35+ Behind-The-Scenes Photos That Make And Break The Magic Of The Marvel Cinematic Universe
Most movie-lovers are fans of at least one of the Marvel movies; after all, there are enough of them. The superheroes you know and love are all played by actors and actresses who do their jobs very well, but we were pretty shocked to see what goes on behind the scenes of a Marvel movie in progress.
Sometimes they have some well-deserved fun, and other times, we get to see a glimpse of the incredibly hard work they put into their roles and these movies to produce the masterpieces that they are. Either way, it is such a cool concept to be able to see what goes on behind the lens of the camera, and what’s captured that you might not expect to see. Here are some interesting photos you didn’t know existed.
Family Portrait
Chris Evans shared this version of his “family portrait” on his Twitter while he worked on set for the final chapter of the Infinity War saga. It seems like the actors all have a good bond and are keen to capture the memories.
If you look closely, Mark Ruffalo, who plays the incredible Hulk, appears to have dots all over his face. This odd setup is designed to assist the video editors in ensuring his character’s face gets adequately rendered. Keep an eye out for more of these on this list…
Taking a Break
There’s no doubt about it — acting is a lot of work. You might think it’s all about crying on demand and remembering your lines, but to really put on a stellar performance, you have to pour your soul into your role.
That’s why this group of actors took a well-deserved break between scenes, Tom Holland posted this photo of him hanging out with two of the Guardians of the Galaxy, portrayed by Chris Pratt and Karen Gillian. That odd suit he’s sporting is to help the creators with CGI.
Meet Your Creator
The Marvel universe may be diverse, but all of the films can be traced back to just a few people, one of whom is the late Stan Lee. Many of the world-famous characters were born from the writer’s imagination starting in the 1960s.
Although Stan Lee didn’t direct each MCU film, he was on set for them all. After all, he had to show up for them to film his cameos. It is a great treat for the actors to meet the creator of it all, just like Robert Downey Jr. posted to his social media.
Hanging with the Crew
Zoe Saldaña posted a heartwarming picture to her Instagram showing off the Marvel members all enjoying lunch together. Getting along with such a large crew of actors and cast members is not something you see every day, but it seems to be commonplace on a Marvel set.
For the Marvel cast, it seems that they are all relatively close, and who wouldn’t be working on these incredibly produced movies that were created with passion and magic in mind? We’re glad to see people love to make these movies as much as we like to watch them.
Laugh Out Loud
Some of the Marvel movies are full of comedic scenes, but most of them are focused on the intense and serious battles the superheroes need to fight out on-screen. This rare snapshot might be from the latter, but it shows the heroes still crack jokes.
You can see that the actors were busy filming a scene, and either a funny slip-up made them laugh out loud or someone told an extremely funny joke. It’s almost as if every person in this photo has a big laugh which is a bit of stress relief for everyone involved.
Green Fingers
It is always interesting to see how the producers and creators of superhero films manage to portray otherworldly superpowers and features on the actors’ bodies. A lot of effort and greenscreen effects goes into the making of the iconic Iron Man.
In this photo, you get to see all the angles of the famous scene of Robert Downy Jr. with the gauntlet before the final shot is pieced together. Can you imagine how much more difficult it is to act when you can’t see the magic effects?
Action Shot
Just like special effects on the bodies of these actors, the scenes some of these superheroes act in seem rather uneventful until the producers have some special effects added. And, of course, some sound is thrown in to go with along with it.
In this behind-the-scenes shot, the photo is taken at a rather uneventful angle, and the actors seem completely out of place. But when you look at the final movie and all the effects added, this scene is much more entertaining and cool.
Perfectly Roughed Up
It takes a lot of effort to make the actors look perfectly roughed up for every scene. But you can’t have too much dirt and grime on their faces, or it would be distracting. Yet if there isn’t enough dirt on their faces and bodies, it might seem unrealistic.
So the makeup artists have to frequently touch up the actor’s faces. And while doing so, they often have to make it look exactly like they did before, since the filming might stretch over several days, and continuity is an important factor. It is a true art form to be a hero in action.
Run, Heroes, Run
You might not have thought too long and hard about it, but if your superheroes are running through the streets, they actually have to run through real-life streets. That sometimes comes with interested onlookers hoping to catch a glimpse of the action.
