Top 10 Last Minute Changes in the MCU
#10: Wasp – Founding Avenger
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“The Avengers” (2012) The original “Avengers” film looked very different in development. Ant-Man was once intended to be part of the crossover, but his own solo film getting delayed put a hold on that. Perhaps more surprising though is that his fellow shrinking superhero, the Wasp, was considered at one point during development. When Scarlett Johansson’s involvement was uncertain, the Wasp was briefly written in to replace her. It’s fun to imagine her taking part in the Battle of New York, maybe punching Loki while she’s tiny. Wasp also nearly debuted, in costume, at least, in “Captain America: Civil War.” But it would take her another 2 years to shrink and fight on screen. “It’s about time” indeed!
#9: Iron Monger Lives
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“Iron Man” (2008) Obidiah Stane is Tony Stark’s business partner and a friend of Tony’s father. He’s also the antagonist of the first “Iron Man” movie, betraying Tony multiple times. He also dons an iron suit of his own to become Iron Monger, shortly before his death. According to his actor Jeff Bridges, Stane was originally supposed to survive the events of the movie. Bridges’ charisma and many memorable lines have made Stane iconic enough in one movie, so we’d have loved to see how Stane developed over time. Would he have teamed up with other villains to get revenge? Or had a change of heart? Who knows?
#8: The Falcon and the Iron Man
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“Avengers: Infinity War” (2018) “Infinity War” is just a huge movie, so we’re not surprised that there were a ton of revisions in the process of writing it. According to screenwriters Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely, two of the Avengers would have swapped places – Spider-Man and Falcon. The one-time plan was to have Falcon paired up with Iron Man and going to space instead of Spider-Man. The pair of them haven’t had many interactions, and some of them have been less than cordial, so it would’ve been interesting to see how they handled fighting aliens together. Still, we wouldn’t have gotten Peter and Tony’s great moments together, so we’re not too broken up about it!
#7: Yondu Dies Early
“Guardians of the Galaxy” (2014) Yondu Udonta is Peter Quill’s sort-of father figure who abducted him and raised him in the unorthodox Ravager lifestyle. However, most of their relationship is expanded on in the second film. In the first film, Peter is trying to get away from his blue dad’s violent lifestyle. Their antagonism is such that, according to writer/director James Gunn, one earlier draft of the script had Yondu being killed upon opening the orb containing what he thinks is the Power Stone. In this version, instead of a troll doll, Quill left him a bomb instead. Not only would this have made Star-Lord a much darker character, it also would have deprived the second film of so many of its most impactful moments featuring Yondu, including his death.
#6: Alternate Villain
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“Iron Man 3” (2013) The whole villain situation in the third “Iron Man” went over like a ton of bricks for many people, but the movie almost had a different villain entirely. While no, it wasn’t the actual Mandarin, it was someone else already in the film – Maya Hansen. The scientist whose research made the Extremis drug possible certainly makes a lot of sense. According to director Shane Black, the original intention was for Hansen to fill the role, Aldrich Killian ultimately ended up doing, as the one pulling the strings behind the scenes. However, like many early corporate Marvel decisions, her replacement was motivated by toy sales.
#5: Alternate Black Widow or Agent Carter
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“Iron Man 2” (2010) & “Captain America: The First Avenger” (2011) Plenty of actors are considered for roles before they’re cast, but through coincidence, one actress in particular was in contention for both Black Widow and Peggy Carter – Emily Blunt. However, due to scheduling conflicts, Blunt could not commit to either of them. She also commented that “it just wasn’t the right time.” While Scarlett Johansson and Hayley Atwell are both spectacular as the characters, it is fun to imagine what Blunt would have been like in either role. She could easily have brought the strength and badass stunts both characters require.
#4: Deleted Loki Scene
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“Avengers: Age of Ultron” (2015) “Age of Ultron” had a ton of behind-the-scenes shuffling. According to Tim Roth, there were even plans to bring Abomination back for it. However, our pick goes to the near miss of an appearance by the villain of the first “Avengers” film, Loki. According to Joss Whedon and actor Tom Hiddleston, a scene with Loki was shot, apparently as part of Thor’s vision sequence. However, test audiences were reportedly confused by Loki showing up; apparently believing that Loki was somehow involved in controlling Ultron. As silly as that sounds, the fact that Loki’s scepter does feature heavily in the plot does lend some credence to the belief. We still want to see that footage though! We all want more Loki!
#3: Mark Ruffalo as Bruce Banner
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“The Avengers” (2012) You may have noticed that Bruce Banner looks different after his first appearance in “The Incredible Hulk.” This is down to actor Edward Norton’s much publicized departure following his debut as Banner. While the reasons why are somewhat contradictory and we won’t cover them all here, the result was that Mark Ruffalo was cast in the role instead. Ruffalo may not have been who we were expecting, but Ruffalo has brought an intensity to both the Hulk and Bruce Banner that we can’t imagine the character without now. If things had been smoother behind the scenes, who knows if the Hulk would be such a hulking hit now.
#2: The Snap Could Have Happened In “Endgame”
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“Avengers: Infinity War” (2018) The Snap is one of the biggest moments in not just the MCU, but in cinema in general for the last few decades. Thanos wiping out half the universe with the snap of his fingers, including many of our favorite heroes, had everyone in awe and proved to be the perfect hook for fans to want to see what happens next. That’s why it’s so surprising that it almost happened in the sequel! In an interview with the New York Times, writers Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely revealed that the Snap was at one point planned to be a feature of “Endgame” instead. Frankly, we don’t know how they could have ended “Infinity War” any other way or how they could’ve started “Endgame” with that!
#1: “I Am Iron Man”
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“Iron Man” (2008) One of the most iconic catchphrases from the MCU wasn’t in the script. At the end of the first “Iron Man” film, instead of sticking to the cover story, Tony Stark decides to let the world know he’s Iron Man, driven by his ego. This moment, like much of the movie, was improvised by Robert Downey Jr. Not only was the moment incredibly in-character, but it also upset the typical conventions of superhero movies to that point – secret identities. The line also became one of Tony’s most memorable lines, and without it, we wouldn’t have gotten several of his greatest moments.
