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The Most Heart-Tugging Scenes of the MCU

'Iron Man' through 'Black Panther'

By Steve BrewerPublished 5 years ago 7 min read
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We are midway between Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers 4, which make this the perfect moment to look back at the road that brought us here. After I watched Infinity War in theaters, I did a marathon of the entire Marvel Cinematic Universe and found that each installment had a moment that was heart tugging. I made a note of each and began ranking them according to which I felt had the most impact, and this list was born.

A few notes before we start:

  1. SPOILER WARNING: I will be discussing plot points from ten MCU films and will be doing so with no restraint on spoilers. If you're not up to date with the MCU and don't want to be spoiled this is warning to go no further.
  2. ONE ENTRY PER INSTALLMENT: With there being so many films to cover I have decided to put a limit of one entry per film. This will keep the list from focusing on a single film and allow more films to make the list.
  3. IRON MAN THROUGH BLACK PANTHER: This list will only cover MCU films that came out before Infinity War hit theaters. The "Infinity War block", as I call it, will be another list for itself.

With all the introductory/disclaimer mumbo jumbo out of the way, let's get into the list!

#10: Thor is unworthy. - 'Thor'

The original Thor is an underrated entry into the MCU, rather than focus on the origins and rise of a hero it centers instead on the fall and redemption of Thor. The lead up to this scene makes us believe that Thor will be able to reclaim Mjolnir and return to Asgard. After fighting his way through the S.H.I.E.L.D. security force, Thor finally reaches Mjolnir only to find that it has deemed him unworthy. It is a great twist that helps us empathize with Thor and understand his motivations in later films.

#9: Wakandan Sunsets - 'Black Panther'

Many people I spoke to in the weeks before Black Panther premiered seemed to dismiss it as just "another filler Marvel movie before Infinity War." They are all breathing a sigh of belief I did not make them put money on that. Throughout the film, we learn that Warmonger's father was from Wakanda and wanted to show him the beauty of his homeland but was murdered before he could. Warmonger and T'Challa come into conflict with T'Challa being forced to kill Warmonger in the final battle. As Warmonger died, T'Challa brought him out to watch the Wakandan sunset to fulfill the promise his uncle, Warmonger's father, had made. It was a beautiful scene that showed the contrast of ideologies between the two perfectly.

#8: "If You Walk Out That Door" - 'Avengers: Age of Ultron'

Avengers: Age of Ultron is one of the more hot or cold movies of the MCU, this is one of the scenes that help to keep it slipping entirely into the cold for many MCU fans. It went a long way to humanize Scarlet Witch and to develop Hawkeye; it was inspiring to see an accurate representation of how someone would react if they were put into a situation as the one Scarlet Witch found herself in. It also leads to a fantastic hero entrance for the Scarlet Witch. Not everyone knows how strong they truly are, and Hawkeye expertly inspires Wanda to rise to the challenge at hand.

#7: "I had a date." - 'Captain America: The First Avenger'

Throughout Captain America: The First Avenger we watch Steve Rogers go from being a small and frail kid from Brooklyn to being one of the greatest heroes of the World War II era. We genuinely root for him as he shakes his propaganda persona to become a war hero earning the love of Agent Carter in the process. This joy turns to sorrow near the end of the final act as we realize that Cap has to sacrifice himself to save the lives of millions of civilians. In sacrificing himself, he is also forfeiting his chance at true love and happiness which makes his exchange with Nick Fury so potent.

#6: "We are Groot." - 'Guardians of the Galaxy'

Guardians of the Galaxy was a surprise hit, no one expected the movie about a team of, and I use this term loosely, "heroes," that was virtually unknown by the general viewer to succeed. What made this scene so compelling was how well handled it was, up until this scene the movie was lighthearted and had some of the best humor we had seen in the MCU. Groot was the noblest of the team and his sweet, yet oblivious disposition endeared him to many viewers. This made his sacrifice all the more potent and made it, so there was barely a dry eye in the theater.

#5: "Captain's Orders" - 'Captain America: The Winter Soldier'

Captain America: The Winter Soldier is widely regarded to be one of, if not the best film in the MCU to date and it is easy to see why. A mystery quickly unravels into a spy and assassin filled conspiracy that will keep you on the edge of your seat. It culminates with a full-scale battle at the headquarters of S.H.I.E.L.D. that has unknowingly fallen under the control of H.Y.D.R.A. At the start of the battle Cap infiltrates the building and alerts the legitimate S.H.I.E.L.D. agents to the conspiracy and the parts they are playing in H.Y.D.R.A.'s plan. This causes the legitimate agents to rebel against H.Y.D.R.A. leading to one of the best battles of the MCU. Cap's idealism being vindicated by others fully-willing to lay down their lives for the better good was truly an awesome moment and makes this scene stand out.

#4: "I wanted you to be better." - 'Spider-Man: Homecoming'

Spider-Man: Homecoming is a unique film within the MCU, we have seen the origins of several notable heroes. Homecoming sets itself apart from the rest of the MCU by giving us a hero who is trying to come into his own identity. This gives us some hilarious scenes of Peter fighting low-level crimes, often with mixed results. He does this all while reporting to Happy and, by extension, Tony. Anyone who has tried hard to emulate someone only to end up disappointing that person would understand the pain of this scene which hits like a bag of bricks.

#3: "He wasn't your daddy." - 'Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.2'

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 had pretty big shoes to fill after the overwhelming success of the first Guardians, and Vol. 2 does not so much as hesitate to rise to the challenge. It brings all of the comedy, action, and tunes you would expect from the sequel of Guardians of the Galaxy while also filling in the backstory of Starlord. We not only are given the real reason why Peter was abducted by Yondu, but are also told why Yondu did not complete the job by delivering Peter to his father. In a deep scene, we see Peter realize that not only Yondu saved him from a horrible fate, but was the closest thing to a real father that he had.

#2: The Avengers Assembled - 'The Avengers'

We all got goosebumps when this happened. At the time we knew the MCU was building up a truly epic story, but we were not prepared for just how much effort and care they would put into making the movies come together. The culmination of the first phase of the MCU, and it showed us that Marvel would not be pulling any punches going forward. To see all of the heroes assembled was amazing, and each character got their due.

#1: "So was I." - 'Captain America: Civil War'

For the #1 pick, I have to give it to Tony's "So Was I" from the final fight in Captain America: Civil War. While the original team went their separate ways in Avengers: Age of Ultron it was Civil War that the dissolving of the original crew was complete. After watching the team be built up for two complete phases of films it is difficult to watch it be torn apart, and this line truly is the gut-wrenching declaration end of the friendship that defined the MCU.

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About the Creator

Steve Brewer

Certified movie nerd with concentrations in Star Wars, Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, Marvel, fantasy, horror, and sci-fi.

Also an avid hiker, camper, racquetball player, cat dad, and loving uncle/godfather.

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