By their very nature, superheroes are aspirational figures. The incredible feats of characters like Iron Man, Superman and Spider-Man inspire us and even help us deal with troubles in our own lives. However, for all their accomplishments, many superheroes live humble lives (at least some of the time). They work day jobs, raise families鈥� and even go to school (like Tony Stark’s degree at MIT). With that being said, we think Tony Stark’s education may surprise you!
In fact, some of the most popular superheroes have impressive educational backgrounds. And, most of them went to real schools you can attend today.
If you want to learn more about Tony Stark’s education, and the educations of nine other superheroes, keep on reading!
International students have a lot in common with superheroes: they’re brave, intelligent, and never give up. Interested in studying abroad yourself? 星空影视can help bring you from application to arrival.
9. Black Panther
Black Panther a.k.a. T鈥機halla is not only a university graduate鈥攈e鈥檚 a former international student!
Born in the isolated but advanced fictional African nation of Wakanda, T鈥機halla travelled to America and Europe as a teenager to attend school. Eventually, he enrolled at England鈥檚 prestigious , where he earned a PhD in Physics.
Interestingly, the late Chadwick Boseman, who portrayed Black Panther in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, attended a summer theatre program at Oxford during his university years. To participate in the program, Boseman received 聽from a scholarship co-run by none other than actor Denzel Washington!
8. Iron Man
Tony Stark a.k.a. Iron Man is regarded as one of the smartest characters in the Marvel universe, so it comes as little surprise that Tony Stark’s degree is from the top-ranked university in the United States.
That鈥檚 right, Stark is a Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) graduate, a fact MIT clearly 聽(the university refers to Stark as their 鈥済reatest fictional alumnus鈥�). The MIT connection even carries over to film, as Robert Downey Jr.鈥檚 Tony Stark can be seen wearing his school ring (dubbed the Brass Rat) in multiple scenes in聽Iron Man听(2008).
As for his credentials, the details are a bit scarce. , Tony Stark’s degree consists of two master鈥檚 degrees in engineering by age 19, although there are conflicting sources that say Tony Stark’s degree included doctorates in engineering physics and artificial intelligence. Whatever the case, there鈥檚 little doubt Tony Stark鈥檚 education helped put him on the path to becoming 鈥� and of course, Iron Man!
7. Hulk
The Hulk is a hero who often chooses brawn over brains. However, his alter ego is one of the smartest, most well-educated characters in the Marvel universe.
Before he became the Hulk, Dr. Bruce Banner studied at numerous American institutions. He first studied nuclear physics at the fictional Desert State University before transferring to聽Harvard University聽and later聽. Along the way, he struck up a scientific rivalry and close friendship with fellow scientist Tony Stark before obtaining his doctorate in nuclear physics at the聽California Institute of Technology听(颁补濒迟别肠丑).
Interestingly, Mark Ruffalo鈥檚 Bruce Banner is much more educated than his comic book counterpart, as he mentions in Thor: Ragnarok (2017) that he has seven PhDs!
We can think of 10 reasons to study in the USA, and we’ve highlighted some of them on our US guide!
6. Daredevil
Daredevil, a superhero in the Marvel universe, is best known for being a blind crimefighter with a strong sense of justice.
Daredevil鈥檚 strong moral code stems from his alter ego Matt Murdock鈥檚 religious faith and his training as a lawyer. As anyone who鈥檚 watched the popular Netflix TV series knows, Murdock鈥檚 law career is an important part of his life. Of course, he wouldn鈥檛 be able to practice law without an education! It turns out Daredevil is an Ivy League graduate, as he got his law degree from New York鈥檚 .
5. Batman
Lacking any actual superpowers, Bruce Wayne a.k.a. Batman overcomes his enemies with resourcefulness, superior intellect鈥� and a whole lot of money.
Of course, you don鈥檛 become the 鈥淲orld鈥檚 Greatest Detective鈥� without some form of higher education. As it turns out, Bruce Wayne is a聽Yale graduate, with a degree in law. This biographical detail is championed by聽, which has published several articles over the years on the topic.
Unfortunately, the comics haven鈥檛 done a great job of covering this part of Bruce Wayne鈥檚 life, as the only聽聽of his Yale education is a single panel in聽Detective Comics #439 (1974). Interestingly, the Batman movies took a different approach, as Dark Knight trilogy director Christopher Nolan 聽that Christian Bale鈥檚 Bruce Wayne is a聽Princeton听诲谤辞辫辞耻迟.
4. She-Hulk
The Incredible Hulk鈥檚 female counterpart, Jennifer Walters, is actually the cousin of Bruce Banner. A passion for education clearly runs in the family, as Jen is a college graduate just like her cousin. When she鈥檚 not busy saving the world as the superstrong She-Hulk, Jennifer Walters is a private attorney in Los Angeles. She has a law degree from the聽.
3. Doctor Strange
Before he became the Sorcerer Supreme, Dr. Stephen Strange was a highly-regarded surgeon in New York City. Unsurprisingly, he has a lot of education under his belt (er鈥� robes?). In fact, Strange studied medicine at New York鈥檚 Columbia University. According to the聽, Strange earned his degree in record time and had a five-year residency at New York Hospital. By the time he was 30, Strange was a wealthy neurosurgeon.
2. Captain Marvel
While details about Captain Marvel a.k.a. Carol Danvers鈥� education are sparse, her story of overcoming adversity is still inspiring.
As detailed in the聽聽starring Brie Larson, Carol Danvers was an Air Force pilot before she gained her superpowers. However, what the film doesn鈥檛 tell us is that Carol only joined the Air Force as a way to聽. Although she had excellent grades and was her high school鈥檚 valedictorian, her family didn鈥檛 have enough money to send Carol to college. After joining the Air Force, Carol rose to the rank of Major. However, it鈥檚 unclear which school she attended or whether or not she graduated.
1. Spider-Man
Unlike most superheroes, education is a heavy focus of Spider-Man a.k.a. Peter Parker鈥檚 story.
In the current film series starring Tom Holland, Peter is a high school student struggling to balance his superhero life with his studies. Peter is a gifted student and in the comics, he earns a science scholarship to Empire State University. While ESU isn鈥檛 real, it鈥檚 heavily based on two of New York City鈥檚 best universities, 听补苍诲听.
Despite some delays, Peter eventually earned a graduate degree in biophysics and his doctorate in biochemistry. In the movies and comics, Spider-Man puts his education to good use, as he is often shown inventing his own weapons and gadgets. Basically, Spider-Man shows just how much you can do with a聽STEM education! Just don鈥檛 go thinking you鈥檒l be able to swing from tall buildings鈥�
We hope these popular superheroes’ degrees, like Tony Stark’s education, surprised you! These incredible characters understood the importance of education and hopefully inspire you to do the same.
