Shadowing Practice: 25 Times Marvel Actors Went Totally Off Script - Learn English Speaking with Video
Creating lesson...
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You're the spider -ling.
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Crime -fighting spider.
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You're Spider -Boy?
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Howdy Screen Ranters, welcome back!
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In today's Marvelous video, we're going to take a gander at when actors have improvised in Marvel films.
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And we're not just looking at the MCU.
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Time to branch out into the larger world of Marvel for the off -the -cuff comments, surprising dramatic moments, and you know we're gonna include some Deadpool in here.
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You lucky bunch.
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So before Before there's any more rambling, let's get started.
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Since the first Avengers film's success, we've found out some interesting knowledge from behind the scenes of the film.
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It turns out that the famous end credit scene of our heroes eating shawarma happened due to an improvised line.
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And it all stems from Robert Downey Jr. When Tony Stark falls back to Earth and is revived by the Hulk, Stark suggests the team get Shawarma,
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something that wasn't in the original script.
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Director Joss Whedon loved it so much that after filming had finished, he wanted that scene included.
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Only, he had to wait until the international premiere to shoot it with the cast.
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Hence why Captain America is covering his face in the scene.
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He had to hide his bearded face with prosthetic makeup.
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He needed the facial fuzz for his role in Snowpiercer.
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In the origin film Captain America the First Avenger, we saw how skinny Steve Rogers became the shield -tossing Super Soldier of America.
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After he's been given the serum and emerges from the container, he's now the buff Rogers, and Peggy Carter approaches to check on him.
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But she can't hold back.
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She releases her inner Patrick and touches Cap's pec.
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It only happens for a brief moment, but it was enough.
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Afterwards, Carter reluctantly gave him a top to put on.
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Later on, the actor behind Carter, Hayley Atwell, spoke in an interview about how that scene wasn't in the script.
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Instead, she just reacted in character.
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The crew loved it so much that they filmed that scene several times with that while stroking Steve.
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The scene that involved a deranged Eddie Brock in a restaurant was a highlight from Sony's Venom film.
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In this scene, Eddie is unknowingly reacting to the alien symbiote now in his system, which is understandable.
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Because of this, he is extremely hungry and also has a high fever.
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As it turns out, one of the main features of the scene wasn't in the script.
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When actor Tom Hardy was on the set, he spotted the gigantic lobster tank.
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After many conversations with the film's crew, the scene was rejigged for Hardy's wishes.
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He was then allowed to dunk himself into the tank with his crustacean friends.
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Robert Downey Jr. can get away with a lot on set in the MCU.
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For the filming of the Avengers, he was notorious for hiding snacks around a scene.
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In between takes, he would nosh on some treats.
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The crew spent time to find all the stashed goods on set, only to come up empty.
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In one scene, Bruce Banner, Tony Stark, and Steve Rogers are talking in the lab on the SHIELD helicarrier.
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As the scene goes on, Stark pulls out some blueberries and begins eating.
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He then offers them to Banner and Rogers.
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As it wasn't in the script, Chris Evans and Mark Ruffalo had to improvise their characters' reactions.
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Joss Whedon loved Downey's improv so much that he had to keep it in the final cut.
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And the next Avengers movie was sponsored by California Farms blueberries.
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Just kidding.
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We tried a little improv there ourselves.
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Thor Ragnarok is well known for the creative freedom given to the actors.
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Director Taika Waititi left many of the film's scenes unscripted and let the actors do what they felt best.
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Supposedly, 80 % of the film was unscripted, and that's coming from the director himself.
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So, it comes as no surprise that at least one of the film's moments would hit our list.
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As a way to disarm some guards, Thor would pretend Loki is injured and shout for assistance, only to toss Loki at the guards and take them all out like some form of Asgardian bowling.
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It seems it's a plan that has happened many times before.
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There wasn't much faith in the Guardians of the Galaxy film when it was first announced.
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Aside from the hardcore comic fans, much of the audience hadn't heard of the space team.
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So, the actors were given some freedom in order to push their characters.
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One such actor was Chris Pratt as Peter Quill.
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In one scene, the group had been captured by the Nova Corps.
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As they're being put through the system, the Corpsmen are discussing each character's backstory.
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Very helpful for the audience.
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Once it's Star -Lord's turn, Pratt decided to showcase Quill's attitude.
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There was much surprise when Michael B.
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Jordan was announced as the Black Panther villain Killmonger for the then -upcoming film.
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At the time, he still did the stink on him from the dire Fantastic Four reboot.
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However, his transformation into Eric Stevens proved to be a brilliant piece of casting.