A snapshot of two heroes on the Dr. Strange set shows them running through the streets, giving you another unedited angle of the actors actually running as if they were in gym class. Just behind them are two background extras or perhaps even real people excited looking at their heroes.
Serious Action
A lot of fighting scenes on the silver screen require stunt doubles, harnesses, and even some computer assistance to make them look as intense and real as the creators would like it to be. But sometimes, the actors just do it themselves.
This shot shows the work of a Marvel hero actually jumping incredible heights and distances while filming. Even if there is a trampoline or device to assist her, it sure is still incredible and must be scary to do such stunts.
Hanging Out in Style
Between scenes, the actors have to stay in costumes if the set coordinators don’t take too long to reset the scene or set up the next. So, what would a hero in full uniform do in this situation? Just keep chilling in style, of course.
You can see Black Panther and Captain America just hanging out and waiting to shoot their next scenes while they are in their incredible full costumes and make-up. We can just hope for their sakes that there was sufficient air conditioning.
Battle Behind The Scenes
There are undoubtedly a lot of fight scenes in the Marvel movies, but some friendly sparring happens behind the scenes as well, as captured by Mark Ruffalo. Scarlett Johanson and Chris Evans took a quick break from filming and took their battle to the Gameboy field.
The two were seen taking a break and having fun by having a friendly duel via connecting Gameboy devices. We can not help but wonder who won the game and whether they played a superhero-themed game. It’s a rare and cool insight into their lives.
Every Day Guy
Your favorite heroes are beings of wonder and magic in your eyes, right? And they should be, whether you believe a little in the story behind the heroes or if you just support the incredible work of the actors themselves.
Paul Rudd is seen looking normal in his everyday wear, walking the streets of San Francisco post-snap. It’s almost the same as seeing your teachers live a normal life outside of class. Which is to say it’s weird, but they are human too, you know!
Diet of The Gods
Listen, acting is a lot of hard work that can really stir up an appetite, even for immortal beings like the god of thunder, Thor. When hunger strikes, you need to eat something to keep your powers going. At least for Thor, that is.
Chris Hemsworth is seen casually eating a plate of yummy sushi while he is on set, and we find it quite cool that the god of thunder prefers such a delicate cuisine. You might expect him to want to eat a whole feast of meat, but it seems sushi will do just fine.
Hanging with Rocket
Rocket Raccoon is a beloved character in the Marvel universe. But as you might know, he is not a real raccoon trained with the expertise to handle weapons and navigate the universe. Unfortunately, he is a product of some computer graphics.
The creators used the help of a real raccoon and a model doll to make the character. After adding special effects and some serious computer magic, you will see him come to life in the movies and play the role of a feisty companion to the galaxy-famous Star-Lord.
Casual Dining
You might think this is a snapshot of the Marvel creator, Stan Lee, grabbing a relaxed lunch with the actor portraying one of Marvel’s most popular characters, Captain America, but you’d be wrong. In fact, they both are in fact, preparing for a scene.
This is a behind-the-scenes snapshot of the two, acting it out for a scene. Stan Lee was known to frequently appear in his movies, usually as a minor side role, or doing a background scene cameo. It is so cool to see it from another angle; it makes it feel so real.
Shocking Moves
You might think that Doctor Strange would have the ability to repair his cape using his magical powers, but in truth, sometimes even a hero needs a little bit of assistance from a costume guy. Well, that, and a not-so-magical drill.
Benedict is having some fun and pulling silly faces while his cape is being attached back into position before the start of a scene, making it look like he is shocked by the magical device the humans use. We love to see the actors being cool off-set, too.
Crushed It
At first, this photo might seem boring. It’s just a hero that is totally capable of crushing a car, standing on said car that they used to demonstrate their might. But take a moment to understand the amount of effort it took to get this snapshot.
The car had to be crushed by normal humans without superpowers to make it look perfect for this scene. Looking at it from another angle, without the lasers and sounds, we get a deeper understanding of the craft. We have a lot of respect for the people setting up the props and scenes. Wow.
Iron Bonds
It takes a lot of time to prepare the makeup, hair, and costume for these heroes. For some, it might even take up most of the day. So, while all that is happening and being prepared for these actors, what are they supposed to do?
