Can You Identify These Marvel Movies From a Single Frame?


Gavin Thagard

7 Min Quiz

Image: Marvel Studios

About This Quiz

It's Friday night, and the newest Marvel film has just hit theaters. Sure, you could wait for it to come out on Blu-ray, but you're a real Marvel fan. Real fans go to the movies, where they can study the action sequence-by-sequence on the big screen. That way, when it comes out on Blu-ray they can relive every moment with friends, quoting the movie line for line. That's not annoying, right? Who cares? You're the real Marvel fan, after all. 

Marvel has been pumping out movies based on its characters since the 1940s, but the Marvel Cinematic Universe didn't actually come into existence until the release of "Iron Man" in 2008. There, of course, were plenty of other great Marvel-character-based movies before that, but Marvel Studios changed the game for the comic book company. Now, the superhero genre is one of the most profitable genres in film. 

Are you well versed in all the movies based on Marvel characters? From the first entries into the "X-Men" franchise to the most recent "Avengers" movie, this quiz will push the boundaries of your knowledge on the entire Marvel world. 

When you're ready to test the latent powers that lie inside your brain, see if you can remember all these Marvel movies frame by frame.

Can you identify this film where a soldier proved his bravery by diving onto a hand grenade?

"Captain America: The First Avenger" might give Captain America the accolade of being the first hero to join the Avengers, but the accolade would be false if you follow the comics. In fact, Captain America wasn't even included in the original Avengers team when it was formed in 1963.


You might recognize this Marvel movie, shown here, that united several heroes against a common foe. What is it?

When the team came together to form the first Avengers in the comics, it was the Wasp who gave the team its name when she was throwing around suggestions. Sadly, she wasn't included in the first movie, as the writers opted to go with a different set of characters.


What's the name of this movie that was one of the first Marvel hits to have a huge ensemble cast?

"X-Men" helped launch the career of Hugh Jackman, who only had roles in minor films prior to its release in 2000. Jackman actually wasn't the first choice for the part and wasn't cast until after filming began.


Can you name this movie where an alien warrior had to stand between two alien races at war?

Though Stan Lee created the Captain Marvel character as early as 1967, this early version wasn't the first comic book character to carry the name. Instead, DC had a character named Captain Marvel first, who they changed to Shazam! after a legal dispute arose between the companies.


Can you identify this Marvel movie where the world was saved at the cost of a major character's life?

Moviegoers were waiting to see which film would top "Avatar," released in 2009, as the highest-grossing film of all time. That movie ended up being "Avengers: End Game," which made well over $2 billion worldwide.


Starring a shunned god whose powers return when he proves himself worthy of wielding his magical hammer, what's the name of this film?

When Tom Hiddleston prepared for his role as Loki in "Thor," he relied heavily on Shakespearean characters to influence the performance. One such character was Edmund from "King Lear," who himself was an illegitimate son of a powerful earl.


What's the name of this Marvel movie that saw a form of artificial intelligence almost wipe out the human race?

When the early drafts of the script for "Avengers: Age of Ultron" came out, Captain Marvel was supposed to make her on-screen debut for the franchise. However, since the character had no background story yet, the writers decided to leave her out when the script was finished.


Jokes and fists were flying in which film shown here?

Deadpool actually gets his powers from, well, the power of science. The character has the ability to regenerate any part of his body, which makes him very difficult to kill. This power is based on animals who have the ability to regrow lost body parts, like the axolotl.


A film that won three Oscars, does this movie ring a bell?

"Black Panther" was highly praised for its diverse cast, which featured predominantly black actors. It also utilized the skills of a black director in Ryan Coogler, who previously worked on the film "Creed."


Can you name this film where Europe became a battleground for beings from another reality?

"Spider-Man: Far From Home" was the fifth Marvel film for Tom Holland, who replaced Andrew Garfield as the webbed warrior. However, Sony, who owns the rights to Spider-Man, almost pulled the character from the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but the two companies have agreed to make another movie together.


Are you able to name this film that had a superhero who can change his size?

Though Marvel wasn't afraid to shy away from humor in its films, "Ant-Man" pushed the humor to the limit. Hiring a well known comedic actor in Paul Rudd as the star, it's no surprise that the movie was able to bring in the laughs when it was released in 2015.


