When it comes to making a superhero movie, even the smallest detail matters. Filmmakers responsible for producing superhero films take inspiration from elements of existing superhero culture to create mind blowing cinematic experiences. Sometimes, they even take the time to include easter eggs from other forms of superhero culture.
The filmmaker’s ambition to create a thrilling experience, may sometimes lead them to inadvertently reveal spoilers during the starting moments of a superhero film that foreshadows events to come. These spoilers are usually out in the open and can easily be spotted during the film’s opening sequences. Other times they are mentioned so vaguely that audiences dismiss them as they are caught up with the flow of the film.
In instances like these, it takes a critical eye, as well as an in-depth knowledge of superhero culture to spot these types of spoilers.
When it comes to superhero culture, these spoilers can take on many forms. Sometimes, they appear in the form of dialogues and other times they are depicted as the actions taken by the characters. In rare cases, these spoilers may appear in the form of objects that pay homage to former superhero media.
Here is a list featuring 15 Spoilers You May have Missed At The Start of Superhero Movies!
15. Galaga Always Leads To Invasion - The Avengers
The Battle of New York between The Avengers and Loki’s Chitauri invasion force is recognized as one of the most epic movie battles of all time. Before The Avengers even considered the possibility of an invasion, their focus was strictly on locating Loki and the Tesseract. In the scene following The Avengers assembling on the S. H. I. E. L. D Hellicarrier, Tony Stark points out that one of the agents is secretly playing the arcade game Galaga.
At first, this moment can easily be dismissed as a typical example of Tony Starks eccentric and witty humor.
However, the objective of Galaga is to destroy an alien fleet before they invade the Earth. In the film’s climax, the Avengers battle against Loki’s invasion force mirrors the same objective.
And people say video games don’t have real world applications.
14. Magneto’s Revenge - X-Men First Class
In the opening scene of X-Men, Erik Lehnsherr awakens his powers shortly after arriving in Auschwitz. When X-Men: First Class was released, audiences finally got to see the events following that moment.
Shortly after being separated from his family, Erik is taken to Dr. Sebastian Shaw, who witnesses him using his powers. After Erik fails to move a Reichsmark coin as part of a test, Shaw kills his mother, forcing Erik’s powers to the surface.
Years later, we see Magneto in a room looking at a board filled with information on Shaw. In his rage, he throws the same coin used to test him, at an image of Shaw’s forehead. The significance of that prophesizes how Erik plans to end Shaw’s life.
When this event finally takes place, the audience realizes just how much thought Erik put into ending the man who spent years torturing him as a child.
13. Joker’s Mask Gave Him Away - The Dark Knight
In the opening scene of The Dark Knight, The Joker and some gunmen rob a bank owned by the mob. As the heist progresses, The Joker manipulates the criminals into killing each other. In the end, the last man standing is none other than The Joker himself. When one watches this scene for the first time, it can be quite intense trying to figure out which clown is The Joker.
However, for fans of the original Batman TV series, The Joker’s identity is plainly obvious.
The mask Joker wears is nearly identical to a mask worn by fellow Joker, Cesar Romero, in the episode “The Joker is Wild” from the old Batman TV series.
Fun fact, both times the mask was worn featured the debut appearances of The Joker.
12. Star-Lord’s DNA Anomaly - Guardians Of The Galaxy
Following the climactic battle in Guardians of the Galaxy, Peter Quill learns from the Nova Corps that he is in fact, only half-human. While this news is indeed shocking, the revelation of Quill’s extraterrestrial origins was revealed much earlier in the film.
After being captured by the Nova Corps, a DNA scan is shown while Dey describes Quill’s criminal history. After a few seconds, Quill’s DNA scan lights up red and a small alarm can be heard, hinting that there is something unusual about the results of Quill’s analysis.
Returning to the climax, both Dey and Nova Prime reveal the results as a never before seen anomaly that proves Peter’s father was both alien, as well as a powerful being.
It’s a shame that things did not work out between them.
11. NO CAPES! - The Incredibles
Although Edna Mode may come off as eccentric, she is the best when it comes to making outfits for superheroes. While she is more than happy to make outfits for people she views as gods, she has a single unspoken rule.
