New Guardians of the Galaxy Easter egg discovered

A newly discovered Guardians of the Galaxy Easter egg shows Vol. 2’s planned plot twist.

In terms of Easter eggs and references, the first Guardians of the Galaxy set a whole new standard for films. It was packed to the brim with everything Marvel—and other things that were thrown in for good measure.

So it shouldn’t come as a surprise that people are still finding Easter eggs today—three years after the film’s release! We at Bam Smack Pow did our best in our Easter eggs and references article, but Screen Rant really stepped up their game. They discovered one of the most secretive and labor-intensive Easter eggs yet.

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WARNING: Potential spoilers ahead

In Vol. 2, we learned that Ego (played by Kurt Russell), Peter Quill’s (played by Chris Pratt) father, wasn’t all that altruistic. He only searched out his son because he needed a partner who could give him a power-up—for the sole purpose of dominating the universe.

In a typical bad-guy rant, Ego reveals a big twist: he was so in love with Meredith, Peter’s mother, that he was afraid he would remain on Earth and not carry out his plans for conquest. So he did what he had to do—kill Meredith by giving her brain cancer.

We may think this revelation was a development of Vol. 2‘s writing process, but Screen Rant’s Easter egg find shows that James Gunn had planned this since the first movie. By looking at the three superimposed coordinates when Earth, the Dark Aster, and Knowhere were introduced, Screen Rant decoded them to read:

"SHH… THIS IS MOMS CANCER… MEREDITH QUILL (E)X"

Here’s the evidence taken from screenshots from the first film:

Combined Screen Shot Courtesy of Screen Rant.

Call us impressed! And it shows that audiences should keep digging. Mr. Gunn truly rewards diligence. Read Screen Rant’s full article to see how they figured it out.

Production Details

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2—Official Synopsis

"Set to the backdrop of “Awesome Mixtape #2,” Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 continues the team’s adventures as they traverse the outer reaches of the cosmos. The Guardians must fight to keep their newfound family together as they unravel the mysteries of Peter Quill’s true parentage. Old foes become new allies and fan-favorite characters from the classic comics will come to our heroes’ aid as the Marvel cinematic universe continues to expand."

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 was released on May 5, 2017

It is directed by James Gunn, written by James Gunn, and stars Chris Pratt as Peter Quill / Star-Lord, Zoe Saldana as Gamora, Dave Bautista as Drax the Destroyer, Vin Diesel as Groot, Bradley Cooper as Rocket, Michael Rooker as Yondu Udonta, Karen Gillan as Nebula, Sean Gunn as Kraglin Obfonteri, Glenn Close as Irani Rael, Nathan Fillion as Simon Williams, Tommy Flanagan as Tulk, Pom Klementieff as Mantis, Elizabeth Debicki as Ayesha, Kurt Russell as Ego, and Sylvester Stallone as Stakar, with Chris Sullvian as Taserface, and Steve Agee as Gef.