A Marvel Typo Started an MCU Rumor About an Oscar Winner, But They Used It to Protect the Best Surprise

Nearly two decades after it launched, the MCU has experienced its fair share of ups and downs. In fact, fans’ relationship to the franchise has ebbed and flowed along with it. Particularly after the epic conclusion of the Infinity Saga with Avengers: Endgame, Marvel has been on a shakier foundation than the decade or so of films that preceded it. Some of the criticisms levied at the Multiverse Saga — which, of course, concludes with the upcoming Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars — are due not just to the quality of the individual projects that it has delivered but also the expectations Marvel itself set for fans.

Going all the way back to 2008’s Iron Man, the MCU created a precedent for not only aggressively expanding the world it sought to bring from page to screen. It also set a bar for surprises that some of the films (including the box office behemoth that is Spider-Man: Brand New Day) haven’t been able to reach. So, as much as fans praise the MCU’s original post-credits cameo and the implications it teases for what’s to come, it also gave Marvel the persistent challenge of keeping its secrets under wraps, a task that became more complicated simply due to a typo on the part of Iron Man director Jon Favreau.

Marvel Found the Perfect Decoy After Reports Revealed Samuel L. Jackson’s Role

Samuel L. Jackson’s surprise appearance as Nick Fury might have teed up the “Avenger Initiative” and explicitly called its shot for what would become The Avengers. However, when some reports caught wind of not only Jackson’s appearance but the character he was playing, Marvel was forced to take a defensive stance, hoping to save that scene for fans’ in-theater experience. And according to the book MCU: The Reign of Marvel Studios by Joanna Robinson, Dave Gonzales, and Gavin Edwards, an innocuous post by Favreau accidentally started a false rumor that partially deflected reports of Jackson’s involvement.

In June 2007, Favreau marked the final day of shooting at Caesars Palace. The casino was featured in the scene where Robert Downey Jr.’s Tony Stark gambles instead of attending an awards ceremony. Favreau concluded his MySpace message with “I would also like to thank Caesars for their hospitality, and generosity, and Swank accommodations.” That accidental capitalization was enough to send the internet into a tizzy, leading to speculation that actress Hilary Swank would make a surprise appearance in Iron Man. In interviews, Avi Arad played coy about Swank’s involvement, presumably hoping some misdirection might keep fans talking about the film.

Iron Man Isn’t the Only Time Fans of a Franchise Expected a Hilary Swank Cameo

Of course, Swank doesn’t appear in Iron Man, nor does it seem like she was ever involved in talks with Marvel to do so. However, it’s easy to see why fans might read into Favreau’s post. After all, Swank had picked up her second Academy Award just a few years earlier for Million Dollar Baby and certainly fit the pedigree of celebrated Iron Man stars like Downey, Jeff Bridges, and Gwyneth Paltrow, all of whom now have Oscars. But looking back, it’s hard to imagine who Swank could have played. As it stands, Iron Man doesn’t have a ton of female roles, aside from Paltrow’s Pepper Potts and Leslie Bibb’s Christine Everhart, the latter of which is likely too small for someone of Swank’s status.

Ironically, Iron Man wouldn’t be the only time a fan-favorite franchise would fail to deliver on a rumored Swank cameo. Years later, the star’s name would circulate in relation to the TV series Cobra Kai. That show — which launched as premium content on YouTube before Netflix picked it up — continued the story of The Karate Kid films. The fourth entry, 1994’s The Next Karate Kid, served as Swank’s first starring role. So Cobra Kai fans hoped to see the Oscar winner show up, especially since nearly all the major stars of the original films returned over the course of the show’s six seasons. And despite rumors right up until its series finale, Swank never reprised her role as Julie Pierce.

With another MCU saga gearing up, it’s never too late for Swank to join the MCU. Should Marvel president Kevin Feige finally try to make good on those rumors? If so, who should Swank play in the MCU? Let us know in the comments!