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In one scene, Killmonger had willingly allowed himself to be captured in order to meet with T 'Challa.
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As he explains exactly who he is, T 'Challa's mother, Ramonda, protests the accusations, until Killmonger shows proof of his parental lineage.
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And with that, Jordan muttered the line, Ramonda actor Angela Bassett confirmed in an interview that the line was indeed improvised.
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The short line showed Killmonger's personality perfectly and became an iconic line from the film.
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Hawkeye and Quicksilver had a love -hate relationship in Avengers Age of Ultron, Mostly hate to begin with, however...
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Pietro would turn that hate upside down with his sacrifice when saving both Hawkeye and a child.
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Prior to that, a small scene took place where Quicksilver picks up the Scarlet Witch and speeds off with her, all while stating, keep up, old man, to Clint.
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Jeremy Renner decided to improvise Hawkeye's reaction to this.
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Clint aimed his arrow in the direction Quicksilver had whizzed off to.
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He then talks to himself about how no one would know.
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He even comes up with a cover story by saying the last I saw him and Ultron was sitting on him.
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Of course, this was acted with comedy.
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Otherwise, that may have been a very dark moment for the MCU.
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Acting is hard.
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They have to know their lines, the other actor's lines, how to react, and where to stand in the scene.
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It's tricky.
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During Captain America Civil War, the debuting Tom Holland ran into one of these problems.
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While in Spider -Man's bedroom, Tony's attempting to recruit Peter for his side.
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You're the spider -ling.
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Crime -fighting spider.
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You're Spider -Boy?
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During the scene, the two characters switch from walking to sitting many times.
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When it came to Tony's turn to sit down, he couldn't.
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Tom Holland had his leg on the bed.
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In character, Robert Downey Jr. had to improvise by stating, Holland stays in character and does exactly what Downey said.
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It goes to show how well Downey knows his character that he can easily replicate Stark on the fly.
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X -Men First Class was the start of a reboot of sorts for the Fox franchise.
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After X -Men Origins and Last Stand, the franchise definitely needed a redo.
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In First Class, we get to see a montage of Charles Xavier and Magneto going on a recruitment drive.
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They meet many mutants who showcase their powers and are persuaded to join their team.
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One character they meet is Hugh Jackman's Wolverine.
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This interaction was actually improvised by the Australian actor himself.
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Xavier and Magneto track down Logan in a bar as he's quietly drinking whiskey and puffing on a cigar.
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The two approach and introduce themselves, but Logan doesn't care.
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In fact, he tells them to go, uh, aggressively cuddle themselves.
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They definitely got the message and promptly left.
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What's a great way to show a culture clash?
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How about showing a character doing something that's considered normal to them in front of people that find that action unusual?
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Well, that's exactly the idea that Chris Hemsworth had in a scene from 2011's Thor.
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As Thor is in a cafe with Jane Foster and Darcy Lewis, he's enjoying his drink so much that he chucks the cup onto the ground.
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Thor meant this as a compliment, bless him.
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However, Hemsworth was the only actor that knew this was going to happen.
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He felt it would encapsulate Thor's brash Asgardian behavior in front of the humans.
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The Sorcerers and Doctor Strange seem to live a sheltered life.
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Sure, they know a lot of spells, but their pop music education is lacking.
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When Stephen Strange, a former surgeon, joins the magical elite, he brings with him some pop culture knowledge.
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When he's attempting to get some books on astral projection, he bumps into Wong, who is the keeper of the magical library.
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Wong tells Stephen that he's not ready to learn from these books.
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Since Wong has only one name, Stephen retorts with, "...try me, Beyonce." This line was actually added in by Benedict Cumberbatch.
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Later on, when Stephen steals the books, Wong is shown listening to single ladies by Beyonce.
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Probably his research.
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Did you know that the memetastic, why is Gamora line is actually improvised?
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Did we just blow your mind?
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Well, for those that don't know what we're ranting about, we'll explain.
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In Avengers Infinity War, Peter Quill arrives and says, where is Gamora?
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A confused Tony Stark responds with, yeah, I'll do you one better.
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Who's Gamora?
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Drax, who's lying on the floor thanks to Stark, chimes in with, I'll do you one better.
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Why is Gamora?
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The actor behind Drax, Dave Bautista, confirmed that he spontaneously came up with the memorable line.
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After the line was uttered, it became one of the most famous lines from Infinity War.
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Mark Ruffalo isn't well known for his improvisational skills.
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He's mostly known for being a spoiler time bomb.
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However, the actor has shown his ad -libbed skills in the impro -heavy Thor Ragnarok.
