5 Facts You Didn't Know About The Original Aladdin Movie

5 Facts You Didn't Know About The Original Aladdin Movie

Before it was announced, it seemed inevitable that Walt Disney Pictures would add its Aladdin movie to its dossier of live-action updates. On May 24th, audiences will bear witness to Guy Ritchie’s new vision of the magical rags-to-riches story featuring a big, blue Will Smith assuming the iconic role of Genie.

The beloved, 1992 original animated hit is regarded by many fans as untouchable, especially due to its Academy Award-winning music by Alan Menken and Robin Williams’ incomparable performance as the voice of Genie.

While fans are entitled to their opinions regarding a remake to such a lightning-in-a-bottle movie, the classic still clearly holds up. But how well do you really know  know the original Aladdin movie?

Let’s revisit the kingdom of Agrabah and take a deeper look behind the bright-colored veil to uncover a few facts about Aladdin that you may not have known before.

Robin Williams Recorded Enough Material As Genie For More Movies

The Genie in Aladdin is considered by many as the greatest of Disney’s classic animated characters. Much of the credit goes to future Academy Award-winner Robin Williams, whom the filmmakers allowed to go hog wild with the role, given that they had already written the character with him in mind.

Williams went much deeper into the role than the rest of the Aladdin cast, and so much that his time spent in the recording studio ended up resulting in almost 16 hours of potentially usable material, although a clause in his will says Disney can't use it until 25 years after his death. Aladdin is a mere 90 minutes. Imagine trying to cut down a gold mine to just one brick!

Additionally, Robin Williams’ improvisational performance style when voicing Genie actually proved somewhat problematic to the film’s Oscar potential. So much of his dialogue was ad-libbed that it cost Aladdin an Academy Award nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay.

Thankfully, Alan Menken’s original score and song “A Whole New World” saved the Aladdin movie from leaving awards season empty-handed.

The Real Deal With The Street Peddler Who Introduces Aladdin

Aladdin begins with the now-controversial song “Arabian Nights” (more on that later) sung by a character known as The Peddler. The Peddler struggles to sell his merchandise to the audience, until he presents a lamp that he claims is nothing ordinary.

He uses the lamp as a segue into the main story of the Aladdin movie. Then, for the rest of the film, he is never seen or mentioned again. So, what was his point to the story anyway, other than providing an introduction?

Considering the Peddler was voiced by Robin Williams, fans have speculated  the character is actually a post-freedom Genie in disguise. In a 2015 interview to promote the Aladdin Blu-ray release, co-director Ron Clements revealed the truth behind the fan theory stating:

That's true! That was the whole intention, originally. We even had that at the end of the movie, where he would reveal himself to be the Genie, and of course Robin did the voice of The Peddler. Just through story changes and some editing, we lost the reveal at the end. So, that's an urban legend that actually is true.

Huzzah! A Disney animated movie fan theory finally confirmed! Now, I’ll just wait patiently for someone to admit that Aladdin really does tell Jasmine’s tiger to take its clothes off.

Jafar Almost Sounded Like A Certain Star Trek Character

Aladdin’s ruthless, power-hungry villain (and one of the best Disney movie villains ever) Jafar was voiced by Jonathan Freeman.

Jonathan Freeman is one of the few members of the Aladdin cast to reprise his original role in multiple spin-off projects, including a Broadway rendition of the film. His unforgettable portrayal has remained one of the most endurable aspects of the film. But can you imagine Jafar in the voice of, say, Star Trek: The Next Generation’s Captain Jean-Luc Picard?

One of Disney’s first choices for the voice of Jafar was world-renowned actor Patrick Stewart. Unfortunately, due to scheduling conflicts with his role on Star Trek, he was forced to turn the role down. Following the Aladdin movie’s $504 million international success story, Stewart has gone onto state in interviews that turning down Jafar is one of the greatest regrets of his career.

I imagine he would have been dynamite for that Broadway show, too.

Princess Jasmine Was Almost Completely Different

Jasmine, the royal romantic interest of Aladdin’s title character played by Linda Larkin, is arguably one of the better female role models among Disney’s animated character creations. However, her character's original concept is nothing like what Aladdin movie fans remember, for better or for worse.

For one, Jasmine was initially meant to have a more active role in the story.

Instead of breaking down and crying over her forced engagement to Jafar, she was supposed to angrily confront her father: a sequence that got nixed to save time on animation designs. Instead of needing Aladdin to rescue her from Jafar’s giant hourglass, she was originally going to free herself using a jewel in her headpiece.

