Every MCU Easter Egg In What If? Episode 5

Caution: spoilers ahead for What If…? episode 5

The highly-anticipated What If…? zombie episode has finally landed – here are all the Marvel and MCU Easter eggs to be found among the walking superhero dead. Given how both sub-genres have exploded in popularity over the past decade, the sight of zombified Marvel heroes represents something of a cultural mash-up. After last week’s emotionally devastating Doctor Strange story, What If…? certainly needed a more fun, outlandish follow-up, and few things are quite so fun and outlandish as zombies with superpowers.

What If…? episode 5 draws inspiration from the Marvel Zombies comic series that began in the early 2000s, spearheaded by Mark Millar, Greg Land, and The Walking Dead creator Robert Kirkman. Trouble begins during Ant-Man & The Wasp, several weeks prior to the events of Avengers: Infinity War. Hank Pym ventures into the Quantum Realm to rescue his long-lost wife, Janet van Dyne, but finds only a zombified Michelle Pfeiffer. Her inter-dimensional virus finds its way to Earth when Ant-Man’s Quantum vessel returns and, within a matter of days, New York is a blanket of zombies. The situation goes from bad to worse when the Avengers start getting bit, turning Captain America, Iron Man, Hawkeye, Doctor Strange and more into flesh-eating monsters.

Following the last remaining Avengers and their allies in the midst of a classic zombie apocalypse, What If…? episode 5 offers a fascinatingly gory retelling of Phase 3’s final act, and the undead chaos throws up all manner of references, parallels and Easter eggs for Marvel and MCU fans to gobble up like a ripe Happy Hogan.

Bruce Banner’s Infinity War Fall

Replacing Avengers: Infinity War in the MCU timeline, What If…? episode 5 begins in familiar territory, with Hulk escaping Thanos’ attack on the Asgardian ark, hurtling toward Earth, and crashing directly through the Sanctum Sanctorum staircase that Wong (probably) just finished cleaning. Many of these animated shots are identical to those the Russo brothers filmed in live-action, including the New York wide angle, the Sanctorum window, Banner among the rubble, and the Black Order’s arrival. The Hank Pym flashback later in the episode then recreates the corresponding sequence from Ant-Man & The Wasp, particularly his crash-land into the Quantum Realm.

A Sorcerer Outfit

Without the sorcerer supreme (or his willing assistant) to help, Bruce Banner is forced to cover his naked body by other means after landing on Earth. Exiting Sanctum Sanctorum, we see What If…?‘s Banner wearing a burgundy gi-like vest top, but this no ordinary sleeveless garb. The item is part of the uniform worn by mystic arts practitioners, seen previously on Wong and other students at Kamar-Taj.

Banner’s Non-Transformation Is The Same

Faced with Ebony Maw and Cull Obsidian, Bruce Banner tries to Hulk-up, but the monster within refuses to play, fearing Thanos after getting his emerald backside kicked on the Asgardian ship. Banner suffered exactly the same problem when Maw and Obsidian arrived in Avengers: Infinity War, but at least had Tony Stark and “the wizards” to fall back on. Banner slapping himself and Hulk screaming “no!!” in What If…? is taken from a later Avengers: Infinity War scene, when Bruce tries transforming a second time after getting crushed by a tree.

The Avengers Theme

When Iron Man, Doctor Strange and Wong appear through a mystic portal, Alan Silvestri’s classic “Avengers Theme” briefly plays. The musical motif is repeated as Captain America leads the Avengers toward a zombie bloodbath during a later flashback sequence.

Wong’s Beheading Flips Infinity War

As Zombie Wong desperately tries to enjoy a Bruce Banner-flavored lunch, Doctor Strange’s Cloak of Levitation holds the undead sorcerer back. The portal closes, and Wong is duly beheaded by the mystic barrier. This grisly moment mirrors the scene in Avengers: Infinity War where Wong drops a portal on Cull Obsidian and lops off the villain’s forearm.

“Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man”

He said it, he said the line!

The Virus’ Origin Honors The Comic

What If…? alters the beginnings of the virus compared to Marvel’s comic book series, but the broad strokes remain untouched. Marvel Zombies is triggered by Sentry arriving from another universe and infecting the Avengers with a dimensional virus. Though it’s Hank Pym who takes his place in What If…?‘s zombie episode, the Disney+ series pays tribute to its source material by keeping the outbreak’s inter-dimensional origin.