Do you know this Marvel film that pitted the heroes against a powerful being in search of the Infinity Stones?

"Avengers: Infinity War" starred Thanos, known as the Mad Titan and one of the most powerful villains in the Marvel Universe. Thanos hails from Titan, a moon of Saturn, where he was a member of the Eternals.


Are you familiar with this superhero film where the heroes gained powers from a cosmic energy cloud?

The team that makes up the Fantastic Four are Mr. Fantastic, Invisible Woman, Human Torch and The Thing. Though not directly, each member of the group actually represents the four elements: Mr. Fantastic is water, Invisible Woman is air, Human Torch is fire and The Thing is earth.


Motorcycle stunts were all the rage in which film depicted here?

"Ghost Rider" told the story of Johnny Blaze, a young stunt driver who sold his soul to save his ill father. The sacrifice only worked temporarily, and his father was killed a day after the request was made in a motorcycle accident.


Select this movie that ended when the villain was tied to a car and sent into a parking lot laced with explosives?

The storyline for "The Punisher," the second Marvel film to carry the title, was based on several comic book arcs. The primary arcs used are "The Punisher: Year One" and "The Punisher: Welcome Back, Frank."


Few Marvel movie storylines were as developed as the one depicted in this screenshot. Can you name it?

"Captain America: Civil War" was the first film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe directed by Anthony and Joseph Russo. The pair would go on to direct three more films in the franchise, including two of the "Avengers" movies.


Do you recognize this movie where the hero had to learn to use his newfound powers to save New York City?

The Spider-Man reboot, "The Amazing Spider-Man," produced an entirely new villain for the webbed warrior when it came to cinema. In the film, Spider-Man had to take down Dr. Curt Connors, also known as the Lizard, after he used a regeneration serum to regrow a limb, a decision that went terribly wrong.


Though not officially part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, which Marvel movie, shown here, helped set the franchise up for success?

Marvel was in a tough place after filing for bankruptcy in 1996, forced to sell off the rights to "X-Men" and "Spider-Man." However, "Blade," released in 1998, showed that the studio could make money on its characters and partially led to the creation of Marvel Studios.


How well do you know this movie where a journalist was taken over by an alien symbiote?

"Venom" wasn't the first time Tom Hardy played a comic book character, as he previously appeared in DC's "The Dark Knight Rises" as Bane. The difference was that he headlined "Venom" as the lead actor, while Bane was a supporting part.


In this Marvel movie, a blind kid trained to fight crime after his father was killed for winning a boxing match. Can you name it?

"Daredevil" used important comic book characters like Wilson Fisk, Elektra and Bullseye to tell its story, which provided a backstory to Daredevil's character. The film also included minor characters like Foggy Nelson and Karen Page.


This Marvel film put together an alliance between extraterrestrial criminals over an artifact. What's its name?

"Guardians of the Galaxy" director James Gunn brought an actual raccoon to set to help the production team mirror Rocket's movements after the live animal. Naming the raccoon Oreo, Gunn also carried it on the red carpet during the film's debut.


The climax of which movie depicted in this screenshot pitted an army of drones against the heroes?

"Iron Man 2" introduced the character Black Widow into the Marvel Cinematic Universe. In the movie, she infiltrated Stark Industries to spy on Tony Stark but ended up helping him defeat Ivan Vanko.


How familiar are you with this Marvel movie where the hero had to go to blows with his best friend?

"Spider-Man 3" was the final film starring Tobey Maguire as Spider-Man. The film also brought back franchise regulars like Kirsten Dunst and James Franco, while adding Thomas Haden Church and Topher Grace as villains.


Introducing a major character into the Marvel Cinematic Universe, is this a movie you're familiar with?

Though "The Incredible Hulk" was officially part of the current Marvel Cinematic Universe, the actor who played the Hulk, Edward Norton, was replaced in future films by Mark Ruffalo. Multiple reasons for the separation have been stated, including money concerns and the difficulty of working with Norton.


Do you recognize this film that had probably the most well-known kiss in the rain?

Marvel had been trying to get a "Spider-Man" movie made since the 1980s, when Cannon Films acquired rights to the character. Eventually, those rights ended up with Sony Pictures, who produced the film through the company Columbia Pictures in 2002.


Will you be able to identify this Marvel film that introduced mystic arts into the Marvel Cinematic Universe?

