The Artist of Doctor Strange 2 Reveals the HYDRA Easter Egg We All Missed
HYDRA first appeared in the Marvel Cinematic Universe as a Nazi-affiliated scientific organization in Captain America: The First Avenger. The nefarious organization has now been revealed to have spent decades lurking inside SHIELD, but since then, HYDRA has been mostly quiet, with its only big appearances coming in the Agents of SHIELD TV series – one whose canonicity remains debatable.
Even while HYDRA has been defeated in the main MCU reality, this does not imply that the same is true for the rest of the Multiverse. After all, the number of universes is infinite. Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness gave fans their closest look yet into these numerous realities.
The narrative was mostly restricted to a few chosen worlds, notably the legendary Earth-838 planet, which housed the film’s Illuminati. However, one scenario included Doctor Strange and America Chavez traveling between worlds to avoid the Scarlet Witch’s wrath, revealing a paint-made reality, the Savage Land, and even a realm dominated by HYDRA.
Doctor Strange 2 Teases an Easter Egg Featuring Hydra
Variety recently talked with many of the visual effects artists of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, who disclosed information about previously unknown Easter eggs included in the film.
The article focused on a shot from the Multiverse’s black-and-white world in which a blimp with the Hydra sign is seen flying past.
During Strange and America Chavez’s voyage across the Multiverse, the HYDRA World emerges as one of many planets.
Luma senior VFX producer Michael Perdew went on to detail the Gargantos battle, which his team worked on early in the film. Perdew claimed that he had been “begging” to use the squid-like extraterrestrial for some time, and that his design was a “allusion” to Shuma-Gorath:
“I’ve been pleading for this character for years, since about 2014.” In the comics, the character has two names: Gargantos is a variation of another named Shuma-Gorath. So the design is more of a reference to that character.”
HYDRA’s Influence on the MCU Continues
The Captain America trilogy and the Agents of SHIELD TV series were heavily influenced by HYDRA. Since both ended, the group has been mostly absent from the MCU. The Nazi-affiliated scientific organization seems to have peaked after its incorporation with SHIELD was revealed in The Winter Soldier.
As the MCU moves on to greater dangers, it’s difficult to see HYDRA making a reappearance anytime soon, unless it plays a part in the forthcoming Captain America 4. Having said that, the organization is one of the most significant in the Marvel universe, so it’s nice to see it still being mentioned.
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness looks to be spotlighting a reality in which HYDRA dominates the globe, probably as a result of the Nazis defeating the Allies at the close of World War ll.
Because this well-placed Easter egg was just recently discovered, there might be many more interesting allusions buried inside Multiverse of Madness, a film with more potential to bury secrets than any other in MCU history.
Who knows whether HYDRA will ever return to the MCU, but for the time being, its most recent appearance can be seen in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, which is presently playing in cinemas globally.