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But prior to the 2017 film, Ruffalo would test the improvisational waters in 2012's Avengers film.
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During Bruce Banner's debut, Black Widow tracks down the reclusive scientist in an empty house.
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Natasha attempts to recruit Banner and the Hulk to tackle the Loki problem.
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During the scene, Banner would say, well, I don't every time get what I want.
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Introduced in 2016's Black Panther film, Shuri would be known as the brains behind Wakanda's advanced technology.
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The cheery character bounced off T 'Challa effortlessly.
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One area in which she was able to brandish her character was when an injured Everett Ross was brought in.
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T 'Challa wanted to use his country's tech to save the CIA agent.
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When Shuri sees what her brother brought her, Letitia decided to add in a line of her own.
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It's remembered as one of the funniest lines in the film.
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So as Tony Stark is dropping off Peter Parker in a limo, they discuss doing Avengers stuff again in the future.
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Tony leans over Peter, so Peter hugs him.
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Only for Tony to say, Ouch, Mr. Stark.
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Tom Holland's hug wasn't in the original script.
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He thought it would be funny to embrace Brownie as he reached across.
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which caused Downey to react in character as well.
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With awkward comedy gold like that, they had to keep it in.
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There were low expectations by the audience when Ant -Man was released, but the cast and crew of the film knocked it right out of the park.
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Ant -Man makes it onto our list, not due to a particular moment.
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Instead, it comes from scenes involving Scott Lang, his ex Maggie, and her fiancé Jim Paxton.
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The actors in the film improvised all the awkward family dynamics comics involving them.
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Judy Greer, who played Maggie, spoke in an interview about how much fun they had devising the scenes.
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She also apologized to the editor for all of their laughing in the scenes.
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Tobey Maguire was the first to play Spider -Man on the big screen during 2002.
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In a scene where Peter is trying out his powers, he tries out his new, organic spider shooters.
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Fun fact, the comics did a whole complicated story to mirror the film's web shooters.
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He's turned into a giant spider, perishes, then bursts out of the spider body as a human again but with new powers.
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Comics can be weird.
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Anywho, in Sam Raimi's film, Spidey stands on top of a building and does various hand movements as well as shouting out commands.
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Many of those commands came in the form of DC character references, such as Shazam and Up Up and Away.
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All the hand movements and commands were added in by Maguire himself.
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Raimi let his star get creative in this fun scene.
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Shakespearean, legendary thespian Kenneth Branagh directed the first Thor film in 2011.
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In the early part of the film, Thor gathers a small team and goes against his father and king's wishes to attack the Frost Giants, only for Odin to turn up and save their bacon.
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Afterwards, Odin verbally lays into Thor and his arrogant ways.
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Braana allowed Anthony Hopkins to put his own take on the character of Odin.
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Hopkins improvised the speech that Odin gives as he banishes Thor.
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Even the animalistic growl at Loki was popped in by Hopkins.
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The scene was powerful and showed Hopkins' immense acting abilities.
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After years of harassing Fox executives, Ryan Reynolds finally got his wish of a solo Deadpool film, which was much needed after what they did to Wade Wilson in X -Men Origins Wolverine.
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Look at him.
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It's awful.
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So that brings us to 2016.
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Controversial actor and comedian TJ Miller was given the role of Weasel.
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The filmmakers chose Miller as they needed an actor who could easily bounce off Reynolds.
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In particular, during the scene after Deadpool shows his newly disfigured face to Weasel, many of the insulting quips were improvised by Miller.
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Due to all of Miller's legal issues and controversies, he probably won't be included when Disney takes over the Deadpool franchise.
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When the Iron Man film was announced, most people shrugged in confusion about why they'd want to watch a movie about a robot.
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Yep, that's exactly what they thought.
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Jon Favreau, the director of the film, and Robert Downey Jr. immediately changed the audience's apathy.
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It would start the launch of the MCU.
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Otherwise, where would we be at Screen Rad without the MCU?
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Near the end of the film, as Tony is doing a press conference, we would hear the immortal line, I am Iron Man, a line that would also signal the end of Tony in the Marvel Universe during Endgame.
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You might be intrigued to know that it was actually an impromptu line by Downey and Iron Man.
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James Gunn's 2014 Guardians of the Galaxy film was a critical and financial success.
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Like we mentioned earlier, the Guardians weren't well known at the time, something which the Guardian cast and crew had to poke fun at.
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As Peter Quill is stealing the orb, the then unknown Power Stone, he's apprehended by Korath and friends.
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As things are getting tense, Quill says that they might know him by another name, only to be greeted by a who?
