Top 20 MCU Moments That Broke the Internet
#20: Wakanda Forever
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“Avengers: Infinity War” (2018) When Black Panther was finally introduced into the Marvel Cinematic Universe, fans were beyond pumped. But that couldn’t have prepared us for the absolute exhilaration of Wakanda’s foray into the battle against Thanos. Everything about this moment – the music, King T’Challa’s leadership, the fierce battle cry – is absolutely perfect, and had fans whooping in their theater seats. Watching Chadwick Boseman in any of these movies is bittersweet now, but this moment makes us tear up a little more than most. It’s such a strong moment for the character, and for all of Wakanda. Wakanda forever!
#19: Killmonger v. T’Challa – Battle For the Throne
“Black Panther” (2018) [broll: “Is this your king?”] Several MCU outings have had a bit of a villain problem, but Killmonger stands apart from the pack as one of the very best – particularly because he kind of has a point. And while we love the final fight scene and dialogue between him and T’Challa, the fight for the throne has to be one of the MCU’s most jaw-dropping moments. We always expect the hero to win, and whenever they don’t, it’s shocking. But what really pushes this fight over the edge is the raw emotion from both T’Challa and Killmonger. It’s personal for both of them, and that makes it exhilarating to watch.
#18: Cap Wakes Up
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“Captain America: The First Avenger” (2011) Talk about a wake-up call! The first installment in Captain America’s trilogy is one of the best introductions to a character in the MCU. And Steve Rogers crashing the Valkyrie into the icy Arctic – along with his emotional goodbye and promise of a dance to Agent Peggy Carter – is a hell of a way to end a movie. But then...Steve opens his eyes! This moment is internet-breaking not just because it sets up the Avengers movie so perfectly, but because we slowly figure out what’s going on right along with Steve, and it’s exciting and heartbreaking in equal measure. Luckily, Steve made good on that promise of a dance eventually.
#17: Doctor Strange’s Cosmic Trip
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“Doctor Strange” (2016) Open your eye! With the introduction of Doctor Strange into the MCU, we got a closer look at a lot of frankly very weird aspects of the universe. When Dr. Stephen Strange suffers a car accident that ends his surgical career, he seeks help from the mysterious Ancient One, who introduces him to dimensions beyond our own. Of course, the pragmatic Strange requires some proof, which brings us to this wildly trippy sequence. Strange finds himself hurled through time and space in a beautifully bizarre way that had fans watching this scene over and over. Truthfully, we will never unsee all of those hands. Yuck.
#16: Star-Lord’s Entrance
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“Guardians of the Galaxy” (2014) Come and get your guardians! [like “come and get your love”] The first Guardians of the Galaxy movie was a huge, surprise hit – and the amount of killer music and dancing throughout the film definitely has a lot to do with the movie’s success. Right from the jump, fans knew this wasn’t your typical MCU flick thanks to this stellar opening sequence. As Chris Pratt shimmies and shakes his way through an extraterrestrial cave, fans were delighted for the change of pace – what a way to meet Starlord! The introduction certainly made this scene one of the most watched in Marvel’s history, and one of the most fun to sing along to.
#15: Cap Holds the Helicopter
Top 10 Movie Moments That Broke the Internet
“Captain America: Civil War” (2016) Sometimes, all you need to break the internet is a good set of biceps – which Captain America definitely has. When Bucky Barnes – AKA the Winter Soldier – is triggered into his brainwashed state, a full-on brawl ensues as he tries to escape. There’s plenty from this fight to get excited about, but the ultimate “pause the movie” moment comes when Captain America stops Bucky’s helicopter from getting away with his brute strength alone. It’s an incredible feat of strength – and it doesn’t hurt that he looks great while doing it. Judging by the look on Bucky’s face, he was impressed too.
#14: Where Is Gamora? Who is Gamora? Why is Gamora?
Top 20 Movie Moments That Broke the Internet
“Avengers: Infinity War” (2018) This moment in “Avengers: Infinity War” would have been incredibly important anyway – any time different members of the universe meet up for the first time, audiences are bound to be excited. But this first-time meet-up also had the benefit of including some of the funniest heroes in the franchise. When Gamora is kidnapped by Thanos, the other Guardians run into Tony and co. while looking for her – but they start out thinking they’re on opposite sides. It’s the misunderstandings and slow realizations that make this moment comedic gold.