Under no condition are they to ask for capes.
After Mr. Incredible suggests adding one to his new costume, Edna literally throws the idea in his face. Edna justifies her reasoning by explaining that capes are a health hazard for heroes in the field.
Edna’s warning about capes serves as a spoiler for the fate of the movie’s antagonist, Syndrome. After failing to kidnap Jack-Jack, he gets thrown into the engines of his aircraft. From there, his cape gets caught in the turbines, dragging him to his end.
If he had been there to heed Edna’s advice, he may have lived to fight another day.
10. Thor Makes Ragnarok Way Too Obvious - Thor: Ragnarok
In the opening scenes of Thor: Ragnarok, Thor encounters the fire demon Surtur, who brags to Thor about Asgard’s unavoidable destruction by Ragnarok. When Surtur describes the events leading up to Ragnarok, they are in such clear detail that they sound far too specific to appear to be a coincidence.
However, Thor not only escapes Surtur’s domain, but also seemingly defeats him and takes his crown. After returning to Asgard, he orders a soldier to lock the crown away in Odin’s treasure vault, where the Eternal Flame, an important requirement for Surtur’s resurrection, is also being held.
From there, it appears Thor has prevented Ragnarok. Yet his victory appears far too easily achieved. Rather, it makes for an obvious scenario that Surtur will return and fulfill the prophecy of Ragnarok in the manner he describes at the start of the film.
9. Hippolyta’s Fear Gave It Away - Wonder Woman
First appearing in 2015’s Deathstroke #7, the Godkiller is the name of a powerful blade made by Hephaestus. As its name suggests, it has the power to kill immortal beings, such as Gods and Titans.
From this quote alone, Hippolyta’s fear for her daughter gives away just how important Diana is in defeating Ares. Plus, after she discovers her ability to produce shockwaves of divine energy, it becomes clear that she is the real Godkiller.
8. Harry Unknowingly Predicts His Own Death - Spider-Man 3
Following the events of Spider-Man 2, Harry Osborne confronts Peter to avenge the death of his father, which he believes Peter was responsible for. Despite Peter’s pleas that he was not responsible, Harry refuses to listen. During their confrontation, Harry takes a blow to the head, which gives him amnesia. While in the hospital a nurse comments that Harry is lucky to have friends like Peter and Mary Jane, to which he responds by saying that he would give his life for them.
From the moment those words leave his lips, their significance foreshadows the end of Harry’s life. Sure enough, during the final battle with Venom, Harry’s words come true as he takes a deadly blow meant for Peter.
At the very least there is comfort knowing that he was able to reconcile with his friends in his last moments.
7. Don’t Mess With The Regulator… Unless You Really Have To! - Ant-Man
During their training, Hank Pym catches Scott Lang messing around with the regulator on the Ant-Man suit. Ignoring Scott’s possible suggestions to improve it, Hank warns him not to mess with the regulator. He warns that doing so could make him go subatomic. He would never stop shrinking until he reaches a world where time and human understanding are non-existent.
Hank’s warning is a classic foreshadowing of when heroes use a dangerous method to save the day.
However, like Hank, Scott loves his daughter and goes to great lengths to protect her. So when Yellowjacket threatens her, Scott does not hesitate to go subatomic and destroy his armor from the inside.
Thankfully, Hank’s warning only foreshadows Scott tampering with the regulator and not him losing his life by being sent to the Quantum Realm.
6. Logan’s Adamantium Poisoning Means The End Is Near – Logan
For over 17 years, Hugh Jackman was responsible for bringing Wolverine to life on the big screen. However, after many years, Hugh Jackman decided to retire his version of Wolverine for good in Logan.
After struggling against a group of car thieves, it is revealed that Logan’s diminished strength is the result of adamantium poisoning. It is also responsible for weakening his healing factor, along with his health. In other words, Wolverine’s body is slowly dying.
From the moment his condition was announced, it became clear to fans that this really was the end, and that Wolverine would die. Despite the early spoiler of his fate, it did little to comfort fans as they watched one of the most beloved member of the X-Men die right in front of them.
