Marvel Has Finally Paid Off Iron Man"s Deleted Post-Credits Scene*
It took 14 years and four phases, but the MCU finally paid off
Iron Man's original post-credits scene. A groundbreaking superhero film that managed to stand out from an already packed genre – The Dark Knight released in that same year – Iron Man laid the foundation for the MCU’s success. Still, not much regarding the future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe had been decided back when Iron Man was made.
Though Iron Man was the first MCU installment, it came on the heels of several other Marvel superhero movies. For example, Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man trilogy, the Fantastic Four duology, and X-Men’s first three movies had all come out by the time of Iron Man's release. Marvel’s movie legacy directly informed Iron Man in many ways, including a deleted post-credits scene that would have set up a much larger universe.
Iron Man’s Original Post-Credits Scene Referenced Spider-Man & Mutants
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An alternate Iron Man post-credits scene, though quite similar to the one from the movie, saw Nick Fury mention “gamma accidents, radioactive bug bites, and assorted mutants” to Tony Stark, as a reference to Hulk, Spider-Man, and the X-Men, respectively. While Marvel Studios did not have the movie rights to Spider-Man and the X-Men, the possibility of a crossover movie involving different Marvel franchises that were going on at that time was likely considered. This would have required a complex collaboration between multiple studios, which makes sense of why it never happened. Still, what the MCU would have been like with Spider-Man and the X-Men from the start is a fascinating idea to explore.
Considering that Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man 3 starring Tobey Maguire as the titular character had come out just a year before Iron Man, the “radioactive bug bites” in question could only be a reference to Maguire’s Spider-Man. Likewise, the X-Men movie franchise had already released three movies, and the “assorted mutants” reference would have acknowledged the Fox mutant universe. Spider-Man and mutants eventually joined the MCU, but now in a much different context. Two reboots later, Tom Holland’s Spider-Man joined the MCU in Captain America: Civil War following Sony and Marvel’s deal. The X-Men, on the other hand, are now available to Marvel Studios following Disney’s acquisition of Fox.
Marvel Now Has The Opposite Problem Of When The MCU Started
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Interestingly, Marvel now has the opposite problem of the one facing the Marvel Cinematic Universe when it started. The MCU was built on the Avengers, especially Iron Man, who had never been Marvel Comics’ main superhero. In terms of popularity and the number of previous adaptations, the Avengers-related characters were behind Spider-Man, X-Men, and the Fantastic Four. Still, the MCU managed to build a record-breaking movie franchise without those Marvel titans. Now, however, the MCU has Spider-Man, X-Men, and the Fantastic Four – yet most of the original Avengers are either gone or slowly exiting the franchise.
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An alternate Iron Man post-credits scene, though quite similar to the one from the movie, saw Nick Fury mention “gamma accidents, radioactive bug bites, and assorted mutants” to Tony Stark, as a reference to Hulk, Spider-Man, and the X-Men, respectively. While Marvel Studios did not have the movie rights to Spider-Man and the X-Men, the possibility of a crossover movie involving different Marvel franchises that were going on at that time was likely considered. This would have required a complex collaboration between multiple studios, which makes sense of why it never happened. Still, what the MCU would have been like with Spider-Man and the X-Men from the start is a fascinating idea to explore.
Interestingly, Marvel now has the opposite problem of the one facing the Marvel Cinematic Universe when it started. The MCU was built on the Avengers, especially Iron Man, who had never been Marvel Comics’ main superhero. In terms of popularity and the number of previous adaptations, the Avengers-related characters were behind Spider-Man, X-Men, and the Fantastic Four. Still, the MCU managed to build a record-breaking movie franchise without those Marvel titans. Now, however, the MCU has Spider-Man, X-Men, and the Fantastic Four – yet most of the original Avengers are either gone or slowly exiting the franchise.
