplate what role he plays in the grand scheme of things.
Of course, there are many other familiar moments from Gauntlet that directors the Russo brothers and screenwriters Stephen McFeely and Christopher Markus replicated in the movie – albeit with a twist. For instance, Hulk smashing into Doctor Strange’s Sanctum Sanctorum is a match for Silver Surfer’s entrance in the comics, while Thanos turns Drax and Mantis into ribbons and blocks with the aid of the Reality Stone much like he does to Eros and Nebula on the page. Speaking of which, Nebula’s excruciating torture at the hands of her father is another lift from the comics.
And there’s likely plenty more where that came from, too. For all the easter eggs we spotted in Avengers: Infinity War, check out our comprehensive list and if you’ve got any others that we didn’t find, be sure to let us know.
