Top 10 MCU Theories That Turned Out to Be True

At the end of “The First Avenger,” it seemed like Johann Schmidt got what was coming to him when the Tesseract disintegrated him. However, fans weren’t convinced they’d seen the last of the Red Skull. When the Tesseract (AKA the Space Stone) was shown to be able to teleport people and open portals, that was all the evidence they needed. Fans knew he’d pop up again somewhere, only having been teleported. But no one could’ve guessed he’d been transported to the planet Vormir to become the guardian of another Infinity Stone. Even though Hugo Weaving didn’t return for the role, it was a nice surprise to see the villain appear in “Infinity War.”

The MCU has made several changes when it comes to character history. In “Moon Knight,” we saw Steven Grant discover he was an alternate personality to superhero Marc Spector. While casual viewers enjoyed watching the dynamic between two Oscar Isaacs, comic readers knew the character was one personality short. When the show began airing, it seemed like Marvel was only going to include the two…until hints towards the third started rolling in. It became a game to theorize which moments Jake could’ve had control over. Episode 4’s asylum twist offered the biggest clue; a second sarcophagus made it all but clear there was a third personality. Jake Lockley’s existence was finally confirmed in the finale’s mid-credits scene.

Iron Man’s Hulkbuster armor made its glorious debut in “Age of Ultron” where Tony used it to subdue a mind-altered Hulk. Among the many hype-inducing shots from “Infinity War’s” first trailer, fans were delighted to see the armor make a return. Then began the theorizing. It didn’t seem likely Tony would need it for the Hulk again considering Bruce’s arc in “Thor: Ragnarok.” While several characters were guessed to be the operator, most evidence pointed towards Hulk himself. This included an earlier shot in the trailer showing Bruce next to one of the suit’s arms. When “Infinity War” released, the theory was proven true. Although, he only needed it because his alter ego refused to come out.

When Thor debuted in the MCU, he craved the chance to one day be King of Asgard. But some hard-learned lessons made him realize he didn’t want it. As “Ragnarok” approached, some fans theorized that he’d be forced onto the throne with the passing of his father, Odin. Ragnarok is an important event in Norse myth detailing the destruction of Asgard and the death of Odin, among many other deities. Plus, with the Goddess of Death, Hela, as the villain, it seemed like a safe bet. In the movie, Odin does die, albeit peacefully, leaving Thor to be crowned as King by the end. However, he’d soon give up the crown to Valkyrie, who’d rule over New Asgard.

One of the most widespread MCU fan theories stated that Peter Parker had been in the MCU far longer than we were told. During the climax of “Iron Man 2,” Tony swoops down to save a kid from a Hammer Drone. Though he’s wearing a mask, the theory that this boy is actually Peter got a lot of love from fans. It made sense, too; the Stark Expo was held in Queens, Peter’s hometown, and the boy’s age matched how old Peter would’ve been around that time. While promoting “Spider-Man: Homecoming,” Tom Holland confirmed that the theory was indeed true, even citing producer Kevin Feige. It was nice to have an earlier connection between the two heroes, even a small one.

At the end of “Age of Ultron,” Hulk flew off in a Quinjet, leaving his teammates behind. His exit caused many to speculate where we might see him next. Despite actively not showing him leave Earth’s atmosphere, many fans hoped for a “Planet Hulk” adaptation. With Universal still owning the distribution rights to solo Hulk films, some guessed we’d see him in “Thor: Ragnarok” after he was confirmed to not appear in “Civil War.” Though Marvel couldn’t do the exact storyline, elements from the popular comic run did appear in “Ragnarok.” These include the planet Sakaar and Hulk as a gladiator, though most of his storyline was completely different.

When “The Amazing Spider-Man 2” failed to meet Sony’s expectations, the studio struck a deal with Marvel to bring the hero into the MCU. Being one of Marvel’s most cherished characters, fans immediately began theorizing about which movie he’d make his debut in. The popular consensus was “Captain America: Civil War.” However, some even theorized about this before Sony and Marvel’s deal simply based on how big of a role he played in the original comic. Although “Civil War” released less than a year after Tom Holland’s official casting, that’s exactly where he debuted. It’s unfortunate that another film’s poor reception helped this happen, but we were ecstatic to see him.

The legendary Stan Lee began making cameos in Marvel movies long before the MCU, but fans were happy to see him keep with the tradition. His constant appearances birthed the popular theory that he wasn’t just making cameos, but playing the same character across all movies. More notably, fans believed him to be Uatu, member of a race called Watchers that witnessed but didn’t interfere with events across the multiverse. This theory ended up coming true…sort of. “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2” showed that while he wasn’t Uatu, he was the same character and he did inform the Watchers about events within the MCU. The actual Uatu wouldn’t appear until the Disney+ series, “What If…?”

While Mjolnir will always be connected to Thor, there are a handful of other characters that have wielded the mighty weapon in the comics. Some fans may have wondered if we’d ever see such an occurrence in the MCU, and they got their first tease in “Age of Ultron.” While celebrating a victory, the Avengers tested if any of them could pick it up. Cap producing a small budge led many to believe he’d one day wield it. Though Vision ended up lifting it later, that tease made it clear to many that it was only a matter of time before Steve showed his worthiness. In one of the franchise’s most cheer-worthy moments, Cap made all our wishes come true in “Endgame.”

First introduced in “Ant-Man,” the Quantum Realm played a much bigger role than many may have initially guessed. When Scott Lang entered the extremely small universe, many fans correctly guessed this would lead to the eventual rescue of Janet van Dyne. That came to be in its sequel, “Ant-Man and the Wasp.” But the theorizing about the importance of the Quantum Realm didn’t stop there. Following her rescue, Janet made mention of the Quantum Realm’s time capabilities. So when Thanos snapped out half of existence, fans then guessed that the Quantum Realm would be used for time travel to undo his actions. When “Endgame” released, those fans were proven right.