If Anyone Can't Pass This MCU Quiz, They're Not A Real Fan
- by Ariel_S
- – on
- in Movies and TV
It may be confusing to understand now, but at one point, the world was chalk full of a torturous history when it came to the portrayal of superheroes on the silver-screen. Many had come before the kick-off of Marvel’s now impeccably awe-inspiring Cinematic Universe, but none of the truly lived up to the hopes and dreams of comic book fans in the way that they deserved. For decades, fans accepted what was given, and slumped into a “this is just how comic movies are made” lull. That was until Marvel jump-started the recent revolution.
We won’t go into many details here -- let’s save that for the actual quiz, shall we? -- but it has been a wild ride these past ten years. Recently celebrating the decade anniversary of the first Iron Man movie (the one that kicked it all off), the fandom, and the studio are left to look back at what can easily be described as the most influential, powerful, and intelligent crafting of a cinematic franchise in movie history.
In just a decade, Marvel has re-written the rules on bringing comic book pages to life, and along the way, we have amassed a wickedly high gross revenue. In fact, the Marvel Cinematic Universe is the highest grossing film franchise ever. More than Transformers, the DCEU, and Star Wars have all made, combined! Now that’s a free factoid we’re glad to share in the intro.
If one were to get perfect on this quiz, they might just deserve to live among the ranks of Marvel’s trademark heroes.
Who played Iron Man / Tony Stark?
It was the first movie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, so there was a whole lot of pressure riding on it. There had been a vast supply of lackluster flavors flung among the silver-screens the world over. So when epic filmmaker Jon Favreau took the helm of Iron Man (the first one), he knew he needed a jackpot as his leading man, which is exactly what he got. But it wasn’t just the fact that this actor looked almost exactly like his comic book character that got him the part, no, it was also his tumultuous past as a “bad boy” type rockstar heart-throb.
When did the MCU start?
Now that they had their star -- the first person to step into boots of a superhero for Marvel in the revamped cinematic universe -- it was time to kick things into high gear. Maybe Marvel and Favreau chose Iron Man as their lead-off film because it could almost play as a safeguard against the possible outcome in which audiences didn’t really want to see large-scale superhero films in the 21st century. Whichever reason spurred them to choose Stark and co, it began the tidal wave that would become a decade-plus run.
Who was the second Avenger to be introduced in the MCU?
It came and went like a bolt of lightning. Marvel now had a viable, and ridiculously extensive door open, with a seemingly endless hallway in front of it. So it was clear they were going to make more. Which was great, because they had another bullet in the chamber that they were ready to fire should the crowds arrive in droves come the launch of the first Iron Man film. Released in the same, the Fiege team and Marvel launched their second character movie, who was it?
Who played the first Bruce Banner in The Incredible Hulk ‘08?
Some people discount the first Hulk movie as “not a real MCU film” because the actor that portrayed Bruce Banner in the 2008 version of the jolly green giant isn’t the one we’ve come to know and love in the later movies. Directed by Louis Leterrier, who directed the Transporter movies and went on to bring many other great movies to the world, the second MCU film wasn’t as good as the first (Iron Man). Perhaps it was the casting. Perhaps more. Who was the first Hulk in the MCU?
Which two original Avengers were omitted from the first Avengers film?
It’s a comic book lover's worst nightmare: huge studios are putting a ton of money together to bring gigantic characters together for the first “real” effort in the world of cinema. They’ve introduced four main characters, and some b-side superheroes, but coming up to the highly-anticipated team-up movie, there were two absolutely obvious omissions from the list. It gets worse. One of the two characters missing from the line-up is the very character that came up with the name “The Avengers”.
Which Marvel location was foreshadowed in Iron Man 2?
In a stunning twist, which might not be all that surprising to fans of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the folks putting together Marvel’s Iron Man 2 pulled a real fast one with a nod to a movie nearly a decade away from being released. While it may have been mentioned by name in the second Avengers team-up movie, it was first teased as a Wi-Fi hotspot during a brief flash on Nick Fury’s futuristic computerized map in Iron Man 2. Teased as a Wi-Fi hotspot! Marvel is always pulling these ones.
Who took over the mantle as Bruce Banner / The Hulk?
We’ve already gone over the fact that Edward Norton played the Hulk (aka Bruce Banner) in the original MCU film titles The Incredible Hulk, but never reprised the role for future versions of the character needed on-screen. A lot of rumours circled after it was announced that the Hulk would be recast, and the most potent of them being around the idea that Norton is notoriously difficult to work with in a collaborative and creative space. Norton has even been called a “control-freak” which pretty much sums up any needed reason to ditch the actor for another. But who took over in Norton’s place?
