The Marvel Cinematic Universe is filled with tons of easter eggs and hidden meanings that are hard to spot for the average fan. However, one thing you can notice right away is the locations and set pieces they visit. From the forests of Asgard to the Culver University that Bruce Banner visits, these locations are some of the most memorable scenes in filming history.
The 2008 Jon Favreau film, Iron Man, kickstarted the MCU where at the time, they didn’t truly grasp the potential that this universe will hold for many comic fans. The way it started and continues has revolutionized how the filming industry is devised today, with eye-catching sequels and cinematic universes being created and planned. As it grows, the MCU has expanded to TV shows, short films, and other production efforts.
The MCU boasts the historic record of the highest-grossing franchises and boosted the careers of many actors to stardom and popularity. While the MCU involves a great deal of CGI and special effects, with green screens and advanced technologies in use, the filmmakers responsible have had to employ different real locations for their films. Consequently, the crew and cast members often had to travel around the world to shoot their scenes, and some of these venues are well-beloved by fans alike.
If you’re looking to travel across the globe, consider visiting these 6 real MCU locations right now.
Black Panther’s Warrior Falls
The site of Warrior Falls in Black Panther makes for some remarkable action scenes as ritual combats are performed by different characters in the film. Scenes that featured the actors were shot at an Atlanta studio, but the real waterfall footage was taken from Iguazu Falls, which is the longest waterfall system worldwide, living between Brazil and Argentina. This is some of the best MCU filming locations to visit in your spare time as you can commemorate the memory of the late Chadwick Boseman as a tribute to his good soul and kind heart.
Spider-Man: Homecoming’s Midtown High School
While saving the world as Spider-Man, Peter Parker must continue to finish his studies in school like any other teenager. As such, academic schools are shown throughout the entire Spider-Man series. The fictional Midtown School of Science and Technology, which is located in Queens, New York City in the film where Tom Holland as Peter Parker studies at, is actually shot at several schools in Brooklyn and Atlanta, including Franklin K. Lane High School and Henry W. Grady High School.
The Incredible Hulk’s Culver University
While Holland’s Spider-Man trilogy features some iconic schools, educational universities also play a key role in The Incredible Hulk, as Bruce Banner worked as a nuclear physicist at Culver University before his untimely transformation. This fictional institution has appeared in several key moments on this 2008 film, setting up one of the most thrilling battles. Filmmakers created Culver University using two real places located in Toronto, Canada, which is the University of Toronto and Morningside Park.
Thor: Ragnarök’s Forests of Asgard
After Hela came back due to Odin’s unprecedented demise, waves of destruction have befallen Asgard. Amidst all this, in Thor: Ragnarök, the character Heimdall leads a group of Asgardian survivors through Asgard’s forests to find someplace safe from the fight. Along the way, he slew some enemies that looked to injure them.
Unbeknownst to the audience, these scenes were actually shot from real locations in Queensland, Australia, specifically Cedar Creek Falls and Tamborine National Park.
Doctor Strange’s Exeter College
In the 2016 film, Doctor Strange, the main antagonist Kaecilius steals several pages of the Book of Cagliostro from Kamar-Taj. While the villains were confronted by the Ancient One through a battle inside the Mirror Dimension, they managed to escape. With those pages at hand, they were able to conjure the great dark being called Dormammu to ask for his unfathomable powers in exchange for Earth.
The entire scene where the incantation was being cast within a towering church was shot in Oxford, England, inside the Exeter College chapel.
Iron Man 3’s Neptune’s Net
Iron Man 3 highlighted Tony Stark meeting James Rhodes for lunch at Neptune’s Net, which is a famous Malibu seafood restaurant. They were discussing some business-related issues while kids approached Stark for autographs. However, during this interaction, he suffered a severe anxiety attack, prompting him to run out of the place.
Neptune’s Net is a real restaurant and has been shown in many popular films. Stark’s scenes here were shot at Dania Beach Bar & Grill, which is in Dania Beach, Florida.
Conclusion
The MCU has had several successes over the decade, and with success comes memory from fans who loved watching these films. If you happen to be travelling to one of these locations, it might be worth considering visiting these places and reminiscing on the olden days of Marvel goodness. There’s so much to see around the world, and these locations are among the ones you should visit right now.
