History Main / EarlyBirdCameo

* A number of the characters in ''VideoGame/LegoMarvelSuperHeroes'' debuted in the game before they even had Lego figures on the market. The game offered up first looks at the Lego counterparts for characters like ComicBook/{{Storm}} and ComicBook/TheFalcon, whose figures weren't released until ''Film/XMenDaysOfFuturePast'' and ''Film/CaptainAmericaTheWinterSoldier'' were out in theaters.
* ''VideoGame/LegoMarvelsAvengers'' does the same thing with the DLC for ''Film/CaptainAmericaCivilWar'', showing off the figures for characters like Comicbook/BlackPanther and Crossbones before they were even in toy stores.

* ''LetsPlay/WitchCraftSMP'': {{Downplayed|Trope}}. In Tiff's 8th episode, while she's preparing to take on the dungeon, a couple of death messages pop up stating that Bertha has been killed by an Obsidilith, which later serves as the final boss of the dungeon.

* In ''WebAnimation/FiveNightsAtFredysForgottenEvents'', a red Toy Bonnie plushie appears in "Mysterious Task". Later in season 3 during the Flash Forward sequence during William Afton's plans, a billboard teasing the fourth season also has the red Toy Bonnie on it. He is officially introduced in "Sinister Friend".

* In ''WebAnimation:FiveNightsAtFredysForgottenEvents'', a red Toy Bonnie plushie appears in "Mysterious Task". Later in season 3 during the Flash Forward sequence during William Afton's plans, a billboard teasing the fourth season also has the red Toy Bonnie on it. He is officially introduced in "Sinister Friend".

* In ''Literature/TrintonChronicles'', the villains known as ''Trinity'' make a minor appearance at the end of Fantasia before becoming the villains of the next story. By that same token, a character from another furry-based game called Arcadia makes her pre-Trinton appearance here before plopping into ''Trinton Chronicles'' two years later.

* 'The lame girl with the spirit of the ''squirrel'' ' was a throwaway line in some early Literature/WhateleyUniverse stories. Then she was a weak character in some of the Phase stories, where she was in Phase's aikido class and gained the name Aquerna. Now she's had a vignette and a novel.
* ''WebVideo/BaumgartnerRestoration'': Sometimes paintings that will become the subject of future videos can be seen in the background.

* WebVideo/TheUnluckyTug: In the ColdOpen for the Sodor's Finest episode about Percy, the first two engines Sir Topham Hatt sees at the workshop are Emily and Arthur (facing away from the camera, David Mitton style). This scene takes place during season 1 of ''WesternAnimation/ThomasAndFriends''; both engines were introduced in season 7.
* ''WebVideo/CriticalRole'': Early in the first campaign, Vox Machina journeys into the Elemental Plane of Fire for Keyleth's quest and while there spot, in the distance, the most massive dragon they have ever seen. Nearly twenty episodes later, that same red dragon, now revealed as Thordak, the Cinder King, leads a quartet of other ancient chromatic dragons in a devastating war of conquest on the continent of Tal'Dorei.

->''"VideoGame/{{Sonic|TheHedgehog}}'s first appearance was a cameo in the 1991 arcade racing game ''VideoGame/RadMobile''. You can see him dangling near the top of the windshield."''

* WebVideo/TheUnluckyTug: In the ColdOpen for the Sodor's Finest episode about Percy, the first two engines Sir Topham Hatt sees at the workshop are Emily and Arthur (facing away from the camera, David Mitton style).

* 'The lame girl with the spirit of the ''squirrel'' ' was a throwaway line in some early Literature/WhateleyUniverse stories. Then she was a weak character in some of the Phase stories, where she was in Phase's aikido class and gained the name Aquerna. Now she's had a vignetteand a novel.

* The ''WesternAnimation/TransformersPrime'' did not have any toys until after the ''[[Film/TransformersFilmSeries Dark of the Moon]]'' line has been out for a while. But a few of the major players (Optimus, Bumblebee, Megatron, Starscream, & Soundwave) got each got a toy in the [[Franchise/TransformersGeneration1 Generations]] line.

* ''Series/TheMuppetShow'': the episode guest-starring Creator/MarkHamill as [[Franchise/StarWars Luke Skywalker]] aired three months before the premiere of ''Film/TheEmpireStrikesBack'', and was the first time Luke [[https://screenrant.com/star-wars-muppet-show-episode-mark-hamill-response/ wore the Bespin uniform]] that he would wear in the film.