Things have changed a lot since the MCU kicked off with Phase 1, with many key parts of its early history now becoming a vague memory for most fans of comic book films. Phase 1 of the MCU kicked off almost 20 years ago in 2008 with Iron Man, starring Robert Downey Jr., launching this fledgling universe into what would one day become a sprawling franchise.
However, the MCU looked very different during this early period. Characters were still being shaped, the format was being worked out, and not everyone was immediately a fan of this multi-picture story format, which almost required audiences to do their homework watching each and every new release.
Since then, the MCU has had many more highs and lows than in Phase 1, but it’s worth exploring some of the more obscure details that are occasionally lost to history. From character evolutions to the actual success of these early releases, things have shifted a lot since the MCU kicked off.
The MCU Wasn’t A Disney Product For Much Of Phase 1
It feels like Disney has always had a hand in the MCU at this point, but the truth is, they didn’t have all that much to do with Phase 1. Iron Man, the first entry in the MCU’s history, was actually distributed by Paramount, and a small team of individuals who were passionate about comic books and adapting these stories for the big screen came together as producers and executive producers to get the movie made.
This included Kevin Feige, who at the time was only credited as a producer, along with executive producers like Avi Arad, who has had a long-standing connection to the Spider-Man films and Sony’s Marvel releases, Stan Lee, a co-creator of Iron Man and many of Marvel’s most iconic characters, Jon Favreau, the director on the film, Louis D’esposito, who has been instrumental in making many MCU movies, and a few others.
Meanwhile, The Incredible Hulk, which also came out in 2008, had its distribution handled by Universal Pictures. The year after both of these projects debuted, Disney completed their purchase of Marvel Entertainment, which included the up-and-coming Marvel Studios, but due to the fact that several more Phase 1 films were already deep into their production, these films were distributed by other studios.
Disney’s first official involvement came with The Avengers, and ever since, the MCU has been a part of the entertainment giant’s portfolio.
Black Widow Was VERY Different In Her MCU Debut
Speaking of changes, there were also major shifts in the way that some characters were portrayed from their first appearance into future returns. One clear example of this comes in the form of Natasha Romanoff, aka Black Widow, as played by Scarlett Johansson.
The character debuted in 2010’s Iron Man 2, appearing as a newly hired legal assistant within Stark Industries. Tony evidently took a liking to her, and when her impressive martial arts skills were exposed, it was clear that something else was going on. As it turns out, Natasha was an undercover S.H.I.E.L.D. agent implemented by Nick Fury to evaluate whether Tony should be inducted into the Avengers Initiative.
Natasha’s presence in the MCU evolved massively to see her become a central member of the Avengers Initiative, who had a special bond with several of the others, helping them to unite and fight for a common purpose. In this way, Nat’s role evolved beyond the initial introduction.
Tony Stark Wasn’t An Avenger… At First
On that note, Natasha’s report of Tony Stark as a potential candidate for the Avengers Initiative was a mixed bag. Despite Tony’s incredible intelligence and his ingenuity and ability to innovate, he was volatile, unruly, and did not work well with others. As a result, it was Nat’s report that resulted in Tony being rejected as a potential Avenger.
This also contradicted an earlier post-credits scene that appeared at the end of The Incredible Hulk, where Tony Stark speaks to General Ross about recruiting the Hulk to the same initiative. However, this has since been explained away by retroactively stating that Tony was hired as an independent consultant. Eventually, when an extraterrestrial threat came to Earth, Tony was brought in to help, and since then, he became a central member of the team.
The Elon Musk Cameo Hasn’t Aged Well
When Iron Man 2 came out, Tony Stark was occasionally compared to Elon Musk, a disruptive founder who had gotten a reputation for being a unique billionaire with innovative businesses under his belt and a tendency to work tirelessly. To acknowledge this comparison, Iron Man 2 brought the real-life Elon Musk in to film a brief cameo in the film.
Of course, since then, Musk has become a vastly more divisive figure, and the wealthiest man on the planet, with his net worth crossing the trillion-dollar mark. As a result, this cameo feels strange and frankly unwelcome for modern audiences.