“Hi, Ms. van Dyne”

In What If…?‘s flashback, Hank Pym’s Quantum ship arrives back in his lab to find Hope van Dyne eagerly awaiting a reunion with her mother. As Hope wipes mist from the cockpit window, Scott Lang is heard in the background shouting, “hi, Ms. van Dyne.” This is exactly how Scott addresses Janet when she returns from the Quantum Realm in Ant-Man & The Wasp (albeit slightly less green and without a hankering for flesh).

The Zombieland Rules

With Bruce Banner successfully saved, What If…? reveals Peter Parker’s video guide to zombie apocalypse survival, covering all the necessary steps should you wish to navigate the undead outbreak without getting bitten. It’s an entertaining way of setting out What If…?‘s zombie rules, and the exact same device is used by Jesse Eisenberg’s character in Zombieland, which advised audiences to always check the back seat of a car, to be careful while pooping, and to always double-tap.

A Joss Whedon Nod?

Anyone who watched the entirety of Buffy the Vampire Slayer will be very familiar with the Mutant Enemy logo card, where a crudely-drawn mutant/zombie creature shuffles across screen making “argh” noises. The paper zombie in Peter Parker’s video is almost identical, even down to the way each moves from right to left. Mutant Enemy is the production company of Joss Whedon, who directed both The Avengers and Avengers: Age of Ultron, but he recently came under fire for multiple allegations of abusive behavior. It’s unclear whether the Mutant Enemy similarity is intentional, or an unfortunate coincidence.

Happy’s Boxing Skills

Peter’s undead vlog (zlog?) boasts its own collection of fun Easter eggs, beginning with “boxing” among Happy Hogan’s special skills. This calls to the Marvel comics, where Happy was an amateur boxer before meeting and working for Tony Stark. Jon Favreau’s character is seen sparring with Tony and Black Widow in Iron Man 2, but gets embarrassed by both. With the human population dwindling in What If…?, Happy Hogan has apparently shot up the rankings.

Resident Weirdo

David Dastmalchian reprises his Ant-Man role as Scott Lang’s criminal pal, Kurt. Spider-Man’s video assigns him the nickname “Resident Weirdo” – a nod to classic zombie video game franchise Resident Evil.

“Slavic Folklore”

Parker’s video then lists “Slavic Folklore” among Kurt’s unique attributes. This gag comes straight from Ant-Man & The Wasp, where Kurt warns his pals about Baba Yaga (the 18th century European witch, not Keanu Reeves), then mistakes Ghost as the mythical monster. In What If…?, he accuses Scarlet Witch instead – closer, but no cigar.

X-Con

Scott Lang’s MCU security firm is named X-Con (get it?), and Kurt is wearing the company’s overalls in What If…?, with their familiar logo clearly visible on the chest.

Tony Stark’s Civil War Glove

Though Happy (unfortunately) wasn’t able to nab one of his employer’s Iron Man armors before rotting flesh hit the fan, he did swipe Tony Stark’s Iron Gauntlet, which debuted in Captain America: Civil War and spawns a powerful Iron Man-style glove from a wristwatch.

Captain America’s Shower Curtain

When Peter and Kurt film Bucky Barnes taking a shower (and set Twitter alight in the process), the curtain is adorned with red, white and blue stars and stripes. It’s a patriotic nod to Bucky’s backstory and his association with Captain America.

Bucky’s Sleeping

“Murder” and “Killer Arm” are self-explanatory, but why does Peter’s video list “Heavy Sleeper” as one of Bucky’s top talents? In Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Steve Rogers and Sam Wilson discussed how they both found regular beds too soft after returning from military duty, preferring instead to nap on the hard floor. Falcon & Winter Soldier picked up the baton, showing Bucky graduating from the floor to Sam’s sofa. Since comfy beds are presumably hard to come by in a zombie apocalypse, it’s no surprise that Bucky is sleeping like a log on the cold, unforgiving floor.

Blond Bond

Sharon Carter doesn’t get off lightly either, described in Peter’s vlog as a “Blond Bond.” This nickname could be an out-of-the-box reference to Daniel Craig, who was a controversial pick for 007 in the early 2000s, largely due to his lighter hair color. One disgruntled fan even started the website danielcraigisnotbond.com. (Almost) 5 movies later, it’s safe to say those concerns were unfounded.

