21 Real-Life Destinations Featured in Marvel Cinematic Universe Films You Can Explore

Although much of the Marvel Cinematic Universe is crafted on sound stages, the globally successful superhero franchise also incorporates real-world settings across the globe to enhance its storytelling. Below are 21 real-life locations from Marvel films that you can visit.

1. WARRIOR FALLS // BLACK PANTHER (2018)

To become the next ruler of Wakanda, one must face the reigning king in a ceremonial duel at Warrior Falls. While detailed and action-packed scenes of Black Panther’s Warrior Falls were captured on a soundstage in Atlanta, Georgia, the broader and establishing shots were taken at Iguazu Falls, a breathtaking waterfall system located between Argentina and Brazil in South America.

2. STARK INDUSTRIES // IRON MAN (2008)

Following three months of captivity by a terrorist group in Iron Man, Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) returns to the U.S. and holds a press conference at Stark Industries HQ in Los Angeles to discuss his experience. However, this scene was actually filmed at the headquarters of Masimo, a medical technology firm located in Irvine. The same offices have also appeared in Transformers (2007) and Dodgeball (2004).

3. CULVER UNIVERSITY // THE INCREDIBLE HULK (2008)

In The Incredible Hulk, Bruce Banner (Edward Norton) works as a nuclear physicist and biochemist at Culver University in Willowdale, Virginia. The University of Toronto’s campus served as the backdrop for the fictional institution, while Morningside Park in Scarborough, Ontario, was transformed into the university’s quadrangle. This park also became the primary filming site for General “Thunderbolt” Ross’s (William Hurt) assault on the Big Green Guy.

4. RANDY’S DONUTS // IRON MAN 2 (2010)

In Iron Man 2, Tony Stark—fully suited in his Iron Man armor—relaxes inside the giant donut atop Randy’s Donuts when Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) approaches him to discuss the Avengers Initiative. The exterior shots were filmed at the real Randy’s Donuts in Inglewood, California, while the interior scenes were captured at Yum Yum Donuts in Playa del Rey, approximately 20 miles away.

Randy’s Donuts has also appeared in films like Get Shorty (1995), Crocodile Dundee in Los Angeles (2001), Earth Girls Are Easy (1988), Dope (2015), and episodes of Arrested Development.

5. COUNTY HOSPITAL // THOR (2011) 

Shortly after Thor lands on Earth, Jane Foster (Natalie Portman) accidentally strikes the God of Thunder with her van. She then takes him to a local county hospital in Santa Fe. The exterior of the hospital was filmed at an office building known as the Toney Anaya Building in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

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6. PIER 13 // CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE FIRST AVENGER (2011)

After Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) transitions from a frail young man to the muscular Captain America, a HYDRA agent steals the super soldier serum and flees through Brooklyn, New York. Instead of filming in Brooklyn, the production team used the exterior of the Titanic Hotel at Stanley Dock in Liverpool, England, to depict Pier 13 for the chase scene’s climax.

7. LOKI’S PLATFORM // THE AVENGERS (2012)

In The Avengers, Loki (Tom Hiddleston) delivers a powerful speech about humanity while in Germany. However, the scene was actually filmed near Tower City Center on Cleveland, Ohio’s Public Square. (The city’s famous Terminal Tower can be seen in the background.)

8. NEPTUNE’S NET // IRON MAN 3 (2013)

In Iron Man 3, Tony Stark experiences a panic attack while signing autographs for fans at Neptune’s Net, a seafood restaurant. Although a real Neptune’s Net exists in Malibu, California, the scene was filmed at Dania Beach Bar & Grill in Dania Beach, Florida. The production relocated to Florida because the actual Neptune’s Net is situated on the Pacific Coast Highway, making it impractical and costly to shut down the busy road for filming.

9. OLD ROYAL NAVAL COLLEGE // THOR: THE DARK WORLD (2013)

In Thor: The Dark World, the final showdown between Thor and the Dark Elf Malekith (Christopher Eccleston) occurs at the Old Royal Naval College, situated on the Thames’s south bank in Greenwich, London. Thor even inquires with a bewildered subway passenger about directions to Greenwich after being teleported away from the battle.

Thanks to its iconic architecture and popularity, the Old Royal Naval College has appeared in films like Cinderella (2015), Skyfall (2012), The King’s Speech (2010), Les Misérables (2012), and Netflix’s The Crown.

10. THE MALL // CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE WINTER SOLDIER (2014)

In Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Captain America and Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) evade HYDRA agents by blending into a crowded mall in Washington D.C. However, the scene was filmed at Tower City Center in downtown Cleveland, Ohio, rather than the nation’s capital.

