Top 10 most Controversial MCU (Marvel Cinematic Universe) Topics

Here is a list of the top ten most controversial topics and opinions about the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Disclaimer: As these are controversial topics, my own opinion may unintentionally shine through in some of these paragraphs.

10. The Audience Should not Sympathize with Loki

For many Marvel fans, Loki is a favorite character. Others despise him and cannot comprehend why he is even sympathized with in the first place.

Loki is a beloved character, despite his devilish antics. His character seems to be more enjoyable than his brother’s, and by always finding new ways to mess with his brother, his character remains interesting. Their sibling rivalry causes other arguments, like who is the better brother. Hiddleston’s depiction of his character also makes him seem more charming, which appeals to some audiences. Said by Tom Hiddleston himself, “He’s the villain that everybody hates to love.”

Many argue that his character must stop being sympathized with. As a villain who has sent out an alien army to attack New York City, many do not think their sympathy has been earned. In almost every movie Loki has been in, he betrays the heroes. He is untrustworthy and a loose cannon, and keeping him around means that mischief is always bound.

9. The MCU ruined Spiderman

There have been many actors who have portrayed Spiderman, and the newest one is Tom Holland. However, there are people who dislike this actor’s portrayal of his character and prefer the other movies. They also argue that the MCU ruined his character as a whole.

People believe that the MCU took away some of Spiderman’s tragic backstory. In the first movies and the comics, Spiderman’s main motivation is that “with great power comes great responsibility,” as said by his uncle who dies. In the MCU, Uncle Ben isn’t even mentioned and Peter Parker’s main motivations are to impress and aid Tony Stark.

Many believe that having Spiderman in the MCU is a good thing. First of all, the costume designs in the MCU are argued to be far better than the costumes Sony came up with. Also, by casting a younger actor, he can fit the role of being a high school student, which matches the age of the hero in the comic books. Lastly, whereas “with great power comes great responsibility” is never told to him by his Uncle Ben, his actions always fit this theme in the movies.

8. Thanos was Right

Thanos had one main goal: to wipe out half of the universe’s population to save the other half. By doing so, the people who survive would have more food and materials. It would ultimately solve the issue of overpopulation. There’s just one issue: half of the universe has to die. Many argue that his intentions were good and that his plan was smart. Others believe that it was evil or that there were better ways to carry out this plan.

Thanos' idea solved overpopulation. His plan was the solution to starvation, access to clean water, pollution, and climate change. Because of his childhood, when he grew up on a planet always on the brink of collapse, he felt compelled to make sure no other planets had to go through such a catastrophe as his home planet. By erasing half of the population, the capacity of every planet would lessen.

Wiping out half of all living beings is immoral. By taking that many lives, that leaves so many people losing ones that they love, including family members, friends, coworkers, and more. People believe that there are better ways to fix the issues that Thanos wanted to fix, like doubling the resources or decreasing fertility.

7. Clint Should have died instead of Natasha.

During Avengers: Endgame, Natasha (Black Widow) had to sacrifice her life to retrieve the soul stone. By losing one of which he loved, Clint was able to get the stone to help the Avengers save everyone who was dusted away. Many people argue that Clint should have died in her place, while others are okay with her death over his.

People are glad that it was Natasha instead of Clint. Why? First of all, he had a family. They had all died in the snap, which was one of the main reasons he was so desperate to get them back. Also, Natasha took pride in the fact that her death would mean something. If he had died in her place, she would be discontent. At least this way, she knew she was dying for a good reason.

Many argue that Clint should have been the one to die. During the five years that half of the universe was gone, Natasha spent it trying to help everyone cope with the losses and tried to mend what was broken. What was Clint doing? Murdering as many people as he could. Also, many argue that her death doesn’t do her character justice, and that they only killed her off to “push the narratives of the men.” Killing off one of the few female characters who had been there since the beginning doesn’t sit right with certain people.

6. Bucky Barnes Should have been the New Captain America

At the end of Avengers: Endgame, Captain America as an old man gives his shield to Sam Wilson, also known as Falcon. This made many viewers angry, because they believe that the shield should have gone to Bucky Barnes, Captain America’s childhood best friend he had spent years trying to save. Others believe that Falcon was the right choice.

Why do people think Falcon was the better option? Well, many argue that the Falcon has a similar personality to Steve Rogers. They’ve both fought in the military and dealt with losing a best friend during that time. Sam has always been loyal to Rogers, and from the moment he met him he had his full trust. They also believe that having him be the new Captain America gives the Avengers more diversity, and character to represent a team of world-savers could help humanity as a whole with acceptance and racism. Others believe that Bucky should get the shield because after fighting battles for most of his extended life, he deserved rest.

Others argue that Bucky Barnes should have gotten the shield. After all, Steve did spend many movies trying to rescue and save him. Ever since Bucky and Steve were young, Bucky always stood up for him. As best friends, they went through so much together. They fought each other and saved each other's lives. Bucky made selfless decisions to protect the world from his brainwashed mind, like when he went under and lived in Wakanda at the end of Civil War. People argue that he was the perfect candidate rather than Falcon.