I would call these missed opportunities, but they are ultimately forgiven by Disney’s decision to not go with Jasmine’s original personality design.

Instead of the bored, kindhearted princess longing for a more normal life, Jasmine was going to be a total brat who only wanted to marry the richest prince available. A song was written, intended to be her defining theme, called “Call Me a Princess.” Only when she falls in love with Aladdin would she learn humility and change into a sweeter version of herself.

Disney, believing audiences would not like that interpretation of her, decided to change Jasmine into the humble character she is admired as today. Good thing the creative team was able to make the change before Aladdin’s theatrical movie release, unlike a different mistake.

One Aladdin Song Sparked Controversy

The opening song of Aladdin is "Arabian Nights," sang by Bruce Adler, who served as The Peddler’s singing voice. The song is meant to set the tone of the story and inform the audience of its setting.

Among Alan Menken’s many memorable, award-winning songs in Aladdin, “Arabian Nights” is not one that has gotten much love. Those who saw the film in its initial theatrical run may understand why.

There is a lyric right before the line, “It’s barbaric, but hey, it’s home,” that says, “Where it’s flat and immense and the heat is intense.” Those are not the original words, however. The original lyric said, “Where they cut off your ear if they don't like your face.”

This sparked major controversy from Arab-American groups who claimed the mention of cutting off ears was racist. Disney and Alan Menken agreed to change the lines for Aladdin’s home video release.

What do you think of our Aladdin facts? Do they make "a whole new world" of difference? Catch the live action version of the movie when it hits theaters this weekend, and be sure to check out more of what's coming this summer with our full schedule.

Avengers: Endgame Is Passing Avatar At The Domestic Box Office This Weekend

Avengers: Endgame Is Passing Avatar At The Domestic Box Office This Weekend

Now in its fourth week of release, Avengers: Endgame continues on its journey to become the highest-grossing film of all time. The superhero film has already made its mark on cinema history by breaking a ton of box office records and surpassing Titanic to become the second highest-grossing movie ever. Avatar is the last film standing, and while Endgame still needs a push to surpass that worldwide total, it'll at least beat Avatar domestically this weekend.

Avengers: Endgame has been the No. 1 movie domestically since it opened, with last week's top contender, Detective Pikachu, falling short of knocking the superhero film off its throne. However, this looks to be the week that Endgame takes second place, and it's only fitting that headshot master John Wick is the man who does it.

John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum is projected to open at anywhere from $45-55 million while Endgame will finish the weekend just shy of $30 million. While Endgame might not be taking the crown for the fifth consecutive week, it will still be passing another milestone this weekend. The superhero epic will become the second highest-grossing domestically, officially passing Avatar.

Endgame is likely to earn $29.7 million this weekend, according to Box Office Mojo. This would push Endgame's domestic total to $771.1 million, dethroning Avatar. James Cameron's sci-fi flick currently sits at $760.5 million domestic, a position it's comfortably held since about 2010.

The record that fans really seem to care about is the worldwide total, but Endgame still has a bit to go before we can say that the reign of Avatar is over. However, perhaps the domestic record is a sign of things to come.

However, it's unlikely that Endgame will be able to secure the all-time No. 1 domestic release spot. That title belongs to Star: Wars: The Force Awakens with a whopping $936.6 million. Even if Endgame has some serious legs, it seems impossible that it could topple this particular record. The Force Awakens was a tidal wave when it premiered back in 2015, and it played like gangbusters domestically.

But there's nothing wrong with second place! Endgame will have left its mark on history when all is said and done, and it'll be interesting to see what its total gross is when the summer ends. Avatar's longstanding worldwide total of $2,787,965,087 is within sight, but Endgame still has to deal with contenders like Toy Story 4 and Lion King.

We'll be watching all this as it progresses, so be sure to keep checking in with CinemaBlend for all the latest updates. In the meantime, you can go see Avengers: Endgame for the fourth time in theaters. If your looking for something else to enjoy in the theater, here are all the major releases heading your way this year.

There's A Godzilla: King Of The Monsters Easter Egg No One Is Talking About

There's A Godzilla: King Of The Monsters Easter Egg No One Is Talking About

Warning: SPOILERS for Godzilla: King of the Monsters below!

