St Giles’ Cathedral

St Giles’ Cathedral stands on the Royal Mile in Edinburgh’s Old Town, between Parliament Square and the High Street. The church has been one of the city’s most important religious buildings for centuries and is closely associated with the Scottish Reformation and John Knox. Its crown spire, stone exterior, stained glass, Thistle Chapel and central position in the Old Town make it one of Edinburgh’s most recognisable landmarks. On screen, St Giles’ Cathedral is often seen as part of the Royal Mile, but it works as its own location when the building, roof, surrounding square or immediate exterior is used directly in a scene.

St Giles’ Cathedral has appeared in Avengers: Infinity War (2018), and the area around the cathedral was also used for Frankenstein (2025). In Avengers: Infinity War, the cathedral and its surroundings form part of the major Edinburgh action sequence with Vision, Wanda Maximoff, Corvus Glaive and Proxima Midnight. In Frankenstein, the Royal Mile area around St Giles’ Cathedral was transformed for Guillermo del Toro’s gothic period setting, with Parliament Square and St Giles Street used as part of the Edinburgh material.

In Avengers: Infinity War (2018), St Giles’ Cathedral appears during the Edinburgh fight sequence. After Wanda Maximoff and Vision are attacked in the Old Town, the battle moves across several nearby locations, including Cockburn Street, the Royal Mile, the area around St Giles’ Cathedral and Waverley Station. Vision fights Corvus Glaive on and around the cathedral roof, while Wanda faces Proxima Midnight in the square below. The sequence uses the height of the cathedral, the surrounding stone streets and the drop toward Waverley Station to turn central Edinburgh into one continuous action location.

In Frankenstein (2025), the area around St Giles’ Cathedral appears as part of the film’s Edinburgh period setting. The production transformed parts of the Royal Mile, including Parliament Square and St Giles Street, for scenes connected to Victor Frankenstein’s world. The cathedral area is used as part of the surrounding Old Town environment rather than as a modern tourist landmark, with the historic streets and stone architecture helping form the film’s gothic city setting.

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