While it’s not the most popular entry in the MCU, Thor: The Dark World at least stands out as one of the more bizarre films in the series. Much of the attention on the movie has emphasized script problems, and even Chris Hemsworth is in two minds about whether Dark World was any good. However, ScreenRant have now noticed that the Alan Taylor-directed film included a sneaky reference to the X-Men, years before Disney acquired the rights to the characters.
According to the outlet, the moment comes in a scene where Stellan Skarsgård’s physicist Erik Selvig tries to explain the Convergence to inmates at the asylum he’s been committed to after the events of Thor. Selvig’s dense diagram turns out to be a treasure trove of Marvel references, including to the Fault, a rip in space and time created at the end of a war between the Shi-ar and the Kree. The Fault opened the door to the Lovecraftian Cancerverse, something that would have devastating long-term consequences for the Marvel multiverse.
In terms of an X-Men reference, the Shi-ar are led by Gabriel Summers, aka Vulcan, an Omega-level mutant who ends up clashing with Black Bolt of the Inhumans. The younger brother of Havok and Cyclops, Vulcan was briefly a member of Charles Xavier’s team before a devastating encounter with the living island Krakoa pushed him down a path to revenge and conquest of the Shi-ar Empire. The Fault was specifically caused by the Inhuman T-Bomb, and presented enough of a danger to the multiverse to later require Adam Warlock and the Guardians of the Galaxy to try and stabilize its spread.
Although only a brief moment in Thor: The Dark World, it’s not unreasonable to wonder whether the Fault will factor into future MCU stories, including Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3. Indeed, the multiverse and the cosmic side of Marvel look set to dominate the new phase of the MCU, making the likely throwaway reference to the Fault in Thor: The Dark World somewhat prescient.
