The Marvel Cinematic Universe is not only known for superhero adventures and special effects, but also for so-called Easter eggs: hidden references and small details that you can only discover if you look closely. These little secrets often only reveal themselves after repeated viewings – and make the viewing experience even more fun.
Usually, Marvel Easter eggs reference other MCU films and characters, but sometimes they also reference other cinematic worlds. This is what happens in the “Captain America” sequel “The Return Of The First Avenger” – there’s an Easter egg here that should please not only MCU connoisseurs, but especially cinephiles.
After Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) fakes his death, we see a close-up of his gravestone for almost three seconds. If you press pause at 124 minutes and 32 seconds, you can decipher the inscription under Nick’s name: “The path of the righteous man… Ezekiel 25:17” is written under Nick’s name.
Film fans will of course know immediately: the saying is the first line of the famous monologue from “pulp fiction“, who always holds professional murderer Jules Winnfield when he is about to commit murder. Like Nick Fury, Winnfield is played by Samuel L. Jackson. The Easter egg shortly before the end of the film is a small tribute to an actor whose roles have a cult following far beyond the MCU. And of course also for Quentin Tarantino: not only because of Jackson’s repeated casting in films like “Jackie Brown” or “The Hateful Eight”, the cult director’s films somehow form their own universe.