Sharon’s Eulogy

Sharon’s skills are “spycraft, first aid and eulogies.” While the first two are to be expected from one of SHIELD’s finest agents, “eulogies” harks back to Captain America: Civil War, where Sharon spoke eloquently at Peggy Carter’s funeral in tribute to her late aunt (before promptly making out with Peggy’s ex).

Camp Lehigh

News of a possible cure arrives from Camp Lehigh, and much of What If…? episode 5 takes place either en route or at the facility itself. Lehigh is a setting MCU fans will be super (serum) familiar with, as the camp hosted Captain America’s early training sessions, hid Steve and Natasha during Captain America: The Winter Soldier, and became part of Avengers: Endgame‘s time heist plan after Loki swiped the Tesseract.

The Ant-Van

What If…?‘s surviving Avengers travel to Grand Central Station in Hank Pym’s shrinking Mercedes van, seen first in 2015’s Ant-Man. The vehicle would’ve been recovered by Hope van Dyne after escaping her undead parents, and seems to be a great way of avoiding (and squishing) pesky street zombies.

Cap & Sharon Get Close Again

Steve Rogers and Sharon Carter locking lips in Captain America: Civil War caused much controversy, largely due to the whole “in love with her aunt” thing. What If…? riffs on this regrettable incident by having Cap getting up close and personal with Sharon once more, though this time with more teeth.

“End Of The Line”

Slicing someone in half with their own weapon is no fun if you don’t make a funny quip afterwards, and Bucky delivers a proper zinger with “sorry pal, guess this is the end of the line.” Kudos for the train pun, but Bucky’s parting shot is also a callback to when his younger self told a muscle-free Steve Rogers “I’m with you ’til the end of the line, pal.” Steve recycled the line himself during their fight at the end of Captain America: The Winter Soldier.

Peter Parker’s Movie References

Spider-Man makes several cute cultural references in What If…?‘s zombie episode, mentioning groups splitting up in horror movies, holding out hope until the end credits and, er, Sex and the City. Peter’s cinema obsession draws from Tom Holland’s live-action MCU character, who previously name-dropped “really old” movies like The Empire Strikes Back and Aliens.

Uncle Ben In The MCU Confirmed

Recalling the immense loss he’s experienced for such a young superhero, Peter Parker mentions Uncle Ben, marking the character’s first proper acknowledgement in MCU canon. Spider-Man: Homecoming and Spider-Man: Far From Home both allude toward Uncle Ben dying some time in the past, but never directly reference Peter’s iconic father figure. What If…? confirms what most fans already suspected, but could we see more of Ben in Spider-Man: No Way Home?

Spider-Boy

Kurt calls Peter Parker “Spider-Boy” which, frankly, is an easy mistake to make. Spider-Boy is actually an entirely separate character who appeared in 1996’s Marvel vs. DC comic as a mashup of Spider-Man and Superboy. “Spider-Boy” is also one of the many demeaning names Tony Stark guesses when meeting Peter Parker for the first time in Spider-Man: Homecoming (though we prefer Spiderling).

Ant-Man’s Head Was Janet In The Comics

A rendezvous with Vision reveals a cure to the zombie virus has indeed been found, with the Mind Stone capable of ridding infected of their cannibalistic urges. What a reliable and trustworthy guy that purple android is! To prove his discovery, Vision unveils Scott Lang’s head, restored to its usual wise-cracking self despite being bitten by Hank and Janet at the outbreak’s onset. Now just a head in a jar, Scott takes Janet van Dyne’s place in the Marvel Zombies comic series. Here, Pym removed Wasp’s noggin from her shoulders, and Janet was starved until shaking off the zombie affliction, her head preserved in a jar just like Scott in What If…?

Black Panther’s Eaten Leg

Turns out Vision isn’t so trustworthy after all. He’s been capturing survivors and feeding them to a caged Wanda Maximoff, refusing to put her down and unable to cure someone so powerful with the Mind Stone. Bucky discovers that Vision has chained up Black Panther to use as a steady source of meat, and this is taken directly from the Marvel Zombies comic series, though it’s Hank Pym who has T’Challa’s limbs on the menu.

