When the Marvel Cinematic Universe was in its infancy, it seemed like a crazy idea that could easily fail. The comics giant set out to adapt five of its then-lesser-known comic book properties (and the Hulk) for the big screen in separate movies before bringing them all together in The Avengers, a risky crossover event.
The movies ended up being incredibly successful, paving the way for a 23-part epic saga, but that was never a guarantee. Marvel Studios went through a long process of figuring out Phase 1. So, here are the 10 best unused concepts from the MCU’s Phase 1.
10 Explaining Loki’s Hatred Of Laufey
The antagonism that Loki shows toward Laufey in the first Thor movie is never fully explained. However, in the original script, the trickster god told Laufey that he was his biological son, and Laufey confessed to abandoning him as a child.
Explaining this aspect of Loki’s backstory and providing context for his hatred of Laufey could’ve made Loki a more relatable and sympathetic character from the outset.
9 Including The Wasp In The Avengers
In the comics, in both the initial line-up of the Avengers and the Ultimates version that the MCU is heavily inspired by, the Wasp has a key role in the team. She’s also one of Joss Whedon’s favorite Marvel characters, so when he was hired to write and direct The Avengers, he wanted to find a place for her in the story.
Time constraints made introducing a new character difficult, and Marvel had plans to introduce the Wasp later down the line, so she was removed from the film. She wouldn’t get a prominent role in the MCU for another six years, so it would’ve been great to see her in action earlier.
8 Wolverine And Magneto’s Cameos In Captain America: The First Avenger
Originally, Wolverine and Magneto were going to have cameo appearances in the WWII-set Captain America: The First Avenger. Wolverine would’ve shown up as a soldier fighting on the front lines, while Magneto would’ve appeared as a prisoner in a concentration camp.
However, the plans to include these characters fell through because the film rights belonged to Fox at the time (although they’re back in Marvel’s hands now).
7 Iron Man 2’s Darker Tone
There are rumors that Iron Man 2 was originally going to have a much darker tone than its predecessor, following in the tonal footsteps of The Empire Strikes Back and Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom.
The sequel initially would’ve delved a lot deeper into Tony Stark’s alcoholism and self-destructive tendencies, with one scene in which he would verbally abuse Pepper. Marvel didn’t like the dark tone and instructed the filmmakers to brighten it up, but it could’ve been interesting.
6 Rick Jones Appears In The Incredible Hulk
Early drafts of The Incredible Hulk featured appearances by Rick Jones. Rick isn’t a particularly well-known character, but he is a favorite among comic book fans and a close friend of Bruce Banner’s, so the Hulk movies have felt incomplete without him.
The closest thing Rick has had to an MCU debut is a partially redacted bio glimpsed in S.H.I.E.L.D.’s files on Banner.
5 Thor, Directed By Guillermo Del Toro
Before Kenneth Branagh was hired to direct Thor as a Shakespearean drama, Guillermo del Toro was on Marvel’s shortlist. Del Toro visualized a darker, grittier take on Asgard ,and he wanted to include more figures and events from Norse mythology.
However, del Toro ended up withdrawing from the project to direct The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, which he also ended up dropping out of.
4 Obadiah Stane Survives The First Iron Man Movie
In an early draft of the script for the first Iron Man movie, when Tony Stark opened up the Iron Monger suit following the final battle, he found no corpse inside. This would hint that Obadiah Stane survived the fight, setting him up for possible reappearances in the MCU’s future.
One of the biggest problems with MCU villains is that they’re mostly confined to a single movie. Stane’s dark inversion of a father-son bond with Stark could’ve developed more if he was left alive.
3 Casting Mark Ruffalo As Bruce Banner In The Incredible Hulk
When Louis Leterrier was hired to direct The Incredible Hulk, the MCU’s sophomore entry, he wanted to cast Mark Ruffalo as Bruce Banner. However, Marvel pushed for Edward Norton, who ended up being cast.
Norton’s on-set rewrites and disagreements with Marvel got him booted from the franchise prior to The Avengers. If Marvel had just gone with Ruffalo in the first place, the MCU wouldn’t have that irritating inconsistency.
2 A Longer Hulk V. Loki Fight
Although the comic relief of the Hulk thrashing Loki around the room and incapacitating him in seconds landed perfectly, it would’ve been interesting if Joss Whedon stuck to the original plan to feature a longer fight between the two. Loki would’ve duplicated himself to confuse the Hulk, who would’ve figured out which one was the real Loki by literally “smelling the crazy on him,” thus paying off that line.
Apparently, it was too expensive to take his sequence beyond the animatic stage. But come on, this is a gargantuan Hollywood blockbuster; there’s no way any fight scene is out of Marvel’s price range.
1 Nick Fury Mentions Spider-Man And The X-Men In Iron Man
In an early version of Nick Fury’s speech about the Avengers Initiative in the post-credits scene of Iron Man, he mentioned “radioactive bug bites and assorted mutants,” hinting at the existence of Spider-Man and the X-Men in the MCU.
At the time, Marvel couldn’t use Spider-Man or the X-Men characters, so this was probably removed for legal reasons. Still, Spidey ended up joining the MCU and the Disney/Fox merger has created the possibility of the X-Men joining, too.
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