Similar to The Avengers, much of Captain America: The Winter Soldier was shot at various locations in Cleveland, nicknamed “The Land.” Key filming spots included the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland, Cleveland Public Library, Cleveland State University, the Cleveland Arcade, Cleveland Museum of Art, the Western Reserve Historical Society, and Pilgrim Congregational Church. The city’s highways, including the Cleveland Memorial Shoreway over the Cuyahoga River, were also used for the movie’s thrilling chase sequences.

11. XANDAR PLAZA // GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY (2014)

Although Guardians of the Galaxy is set in the cosmic realm of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, several real-world locations were utilized during production. Notably, the Liége-Guillemins Railway Station in Liège, Belgium, served as the backdrop for Xandar Plaza, where the ragtag group of alien heroes is apprehended early in Guardians of the Galaxy.

12. HYDRA RESEARCH BASE // AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON (2015)

In the opening scenes of Avengers: Age of Ultron, the Avengers battle through a dense forest in the fictional nation of Sokovia. Their mission is to recover the Chitauri Scepter and the Mind Infinity Stone from a HYDRA research base, which was filmed at Fort Bard (Forte di Bard) in Bard, Aosta Valley, Italy. This historic fort once defended the valley against Napoleon Bonaparte in the 19th century and now houses the Museum of the Alps.

While Fort Bard was used for exterior shots, the interior of the HYDRA research base was filmed at England’s Dover Castle.

13. MILGROM HOTEL // ANT-MAN (2015)

After his release from prison, Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) stays with his former cellmate Luis (Michael Peña) at the Milgrom Hotel in Ant-Man. The actual filming location, however, was the historic Riviera Hotel on Jones Street in San Francisco’s Tenderloin District. Built in 1907 as a luxury hotel, it now functions as affordable housing.

14. THE AIRPORT BATTLE // CAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL WAR (2016)

In Captain America: Civil War, the intense clash between Team Iron Man and Team Captain America unfolds at Leipzig/Halle Airport in Schkeuditz, Germany. This airport has also been featured in films like Flightplan (2005) and Unknown (2011).

15. EXETER COLLEGE // DOCTOR STRANGE (2016)

In Doctor Strange, the antagonist Kaecilius (Mads Mikkelsen) invokes a sinister spell from the Book of Cagliostro, connecting with Dormammu of the Dark Dimension. He performs this ritual in the chapel at Exeter College in Oxford, England, aiming to exact vengeance on the Ancient One (Tilda Swinton).

16. DAIRY QUEEN // GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL. 2 (2017)

At the start of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, Meredith Quill (Laura Haddock) and Ego (Kurt Russell) stop at a Dairy Queen in Missouri during 1980. The filming location, however, was BB’s Cafe, a restaurant in Stone Mountain, Georgia, located approximately 20 miles from Atlanta.

17. FORESTS OF ASGARD // THOR: RAGNAROK (2017)

In Thor: Ragnarok, Heimdall (Idris Elba) guides a group of refugees through Asgard’s forests in search of safety in the mountains. While much of the film was shot on sound stages in Australia, the Asgardian forests and waterfalls were brought to life using Tamborine National Park and Cedar Creek Falls in South East Queensland.

18. MIDTOWN HIGH SCHOOL // SPIDER-MAN: HOMECOMING (2017)

Peter Parker (Tom Holland) is a student at Midtown High School in Forest Hills, Queens. For Spider-Man: Homecoming, the exterior of the school was filmed at Franklin K. Lane High School in Brooklyn, New York, while the interior scenes were shot at Henry W. Grady High School in Atlanta, Georgia.

19. MUSEUM OF GREAT BRITAIN // BLACK PANTHER (2018)

In Black Panther (2018), the antagonist Erik Killmonger (Michael B. Jordan) is introduced while examining African art and artifacts at the Museum of Great Britain, a fictional counterpart to the British Museum in London. Rather than filming in England, the scene was shot at the High Museum of Art in Atlanta, Georgia.

20. SHAWARMA PALACE // THE AVENGERS (2012)

In the final moments of The Avengers, Iron Man mentions he’s never tried shawarma after noticing a shawarma restaurant while flying over Manhattan during the Chitauri Battle. The post-credits scene shows the exhausted Avengers enjoying the Middle Eastern dish together.

Director Joss Whedon filmed this scene at then-Elat Burger (now Shalom Grill), located at 9340 West Pico Boulevard in Los Angeles. To maintain secrecy, Whedon shot the scene a day after the film’s world premiere, while the cast was still in Los Angeles.

Fun fact: Shawarma sales in the U.S. saw a noticeable increase after The Avengers premiered in May 2012.

21. Albany Train Station // Black Widow (2021)

While much of Black Widow is set in Europe, some scenes were filmed in Macon, Georgia. In 2019, locals noticed police cars and emergency vehicles with Albany, New York, stickers around Macon’s Terminal Station.