The Marvel Cinematic Universe has brought many a great superhero film to the big screen time and time again. From the very first Iron Man film that kicked off the MCU in the first place to the latest Avengers installment - Infinity War, the creative minds in the MCU have brought Marvel's most iconic superheroes to life on film seamlessly. Any comic book fan can agree that, for the most part, they have done justice to the original superheroes, who were once only in comic book panels, and who are now gracing our screens in movie theaters across the globe.
While all of the films in the MCU are quite fantastical in terms of their special effects and makeup artistry, there is a lot that goes into the final product of the scenes we see in each of the films. Lucky for us, there are behind-the-scenes photos released for every Marvel film that shows just how much movie magic goes into making these superhero movies.
In these behind-the-scenes photos, we see everything from how unglamorous the set actually is compared to the out of this world imagery we see in the movies, to villains and heroes hanging out in between takes, to seriously intricate makeup that takes hours to apply to get the proper look. The whole process of making these larger than life films is honestly fascinating.
These photos may just change how you see the films you have come to love.
26 Break Time For The Guardians
I am positive that being on set all day shooting a huge blockbuster film can be exhausting for everyone involved - particularly the actors. That is why when they get a chance for a break, it's best they take it.
Which is what we see playing out before us in this behind-the-scenes photo of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2.
Kurt Russell is taking a nap while Zoe Saldana and Chris Pratt text away on their phones.
It all looks pretty hilarious at first, but even actors need some quiet time too.
25 Lunch Break For The Avengers
Tony Stark and Doctor Strange may not have gotten off on the right foot but to be fair, they did have Thanos coming to destroy half the universe to deal with. Behind the scenes, though, it seems both Tony and Doctor Strange are the best of buds, along with Bruce and Wong.
In reality, it is Benedict Cumberbatch, Robert Downey Jr., Mark Ruffalo and Benedict Wong who are palling around and eating lunch together on the set of Infinity War.
It definitely cuts the tension of the huge scene they were just filming, I'm positive.
24 Playtime With Gamora
This is by far one of my favorite behind-the-scenes photos on the list because it shows a bit of the actor's personal life combining with their work life. Zoe Saldana is seen here in full Gamora makeup and even her costume is on.
All the while, she is playing with her two children.
It makes for an exceptionally adorable photo. It is honestly really cool that she has no qualms about being in her Gamora get-up to play with her kids, who probably think their mom is incredibly awesome.
23 Stunt Doubles Everywhere
In Civil War, many of the Avengers - both old and new - are fighting against each other rather than with one another. This is due to a serious conflict between Iron Man and The Captain regarding the Winter Soldier.
The fight scenes in the film were pretty intense, which is why stunt doubles were clearly needed for the actors. And here we get to see them in action, somewhat.
The stunt doubles are geared up in their respective costumes to prep for the fight scene with a green screen behind them. The end result of this is going to look pretty amazing, as we all know.
22 Hulk’s Optical Illusion
Mark Ruffalo plays The Hulk, a.k.a. Bruce Banner, in all of the Avengers and Avengers-related films. And while The Hulk is this massive figure in the comics, both literally and figuratively, his size seems to be drastically different when they are actually filming.
This is just a seriously sized-down version of The Hulk.
That is because they use it for filming but later add in the CGI effects with Mark Ruffalo in gear to track his movements, even including facial movements. And here we see the definite difference between the man behind the Hulk - Mark Ruffalo - and the Hulk himself. Quite the difference.
21 An Unexpected Duo
Thanos may have been the enemy of not only all of the Avengers, but the universe as a whole, thanks to his nefarious plan to wipe out half of the population. But Tony Stark may have hated him more than most, and felt the need to rectify what had occurred when Thanos' army descended on New York.
But when Robert Downey Jr. and Josh Brolin are actually on set together, they seem to be the best of friends. The two actors are carrying on and laughing together most likely between takes of a much more serious scene. I'm glad they aren't taking themselves too seriously.
20 Star-Lord In Action
We have seen a lot of times in action sequences that actors have to be hoisted up on strong wires to create the exceptionally cool action-packed scenes that they are featured in. It is handy especially when the actor is meant to be gliding through the air, as Chris Pratt's Star-Lord is meant to here.
This appears to be from the original Guardians film when we see the grown-up Peter Quill. But instead of the planet he is on in that scene, we see a makeshift set with a blue screen. It may look much cooler in the end, but it is still interesting to see how it came to be.
19 Makeup Time For Kaecilius
Mads Mikkelsen was the main villain of the Doctor Strange film. His character was none other than Kaecilius who used dark magic which immediately made him clash with the likes of Doctor Strange.
But in this behind-the-scenes photo, we see the actor hanging out with two other actresses who are his followers in the movie. They all have the essential makeup around their eyes to reflect the dark magic that they were using all throughout the film.
It is incredibly interesting to see Mads go from the makeup trailer to the evil villain he played in the movie.
18 Avengers Assemble
At the end of the first Avengers film, after fighting off Loki and Thanos' army in New York, Tony very nearly perished after sacrificing himself for the greater good.
But he luckily survived, though his fellow Avengers were very worried before they knew that.
And this is how they shot the scene, evidently. With a humungous green screen surrounding them and Mark Ruffalo in his Hulk CGI get-up. It definitely makes you look at the scene in a different light, but is still very tense nonetheless.
17 The Guardians In Mid-Air
Who could forget the epic scene in Avengers: Infinity War when Peter finds out Thanos has ended Gamora and (according to most) completely messed up the Avengers attempt at getting the Infinity Gauntlet off of Thanos' hand? Thanos then blasts the Guardians' through the air on Titan, creating quite the visual effects.
