The MCU is full of subtle little details that help Marvel’s superhero franchise come across as an expansive, ever-evolving, lived-in universe.

The MCU has become a deeply interconnected franchise, not only due to the big battles between superheroes and supervillains, but also because of the subtle details that make it a constantly evolving shared universe. Throughout dozens of MCU movies and Disney+ shows, Marvel Studios has created a vast universe where countless different characters coexist, from street-level vigilantes like Daredevil to cosmic entities like Eternity. As such, the MCU’s extensive timeline is also full of huge events that affect the whole world, the whole galaxy, and sometimes the entire universe or even the entire multiverse.

At the other end of the scale, smaller clues also exhibit the MCU’s attention to detail. For instance, the gradual improvement in each of Tony Stark’s Iron Man suits of armor reveals the lessons Stark learned from every battle, and Hulk sports a tiny scar on his chest where Abomination pierced him all the way back in The Incredible Hulk. But beyond straightforward details like these, there are some subtle elements that hint at off-screen stories and showcase the MCU’s deep interconnectivity.

10. The SHIELD Agent Who Refuses Crossbones’ Orders Is Promoted Off-Screen

Cameron Klein Is Loyal To SHIELD In Captain America: The Winter Soldier And Gets Promoted Before Avengers: Age Of Ultron

In Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Hydra agent Brock Rumlow orders SHIELD agent Cameron Klein to launch the Helicarriers that would carry out Project Insight, to which Klein refuses. Klein survives Rumlow’s threats thanks to Sharon Carter’s intervention, and he successfully delays Project Insight long enough for Captain America to stop the operation altogether. Just two movies later, Cameron Klein appears alongside Nick Fury and Maria Hill in their rescue mission on Sokovia. Klein becomes such a reliable ally that Nick Fury plans to head to him when he finds out about Thanos during Avengers: Infinity War’s post-credits scene.

9. Bruce Banner, Hank Pym, Howard Stark, And Abraham Erskine Are Revered As Real Scientists

Midtown School Of Science And Technology Pay Homage To MCU Scientists Throughout The Spider-Man Trilogy

Spider-Man: Homecoming, Spider-Man: Far From Home, and Spider-Man: No Way Home feature multiple scenes at Peter Parker’s high school, Midtown School of Science and Technology, where Howard Stark, Hank Pym, and Abraham Erskine are included in a mural that pays homage to the some of the world’s greatest minds, like Albert Einstein and Al-Khwarizmi. Likewise, a photograph of Bruce Banner is placed alongside real-life scientists such as Marie Curie and Sir Isaac Newton in Peter’s classroom. These easter eggs put the influence and fame of the MCU’s geniuses in perspective.

Reed Richards’ absence in the Midtown School of Science and Technology scientists mural is a big hint at the Fantastic Four’s possible disappearance in the past.

8. Werewolf By Night Confirms The Existence Of Multiple Mythological Creatures

Fantastical Myths And Legends Exist In The MCU, According To Werewolf By Night

Just as the MCU’s Spider-Man trilogy depicts MCU scientists as real-life celebrities, Werewolf by Night confirms that creatures of myth and legend like vampires, sasquatches, mermaids, and gremlins have always been real.The monster trophies in Werewolf by Night’s Bloodstone Manor seem to be the real heads of each specimen, all of which may have been hunted by Ulysses Bloodstone at some point during his adventures. This revelation hints at a long history of dark and mystical lore inspired by real-life myths and legends that the MCU is only beginning to touch upon.

7. Bast And Kukulkan Appear In Omnipotence City

Thor: Love And Thunder Confirms That Wakanda And Talokan’s Patron Gods Still Exist

Thor: Love and Thunder expands the MCU’s cosmic corner with the confirmation that all gods, of every religion and every mythology, coexist and spend time together at Omnipotence City. On top of that, it also confirms that the Wakandans’ main deity Bast and the Talokanil’s patron god Kukulkan are alive and agree to partake in Zeus’ celebrations. Therefore, it’s possible that Bast does bring Wakandan souls to the afterlife, and the fact that the Talokanil are actually confusing Namor for the real Kukulkan is shown to be true.

