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In thisFandomWireVideo Essay, we explore the ’70sAvengersmovie that never existed.
Check out the video below:
This ’70s Avengers Movie Never Actually Existed
This… is not anAvengersmovie. In fact, the Avengers never assembled in live-action until the MCU’s 2012 team-up on the big screen. Yet, if you type “70s Avengers” into the search bar you’ll find a trailer and series of clips that have amassed millions of views, as well as a vocal fan base that swears they’ve seen the retro superhero mashup on cable reruns or VHS tape. The only problem? This movie doesn’t exist. It’s a trailer compiled of various unrelated television series and made for TV movies. This isn’t evenIron Man!
Much like the mythic tale ofSinbad’s Shazam! movie, which we covered in depth in an earlier video, the legend of the 70s Avengers film is one that wages on and grows through the spreading of misinformation online.
While the 1970s did offer some… questionable depictions of a handful of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes, it was never in an Avengers film. Instead, we got television movies like the 1979 duo of made-for-TV films,Captain AmericaandCaptain America 2: Death Too Soon. Both films starred Red Brown, a former football player turned actor in his first leading role, and aired in one-hour segments on CBS.
The first film loosely adapted the origins of Steve Rogers’ astonishing ascent from a former marine into super soldier extraordinaire. The basic core elements of the hero from the comics were there, but beyond that it felt like an entirely different character. He was a military man who underwent an experimental process, injecting a serum into his body which effectively gives him super strength. The serum, here called the FLAG Formula, which stood for Full Latent Ability Gain, was derived from the glands of his father which is… an odd creative choice.
However, outside of name, military experience, and experimental formulas, the similarities between these two depictions are scarce. Roger’s costume is essentially a motorcycle helmet and loose-fitting spandex. He travels in a van capable of deploying a turbo-propelled motorcycle, with a detachable windscreen that acts as his iconic shield.
The shield is prominently clear, often bending on-screen and appearing to be made from a thin and flimsy plastic. A far cry from the indestructible vibranium the shield is canonically constructed from. It’s bulletproof and can be used as a projectile weapon when thrown, floating through the air at a snail’s pace and returning to Captain America like a boomerang.
For the sequel,Death Too Soon, iconic character actor Christopher Lee joined the cast, playing the antagonist General Miguel. Lee, who’s best known for frequently depicting Dracula, as well as his portrayals as Saruman in The Lord of the Rings series and Count Dooku in theStar Warsprequels, brings a level of professionalism to the film with his presence alone. However, even he isn’t capable of elevating this iteration of the character to anything more than an embarrassing and forgettable moment fromMarvel’s past.
The Incredible Hulk, on the other hand, is a popular character whose 70s interpretation is remembered more fondly. In the era of television that existed without CGI, bringing the larger-than-life character to the screen in live action would require a larger-than-life actor. Enter Lou Ferrigno, a bodybuilder who’d trained alongside Arnold Schwarzenneger and had numerous belts and titles to his name. The Series ran from 1977 to 1982, following David Banner who, following an experiment in which he exposes himself to high levels of GAMMA radiation, creates a Jekyll and Hyde type of persona that releases when he becomes angry. Noticeably, the character’s name was changed from Bruce to David. This change was allegedly due to television executives feeling the name “Bruce” sounded too… homosexual.
On top of its 80 episodes, there were five television movies linked to the series. In 1988, Ferrigno donned the green paint and bad wig once again forThe Incredible Hulk Returns.
In the film, David Banner, played by Bill Bixby who reprises his role from the series, is working on a Gamma Transponder. Banner intends to use the transponder to effectively cure himself, ridding the Hulk from existence and returning to a life of normalcy. But thanks to a Magical Hammer possessing the soul of Thor, these plans are interrupted.Thor, played here by Eric Kramer, is an immortal Viking Warrior, changing his origins as the God of Thunder from the comics. While the two heroes battle at first, they eventually join forces to face the villain and save the day, which is typical of these types of films. We’ve seen it inBatman vs SupermanandGodzilla vs Kong.
It’s here, from the images withinThe Incredible Hulk Returnsand the pair of made-for-TV Captain America movies, that much of the confusion stems from. Clips from these television films were edited together with the claim that they’d originated in anAvengersmovie. To further bolster the claim, clips of a man in a red, robotic suit were also used to portray a 1970s interpretation of Iron Man, the character made famous through his portrayal by Robert Downey Jr. in theMarvel Cinematic Universe.
We touched on this in our other video detailing theperfect scene from 2008’sIron Man.
The character is actually titled Exo Man, from a, you guessed it, another made-for-TV movie, this one released in 1977. Exo Man does share similarities to that of Iron Man. It tells the story of a professor whom, following an attack that leaves him paralyzed, utilizes a metallic suit enabling him to walk. He then uses the suit to fight crime in the role of a superhero, aiming to free his city from the overwhelming crime and violence that claimed his ability to walk. Despite being an intellectual who uses a red, armored suit to battle crime, the character had no relation to Marvel or Iron Man.
The plan was initially to launch Exo Man into a television series, using the movie as a backdoor pilot. While the movie reportedly boasted strong viewing numbers, it wasn’t picked up as a series due to a lack of merchandising possibilities.
Comedian Paul Lynde, perhaps best known for portraying the snarky Uncle Arthur on the classic sitcomBewitched, is depicted in the trailer as playing the part ofLoki, the God of Mischief. While Lynde arguably would have been a strong choice for this era’s Loki, he of course never played that part. Instead, the clips used are from the 1976Paul Lynde Halloween Specialwhich aired onABC.
The bulk of the fan-made trailer consists of quick cuts and edits of unrelated content, much of it intended as a winking joke to the viewer. For instance, Alan Alda is depicted as The AvengersHawkeye, the bow and arrow-wielding, non-superpowered member portrayed byJeremy Rennerin the MCU. The joke of course being that Alda famously starred in the long-running sitcom MASH playing a prisoner of war named Hawkeye Pierce.
But, perhaps the most baffling inclusion in the trailer, and the clearest indicator that it isn’t a legitimateAvengersfilm, is the use of the rock band KISS, instantly recognizable for their iconic use of white and black face paint.
In 1978, the band starred in the television film “KISS Meets The Phantom of the Park.” It’s an odd film, that’s as bad as its title suggests. They may be gods of rock, but acting is clearly not one of the talents that the members of KISS possess. Despite its flaws, or perhaps because of them, the film is often considered a cult classic these days. In the movie, KISS battle to save a California Amusement park from an inventor with evil intentions. Oh, and KISS has superpowers or something. It REALLY is an odd movie, and it’s one that the band reportedly despise. There have even been claims that members of the crew were forbidden to mention the film in the band’s presence, under threat of immediate termination and removal.
While the idea of a classic, retroAvengersis intriguing, we’re more than likely better off without it. By the time Earth’s Mightiest Heroes first assembled on the big screen in 2012, filmmakers had a stronger understanding of how to adapt these types of characters into live action and advances in CGI and practical stunt work had reached a level that allowed for superhuman feats to be believably portrayed.
And while Captain America, Thor, and The Incredible Hulk all made appearances on the small screen in the 70s, the first Marvel character to make their way into theaters was actually none other than… Howard The Duck.
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Reilly Johnson
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Reilly Johnson is a businessman and a staple in the online entertainment community contributing to some of the largest entertainment pages in the world. Currently, Reilly is the President of FandomWire.
