The 30 best pop culture references in the Marvel Cinematic Universe

The Marvel Cinematic Universe is just bursting with pop culture references to famous films, TV shows, and even songs – it's enough to have you pointing right at your screen and exclaiming "I understood that reference!" in your best Steve Rogers voice.

It might be hard to keep track of all those shoutouts, but that's where we come in. We've rounded up the 30 very best pop culture references in the MCU, from Lord of the Rings to James Bond, all the nostalgia the '90s-set Captain Marvel brings, and Spider-Man's penchant for name-dropping iconic movies. We've got the obvious nods, like Loki revealing the true identity of a notorious criminal mastermind, to more subtle references that may have flown right over your head, like some of the musical shoutouts.

So, from the MCU's first outing with Iron Man all the way up to Eternals, here are the very best pop culture references that can be found in the MCU so far.

By Molly Edwards, Hanna Flint