What is the name of the bridge on Asgard?
The Asgardians are a race of god-like beings that live on the planet Asgard (Rest In Peace, Asgard). Born of our myth and legend, Thor, and his fellow Asgards were based on ancient Norse Mythology. Thor and his people look over and after the realms of the universe, but in order to do such a thing they must maintain a connection and access to those realms. This is where the famed “rainbow bridge” comes into play. Acting as an Einstein-Rosen bridge, this landmark on Asgard connects the gods to their realms of charge.
What are the names of Odin’s Ravens?
Originally penned and drawn in the Thor comic books, Odin (the king of Asgard) has two secret agent birds, or Ravens to be more specifically. Though they don’t show up in the first Thor movie, there is a scene in The Avengers where Thor and Loki are fighting and two Ravens can be seen flying in the background. In the next Thor movie, The Dark World, those same two Ravens can be spotted perched on the giant arms of the throne in Odin’s chambers. These messenger spies came from the Norse Mythology that the entire Thor universe is based off of. But what are their names?
Who (actor) asks Hulk if he’s an Alien when he falls to earth in The Avengers?
It was a scene designed from the start to absolutely set up some fear in the character of Bruce Banner, but also serve up some laughs for the audience. Given that Marvel now has a pension and well-documented history of taking moments of laughter and putting a slathering of ode and the nerdiest of inside jokes into them. Like this one, the Hulk, now Bruce Banner, is in a pile of rubble and a security guard finds him and asks if he’s an alien. Many thought this was a joke about Superman, but it’s clearly an inside joke regarding the actor who plays the security guard, who was one of the original cast members in the movie Alien.
Which rock band had the hit song “Iron Man”?
There’s a lot of folklore when it comes to rock music, and this band has a library-sized collection of stories. Is there a solid connection between this band’s hit single “Iron Man” and Tony Stark’s epic superhero alter-ego? Maybe there’s no direct evidence. But would that stop the grossly rich Marvel Studios from purchasing the rights to the song to blast during the credits right after Robert Downey Jr. says “I am Iron Man”. It was epic. Tony Stark even wore one of this band’s t-shirts during a short scene in Avengers tower.
Which hero was teased in Iron Man’s workshop?
Just because the entire future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe rested solely on the shoulders of Robert Downey Jr. and the Iron Man squad, doesn’t mean they were going to lay low with the references, the nods, and the teases. Which is exactly what they did when shooting scenes in Tony Stark’s laboratory, as we see some nods to past iterations of the Iron Man suit, as well as the prototype for the soon-to-debut superhero member of the Avengers. The super accessory can be seen in both Iron Man and Iron Man 2.
Which Thor universe character auditioned for the role of Thor?
It’s a hard role to fill. On-screen, there’s a whole lot of lore to live up to, especially if we consider the heritage of the character beyond the pages of the wednesday trades, and go deeper into the land of mythology. But it’s something that Chris Hemsworth seems to have been -- looking at it from where we sit now -- born for. We simply couldn’t ever picture a different live-action Thor. But one of the main characters in the Thor movie actually originally auditioned to play Thor, and lost the part to Hemsworth. Luckily for him though, another role became his, and has been iconic for a decade.
What is the only sentence that Groot can say?
It must be tricky, what, being a member of the quick-witted and snappy Guardians of the Galaxy squad and only being able to utter a single grouping of words no matter the situation. Trust us on this one: don’t Google why it is Groot can only say a single sentence, it makes the adorable character trait pretty darn sad. Vin Deisel and James Gunn had “Groot Scripts” during shooting, so that the two would alone know exactly what Groot is saying in English. Here’s to hoping that the Groot Script leaks.
What does Thor say when he sees Hulk in Thor: Ragnarok?
There’s a real turn of flavors in the third Thor movie. The first two weren’t bad films, but lacked a lot of the tang that the world saw in the other mainstay franchises amongst the Marvel Cinematic Universe. So, with the help of the hilarious and talented Taika Waititi, Thor:Ragnarok became one of the greatest superhero movies in history. One line in particular stuck out, and apparently it was suggested by a young child who was visiting the set thanks to charity organization Make A Wish Foundation.
Which MCU film had the first Infinity Stone in it?
We all know now, the large-scale event that Marvel has been building up to for over a decade, and we’re only half-way through experiencing this climactic saga. The second part of the Infinity War story comes out soon, but who knew that the Infinity Stones collected by Thanos first appeared almost a decade ago? During one of the early MCU films, the Tesseract was hunted by Red Skull and Hydra, and inside the Tesseract is the Space Stone, which Thanos eventually gets from Loki at the very beginning of the first Infinity War movie.
