Edited by Olivia Spahn-Vieira
There’s something inherently magnetic about the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Perhaps it’s the characters: their super-human powers and soaring emotional arcs.
Or maybe it’s the dialogue. I mean, who doesn’t love witty banter and snarky one-liners? From “Get lost, Squidward” to “I’ll do you one better — why is Gamora?”, all 23 films are chock-full of brilliant, quotable material.
Yet as a young woman in STEM, one aspect sticks out above the crowd. When I watch a Marvel movie, yes, I’m blown away by the cinematography. I’m encompassed by the plot, and gripped by Giacchino, Tyler and Silvestri’s sweeping scores. But more than anything, I’m intrigued by the science: science that is not just underlying, but prevalent in all 23 Marvel films.
Now, yes, I understand that I’m talking about comic-book heroes, whose adventures play out on a scripted silver screen: a place where CGI can make the impossible seem flawless and true. Yet, remarkably, even the most unbelievable instances of mysticism are rooted in reality. From Stark’s creation of a brand-new element in Iron Man 2 to Professor Hulk’s explanation of time travel in Avengers: Endgame, Feige and the creative team have made a significant effort to ensure that legitimate, real-world science still shines through the ~movie magic~.
So, what are we waiting for? Let’s take a dive into the science of the MCU — from the realistic to the far-fetched and everything in between.
#1: Gamma Radiation and DNA Mutation: Hulk Smash!
As Seen In: The Incredible Hulk (2008)
Though frequently touted as one of the weaker MCU instalments — perhaps for its dark and gritty tone, or perhaps because its stars were re-cast in subsequent films, giving us little time to immerse ourselves in their characters — The Incredible Hulk had the honour of introducing us to Bruce Banner, a physicist who claims to carry not one, not two, but seven PhDs (!!).
The film kicks off with Banner subjecting himself to an experimental gamma-ray procedure, intended to create a new wave of human “Super-Soldiers.” Of course, this does not go as planned; the radiation mutates Banner’s DNA, forcing him to transform into a massive creature of rage and destruction anytime his heart rate tops 200 beats per minute.
Now, it’s unlikely that this nightmare-inducing scenario would ever occur in our reality. For better or for worse, shapeshifting, super strength and sudden displays of bright green pigmentation are the stuff of imagination.
Yet gamma rays do exist, and they can cause significant damage… including, of course, DNA mutilation and mutation.
Gamma rays are emissions on the electromagnetic spectrum: a continuous stream of individual photons, which, though particles, travel in the form of a wave, moving at the speed of light. In this regard, they’re much like any other electromagnetic emission: x-rays, radio waves, even visible light waves. However, what distinguishes gamma rays from these other waves is their remarkably small wavelength — and their incredibly high level of energy.
They’re also emitted directly from atomic nuclei: the densest, highest-energy structure in an atom. And they’re often released in high-energy scenarios, as well: neutron star fluctuations, supernova explosions, lightning strikes, and radioactive decay.
Therefore, gamma rays are able to travel anywhere, unbounded — including, of course, through human cells.
Gamma rays also possess the ability to interfere with electron transfer, disrupting covalent, ionic and intermolecular bonds. As such, exposure to gamma rays would undoubtedly alter one’s cells — after all, chemical bonds comprise the essential molecules that give us life, from nutrients to the air we breathe to the nucleic acids that comprise our DNA.
The only problem is, if one were to be exposed to a high quantity of gamma rays… well, their body wouldn’t be able to survive the intense chemical bond destruction. Their bodily processes would fail, or they’d succumb to radiation sickness — that’s only if the intense energy didn’t incinerate them on the spot.
So, in a real-world situation, would exposure to gamma rays turn you into the Incredible Hulk?
Short answer, no. You’d definitely end up with DNA mutations (though not the type that re-codes your melanin to turn green!), but there’s a pretty great chance that you wouldn’t survive the process.
Then again, Bruce Banner did mention, time and time again, that, from a scientific point of view, he shouldn’t have survived, either. Technically, he only made it through (and became the Hulk) because of a plot point — a fact that he even brings up at the end of Avengers: Endgame‘s second act.
TL;DR: Gamma rays would, theoretically, mutate your DNA — but you wouldn’t turn into the Hulk, you’d either succumb to radiation sickness or be incinerated on the spot.
Scientific Accuracy: 7/10
#2: Einstein-Rosen Bridges: Crossing the Bifrost
As Seen In: Thor (2011), Thor: The Dark World (2014) and Thor: Ragnarok (2017)
Let’s fast-forward to 2011: the debut of Thor, the Norse God of Thunder’s first solo outing. Pulling from classical Norse tales, this is referred to as Marvel’s first “fantasy” project, incorporating mythological concepts like magic and enchantment to enrich the story.
Yet this doesn’t mean that there’s no science in the film. In fact, quite the opposite is true: even at the very beginning of the movie, when Thor and his love interest, Jane, are discussing the wonders of Asgard, Thor makes a point to clarify: “Your ancestors called [it] magic, but you call it science… [where I come from], they are one and the same.”
