If you had told someone a decade ago that the most successful movies being released in 2018 were comic book movies, people wouldn’t have believed you. There was a real stigma with comic book movies for a long time, but Marvel movies have all but abolished that archaic belief and are now the high water mark for blockbuster movies. And with all the recent shocking revelations in Infinity War, safe to say Marvel is only going to get bigger and more intense with each new movie.
Here are 10 movie facts about the Avengers that only the biggest MCU fans know about! Well, except for that Galaga one, which is kind of a freebie.
10. One of Them is Definitely A Skrull (and Always Was)!
Starting out big here, but anyone who has been paying close attention to Marvel’s cinematic universe and who has followed the comics knows, the Skrulls have already invaded (confirmed by the recent Captain Marvel trailer). To those who don’t know, the Skrulls are shape-shifting aliens who can assimilate any human being without a trace with dreams of taking over the whole planet.
The big reveal in the comics was the She-Hulk had been a skrull for quite some time, working from the inside. What this most likely means for the MCU is one of our big heroes has been a Skrull this whole time. Considering all three main heroes (Hulk, Cap, Iron Man) are all about ready to bail on their contracts, it’s probable that one of these people are gonna be revealed as a Skrull and it’s gonna change everything.
9 TV Hulk Did Voice Work for Movie Hulk
Every old-school Marvel fan remembers the cheesy awesomeness of the Incredible Hulk show from the ‘70’s. Watch it now and it’s a legit cringefest, but at the time, it raised the bar for comic adaptations and was very popular. That said, the man who played the Hulk on that show (bodybuilder Lou Ferrigno) also provided his voice (it is freakishly deep IRL) to help make some of Hulk’s grunts and groans come to life.
Nice old-school shout-out from Marvel.
8. The Ending Of Ant-Man And The Wasp Connection To Infinity War (SPOILERS)
Technically, only one Marvel movie (so far) addresses the devastating end of Infinity War, and that movie is Ant-Man And The Wasp. Sadly, not nearly as many people have seen that as Infinity War, so fewer have seen this little aside. Yup, Thanos does some bug catching, too.
May not be much, but it shows you just how far-reaching Thanos’ devastation was. And Ant-Man, well he seems kind of screwed to be honest.
7. Thor’s Stormbreaker
Seeing Thor lose his first hammer, Mjolnir, sucked, but true fans of Marvel know that Thor gets Stormbreaker as a follow-up weapon, so getting to finally see this axe and hammer hybrid in Infinity War was a cool moment for true fanboys. It was pretty fantastic just for casual fans as well, of course!
Granted, Thor was not having the best few days, but it made for a great comic callback for old school fans. And sorry to say, an axe with a hammer is cooler than just a hammer.
6) The “Hidden” Galaga Reference and Its Payoff
Everyone and their Mom knows about this one, but it makes it no less cool. In the first film in the series, Tony calls out a SHIELD member for playing Galaga while on the clock. But then in a later scene when Stark is facing off with the baddies, they mimic the movement and action of Galaga itself. An homage to an homage, if you will.
It’s moments like this that make the MCU truly shine, and give nerds yet more reasons to love it.
5) Gamora Will (Probably) Stay Dead
This may catch some heat, but we all know that most of the deaths in Infinity War won’t stick. They will all be undone in the next Avengers movie, somehow. Dr. Strange knew something, but we gotta wait to find out what that is. You know they aren’t killing off heroes who were just birthed onto the big screen… but someone has to stay dead.
It is very safe to assume that one death will probably be Gamora. The point of that being that Thanos made that choice and it was clear it hurt him deeply, so there is no chance that moment will be undone. It should also mark an interesting character arc for Star-Lord who will definitely not be as happy of a person after all this wraps up.
4. Samuel L Jackson Was Cast Before Movies Started
Everyone loves Samuel L Jackson as Nick Fury, but did you know that casting choice was set in stone long before they started filming (or even knew how popular the MCU would get)?
The Ultimates comic line by Marvel was a sort of reboot for the Avengers as Marvel’s popularity among comic fans started slipping. When they did that they also rebooted the looks of a lot of the main characters, one being Nick Fury, who was once portrayed by David Hasselhoff. No, not kidding.
But when they made the Ultimates, they knew Samuel L Jackson was a big comic fan and based their new Nick Fury’s visage around him, even without his permission. Thing is, when the time came to cast him, they already had the wheels moving, and fate handled the rest.
3. Iron Man Listens to Iron Man
One of the cooler things to look out for in films to get a better understanding of the characters is what they wear. An outfit can say so much about a personality, from stuffy to fly as hell. And while Tony Stark spends a great deal of time buttoned up and looking fresh to death, when he buttons down you can pick up on even more nuances of the character. To put it bluntly, Iron Man listens to Iron Man, as indicated by one of his t-shirt choices.
The irony is not lost on us. A very meta and metal Marvel moment.
2. Quick Alien Reference
Harry Dean Stanton was a classic American actor that maybe all can’t recall off the top of their heads, but if you saw him, you’d say “oh, that guy.” Well known for many roles, he may be most well know for his role as an android in the first Alien film. When Hulk falls down from space and lands in the warehouse in Infinity War, it’s Harry Dean Stanton standing there, over the hole in the ground. He then looks down at Bruce Banner and asks:
“Are you an alien?”
A nod to his most well known role and sadly, one of the actor’s final roles before passing away. When you can say the last thing you did in life was talk sh*t to the Hulk, you livedyour bestt life, no doubt.
1. How It Sets The Tone for The Whole Future of the MCU
It may seem like Gamora will stay dead and that one of the heroes is a Skrull, but at this point (and what makes the MCU so damn entertaining) is the fact that they don’t seem to be following any strict rules or exact storylines from the comics (though Infinity Gauntlet’s inspiration is clear). The inescapable reality here is, this is all just speculation.
The fact of the matter is, Infinity War really did change everything. It is The Empire Strikes Back of Marvel movies. A bleak and depressing outcome that we may know will most likely get undone, but at what cost? And if they are using these movies as the bridge between this and next phase of Marvel movies, who’s to say they won’t just kill and recast everybody? That is the true joy we get from this.