But on the actual set, Titan is just a green screen, and the actors are flying through the air due to wires, rather than the force of Thanos' Infinity Gauntlet. It is not really as epic as the end result, but it is still interesting to see their process.
16 The Wasp In Action
As previously mentioned, it's always fascinating to see how these blockbuster superhero films are actually made, even if they look a lot less glamorous than the finished product. And this is yet another example of that.
Evangeline Lilly is seen in mid-air here, in her full Wasp costume, minus the helmet.
But she has a lot of help with this move from the crew. Aside from the wiring that is holding her up from the ceiling, there is a crew member assisting in this, also. There's also plenty of lighting and visual effects being applied here. It takes a lot to get that perfect shot, it seems.
15 Rocket Raccoon’s Actual Appearance
This might be the most inadvertently comical behind-the-scenes shot on the list. Here we have Drax, played by Dave Bautista, acting as if he is petting his fellow Guardian, Rocket Raccoon, who is voiced by Bradley Cooper.
However, in actuality, he is petting another actor who is just dressed in a green screen suit. The actor is mimicking the movements that Rocket will be making in the final version of the film.
It is yet another clever way of capturing those movements, and projecting the visual effects of Rocket's appearance onto that form. Still, it is kind of hilarious to look at.
14 When Worlds Collide
For years, we have known Zoe Saldana to be the ultimate Gamora. She embodies her compelling and awesome personality perfectly while pulling off her look just as well. But this year, we met a younger version of Gamora with child actress Ariana Greenblatt playing this version of her.
She did a wonderful job, and even got to meet the actress who plays the adult version of Gamora.
Both Zoe and Ariana were in their Gamora makeup and costume when they meet here, and they gleefully pose for pictures. It is honestly too adorable.
13 A Daring Trio
Everyone understandably can't forget the scene that these three were involved in Infinity War. That is because while Spider-Man and Iron Man were busy trying to get the Infinity Gauntlet off of Thanos' hand, Peter Quill was grieving the loss of Gamora and was in a rage.
This, unfortunately, thwarted their plan to rid Thanos of the Infinity Gauntlet.
While that scene has frustrated many Marvel fans, the actors who played those characters seem relaxed and chummy with one another in between takes of that legendary scene. It makes you look at the scene in a different light - sort of.
12 A Very Different-Looking Thanos
Josh Brolin portrayed the imposing presence of Thanos wonderfully in Infinity War, but he had a trick up his sleeve to pull it off.
Brolin had a cut out of Thanos' head placed on his helmet - but it's for a very good reason. When using CGI for a CGI character, the actor usually has to wear a contraption on their head, similar to Josh Brolin's, but usually, they just opt for a simple tennis ball. This is so the other actors are aware of where they should be looking when talking to the character, which in this case, is Thanos.
Pretty clever, if you ask me.
11 Deadpool’s Big Stunt: Explained
In the climax of the first Deadpool film, Wade Wilson jumps on a hunk of metal to have Negasonic Teenage Warhead propel him up to where his enemy, Francis, was holding his love, Vanessa, hostage.
It was a pretty insane looking stunt, with Deadpool even hilariously screaming as he was shot up to face his foe. But evidently, it was not as frightening for Ryan Reynolds to have to play that scene out.
Here he is lying on the hunk of metal, but with a green screen backdrop. He is in no danger at all, clearly, but the green screen helped make the shot just perfect, in the end.
10 The Avengers Goofing Around
It isn't often in the Marvel films, particularly ones that center on all of the Avengers, that the team seems to get a calm moment, let alone one where they can just sit back and joke. But that is not the case for the actors who play the Avengers.
Here we have Chris Evans, Scarlett Johannson, and Chris Hemsworth in some sort of conga line, laughing without a care in the world.
If only the same could be said for their characters in the movie they were filming - Avengers: Age of Ultron.
9 A Less Fascinating Guardians Film
When Peter Quill and his band of misfits, a.k.a. the other Guardians, arrive at Nova Corps headquarters and are shown around by John C. Reilly's character, Corpsman Dey, it all looks very elaborate and impeccable.
But in reality, Nova Corps' base is merely a basic set with a blue screen.
Of course, it makes sense that the scene played out for us in the first Guardians of the Galaxy film wasn't exactly what was originally shot, but it is pretty amazing to see how it can go from being a pretty drab set to an eye-catching background for the scene.
8 Loki Busting A Move
The relationship between Thor and Loki has been turbulent, to say the least. And that was starting from the very first Thor film. But while Loki and Thor just can't seem to capture that brotherly bond in their relationship, in real life, stars Chris Hemsworth and Tom Hiddleston have a much friendlier rapport with each other.
That is made clear here by Tom Hiddleston dancing away in between takes while filming with Chris Hemsworth.
The two are much greater friends off-screen than the two are when playing brothers on-screen, it seems.
7 Peter And The Pirate Angel
It was no secret that when Peter Quill and his fellow Guardians met Thor in Infinity War that Peter had a serious rivalry brewing between himself and the God of Thunder. Thor is better known by Drax as a pirate angel, of course, because of his good looks, which is why Peter immediately felt threatened.
In reality, though, Chris Pratt and Chris Hemsworth are on much friendlier terms.
In this behind-the-scenes photo, the two famous Chris' are very buddy/buddy on set, and even seem to be joking around. It is a definite departure from their Marvel counterparts.