The Marvel Cinematic Universe is the home of many iconic weapons – Infinity Gauntlets that can erase the universe with a single snap, swords that unlock bridges to other planets, and staffs that can take over people’s minds. There’s something for everybody, but which is the right one for you? Take our quiz below and find out which weapon from “Avengers: Endgame” you should take into combat!
Satisfied with your choice? If not, just grab the nearest Time Stone and go for a do-over. Let us know what you got in the comments below, and we’ll see you in theaters!
If you haven’t seen it yet, you should also totally check out the new trailer for “Spider-Man: Far from Home.” Get ready for a wild ride!
Dirty, vile, and despicable don’t even come close to describing these baddies. Check out the worst of the worst here.
SPOILERS AHEAD!
In a world populated by colorful and outsized heroes, it stands to reason that they’ll be going up against some pretty evil baddies. The MCU has more than its fair share of villains, with a rogue’s gallery spanning the course of 22 films. Here, we’re narrowing down the cream of this malevolent crop and taking a look at the worst baddies around.
Note: for this article, we’ll solely be looking at villains that have been portrayed in the MCU.
It’s hard to call a guy like Kaecilius “evil;” he certainly doesn’t think of himself as a bad guy. After the tragic deaths of his wife and son, Kaecilius becomes convinced that he can use the mystic arts to return his loved ones to him. As a result, he betrays The Masters of the Mystic Arts and The Ancient One, attempting to bring a vastly destructive cosmic being known as Dormammu to Earth.
Though his motivations are understandable, his methods are what land him on our list. He’s not above ruthlessly executing anybody standing in the way of his goals, and gives almost no thought to collateral damage.
If not for the intervention of Doctor Strange, Kaecilius would have razed entire cities and potentially destroyed the world in the pursuit of his plans.
As the MCU’s first villain, Obadiah Stane certainly left a mark. A former mentor to Tony Stark after his father’s death, Stane was secretly working behind Tony’s back to take control of Stark Industries.
On the surface, Stane appears to support Stark’s goal of shifting the company away from the arms industry. Behind the scenes, Stane has no qualms about selling Stark Industries arms to terrorists and other criminals. He then turns a profit by playing both sides in a conflict.
Driven almost entirely by greed and self-interest, he plays off of Tony’s trust to pursue his own goals. After his betrayal is revealed, Stane becomes Iron Monger and nearly kills Stark in the ensuing battle. Fortunately, Tony eventually gains the upper-hand and vaporizes Stane.
It’s hard to mistake Malekith as anything but a villain. Seriously: his name is Malekith the Accursed, he’s the ruthless leader of the Dark Elves, and his goal is to plunge the universe into eternal darkness. Not exactly the most cheerful guy in the universe, is he? Along with a handful of innocent Asgardians, Malekith’s troops also claim the life of Frigga, Thor’s mother.
As the leader of the Dark Elves, Malekith’s cruelty inspired god-like reverence in his followers, but his army was eventually defeated by Thor’s grandfather. Apparently, he didn’t learn his lesson and came back thousands of years later to try again. His cold cruelty and tenacity earned him a spot on our list.
He’s a racist and a zealot hell-bent on wiping out the Xandarians. He got so far that the only way he could be defeated was a dance battle:
He eventually teams up with Thanos himself to try to destroy the planet Xandar. Unfortunately, Ronan’s own nature got the better of him. He made the mistake of betraying Thanos to try to take the Power Stone for himself. If the Guardians of the Galaxy hadn’t ended up defeating him first, Thanos certainly would have.
Pierce is the villain that nobody sees coming. Played by consummate good-guy Robert Redford, Alexander Pierce is the level-headed and almost fatherly leader of S.H.I.E.L.D. Behind that carefully constructed facade, however, Pierce is the secret leader of the neo-Nazi organization HYDRA.
His goal is to use computer algorithms and predictive software to summarily execute any latent societal threats using a fleet of unmanned helicarriers. He’s also partially responsible for subjecting Bucky Barnes to years of mental torture and turning him into the mindless killing machine known as the Winter Soldier.
5. Ego- “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2”
Image courtesy Marvel Studios
Unfortunately for Peter Quill, his lifelong quest to track down his dad doesn’t turn out the way he hoped. His father turns out to be Ego, a powerful celestial being who takes the form of an actual planet.