Then, lo and behold, Branagh (the director) went on to prove that the Asgardian concepts were rooted in science, rather than lore. One prime example of this is the Bifrost: a mystical bridge, possessing the ability to transport an individual to another place within the Nine Realms. Sounds pretty fantastical, huh?
Well, when Jane first hears of it, her first thought isn’t ‘that’s impossible’ — it’s more along the lines of ‘that’s an Einstein-Rosen Bridge!’.
See, an Einstein-Rosen Bridge is an actual thing. An actual concept, discovered via legitimate mathematical and physical equations. In simplest terms, an Einstein-Rosen Bridge, is, essentially, a wormhole: a structure in that connects two separate points in space or time, and can allow for travel between said points. It consists of a black hole, but also a white hole, so it’s capable of pulling something in, then spitting it back out on the other side.
Essentially, it’s a space-time teleportation device.
And, according to Albert Einstein, Kip Thorne and Stephen Hawking… it theoretically should exist.
The question then begs: if these teleportation devices naturally exist in the space-time continuum, then why haven’t we found them yet? How can we harness such an incredible structure? And would they even be possible for a human to traverse?
Here’s the thing: scientists don’t know.
Einstein and Rosen’s calculations check out: the Bridges are legitimate mathematical solutions to Einstein’s gravitational equations.
However, they’re also incredibly unstable. Their structures cannot last long enough to be measured or observed; soon after their conception, they “pinch off” and dissociate, disappearing into space. Even if they could survive on their own, in their natural state, the insertion of a non-native particle — say, for instance, a man-made space craft, or a biological tissue — could lead to their immediate dissociation. So, even if they do exist — which, from a scientific standpoint, they probably do! — it’s unlikely that we’ll be able to properly study them, let alone harness them for spatial teleportation.
In this regard, there’s no easy answer when it comes to commenting upon Thor’s scientific accuracy. I mean, the logic behind the Bifrost is perfectly scientific, and astrophysicist Jane’s explanation of the structure in the film is spot-on — it’s just the practical element, the characters’ physical utilization of the Bridge, that doesn’t quite exist. I guess, then, that we can conclude that Thor’s Bifrost is, in a theoretical sense, rooted in fact; however, its depiction in the film — at least, for the time being — must be nothing more than fiction.
TL;DR: From a theoretical point of view, an Einstein-Rosen Bridge should, technically, exist — so the science behind the Bifrost is real. However, we have no empirical evidence, so we can’t confirm its practical accuracy with any certainty.
Scientific Accuracy: 7.5/10
#3: Astral Projection: Mastering the Mystic Arts
As Seen In: Doctor Strange (2016) and Avengers: Endgame (2019)
As the MCU grew in popularity and prestige, the team at Marvel Studios began to take more risks. Gone were the days of cookie-cutter sequels and team-ups with the same original six Avengers; no, it was time for new characters to take to center stage. And no film was more inventive, more unique, or more eye-catching than Doctor Strange, which took reality and warped it — quite literally — into a visual masterpiece.
The film follows neuroscientist Dr. Stephen Strange, who, after losing function of his hands in a texting-and-driving accident, embarks on a mission to Kamar-Taj. Here, he meets the Ancient One, the Sorcerer Supreme, who shows him that the world isn’t what it seems — and that, with sufficient discipline and training, he, like her, could learn to master the mystic arts. Eventually, Strange takes over as the Sorcerer Supreme, learning to create portals, pull glowing strands of energy out of thin air, and, with the help of the Time Stone, harness time. Oh, yeah, and he has a sentient cloak, too, which is pretty cool.
Sounds pretty extraordinary — but also pretty fictional.
Well, it turns out that some of the mystical concepts have, in fact, been scientifically proposed. In particular, astral projection has been of interest — perhaps because so many people claim to have experienced it, or because the concept is just so cool.
Astral projection is the act of “separating” one’s consciousness from their physical body, resulting in a literal “out of body” experience. Doctor Strange contains a masterful sequence where the Ancient One shoves Strange’s soul right out of his physical body, pushing it through the cosmos to, quite literally, “expand his worldview.” A similar situation ensues in Avengers: Endgame, where the woman does the same to Bruce Banner, separating his consciousness from the body of The Hulk so they can discuss Banner’s desire to borrow the Time Stone.
Incredibly, studies have shown that 8-20% of individuals have reported having an out-of-body experience — though whether this is due to astral projection or some other influence still remains unknown.
There are so many variables that come into play: level of exhaustion, imaginative ability, drug and alcohol use. A person who claims that they’ve been “astral projecting” could have simply been daydreaming. There’s no way of knowing whether a lapse in consciousness is due to astral projection, an underlying medical condition, a lack of water, or an onslaught of stress.
