Editor's note: The below article contains spoilers for Thor: Love and Thunder.Since it doesn't feature an entire multiverse, it's maybe not a surprise that Thor: Love and Thunder, the fourth film to focus on Chris Hemsworth's chiseled yet lovable Asgardian warrior, doesn't quite feature as many Easter eggs as Marvel Studio's last film -- Doctor Stranger in the Multiverse of Madness. But that doesn't mean the film is completely devoid of sly callbacks, surprising cameos, and subtle nods to Marvel comic-book history. Heck, there's even a shout-out to the once and future box-office king Tom Cruise nestled within Love and Thunder's fantasy setting. Here's our comprehensive list of all the Easter eggs we could find in director Taika Waititi's second Thor adventure.

RELATED: Thor Recap: From 'Ragnarok' Leading up to 'Love and Thunder'

Some Big-Name Cameos Earn Big Laughs

Matt Damon and Luke Hemsworth in Thor
Image via Marvel Studios

Thor: Love and Thunder features a handful of surprising faces, as the film recruits some big-name stars to drop by for a quick cameo. Matt Damon, Luke Hemsworth, and Sam Neill all return from Thor: Ragnorak as New Asgard's most committed theater troupe, only this time they're joined by comedy titan Melissa McCarthy, who plays Hela in a dramatic reenactment of the events of Ragnarok. If you look closely, you can also spot McCarthy's husband, Ben Falcone, lurking around the stage during their scene. Jonny Brugh, who Waititi fans will know as Deacon in the original What We Do in the Shadows film, also drops by to play one of the film's many gods. Ultimately, though, the biggest surprise on the cameo front has to be Ted Lasso star Brett Goldstein, who shows up in the first of the film's two end-credits scenes as the Marvel version of the Roman half-god Hercules.

Some MCU Favorites Return

Darcy Lewis (Kat Dennings) in WandaVision
Image via Disney+

Love and Thunder also brings back a couple of long-time MCU favorites who were never confirmed to be in the cast for quick appearances. As Natalie Portman's Jane Foster undergoes cancer treatments, she's visited by her BFF Darcy Lewis (Kat Dennings), who sat out Thor: Ragnarok and most recently appeared on the Marvel Disney+ series, WandaVision. Jane and Darcy's old astrophysics professor Erik Selvig (Stellan Skarsgård) also briefly appears during a video message he leaves for Jane. And, finally, though he died in Avengers: Infinity War, Idris Elba's Heimdall keeps his streak of appearing in every single Thor film alive by popping up in Valhalla, the Asgardian version of the afterlife, during the movie's second end-credits scene. And though Jaimie Alexander's return as Lady Sif was announced in advanced, fans of the character were no doubt happy to see her return to the fold for a couple of scenes after being left out of Ragnarok.

Does This Mean 'Team Thor' is Canon?!

team-thor-chris-hemsworth
Image via Marvel

There's one more cameo buried in Thor: Love and Thunder, but it will likely only be noticed by the most committed Marvel enthusiasts. Between 2016 and 2018, Waititi and Hemsworth filmed a trio of comedy shorts featuring Thor hanging out on Earth with his new roommate, Darryl (Daley Pearson), an assuming and beleaguered Australian office worker. The three shorts -- Team Thor, Team Thor: Part 2, and Team Darryl -- are all a lot of fun but don't comfortably fit into existing MCU continuity. Well, never you mind that because Darryl returns in Love and Thunder, where he makes a decidedly canonical appearance as a tour guide working in New Asgard. Good for Darryl.

Cool Signage in New Asgard

Since New Asgard is apparently now a hot tourist destination, you'll notice a number of tourist-friendly businesses set up around town. Our favorite is Infinity Conez, an ice-cream shop that no doubt offers such flavors as Soul Stone Sherbet and Reality Stone Strawberry. Although the award for best signage in the movie has to go to the Cocktails & Dreams sign that can be spotted on Valkyrie's Viking-boat spaceship. That's the name of the bar Tom Cruise's character wants to open in the 1988 guilty pleasure Cocktail. Hmm, we hear Cruise legacy sequels are a hot commodity right now. Maybe it's time for a Cocktail comeback as well.

Guns N' Roses Galore

The soundtrack to Thor: Love and Thunder is absolutely loaded with Guns N' Roses tunes, as no less than four are featured in the film itself. If you look closely you'll also spot a t-shirt and poster promoting the band, not to mention the fact that Heimdall's son has taken the name Axl after Guns N' Roses singer, Axl Rose. I think it's safe to say that Waititi is a fan.

Marvel Connections

eternals-celestials
Image via Marvel Studios

There are a few nods to Marvel lore smattered around the film. At least some statues at the Gates of Eternity appear to be based on the Celestials, the giant space gods that have appeared sporadically in the MCU before becoming a major presence in 2021's Eternals. Also, if you pay close attention to the animated Marvel Studios emblem at the beginning of the film (which is accompanied by a totally bitchin' hard-rock version of the Marvel fanfare), you'll notice that a few new characters who so far have been relegated to the Disney+ MCU shows, including Moon Knight and Ms. Marvel, made the jump to the big-screen vanity logo. Fans of the comics should also pick up on a few references pointing back to the source material. Perhaps the biggest one is the giant monster-god that lays fallen in the early scene with Lady Sif. That's Falligar the Behemoth, and the shot of him dead on the battlefield is ripped straight from the comics.

Some Sorta Kinda Disney Eggs

Close-up of the xenomorph from 'Alien' (1979)
Image via 20th Century Fox

During a flashback scene featuring Thor and Jane in happier times, we see Jane, who must be a big fan of Ridley Scott's Alien (although, honestly, who isn't?), wearing a Chestbuster costume at a Halloween party in tribute to the 1979 film's most iconic scene. Alien is a 20th Century Fox film, though Disney purchased that studio, along with the rights to the Alien franchise, in 2019. Love and Thunder also briefly showcases a cute little bao god who reminds us a lot of the anthropomorphic dumpling from the 2018 Pixar short film Bao. They're not exactly the same, but we assume all sentient baos are at least related.

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