At first, he seems to be a pretty cool guy. However, he eventually reveals to Quill that he hopes to wipe out all life in the universe and replace it with an extension of his own consciousness.
He also tells Quill that he wasn’t his only child, and actually killed all the others because they didn’t serve their purpose in his plan. Oh, and he also gave Quill’s mom the brain cancer that eventually killed her. Yeah, not a great dude.
Ultron was created with good intentions at heart. Tony Stark built him to be an AI network with the goal of creating global peace, eventually making the Avengers unnecessary. Unfortunately, Ultron took that goal a little too seriously and concluded that the only way to achieve that objective was to eliminate the human race.
It’s the classic story of artificial intelligence outpacing its creators. Think HAL 9000, but on steroids. Ultron’s stated goal is to literally commit wholesale genocide and wipe the planet clean of human life. If that’s not abjectly evil, what is? Though defeated, his actions caused a ripple effect that changed the Marvel Universe and eventually led to the events of “Captain America: Civil War.”
Hela is the big, bad older sister of Thor and Loki. She makes her grand entrance by crushing Mjolnir like it’s nothing and booting her two baby brothers across the universe. She then proceeds to roll up on Asgard to assume her spot on the throne.
She’s got a totally badass outfit complete with a sick antler headdress and she has to the power to literally create giant knives out of thin air. She’s also got a massive undead Dire Wolf as a pet, an army of zombie warriors, and almost singlehandedly wipes out Asgard’s entire army. We’d be impressed if she wasn’t this evil.
It’s hard to get more evil than a literal Nazi, but Red Skull takes that one step further. He actually betrays the Nazis because they aren’t evil enough for his tastes.
He’s too evil for the Nazis. Let that sink in.
Instead, he starts his own fascist organization known as HYDRA with the goal of dominating the world. Red Skull believed that humans couldn’t be trusted with freedom, and that the only way to ensure a prosperous and peaceful society was through absolute totalitarian control.
He nearly got his way, too. If not for Captain America’s last-minute sacrifice play, his fleet of technologically advanced bombers would have wiped the United States off the map.
Here he is: the king of all baddies, the Mad Titan himself, the dreaded Thanos. This giant purple people killer doesn’t want to conquer the universe or become the rule of the galaxy. No, Thanos wants to wipe out half of all life. What’s worse than that? He succeeds:
In his view, the universe can’t sustain its own rapidly expanding population. So, unless Thanos steps in to restore balance, all life will eventually be snuffed out. He views his actions as a necessary evil, but in a way, wiping out only half of all life is crueler than wholesale extinction.
As we see in “Endgame,” the survivors are left alive to deal with their grief and guilt, which changes them in plenty of traumatic ways. What lands Thanos in the number one spot is that he’s the only villain that actually succeeds in his plan. He can talk the talk and walk the walk, and that makes him the worst of them all.
Wrapping up
So, there’s our definitive list of the worst the MCU has to offer. Did we miss anyone? Let us know in the comments, and check back with Softonic for the latest Marvel news.
Take our quiz to see if you could pick up Thor’s mighty hammer.
“Whosoever holds this hammer, if he be worthy, shall possess the power of Thor.” That’s the inscription Odin placed upon Mjolnir, the infallible weapon wielded by his son, Thor. While Thor is famous for using this hammer, carrying it into battle was not his birthright. It was something he had to earn. If you can’t remember a time where Thor didn’t have his trusty Mjolnir, you might want to re-watch his first film in the MCU. Luckily for you, you can live-stream “Thor” right here!
It takes a lot of internal strength to wield Thor’s hammer, and precious few are deserving of the honor. Are you one of them? Take our quiz and discover whether your are worthy!
Are you worthy of Mjolnir? If not, never fear; as we’ve seen in the MCU, strength can come from the most unexpected of places – don’t write yourself off yet! It may simply be time to “stop trying to be the person you’re supposed to be and start being who you truly are.” Take another crack at it when you’re feeling zen, and we’ll see you in theaters for “Avengers: Endgame!”
Overcoming death and the cutting room floor of the writer’s room, several MCU characters return in Endgame.
Spoilers ahead!
It’s no surprise that “Avengers: Endgame” has broken box office records left and right, smashing even Infinity War in its opening week. This cinematic end to the Thanos saga ties up loose ends, delivers the climactic story we were hoping for, and brings back a lot of familiar faces.