Though there’s nothing that really disproves the fact that our consciousness might be able to travel outside our physical body, there’s nothing that really supports it, either. There are no scientific tests that can track the movements of one’s consciousness; consciousness is a sentience or awareness, not a physical construct. Additionally, self-report biases — the only real method of tracking individuals who claim to have astral-projected — cannot always be trusted.
As such, the probability that we can actually astral project like Stephen Strange is slim to none. As incredible as it would be, the mystic arts are more, well, “mystical” than “scientific.”
TL;DR: Though some individuals state that they’ve astral projected at some point in their lives, there is no way to test the validity of their claims, so it is assumed that astral projection is scientifically impossible.
Scientific Accuracy: 2/10
#4: Kinetic Energy Redistribution: The Power of Vibranium
As Seen In: Black Panther (2018)
I could rave about Black Panther — its cinematography, its directorial decisions, its legacy — for ages. I mean, it was nominated for Best Picture at the 91st Academy Awards, making it the first superhero movie in history to ever do so — that speaks for itself!
And from a scientific standpoint? Well, the film does a phenomenal job in that aspect, too.
In the MCU, Wakanda is described as being far more technologically advanced than the rest of the world — which becomes evident within the first ten minutes of the film. From holographic cars to nanotech suits, vertical-liftoff hovercrafts and kinetic blasters, technological wonders lay abound. Many of these inventions are said to have been “created” by T’Challa’s sister, Shuri, scientific genius and princess of Wakanda — and many of them are legitimate innovations that, in a couple years, could easily be seen in *our* world.
The most notable piece of tech, however, is T’Challa’s Black Panther suit: a sleek outfit made of nanotechnology, which compacts into a small, silver necklace when not in use. Once activated, the suit is able to absorb kinetic energy, then re-purpose said energy to be expelled via shockwaves and pulses.
Unfortunately, we don’t have the (nano)technology available to create a perfectly-accurate Black Panther suit; nanotechnology is still in its infancy, so we’re nowhere near to being able to harness it to create something as massive and powerful as a form-fitting suit — let alone one that can transfigure into a necklace.
However, we do have the next best thing: Vibranium.
I mean, we don’t have have an element that’s legitimately called Vibranium — but we do have a substance that can do what Vibranium can do. It’s a simple material, comprised of just 12 protons and electrons — and it’s likely in your very home right now.
It’s called Graphene, it’s made of pure carbon, and, like Vibranium, it’s capable of deflecting high-kinetic-energy projections. It’s also incredibly flexible, and is so thin that it can barely be seen with the naked eye — not to mention, it’s such a strong conductor that if it were to be imbued with electricity, the electrons would travel faster than they would in any other substance on the planet!
Graphene is essentially composed of a single-atom layer of carbon, where each carbon atom is covalently connected to three other carbon atoms, providing a strong, supportive network, thus contributing to that remarkable strength. In fact, research has proven that Graphene is more than 200 times stronger than steel — not bad for a compound that’s only one atom thick!
So, we have a material that could, essentially, be used to create a Black Panther-like suit. If one were to wear clothes made of Graphene, they would essentially gain the Wakandan technology’s ability to deflect projectiles, provide flexibility, and be deftly hidden in plain sight.
The only issue? It’s incredibly difficult to shave carbon down into such a thin, small-scale sheet — and even more difficult to utilize and manipulate it once it’s at its molecular level.
Yet both physicists and chemists have been working on it, and there’s strong evidence that, one day soon, Graphene might be the “material hero” on the market — permitting us to create our very own Black Panther-inspired, Vibranium-like suits.
TL;DR: Vibranium might not exist, but Graphene does, and it’s the next best thing! Supple, strong, supportive and nearly-invisible to the naked eye, it can deflect even the strongest of projectiles, and can conduct energy better than most other materials on the planet. Though it’s difficult to isolate and manipulate, it is incredibly likely that, one day, this Vibranium-like material will be commonplace in society, allowing us to create our very own, working Black Panther suits!
Scientific Accuracy: 8/10
Epilogue: Famous Last Words
Phew! That’s a lot of science, huh?
And that’s just the tip of the iceberg. We haven’t even touched upon the Quantum Realm, or Quantum Entanglement, or anything else with the word “Quantum” in front of it. We haven’t dealt with the Tesseract, or the development of J.A.R.V.I.S, a supercomputer-powered AI. There’s time travel and web-fluid creation, Pym particles, even mentions of a multiverse. And, like the aforementioned four examples, all of these innovations are rooted in real-world science, too. They all could theoretically exist!
The Marvel Cinematic Universe truly is, *ahem,* Marvel-ous (see what I did there?). Every detail, from costuming to dialogue, is so well-thought-out — and, remarkably, the majority of its “mystical, superhero” concepts are chock-full of real-life, scientific validity.
The MCU truly deserves all of its success. I can’t wait to see what’ll happen next, whether on the big screen, the small screen or Disney+ — and I’ll be eagerly watching, from both a scientific standpoint and a big fan’s point of view.
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