Marvel Cinematic Universe: 10 Biggest Retcons Made By Marvel Studios
Continuity is key in the Marvel Cinematic Universe... until it isn't.
Since the Marvel Cinematic Universe was launched in 2008, continuity has become a huge part of how Marvel Studios tells stories, and there's really no one better out there at creating a working shared world than Kevin Feige. However, mistakes have been made over the years, and that's forced the MCU to make some huge retcons to set things right.
It's not just a case of making up for past errors either, as the way the MCU has unfolded over the years has forced Marvel Studios to change tact and explain away what once appeared to be key subplots.
That was particularly prevalent in this cinematic universe's early days, especially in the build up to 2012's The Avengers. There are plenty of examples since then, though, and some are actually just pretty fun and haven't necessarily been done to set the stage for future stories or explain away ones that didn't ultimately happen.
With that in mind, this feature takes a look at the biggest, craziest, and most unexpected retcons which have been made by Marvel Studios from Iron Man right up until Avengers: Endgame last year. These were definitely unexpected, and it's hard not to wonder about what might have been had they panned out...
10. Peter Parker's Iron Man 2 Cameo
After The Amazing Spider-Man 2 proved to be a critical and commercial disappointment, Sony Pictures turned to Marvel Studios for help and that's why the web-slinger was rebooted in Captain America: Civil War. However, while that movie served as Peter Parker's introduction, actor Tom Holland dropped a bombshell shortly before the release of Spider-Man: Homecoming in 2017.
The British actor revealed that the little boy in Iron Man 2 dressed as the Armoured Avenger who squares up to one of the HAMMER Drones was, in fact, a young Peter.
Kevin Feige would later confirm that, and while this kid was obviously never originally meant to be Peter, the age works (and the fact the real Iron Man turns to him and says, "Nice work, kid!" would explain why the MCU's Spider-Man is something of a Tony Stark fanboy).
It also seems likely that Peter would have been at the Stark Expo alongside his Uncle Ben, someone who it seems could have been responsible for instilling a love of science in his young nephew.