There were some that we expected (like Cap, Iron Man, and Black Widow), and others that we were pleasantly surprised to see back on screen. Just who are those characters? We’ve put together a list.
However! This is as far as we can go without dipping into spoiler territory so here’s your final warning before reading on:
Don’t spoil the Endgame.
Surprise characters in ‘Avengers: Endgame’
Valkyrie
The first character we were pleasantly surprised to see make a return was Valkyrie (Tessa Thompson). She’s the able, militant, and fiercely independent warrior of Asgard who made her introduction in “Thor: Ragnarok.” Since the realm’s destruction at the end of Ragnarok, we were happy to see that some Asgardians also survived Thanos and the snap. They find a new home on Earth… in a hillside fishing village.
Oh, how the mighty have fallen.
While Thor is supposed to be the ruler of Asgard, he’s thoroughly shirked his duties in favor of drinking and playing Fortnite. This has left Valkyrie in charge of “New Asgard,” and Thor happily puts her in charge at the end. However, that’s not before she gets some shining moments in the battle of battles against Thanos! If you’re a Valkyrie fan, you’ll be happy to see that she’s alive and well, and proudly taking the fight to the titan himself.
Korg and Miek
“Hey man, I’m Korg and this is Miek. We’re about to jump on that spaceship and get out of here. Wanna come?”
Oh, yes we do, Korg. Also, we’re happy to see you.
While we’re on the subject of living Asgardians, we were excited to see that our favorite duo from “Thor: Ragnarok” also survived. The lovable Korg (Taika Waititi) and Miek are safe and sound in “New Asgard.” They are spending their time consoling the traumatized Thor and playing Fortnite.
Honestly, we’re still surprised Miek survived Korg stepping on him:
The Ancient One
The Ancient One (Tilda Swinton) from “Doctor Strange” shows up once time travel enters the mix. Bruce Banner shares a conversation with her over the need to recover the Time Stone. Rather, it’s thanks to Scott Lang’s introduction of Pym Particles and the time-bending effects of the Quantum Realm. Nevertheless, the Time Stone is needed to complete the set, and the Avengers are sent back to 2012 to snag it along with the Mind Stone and Space Stone.
Though we didn’t know it at the time, The Ancient One was helping out during Loki’s Chitauri invasion back in the first Avengers movie. This makes sense since the Sorcerer Supreme is responsible for defending both the reality in which they live and the New York sanctum during times of crisis.
In a pretty cool scene, we get to see the Ancient One explain how branching timelines occur. She explains how if the Infinity Stones are gathered from all corners of the universe, they must be returned from whence they came. This comes into play later in the film when Captain America is tasked with returning them.
Howard Stark
One of the greatest scenes in the film had to be Tony Stark‘s reunion with his father, Howard Stark (John Slattery). Tony stumbles into an encounter with his father on his return to the ’70s in search of more Pym Particles with Captain America. Howard is dubious of Tony, feeling like he knows him even though they’ve never met. The fake name Tony chooses of “Howard Potts” probably didn’t help much.
Tony didn’t get to go back THIS far.
This scene provides a different kind of closure than the other tied up plot threads. Rather than explaining a cut-and-dry plot point, we instead get to see an unexpectedly touching conclusion. Now that Tony is a father himself, he connects more deeply with Howard whose own wife is about to enter have Tony. Tony gets to give parenting advice to his own dad, and the perceived coldness and hostility of their past relationship retroactively melts.
Frigga
If seeing Tony and Howard talking together wasn’t enough parent-child bonding, Thor gets a second chance too. When he and Rocket Raccoon travel back in time to recover the Reality Stone, Thor is shocked to see his mother Frigga (Rene Russo) gracing the halls.
Though he tries to hide his identity from her, Frigga sees right through it like only a mother (albeit a mother raised by witches) can. Ever since failing to “aim for the head,” Thor has been in a pretty low place. His mother is able to slap some sanity back into him though, and gives him sage advice: Stop trying to be who you’re supposed to be, and start being who you are. It’s this advice that encourages Thor to give up being Asgard’s leader and instead hand the throne to Valkyrie.