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Quill is obviously very disappointed that his alias doesn't actually have the reputation he thought it did.
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This part was suggested by Chris Pratt as a fun meta moment.
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With many scenes from Thor Ragnarok being opened up for spontaneous dialogue, the actors could flex their thespian muscles.
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As Thor is caught and forced into the gladiatorial area, he's greeted by the person he's fighting, which turns out to be Hulk.
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Thor cheers with the reveal and says to the Grandmaster, we know each other, he's a friend from work.
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This amazing line didn't come from the minds of the actors or crew, however.
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Instead, a child from the Make -A -Wish Foundation suggested the line when they were visiting the set.
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Oh gosh.
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Now onto one of the most heart -wrenching scenes in Infinity War.
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Sorry, all.
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On the bright side, it kind of worked out for the character in the end.
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Kinda.
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Of course, we're rambling about Spider -Man and his dusting.
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According to one of the directors, Joe Russo, the lines in the scene with Peter and Tony were improvised there and then, including the lines, Mr. Stark, I don't feel so good,
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and I don't want to go as he begs Tony to help him.
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One of the most tear -jerking scenes in the whole of the MCU wasn't even scripted.
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Now we finish off with the latest spontaneous acting moment in the MCU from Avengers Endgame.
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As Iron Man returns to Earth, his life has been turned upside down.
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As he was recovering, a question from Captain America and Thanos caused Tony to snap.
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He verbally laid into Cap and finishes off by calling the super soldier a liar.
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The last part was added in by Robert Downey Jr. In order to amp the passion of the scene and Tony's anger, Downey chose to add in one small word.
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It was enough to sum up his character at that point.
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Also, Downey would tailor the famous I Love You 3000 line after experiences with his kids.
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Downey was on an improvising role in his last MCU appearance. And that's a wrap.
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Thanks for sticking around until the end.
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You can treat yourself to a gold star.
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Which improvised scene was your favorite?
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Who's the Marvel champion in improvising?
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Jot your thoughts down in the comment section below.
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Remember to subscribe and click the little bell to stay notified of all of our beautiful content.
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We'll see you next time, true believers!
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Learn English with Movies | Shadowing Practice with Spiderman: No Way Home
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What You'll Learn
This video is a goldmine for practicing impromptu speaking and reacting naturally in conversations—skills that mirror real-life interactions! You’ll also learn to adapt to unexpected cues, just like the actors who had to respond to off-script lines (hello, Chris Evans and Mark Ruffalo with those blueberries!). These are quick wins that make you sound more confident and fluent.
Listen For These Sounds
Pay attention to connected speech in phrases like “gonna take a gander” (where “gonna” links smoothly) and “off - the - cuff comments” (the pauses between hyphens are subtle, not full stops). You’ll also hear reductions like “Howdy” (a casual “How do you do?”) and “nosh on some treats” (relaxed pronunciation of “nosh”). These sounds are key to sounding like a native—perfect for your shadowing technique practice!
Say It Like a Native
To mirror the speaker’s rhythm, stress words like “MARvelous,” “IMprovised,” and “DEADpool” to keep the energy high. Notice how the host pauses before big reveals (“And we’re not just looking at the MCU… Time to branch out!”)—copy that pause to build anticipation. Use this video with a shadowing site to repeat lines aloud, focusing on the casual tone. Try “You lucky bunch” with a playful lilt or “Hence why Captain America is covering his face” with a conversational flow. This is shadowspeak in action—learning English with videos has never been this fun!
Pro tip: Pause after each off-script moment and try your own improv. It’s a great way to practice thinking on your feet while nailing natural pronunciation. You’ve got this!
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
|---|---|
| Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it | is revived · been given · was rejigged |
| Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now | have improvised · we've found · he's been given |
| Relative clauses who / which + clause — extra information about a person or thing | system, which is · film, which was |
| Superlatives the -est / the most … — the top or bottom of a group | the most famous · the funniest · the most heart |
What is the Shadowing Technique?
Shadowing is a science-backed language learning technique originally developed for professional interpreter training and popularized by polyglot Dr. Alexander Arguelles. The method is simple but powerful: you listen to native English audio and immediately repeat it out loud — like a shadow following the speaker with just a 1–2 second delay. Unlike passive listening or grammar drills, shadowing forces your brain and mouth muscles to simultaneously process and reproduce real speech patterns. Research shows it significantly improves pronunciation accuracy, intonation, rhythm, connected speech, listening comprehension, and speaking fluency — making it one of the most effective methods for IELTS Speaking preparation and real-world English communication.