The Best Scene from Each Film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe

After now more than a decade of films that have filled out the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the universe itself has become bloated with heroes, villains, plots, and subplots. The films themselves have more or less become nebulous entries in a perpetual and ongoing narrative, never really ending, per se, but instead just serving as a catalyst for the next film in the series. (And the most recent film, Avengers: Infinity War, is the most overt example of this.)

In part because of this, as the years go on, I find many of the films in the MCU to be largely forgettable and, in some cases, joyless. The majority are formulaic to a fault, and because the heroes (commercially) can never really die, the stakes feel small, even when the fate of the galaxy hangs in the balance. The action--the reason why most people pack the theaters to see these blockbusters--is often there to placate the masses with their insatiable bloodlust and to provide a simplistic winner/loser end to character encounters. To me, though, the old punchy-kicky routine is a means to an end. When I think of the best moments from the MCU’s films, the scenes that come to mind are rarely the action setpieces or the final showdown between the hero(es) and the big bad(s); they’re typically the quieter scenes, the times when the exceedingly charming actors can play off of one another, the moments of discovery.

(To offer another example, I will always find The Fellowship of the Ring to be infinitely better than the subsequent The Lord of the Rings films. You can never replicate that sense of wonder.)

What follows is a list of what I consider to be the best scene or sequence or moment from each of the 19 films within the Marvel Cinematic Universe to date. These are the moments that stand out to me, the ones that I think encapsulate the films and properly demonstrate the allure of the central character, the ones I think back on with great fondness when I recall the many movies Marvel has produced over the last 10+ years.

- PHASE ONE -

Iron Man Mark II Testing

I mentioned that sense of discovery—this is exactly what I mean. Here we see Robert Downey, Jr. as the best version of Tony Stark: brilliant, driven, quick-witted. He’s an engineer at heart, and this is a montage that captures a man of science working to solve a problem and succeeding.

The Incredible Hulk Emil Blonsky vs. The Hulk

Marvel’s last attempt at a standalone Hulk movie has been almost entirely forgotten by the general public. For good reason, though; it’s not good. The lone bright spot was Tim Roth as Emil Blonsky, not as Abomination (essentially, Bad Hulk), which he later turns into, but as a super soldier going up against the Hulk. No part of the fight makes much sense, but that’s pretty standard for these films. (The moment starts at 2:54.)

Iron Man 2 “I have successfully privatized world peace.”

There were plenty of questionable choices with the first Iron Man sequel, but this “Smartest Guy in the Room” scene is Robert Downey, Jr.’s Tony Stark. Bonus points: the Senate Committee hearing shows the impotence and ineptitude of the U.S. government, which has aged far better than the CGI from these early films.

Thor The Diner Scene

Thor is the MCU’s lamest franchise, or at least it was until the excellent Ragnarok. There isn’t a lot to say about this one. Thor is a fish-out-of-water character, and that serves as the source of the entirety of the film’s lazy comedy, which puts it somewhere on the same level as Encino Man. This is the lone chuckle from a painful slog of a movie.

Captain America: The First Avenger Steve Rogers becomes Captain America

Wonder wins again. Seeing the transformation to what would become Captain America, where a waifish soldier is given a body and physical abilities to match his courage and heart, is the moment when the audience sits and stares in awe of the film and that character. Throw in the thirstiest reaction captured in film by Hayley Atwell’s Peggy Carter to really drive it home.

The Avengers “We have a Hulk.”

At the time, The Avengers was an impressive feat. But the further we get from it, the more it represents the worst parts of these movies: the overstuffed cast, the snarky dialogue in the middle of the action, a final showdown that lasts like a half a goddamn hour. Strip some of that away and let Tony Stark verbally spar with Loki long enough to get a new Iron Man suit. That’s how you properly transition into and out of the requisite action scenes.

- PHASE TWO -

Iron Man 3 Tony Meets Hurley

No one does action-comedy better than writer/director Shane Black, so my hopes for Iron Man 3 were sky high. But the film didn’t have any of the electricity of Lethal Weapon, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, or The Nice Guys. It was muted, for the most part, and while the action scenes like the Mandarin attack on Stark’s Malibu mansion and the airplane rescue were cool, it was when Tony was vulnerable that I started to connect with the character. Suffering through panic attacks following the invasion of New York in The Avengers, Tony spends much of the film doubting his resilience. When he’s stripped of the security blanket of his suit, we finally get to see who the man really is.

Thor: The Dark World Thor Hangs His Hammer on Coat Rack

What a dour mess of a movie this was. There was nothing redeeming or memorable. I guess this two second shot of Thor hanging his hammer on a coat rack was funny? I don’t know. Wipe this atrocity from your memory.

Captain America: The Winter Soldier The Elevator Scene

In Marvel’s best movie, the challenge here was picking just one moment. And most of them were action-y! The opening jogging scene is delightful in its simplicity. The ship infiltration is gripping. The SUV ambush finally shows off what Nick Fury is capable of. The bridge fight and the rooftop chase with the Winter Soldier are top notch action. But the standout, for me, is the elevator scene, which show Captain America’s brawn, his quick thinking and resourcefulness, and even his mercy when he gives the men the opportunity to get it before they receive their beating.

Guardians of the Galaxy Star-Lord’s Treasure Hunt

The opening to Guardians of the Galaxy was perfection. The dance-montage-y treasure hunt with Star-Lord, the films central hero, was a brilliant bit of filmmaking; it introduced us to the character, established the light tone of the movie, and propelled the story and action in a way that no other Marvel film has been able to. The Guardians property peaked in its first few minutes, I'd say, which is more of a credit to the spectacular introduction than a condemnation of the rest of this film and its sequel.