Gamora
“Avengers: Endgame” runs the gamut of family relationships. It touches on mother-son, father-son, and sister-sister. Gamora’s (Zoe Saldana) shocking death in Infinity War was made only worse by occurring before Thanos even snapped his fingers. This led many fans to believe that, even if the snap was undone, her death could not be reversed. Thankfully, thanks to some time travel this is not the case, and we get to see the most dangerous woman in the universe come back to help out.
Gamora’s character was always more complex. She served Thanos in his hunt for Infinity Stones, but never quite wanted him to find them all. Now that Nebula is a changed woman, she tells Gamora of their better relationship in the coming future. This knowledge causes her to join forces with the Avengers. She’s still not too convinced that Star-Lord was a great romantic choice, though.
Loki
While it may remain true that there are “no resurrections” this time, it doesn’t mean that Loki (Tom Hiddleston) isn’t alive in the past! When the Avengers go back to 2012 to steal the Mind and Space Stones, that naturally puts them in the path of the mischievous trickster god. While he doesn’t have more than a few lines, he does get to snag the Space Stone when it accidentally spills out of Tony’s hands. With it, he escapes his restraints and portals out of the scene. Where to? Most likely to wherever the upcoming Loki series takes place!
Alexander Pierce
In the same above scene, Alexander Pierce (Robert Redford) confronts Cap as he makes to exit the Avengers building with the Space Stone. We saw Pierce’s character in “Captain America: Winter Soldier,” and now that Cap knows of his affiliation with Hydra, he’s not about to part with an Infinity Stone. Even though neither party gets the rock in the end (thanks, Loki), it was pretty awesome getting to see Pierce working behind the scenes. Now, we know how the Space and Mind Stones ended up in Hydra’s hands!
Peggy Carter
Not all encounters with people in the past are bad ones for Steve Rogers. Some of them hurt in a different way. The most heartbreaking confrontation was with Peggy Carter (Hayley Atwell), the woman he fell in love with back in the ’40s. While Tony Stark was talking with his father, the Russo brothers decided to hit with an emotional double-whammy. In a scene reminiscent of ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream,’ Rogers sees the love of his life through the window of her office. So close, yet so far.
While the mission came first at that point in time, seeing Peggy stoked the flames of his love for her. So much so that after Thanos was defeated and the Infinity Stones were returned, Steve Rogers decided to “try some of that life that Tony was always telling him to get.” He chooses to stay back in time with her. Peggy and Cap finally got their long-awaited dance and lived a happy married life together. Another plot thread we didn’t expect to see resolved.
Hank Pym
When time travel via the Quantum Realm is involved, it only makes sense that Hank Pym (Michael Douglas) shows up at some point. While he doesn’t get to do much, we do get to see a digitally de-aged Hank in the ’70s as well as the current version we’re familiar with during the end funeral scene.
Happy
This film featured a number of returning characters from the Iron Man trilogy including Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow). We were happy (pun intended) to see this also meant the return of Jon Favreau’s character as well. With Stark tragically dead at the end of the film, it looks like Happy is going to help Pepper raise little Morgan Stark.
Who else was there?
While that’s the main returning cast, we’ll also give a shoutout to characters who briefly made appearances as well:
Nick Fury
Pepper Potts
Jane Foster
Jasper Sitwell
Crossbones
Janet Van Dyne
Human Jarvis
Harley Keener
Everyone killed in the snap
Did we get them all?
With the huge cast of characters in MCU, it is easy to miss one here or there. If we missed any, let us know in the comments below. Also, let us know who you were most psyched to see return to the big screen!
With Endgame in our rearview mirror, it’s time to look ahead at other possible Marvel projects to come.
SPOILERS BELOW!
Now that we got that out of the way…
The aftermath of “Avengers: Endgame” left many fans in tears, both of joy and of sadness. The film presented a satisfying and climactic end to a 22-movie saga that changed the landscape of blockbuster films forever. We don’t know where the MCU is going to go after Endgame, but we do have some theories:
For many fans, it’s difficult to imagine Marvel ever surpassing Endgame. While this may end up being true, there have been dozens of huge crossover events throughout Marvel’s decades of comic books. One major advantage the MCU has moving forward is Disney’s purchase of FOX. This gives the MCU access to lucrative Marvel characters like the X-Men, the Fantastic Four, and Deadpool. Here are five massive Marvel stories that could end up becoming major successes in the MCU:
5 Marvel stories the MCU should use after “Avengers: Endgame”
In the comics, the shapeshifting alien Skrulls have been a pain in the side of many superhero teams. This includes the Fantastic Four and the Avengers. The storyline “Secret Invasion” has several key figures in the Marvel Universe being kidnapped and secretly replaced with Skrulls. It leads up to a full-on invasion of Earth.
