Marvel Cinematic Universe and the US Military have had a strong tie for many years. Due to their relationship, the movies comprise accurate weapons, vehicles, and access to certain shoot locations. In exchange for the benefits, the U.S. Army personnel influence key plot points in the films to ensure that the movies are flattering to the military. Numerous Marvel movies have shown the military in a positive light, like The Falcon and the Winter Soldier and Iron Man. However, one of its biggest box office hits The Avengers, did not get the support of the Military.
Marvel Studio’s hit film The Avengers was denied support from the U.S. Military due to a specific reason. It was related to Samuel L. Jackson’s character Nick Fury’s organization S.H.I.E.L.D.
U.S. Military Refused to Work With Marvel Studios’ film The Avengers
A few days after the release of Robert Downey Jr.‘s The Avengers, it was reported by Wired, that the film was supposed to be made in cooperation with the Pentagon. However, things did not work out between them as the Pentagon was unable to reconcile elements of the film that appeared too unrealistic. There was a specific reference to the relationship between S.H.I.E.L.D. and America’s intelligence organizations.
In the context of military cooperation, the U.S. Army loaned some professional Humvees for the climactic battle scene in the film. Apart from the Humvees, The Avengers is the only Marvel film that did not get the cooperation of the Pentagon and other military forces.
The U.S. Military has collaborated on other films like Tom Cruise’s Top Gun, Harrison Ford’s Air Force One, Transformers, Arnold Schwarzenegger’s True Lies, etc.
U.S. Military doubted the astronomical success of The Avengers series
The decision of the U.S. Military to not collaborate with The Avengers was based on several reasons. One of the main reasons was the difference in the Marvel Studios and Marvel Cinematic Universe era. When the first Avengers was under production in 2011, there was no certainty of the success of the crossover of the superheroes in the movies. It was difficult to say if The Avengers could make any money at the box office. Also, the thought of The Avengers series being a game-changer for the MCU was unimaginable.
The U.S. Military also had a similar perception about the crossover film, hence, they did not think it would be a massive loss to not partner with The Avengers.
However, it became the biggest hit of 2012 and grossed over $1.5 billion worldwide. It broke numerous records and paved the way for its sequels. The subsequent Marvel projects regularly cooperated with the U.S. Military. There were no clashes between the Department of Defense and the MCU, for example, the plot of Captain Marvel, which massively involved Nick Fury and S.H.I.E.L.D. forces. There would be no further instances like The Avengers, where the military lost a chance to collaborate with the production house and reach a wider audience.
The Avengers is available for streaming on Disney+.
Source- Wired
