The Hidden Avengers Easter Egg You Probably Missed In God Of War
2018's God of War is such a large and bustling game, it's bound to have content referencing other properties. For instance, Kratos' utterance of the phrase "indeed" at the Mountain's Base area was confirmed by Kratos voice actor Christopher Judge as a reference to his character from Stargate SG-1. However, the references don't stop at Stargate, as the game also contains a reference to 2012's massive blockbuster The Avengers.
Throughout God of War, Kratos and his son, Atreus, both come across and lay waste to numerous monsters and beasts, large and small, each itching to see to Kratos and Atreus' demise. Two said beasts are giant trolls named Grendel of the Frost and Grendel of the Ashes. Upon defeating both of them, Atreus says, "Puny troll."
This is a reference to one of the final scenes of The Avengers in which the Hulk smashes a soliloquizing Loki to and fro, eventually relinquishing his hold on Loki and utters, "Puny god," as he walks away from the defeated foe.
Thor and Loki
Atreus is actually God of War's representation of the Norse god Loki. Of course, God of War's iteration of Loki involves far more mystery and intrigue than the Marvel Cinematic Universe's version of Loki. For instance, the World Serpent tells Atreus at one point that he looks familiar to him. This refers to Norse mythology, whose iteration of the World Serpent is the progeny of Loki.
The MCU and God of War's interpretations of Thor and Loki differ in other ways, as well. Thor appears very briefly in God of War, particularly in an end credits dream sequence by Atreus. In this sequence, Thor appears stoic and otherwise ready to exact revenge for Baldur's death, hinting at a sequel. While brief, this Thor is similar to the classical depictions of the god from Norse mythology who is similarly stoic and brutish.
In the MCU, Thor has taken on a very different interpretation. In 2011's Thor, Chris Hemsworth's portrayal is somewhat low-key. The character is absolutely brutish but also portrays elements of comedy and doesn't appear as stoic as his God of War or Norse mythology counterpart. Thor's last appearances, from Thor: Ragnarok to Avengers: Endgame, have been mostly comedic, though the character is still capable of incredible feats on the battlefield.