Earth’s heroes quickly find themselves unable to trust one another, worried that they may be talking to a Skrull. The Skrulls even took the form of several beloved dead Marvel heroes to sew confusion and emotional vulnerability among the Avengers. This is something that could be exploited in a movie adaptation to bring back some fan-favorite characters temporarily.
The invasion force has them combining the powers of several heroes into single beings called Super Skrulls. In this story, the Skrulls use their psychological and scientific prowess to bring the Avengers to their knees.
The Skrulls finally made their MCU appearance in “Captain Marvel,” being portrayed as sympathetic refugees hoping to escape the imperialistic, warlike Kree. While their portrayal in “Captain Marvel” worked in the movie and was a welcome surprise, there are several ways the MCU can turn the Skrulls into a vicious invasion force.
Since “Captain Marvel” took place in the ’90s, they could show a rebuilt Skrull Empire that has since shunned their peaceful ways. Alternatively, they could show a powerful Skrull terrorist force that goes rogue from the Skrulls we already saw. Either way, “Secret Invasion” would be a massive, body-snatching cinematic experience.
“Annihilation” was a comic storyline that had many of Marvel’s cosmic heroes like the Silver Surfer, (what would become) the Guardians of the Galaxy, and Nova defending the universe against the unstoppable Annihilation Wave. The Annihilation Wave was a force of millions of insect-like ships led by Annihlus. It was so powerful it managed to subdue both Thanos and Galactus. The storyline is often cited as one of Marvel’s best events ever.
Films like “Guardians of the Galaxy,” “Thor: Ragnarok,” and “Captain Marvel” have expanded on the MCU’s cosmic side for years. They show a delightfully weird and colorful cast of characters and locations. After introducing some of FOX’s Marvel characters like the Silver Surfer, an MCU adaptation of “Annihilation” would be the grand climax the MCU cosmos deserves.
In many ways, FOX’s X-Men movie franchise can be seen as a precursor to the MCU. While it had its ups and downs, you can’t say that it wasn’t ambitious. Now that Disney owns FOX, the beloved cast of mutants can finally join the MCU. And what better way to introduce them to the Avengers than to have them fight?
The “Avengers vs X-Men” comic event is confusing, overstuffed, and underwhelming. However, this doesn’t mean that the basic concept wouldn’t translate well to the MCU. Pairing up Marvel’s most famous mutants like Wolverine, Storm, Cyclops, and Gambit against the Avengers would be many comic fans’ dream come true.
Since Marvel has had continued success in bringing together huge casts of characters, they should have no problem with this. It’s unfortunate we wouldn’t see iconic Avengers like Iron Man or Captain America suit up to fight the mutants. However, it would nonetheless be a treat for audiences to have two of Marvel’s greatest teams duke it out.
The Scarlet Witch of the comics is a very different beast than the one in the MCU. After experiences devastating losses, she uses her reality-warping powers to change the world. She creates one where everyone she cares about gets their heart’s desire.
In this new world, mutants dominate the world and humans are second class citizens. She rules alongside her adoptive father Magneto and her brother Quicksilver. They try to put an end to the constant human uprisings led by revolutionaries like Luke Cage. Some characters don’t want this world to end. Spider-Man, for example, is a beloved hero in this world who is happily married to the now alive Gwen Stacy.
In the MCU, Wanda has faced incredible loss after the events of “Avengers: Age of Ultron,” “Captian America: Civil War,” and “Avengers: Infinity War.” After Thanos brutally resurrects and then murders Vision after she was forced to kill him, Wanda was quickly snapped away by the mad titan.
When she comes back in the climactic battle of “Avengers: Endgame,” she shows a brand new ferocity in her fight against Thanos. She is nearly able to kill him singlehandedly by ripping him apart. This newly revived Wanda is clearly a broken person, which could easily lead her to do some questionable things. This may include rewriting reality. Scarlett Witch is set to appear in a new show for Disney+ called “WandaVision.” If the show follows “House of M,” we will not be disappointed.
Note: This will be about Jonathan Hickman’s 2015 Secret Wars event and not the 1984 original miniseries.