Even before the release of Godzilla: King of the Monsters, it was clear that director Michael Dougherty and the people involved in the sequel were fans of the property themselves and wanted to do it justice and honor it in the new film. This has been apparent from the desire not to f-up the look of the monsters to incorporating design cues from the 1954 film, to the soundtrack to the film’s Easter eggs.

On that last point, we heard that Godzilla: King of the Monsters would have a bunch of great Easter eggs for fans of the 65-year-old property, and now that the movie is out we have an idea of what some of those Easter eggs are. But there is one Easter egg in particular that no one is talking about, and with good reason because it is confusing in the moment and requires serious knowledge of the franchise’s history.

In the film, Zhang Ziyi plays Dr. Ilene Chen, one of the newer members of the exceedingly well-funded Monarch organization that researches and tracks the Titans. At one point in the movie, she is aboard Monarch’s battleship called the Argo while Godzilla and Ghidorah are engaged in battle off the coast of Mexico. The military doesn’t want to just ‘let them fight’ and launches an Oxygen Destroyer bomb to kill both Godzilla and Ghidorah.

The bomb seemingly kills Godzilla and the hydra-like Ghidorah just loses a head only to regenerate it, and Zhang Ziyi’s Dr. Ilene Chen is there, aboard the Argo, off the coast of Mexico to witness it all. Here’s where things get weird. We then see her thousands of miles away at Monarch’s base in China, where a caterpillar-stage Mothra was introduced earlier in the film.

There, Zhang Ziyi’s character witnesses Mothra emerging from the waterfall she fled to earlier in the movie, coming out of her cocoon a full grown moth titan. It’s something of a jarring moment in the film and it makes you wonder if Monarch borrowed some of the Westerosi teleportation tech used in Game of Thrones Season 7 and Season 8 to get Zhang Ziyi from Godzilla’s death near Mexico to Mothra’s rebirth in China.

But contrary to first impressions, this was not a mistake or the result of logic falling victim to plot expedience. The truth, as spotted by i09, is that in the scene where Mothra comes out of her cocoon in China, Zhang Ziyi is not playing Dr. Ilene Chen. She is instead playing a character called Ling Chen according to the film’s credits, or Dr. Ling according to IMDb.

Dr. Ling Chen is Ilene Chen’s twin sister. This isn’t really acknowledged at all in the film and audiences aren’t given much of an explanation. Later on, we find out that Zhang Ziyi’s Ilene Chen comes from a family of female Monarch employees who all bear a striking resemblance to one another and either worked, lived or were born on a place called Infant Island. Giving Ilene Chen a twin that she never interacts with might seem like an odd choice, but it is actually a deep Easter Egg into Toho History.

Mothra debuted onscreen in 1961’s Mothra, and in that film, the titular creature lives on a place called Infant Island. There, she is guarded by the Shobijin, two miniature twin priestesses that also act as translators for the creature. The fairy-like creatures have been portrayed in different ways with different backstories over the years, but the common thread is that the psychic duo (and sometimes trio) can communicate with Mothra and act as her translators and ambassadors.

Godzilla: King of the Monsters eschews any psychic powers or strange origin for the Zhang Ziyi’s twins, but by including Ling Chen, the film is clearly nodding to the Shobijin that have been tied to Mothra since her inception. It winds up playing super weird in the film, being both jarring and unexplained, but it does represent a cool deep cut for die-hard fans.

Zhang Ziyi is returning for Godzilla vs. Kong, so it will be interesting to see if she again plays two roles and if the Chen twins and their relationship to Mothra gets further fleshed out.

Godzilla: King of the Monsters is now playing. Check out what ticket you should buy and keep an eye on our 2019 Release Schedule to keep track of all this year’s biggest movies.

Zac Efron Responds To Concerns Over Glamorizing Ted Bundy In Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil And Vile

Zac Efron Responds To Concerns Over Glamorizing Ted Bundy In Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil And Vile

When former Disney Channel teenage heartthrob Zac Efron signed on to play Ted Bundy, one question that may have popped up in some of our heads: “Why does Hollywood want me to be attracted to a serial killer?” If you look a little closer into the Bundy case that his new Netflix film Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil, And Vile is telling, Efron’s casting may just be the perfect choice.

Before Ted Bundy was sent to death row in the ‘80s for the murder of over 30 women across the United States, his good looks and charisma were exact reason why his longtime girlfriend and the public were thrown off to his heinous crimes. The upcoming movie looks to be steering away from placing Bundy’s murderous actions front and center on screen, as it tells the tale through his girlfriend Liz’s perspective (played by Lily Collins) as she learns of his vile side.

