It might have taken 13 seasons, but The Masked Singer finally managed to land a Marvel Cinematic Universe star… and we’re not talking some minor side character. No, FOX actually managed to net a truly iconic member of the MCU!
Setting the stage, the season 13 semifinals seemed primed to send home one of its four remaining semifinalists when our favorite feathered detective crashed the stage to save the night. After saving Coral and Boogie Woogie from the threat of elimination, allowing them to sail into the 2-hour season finale to compete alongside fellow finalists, Pearl and Mad Scientist, Lucky Duck revealed it was time for him to hang up his detective hat and unmask himself.
“The biggest surprise of all isn’t that they’re not unmasking. It’s that I am,” he revealed as he threw to a clue package hinting at his personal identity, including the reveal that he spends most of his time on movie sets with a big “superheroes” banner splashed across his clue board – a major clue hinting a Marvel star was under the mask.
After dancing his way to the stage to Queen’s “I Want to Break Free,” Lucky Duck unmasked himself and revealed himself to be actor and filmmaker Taika Waititi, known to MCU fans as the voice of Thor’s best bud, Korg!
“I’m a pop star, America,” Waititi joked at the encouragement of his wife, season 13 panelist Rita Ora, playfully adding that he decided to don the Lucky Duck mask this season because, “The main reason I wanted to do this is because it’s the only way I was going to get to see my wife because you guys have her working so hard, I never see her.
Needless to say, Waititi is one of the biggest stars to be unmasked on The Masked Singer stage, and he makes history as the first Marvel star to compete on FOX’s hit singing competition series. While we do wish he had competed alongside the rest of the cast and showed off his singing abilities, it was honestly fitting that Waititi tapped into his comedic abilities to bring a little fun to the competition this season as the show’s in-house masked detective.
Funny enough, this marks the second time the spouse of a Masked Singer panelist has appeared on The Masked Singer as a feathered detective. Back in season 5, Jenny McCarthy-Wahlberg’s husband, Donnie Wahlberg, crashed the show as Cluedle-Doo, who popped up across the season to give bonus clues about the season’s contestants.
It just goes to show that you truly never know which celebrities are going to pop up on The Masked Singer, and we love that the show is still finding ways to surprise us 13 seasons into its run!
You can watch Waititi's unmasking on The Masked Singer below, and don't miss the 2-hour season 13 finale on Wednesday, May 7, beginning at 8/7c on FOX.