What’s the name of the planet in Thor: Ragnarok?
It’s trash. No really, the planet is a dump. After attempting to fight off his beloved sister (that’s a joke), Heimdall saves Thor by sending him through a portal at the end of the Rainbow Bridge, unfortunately for the God of Thunder, he wound up on the trash planet that would nearly immediately imprison him. Thor would eventually be thrust unwillingly into a battle of champions, in order to win his freedom, which is where he runs across his old pal Bruce Banner. But what is the name of the trash planet in Thor: Ragnarok?
Which original Guardians of the Galaxy member makes a cameo in The Collector’s Museum?
It’s probably the most rewarding thirty-five seconds of any Marvel movie to date, if one is keen to spot and scour for all of the easter eggs put into these films. The Collector, a character notoriously devilish for doing whatever it takes in order to obtain rare and valuable items for his gallery. In almost every exhibit, we can find one (or twelve) amazingly clever odes to other Marvel universes, or the world it inhabits itself. There’s a single glass case in The Collector’s museum that holds one of the original members of the Guardians of the Galaxy.
How many Infinity Stones are there?
It was one of the most brilliant decisions ever made by a cinematic powerhouse. When searching for a decent reason to string all of these far-reaching stories together, Kevin Feige and his squad came up with the idea of weaving the infinity stones throughout their entirely crafted storylines. This means that no matter how much distance was put between the storied heroes, they would all be pinned together in history, when the events of the Avengers movies grew to Thanos-sized dangers.
What is the name of Thor’s hammer?
It’s been attached to the legend of Thor the God of Thunder since the original depictions in Norse Mythology. Though it started as a small blacksmiths hammer, it grew into one of the most formidable weapons the universe has ever seen. The hammer gives Thor the ability to fly by “spinning it really fast” so Thor exclaimed himself, and it can break through nearly any surface in order to return to Thor’s hand when he uses his internal will to call to the weapon. Though he’s not know as the God of Hammers (a joke that Odin makes in Ragnarok), his hammer is a well known part of his story.
Which Avenger originally turned down their role, twice?
It’s a difficult decision to make. On one hand, a Marvel actor is an actor that is always looking for a bigger challenge, a bigger payday, and the best career moves an actor can make. On the slightly less comfortable hand, the actor is taking risks on a yet unproven series of films, and considering the previous lack of quality in most superhero flicks, it’s a tricky choice to make. After acting in a previous superhero film, an embarrassing bomb, one of the original Avengers actors admitted to having turned down the role they eventually were convinced to take.
What’s the name of the Racoon in the Guardians of the Galaxy?
It could be one of the most drastic and sad character backstories in the entire Marvel Cinematic Universe. He goes into it a tiny bit during the original introduction between Star Lord and the ferocious little furry maniacal Racoon. He alludes to some pretty ba acts of inhumanity and experiments, as he recollects a time before he became an anthropomorphic speaking being. Voiced by the legendary actor Bradley Cooper, this now beloved member of the team has a million nicknames.
What real-life language do Wakandans speak?
It took a decade for Marvel to put Wakanda’s king front and centre of his own blockbuster film, and it truly paid off. The Black Panther movie, released in the spring of 2018, quickly became the highest grossing Marvel movie in the entire line-up. In the film, we’re finally introduced to the amazing location of Wakanda, a high-powered civilization in Africa masked behind illusions. The locals and main characters can often be heard speaking in “Wakandan” which is actually a real life African Language.
What is the name of the MCU News Channel?
It’s hard to flesh out an entire cinematic universe, which is exactly why Kevin Feige and Marvel have been praised so highly over the years, because they’ve done such a wonderful job of making the entire version of reality feel true. Even down to the smallest details, like the news. In almost every scene where news is depicted on a television screen, it’s a fake news channel. In the real world, outside of the films, Marvel secretly uploads some of those news clips onto video streaming sites as that very same news outlet.
Who plays the voice of the Hulk?
After a short amount of time in the Edward Norton experiment, the mantle of Bruce Banner was given to the now beloved Mark Ruffalo. It’s one of those castings in which one can look at it now and wonder how anyone had ever played the introverted scientist on the big screen before him. But Marvel decided that he shouldn’t play the voice of the Hulk, who was limited to guttural noises and expressing his name. For that, they went to give homage to one of the original Hulk actors, giving him a big role in the new MCU.
Which actor is currently pulling double duty in Superhero films?
