TheMarvel Cinematic Universe (MCU)has come a long way since 2008, with dozens of iconic moments that changed the landscape of superhero films forever. Love it or hate it, the MCU has undeniably dominated the box office for the better part of two decades.
As the MCU approachesthe 2027 release ofAvengers: Doomsday, it’s worth looking back at some of the most memorable moments that shaped this expansive universe. FromTony Stark’s iconic launching of the franchise, to the incredible team-up films that paid off the world’s extensive build-up, these moments definedthe MCU timeline.
10Tony Stark Says “I Am Iron Man”
Tony Stark’s story is perfectly intertwined with that of the Infinity Saga. Robert Downey Jr. debuted as the hero back in 2008, and he imbued Tony with charm and extraordinary intelligence, while also highlighting his flawed and rebellious nature.
The first movie sees Tony undergo some traumatic events, being kidnapped, and having a friend and mentor from his company betray him, but as the movie winds down, he reclaims control, and sets the tone for the MCU.
In a press conference, after being carefully instructed on what to say,Tony takes the podium in front of several cameras and journalists, and he boldly declares “I am Iron Man,“rejecting the typical hero trope of hiding his identity, and ending the film on a note that defined the franchise in a major way.
9Spider-Man Meets Tony Stark
Several years afterIron Man, Tony has settled down, recognizing a need to balance parts of his life in order to protect the people that matter most. However, he is still shaped by trauma, andlives in fear of the damage he or others could causeif things are not kept in check.
During this time, Tony sides with the United Nations to enact a radical new bill known as the Sokovia Accords. However, not all of Tony’s allies agree. In order to bolster his side,Tony recruits a young Peter Parker, resulting in one of the most wonderful relationships in superhero films of all time.
Tony sees Peter’s potential, and likewise,Peter Parker finds a mentor in Tony Stark. Under the guise of an internship, Tony recruits Peter, and their friendship blossoms from there. But this initial encounter - and the electric dynamic between the two - feels impossible to recreate.
8Captain America: Civil War’s Airport Battle
The division of the Avengers leads toa showdown between the heroesin the course ofCaptain America: Civil War. This is an inherently sad moment for these characters, but it’s also one of the coolest scenes to ever appear in any superhero movie.
Tony leads his side, while Steve Rogers leads the opposition, and the two teams of former allies go toe-to-toe inone of the most thrilling fight scenes in cinematic history.
Featuring exciting demonstrations of each character’s powers - and complete with sharp dialogue between these heroes - this was a turning point in the MCU, and one that proved that even the most elaborate comic book stories had a place on the big screen.
7Avengers: Endgame’s Final Fight
Scaling way up from there,Avengers: Endgametook what was learned inCaptain America: Civil Warand amplified it to the extreme. While the heroes were not on opposite sides - as they focused their efforts on taking down the Mad Titan, Thanos - the film was beyond ambitious in its climactic final fight scene.
Dozens of heroes, from throughout the history of the MCU, appeared together, ready to fightthe forces of evil. The sequence features both spectacular action and a colossal team-up that takes this entire scene to a whole other level.
6Captain America Fights With Mjölnir In Avengers: Endgame
Avengers: Endgamealso highlights the three central heroes who laid the foundation for the MCU: Iron Man, Captain America, and Thor. These three stand tall as leaders in the all-out war, and they have their individual moments to shine, but Steve’s is particularly memorable.
After teasing that Steve may be worthy of wielding Mjölnir back inAvengers: Age of Ultron, the MCU pays off thismoment whenCap takes Thor’s hammer, and the two fight side-by-sideto take on Thanos. Ultimately, the scene manages to be both a years-long MCU payoff, a majorly exciting moment, and a fun nod to the comics.
Another iconic pairing also comes in the form of Ryan Reynold’s Deadpool and Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine. Back in 2000,X-Mendebuted Jackman as Wolverine, and immediately, the actor was praised for perfectly capturing the role, kicking off a long legacy of returning to play Logan.
