Avengers: Endgame is finally here, and now that the Marvel Studios movie is arriving in theaters across the globe, we can finally start discussing the epic finale of over a decade's worth of storytelling.
The massive superhero ensemble boasts an incredible cast as it is, but seeing as it celebrates the history of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, it won't surprise you to learn that there are a lot of cameos. Some we had an inkling might happen, but others are downright jaw-dropping and it's hard to believe that Marvel Studios pulled them off.
If you've not seen the movie yet, it goes without saying that spoilers follow, but you may still want to continue reading because we offer some insight into what led to their appearance and what it might mean for the Marvel Cinematic Universe moving forward.
So, to check out this list in its entirety, all you need to do is hit the "View List" button below.
[WARNING: Those of you who share Endgame spoilers in other articles WILL be banned from CBM]
Jane Foster
When Natalie Portman appeared at the
Avengers: Endgame premiere, tongues started wagging. It turns out that there was a good reason for that because she appears here in scenes set during the events of
Thor: The Dark World.
While she doesn't have any lines and basically lies down and walks around a room, it was still really cool to see Jane return and it's hard not to wonder if this means the actress would be open to properly reprising the role one day.
The Ancient One
When Earth's Mightiest Heroes travel back to the Battle of New York, The Hulk attempts to track down Doctor Strange. Instead, he crosses paths with The Ancient One (who is already well aware of Strange's destiny) and after initially refusing to hand over the Time Stone, she finally relents.
That's because she realises that Strange must have handed it over to Thanos for a reason, and it's at this point in the movie we get some insight into how time-travel works in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Harley Keener
There have been rumblings for ages now that we'd see more of
Iron Man 3's Harvey Keener in
Avengers: Endgame, and he makes a blink and you'll miss it cameo appearance during Tony Stark's funeral.
That meeting with Tony Stark clearly had a huge impact on his life and it's safe to assume that he and Iron Man may have stayed in touch over the years. The question is, will he suit up as Iron Lad now?
Alexander Pierce
Robert Redford is supposed to have retired from acting, so his appearance here just goes to show how beloved the MCU is by those who have been part of it over the years.
Returning to the events of
The Avengers, we learn that Alexander Pierce tried to take the Tesseract from Tony Stark and Thor as it was S.H.I.E.L.D. property. However, common sense says that he actually wanted to hand it over to HYDRA and this was a neat way of showing us an unseen MCU moment.
Korg & Miek
The fact that Korg received his own emoji for
Avengers: Endgame pretty much confirmed that he would be back, and the loveable character steals the show during his appearance here.
It turns out that he's been living with Thor and Miek in "New Asgard" and he spends his days playing Fortnite. It's a brilliant little cameo and the Russos made excellent use of him.
Howard Stark
When Steve Rogers and Tony Stark travel back to the 1970s to get their hands on the Tesseract, Iron Man comes face to face with his father. He doesn't reveal his true identity but they have a touching heart to heart conversation about parenthood and it seems as if the resentment Tony once had against Howard is finally a thing of the past.
John Slattery has done a great job as the character over the years, and it was a blast to see him reprise the role for
Avengers: Endgame.
Edwin Jarvis
Well, I guess
Agent Carter is now officially canon! As Howard Stark is leaving, we see him turn to his driver Edwin Jarvis and point out that the man he just spoke to was awfully familiar.
Regardless of whether you watched the show, Jarvis' appearance obviously offers some insight into who Tony named his first A.I. after and it's a neat moment for fans of the series.
The Black Order
Thanks to time-travel, the Black Order from the past get a role here and while it's only Ebony Maw who actually has speaking lines, it was still cool to see them return (it's just a shame they're still used as cannon fodder).
Still, they serve a purpose and Maw was the standout in
Avengers: Infinity War anyway, so the fact that he gets more time to interact with the Mad Titan proves to be a real treat.
Brock Rumlow/Jack Rollins
Frank Grillo spoiled his return to the MCU quite some time ago, but the scene he's a part of is still fun to watch play out. As "S.H.I.E.L.D." agents take Loki's staff into custody, we finally learn how HYDRA got their hands on the stone and used it to create Quicksilver and the Scarlet Witch.