The 2015 crossover event “Secret Wars” changed Marvel Comics forever. It brought an end and new beginning to the shared comic universe that had been running since the early 1960s. As the culmination of Jonathan Hickman‘s amazing Fantastic Four and Avengers runs, “Secret Wars” is arguably the greatest event Marvel has ever produced.
The series has Doctor Doom stealing the power of the omnipotent Beyonders, allowing him to bend reality to his will. Doom uses his new power to create Battleworld, a patchwork of various Marvel universes and timelines, all under his control. Different heroes and villains from across the Marvel Multiverse must band together and fight a hopeless battle against a god.
The Secret Wars storyline brought a rare sense of finality to comic books. While the Marvel Universe continued after “Secret Wars,” it would be one hell of a way to close out the MCU for good.
In conclusion
It’s still hard to believe that the Thanos saga has been concluded. We are happy with the conclusion, we just also want more. What stories would you like to see the MCU adapt moving forward? Let us know in the comments below!
Learn what you never knew about the groundbreaking action epic.
Marvel’s “Black Panther” is widely regarded as one of the most groundbreaking superhero films of all time. The movie follows T’Challa (Chadwick Boseman), king of the fictional African nation Wakanda. Under the moniker Black Panther, T’Challa defends his nation from a variety of outside threats, including the ruthless rogue black-ops soldier Erik Killmonger (Michael B. Jordan). Read on for some little-known facts and fascinating bits of trivia about the making of this blockbuster film.
1. Chadwick Boseman took inspiration from legendary African leaders
Image courtesy Marvel Studios
To prepare for the role, Boseman threw himself into some intense research. He based his character on a number of real-life figures, such as Nelson Mandela, Shaka Zulu, and Patrice Lumumba. He also made multiple trips to South Africa, where he met with local tribal leaders and studied various forms of martial arts and other combat styles.
That’s right, the scars that cover Erik Killmonger’s body are totally real. Each scar is a piece of individually sculpted silicone. There are over 90 scars covering his body, which took roughly two hours to apply. Actor Michael B. Jordan would have to spend an additional two hours to have them removed after a day of filming.
3. Danai Gurira shaved her head daily for her role
Image courtesy Marvel Studios
Fans know actress Danai Gurira for her role as zombie hunter Michonne on AMC’s “The Walking Dead.” For her role as bodyguard Okoye in “Black Panther,” Gurira was required to re-shave her head every day to apply her tattoo makeup. All told, the process could take up to three and a half hours.
4. Angela Bassett’s wig was incredibly intricate
Image courtesy Marvel Studios
Actress Angela Bassett plays Ramonda, T’Challa’s mother. For the role, she wears a striking waist-length silver wig. That wig is actually made from 120 pieces of hair. The hair was then hand-rolled into dreadlocks to create the finished wig.
5. Wesley Snipes almost played Black Panther
Image courtesy Amen Ra Films
Back in the 1990s, actor Wesley Snipes began production on a Black Panther movie as a personal project. The production was eventually scrapped for a number of reasons, including the fact that Snipes was already playing vampire hunter Blade, another Marvel character. When production began on the 2018 version of “Black Panther,” Snipes was quick to give his blessing to the project.
6. Wakandan is a real language
Image courtesy Marvel Studios
The language of Wakanda is actually based on a real language. The dialect is primarily based on Xhosa, one of the eleven official languages of South Africa. Star Chadwick Boseman was taught the language by actor John Kani, who portrays T’Challa’s father in “Captain America: Civil War.”
7. The movie’s composer compiled multiple sources for the soundtrack
Image courtesy Marvel Studios
To write the movie’s Oscar-winning soundtrack, composer Ludwig Göransson made a lengthy trip to South Africa. While there, he spent several weeks working with local musicians to research the sound he wanted to create for the movie. He also worked to incorporate a variety of traditional African instruments into the soundtrack, such as the talking drum.
8. The movie broke Twitter records
Image courtesy Marvel Studios
Hype for “Black Panther” reached epic proportions on social media. On Twitter, in particular, the movie was tweeted about an estimated 35 million times. This made “Black Panther” the most-tweeted about movie ever, with an average of about 559,000 tweets made about the movie in a single day. To put that in perspective, the average film only garners about 100,000 tweets per day.
