From Air Force bases to Italian cliffs, discover the marvel-ous filming locations where Captain Marvel, Ms. Marvel, and The Marvels saved the universe.
Before Carol Danvers could soar through the cosmos, before Kamala Khan could fangirl her way into becoming a superhero, and before the trio could swap places across the galaxy, the productions had to find the perfect real-world backdrops.
Captain Marvel (2019) took us back to the 1990s with Brie Larson and Samuel L. Jackson as a de-aged Nick Fury. Ms. Marvel (2022) introduced Iman Vellani as the lovable, cosmically-powered teenager from Jersey City.
And The Marvels (2023) brought them all together – Brie Larson, Teyonah Parris, and Iman Vellani – for an interstellar adventure. Let’s dive into the real-world locations that brought these Marvel adventures to life.
Table of Contents
🦸‍♀️ Where Was Captain Marvel Filmed?
Captain Marvel (2019) is a nostalgic trip to the 1990s, following Carol Danvers (Brie Larson) as she grapples with her past while caught in a galactic war between the Kree and the Skrulls.
The film’s gritty, Earth-bound aesthetic was achieved by filming across California and Louisiana. To capture the film’s crash site and woodland scenes, the crew hauled heavy equipment deep into the Shaver Lake area within the Sierra National Forest.
The Blockbuster scene where Carol Danvers crashes through the roof was filmed at Valley Plaza, a derelict strip mall in North Hollywood, Los Angeles, located at 6321 Laurel Canyon Boulevard.
A filming location for several movies and TV shows, the production transformed it into a full 1990s experience, complete with 4,000 VHS tapes, RadioShack, dry cleaner, and phone booth.
For the authentic military sequences, the production famously spent 21 days setting up and shooting at the real Edwards Air Force Base in the Mojave Desert, utilizing Hangar 1600 and active runways.
For the urban 1990s vibe, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, stood in for parts of Los Angeles and New York, with the distinctive Louisiana State Capitol appearing in several scenes.
Studio work was completed at Sony Studios in Culver City, with exterior shoots around LA metro stations like Douglas Station.
What was filmed here:
- Edwards Air Force Base, California: Desert runways and aircraft hangar sequences.
- Shaver Lake, California: Wooded crash site and lakeside woodland sequences.
- Simi Valley, California: Rocky terrain and outdoor desert combat.
- Valley Plaza, North Hollywood, Los Angeles: Blockbuster scene where Carol Danvers crashes through the roof.
- Oxnard, California: 1990s outdoor go-kart racing facility.
- Los Angeles, California: Principal studio photography and metro station exteriors.
- Baton Rouge, Louisiana: 1990s Los Angeles and New York City streets.
Trivia:
- Carol famously shoots the head off a cardboard standee of True Lies starring Arnold Schwarzenegger – a little ’90s Easter egg that also marks the final Blockbuster ever featured in an MCU film, fittingly set in the era before the chain began its slow fade into extinction.
📿 Where Was Ms. Marvel Filmed?
The Disney+ series Ms. Marvel (2022) follows Kamala Khan (Iman Vellani), a Muslim American teenager from Jersey City who discovers she has cosmic powers.
To ground the show in reality, the crew filmed secondary establishing shots directly in Jersey City, New Jersey. However, the show was filmed primarily in Atlanta, Georgia, with key international shoots in Thailand.
The massive AvengerCon sequence was built from scratch inside Stage 3 at Trilith Studios. Everything was manually fabricated due to COVID-19 restrictions, even the giant Ant-Man helmet that broke apart.
For the episodes set in Karachi, Pakistan, the production transformed locations around Bangkok and the neighboring Nonthaburi province, swapping out Thai street signs for Urdu signs and bringing in local auto-rickshaws.
The Karachi railway station scenes set during the Partition were filmed at Bang Sue Station Rail Lot in Bangkok, Thailand.
What was filmed here:
- Bangkok & Nonthaburi, Thailand: Replicated the vibrant streets of Karachi, Pakistan.
- Jersey City, New Jersey: Establishing shots for Kamala‘s hometown.
- Trilith Studios, Georgia: AvengerCon, Kamala‘s home, and school interiors.
Trivia:
- Director Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy objected because the railway station didn’t look like the real Karachi. So, the cinematographer pitched it as an alternate universe version, and that won her over.
🌊 Where Was The Marvels Filmed?
The Marvels (2023) sees Carol Danvers (Brie Larson), Monica Rambeau (Teyonah Parris), and Kamala Khan (Iman Vellani) teaming up as their powers become entangled.
The film’s most visually stunning sequence – the musical planet Aladna -was brought to life using the dramatic cliffside geography of Tropea, Italy, known as the “Pearl of the Tyrrhenian Sea“.
While the iconic Santuario di Santa Maria dell’Isola di Tropea served as the structural template for Prince Yan‘s palace, the tight alleyways meant the action sequences were moved to a studio backlot.
The production was based out of Pinewood Studios in Buckinghamshire, England, and Longcross Studios in Surrey.
