Rumors and Speculation:
Movie Edition
Movie Edition
What MCU actress - according to rumor - was considered for the role of Katniss Everdeen in the Hunger Games quadrilogy?
Hailee Steinfeld
TRUE | Hailee had reportedly auditioned for and was briefly considered for the role, but ultimately Lionsgate went with Jennifer Lawrence.
What actor appeared in several super hero films prior to their MCU debut in 2011?
Chris Evans
What driver - according to rumor - was meant to race an AOL-sponsored car in select starts early in the 2000s?
Kevin Harvick
TRUE | RCR was going to run the #30 AOL Chevy on a part-time basis with Harvick behind the wheel, his first start coming in the 4th race of the season at Atlanta. However, as fate would have it, he would have to step into the #3 Goodwrench Chevy (which was renumbered to #29) at Rockingham 2 weeks early. Harvick would go on to win the very race he was meant to debut in, driving the same chassis that was already being prepared for Atlanta prior to the 2001 Daytona 500.
What popular fast food chain was the site of my first (and also my 6th) job? Damnit, now I'm craving their food.....
McDonald's
What historical enterprise - according to rumor - had made their way back into the NSCA Cup Series midway through the 2022 season by buying out another team?
(Naming the real life team that this team is the equivalent of will also award points)
Parsley Enterprises
TRUE | The Parsley family had purchased the assets of Factory Dodge Autosport's NSCA team, returning to the series in 2023 after a 17 year absence. Coincidentally enough, if you were to trace back the owner's points for what is now the #43 car, it would go back to the #44 car for Parsley Enterprises from 2006-2007, the last 2 years where the team last existed. Sadly, the owner's points for what was the #43 car from 1976-2007 no longer exist, having ended when Factory Dodge shut down the #91 team after 2021.
What - according to rumor - was revealed to have been Anakin Skywalker's true fate when filming scenes for Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back?
He was killed by Obi-Wan Kenobi
TRUE | In an effort to combat potential leaks in the Star Wars sequel, George Lucas had altered scripts printed for filming the revelation between Vader and Luke. The only people who knew the actual twist prior to filming were Lucas himself, and Vader voice actor James Earl Jones. Mark Hamill was told the actual twist prior to filming the actual scene.
What MCU character was the first to have their own TV series released?
Agent Phil Coulson.
What team - according to rumor - was the other major candidate Dale Earnhardt Jr. was considering racing for after announcing he free agent status during the 2007 NASCAR Cup Series season?
Joe Gibbs Racing
TRUE | In an interview with Jeff Gluck, Dale confirmed he had actually met with Joe Gibbs and had a contract ready for him to sign for 2008 in hand alongside the contract from Hendrick.
What MCU character has replaced Robert Downey Jr.'s Tony Stark/Iron Man as my absolute favorite?
Loki
What team - according to rumors - was going to enter a third full-time entry for the 2001 NSCA Cup Series season, but had the sponsor back out prior to the plans being finalized? (I will still give points for naming the real life team that this team is based on)
Eric Reinhardt Inc. (Dale Earnhardt Inc.)
FALSE | While there was a plan to field a third car on a part-time schedule, there were no plans to run the car full-time. Due to the events of the 2001 Daytona 500, the plans for a third entry were pushed back for 2002, where the team ran the #1, #8, and #01 cars for the full 34 race season.
What Marvel character - according to rumor - was Joaquin Phoenix initially approached to portray, but he ultimately turned down despite apparently liking the character?
Doctor Strange / Doctor Stephen Strange
TRUE | Joaquin turned down the role due to the fact that it required him to be part of a multi-movie deal (which would've included by this point both Doctor Strange movies, 2 Avengers films, and Spider-Man: No Way Home). The role ultimately went to Benedict Cumberbatch.
As of the year 2023, how many MCU films have been released - not including films that have been retroactively been brought in via events during the Multiverse Saga?
32 Films
What sponsor - according to rumor - was in the final stages of finalizing a deal with a team before pulling out due to a conflict of interest involving a direct competitor?
UPS
UNCONFIRMED | According to the story, UPS was in the final stages of signing a contract to become a sponsor for a team in the Cup Series, but ceased negotiations after the contract was shipped via FedEx.
