10 Unbelievable Behind-the-Scenes Secrets from Marvel Movies
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Even though Marvel Movies are not as popular as they once were, it’s undeniable how much the studio changed the creative landscape of Hollywood since its inception. Interconnected cinematic universes, obscure comic book characters becoming household names, and epic films making billions at the box office are now aspiring Hollywood norms that studios desperately try to replicate because of the success of the MCU.
However, it has not always been this way. It is easy for fans to assume that MCU came together easily without problems. This is not the case. A fan-favorite director who joined the MCU first was let go before it exploded in popularity. RDJ was never Marvel’s first choice to portray Tony Stark. These are just a few of the most unbelievable behind-the-scenes secrets of some of your favorite Marvel movies. Here are 10 secrets you should know about.
1. Iron Man’s Cheeseburger Scene is RDJ’s Tribute to Sobriety
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After Tony Stark created his prototype armor and escaped his Middle East prison in 2008’s Iron Man, he goes home. Stark requests a cheeseburger and holds a press conference. He can be seen biting into a Burger King cheeseburger during the press conference scene in one of the best Marvel Movies ever. The scene is more than product placement, it’s a seeming tribute to RDJ’s long-term sobriety in real life.
In a 2008 Daily News article, RDJ claims that the scene was his personal reference to staying sober. RDJ. Before his acting renaissance as Iron Man, RDJ spent the 1990s struggling with embarrassing public arrests and substance abuse issues. The actor said that in 2003 he drove to Burger King, bought a disgusting-looking cheeseburger, and reevaluated his life. He’s stayed sober ever since.
2. Edward Norton vs Marvel Movies
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Before the premiere of 2012’s The Avengers, actor Edward Norton was infamously replaced by Mark Ruffalo. Marvel Studios even put out a press release that seemed to shade Norton for not being “collaborative.”Norton allegedly ghostwrote 2008’s The Incredible Hulk and micromanaged the director. Marvel Studios then removed a lot of Norton’s changes which caused a rift and Ruffalo’s recasting as Bruce Banner. It’s one of the most polarizing Marvel Movies ever, forcing fans to wonder how things might have been if Norton was never recast.
3. Marvel Barely Got the Film Rights to Iron Man
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Marvel Comics almost disappeared in the 1980s and 1990s due to bankruptcy and bad business deals. The company sold the film rights to many of its characters to stay afloat. New Line Cinema owned the film rights to Iron Man but did nothing with it. Marvel reacquired the film rights to Iron Man in 2005 right before filming began for 2008’s Iron Man. If Marvel hadn’t scrambled to get those rights back, one of the best Marvel Movies might not have happened.
4. Former Marvel CEO Didn’t Want Black or Female Heroes
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Ike Perlmutter is a businessman and former Marvel CEO who almost prevented two of the most bankable Marvel movies ever from being produced, Black Panther and Captain Marvel. Perlmutter is infamous for his penny-pinching and controversial beliefs. It’s been widely reported that Perlmutter did not believe that black or female heroes would not be bankable. Marvel executive Kevin Feige reportedly almost quit until Marvel Studios was separated from the control of Perlmutter.
5. Edgar Wright’s Ant-Man Film Struggles
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Filmmaker Edgar Wright was one of the first directors signed to the MCU to make Marvel movies. Wright was an MCU creative long before 2008’s Iron Man premiered. Wright wrote an Ant-Man script and was set to direct but left the studio soon after. Although Paul Rudd’s 2015 film Ant-Man is well-known, it could have originally premiered during the first MCU phase before 2012’s Avengers. No one knows why Wright and Marvel parted ways. Wright said his Ant-Man film would have been self-contained and focused on Scott Lang the criminal.
6. Universal Owns the Solo Film Rights to Hulk
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2008’s The Incredible Hulk film was a joint production between Universal Studios and Marvel Studios. After the public debacle between Norton and the MCU, no solo Hulk film has been made since and no one knows why. Universal still has the right to produce and distribute solo Hulk films. However, Marvel can still use Hulk strictly as a supporting character in Marvel movies and shows. It’s why Hulk has appeared in multiple Avengers films, Thor: Ragnarok, and the Disney+ She-Hulk show but not a solo film since 2008.
7. Marvel Did Not Want to Cast RDJ for Iron Man
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RDJ was notorious for public arrests and substance abuse issues in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Iron Man director Jon Favreau had to personally lobby for Marvel to hire RDJ. RDJ was the last person Marvel wanted to hire due to his negative public persona at the time. If it wasn’t for Favreau’s perseverance then one of the greatest Marvel movies might never have been made.
8. Clive Owen Was the First Choice for Iron Man
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Marvel executive Kevin Feige recently revealed that English actor Clive Owen was Marvel’s first choice when casting began for Tony Stark. Owen was offered the role of Tony Stark but declined it. While several other actors were considered, RDJ ultimately secured the role and helped to create one of the most significant Marvel movies ever.
9. Iron Man Had No Script and Was Improvised
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Jeff Bridges, who portrayed the villainous Obadiah Stane in 2008’s Iron Man has publicly stated that the film almost drove him “absolutely crazy,” and that it was a “$200 million student film.” As filming began Marvel rejected the script and the crew resorted to improvisation and daily script rewrites. Bridges now considers Iron Man one of the best Marvel movies ever, but it’s important to remember that in the beginning, no one knew if the MCU would succeed.
10. Daredevil: Born Again Series Scrapped and Rebooted
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In late 2023, Marvel executive Kevin Feige reviewed the footage for the Disney+ series Daredevil: Born Again, decided it wasn’t satisfactory, and scrapped the show. The writers and directors of the show were let go and the show was remade from scratch. The new version of Daredevil: Born Again has basically finished shooting and should be released sometime in 2025.
Behind-the-Scenes Secrets from Marvel Movies
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Big things usually start out in small ways. That fact about reality can get lost when looking back on the history of the MCU. If you’re struggling in life or business, remember that mistakes, setbacks, and getting over regret are part of the process of succeeding in life. The biggest Marvel Movies ever weren’t created due to perfection but from management and filmmakers learning from their mistakes.
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Allen Francis is a full-time writer, prolific comic book investor and author of The Casual’s Guide: Why You Should Get Into Comic Book Investing. Allen holds a BA degree from Marymount Manhattan College. Before becoming a writer Allen was an academic advisor, librarian, and college adjunct for many years. Allen is an advocate of best personal financial practices including saving and investing in your own small business.
