Thor: Ragnarok still stands as one of the best MCU films to date. It occupies a solid spot in my top 5, primarily due to director Taika Waititi understanding that Chris Hemsworth is funny as hell. The movie is also crammed with various cool Easter Eggs, including the first appearance in the MCU of fan-favorite Beta Ray Bill (glimpsed as a statue), using actual Jack Kirby art as part of the set design and even squeezing in a reference to the box art of the original DOOM.
Now, eagle-eyed fans have spotted what might be another gaming reference. In the Hulk’s luxurious quarters in the film, there’s a pot on a shelf in the background. Said pot features a familiar triangles design that will be immediately recognizable to anyone with a passing interest in video games. This is The Legend of Zelda‘s Triforce logo, and the pot’s earthy design resembles the many pots you smash hunting for hearts and rupees throughout the series.
See for yourself below:
Now, I will grant that this could just be a coincidence. After all, the pic has a heavily Kirby-inspired aesthetic featuring a lot of tessellating patterns, so this might have arisen by chance. Even if it was intentional though, it might not be something Waititi himself decided to place in the movie and just something a Zelda fan working in set design decided to sneak in.
Either way, I’m hoping the director maintains the same humor and sharp eye for detail in the upcoming Thor: Love and Thunder. He’s currently on a high right now, with his latest film, Jojo Rabbit having walked away with the Best Adapted Screenplay award at the Oscars over the weekend. Let’s hope he can keep that momentum going for the God of Thunder’s next big screen adventure.