Of course, movies aren't real. However, they do require a certain level of belief suspension. Sometimes, learning something new (and unsavory) about your favorite stars can totally kill your ability to enjoy their work in the future.
On the other hand, learning a goofy, fun fact about your favorite actor can often enhance your movie-watching experience. If a picture is truly worth a thousand words, imagine the effect behind-the-scenes photos could have on your favorite films.
Some behind-the-scenes images ruin the CGI magic by revealing the tips and tricks Hollywood uses to bring their stories to life.
Others serve as a constant reminder the terrifyingly leering villain is actually a total softie at heart. Also, well, some are just so goofy they become all we can think about when we see the actual scene onscreen.
From Guardians of the Galaxy's hilarious Groot hat to Taika Waititi asserting his dominance atop the Thor: Ragnarok throne to Iron Man's comfy Nike pants on the set of Spider-Man: Homecoming, here are the 15 Behind The Scenes Photos That Ruin MCU Movies.
The Avengers Hang Out
Being a superhero is hard work... except when it actually isn't. In between the epic battles, espionage, and frequent trips to the dry cleaners (shawarma can get messy) the infamous members of the Avengers make sure to catch a break every now and then.
We get it, the Marvel Cinematic Universe is merely a fictional world, but we don't need to be reminded of that. Despite the detailed street looking like an actual, real-world location, the neon green eyesore of a backdrop makes it painfully clear these heroes aren't actually protecting our Earth.
Also, Thor is decked out in the epically armored top half of his regal costume (minus the billowy, red cape), but his legs are simply adorned with nothing more than padded athletic gear.
Joss Whedon Has Been Deemed Worthy
Mjolnir isn't your average superhero's weapon. It's no some super heavy, alien material, either. Mjolnir chooses its own master, only those the mighty hammer has deemed worthy are capable of wielding it.
That's why Thor looks so worried when he and his Avenger buddies all take turns trying to lift the hammer and Captain America makes it budge a little bit. Cap could have the potential to become Thor if he becomes worthy enough to get that thing all the way off the ground.
Turns out, there was another challenger waiting in the wings that Thor should have been far more worried about. Avengers director Joss Whedon wields the legendary hammer with ease. But who is that angry neon green giant he's fighting? If the color didn't give it away, that's a motion-capture version of The Hulk.
The Groot Hat
There's so much wrong with this picture... and that's what makes the whole thing so, so right. The man with the sweet, blue screen suit and knee pads is an angry, little Rocket looking not at all like the adorable troublemaking raccoon he actually is.
His best friend, the gentle giant, Groot, is little more than a man in the same blue screen suit plus an abnormally tall Groot hat.
The silly Groot hat actually makes a fair amount of sense. Despite Groot being a CGI product in the end, having a realistically designed stand-in gives the actors a point of reference that will allow them to give more believable performances. Which begs the question, why does the prisoner on stilts look so painfully bored?
Phones And Naps
The Guardians of the Galaxy live fast-paced lives that take them to all the different corners of the universe. Theirs is an adventurous existence full of sacrifice and heavy action. It's also soul-crushingly boring. Or at least, that's what this photo would have us believe.
Chris Pratt's Star-Lord and Zoe Saldana's Gamora may be butt-kicking heroes, but even they stare blankly at their smartphones sometimes. What else are they supposed to do when they don't have planets to save and orbs to steal? Sleep? Actually, yes, it's sleep.
At least that's what Kurt Russell's Eloy would do. Despite the ancient planet god's inability to sleep without the aid of Mantis, Russell is perfectly able to nod off just fine, and he intends to use it.
Loki And Cap Are Friends IRL
Loki may be the cause of a lot of the Avengers woes (he is a trickster god, after all), but the actor who portrays him, Tom Hiddleston, is routinely praised as one of the nicest gentlemen in all of Hollywood.
So, it's no wonder Chris Evans would be so willing to spend time hanging out with his good-natured co-star when they aren't clashing onscreen.
Evans has famously been dying to hang up his Captain America shield for quite some time now and hasn't been the least bit shy to let everyone know how he feels.
However, as another famous Hollywood sweetheart, he'll never miss a chance to make time for his beloved co-stars. We have a feeling these two will keep up with their palling around long after their Marvel run comes to an end.
Hawkeye Won't Hold His Own Umbrella
Hawkeye is the heart and soul of the Avengers. The one member without any actual powers (Natasha's spy skills totally count), Clint Barton more than makes up for his lack of superhuman skills with his superhuman heart.
He's the only member of the supervillain fighting team with a sweet, happy family waiting for him at home. He has a truly heartwarming friendship with Black Widow. And it was largely his mentoring that helped Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver assimilate into the team.
Jeremy Renner, on the other hand, has always been much more problematic. He's been known for sexist or otherwise offensive remarks and is frequently described as a bit of a diva. Not even bothering to hold your own umbrella definitely seems like it fits that description.
Who Is That In The Iron Man Suit?
Bruce Banner needs to be ready to transform into The Hulk at any given moment, that's why he's always angry. You can tell by that scrunchy face Mark Ruffalo is making in the above photo.
Tony Stark, on the other hand, does not need to worry about transforming into Iron Man at the slightest hint of danger, he's got a stand-in.
In this photo, Banner is getting ready to morph into his smashing counterpart on the set of Avengers: Infinity War, which certainly has us wondering what sorts of danger the Avengers will be finding themselves in this time.
Everyone knows Banner doesn't take transforming lightly, so this is bound to be a doozy. Let's just hope Stark doesn't irritate him into battle-ready position this time.
Hulk Smash?
Thor: Ragnarok marks the very first time we see Thor's arms... and the first time we don't see The Hulk's, we guess? Chris Hemsworth is certainly giving this scene his best "feat of strength and determination" face, but Hulk's smasher is clearly just a foam hand being held by a regular human's regular non-hero arm.