What was filmed here:
- Santuario di Santa Maria dell’Isola di Tropea, Italy: Capital city of Planet Aladna.
- Los Angeles, California: Select pick-up shots and final production elements.
- Pinewood Studios, England: Extraterrestrial environments and spaceship sets.
Trivia:
- Brie Larson has a severe cat allergy. While filming The Marvels, her scenes with the Flerken kittens had to be shot separately using CGI stand-ins or a blue-screen puppet!
âť“Â Marvel-lous FAQs
Here are some of the most burning questions from the Marvel fandom.
Who plays Captain Marvel?
Academy Award winner Brie Larson portrays Carol Danvers/Captain Marvel.
Where was Captain Marvel from?
Carol Danvers was born in Boston, Massachusetts, making her one of the few MCU heroes from the East Coast.
What are Captain Marvel’s powers?
She possesses superhuman strength, durability, the ability to fly through space, and can absorb and project massive amounts of energy.
Who is in the cast of Ms. Marvel?
The cast is led by Iman Vellani as Kamala Khan, alongside Matt Lintz as Bruno Carrelli and Yasmeen Fletcher as Nakia Bahadir.
What are Ms. Marvel’s powers?
In the comics, Kamala is an Inhuman who can shapeshift and “embiggen” her limbs, but in the MCU, she’s a mutant who creates hard-light constructs from the Noor Dimension via her magical bangle.
Where was Ms Marvel Episode 4 filmed?
Ms. Marvel Episode 4 was filmed in Bangkok, Thailand, which stood in for the streets of Karachi, Pakistan.
Where was Captain Marvel during Infinity War?
She was off-world, handling cosmic threats across the galaxy. She wasn’t in Avengers: Infinity War because the post-credits scene, where Nick Fury pages her just before Thanos’s Snap, is set in 2018.
Where was Captain Marvel during Avengers: Endgame?
She’s present at the beginning of Avengers: Endgame, rescuing Tony Stark and Nebula, and returns to help in the final battle against Thanos. Before that, she was off-world helping other planets.
What was the working title for The Marvels?
To prevent spoilers, the production crew filmed The Marvels under the top-secret working title “Goat Rodeo.”
What happens in The Marvels post-credits scene?
Kamala recruits Kate Bishop for a team of young heroes (setting up the Young Avengers), while Monica Rambeau wakes up in an alternate universe where her mother Maria is alive as Binary and Beast (Kelsey Grammer) from the Fox X-Men universe walks in, confirming Monica is trapped in that reality.
Who plays Prince Yan in The Marvels?
Park Seo-joon – the K-drama superstar (Itaewon Class) plays Prince Yan in a brief 2-minute-47-second cameo – “less than it takes to cook cup noodles.” Director Nia DaCosta handpicked him after binge-watching his work during COVID-19 lockdowns.
How does Prince Yan differ from the comics?
In the comics, Prince Yan and Carol are strictly platonic friends who communicate in rhyme, and the plot revolves around an unwanted engagement. In the movie, they’re in a diplomatic marriage, the planet communicates through song and dance, and Yan is a capable warrior who fights alongside Carol.
Who is Captain Marvel’s cat?
Captain Marvel‘s cat, Goose is actually a Flerken – a dangerous alien species that looks like a fluffy orange cat but stores tentacles and entire pocket dimensions inside its mouth. The real cat actors were named Reggie, Rizzo, and Gonzo.
Where else are these heroes in the MCU?
From post-credit surprises to full-blown team-ups, here’s where to find Carol, Kamala, and Monica across the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
- Captain Marvel (2019): Carol‘s 1990s solo origin story. Young Monica is Maria‘s daughter.
- Avengers: Endgame (2019): Carol joins the final battle against Thanos.
- WandaVision (2021): Adult Monica gains powers after passing through Wanda’s Hex.
- Shang-Chi (2021): Carol cameos in the mid-credits scene via hologram.
- Ms. Marvel (2022): Kamala‘s six-episode debut. Carol appears in the finale.
- The Marvels (2023): The trio teams up for Carol‘s sequel and Kamala‘s big-screen debut.
- Marvel Zombies (2024): An alternate Kamala stars in this animated series.
- Avengers: The Kang Dynasty & Secret Wars: Kamala is expected to appear in both.
🍿 Where to Watch These Marvelous Adventures
Ready for a rewatch? Here’s where you can find the Marvels adventures.
- Amazon Prime Video: Available to rent or buy.
- DVD/Blu-ray: Featurettes, deleted scenes, gag reels.
- Disney+: All titles available for streaming.
Look closely during the AvengerCon scene and you’ll see Tom Holland in full Spider-Man suit wandering around in the background. He crashed the set while filming No Way Home next door – even MCU actors can’t resist a good convention.
Disclaimer: This fan-created article is provided for entertainment purposes only. We don’t guarantee the accuracy of any of these facts and don’t recommend making important life decisions based on them. All referenced titles, names, and related intellectual property are the property of their respective owners, and no copyright infringement is intended.
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