Marvel launched a fan competition in the 1980s to find young writers and artists. One fan proposed a stealth outfit for the web-head, designed by Reed Richards and fashioned by Janet van Dyne. The concept didn't work out, but Marvel liked the costume and compensated the fan $220 for it. It appeared in comic books and even in films such as 2007's Spider-Man 3.

James Gunn and the Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 crew spent two years planning and creating Baby Groot's dance to Electric Light Orchestra's song Mr Blue Sky. Gunn had his producer video him busting some moves for this massive project (which definitely paid off).

It is believed that Black Panther has a net worth in the trillions of dollars. T'Challa is therefore just slightly less well-off than the whole country of Sweden, which has a nominal GDP of $507 billion. Being king of a kingdom, and hence its money, will undoubtedly do this for you, but believe it or not, he is not the wealthiest superhero.

Thanos appears to be interested in winning love battles as well. Did you know he was involved in a love triangle with Deadpool and Lady Death? Indeed. This was alluded to in Deadpool 2, but not to its full degree. So, what's the story here? Both the Mad Titan and Wade Wilson fell in love with Death, but Thanos eventually won her over, and they even had a child together (Rot). How? He cursed Deadpool with immortality, preventing him from ever actually dying and reuniting with his love. That Thanos is such a jerk.

Marvel offers a plethora of famous and powerful characters, and a prevalent debate is who is the most powerful. This prize may go to the One Above All, an all-powerful, all-knowing being who interacts with others in the guise of Jack Kirby. A level below him is the Living Tribunal, a cosmic entity tasked with maintaining all universes in balance and capable of causing stars to go supernova on the spur of the moment. In the 2016 film Doctor Strange, he was mentioned as a relic possessed by Mordo.

The Men in Black, the black-suited agents of the renowned 1997-2012 film series, are owned by Marvel. The corporation acquired the previous publisher, Malibu, in 1994, although all of the films, television series, and video games have been produced by Marvel. It makes you question whether Coulson and company's prancing around in polarised sunglasses and black suits is a gesture to the men above the system.

How can you prepare for something that appears to take a lifetime in a matter of months? You employ the professionals! Jeremy Renner studied with Olympic archers to learn how to shoot a bow in preparation for his part as expert archer and Shield super-agent Hawkeye. Another of his tricks is to create a playlist tailored to the job.

Do you want to know some movie trivia that no one knows? In previous versions, Janet van Dyne, Henry Pym's wife, was slated to appear as the Wasp, an intriguing scenario given that she was one of the founding Avengers with Hulk, Thor, and Iron Man. Her function, on the other hand, was handed to Black Widow in order to eliminate clutter, as she was in Iron Man 2.

We see T'Challa and his Wakandan clan conversing in their native dialect in Captain America: Civil War and Black Panther. One of the most intriguing hidden allusions in Black Panther is how the words spoken are a variant of Xhosa, a genuine language spoken heavily in Zimbabwe and South Africa, which are near to where Wakanda is located in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

It's a recurring gag in X Men that Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters is frequently destroyed. Juggernaut, the Skrulls, Onslaught, and Phalanx have all assaulted it at least seven times. The majority of adaptations in movies, TV series, and video games have the school being attacked at least once.

In our list of Spider-Man facts, we discussed how the Clone Saga nearly ruined Marvel Comics, but a decade earlier, DC was in trouble because its heroes weren't selling well. Jim Shooter, Marvel's editor-in-chief at the time, was approached by the head of Warner Communications' publishing but declined the offer, arguing that DC characters wouldn't sell since they weren't very good. Ouch! Consider what would happen if the deal went through. That old Marvel vs. DC comics dispute would not have occurred!

The films remain ambiguous on Natasha Romanov's age, simply implying that she is old enough to have been nurtured by the KGB. In the comics, though, she has been able to survive for decades thanks to different medical operations and pieces of biotechnology. As the KGB fades from memory, it's increasingly likely that the youthful Natasha is considerably older than she appears. She's reported to be 70 years old in the comics!

Did you think Captain America was the first Marvel superhero? You'd be correct if it weren't for some cunning adjustments. The Human Torch — not Johnny Storm, but an android who could manipulate fire – was Marvel's first hero, initially appearing in Marvel #1 in 1939. More than 800,000 copies of the comic book were sold. Our favourite Cap wasn't born until 1941, yet he sold over a million copies.

