Marvel Is Slowly Merging With Netflix's I Think You Should Leave And We're Here For It

Yesterday, the first trailer for "Ant-Man: Quantumania" was released, featuring a cameo that will change the Marvel Cinematic Universe as we know it forever — and Kang is there too.

Though many don't exactly know him by name, fans of Netflix's sketch comedy series "I Think You Should Leave" were delighted to see Ruben Rabasa, the old man from the nutty focus group sketch from season 1, pop up to thank "Spider-Man" for his heroism.

Finally, the MCU is growing up and showcasing real star power.

And Twitter took notice! Many users excitedly screenshotted Rabasa's moment in the coffee shop and made jokes about "I Think You Should Leave" becoming canon in the MCU, including one of the writers of "Quantumania," Jeff Loveness. Whether Rabasa is playing a recurring gag or just a throwaway extra, it really seems as though Marvel Studios couldn't have seen the virality of this one little cameo coming.

Or could they? If you've been paying attention to all the latest Phase 4 projects, however, you'd know the ITYSL-Verse has been gradually merging with the MCU for a while now. Though these moments have been subtle, we're hoping Rabasa's scene in this "Ant-Man" trailer opens the door to even more. 

Though "I Think You Should Leave" is not a niche show by any means, it has an absurdist sense of humor and its sketches are usually short enough that any out of context gag usually finds its way to success on the internet. Referencing a sketch from the Netflix series makes you seem like you're part of a club; it's easy Twitter points, just like posting Wong, sorcerer supreme.

Earlier this year, there was a nod to the comedy series in "Thor: Love and Thunder" in a brief flashback to Jane and Thor's romance on Halloween night. Jane was dressed as John Hurt in "Alien," complete with a chestburster. Thor was simply dressed in a hot dog costume.

If you haven't seen the original hot dog car sketch, you've definitely seen the image of creator Tim Robinson in the hot dog costume out of context, captioned "We're all trying to find the guy who did this!" Even removed from the context of the show, the image has evolved into a meme on its own, often used as a popular Twitter reaction image.

You can call this one a stretch, but its timing is not a coincidence, it absolutely seems like Thor in the hot dog outfit was designed to be screenshotted and captioned with the catchphrase. No one seemed to take the bait!

Then there's, "She-Hulk: Attorney at Law," the MCU's first comedy-forward sitcom. In episode six of the Disney+ series, protagonist Jennifer Walters attends as a bridesmaid at her friend Lulu's wedding, promising not to steal any of the attention as She-Hulk.

Though she's a guest star in only this episode of the show, Lulu is portrayed by "I Think You Should Leave" MVP, Patti Harrison. Boasting multiple appearances on the sketch comedy show, her dry wit and irony-poisoned sarcasm always make her a delight to watch on screen. Though her appearance in "She-Hulk" is a lot less manic than any of her surreal sketches, she was a wonderful surprise and her Instagram caption about making the episode is just as, if not more entertaining.

Jennifer Walters might have a hard life balancing her job as a lawyer and a Hulk, but at least her tables haven't been stepped on like Patti's — her entire job is tables, you nasty pig! All these crossovers from the ITYSL-verse and the MCU can only mean one thing: some executive at Marvel Studios has seen "I Think You Should Leave," and they're desperately trying to let us know that.

Keep it coming, Marvel, and take it even further. If you're looking for a wacky new take on Mr. Fantastic, Tim Robinson is right there.