THE AVENGERS: Marvel Studios Concept Artist Shares Never Before Seen Helicarrier Alternate Design

It may seem small in scale compared to today's Marvel movies, but The Avengers was a game-changer in 2012. It also introduced the Helicarrier, but the S.H.I.E.L.D. warship nearly looked very different...

By JoshWilding - Mar 07, 2022 05:03 AM EST

Filed Under: Avengers

It's hard to believe 2022 will mark the 10th anniversary of The Avengers. Despite being nowhere near as grand in scale as movies like Avengers: Endgame and even the upcoming Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, it broke new ground in 2012 by assembling characters fans never thought they would see share the screen (in a team-up many believed wouldn't work).

The Avengers also introduced fans to a live-action take on the S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier, which blew minds at the time. Now, Marvel Studios concept artist Phil Saunders has shared a never before seen design for that iconic warship. It's not vastly different to what ended up on screen, but definitely a little less grounded and perhaps a tad more "sci-fi" than what we saw in the movie.

"I don’t think I’ve ever posted this one anywhere, so it’s a bit of a premiere. As with the other views I’ve posted, this was an alternate direction to the one that my friends Nathan Schroeder and Steve Jung were pursuing for Production Designer James Chinlund that ultimately was what you saw in the films," he explains in the Instagram post below. "Mine was more of an aviation-based design, taking cues from heavy lifter aircraft such as the Globemaster and Antonov."

We always enjoy getting a glimpse of what might have been, and it's a shame we haven't seen a Helicarrier since 2015's Avengers: Age of Ultron. S.H.I.E.L.D. is no more, of course, but it would be cool to learn that Nick Fury has still one somewhere when he returns in Disney+'s Secret Invasion.

Check out this new concept art from The Avengers below:

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Phil Saunders (@philjdsaunders)

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6 Comments

DrReedRichards - 3/7/2022, 5:14 AM

One of the most pleasantly fanservicey moments in the history of this franchise, accompanied by an excellent theme that feels almost wholesome in hindsight.

bkmeijer2 - 3/7/2022, 7:26 AM

@DrReedRichards - that was probably the moment I realized how crazy the MCU was gonna become. No going back from that point

heisei24 - 3/7/2022, 5:51 AM

I really miss the Helicarrier

dragon316 - 3/7/2022, 6:04 AM

Concept art looks better it matches shield look they operate covert , original looks to much like original ship with jet turbines attached to side glade we got see it movie with more detail compared to hasseholf nick fury movie of helicarrrer

THE AVENGERS: Marvel Studios Concept Artist Shares Never Before Seen Helicarrier Alternate Design

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