To mark easter weekend, the various Twitter accounts associated with Disney-produced movies and franchises have come together for an “easter egg hunt,” pointing out a bunch of background details and hidden Mickeys in your favorite films made by the Mouse House. Marvel Studios joined in the fun as well and revealed something from Avengers: Endgame that was actually surprisingly moving.
The account shared a screenshot of the scene from Endgame where the various heroes put their hands together as they’re about to jet off into the past in order to save the day. By comparing it with another screenshot from Iron Man, when Tony receives his original arc reactor as a gift from Pepper, the image made clear that the formation of the Avengers’ red-gloved hands was deliberately meant to evoke the reactor.
Avengers. Assemble. pic.twitter.com/sv4pzFJnYC
— Marvel Studios (@MarvelStudios) April 10, 2020
As the reactor serves as “proof that Tony Stark has a heart,” this easter egg gains a deeper, more moving, meaning, as it can be interpreted as saying that the Avengers’ team, Tony’s friends, are proof that he has a heart. Their selfless mission, which is fated to end with Stark’s own death, proves the depth of his bravery and soul. The filmmakers later made this connection clear by having the original arc reactor placed on his funeral pyre by Pepper.
The replies to this tweet are filled with a variety of reactions from fans as well. Many are blown away by the clever visual callback, some are frustrated that they didn’t spot it before and others are just plain bawling in GIF form. Of course, a few people have noticed it already and they’re taking this as confirmation that it was intentional on the part of the Avengers: Endgame filmmakers.
It would certainly be interesting to know the level to which this shot was planned, though. Were the costumes and the floor of the time travel device designed with it in mind, or was it a lucky accident that came about on the day? Somebody chase up the Russos on Twitter and ask them, please.