Avengers: Age of Ultron Lifting Thor’s Hammer

Age of Ultron was and always will be awful. So very bad. Whedon at his worst. But even when the man can’t contain his worst tendencies, he can still craft a scene that is pure bliss. This sequence, like many of the others on this list, is a hangout scene, an all-too-rare break from the action. And you can envision exactly what lead to this moment: the Avengers sit around drinking, blowing off steam, and managing the overflow of testerone in the room by one-upping each other. Eventually, the conversation shifts to Thor’s hammer and whether it’s all a trick or not. In the scene, they take turns trying to lift the hammer. None of them are successful, but when Captain America is able to budge the hammer ever so slightly, Thor’s momentary look of utter shock and then his intense relief provide maybe the best fifteen seconds of filmmaking in the entire MCU catalog.

Ant-Man “We just robbed you.”

I’ll only ever reflect on Ant-Man as the Marvel film that Edgar Wright was supposed to write and direct. What should have been a side-splitting heist film became, after Wright and Marvel parted ways, a lukewarm low-stakes movie about another unlikely hero with a special suit. It wasn’t very memorable, and somehow Paul Rudd was uncharacteristically un-charismatic. But Michael Pena, as he does time and time again, carried the film with his immense comedic talent.

- PHASE THREE -

Captain America: Civil War Captain American and Winter Soldier vs. Iron Man

The best parts of Civil War, the second film by the Russo Brothers after Winter Soldier, aren’t the exhaustive disagreement over the events of Age of Ultron (seriously, who even cares about Sokovia?) or the titular civil war between superheroes at an airport. They’re the times when Captain America risks everything to save his best friend, Bucky Barnes, the Winter Soldier. Like when Cap attempts to rescue Bucky while preventing police casualties, his pursuit of Bucky with Black Panther trailing behind, or in this scene, when he fends off Tony Stark, causing the widest division within the group. It could have also been Stark’s recruitment of Peter Parker, which is an incredible superhero introduction, especially considering how much plot this film had to cover.

Doctor Strange Astral Mindf**k

I don’t know what to think about Doctor Strange. On the one hand, it’s ridiculous, too far-fetched (even for the MCU), the cape is goofy in a bad way, the final showdown is pretty terrible, and Cumberbatch’s American accent is an even greater threat than Thanos. But on the other hand, the visuals are cool, I guess? In a sort of Inception-meets-The Matrix kinda way, this trippy scene is probably the most interesting.

Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 2 Ego is Revealed

The Guardians films rely on their immense heart. The heroes are plucky misfits who make a lot of mistakes, but the one thing they do without fail is fight for the ones they care about. In a lot of ways, Guardians 2 is the most emotional Marvel film. Peter Quill, half-immortal orphan, feels compelled to kill his father—who is effectively God—because he was the reason for his mother’s death. The holes in Quill’s backstory are revealed, and he reacts to the truth in the irrational, emotion-driven way that has come to define the character.

Spider-Man: Homecoming Warehouse Escape

Peter Park is a highschooler, so his entire ethos is about discovery and insecurity and trying to find his place in the world. Tom Holland is the perfect actor to embody those kinds of aspects of the character, and he’s ridiculously adorable and charming, so this scene, where he’s left to problem-solve with the help of a Jarvis-like AI, is the highlight of a truly exuberant, lovely film.

Thor: Ragnarok The God of Thunder

Credit to writer/director Taika Waititi, Ragnarok saved the Thor films. Not only was it the funniest and most fun Thor film to date, but Waititi (and some genuinely great acting from Chris Hemsworth, now that he finally had the material to work with) imbued some heartfelt emotional that was sorely absent from the previous films. Thor’s strained but potent connection to his father Odin felt earned, and his arrival as the God of Thunder, in a truly dope af action scene with the perfect song accompaniment, best feature the kind of masterful tonal juggling that Waititi was able to pull off.

Black Panther Killmonger’s Vision

Yes, the mano-a-mano challenge scenes in Black Panther are visceral and thrilling. Yes, every line by M’Baku is note-perfect. Yes, the final sentiment from the film’s villain is devastating. But the emotional anchor of the film and the motivation of the ruthless Killmonger is on display in his visit to the ancestral plane. In the vision, he has a conversation with his late father (the incredible Sterling K. Brown) and we return to where the film started—at the moments after a sorrowful familial betrayal. Here, we feel the full weight of what it means to be the prodigal son not welcome back home.

* * * SPOILERS * * *

Avengers: Infinity War The Guardians Meet Thor

“It’s like a pirate had a baby with an angel.”

[Infinity War released less than two weeks ago, so videos aren’t available online quite yet. Hopefully you’ve seen the film.]

I found this film to be such a sloppy montage of barely connected vignettes that it might as well have been titled “Marvel, Je T’aime”. It was inconsequential gore porn and an exercise in cinematic kitchen-sinking and chronic cast misuse. Clearly, it was not for me. But where the film really worked was in the interesting new pairings of superheroes, and none were better than the Guardians’s rescue of Thor. The Guardians films slay with “alien gags,” bits centered around the non-Earthlings in the group miscommunicating and missing the nuances of human customs and language. And in that scene, Thor is another alien to add to the rapid fire jokes. Quill’s increasing insecurity as the film’s inferior Chris is a real pleasure.

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