 Production relocated to Cleveland , Ohio in August 2011 , where filming transpired over a period of four weeks . The city 's East 9th Street was chosen as a double for New York City 's 42nd Street to be used in climactic battle scenes . Army Reserve soldiers assigned to the Columbus , Ohio @-@ based 391st Military Police Battalion provided background action during the battle scenes in Cleveland . Staff Sergeant Michael T. Landis stated the use of real soldiers made the scenes more realistic and helped portray the military in a more positive light , explaining that , " It 's easy for us to make on @-@ the @-@ spot corrections to tactics and uniforms , the director actually took our recommendation on one scene and let us all engage the enemy as opposed to only the gunners in the trucks engaging " . Filming also took place in the large vacuum chamber at the NASA Plum Brook Station near Sandusky , Ohio . The station 's Space Power Facility was used to portray a S.H.I.E.L.D. research facility . A series of explosions were filmed at the Chevrolet powertrain plant in Parma , Ohio as part of the battle sequence that began in Cleveland . Scenes from the film were also shot on Public Square and the Detroit – Superior Bridge . Public Square 's southwest quadrant was turned into Stuttgart , Germany , for filming . 