9. It also broke a 35-year movie ban in Saudi Arabia
Image courtesy Marvel Studios
“Black Panther” also broke down other barriers across the globe. As part of a series of strict traditionalist policies, cinemas had been outlawed in the nation of Saudi Arabia since the early 1980s. After the ban was lifted in late 2017, “Black Panther” became the first movie to be shown in the nation in over three decades. The premiere was attended by a host of diplomats and influential figures from around the region, including Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Culture and Information.
10. Hundreds of costumes were made for the movie
Image courtesy Marvel Studios
The intricate costumes of “Black Panther” drew inspiration from a variety of sources. Costume designer Ruth E. Carter combined elements of traditional African tribal garb with more modern influences from the likes of Yves Saint Laurent and Donna Karan. In particular, the dress of Tuareg, Zulu, and Xhosa tribes heavily inspired the movie’s clothing styles. Over 700 different costumes were created for the movie by Carter and her team. Thanks to her imagination and skill, Carter became the first African American woman to win an Oscar for costume design.
“It’s our Endgame, at least for now,” said Anthony Russo in an interview with GamesRadar. “We don’t have any plans for now to make any more Marvel movies. It certainly may come up in the future at some point. We have a wonderful working relationship with [Marvel Studios] and a great passion for what they’re doing.”
The Russo brothers have other non-MCU projects on the horizon, according to IMDb.
The brothers have teamed up with Tom Holland who plays Spider-Man in the MCU for a new movie called “Cherry.” The movie is about an army medic who becomes a drug addict and a bank robber.
Although it is not part of the MCU, the Russo brothers recently announced a project about Marvel’s greatest hero, Stan Lee.
“We are fascinated by the life of Stan Lee and we are actually developing a little something that has to do with his work in the history of Marvel,” said Anthony Russo in an interview with Cinemablend. “But we are not ready to present it or talk about it yet. It’s more of a documentary.”
Seeing the Russo brothers leave the MCU is upsetting. The movies they made for the MCU are some of the best it has to offer. “Avengers: Endgame” had the biggest opening weekend in film history.
We’re sad to see the Russo brothers go. Their love and commitment to the characters have been a joy to witness. We don’t know much about who may or may not be replacing them. Jon Watts will return as director for “Spider-Man: Far From Home,” and Scott Derrickson is set to direct the next Doctor Strange film. However, we don’t know who will direct the next MCU team-up film. Whoever it may be, they have big shoes to fill.
Think you’re a Marvel movie expert? Prove it with this quiz.
The Marvel Cinematic Universe has given us over a decade’s worth of content, and let’s be honest – it’s a little hard to keep track of everything, especially if it’s been a while since you’ve seen some of the earlier films. How did that Hulk vs Hulkbuster fight end up? Whatever happened to Justin Hammer? Where did Falcon go to lay low after the events of “Captain America: Civil War?”
There are many Marvel fans, but far fewer experts. Are you one of them? Test your knowledge with our quiz:
How do you stack up among your heroes? Would Tony Stark dub thee an Avenger? Or are you a lot of talk and not a lot of results? Don’t worry if you don’t get a perfect score the first time; it’s not too late to change the future. We’re not going to give away any spoilers for “Avengers: Endgame,” but we will send you in prepared!
Thanos “snapped” a lot of our heroes at the end of “Avengers: Infinity War.” Now that we’re in the Endgame, there are a handful of survivors left to carry the torch and take the fight to the Mad Titan. While the whole gang is set on a singular goal, the crew’s pretty diverse in terms of personalities, backgrounds, and powers. Heck, there’s a talking raccoon with a rocket launcher. Of all the heroes on screen, though, which one are you most similar to? Are you a war-hardened military veteran? Or maybe a super spy? Or are you a genius billionaire playboy philanthropist? Take our quiz and find out!
Happy with your result? If not, you can always grab your Time Stone and take it again to undo the damage. Or you could refresh the page. Up to you. Let us know in the comments below which Avenger you got, and we’ll see you in the theaters!
Marvel announces that Avengers: Endgame will be Stan Lee’s last cameo. Check out our favorites here!
Excelsior!
Stan Lee was more than just the father of all things Marvel comics; he was an icon in the industry.
Throughout his time with Marvel, Lee appeared in television shows, video games, and, of course, movies. Audience members sit in anticipation throughout a movie waiting to see when Lee will grace the screen. His cameos have ranged from hilarious to heartwarming.