#13: Luis Tells a Story
“Ant-Man” (2015) Tell us about that tip, Luis. “Ant-Man” has the supreme honor of being one of the MCU’s funniest movies, and so much of that is due to Michael Peña’s performance as Scott Lang’s best friend Luis. After Scott gets out of prison, he’s trying to keep on the right side of the law, but no one will hire him because of his criminal past. In an act of desperation, Scott agrees to join Luis and his pals on a heist. Not only does this directly lead to Scott becoming Ant-Man, but it gives us this incredible storytelling sequence from Luis. The bit is so good, they had Michael Peña repeat it in the second movie. Tell away, Luis – we’ll be here to listen.
#12: Black Panther’s Introduction
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“Captain America: Civil War” (2016) By the time the third Captain America installment reached theaters, a Black Panther movie had been in talks for decades - and in this film, fans finally got to see him join the MCU. The first time fans saw Chadwick Boseman onscreen as T’Challa was amazing enough, but the Black Panther’s introduction comes a bit later in the film. As Bucky Barnes tries to escape after being framed for the explosion in Vienna, the famed Black Panther catches up with him. The two fight their way across the rooftops of Bucharest, and this amazing scene hyped fans up even more for the eventual Black Panther standalone film.
#11: Baby Groot Dancing
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“Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol. 2” (2017) After the opening of the first Guardians movie, did you really think Vol. 2 wouldn’t deliver? At the end of the first Guardians, Groot sacrificed himself for the group in a beautiful moment – we still tear up when we hear “We are Groot” – and was reborn as a baby tree. And that little tree makes his presence known in a BIG way in Volume 2. As the rest of the Guardians engage in a brutal battle against a tentacled monster in the background, Baby Groot wiggles his way across the screen, jamming out to Electric Light Orchestra without a care in the world. Once again, a perfect opening.
#10: The Elevator Fight
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“Captain America: The Winter Soldier” (2014) The second installment of the Captain America trilogy is chock-full of some of the best action scenes in the entire MCU. But the one we’ve watched over and over online has to be the incredible elevator fight. Following Nick Fury’s apparent death, Cap meets with Alexander Pierce at S.H.I.E.L.D. HQ. But on his way out, he’s ambushed – by S.H.I.E.L.D.’s own men. This moment is a true turning point in the MCU – not only is it a stunning action sequence, but it marks the moment we realize we can’t trust anyone – not even S.H.I.E.L.D.
#9: Nick Fury’s First Stinger
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“Iron Man” (2008) If you’re a fan of the Marvel Cinematic Universe at all, you know you can’t leave the theater before the credits finish rolling – or you might miss the all-important post-credits scene. There have been plenty of scream-inducing stingers over the years – the first glimpse of Thor’s hammer comes to mind. But our favorite and perhaps the most important one is Nick Fury’s appearance in the first “Iron Man.” Fury is the link between all of the Avengers, and this scene signaled to fans what was to come. Because of this moment, we knew this wouldn’t be a one-off superhero movie. We were in for something greater – and great it turned out to be!
#8: Thor v. Hulk
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“Thor: Ragnarok” (2017) And now we come to one of the most joy-inducing moments in all of the MCU, in one of its most hilarious installments. “Thor: Ragnarok” marks the moment where Thor as a character finally hit his stride, and the franchise started to use Chris Hemsworth’s comedic chops to their full effect. But with this moment, the movie also opened our eyes to the hilarious possibilities when you put Thor and Hulk together. Everything about the relationship between Thor and Hulk – and Bruce too – in this movie is perfect, and this moment starts it all off with that iconic line:
#7: J. Jonah Jameson Reveal
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“Spider-Man: Far From Home” (2019) Long-term Spidey fans have been through numerous film series with the character. Going back all the way to 2002 with Sam Raimi’s first Spider-Man, J.K. Simmons as J. Jonah Jameson is a standout. The editor in chief of the Daily Bugle has always been a thorn in Spider-Man’s side, but he hadn’t yet shown up in the MCU’s run. So, when he’s revealed at the end of “Spider-Man: Far From Home,” fans lost it. This was a huge moment for the MCU, not only because we got more J.K. Simmons – we could never get enough – but because it introduced the idea of the MCU delving further into the multiverse. We can’t wait to see who shows up next!