If given the chance, which Jedi Knight would I do everything I could to save from the events of Order 66?
Anakin Skywalker
What technology company with blue as their primary color - according to rumor - was meant to replace Verizon as title sponsor for the NSCA Cup Series in 2014 prior to plans falling through, leading to three seasons where the series ran without a title sponsor?
Samsung
TRUE | Samsung was one of several companies the NSCA was in talks with during 2013 after Verizon announced it wouldn't renew or extend it's contract for being title sponsor for the Cup Series early in the year.
What actor - according to rumor - performed most of his own stunt work when recording pre-visualization footage for Star Wars Episode 3: Revenge of the Sith?
Hayden Christensen
TRUE | During preproduction of the film, Hayden worked with stuntmen and the stunt coordinator to film several lightsaber combat sequences (most notably for the Anakin v Dooku and Vader v Obi-Wan duels) that would be later used to help shape the look at feel of the fights we would later be seen in the finalized movie.
What MCU film is the second film to take place chronologically in the MCU timeline?
Captain Marvel
What driver - according to rumor - had experienced the highest of highs and the lowest of lows involving both weekends that the Cup Series visited one of NASCAR's more famous tracks in the early 2000s?
Ricky Craven
TRUE | Following his photo finish with Kurt Busch in the 2003 Carolina Dodge Dealers 400 at Darlington, Ricky Craven was told shortly before the Southern 500 that a store that he was the owner of had burned down.
I can drink regular Coke day in and day out, but I do actually have a preference for what specific flavor of Coke?
Cherry-Vanilla Coca-Cola.
What SMI-owned track - according to rumor - was quietly shut down after being removed from the Cup Series schedule for 2016-onwards due to a slew of driver injuries and even a driver fatality between 2004 and 2015?
Kentucky Speedway
UNCONFIRMED | While it is possible SMI closed Kentucky down due to the obvious issues with driver safety - including Eddie Kline's death during a tire test in 2006 - there were a number of other factors that could've also contributed to Kentucky being shut down - such as poor attendance, issues with getting fans into and out of parking areas, and the already strained relationship between SMI and the NSCA due to a variety of other outside issues. Behind the scenes, I absolutely despised Kentucky Speedway for it's racing both in real life and in NR2003, so after only running it for 2 seasons of a pre-NSCA mock series, I got rid of it and never looked back.
What actor - according to rumor - was meant to play a younger Emperor Sheev Palpatine in Star War Episode 9: The Rise of Skywalker?
Matt Smith
FALSE | While Matt was rumored to have a role in the film, it was never meant to be Palpatine, and the role was either scrapped entirely or changed beyond what Lucasfilm initially envisioned during preproduction. It was likely the role was meant to be either a clone or the son of Palpatine, a concept of which saw we saw a finalized version in the actual film played by Billy Howle.
Who are the original 6 Avengers to appear in the MCU? (Name both their real name AND hero name)
Tony Stark/Iron Man, Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow, Clint Barton/Hawkeye, Thor Odinson, Bruce Banner/Hulk, and Steve Rodgers/Captain America
What number candidates - according to rumor - were to be adorned on the sides of a popular driver's car ahead of his switch to a new team until the team that owned them negotiated the use of an alternate number?
#38 & #28
TRUE | Ahead of his inaugural season racing for Hendrick Motorsports in 2008, these were the two numbers considered before the team settled on the now iconic #88 due to Yates vetoing their use.
We all know that I prefer using the #62 when it comes to racing (I mean it is literally in most of my usernames across the internet), but what was the original inspiration for why I use it? (Yes, I HAVE mentioned this once)
A Quaker State sponsored #62 diecast matchbox car.
What NASCAR Cup Champion - according to rumor - was meant to race in the inagural season of a precursor mock series/offline league hybrid I ran before to the NSCA prior to a current member of the NSCA Discord server signing up to partake in said series?
Jimmie Johnson
TRUE | Initially, before opening up the old NASCAR Anthro Racing Series mock series to be more of a hybrid offline league, I had Johnson in the #48 Lowe's Chevy for Hendrick Motorsports. When Cody Llamas signed up to join the series, he replaced Johnson in the car and effectively became Jimmie's stand-in in the NSCA universe later on.