Avengers: Endgame Easter egg could set up an iconic X-Men's introduction
A brief scene with Peggy Carter may have been teasing an important X-Men character.
In Avengers: Endgame, Captain America and Iron Man are forced to take a time-hopping detour to a S.H.I.E.L.D. base in 1970. This gives Steve Rogers a chance to spy on his old flame Peggy Carter while Tony Stark reconnects with his own father. However, the biggest cameo in the scene might be a character we don't see at all, but one who's merely referenced and could play a huge role in the future of Marvel's Cinematic Universe.
Reddit user cbfw86 posted an image of the Endgame scene in which Cap listens in on a conversation between Peggy and an unknown S.H.I.E.L.D. agent. While their conversation is inaudible, the subtitles provide a better understanding of what’s going on. The agent is heard telling Peggy that “Braddock’s unit has been stopped by lightning strikes.” When Peggy says that she’ll look at the weather projections, she later deduces that it isn’t lightning strikes at all. (A quick check on Disney+ confirms this is accurate.)
this conversation could mean absolutely nothing, but then why include what they’re saying in the subtitles at all? With that in mind, the tease of some unnatural lightning could be a clever setup for one of the most important members of the X-Men ahead of the superhero group's introduction into the MCU.
It’s possible that the discussion might be alluding to Storm, a prominent member of the X-Men and a mutant with weather-controlling abilities. Fans have been speculating for years about how the X-Men may finally join the MCU. Who else could produce a lightning strike that isn’t what it seems? Perhaps this Easter egg is a fun nod to Storm’s existence in the universe and a clue to her arrival in future movies.
Storm can control lightning...
Of course, Storm’s existence in 1970 doesn’t make a whole lot of sense either. Let’s say Storm is already a teenager or an adult during this era. That means that she’d be in her 60s or 70s in the present day. The numbers don’t add up and it wouldn't be ideal to drop her so early on in the timeline. That said, there are other options as to who Peggy is referencing.
The unnamed agent mentions someone named Braddock. This is likely a nod to Brian Braddock (aka, Captain Britain). In the comics, Merlin (yes, the legendary Arthurian magician) bestowed Braddock with immense powers — super strength, speed, energy beams, and more — after an accident nearly killed him. Name-dropping Braddock can't just be a coincidence, right?
Captain Britain, is that you?
The Inverse Analysis — We know the referenced dialogue was actually written into the script for Endgame, so the nod to lightning strikes and Braddock are intentional despite not being able to hear the full conversation. In the script, the scene is even longer and Peggy goes on to tell the agent to call Braddock and have him shelter in place.
It’s possible the scene was written to simply tease Captain Britain’s existence in the MCU or work as a set up for Storm’s arrival. Or perhaps the lightning strike is a nod to Hela, who could have landed on Earth to wreak havoc prior to her being locked up by Odin. Either way, it’s exciting to think that Endgame was subtly expanding its catalog of MCU characters ahead of Marvel Phase 4.
Avengers: Endgame is currently streaming on Disney+.
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