They take some adorable selfies together! Here you can see Gwyneth Paltrow and Robert Downy Jr. dressed half in costume on set, just waiting around for their costumes to be completed with hair and makeup, before they shoot the scenes.
Giant Naps
As expected, any scene featuring the Hulk needs to be huge. He’s such a massive character, after all. Though the bed may be perfect for the Hulk, it’s a tad too big for someone else. Do you see who we’re talking about?
In this snapshot, we get to see what the actor has to wear in order to not only help the computer register where to apply the special effects, but the little ball at the end of the pole is to help the other actors look at where the hulk’s face would be.
Family Gatherings
The Marvel heroes have a pretty close bond off-set as well as on-screen, as you can see in this snap of them hanging out between filming. Some are in costume, while others are just there to join the conversation and offer support.
We’d like to think they are chatting about their characters and the villains they have to fight. Maybe they’re working on a master plan to get rid of all the villains for good? Either way, it’s heartwarming to see all their happy faces together.
Hanging with The Boys
Some of these heroes have relationships on camera, but they also have a strong bond when the set closes for the day and they’re feeling hungry. This photo of a few heroes hanging out after work is definitely a rare insight.
Whether it was just a quick dinner or a planned get-together, it is nice to see they’re enjoying each other’s company off-set. Plus, who wouldn’t want to discuss superheroes over a cold beer and get to hang out with them? We’re so jealous.
After a long day
We love a snapshot of the heroes when they’re just being their normal selves and, of course, out of character. It gives us a sense of realness and it’s refreshing to see that they seem like friendly people outside of their acting careers.
We love Robert Downy Jr.’s smolder that he is putting on for the camera, since he is a funny guy in general, he wouldn’t hesitate to make some funny faces and take a photo. Look closely at his chest, it still has some makeup on from the scenes he had recently shot.
Photogenic
Even when impromptu photos are taken of Captain America behind the scenes, he still looks good and almost as if he is in character. But in reality, he is just having some fun while sitting on a really cool motorbike.
We can’t help but wonder how fun it must be to be around incredible props and machinery while filming a superhero movie. Do the actors ever get used to it, or are they also into it every time something cool happens or pops up on set?
Hotdog Hero
Whatever the situation was, we bet it was pretty cool to grab a snapshot of a hero in costume. This guy was in a costume of his own, even if it didn’t qualify as a hero’s get-up. Hotdog man is smiling as much as we would next to a hero.
As you can see, the little white dots on the hero’s face is actually there to help the computers calibrate how and where to add special effects to make this hero look the way he is intended to by the creators and make it look accurate and realistic.
Sharing a Laugh
Jokes, outtakes, and mishaps all happen on the sets of the Marvel hero movies more often than we know, and it probably lightens up the tension of having to work really hard. You can see this rare snapshot of Hawkeye having a great laugh with one of the other members.
Surely working on stressful and intense movies like these must make you a bit grumpy or tired. So, having something funny happen or someone tell a funny joke must bring a sense of relief to everyone on set. We wonder what happened to trigger such laughs.
Matching Wigs
When the actors who portray superheroes are not working on a scene, either during planned breaks or when their character is not in a scene for a bit, they relieve some of the stress by making jokes and having some fun. And sometimes, it involves the props.
These two heroes decided to wear the same wigs for the fun of it, and it is the cutest thing ever. Hopefully, no one needs those wigs while they are goofing around, but we do appreciate the fact that they took the time to take a selfie and share it with us.
Who is That
The talent of the make-up artists these large productions get is out of this world! Just look at how well they aged up Chris Evan’s face with a bit of makeup and a bald cap. It is incredible work that we’re glad we get to see from another perspective.
Chris shared this photo with us, and it’s so good it’s almost creepy. He had on some makeup that made him look much older than he is, and we wonder if it will be accurate one day when he is actually that age. Hopefully, he will still have his luscious hair!
Hot Ride
Tony Stark is possibly the wealthiest character in the Marvel universe, and so of course he is going to have a very cool car to drive in. But what is really sweet is to see the actor being giddy as he drives the car in real life.
The actors all are wealthy in real life, too, so it is cool to see them love the set’s vehicles, since they can probably afford these in real life. What we would give to have one day in the life of Tony Stark!