It’s not a majorly common occurrence, in fact, most stars that have the fortune of getting a second chance to play a hero on the big screen do so simply because their first appearance wound up being a stinker. But now that Marvel has the industry by the Infinity Stones, there’s not a lot of flops on their side of the fence. One actor is currently enjoying a stint as one of the most epic super villains in cinema history, while pulling double duty as a time-traveling robotic-armed space cop?
How did Tom Holland find out he was playing Spider-Man?
It was almost the summer of 2015 and the world of comic book fans were a light once again surrounding the buzz that was a third relaunch of everyone’s favorite web-slinger. Spider-Man, being the only real semi-success in the superhero movie universe this side of the turn of the century, was moving onto its third actor in just 15 years. There was rumour that Spidey would make a small appearance in the third Captain America movie. Everyone was awaiting the reveal of the casting, including Tom Holland himself, who didn’t find out about landing the role until...
Who is the richest superhero?
If one is a fan of DC Comics, and Marvel, or comics in general, then they know that sometimes a person’s wallet can be their greatest super power. Because, at the end of the day, someone can be charged with the power of a god, given a higher purpose, or just purchase that one thing needed to get the job done. We’ve seen our fair share of deep pocketed caped crusaders, but who takes the cake in terms of bank accounts?
Who did Black Widow replace in the first Avengers movie?
It was a pretty weird, but ultimately great, surprise when the world was informed that Scarlett Johansson would be suiting up as the Black Widow in Joss Whedon’s first crack at assembling Earth’s Mightiest Heroes. It turned out to be a great fit with the rest of the crew. However, according to the director/writer Whedon, the Black Widow wasn’t in the original script. Instead, Whedon had included a character that has only just been finally introduced, but was one of the original comic book Avengers.
Which MCU actor was forbidden from looking at the full Infinity War script?
There’s a lot going on in Marvel movies, and the closer that we’ve gotten to the big conclusion of this arc, the deeper it goes. Each film at this point has a list of spoilers that is easily a hands worth of fingers or longer. One of the Avengers members is played by an actor that just can’t seem to keep the lid on all of the things he knows. Whether it’s accidentally live-streaming from closed sets, or opening gifts and packages from Marvel on videos for social media, or just plainly letting things slip in media interviews. His mistakes became so bad that Marvel refused to give him the entire Infinity War script.
What line does Captain America repeat from his first movie in Civil War?
It marked the end of the single arc that saw Steve Rogers take up the mantle as Captain America, putting together the Avengers, and leading the through wars, and battles against aliens. There’s one line from his first film that he utters prior to getting super-juiced by the hero concoction, and he repeats this epic sentence near the end of Civil War as well, during the climatic fight scene between him and Iron Man (Tony Stark). It’s inspiring to see a huge company like Marvel handle a single characters long-term arc so well.
Which Iron Man suit was the first to debut the infamous red and gold colors?
He may have made his first Iron Man suit in a dungy dungeon in some desert after barely clinging onto his life once his work caught up and bit him where the sun doesn’t shine, but that didn’t stop Tony Stark from continuing the trend once he got back to his seemingly infinite supply of money and resources. He codenamed every single one of his suits (and he made a lot of them, as is evident in Iron Man 3), but they weren’t always his signature red and gold paint scheme. Which suit was the first with the now recognizable colors?
Which famous vehicle can be spotted during the Airport battle in Civil War?
There is, rightfully, a whole lot going on in the big fight sequence between a dozen of Marvel’s boisterous gaggle of superheroes as they beat each other up near the hangers of an airport. So many things blowing up, so many punches being thrown, Ant-Man gets absolutely huge at one point. It’s just nuts. But who noticed that one of the most recognizable vehicles from a famous television show was parked at that same airport? That’s right, in the background during the big blowout brawl, we can spot ______.
What is the differential in average MCU movie review scores?
It’s pretty easy to see exactly why Marvel has had so much success with their blockbuster superhero movies, and that’s because they take the big picture into the most serious of context while playing in these smaller sandboxes. This is key to ensuring that everything feels like they belong in the same universe. Marvel movies, at their core, have the same base ingredients, and set themselves apart in the extra toppings. Which is why the average critic score for all of the Marvel movies are shockingingly close.
What favorite film franchise is referenced more than any other in the MCU?
And it’s done all without calling it by name. There’s no denying that Kevin Feige is the mastermind behind the gigantic success that is the finely tuned MCU, and he deserves all of the praise that he’s given. Unfortunately for the puppet master, there sure isn’t a whole lot of room when working with previously established lore, to put one’s fingerprints on the painting. But his love for one particular film franchise is so large that he had ode’s to the infamously limbless leads placed in many of the MCU films.