We all know James Gunn loves his Easter Eggs; that's why no one has discovered the big one he hid in the first Guardians of the Galaxy movie back in 2014. Now, with Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 in theaters, we've decided to delve into the sequel's biggest and best references, nods to the comic books, cameos, and reveals about what's to come in the movie which reaches America on Friday.
If you've not seen the movie yet, don't worry, as there aren't too many major plot spoilers here. Instead, we mainly focus on the best Easter Eggs and when and where you need to look out for them.
Of course, it goes without saying that there are at least some MAJOR SPOILERS ahead, so don't say we didn't warn you! Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 is a movie packed full of awesome Easter Eggs and at least some of these may change the Marvel Cinematic Universe as we know it. Others are just made for comic book fans or a lot of fun, but you're going to want to keep reading to learn about the best.
10. Howard The Duck Returns
Guardians of the Galaxy surprised us all with the appearance of Howard the Duck, first in The Collector's collection, and later in the hilarious after-credits scene. As fun as that was, it was pretty obvious from the start that Marvel Studios had no plans for the character to appear in another solo outing - the original was directed by George Lucas back in 1986 - and most of us probably didn't expect to actually ever see him again.
Well, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 changes that when we see the obscure comic book character enjoying a drink on Contraxia. Once again voiced by Seth Green (Family Guy), he tells a prospective conquest that, "You’re out of luck until you’ve got duck." That's it for him in the sequel, but it's now obvious Kevin Feige wasn't joking when he said he could show up anywhere at any time.
9. Peter Quill's Family
The theme of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 is family, with much of the story revolving around Peter Quill being introduced to his father Ego. When it becomes clear that there's more to this Living Planet than meets the eye, he uses his Celestial powers (combined with Star-Lord's) to unleash a wave of blue death on every planet he's visited so they all become part of him.
That would mean Ego is everything and everywhere, but look closely when we pay a visit to present-day Earth and you'll see another member of the hero's family. Actor Gregg Henry, who played Peter's grandfather in the first movie, can be seen fleeing from the chaos unleashed by Ego decked out in old man make-up. He survives and this could be a sign that when the Guardians head to Earth, Star-Lord will have some real family he can reunite with at long last.
8. "Eternity"
When Ego reveals to Peter that he's a Celestial, we finally start to learn more about what makes him a Living Planet (something we see is pretty literal later on in the movie when we get a look at Ego from a distance and see a face there just like in the comic books). However, it's also revealed that Star-Lord can tap into this power and he immediately starts making wisecracks about the monuments to various 1980s favourites he plans on creating.
Things take a more serious turn, though, when Ego fills the hero's eyes with stars so he can see the vastness of space and the power the father and son team hold. Upon looking at that, Peter whispers "Eternity" and it's pretty clear this is a reference to the comic book character of the same name. He's the personification of the Marvel Universe and is every living thing and every living thing is him; thus he controls everything in all plains of existence. Trippy!
7. The Grandmaster
I was surprised that none of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2's after-credits scenes are devoted to setting up the events of Thor: Ragnarok, but there is still a very interesting nod to one of that movie's characters. As the credits roll and we see various cast members dancing away, Jeff Goldblum's Grandmaster can be seen among them. He's nowhere else to be found in this sequel, so why exactly did James Gunn include him here?
That remains to be seen, but it's possible he had a scene which was cut here or that Gunn may have shot something with him which will be used as an after-credits scene for Thor: Ragnarok as the Guardians pay a visit to the villain's arena. It could also be a sign that the team will show up in the threequel, but whatever the answer may be, there's something very interesting about this Easter Egg...
6. David Hasselhoff's Cameo
We've known for a few weeks now that David Hasselhoff contributed to the Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 soundtrack, but I think it's still fair to say that none of us expected the actor to play such a significant role in the sequel. We learn early on that the Knight Rider star was Peter Quill's boyhood hero and that he told his friends that he's his father, but things take an unexpected turn when the truth finally comes out about Ego.