In a way. After Tobey Maguire was injured on the set of Seabiscuit, Jake Gyllenhaal, who plays the duplicitous and theatrical Quentin Beck/Mysterio, was rumoured to be taking over for him in 2004's Spider-Man 2. Maguire recovered in time to reprise his role as Peter Parker, so the point was moot. However, Gyllenhaal has admitted that he was one of several actors considered for the emergency fill-in role.

Or at the very least, one that is more horror-inspired. Wes Craven (A Nightmare on Elm Street, Scream) reportedly signed on to direct a Doctor Strange film in 1992. That obviously never happened, but it's fun to speculate on how terrifying his version of the Marvel sorcerer would have been.

Many armoured rhinos are ridden by members of Wakanda's Border Tribe, including Daniel Kaluuya's W'Kabi, during the battle scene at the end of Black Panther. However, contrary to popular belief, these tough-skinned warriors aren't entirely computer-generated. According to Associate Visual Effects Supervisor Todd Sheridan Perry's comments to VFX Voice, some of the war rhinos were played by Clydesdale horses, similar to the ones from the famous holiday-themed beer commercial.

What happens after you save the world? Of course, you'll want to eat something. In The Avengers, our heroes go out for shawarma after winning the Battle of New York, but Steve Rogers, a.k.a. Captain America, doesn't appear to be partaking. This is due to the fact that Chris Evans had grown a beard for his next film, Snowpiercer, and was unable to shave it in time for the last-minute scene. The actor wore a prosthetic jaw to keep him looking like our fresh-faced Captain America (who wouldn't grow his own beard until Infinity War). He's not only not eating, but he's also covering half of his face with his hand.

Clark Gregg, who began his MCU arc in the first Iron Man, revealed to Cinema Blend that he was originally supposed to appear in two scenes. Agent Phil Coulson of S.H.I.E.L.D. was, in fact, just an unnamed agent in the script. Gregg's chemistry with Downey and Gwyneth Paltrow impressed director Jon Favreau, who expanded the role. Of course, Coulson would go on to play a pivotal role in the Marvel Universe, appearing in Iron Man 2, Thor, The Avengers, and Captain Marvel, as well as directing the television series Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.

The term Ragnarök refers to the violent rebirth of the world, during which many gods were destroyed in the Norse mythology that inspired the Thor comics. Because the third Thor film isn't well-known in Japan, Marvel gave it a much more evocative title. As a result, Thor: Ragnarok was renamed Mighty Thor: Battle Royale, after a famous Japanese novel and film about child competitors fighting to the death in an arena. (The Hunger Games did not invent this concept.) Because Thor is forced to compete for the Grandmaster's amusement, the title has been changed.

Andy Warhol, an American pop artist, made a black-and-white film called Batman Dracula in 1964, a campy fan film that he considered an homage to the comics. He was not granted permission to make the film or to use the Batman character. Jack Smith, an experimental filmmaker, played both the Dark Knight and the infamous vampire; unfortunately, no complete print of the film has ever been found.

For many years, artist Bob Kane was credited as the sole creator of Batman, one of the most well-known superheroes of all time. However, writer Bill Finger was also instrumental in the character's development; according to Marc Tyler Nobleman's comic biography, Finger designed Batman's costume, wrote many of his early appearances, and devised his tragic origin story. Nonetheless, Finger, who died in 1974, was never properly recognised or compensated. Kane, on the other hand, negotiated a deal in which he would be credited as Batman's creator on every issue in which the character appeared, regardless of whether or not he worked on it.

If you've ever fantasised about a DC and Marvel crossover, believe it or not, it's happened before, and it's likely to happen only once in a generation. Marvel and DC teamed up for an epic crossover battle in a collection of awesome comic issues in 1965. Throughout its eleven one-on-one battles, the series featured Thor vs Captain Marvel, Superman vs Hulk, Batman vs Captain America, and many more. Who came out on top? Sorry, DC fans, Marvel has usurped your throne.

It is not always possible for the hero to save the day. If Aquaman had been successful in rescuing Black Manta from pirates, perhaps the ray-themed supervillain would have pursued more honourable endeavours? Manta is angry at Aquaman for "not saving him and abandoning him to a life of horrible servitude, violence, and abuse," according to Bounding into Comics.

During the Crisis on Infinite Earths story arc, Barry manages to transform himself into pure energy by running super fast, breaking all limitations, and striking his past self with the bolt that awakens his body to the Speed Force. Barry, talk about shaping your own fate.