During a recent visit to The Ellen Show, Zac Efron explained that the movie will not show Ted Bundy’s actions as inviting, contrary to the film’s early controversy. In his words:

The goal was a very challenging one and I'm thrilled that it turned out the way that it did. I am not into portraying a serial killer or anybody of this nature or glamorizing them in any way ... it does not glamorize the killing. This is an important thing for people to hear.

While Zac Efron has a shiny reputation for playing likable characters (who usually can sing), this is not one of them. The actor took a deep-dive into the movie’s character study of the infamous killer and even has recently opened up about the trouble he had separating himself from the role once he was off set.

Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil, And Vile will act as a cautionary tale to those who easily trust people because they are easy on the eyes and know how to bring out the charm. Zac Efron told Ellen why he thinks the serial killer got away with so many crimes between 1974 and 1978 with these words:

Ted Bundy was a clean-cut, white dude, white person, so talk about white privilege. What he got away with back then, nobody would be able to do today.

The actor also touched on how this movie is perfect for the “world of swipe left and swipe right” many of us live in. So “hot Ted Bundy” is very much intentional and may challenge the ways in which we pass judgement on the people who commit crimes or don’t.

After premiering at Sundance earlier this year, Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil, And Vile was purchased by Netflix for $9 million and will hit the streaming site this Friday, May 3.

Chris Hemsworth Talks Creating A Different Thor For Avengers: Endgame

Chris Hemsworth Talks Creating A Different Thor For Avengers: Endgame

Of all of the Avengers, it's possible no character has gone through quite as many changes as Thor. He's found and lost loves. He's lost and regained eyeballs. He's learned things about the father he idolized he never would have expected. Needless to say, in Avengers: Endgame a film that we knew was going to change the status quo of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Thor continues to change and Chris Hemsworth says he worked closely with directors Joe and Anthony Russo to figure out just what they could do to change things up in the new film. According to Hemsworth...

They were on board and we sat for many hours and days and discussed kind of how far we could push it and what we could do different. It was great that was welcomed, you know, that kind of [conversation].

Of course, since Hemsworth's comments with USA Today came before the premiere, the actor wasn't talking about exactly what sort of changes took place (and we won't either until further down).

The first Thor movie was directed by Kenneth Branagh, and Branagh's Shakespearean background comes through quite clearly. Thar, and most of the rest of the Asgardians, speak formally and carry themselves with a strong feeling of self-importance. However, as Thor continues to interact with humanity throughout The Avengers movies and the Thor sequel, he becomes a bit more, well, relaxed. This hits an extreme with Thor: Ragnarok, where Thor has evolved into a very different character. He uses his wit as well as his hammer as a weapon.

While other MCU characters have certainly had interesting arcs, nobody's has been quite like Thor's. He started as a egotistical brat who assumed he would be king, to becoming a reluctant leader who made one of the most difficult choices imaginable when he sacrificed his home in order to save his people.

This seems to largely be because Hemsworth himself wanted to see these changes. He's spoken about being somewhat tired of Thor before Ragnarok, so he was probably quite excited about what else he could do with the character in the new movie to continue to keep things interesting for him.

From here, we're getting into Avengers: Endgame SPOILERS*_,*_ so turn back if you haven't yet seen the movie. Here's a picture of Thor flexing for his earthling roommate to keep you entertained.

When Avengers: Endgame makes its five-year time jump into the future, we see that Thor is having a particularly hard time dealing with the loss. As the man who came closest to stopping it all, Thor blames himself, and he's really let himself go as a result. Tony Stark at one point calls him "Lebowski" and it's almost too perfect a nickname.

Thor has something of a new attitude to go with his new physique as well. His confidence is gone and he's even more laid back than we've seen him before. He's about as far from Branagh's Thor as it's possible to be. Chris Hemsworth and the Russos have certainly pushed the character quite far.

What this means for the future of the character, we don't know. While some Avengers stories have seemingly come to an end, his certainly looks to have more left to go.

Avengers: Endgame is in theaters now.

Crawl Looks Like Jaws For Alligators And It's Awesome

Crawl Looks Like Jaws For Alligators And It's Awesome

You know what I love most about the trailer for Crawl? You KNOW that the creative team behind it basically watched The Meg – and knew about Jaws – and thought, “What other water-based creature can we tap into to produce that same fun vibe?” The answer appears to be “Alligators,” as this wild thriller appears to sell in the first giddy trailer for Crawl. Check it out:

What’s not to love about Crawl? It takes place during an unprecedented storm. It fully embraces its Florida setting, evacuating residents during a Category 5 hurricane. And it traps Kaya Scodelario and Barry Pepper in their slowly flooding home as a pack of wild alligators hunt them.

