Marvel movies facts even huge MCU fans don’t know

Do you think you know everything there is to know about the Marvel Cinematic Universe? With 22 years of history, there are far too many interesting Marvel movies facts for even the most ardent fan to remember. With that in mind, we’ve compiled a list of some of the most interesting Marvel movie facts, ranging from possible casting to Easter eggs.

Marvel movies facts

An Oscar winner scored Marvel creator Stan Lee’s dream role

The iconic Stan Lee revealed in a pre-Thor interview with Collider in 2009 that he was interested in portraying Thor’s father Odin. Nonetheless, the late creator had a cameo in literally every Marvel film. Anthony Hopkins got the role of the god.

The war rhinos in Black Panther were actually large horses

Many armored rhinoceros, including Daniel Kaluuya’s W’Kabi, are ridden by Wakanda’s Border Tribe members in the combat sequence after Black Panther. But, contrary to popular belief, these tough-looking warriors aren’t completely made of CGI. According to Associate Visual Effects Supervisor, Todd Sheridan Perry’s comments to VFX Voice, some of the war rhinos were really Clydesdale horses. They are similar to the ones from the iconic holiday-themed beer ad.

In the first film, the first person to play Ant-Man shows onscreen—and it isn’t Paul Rudd

In a 1978 Saturday Night Live sketch dubbed “Superhero Party,” Garrett Morris portrayed Ant-Man, with host Margot Kidder recreating her Superman role of Lois Lane. Ant-Man director Peyton Reed, a fan of the skit, contacted Morris’ manager and requested him to make a cameo. He appears briefly as the driver of a car on which Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) lands while adjusting to his shrinking suit.

Doctor Strange was almost a horror movie

Or, at the very least, one that is more horror-inspired. Wes Craven (A Nightmare on Elm Street, Scream) was reportedly in talks to create a Doctor Strange picture as early as 1992. Obviously, this never occurred. But it’s fascinating to fantasize about how terrifying his version of the Marvel sorcerer might have been.

There’s a very weird reason why Captain America isn’t eating in a post-credits scene of The Avengers

After winning the Battle of New York in The Avengers, our heroes head out for shawarma, but Steve Rogers, a.k.a. Captain America, doesn’t appear to be indulging. Chris Evans couldn’t shave his beard for the last-minute scene since he had grown one for his next film, Snowpiercer. The actor donned a prosthetic jaw to keep him appearing like our fresh-faced Captain America. He’s not only not eating, but he’s also concealing half of his face with his hand.

Agent Coulson wasn’t even supposed to have a name

Clark Gregg began his MCU storyline in the first Iron Man. Initially, he was to appear in two sequences. In reality, in the script, Agent Phil Coulson of S.H.I.E.L.D. was merely an unidentified agent. Gregg’s connection with Downey and Gwyneth Paltrow impressed director Jon Favreau, who decided to extend the role. Coulson would go on to play a pivotal role in the Marvel Universe, appearing in films such as Iron Man 2, Thor, The Avengers, and Captain Marvel, as well as heading the television series Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.

The villain of Spider-Man: Far From Home almost played the hero instead

Tobey Maguire faced an injury on the production of Seabiscuit. Jake Gyllenhaal portrays the deceitful and theatrical Quentin Beck/Mysterio in the movie. He was allegedly taking over for Tobey Maguire in 2004’s Spider-Man 2. Maguire healed in time to reprise his role as Peter Parker, thus the issue was irrelevant. However, Gyllenhaal admitted that he was one of several actors in consideration for the emergency pinch-hit film.