Dr. Strange is, as his name details, a strange character. One abnormal quality of the doctor is his diet. While poisonous food would be discarded by normal people, Strange keeps it in his fridge because it's the only thing he can eat.


Which Marvel movie forced an aged hero to fight a clone of himself?

"Logan" was inspired by the limited comic book series "Old Man Logan," written by Mark Millar and drawn by Steve McNiven. The series follows an aged Logan and a blind Hawkeye as they travel across a war-torn United States.


Can you identify this entry into the Marvel Cinematic Universe?

Thor, obviously the hero of "Thor: The Dark World," is based on a Norse god of the same name. According to Norse mythology, Thor is one of the main actors in the events leading to the end of the world, where he will battle the wolf Fenrir to the death.


Are you familiar with this entry into the Marvel Cinematic Universe where superheroes went to war with one another?

Though "Captain America: Civil War" mirrored the comic it was based on when it came to pitting Captain America against Iron Man, it didn't follow the source material completely. In the movie, both heroes survived the conflict, but in the comic, Captain America lost his life.


Do you recognize this screenshot that shows the Marvel film where an accident left one character with powers she couldn't control?

After 20th Century Fox received criticism for their handling of the Dark Phoenix in "X-Men: The Last Stand," they decided to give it another shot with "Dark Phoenix," released in 2019. The film received mostly negative reviews, which was disappointing considering it would be the last "X-Men" film from 20th Century Fox.


A guilt-ridden mutant travels to Japan in which film depicted in this image?

"The Wolverine" was the first Marvel film directed by James Mangold, who worked off a script written by Scott Frank and Mark Bomback. The film was supposed to be directed by Darren Aronofsky, but he left due to scheduling problems.


Does this screenshot give you enough information to determine the film?

Robert Downey Jr. who played Iron Man, was no longer under contract following "Iron Man 3," as his original contract with Marvel Studios was finally up. Considering he was trying to rebrand himself when he first signed up for the role, his next contract with Marvel was worth much more than the first.


Pick the film from the "X-Men" franchise that this screenshot belongs to?

In "X-Men: First Class," fans got a view of a young Professor X played by James McAvoy and a younger Magneto played by Michael Fassbender. Both actors appeared in future installments within the franchise, giving the characters more depth and development.


How well do you know this Oscar-winning Marvel movie?

"Spider-Man 2" pitted Spider-Man against one of his main nemeses, Dr. Octopus. Though it was the second film for Peter Parker, allowing him to better understand his powers, Dr. Octopus gained his powers for the first time after a fusion reactor destabilized.


Have you seen this movie where an ancient force came back to wreak havoc on modern civilization?

"X-Men: Apocalypse" introduced the first mutant, Apocalypse, to the "X-Men" franchise. In the film, he aimed to use the mind of Professor X to enslave every human across the planet.


Will you be able to identify this Marvel movie where one hero had to take down another one who was about to destroy everything around them?

In "X-Men: The Last Stand," it was revealed that Jean Grey survived the events of the last film. However, she made the transformation into the extremely powerful mutant known as Phoenix, who gave Grey little control over her newfound powers.


Have you been a big enough Marvel fan to identify this film from a screenshot?

"Blade: Trinity" completed the "Blade" live-action series, but it wasn't the end for the vampire who could walk in the sun. The series was followed up with a cartoon, simply titled "Blade," which ran for one season and 12 episodes.


A dystopian future forced a hero to go back into the past to save the present world in which film shown in this screenshot?

Magneto was as wicked as ever when Wolverine was sent back into the past to confront him in "X-Men: Days of Future Past." The role, of course, was fitting for Magneto, who was actually the first villain ever introduced in the "X-Men" comics.


Were you a fan of this movie that saw a rich industrialist imprisoned in a cave by terrorists?

A good portion of the script for "Iron Man" was actually improvised, as the story wasn't fully written when filming began. Since Robert Downey Jr. had a comedic touch to his acting, he helped create the light-hearted nature that would define the Marvel Cinematic Universe.


Name this movie that was the first in a trilogy following one of the mutants?

The Deadpool depicted in "X-Men Origins: Wolverine" was heavily criticized for moving away from the source material. Unlike the wisecracking character of the comics, the Deadpool in the film had his mouth formed shut, which didn't let him talk at all.


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