5. Captain America’s Ending in Endgame Ruined his Character

“Avengers: Endgame” has an ending that left many leaving the theater angry and confused, and others content and satisfied. After defeating Thanos, Steve Rogers made it his mission to travel back to the past to return all of the infinity stones and Mjolnir (Thor’s hammer). Instead of coming back to the present timeline, he stays behind with Peggy Carter, a girl he liked from his past before he was frozen for 70 years.

Many argue that this ending was uncharacteristic, selfish and ruined his character arc. For example, people have pointed out that Peggy ended up living a happy life with a different husband and even had kids throughout the normal timeline. How can someone ruin another person’s chances at happiness, knowing that the person he loves can achieve it? People argue that someone as noble and caring for others as Captain America should not put himself in front of that. Not only that, but appearing out of nowhere with no other explanation than time travel would seem very confusing for someone from Peggy’s time period.

Others loved it and believed it was a good ending to his storyline. After years of fighting and battles, this audience believes that he deserved the happy ending he always wanted. They believe that his character finally gets to rest and be reunited with the love of his life.

4. Avengers: Infinity War was better than Avengers: Endgame

While many people loved Endgame, enjoyed its ending, and were moved by the emotional scenes, many prefer Infinity War.

The Thanos in Infinity War is arguably better than the Thanos in Endgame. Thanos had character development, his backstory was given, and he seemed much more driven to get the job done. In Infinity War, he seemed to be everywhere when he needed to be, which made him a character we knew was too powerful to be matched. In Endgame, however, his screen time was cut short and we saw less of him, making him seem more like an obstacle than an enemy. Also, Thor’s character in Infinity War made us see the emotional side of him, ultimately making us root for him even more. In Endgame, these complex emotions seemed to fade as time went on in the movie. Lastly, the twist at the end made everyone on the edge of their seats. The ending of Infinity War is arguably what made Endgame the top grossing movie of all time.

However, many argue that Endgame was better than Infinity War. Endgame had more dramatic moments, such as the deaths of beloved characters. Not only did those deaths make it a more emotional experience, but they died to save the universe, making it an emotional sacrifice we didn’t want but had to accept. There is also some humor and lightheartedness in Endgame that wasn’t expected. The humor throughout helped make the 3 hour long movie easier to sit through. Although many audience members were left with many questions at the end of the movie, the ending had more closure than Infinity War, which some prefer.

3. Overall, the MCU is overrated.

While the Marvel Cinematic Universe has become one of the top grossing franchises of all time, many believe that it is overrated. They think that the franchise did the comics no justice, while others love the movies overall.

There are many people who did not enjoy the movies from the MCU. There are differing opinions as to why, but as a whole they just found the films unenjoyable. Instead of having the back stories of each character thoroughly explained, it seemed like they rushed to put everyone together. Many people also don’t enjoy the comedic aspects of these action films. The jokes thrown throughout make the movies less intense and don't sit right with the people who think these movies should be more mature like the comics.

With differing opinions about each specific film, many believe that the franchise made well made, super enjoyable, and has entertaining films. These movies have quickly become some of the most influential movies of our time. Compared to other franchises, the MCU is argued to have a great timeline, and every movie in the MCU is well made. Sure, not all of them are as popular as others, but each movie has it’s fans and has it’s haters.

2. Who is the Most Powerful Avenger?

There are many different responses to this question. Lots would argue that it’s Scarlet Witch, Thor, or others. In this section, I will be talking about the two previously listed.

Scarlet Witch’s powers stem from an infinity stone. Okay, so do Captain Marvel’s powers, but she can’t force her enemies to hallucinate or control things with her mind. Wanda’s strength is exemplified at the end of Infinity War when she was destroying the mind stone while simultaneously holding back Thanos (aka the most powerful villain that the Avengers had ever faced). She held him back with one hand, and destroyed an entire infinity stone with the other. Her ability to control chaotic magic is what people argue beats everyone else.

Thor, however, is literally a god. He can control lightning, has weapons made from the strongest metals, and it is also very strong. He’s defeated the Chitauri fleet, frost giants, Iron Man and the Hulk, Surtur, and many more enemies. With the ability to control lightning and take on the full force of a star, Thor seems to be undefeatable.

1. Is Captain America or Iron Man a better leader for the Avengers?

It seems that there isn’t an individual leader of the Avengers. Many would argue that it’s Captain America, while others would argue that it’s Iron Man. While Iron Man was the first movie to come out, Captain America’s story line happens first. The one time that they tried to make a collective decision about something, they split into teams and fought against each other in Captain America: Civil War. So, who would be the better leader: Captain America or Iron Man?

Ever since the beginning, Captain America has always wanted to fight for what’s right. Even after transforming into a super soldier, he never let the new power get to his head and that drive to do the right thing remained within him. Steve also has had military training, which gives him experience with leadership in battle whether it was direct or indirect experience. He also prefers working together, while Iron Man tends to prefer working solo.

Others argue that although Iron Man struggles with integrity and doesn’t have military training, his powers and his mind make him more powerful than Captain America. Iron Man can fly, shoot lasers, and have perfect aim while being protected by his titanium suit. Iron Man is also already a public figure, and his personality makes him well liked by the media, making him a great face for the team.