Phase 1 Stories Were Connected By One-Shot Shorts
Since the Multiverse Saga began, the MCU has included not just theatrical films, but also a whole host of TV shows set within the wider universe, releasing on Disney+. For some, this is a great way to connect stories and create a rich tapestry of storytelling with projects like The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, WandaVision, and Ms. Marvel all creating links to feature films.
However, long before Marvel Studios officially began building these narratives between films, there were a handful of One-Shot stories that connected bigger stories together in Phase 1. Projects like The Consultant, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Thor’s Hammer, and Item 47 all helped to build the world of the MCU in the background.
The Hulk Already Had A Solo Movie In The MCU
One of the most highly sought-after new projects from the MCU over the past 20 years has been a solo Hulk project, which makes sense because Mark Ruffalo has never led his own movie. But as was referenced above, The Incredible Hulk was one of the MCU’s very first projects.
The film starred Edward Norton as Bruce Banner, and the characterization of this version of Bruce was noticeably different from the one that we have come to know and love in the MCU. However, it did set up several characters and major plot points that would eventually take shape in the MCU, notably when General Ross introduces the Sokovia Accords in Captain America: Civil War and Captain America: Brave New World.
The Incredible Hulk is also left out because Universal Pictures still holds the theatrical distribution rights to any solo project featuring the Hulk, which is why the MCU has yet to give Ruffalo a solo story.
The Avengers Was The Only Phase 1 Entry That Earned More Than A Billion At The Box Office
Very few projects in the Multiverse Saga have indeed scaled to the heights of the Infinity Saga, when many of the new releases crossed the billion-dollar milestone at the global box office. However, people might forget that the MCU took some time to get to that momentum, with only one Phase 1 project actually taking home that sum.
|
Movie |
Global Box Office (via The Numbers) |
|---|---|
|
Iron Man |
$584,877,827 |
|
The Incredible Hulk |
$265,573,859 |
|
Iron Man 2 |
$621,156,389 |
|
Thor |
$449,326,618 |
|
Captain America: The First Avenger |
$370,569,776 |
|
The Avengers |
$1,515,100,211 |
Despite the enormous success of projects like Iron Man and the anticipation and excitement that surrounded the sequel’s release, all of the solo hero movies in Phase 1 never achieved more than $650 million individually. This makes the reality of The Avengers earning a little over $1.5 billion all the more significant, as it more than doubled the most successful releases up to that point.
Since Phase 1, the MCU has grown to the point that its lifetime box office gross is well over $30 billion, which is astonishing to think about considering all of Phase 1 barely made one tenth of that sum.
None Of The Avengers Had Secret Identities
So many superhero stories are characterized by heroes maintaining a secret identity. And even when it comes to some of the most prominent heroes in the MCU today, such as Spider-Man, Daredevil, and Ms. Marvel, these characters choose to conceal their true identities to protect the people they love.
However, when the MCU first began, it set a very different precedent when Tony Stark revealed to a room full of journalists at the end of Iron Man that he was the mystery hero that was speculated to be using Stark technology. In addition, every other member of the Avengers team, at least in that initial lineup, did not even attempt to keep their identities a secret.
The argument could be made that both Natasha Romanoff and Clint Barton concealed their identities and operated as undercover agents, but across the board, these heroes were not afraid to show their face and engage with the public.
Thor Was Power Hungry & Loki Was Betrayed
Today, Thor stands out as one of the most noble and heroic characters in the MCU. Having given up his right to rule Asgard and choosing to continue to serve others and protect those who can’t help themselves, Thor is definitely a worthy hero. However, his origins in Thor showed a very different side of the character.
Early on, Thor was hungry for war; he argued openly with his father, desperately wanting a chance to prove himself and stand up and become a leader who was loved, respected, and feared. On the other hand, his brother, Loki, seemed to be a far more laid-back character who often helped to quell his brother’s anger, even if he was a little mischievous at times.
While Odin sent Thor on a journey to grow up and become a man by banishing him to Earth, Loki was left behind, having recently uncovered the truth about his heritage and the fact that he was not a true son of Odin, a fact which would have absolutely upended his life.
Following this, Loki made some terrible choices, and he went on to become a terrifying villain before eventually being reformed, but it’s interesting to look back and see where these brothers started their journeys, and how far they have come since then in the MCU.