Due to his death last November, Marvel has announced that his final cameo will be in “Avengers: Endgame.”
When “Deadpool” first came out, the R-rating had us wondering if and how Marvel would use Stan Lee. He always gave off a wholesome, grandfatherly vibe, and Deadpool’s crude nature might tarnish that image. Marvel decided to veer into the skid by making Lee the announcer at a strip club. Guess what. It was hilarious!
6. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2
By the time “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2” came out in 2017, Lee had already appeared in more than a dozen titles in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Around this time, a theory had been buzzing around the internet that Lee’s character in the movies was actually one of the Watchers. The Watchers are extra-terrestrial beings who, well, watch the universe.
Marvel decided to have some fun with fans, and show Lee talking to a group of Watchers while explaining to them all the different characters he has been throughout the MCU. Whether or not this was a joke or a hint at things to come, we were just glad that Marvel was listening to us.
5. Iron Man
“You look great, Hef.”
About a year prior to Lee’s passing, Playboy founder Hugh Hefner passed away. The two had been friends throughout the years. The two also worked together and created a series and a brief comic strip for Playboy.
It was only fitting for Lee to impersonate his friend in 2008’s “Iron Man.” As Tony Stark walks into a party filled with celebrities, he stops to greet “Hef” who is standing outside with some lovely models.
Sometimes Stan Lee can say nothing and have an absolutely hilarious cameo.
In “The Amazing Spider-Man,” Lee finds himself listening to music at a high school library… for some reason. Unbeknownst to him, Spidey and Lizard are fighting in the background. As the two clash back and forth, Lee narrowly avoids getting hit by a desk as he quietly jams out to classical music.
3. Mallrats
“I think you outta get him some help. He seems to be hung up on superhero sex organs.”
If you ran into Stan Lee on the street, what questions would you want to ask him? Hopefully, your choices would be less perverted than Brodie’s in “Mallrats.”
In the scene, Brodie finds himself down on his luck. His girlfriend does not understand his obsession with comics and video games, and he doesn’t know which means more to him. Almost like a guardian angel, Stan Lee descends from the heavens to give him life advice.
Sadly, Stan Lee is no longer around to give you advice for your love life, but you can read this story to learn how he created his characters:
“This is a DC movie? Oh geez, I gotta get out of here.”
Stan Lee’s eccentric, charismatic personality never got its justice on film. However, when Stan Lee was animated in “Teen Titans Go! To the Movies,” we got to see all of his personality out in the open.
As he jokes while breaking the fourth wall, someone on set tells him that he is doing a cameo in a DC movie. Realizing his mistake, Lee bolts out of there.
1. Spider-Man 3
In the first two Spider-Man films from Sam Raimi, the people of New York City have mixed feelings about the web-slinger. Despite the fact that he has saved the city over and over again, he still has his critics (not just J. Jonah Jameson).
Finally, in “Spider-Man 3” Spidey has the love and appreciation of the entire city. After saving Gwen Stacy, Peter Parker walks through the city and sees a news report saying that Spider-Man will receive the key to the city.
As Parker reads the news, a string of emotions comes across his face as he processes the news. Before he can say anything, Stan Lee walks up to him to offer his two cents.
“You know, I guess one person can make a difference.”
The words have dual-meaning as they represent what Spidey has done for the city, and what Lee has done for Marvel comics and the comic book industry in general.
Although “Spider-Man 3” might not be the best Spider-Man movie by a longshot, it does have our favorite moment from our favorite comic book legend.
Excelsior!
When “Deadpool” first came out, the R-rating had us wondering if and how Marvel would use Stan Lee. He always gave off a wholesome, grandfatherly vibe, and Deadpool’s crude nature might tarnish that image. Marvel decided to veer into the skid by making Lee the announcer at a strip club. Guess what. It was hilarious!
By the time “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2” came out in 2017, Lee had already appeared in more than a dozen titles in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Around this time, a theory had been buzzing around the internet that Lee’s character in the movies was actually one of the Watchers. The Watchers are extra-terrestrial beings who, well, watch the universe. 
Sometimes Stan Lee can say nothing and have an absolutely hilarious cameo. 
“I think you outta get him some help. He seems to be hung up on superhero sex organs.”
“This is a DC movie? Oh geez, I gotta get out of here.”
