The Many Cameos of Old Characters in Avengers: Endgame

Warning: This post contains spoilers for Avengers: Endgame.

When Natalie Portman showed up on the red carpet for Avengers: Endgame, fans lost their minds. The actor, who played Jane Foster in the first two Thor films, hadn’t been seen onscreen in a Marvel film since 2013.

Avengers: Endgame is the culmination of 11 years and 22 movies. It’s probably the last time fans will see certain superheroes, which makes the film especially poignant. But it’s also a homecoming of sorts, where eagle-eyed fans have spotted a number of characters from past films. Some are of great consequence, instrumental to the plot and the franchise’s ultimate endgame. Others are more fun, serving as Easter Eggs. And others are simply the late, great Stan Lee.

Here are a few of the familiar faces you may have forgotten.

Korg

Last seen in: Thor: Ragnarok

Fan-favorite rock being Korg (Taika Waititi) seems to have survived Thanos’ onslaught. When Hulk and Rocket set out on a mission to find Thor in New Asgaard, they find the God of Thunder playing video games with sweet-hearted Korg.

The Ancient One

Last seen in: Doctor Strange

When the Avengers arrive in New York in 2012 to retrieve several Infinity Stones, they find that Doctor Strange has not yet become a master of magic. Instead, the Ancient One (Tilda Swinton) holds and protects the Time Stone. Hulk has to negotiate with her in order to get it.

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Alexander Pierce

Last seen in: Captain America: The Winter Soldier

During the Avengers’ trip back to New York in 2012 to recover several Infinity Stones, they encounter then-head of S.H.I.E.L.D. Alexander Pierce (Robert Redford), who made his first and only previous appearance in Captain America: The Winter Soldier. In that movie, he’s revealed to be an undercover HYDRA agent who has infiltrated S.H.I.E.L.D.

Jasper Sitwell

Last seen in: Thor, Avengers, Captain America: The Winter Soldier

This high-ranking field agent, played by Maximiliano Hernández is in New Mexico when Thor arrives. He’s present when the Avengers first meet and also turns out to be a HYDRA agent.

Crossbones

Last seen in: Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Captain America: Civil War

Brock Rumlow turns out to be another HYDRA agent. After Captain America fights him in Winter Soldier, he reappears in Captain America: Civil War as the villain Crossbones (Frank Grillo). He tries to kill Captain America with an explosion, but Scarlet Witch saves Cap while accidentally killing innocent Wakandan civilians in the process.

Jane Foster

Last seen in: Thor and Thor: The Dark World

Thor and Rocket have to travel back to Asgard in order to retrieve the Aether from his old flame Jane Foster (Natalie Portman).

Red Skull

Last seen in Captain America: The First Avenger (Hugo Weaving), Avengers: Infinity War (Ross Marquand)

The leader of the Nazi offshoot HYDRA in World War II was banished to Vormir to guard the Soul Stone after he tried to handle an Infinity Stone himself. He was the one who advised Thanos he had to sacrifice something he loved in order to gain the stone in Infinity War and offers the same service to Black Widow and Hawkeye in Endgame.

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Peggy Carter

Last seen in: Captain America: The First Avenger, Captain America: The Winter Soldier

When he and Iron Man travel back to an army base in 1970 to steal the Space Stone, Captain America finds the office of his one true love Peggy Carter (Hayley Atwell). The two have been separated by time ever since Captain America froze at the end of The First Avenger.

Howard Stark

Last seen in: Iron Man 2, Captain America: Civil War, Ant-Man, Dominic Cooper in Captain America: The First Avenger

Tony has had a tumultuous relationship with his father’s legacy ever since he found out that his father, played by John Slattery, worked for S.H.I.E.L.D. He also made Captain America his shield and was killed by Captain America’s best friend Bucky. Here, when he travels back to 1970 to steal the Space Stone from his father, Tony finds some closure.

Harley Keener

Last seen in: Iron Man 3

Remember back in Iron Man 3 when Tony breaks into a family’s garage to fix his armor after a fight? A little boy named Harley (Ty Simpkins) finds him there and they become friends. Harley, now grown into a teen, was kind enough to show up to Tony Stark’s funeral.

Stan Lee

Last seen in: every Marvel Cinematic Universe film

Stan Lee, the comic book creator of so many Marvel heroes that have made their way onscreen, made a cameo in every single one of the Marvel movies before he passed away. In this movie he made his last cameo performance. He plays a man in a car in the 1970s who jeers at soldiers.