Joining Rumlow is Jack Rollins, and the Russos then deliver a very different take on that classic elevator scene from
Captain America: The Winter Soldier (more on that a little later in this post).
Hank Pym
During that trip back to the 1970s, Steve Rogers is tasked with finding Pym Particles Earth's Mightiest Heroes can use to travel through time. CGI is once again used to make Michael Douglas look young, but there's an Easter Egg here which will make comic book fans immensely happy.
It turns out that Hank is working on a helmet that is identical to the one the character wore in the source material during his first appearances, and it looks downright awesome in live-action.
Jasper Sitwell
During that elevator scene, Jasper Sitwell refuses to give Captain America the staff that contains the Mind Stone and just as it looks like it's all about to kick off, Steve leans over to the undercover HYDRA agents and whispers, "Hail Hydra."
It's an awesome moment and one that obviously pays homage to Nick Spencer's controversial
Secret Empire storyline. It's also a pretty fantastic twist.
Peggy Carter
Peggy Carter makes a touching appearance right at the end of the movie, but her first cameo comes during the aforementioned 1970s sequence as Steve watches her through a window and clearly mourns the life he lost with the woman he fell in love with during the dark days of World War II.
It's a brief appearance but one that will tug on your heartstrings and stick with your for a long time.
Frigga
When the God of Thunder returns to the events of
Thor: The Dark World, he comes face to face with his mother just hours before she's murdered by Malekith.
She stops him from warning her about what's going to happen and they have an otherwise very touching reunion in which Frigga offers her son some advice about what he should do next and why he's still worthy to be a God.
Gamora
We all thought that Zoe Saldana would return as Gamora in the Soul Stone or something similar, but she ends up playing the 2014 version of the character and by the time the credits roll, she's turned on her father, realised what an ally her sister is, and struggled to get her head around the fact her future self falls in love with Star-Lord.
She then goes on the run, so perhaps that plot thread will be picked up on in
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 as her story is clearly far from over.
Loki
Tom Hiddleston was spotted on the set of
Avengers: Endgame and he does indeed return when Earth's Mightiest Heroes head to 2012.
We see what came next after the team stood tall over him, as well as his escape, which is something that may open the door to that Disney+ TV series after Thanos murdered the God of Mischief in
Avengers: Infinity War.
Red Skull
When Ronin and Black Widow travel to Vormir, they come face to face with the Red Skull. Neither seem to realise that he's Captain America's greatest enemy and we're sadly never treated to a confrontation between the former HYDRA leader and Steve Rogers.
With that in mind, he doesn't make a huge impact here and it's a somewhat forgettable cameo as a result.
Cassie Lang
I didn't see Katherine Langford anywhere in
Avengers: Endgame but I can tell you that she wasn't playing the older Cassie Lang!
For a while now, fans have theorised that an older Cassie could appear in the movie and that's exactly what happens when Scott Lang returns from the Quantum Realm and realises that he's been gone for the past five years. Now, the stage has been set for her to become Stature in the near future.
Joe Russo
Co-director Joe Russo makes another cameo appearance in the MCU for a monologue during that support group scene, in which he talks about going on a date and the guy he was seeing bursting into tears before the salad was served.
It's a way of showing us the trauma Thanos' attack had on the Earth and while it seems a little odd for a director to have such a memorable run of dialogue, Joe does a great job and I feel like this is a scene people will discuss for a while.
Jim Starlin
Infinity Gauntlet writer Jim Starlin is also part of the support group and has a couple of lines of dialogue which he delivers with great effect. It's great to see him score an appearance here, and he's definitely deserving considering how important his work to the MCU has been.
As for Stan Lee, his brilliant cameo comes during the 1970s sequence when he speeds past the Army base in a car accompanied by a beautiful young woman. If that really is going to be his final MCU appearance, then it's fair to say that the late, great comic creator has gone out on a high.
Yvette Nicole Brown And Ken Jeong
It's become commonplace for actors from
Community to pop up in Marvel Studios movies directed by the Russo Brothers, and this time it's Ken Jeong and Yvette Nicole Brown who do the honours.
Brown plays someone who is very suspicious of Steve Rogers and Tony Stark on that Army base in the 1970s, while Jeong is a security guard watching over the storage boxes where Scott Lang's van has been kept during the time he was lost in the Quantum Realm.