When Bob’s powers come into question, Mel brings up a familiar point. She argues that the Serum only worked because Steve Rogers was already a good man. It’s the same debate the MCU has circled back to time and time again. | © Marvel Studios
Bucky brings back his disc grenade launcher in the film. He first used the weapon during his Hydra days in The Winter Soldier. It’s a sharp callback to his original mission against Nick Fury. | © Marvel Studios
Reading from the Project Sentry files, Yelena quotes his strength as “the power of 1000 suns.” Comic fans will recognize the line, though the original phrasing was “a million exploding suns.” Looks like the MCU dialed Sentry’s power back a notch. | © Marvel Studios
The film finally explains where the team’s name comes from. Yelena reveals she played on a Pee Wee soccer squad called the West Chesapeake Bay Thunderbolts. It’s a simple childhood nod that gives the group their identity. | © Marvel Studios
To escape the vault, Yelena, Bob, and John throw on OXE uniforms. It’s a classic movie gag that instantly recalls Han and Luke posing as stormtroopers. Even The Wizard of Oz pulled the same trick decades earlier. | © Lucasfilm
While breaking into the OXE vault, Walker smashes a sonic weapon with his shield to free Ghost. The move unintentionally recalls Steve Rogers and Sam Wilson’s famous “On your left” moment. It’s a quick but clever callback for longtime fans. | © Marvel Studios
At one point, Bob blurts out “cucumber" to stop himself from sneezing. For anyone who grew up with VeggieTales, it’s hard not to think of Larry the Cucumber. Probably not intentional, but it lands as a funny nod either way. | © Marvel Studios
Among the gala’s displays is Loki’s scepter. Fans remember it from The Avengers, where he used it to wreak havoc. Later, Age of Ultron revealed it was secretly housing the Mind Stone. | © Marvel Studios
Ghost gets called a “SHIELD reject” during the film. It’s a nod to her past as a covert agent for the organisation. That backstory was first brought up in Ant-Man and the Wasp. | © Marvel Studios
Thunderbolts* confirms that Bucky now serves as Brooklyn’s congressional representative. It’s the same borough where he and Steve Rogers grew up. A small detail, but one that grounds him in his roots. | © Marvel Studios
Right before she blows up the OXE lab, Yelena rescues a guinea pig from a maze. It looks like a throwaway gag, but it’s actually a setup. By the end, the Thunderbolts are the ones trapped in their own maze of “shame rooms.” | © Marvel Studios
The film kicks off with Yelena giving narration, just like past MCU openings. But she isn’t talking to the audience, she is speaking to a scientist she’s tied up. It’s a fun twist on the usual formula. | © Marvel Studios
During her impeachment hearing, Valentina references her concerns over rogue nations with advanced tech. She specifically names Wakanda and Talokan, both of which sit on vibranium reserves. It’s a direct follow-up to her role in Wakanda Forever. | © Marvel Studios
Val drops a line about the former president turning into “a giant red rage monster.” It’s a clear nod to Brave New World and President Ross becoming the Red Hulk. A quick mention, but one that links the films together. | © Marvel Studios
At the gala, the centrepiece is the massive “A” from Stark Tower. It’s the lone letter that survived the Battle of New York. Fans will remember that it later became the defining symbol of Avengers Tower. | © Marvel Studios
True to MCU tradition, the Thunderbolts don’t team up smoothly. Their first meeting quickly turns into a brawl, just like the Avengers and Guardians before them. Apparently, no Marvel team starts without throwing punches at each other first. | © Marvel Studios
Bucky’s big entrance feels straight out of The Terminator. He shows up on a motorcycle, rocking a leather jacket and shades, shotgun in hand. The nod is so obvious it’s hard to see it as anything else. | © Marvel Studios
Bucky rips off a truck door and uses it as cover during the Watchtower fight. The move directly mirrors Steve Rogers’ first outing in The First Avenger. It’s a neat way to show Bucky stepping into familiar Captain America imagery. | © Marvel Studios
In the second post-credits scene, Yelena and Bucky reveal that Sam Wilson’s Captain America isn’t thrilled with their “New Avengers” name. He’s even said to have the Avengers title copyrighted. It ties right into Brave New World, where Sam was putting together his own team. | © Marvel Studios
Valentina pointedly calls Sentry “Earth’s Mightiest Hero.” That phrase is usually reserved for the Avengers as a whole. Using it for one person sets him apart and hints at just how powerful he really is. | © Marvel Studios
During the Void’s attack, Alexei boosts Yelena into the air to save civilians, just like Steve did for Natasha in The Avengers. The callback makes the moment feel like a direct mirror of her sister’s heroics. Later, Yelena admits she’s lost Natasha twice, once in childhood and again after Endgame. | © Marvel Studios
The Void’s attack on New York mirrors his first big moment in the comics, where he killed over a million people. In the MCU version, civilians are instead pulled into a shadow realm. It’s less deadly, but being stuck reliving your darkest traumas is no less terrifying. | © Marvel Studios
Valentina rebrands the Thunderbolts as her so-called “New Avengers” to protect her own image. That throwaway line explains the movie’s asterisked title and ties the team to a real comics roster. In Marvel lore, the New Avengers first appeared in 2005. | © Marvel Studios
The classic Avengers theme makes a subtle appearance in the movie. It’s only a quick moment, but the music instantly signals the team’s legacy. Even in a Thunderbolts story, Marvel knows when to hit that familiar note. | © Marvel Studios
The New Avengers get a new logo, and it feels oddly familiar. The design echoes the “A” John Walker used during his brief Captain America run in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. A subtle callback for anyone paying close attention. | © Marvel Studios
Marvel packed Thunderbolts with sneaky callbacks, deep-cut nods, and clever ties to the wider MCU. From familiar logos to unexpected music cues, here are 25 Easter eggs and references you might have missed.
