Avengers: Age of Ultron Easter egg makes a beloved Disney movie MCU canon
A blink-and-you'll-miss-it shot in the Avengers entry brings a modern Disney classic into MCU canon.
The Marvel Cinematic Universe is hiding a big hero. While plenty of Easter eggs are scattered around the MCU, they often go overlooked or ignored. (Take, for example, Peggy Carter possibly mentioning an X-Men character in Avengers: Endgame.) But a recent TikTok is spreading the word about a forgotten connection to a modern Disney classic in Avengers: Age of Ultron – possibly hinting at a future Marvel crossover.
As pointed out by TikTokker @ivan_marss, this Avengers: Age of Ultron Easter egg was easy to miss the first time around. In the scene in question, Tony Stark frantically looks for a backup AI interface to replace J.A.R.V.I.S., rifling through a drawer in which we see multiple chips.
Stark ultimately settles on one reading “FRIDAY,” but among those other chips is one labeled “TADASHI,” instantly recognizable to any hardcore Disney fan as the first name of Tadashi Hamada. For those who are still a little lost, that’s the late, great brother of Hiro, the protagonist of Big Hero 6.
Tony’s U.I chips, including one marked “TADASHI.”
Big Hero 6 is critically acclaimed but regarded by fans as the MCU entry that never was. Inspired by the Marvel Comics of the same name, Big Hero 6 is undoubtedly a Marvel film, but it’s animated and set outside the universe of the MCU. At least, that’s widely believed to be the case.
This chip’s appearance in Age of Ultron opens the door to all sorts of possibilities, provided it’s not a throwaway piece of fan service simply meant to make a few knowing superhero devotees crack a smile. Could Tony have encountered or mentored budding engineer Tadashi at some point? Big Hero 6 is set in the future, but it’s possible Tony could have run into a young Tadashi and remembered the name whilst naming his A.I.
Though Disney owns Marvel, it’s rare that we see the MCU come together with other Disney franchises so directly. That’s why this Easter egg could be read by fans as a big deal, opening a portal to crossovers down the line.
Hiro and Tadashi Hamada in Big Hero 6.
Though it’s been a handful of years since Age of Ultron and Big Hero 6 hit in theaters, the window between these two worlds remains wide-open, should Disney seek to go that route. With the MCU already set in the (very near) future, perhaps it could slowly evolve into a world where San Fransokyo exists and can be further fleshed out.
These Easter eggs may seem inconsequential, but Marvel is known for playing the long game. Perhaps this Easter egg will pay off later on as the first hint of a massive chapter to come in the MCU.
Avengers: Age of Ultron and Big Hero 6 are both streaming on Disney+.