#6: Peter Parker’s Introduction
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“Captain America: Civil War” (2016) Speaking of Spidey, how about Peter Parker’s introduction to the MCU? This was a moment fans weren’t sure would happen – Spider-Man’s film rights belong to Sony, and for a good while, talks between Sony and Marvel appeared to have come to a standstill. Lucky for fans everywhere, in February 2015, the companies came to an agreement, and we finally got Spidey in an MCU movie. The casting in this moment is perfect – Tom Holland as Peter Parker and Marisa Tomei as Aunt May – and the intro sets up the beautiful mentor relationship between Peter and Tony. Plus, it was super fun to see teenage Peter Parker react to being around real life superheroes at the airport fight.
#5: Hulk Smashes Loki
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“The Avengers” (2012) Hulk Smash! Mark Ruffalo’s introduction as the Hulk in the MCU comes in the first Avengers film – and what a fine Hulk he makes. Ruffalo’s gentle approach to Dr. Bruce Banner only makes his transformation into the enraged Hulk that much more thrilling – and sad, honestly. But, this particular moment is anything but sad – in fact, it’s downright hilarious. As the Avengers work to defeat Loki in the battle of New York, things come to a head when Loki attempts to talk down to the Hulk. Bad move, Loki. Hulk grabs the puny God mid-sentence and proceeds to smash him all over the place. Theaters everywhere busted into laughter, and this moment went down in history as one of the most rewatchable.
#4: Thor Lands in Wakanda
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“Avengers: Infinity War” (2018) The final battle in “Avengers: Infinity War” is filled with heart-pounding action – from Cap facing Thanos alone to of course, that “Wakanda Forever” moment we talked about earlier. But the most cheer-inducing moment from this battle comes from the God of Thunder himself. Thor spends most of the film away from his fellow Avengers, galavanting through space and trying to find himself a new weapon. When he finally gets said weapon – Stormbreaker – he arrives to the battle in internet-breaking style. Thor bursts on the scene with Rocket and Groot at his side, and we couldn’t have been more pumped.
#3: “I Am Iron Man”
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“Iron Man” (2008) In a lot of ways, Tony Stark is the heart of the Marvel Cinematic Universe – and we almost picked his incredibly selfless snap moment in Endgame. But, we had to go with the moment that bookends that Endgame snap, and makes it so compelling in the first place. At the end of the first Iron Man movie, Tony is faced with a choice – hide his identity, or embrace it. Of course, he chooses the latter, and comes clean in the most Tony Stark, matter-of-fact way possible, right before the credits roll: [broll “I am Iron Man”]. It’s one of the first truly memorable moments in the MCU, and one of our favorites.
#2: “On Your Left” – The Final Battle
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“Avengers: Endgame” (2019) There are so many get-your-heart-racing moments in Endgame. But for this entry, there’s no better pick than the final battle, particularly when Sam’s voice sputters into Cap’s ear as he says “on your left.” It’s an excellent callback to Sam and Cap’s first meeting back in “Winter Soldier,” but it’s also much more than that. Seeing all the Avengers who Thanos snapped away come back led to some of the greatest theater reactions of all time. The relief on Cap’s face is palpable, and we feel it too!
#1: The Avengers Assemble For the First Time
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“The Avengers” (2012) We had to go with the original. The first Avengers movie was a huge step for the MCU, but the titular heroes spend much of that first get-together at odds. It takes a lot to bring them together, but when they finally do it is worth the wait. The shot is absolutely iconic – the music, the 360 swing around – there’s just something about seeing our heroes come together that hits. We love seeing the Avengers get together for any reason – whether it’s for a party at Tony’s tower, or for some post-battle shawarma. But the first moment the Avengers really assemble still gets our hearts racing after all this time.
