There are elements of Marvel Comics' storytelling that maps cleanly to the big screen and remain selling points of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Other elements either fail to translate from the paneled page and still, others make the change and go unnoticed by a different kind of fanbase.
The MCU has featured some incredible locations, from the most luxurious vacation spots on Earth to the surface of far-away planets, to hidden fantasy lands beyond the veil of time and space. However, there is one place that's crucial to Marvel's legacy and the history of the medium but looks a bit more mundane.
New York City is the home of many of Marvel's most iconic heroes. The company that would later become Marvel Comics proudly began in an office on West 42nd Street. Marvel's headquarters remain in The Big Apple to this day, only a few streets over at 135 West 50th. In-universe, the city is one of the most important places in the franchise as well. Stark Tower, which later becomes Avengers Tower, is located in Manhattan, the borough Tony was born in. Steve Rogers grew up in Brooklyn. Stephen Strange was born in Philadelphia, but grew up, went to college, and worked in NYC. The city also holds one of the three Sanctums that serve as Earth's magical centers. Spider-Man is from Queens and remains the most iconic hero of the area to this day. New York City is the site of Loki's alien attack that completely changed the world. All of that and much more took place in one of the millions of cities on Earth.
With New York City serving as the backdrop for so many of the MCU's most important events, it's a shame that most depictions make it entirely nondescript. It's always obvious that the events take place in NYC, but that's mainly because people keep making reference to it. Aside from the occasional landmark and the fact that every bystander has a thick accent, New York City doesn't stand out as an important place. Sometimes that's intentional, serving as a deliberately mundane background for bizarre alien happenings to add juxtaposition to the scene. Doctor Strange, for example, takes place in New York before he heads to Kamar-Taj, and it would be tough to tell for the average viewer. There is one exception, however, and the recent return to form made it even more obvious. Sam Raimi's New York City is the only one that captured the magic of the page.
Sam Raimi's Spider-Man trilogy remains beloved as some of the best superhero cinema ever made, even after three and a half phases of MCU and multiple different Spider-folks. If there's one superhero people identify with The Big Apple, it is unquestionably Peter Parker. With that in mind, all three films in the trilogy rarely if ever leave the city limits. Raimi's take on New York City perfectly captures the magic of the city and the unique otherworldly effect that Marvel Comics lends it. His secret is only made clear when fans understand how he created the setting for the beloved trilogy.
A ton of the Spider-Man trilogy was filmed on location in New York City, but other places were also extremely prominent. The other primary filming location is Chicago, Illinois and some areas are crafted on Sony soundstages. New York natives were probably aware that the iconic Spider-Man 2 train fight didn't take place on Manhattan's High Line, but was instead filmed on The Loop in Chicago. Spider-Man 3 features the armored car fight between Spidey and The Sandman, which was actually filmed in Cleveland, Ohio. Los Angeles and Culver City also stand-in for a variety of locations. Stitching together real footage of New York City with elements of other cities lend the film the magic the city needs. It's a powerful trick that manages to gel together beautifully, fooling many NYC natives.
Raimi also had a brilliant eye for which aspects of NYC would be perfect for the big screen and which he'd have to fabricate. The theater in which Mary Jane Watson performs isn't a real New York landmark. Conversely, The Daily Bugle office is located in the Flatiron Building, one of the most distinct fixtures of the city's skyline over the past 120 years. Their Times Square is actually Sony Stage 27 in scenic Culver City, California, but their rooftop garden is the real Rockefeller Center. Raimi and cinematographer Don Burgess have the masterful eye to determine the most magical parts of the city and the parts that can best be embodied by something else.
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness gave fans the first look at that Raimi's take on the city in 15 years, and it's still impressive. That film didn't focus on it, but Raimi's NYC is the best realization of a city a superhero film has ever accomplished. The MCU will be returning to the city, and they could learn a lot from Sam Raimi.