Perfect. Where do I buy a ticket?

You need more? The creative team behind Crawl is producer Sam Raimi (Evil Dead, Spider-Man) and director Alexandre Aja (Horns, Piranha 3D, The Hills Have Eyes). The know horror, and Aja has shown with his movies that he understands how to have fun in truly terrifying situations. Also, did you notice that there’s a scene in the trailer where the crocodile bites down on Scodelario’s hand while she’s holding a gun, so she unloads a clip of bullets into the beast’s belly?

Again, where do I buy a ticket?

To coincide with the launch of the Crawl trailer, Paramount actually dropped a funny viral meme that will remind people of the Orange Tile used to drum up anticipation for the Fyre Festival. If you were scanning Instagram this morning and saw this, you might have wondered what was going on:

Well, it’s warning people that “Help isn’t coming.” Just like the orange tile warned Fyre Festival attendees that real food and luxury accommodations weren’t coming.

What, too soon?

Let’s hope that Crawl turns out to be more successful than the Fyre Festival. And again, with the people involved, we’re at least expecting a gratuitous thrill ride that’s more The Meg than it is Sharknado. Crawl will slither into theaters during the hectic summer blockbuster season, where it will go head to head against 21 Bridges and the action comedy Stuber. All three will want to hurry up and make their money, though, because The Lion King will be breathing down their collective necks the following weekend.

Alexandre Aja directs Crawl, the people vs alligator thriller, which stars Kaya Scodelario (Pirates of the Caribbean), Barry Pepper, Morfydd Clark and Ami Metcalf. Will they be more than simple alligator feed? Find out later this summer.

9 MCU Movies to Rewatch Before Avengers: Endgame

9 MCU Movies to Rewatch Before Avengers: Endgame

Avengers: Endgame is almost upon us, and it's highly likely that some fans are undergoing a rewatch of the MCU in preparation for what has been teased as the culmination of 11 years of storytelling. It's a momentous occasion, but marathoning 21 films can be a little daunting. Even watching just one a day takes some commitment. Thankfully, you don't really need to rewatch every single movie to get psyched and ready for Endgame.

If you aren't up for a 60 hour marathon, there's a much easier way to bone up on your MCU knowledge before watching Endgame later this month. There are only really nine films to watch to get up to speed. Nine is still a lot of movies, but these films are important to Endgame either because they introduce important characters, set up storylines and themes, or directly lead into Endgame. We don't know what will happen in Endgame, but these are the films to watch before this pop culture phenomenon.

Iron Man

What better place to start than at the very beginning? While Iron Man doesn't tease anything about Mad Titans, Infinity Stones, or any sort of cosmic adventures, the film is an incredibly important step. It's the foundation of the whole MCU and it introduces the franchise's flagship character, Tony Stark. Stark's journey throughout the MCU has been one of a man slowly learning to become a hero, and we'll likely see the completion of that arc in Endgame as he works with the Avengers to stop Thanos once and for all. Plus, Iron Man teases the scope and ambition of a cinematic universe in a post-credits scene with something called the Avengers Initiative.

The Avengers

After years of buildup and introducing each of the core members in their own films, Marvel's grand experiment finally paid off in The Avengers. The movie went on to break a ton of box office records and change the landscape of how studios create franchises. The film teams up Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, the Hulk, Black Widow, and Hawkeye for the first time as they combat an alien invasion. It's no coincidence that these six original members are all alive after Avengers: Infinity War, and they almost certainly have big roles to play in Endgame. However, The Avengers was also our introduction to Thanos and the overarching story that would guide the MCU for the next several years.

Guardians of the Galaxy

This was the film that truly proved Marvel could make almost any comic property a blockbuster sensation. Guardians of the Galaxy made household names out of D-list characters, in part thanks to the unique tone of director James Gunn and his catchy soundtracks. The movie is our first introduction to Rocket Raccoon and Nebula, two characters who are all over the marketing for Endgame. While the team dynamic is the core of the film, it does a lot of legwork for the MCU's future. The movie introduces Nebula and Gamora's complicated family history, explains the backstory of the Infinity Stones, and give the very first look at Josh Brolin as Thanos. The latter wasn't earthshaking, but Marvel had a couple more years to get it right.

