In the debut episode of Netflix and Marvel’s “Iron Fist,” Danny Rand (Finn Jones) returns to New York after spending 15 years away - while the world thought he was dead. If you’ve already watched the episode, I’ve tracked down all of Easter eggs (details hidden by the production team to give a shout out to the fans) and comic book references you can shake a stick at.
Spoiler alert: this list of Easter eggs assumes you are caught up with everything in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and contains spoilers for the shows and movies that are a part of it, including “Iron Fist.”
The Stage Deli
While Danny’s line about grabbing a cup of tea at the Stage Deli might seem like a throwaway bit, the Stage Deli is actually a well known NYC establishment - or it was.
Opened in 1937, it was the biggest competition for the Carnegie Deli up until 2012 when it shut its doors. Both restaurants boasted big name customers and menus with items named for big stars; their chief competition was over who had the best pastrami. The Stage Deli featured in the films “Two Weeks Notice” in 2002 and “Anything Else” in 2003.
The Meachums
Danny’s interactions aren’t that far off from the initial “Iron Fist” stories of the 1970s. The big difference in the show is that Ward isn’t Joy’s brother in the comics. Instead, Ward Meachum is Joy’s uncle, a change made for the show likely to make them all closer in age, and probably not a huge departure since the series seems to be staying so close to the comics as is.
Danny and the dog
Marvel’s Netflix heroes sure have a thing for dogs. “Daredevil” saw the Punisher bond with a dog and avenge his abuse. “Jessica Jones” saw Luke Cage stare down a pair of dogs, but not hurt them. “Iron Fist” goes a step further and shows Danny being able to calm a dog down with the skills he learned in K'un-Lun.
Intentional callback or not? You be the judge.
Colleen Wing
You might remember those flyers she’s hanging up from the first season of “Luke Cage,” where Claire Temple picked one up. Though we don’t learn much about her in this episode, she made her debut in in the fifth “Iron Fist” story, so it makes sense that the show would debut her early on.
She goes on to run a detective agency with Misty Knight in the comics, who also made her debut in “Luke Cage,” so expect to see more of her.
The New York Bulletin
For those keeping track of Marvel’s Netflix shows, you’ll remember that this newspaper is the one Ben Urich worked for on “Daredevil” and has been used throughout the other shows. Here, it’s the one brandishing the headlines Danny has Big Al look up on his found iPhone.
Bleeker Street
Big Al grabs a sandwich from Bleeker Street for Danny. That street also happens to house Doctor Strange’s Sanctum Santorum and the location for a pizza place where Peter Parker once worked. New York is a small world in a big city.
K'un-Lun and Shou-Lao the Undying
That brings us to K'un-Lun and Shou-Lao the Undying, both of which get shout outs in the first episode, but no explanation, as Danny says his mission is to protect them. The mention is supposed to tease fans with what’s next, though comic book fans already have a little more background.
K'un-Lun is a mystical city that only appears on Earth through a very specific set of circumstances. In the comics, it’s Danny’s father who discovers it and the Rand family has a larger connection to it than what we’ve seen so far. The city typically has to be accessed by magic, so we might get a little more mystical on the show as things go along.
Shou-Lao is… a dragon. Yes, an actual dragon.
The dragon is actually where K'un-Lun gets its power and how Iron Fist becomes the Iron Fist. In order to become the Iron Fist, a person has to defeat this mythical creature and touch its heart to be granted the power. Just how much of that we’ll see on the series remains to be seen.
Up next
In episode two, “Shadow Hawk Takes Flight,” Danny struggles to get back into his old life, but the Meachums do their best to keep him out of it.