6. The Grandmaster’s Previous Champions Include Beta Ray Bill And Ares

Thor: Ragnarok Reveals That Several Famous Marvel Characters Preceded Hulk As Cosmic Gladiators

Various important cosmic characters make a blink-and-you-miss-it appearance in the form of a monument in Thor: Ragnarok. Although Hulk is Grandmaster’s latest favorite champion during the events of the movie, the statues that decorate the outside of Grandmaster’s arena reveal that the Greek god Ares, the Korbinite Beta Ray Bill, the android Bi-Beast, the monster Dark-Crawler, and the swamp monster Man-Thing had been named champions before Hulk arrived. This reference also confirms that multiple alien species exist out there and are ready to be discovered by cosmic MCU characters like Thor.

5. Damage Control Deals With The Avengers’ Battles’ Aftermath

Damage Control Shows The Repercussions Of The Avengers’ World-Saving Battles In The Spider-Man Trilogy

The MCU may not dwell too much in the aftermath of the Avengers’ battles, but it does clarify that they warranted the creation of an entire department of the US government. Damage Control cleans up the battlefield and collects all gear and weapons left behind both by the Avengers and by their enemies. Naturally, Damage Control has crossed paths with smugglers like Vulture, and they have crossed the line with their power when seizing all tech from Spider-Man and persecuting Ms. Marvel. Given their bureaucratic nature, it’s rather realistic that Damage Control doesn’t take sides.

4. Captain America Makes Educational Videos For High Schools

Spider-Man: Homecoming Reveals Captain America’s Second Job

Chris Evans’ Steve Rogers makes a cameo appearance in Spider-Man: Homecoming as the guide of a Captain America-sponsored series of PSAs. Apart from being effective comic relief, Captain America’s videos show what Steve Rogers did after being unfrozen and fighting Loki. Disconnected from the present day, Captain America started doing what he was the most familiar with at that point: serving as a spokesperson for the government, just like in his WWII days. This cameo appearance also shows how much Steve Rogers changed once he got a grasp of the cynical, more paranoid modern world.

3. New Jersey AvengerCon Celebrates The Avengers

Ms. Marvel Shows How Much The Avengers Influence Pop Culture Within The MCU

The general public’s reaction to the Avengers’ existence was explored as early as The Avengers, and their reputation began to be damaged in Avengers: Age of Ultron. However, the Avengers’ universe-saving feats in Avengers: Endgame more than made up for their past mistakes, and Ms. Marvel’s New Jersey AvengerCon shows exactly to what degree Earth’s Mightiest Heroes have become beloved celebrities. Memorials, costumes, and merchandise that celebrate even the least Earth-oriented heroes show just how much regular humans have grown to appreciate the Avengers’ efforts.

2. Counter-Earth Inhabitants Have Their Own Language

Counter-Earth Reveals The True Size Of The MCU’s Cosmic Side In Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3

Normally, all extraterrestrial life in the MCU is shown speaking the same language. According to Guardians of the Galaxy, this ease of communication is due to the proliferation of universal translators. However, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 introduces Counter-Earth, where all of the High Evolutionary’s creations speak their own distinct language. The Guardians’ struggle to communicate with Counter-Earth’s inhabitants highlight how diverse the MCU’s cosmos really is, so much so that the Humanimals never saw the need to acquire universal translators and none of the Guardians had ever heard of a distant replica of Earth.

1. The World Is Now Filled With Minor Superhumans And Vigilantes

She-Hulk: Attorney At Law Reveals How Much The MCU’s Earth Has Changed Since The Avengers First Assembled

The rise of superheroes on Earth has been evident in the MCU, but it was only until She-Hulk: Attorney At Law put the spotlight on Z-list heroes that its true extent became clear. Technological inventions, extraterrestrial life, bio-engineering, magic, and potential mutations have become so commonplace that Jennifer Walters has been able to specialize in superhuman law. If the West Coast is filled to the brim with all kinds of superheroes, it’s possible that the whole world has a much larger number of known and obscure Marvel characters that just haven’t had the chance to make their on-screen debut yet.