Furious that Star-Lord won't see his way of thinking, Ego transforms into Hasselhoff and asks the hero if that's what it will take for him to help him destroy the universe. As cameos go, this one definitely came out of nowhere and is a fun nod to both Star-Lord's love of the 1980s and a really unexpected Easter Egg sure to make moviegoers laugh when the legendary actor makes this surprise appearance.
5. The Watchers
Stan Lee's cameos have become a staple of not just the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but Marvel movies in general. Over the years, fans have come up with a lot of theories about why he keeps popping up (beyond the fact it's a tradition and a way of paying homage to the man who created most of these characters), but one of the most popular has been that he's one of The Watchers.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 doesn't confirm that, but it does show us those cosmic beings meeting with Lee as it's made clear he's one of their employees. At first, he can briefly be seen telling them about the time he worked for FedEx - Captain America: Civil War - when Rocket and company blast past, but by the time the final after-credits scene rolls around, they've had enough of hearing his stories and hilarious end up walking away from him!
4. Awesome Mix Vol. 3
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 uses the "Awesome Mix Vol. 2" Merdith Quill handed to Peter on her deathbed, so the third instalment faces the issue of finding somewhere for the music to come from. Well, this sequel tackles that with the hilarious arrival of a Zune. The failed Microsoft device is being used by everyone on Earth according to Kraglin and Star-Lord's mind is blown to learn that there's upwards of three hundred songs on there.
It's possible, of course, that Peter will get an iPod when he pays a visit to Earth in Avengers: Infinity War, but director James Gunn now has a lot of tracks to choose from in the third instalment and will be able to use music from more than just the one decade. That should give the threequel a very different feel and that's not necessarily a bad thing by any means.
3. Adam Warlock
Adam Warlock's arrival was seemingly teased in Guardians of the Galaxy, but it's Vol. 2 which makes it clear that the fan-favourite character is on the way. However, it doesn't appear as if that will be happening in Avengers: Infinity War, news which is sure to disappoint those who hoped he'd have a key role in the battle against Thanos. After being bested by the Guardians, the vengeful Ayesha creates a perfect being who can take the team down.
She names him "Adam" and we get to see golden cocoon he's being kept in while she works on bringing him to life. It now appears as if the plan now is for Adam Warlock to show up in Vol. 3 as an antagonist before he sees the errors of his ways and presumably joins the team. It's possible he could show up sooner, of course, but it currently looks like he'll be the big bad in the threequel.
2. Michael Rosenbaum's Role Revealed
We learned a while ago that Smallville star Michael Rosenbaum had been cast in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 alongside Sylvester Stallone, but when you watch the sequel, you'd be forgiven for wondering where the hell the actor is! Well, he's almost unrecognisable as Martinex T'Naga, another member of the original Guardians of the Galaxy who has frequently been referred to as the brains behind this team. Born on Pluto in the 31st Century, his ancestors were from the continent of Africa on Earth.
Of course, he's not the only unexpected face to appear alongside Stallone's Stakar at the end of the movie. Vin Rhames plays Charlie-27, Michelle Yeoh as Aleta Ogord, and Miley Cyrus as Mainframe. What the future holds in store for this group remains to be seen for the time being, but chances are they'll definitely have a role in the third instalment!
1. Pac-Man
Realising he has to stop Ego, Star-Lord taps into his father's powers for an epic fistfight which sees them both utilising some pretty awesome tricks to try and take the other down. However, things take a really unexpected and hilarious turn when, having to counteract the gigantic Ego made from rock, Peter transforms into Pac-Man to try and stop Ego in his tracks. This is a callback to an earlier moment in the film when the hero talks about his love for the video game and makes for a great visual.
Marvel must have forked out the big bucks to make this moment a reality too as we even get the classic sound effects, something fans of this iconic character will no doubt appreciate. Marvel movies have always made good use of pop culture references, but this is easily one of the biggest and one of the best moments in the sequel.
Did you spot all of these Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 Easter Eggs? Have we missed any others worth a mention? As always, let us know in the comments section down below.