In a similar vein, Ryan Reynolds stepped into the Deadpool suit in 2009’sX-Men Origins: Wolverine. While this iteration of Deadpool proved less successful, Reynolds' solo Deadpool movies saw far greater success, paving the way for an epic team-up following Disney acquiring Fox.
Deadpool & Wolverinebrought a dream to life, as it perfectly paid tribute to previous Marvel movies, while also setting the stage for new stories to be told. The ultimate pay-off for this beautiful hero partnership was when the two put their differences aside, and fought against the onslaught of the Deadpool Corps.
The sequence of the two titular heroes fighting a horde of Deadpool variants is one of the movie’s main action scenes, and shows off what made it work to a tee. Blending eye-catching action with personality and plenty of humor seems no easy feat, but the Deadpool Corps fight certainly does so, leaving it all the more engrossing and unique feeling.
4Loki Saves The Multiverse From Collapsing
Lokiseason 2 saw the incredible Tom Hiddleston delivera stunning redemption arc for his former MCU villain. Earlier in Loki’s story, the character turned on his brother, attacked New York, and actively pursued the hostile takeover of Asgard.
However,Lokigave the character a shot at redemption as it unpacked the very concept of the multiverse.Loki’s story focuses around a variant of the Sacred Timeline’s Loki being taken by the TVA, where he goes on to become an active force for good trying to prevent the unraveling of the multiverse.
In theLokiseason 2 ending,Loki effectively sacrifices himself to become a guardian of the timelines, becoming the God of Stories and keeping the multiverse together. It’s one of the MCU’s best character arcs, and a profoundly epic send-off for the show.
3Three Spider-Men Swing Into Action In Spider-Man: No Way Home
In another corner of the multiverse, Peter Parker sought out Doctor Strange to help restore his secret identity after being exposed by Mysterio. Unfortunately, the spell goes awry, and visitors from across the multiverse beginappearing on Earth-616, kicking off the story ofSpider-Man: No Way Home.
Along with a host of villains,two other versions of Spider-Man- played by Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield - arrive in time to help Tom Holland’s version of the web swinger and save the day.
Seeing three version of Spider-Man all involved in the film’s final fight is nothing short of truly epic, especially as each character gets their own significant moments in this sequence, effectively capitalizing on decades of Spider-Man movie history. Surprisingly, this sequence proves to be one of the most memorable moments from the MCU thus far.
2Hulk And Thor Compete In Thor: Ragnarok
Thor: Ragnarokwas a turning point for the Asgardian hero.Thor redefined himself while he was lost on Sakaar, with some help from his slowly evolving brother, and from an old friend from work, in the form of Hulk.
Thor’s reunion with Hulk is an incredible momentfor the film, and the wider MCU, as it sees these heroes cross paths in a brand-new setting, and both get a chance to progress their stories in a substantial way.
As they fight in the arena,Thor learns to harness his powers without the use of his hammer, and these titans fight for the title of the Earth’s Mightiest Avenger.
1The Avengers Assemble In The Avengers
While Thor and Hulk are important parts of the larger group,The Avengers as a whole form an incredible teamthat is foundational to the MCU. Though the MCU makes the audience wait untilAvengers: Endgameto hear Captain America deliver the iconic line, “Avengers Assemble,” theteam gets their first chance to rally togethermuch earlier inThe Avengers.
The initial moment of The Avengers grouping together - following a rocky start - is one of the most defining moments in the franchise’s entire history. Indeed, this moment is arguably what proved the iconic Marvel team could work on-screen fully, and helped pave the way for the franchise to grow to the heights it has now.
All in all, these moments help to shape the MCU, with each adding to the franchise’s extensive tapestry. Looking back, as far as each of these scenes is concerned, it would be tough to recapture the same magic that these moments brought to theMCU, and impossible to exactly replicate what made each work so well the first time around.
Marvel Cinematic Universe
The Marvel Cinematic Universe is a multimedia superhero franchise that began in 2008 with Paramount’s Iron Man starring Robert Downey Jr. The franchise quickly grew in popularity, with Disney eventually buying out Marvel Entertainment in 2009. The MCU consists of dozens of movies and TV shows, most notably Avengers: Endgame, WandaVision, and Loki.
