The Marvel Cinematic Universe with its wide-expanse of a constantly evolving overarching narrative has time and again offered movie-goers unforgettable theatrical experiences. When the world first saw the release of The Avengers in 2012, a project that managed to amass $1.519 billion at the box office, it lived up to the expectations of both longtime fans of the acclaimed comic-book franchise as well as the general public.
To say that the movie is iconic would be doing its legacy in popular culture a disservice. While the influence of the Joss Whedon-directed endeavor remains undefeated, a recent revelation made by renowned animator, Dan Povenmire, points to the MCU venture allegedly copying elements from a 2011 film adaptation of his popular cartoon show, Phineas and Ferb.
Netizens were shocked at the uncanny similarities shared between the two projects.
Did The Marvel Cinematic Universe Copy Phineas And Ferb?
In a TikTok video posted by the co-creator of the greatly extolled animated television series, a bizarre resemblance was observed between The Avengers (2012) and Phineas and Ferb the Movie: Across the 2nd Dimension (2011). One wouldn’t even think to look for a shared similarity between the two endeavors at first glance. Both pursuits differ drastically in tone, mood, genre, and overarching storyline.
However, according to Dan Povenmire, who co-created the famed cartoon show alongside Jeff “Swampy” Marsh, the legendary NYC battle sequence that took place during the Chitauri Invasion in The Avengers bears a stark similitude to the final battle scene of the 2011 animated film.
What is even more shocking is that the latter predates the existence of the former. Although Povenmire’s video was a humorous take on the matter, it did cause internet users to reflect on the numerous similarities shared by the two projects.
Interestingly enough, both properties are under the ownership of Disney.
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Dan Povenmire Sheds Light On The Shocking Resemblance
In his video, the multi-talented Dan Povenmire, who is also renowned for having voiced the uber-iconic Dr. Heinz Doofenshmirtz, made an intriguing statement with a who-saw-it-coming plot twist. The clip started with him urging the audience to remember a particular film with the description he provided. As he detailed the plot points, several stills and sequences from Marvel Cinematic Universe’s The Avengers came up on the screen.
Here’s how he summed it up:
“Do you remember that first movie where all the heroes were together and they had that one building downtown that was branded—it was like the one weirdly shaped building that had a device up on top of it that shot a ray up into the sky and opened a big circular portal into another dimension and this army of metallic grey warriors came through … There was this huge epic battle … When they finally shut off that device, they all fell from the sky and collapsed.”
As the viewers started thinking that the esteemed animator and voice actor was describing The Avengers, Povenmire revealed the twist and exclaimed, “No. Not that movie. This movie!” The producer then reiterated his statement with visuals from the final battle sequence in Phineas and Ferb: Across the 2nd Dimension appearing in his TikTok video.
To conclude his thought-provoking observation, Povenmire stated, “I’m just saying. We did it a year earlier.” Audiences could tell by his tone that the video wasn’t made to take a dig at the Marvel Cinematic Universe. With both endeavors being under Disney’s ownership, Dan Povenmire’s intriguing remarks come off as friendly fire.
Putting aside the implications, the comparative resemblance does make one think—whether intentional or a mere coincidence remains unclear.
The Avengers and Phineas and Ferb the Movie: Across the 2nd Dimension are available for streaming on Disney+.
Source: Dan Povenmire
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