High Five
If your eyes are confused in this photo, don’t worry; ours are, too! The suits these actors are wearing are causing us to see them as if they are out of proportion; it’s a freaky feeling. But it remains a cool behind-the-scenes snap of the three heroes.
They wear these suits to enable the computers to render their special outfits properly, or in the case of Bruce Banner, his massive body. The contraption at the back of Mark Ruffalo’s back is to help the actors look at where the Hulk’s face would be post-production.
Checking E-mails
Checking emails is not high on the list of priorities of most superheroes, but it could happen, right? But even if it did, we would never expect them to put on a pair of glasses. Vision has exceptional qualities and senses! Well, if only that was the case.
Paul Bettany seems so innocent while he is sitting, waiting to be called. As he checks his emails quickly and wears his glasses, he makes Vision seem so human. It is just an odd sight to see your heroes doing normal, everyday tasks.
Facial Time
No, your beloved hero is not turning green with envy. This is one step in the very long and tiring process of putting on special effects make-up to turn Zoe Saldaña into the Gamora that we know and love. That might be the reason for the frown.
Sitting in the chair while make-up artists add special effect make-up to your face for hours on end is not as nice as it seems. You have to stay quiet and keep your expressions to a minimum while they work on your face. We’ll skip it, thank you!
Time For Bed
Mark Ruffalo has to undergo a lot of computer-assisted graphics and special effects to become the Hulk. That is why he has all of those registration dots plastered all over his face. It’s all part of making the Marvel magic happen.
But the actor not only sports some dots on his face, but it also seems like he is a bit exhausted after the very long days these actors have to endure on the set of these movies. Get some rest, Mark! We’ll wait a bit longer for your movie!
Take a Seat
Samuel L Jackson oozes cool wherever he goes, even when he is sitting on top of a cop car for a movie. In his full costume, anyone trying to tell him to get off a police car would be in serious trouble and run for their life.
Seeing one of our favorite Marvel characters hang out on the hood of a car from an unsuspecting angle makes him look even cooler. We’d imagine he would be this cool in real life too, just with fewer illegal moves, of course.
The Mask
This creepy-looking mask is one of the many ways the production team ensures consistency when rendering the face of the Hulk on the actor, Mark Ruffalo. Every dot enables the computers to perfectly align their faces so you can enjoy the movie without hiccups.
It must be a weird feeling having your face dotted every day just for it to be hidden and made into something completely different when you’re done filming. We say, well done to the production, make-up, and actors on this movie team!
There, There
Green screens are a way of manipulating the backgrounds of scenes in movies, but what do you do when you have to hide an entire body and make it into something else? That’s right! A green suit is the answer.
It’s certainly not the only way you can get special effects on to the actor’s body, but for ones like Rocket, it’s the simplest method. What we love, though, is how sad Sean Gunn looks “Drax” pets his head. That’s right, James Gunn’s brother plays Kraglin and is the Rocket stand-in!
Too Sweet
Gamora is seen posing with a mini version of herself behind the scenes, and it is too cute for words! How incredibly exciting must it be for this young actress to be in a massive Marvel movie and hang out with the heroes behind the scenes?
It seems like the mini-me version of Gamora is used to being around cool actors and heroes when they’re not on set since she is striking a cool pose in this snapshot. It’s also cool that the heroes are entertaining the new generation of actors and actresses.
Just Grabbing a Bite
It almost seems funny when you look at this photo — a universal hero is just hanging out between scenes, grabbing a very normal and human lunch. You kind of almost expect him to be eating an extraterrestrial snack instead.
But when hunger strikes, you gotta eat, and Drax decided it is time to grab one of his favorite sandwiches, which just so happened to be snapped and posted online for all to enjoy. Nice to see heroes enjoy our favorite meals too!
Intergalactic Besties
This snapshot has to be our all-time favorite since it just shows how close Michae Rooker and his furry friend are. The dog has no reason to fear this blue alien, but instead chooses to give him some love and affection regardless of his mean snarl.
It seems like they have an intimate bond and friendship. Well, behind-the-scenes anyway. The two didn’t actually get any time on screen together. Maybe Cosmo will join the Guardians of the Galaxy and save the universe just like his Centaurian friend did.