5. Obadiah Stane Foreshadows Iron Monger - Iron Man
In both film, and comics, Obadiah Stane has proven to be one of the most dangerous members of Iron Man’s rogues gallery.
At first, he appears as a surrogate father figure to Tony. After Tony returns from captivity under the Ten Rings, Stane’s true character begins to come to the surface, until he is eventually exposed as the one responsible for orchestrating Tony’s capture. However, before this happens there is a certain moment that teases his transformation into a villain.
In the scene where he and Tony visit the companies large ARC reactor, Stane berates Tony’s desire to cease the company’s production and distribution of weapons. As he tries to make him see reason, he says: “We’re iron mongers, we make weapons.”
That one line gives away his identity as the film’s main villain and his eventual transformation into Iron Monger.
4. Dr. Strange Met Dormmamu Before The Final Battle - Dr. Strange
As the Earth’s sorcerer supreme, Dr. Strange is charged with safeguarding the Earth from mystical and inter-dimensional threats. One of his biggest accomplishments to date was achieving victory over the inter-dimensional entity Dormammu by outsmarting him and trapping him in a never ending temporal loop.
However, Strange’s first encounter with Dormammu happened much earlier. In fact, it happens shortly after Strange meets the Ancient One.
Originally sceptical of the Ancient One’s teachings, she forces him to acknowledge the truth by “opening his eye.” Towards the end of his enlightening experience, Strange has a brief encounter with Dormammu. Though no words are spoken between the two, they do make brief eye contact.
Even though the Ancient One does not directly refer to him, she does allude to the threat Dormammu presents. She also mentions that he is waiting, implying that he is the films’ main antagonist, manipulating events behind the scenes.
3. Rocket Teases The Hadron Enforcer’s Importance - Guardians Of The Galaxy
Despite his cute exterior, Rocket is without a doubt one of the more dangerous members of the Guardians of the Galaxy. With his advanced intellect, he has produced weapons with highly destructive capabilities, like the Hadron Enforcer. After escaping from the Kyln in the first film, Rocket fiddles around with some parts that he uses to build the Hadron Enforcer. When Quill inquires about what he is building, Rocket alludes to its importance by saying “That’s for if things get really hardcore.”
Rocket’s vague reference to the weapon, spoils its importance in the film’s climax, in the Guardians’ decisive battle with Ronan.
In the final moments of their confrontation, Quill distracts Ronan with his dancing long enough for Rocket to reassemble the Hadron Enforcer and destroy Ronan’s hammer harboring the infinity stone. The stakes do not get more hardcore than that.
2. Talia Knew Too Much As Miranda - The Dark Knight Rises
Tom Hardy’s portrayal of Bane leaves such an impression, that many initially assumed that he was the film’s true villain. In a surprising twist, it is revealed that he’s just another pawn. The real mastermind behind Bane’s plot to isolate and destroy Gotham was Miranda Tate, aka Talia Al Ghul.
Prior to this revelation, there are several clues that hint towards Miranda’s real identity. Firstly, she has inside knowledge about WayneTech that no one else besides Bruce and his inner circle would know about.
Additionally, she is one of the few people that Bane does not kill. Finally, the biggest clue to her identity was how she got through Bruce’s guard and became his lover.
Considering that Bruce was still broken up about losing his childhood crush, Rachel Dawes, this was a feat that very few women could have pulled off.
1. The Opening Spoils The End - Captain America: The First Avenger
Captain America made quite the impression with his debut to the MCU in Captain America: The First Avenger. As the first Avenger, Captain America’s actions are what inspired The Avengers initiative in the first place.
Out of all the Avengers, Caps origin explaining how he arrived from World War II to the present day is the most well known. After the first five minutes following the Paramount Logo, the film spoils the inevitable fate of Captain America following his fight against the evil organization that is Hydra.
Caps origins, and the events leading up to his final confrontation with Red Skull, features some of the MCU’s best moments. However, the closer we get to the end the more the audiences interest wanes, as they already know the outcome of Cap’s endeavors.
Although, there is comfort knowing that Caps journey has only just begun as both a hero and an Avenger.
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Had you noticed any of these? Let us know!