Avengers: Age of Ultron

Avengers: Age of Ultron didn't quite live up to the hype, but any Avengers movie is important enough to rewatch. The film is an important step for Tony Stark as his guilt and fear pushes him to create Ultron, who nearly makes humankind extinct. Thanks to some visions from Scarlet Witch, we get brief teases into the future, perhaps the most important of which is the Avengers lying dead while an alien army advances toward Earth. We also get a big info dump on the Infinity Stones and the coming threat of Thanos courtesy of Thor's hot tub visions. Additionally, Age of Ultron sets in motion events that would shatter the Avengers after the destruction of Sokovia.

Captain America: Civil War

The Russo Bros. themselves said that that this was one of the two most important movies to watch before Endgame and it's easy to see why. Captain America: Civil War would have long-lasting consequences for Marvel's superheroes as a feud between Tony Stark and Steve Rogers drives the Avengers apart. The disbandment of the Avengers is the crucial takeaway as it played a key factor in the heroes losing against Thanos. Endgame will almost certainly see Stark and Rogers finally settle their beef, making the moment that the Avengers unite once again all the sweeter. Civil War was also something of field test for how many characters could fit into one movie as it added Ant-Man to the ranks and introduced viewers to two important characters: Black Panther and Spider-Man.

Ant-Man and the Wasp

The big draw of the Ant-Man franchise is that it's a light, low-stakes comedy, so it might be surprising to learn that it's an essential piece to the Endgame puzzle. While nothing in the film's actually plot will likely be important in Endgame, the sequel does further showcase the Quantum Realm, which is heavily rumored to be vital in the upcoming blockbuster. In fact, Ant-Man and the Wasp might have set up the first real tease of time travel in the MCU, which also has a million Endgame rumors. Additionally, Scott Lang is left trapped in the Quantum Realm after the movie, setting up his involvement in Endgame and how he escaped the Decimation.

Thor: Ragnarok

Thor: Ragnarok is as stand alone as it gets. It takes place in the middle of space, far away from all that Earth drama, but it still ends up leading directly into Avengers: Infinity War. The comedic sequel finds Thor and the remaining Asgardians heading towards Earth, only to be confronted by the massive ship of Thanos. The immediate aftermath of that encounter kicks off Infinity War. Ragnarok is also crucial for both Thor and Bruce Banner, setting up their arcs for the next two movies. Thor loses his entire family and that grief and anger drives him, ultimately leading to his inability to kill Thanos. Meanwhile, this film was the beginning of Banner's three part character arc dealing with the Hulk that will conclude in Endgame.

Avengers: Infinity War

This is a no-brainer. Endgame is a direct sequel to Infinity War, so of course it needs to be on the rewatch list. Pretty much everything in this film is important to Endgame. Infinity War sets up the major conflict of Endgame, which is the Avengers coming together to defeat Thanos and somehow undo the damage he's done to the entire universe. The movie left Tony Stark and Nebula on an alien planet far from Earth, Thanos reveling in his victory, half of the cast annihilated in a fit of cosmic genocide, and the survivors grieving over their loss. Endgame can be considered Part II of the story that Infinity War began, and we'll finally learn how it all concludes later this month.

Captain Marvel

At the end of Infinity War, Nick Fury sent out a distress signal right before turning to dust. That signal went out to Captain Marvel, the MCU's newest hero. Marvel has been hyping up the appearance of Captain Marvel for years, and she finally made her debut in her stand alone film in March. The film showed the origins of the hero, how she met Fury, and why exactly he turned to her as his last resort. Captain Marvel is the most powerful hero in the MCU, and she might be the only character who can defeat Thanos. Her solo movie certainly makes that argument as she plows through space ships like tissue paper. Captain Marvel officially joins the anti-Thanos team in Endgame, and we'll learn how she stacks up against the Mad Titan.

It's tough to say exactly what films will end up being crucial to Endgame because we know so little about the movie. Maybe The Incredible Hulk will end up being the most important piece of the puzzle after all! But these nine films are the best guess based on what we do know and it just goes to show the work that Marvel put in over this past decade to get us all the way to this epic finale. There's still plenty of time to get that one last marathon done before April 26, so check out these nine films and have a walk down memory lane. If you're feeling brave and want to tackle more than just the list above, check out our Marvel Movies Timeline and watch all the films from beginning to Endgame.