Vision’s Story Flips WandaVision

The truth behind What If…?‘s zombie episode presents a perfect mirror to the events of WandaVision. The MCU’s first live-action Disney+ series saw Scarlet Witch enslave an entire town with chaos magic to fuel a sitcom-inspired happily-ever-after for herself and Vision. In What If…?, those roles are reserved, with Wanda succumbing to the virus and the synthezoid surviving. Just like WandaVision, however, the survivor goes too far in keeping their partner alive, with Vision feeding Wanda innocent human flesh in the name of love. At least Wanda’s victims came back.

The Quadjet

MCU fans will be very familiar with the term “quinjet,” with these nifty little SHIELD planes used everywhere from Agents of SHIELD to Black Widow. In What If…?, the final trio of heroes escape Camp Lehigh in a quadjet – a vessel credited with only a single big screen appearance in the MCU, flown by both Carol Danvers and Monica Rambeau in Captain Marvel. Since Camp Lehigh was decommissioned at some point prior to Captain America: The Winter Soldier, it makes sense that the base might still contain an outdated aircraft circa 2018.

Scott Loves Harry Potter

It’s Leviosa, not Levi-oh-sar.

Vision Dies (Again)

Vision has a nasty habit of dying in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. With Thanos threatening to swipe the Mind Stone in Avengers: Infinity War, Wanda killed her own boyfriend to avert a universal apocalypse, but the Mad Titan hit rewind on the Time Stone and murdered the android all over again. Vision was afforded a slightly more poignant end in WandaVision, when the Westview barrier falls and Wanda’s rebuilt husband kicks the bucket for a third time. Notching up an impressive fourth MCU exit, Vision removes his own Mind Stone to help create a zombie cure (and redeem himself) in What If…?

A Deadpool Cameo?!

With Vision deceased once more, the undead begin pouring into Camp Lehigh, but as the horde approaches, a very visible zombie carrying twin katana on his back can be spotted in the foreground. The zombie isn’t masked, but the most famous dual-sword expert in Marvel mythology would be Deadpool. Whether Wade Wilson’s mutant ability would render him immune to a dimensional virus is a matter of debate, but it’s certainly unusual for a zombie to be packing such specific weaponry in a Marvel show.

Hope Saved Scott Twice

During the final escape scene, Scott Lang learns how Wasp sacrificed herself to get the Avengers inside Camp Lehigh safely. Ant-Man says “that’s twice she saved me.” This line is most likely a nod to Hope pulling Ant-Man out of the San Francisco bay in Ant-Man & The Wasp, where he fainted while in giant mode and nearly drowned. Unless, of course, you prefer to believe Hope “saved” him in the figurative, emotional sense.

Peter Parker’s Avengers Offer

Lamenting how only 2 men and a head left the mission alive, Peter recalls turning down Tony Stark’s offer of Avengers membership. This happened in the final moments of Spider-Man: Homecoming, when Stark presented Peter with the Iron-Spider suit and a room full of reporters, only for the youngster to return to his friendly, neighborhood roots. Peter ended up becoming an official Avenger anyway in Avengers: Infinity War, and it’s amusing that he still can’t escape that fate during a zombie apocalypse.

Death Is Not The End

In a bittersweet moment, T’Challa comforts Peter Parker and Scott Lang by reassuring them “in my culture, death is not the end.” Black Panther spoke this exact same line in Captain America: Civil War after his father was killed by the Winter Soldier. For obvious reasons, the line adopts a more tragic meaning in What If…?, serving as a fitting farewell to a beloved character and actor.

What If…? streams every Wednesday on Disney+.

About The Author

Craig Elvy
(3660 Articles Published)

Craig first began contributing to Screen Rant in 2016, several years after graduating college, and has been ranting ever since, mostly to himself in a darkened room. Having previously written for various sports and music outlets, Craig’s interest soon turned to TV and film, where a steady upbringing of science fiction and comic books finally came into its own.
Craig has previously been published on sites such as Den of Geek, and after many coffee-drenched hours hunched over a laptop, part-time evening work eventually turned into a full-time career covering everything from the zombie apocalypse to the Starship Enterprise via the TARDIS.

Since joining the Screen Rant fold, Craig has been involved in breaking news stories and mildly controversial ranking lists, but now works predominantly as a features writer.
Jim Carrey is Craig’s top acting pick and favorite topics include superheroes, anime and the unrecognized genius of the High School Musical trilogy.

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