Avengers: Infinity War - Easter Eggs & Hidden Details

In one of the glass cases in the Collector's museum on Knowhere, a blue-skinned man in cutoff shorts can be seen. This is a reference to the character Tobias Fünke (played by David Cross) from the sitcom Arrested Development, specifically when he attempts to join the Blue Man Group. Directors Joe and Anthony Russo worked extensively on that series before joining the MCU.

The keeper of the Soul Stone on Vormir is revealed to be the Red Skull, the villain from Captain America: The First Avenger (2011), who was thought to have been killed by the Tesseract. The Space Stone instead teleported him to Vormir, cursing him to guide others to a treasure he can never possess. Actor Hugo Weaving did not return; the role was recast with voice actor Ross Marquand.

The film's opening on Earth, with Bruce Banner/Hulk crashing through the roof of the Sanctum Sanctorum to warn Doctor Strange that 'Thanos is coming,' is a direct homage to the opening of the 1991 comic book storyline The Infinity Gauntlet. In the comic, the character who delivers the warning is the Silver Surfer, not the Hulk.

Before unleashing the Hulk on Thanos, Loki says, 'We have a Hulk.' This is a direct callback to the first Avengers (2012) film, where Tony Stark says the same line to Loki to intimidate him. Loki using the line here shows his character development, now seeing the Hulk as an ally rather than a threat.

In the final scene, as Thanos peacefully watches the sunrise, a scarecrow can be seen in the background. The scarecrow is adorned with his battle armor. This is a direct visual reference to an iconic panel from the Infinity Gauntlet comic, where a retired, 'farmer' Thanos hangs up his armor to signify the end of his conquest.