Hemsworth seems to be quite proud of his latest performance as the muscle-bound God of Thunder. He recently downloaded the film to show to his three adorable children, saying he was beginning the process of brainwashing them.
In a tweet sharing his kids' love of the movie, Hemsworth went out of his way to give himself the ultimate title of "Father of the Year." We have no reason to disagree.
Waititi Sits Upon The Throne
Thor: Ragnarok director Taika Waititi waltzed into a cinematic universe made up of some of the funniest, most heartwarming talent in all of Hollywood and instantly became the fan favorite of the entire franchise.
Not a single actor who has worked with the director/actor/comedian (is there anything he can't do?) has ever had a negative thing to say about him. He's constantly regarded as one of the kindest people in the business.
So, it's only fitting that Waititi should be seated on a golden throne with a throng of semi-immortal gods staring at him with rapt attention.
Basically, the entire Ragnarok cast credited Waititi for the film's fresh vibe and hilarious nature. Oh, and they all said he was joy and a sweetheart, too. That spot on the throne was totally earned.
Colossus Is Just An Arm
Colossus doesn't usually get into bar fights, but when he does, they're with the freaking Juggernaut. Colossus doesn't always beat up random guys in his girlfriend's honor, but when he does, he snaps their freaking necks.
You could say Peter Rasputin is the most interesting man in the Marvel Cinematic Universe... but on the Deadpool set, he's just an arm. OK, a little bit more than just an arm. An arm, a motion capture suit, and some seriously funky platform boots.
Colossus waited years for his turn in the MCU spotlight and he certainly won fans over in the movie. Rasputin played the perfect straight man to Wade Wilson's frantic energy.
However, Deadpool's true BFF is-- and probably always will be-- Cable. We have a feeling Rasputin's 15 minutes of fame are sadly almost up. Maybe he'll make a comeback in the upcoming Kitty Pryde movie.
Deadpool Looks Normal Under The Mask
Basically, everyone agrees that Ryan Reynolds is a Hollywood heartthrob. However, his Deadpool counterpart, Wade Wilson, is supposed to be a horrifyingly disfigured scientific experiment.
Under Deadpool's instantly recognizable black and red mask is a face to rival Freddy Krueger's. Yet, here's the Merc with the Mouth looking surprisingly fly.
Reynolds went all out with the pockmarks for the few scenes in which Wilson actually revealed his ruined face. So, we can't get too mad at the star taking a break from prosthetics and makeup every now and then.
He spent the majority of his time onscreen totally covered up by his mask, there's a high chance Deadpool was secretly wearing Reynolds' handsome mug in any given scene. Not that there's anything wrong that.
Try Not To Get The Camera Wet
Moviegoers began to get burnt out on Marvel films after a while. Too many overpowered superheroes punching each other and trying to prove they're the toughest dudes in town.
Then Spider-Man: Homecoming impressed us with its youthful energy and Thor: Ragnarok proved a Marvel film could be both meaningful and hilarious. And yet, both of these films were topped by a cultural bombshell that won't soon be forgotten.
Black Panther has been an incredible addition to the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Powerful messages along with even more powerful stars, kick-butt lady heroes, and a truly compelling and almost likable villain. Black Panther is a movie that's long overdue but was definitely well worth the wait. It's hard to imagine where Marvel could possibly go from here.
Spider-Man Needs A Hand
It seems like every time we get a new Spider-Man movie, we get a new favorite Spider-Man. Andrew Garfield was a breath of sarcastically charming air when he took on the role of Peter Parker in Amazing Spider-Man.
He gave fans hope that the teen hero was finally headed in the right direction after the travesty that was Spider-Man 3. However, don't get it twisted, Tobey Maguire was popular for his turn as Parker in Spider-Man.
His tentative testing and learning of his powers were quirky and fun before everything started going off the black-blazer-wearing, jazz-hands-dancing rails.
Still, Tom Holland seems to be universally loved as the geeky photographer/web-slinger. Holland perfectly embodies Spidey's nerdiness and intelligence and he does his own stunts. There's a strong chance that's Holland himself hanging out on the pyramid up there, with a little help from his friends.
Iron Man, But Only From The Waist Up
It's a pretty well-known fact that Robert Downey Jr. doesn't perform too many of his own stunts anymore.
His action scenes have basically been reduced to a camera mounted inside a helmet while he talks at Jarvis and stares worriedly at his suit's HUD. Well, guess what? Not only does RDJ refrain from stuntwork, he doesn't even bother to wear a full Iron Man suit anymore.
To be fair, these suits are heavy and hot. If there's ever a scene that is mostly shot from the waist up, it seems perfectly reasonable for the actors to endure only that which is absolutely necessary.
Still, it's quite funny to imagine an angry Tony Stark scolding young Peter Parker for his dangerous spontaneity while wearing his comfy Nike pants.
Charles Xavier Can Walk And Logan Is Happy
Logan was one of the saddest, bleakest stories to ever come out of the MCU. Wolverine and Professor X are aging, not talking to each other, and everybody dies.
It's a brutal examination of love, loss, and sacrifice set against a jarring backdrop of relentless violence. However, it wasn't all that bad behind-the-scenes.
Sir Patrick Stewart and Hugh Jackman have been good friends for many years (of course) and both have a sunny, joke-loving disposition when they are pretending to be tortured brooding mutants.
This photo of a joyous Logan hugging on a fully standing Charles Xavier may totally contradict the dire (and fatal) vibe of the film, but it certainly warms our cold hearts. Both actors seem to be totally done with the X-Men franchise, but they'll always have these memories.
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Can you think of any other behind the scenes photos that ruin MCU movies? Sound off in the comment section!