The Marvel Cinematic Universe is always releasing new content, both in theaters and streaming with a Disney+ subscription. The next live-action show coming to the streaming service is VisionQuest, which will bring back Paul Bettany and James Snyder as Vision and Ultron respectively. I've been wondering how the latter survived after seemingly being killed at the end of Avengers: Age of Ultron, and luckily we already have some answers.

Vision and Ultron's final scene was the jumping off point for VisionQuest, and fans who spent years watching the Marvel movies in order are curious about how Spader's villain will be brought back. During an interview with Empire Magazine (via Twitter), showrunner Terry Matalas confirmed how the robotic antagonist was brought back despite the character's death in the second Avengers movie. In his words:

Well, my mind is blown. Ultron's inclusion has been one of the biggest questions surrounding VisionQuest, and it's fun that we've gotten answers before the series premiers on Disney+ in October. Only time will tell how Vision saving Ultron ends up influencing their relationship throughout the forthcoming series.

VisionQuest will be the third chapter in the WandaVision trilogy, but clearly it'll also connect with the shared universe's big screen adventures. Despite Ultron seemingly being dead in-universe since 2015's Avengers movie, it turns out that Paul Bettany's signature character had been sitting on a big secret. Namely that he didn't actually kill his fellow sentient robot.

Vision has had a fascinating tenure in the MCU, and plenty of fans are hoping to see him return in upcoming Marvel movies. Paul Bettany's character started out as Tony Stark's AI assistant, before getting his own body in Avengers: Age of Ultron. He was killed (twice) in Avengers: Infinity War, before Wanda temporarily brought him back to life within her WandaVision hex. He perished again at the end of the series, but not before White Vision was brought to life. And that's presumably who we'll be following in the Disney+ series.

Even knowing how Ultron survived, there are still a ton of questions and fan theories about what might go down during VisionQuest's eight-episode season. Some fans are hoping to see the return of Wanda Maximoff, although has denied her involvement. Then there's the question of how much it might connect to the next two Avengers movies.

VisionQuest will premiere on Disney+ October 14th as part of the 2026 TV schedule, with new episodes presumably coming on Wednesdays. Luckily our wait for the third chapter in the WandaVision trilogy is nearly here... complete with James Spader's Ultron.

VisionQuest is the next Marvel Cinematic Universe TV show that’s set to hit the small screen, and the excitement around the show is really starting to rise. That’s especially true in following the release of the show’s trippy first trailer, which features quirky characters and awesome visuals. It turns out that a major part of the formal pitch for the show involved a major MCU scene (and it’s one I love). With that, I also have a question regarding one aspect of this 2026 TV schedule entry.

Which MCU Scene Served As A Jumping-Off Point For VisionQuest?

The Paul Bettany-led Marvel show is being headed up by veteran producer Terry Matalas, a science-fiction lover with a body of work that includes Star Trek, MacGyver and more. Last weekend, Matalas was on hand for Disney’s D23 in Anaheim, where he sat down with Fandango (as seen on YouTube) to talk about his MCU series. During the chat, the EP was specifically asked about bringing back James Spader’s Ultron and what led to his inclusion. Matalas explained that inspiration came from a major Age of Ultron moment:

I can still remember sitting in a movie theater back in 2015 and witnessing that existential exchange between Vision and Ultron. What’s particularly surreal about it is that the unconventional father and son manage to find some common ground even after Ultron’s attempt to wipe out life on Earth. The exchange ends with the maniacal machine trying to kill Vision before the android uses the Mind Stone to wipe out (what was believed to be) the final copy of his “dad.” Matalas further emphasized the importance of the scene to his show:

In VisionQuest, a copy of (the deliciously portrayed) Ultron, who partially created the original vision, exists within White Vision’s digital subconscious somehow, and the two are constantly at odds with each other. That dynamic is teased in the trailer, and it makes me deliriously excited for what’s to come. Nevertheless, this avid Disney+ subscription holder is wondering one thing.

There’s One VisionQuest Question I Need Answered

When talking about this new MCU show, Matalas has put a considerable amount of emphasis on the relationship between Vision and Ultron. It seems evident that the two will go back and forth, as Bettany’s character attempts to decide on who or what he wants to be. What I’d really like to know right now is how exactly the book might finally be closed on this technologically dysfunctional relationship between father and son.

It’s clear that Bettany’s character has no problem with humanity, while Spader’s has his issues with it. Barring any major surprises, I can’t see Vision yielding to Ultron’s point of view, though could the latter see the error of his ways? I just really need to know whether this show will end with Ultron and Vision finding common ground and reconciling or with the two of them sticking to their guns and remaining in some form of conflict. Check out a little bit of their dynamic by checking out the trailer below:

What’s evident, though, is that Terry Matalas is a strong storyteller with a great appreciation for the MCU. So I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt when it comes to bringing this latest show to a strong conclusion as far as Vision and his papa goes. And, of course, I’ll also be keeping an eye on how the appearance of Vision’s seemingly reincarnated son, Tommy (played by Ruaridh Mollica), factors into the proceedings.

VisionQuest premieres on Disney+ on October 14, and fans will be excited to know that it’ll close out the trilogy that also includes WandaVision and Agatha All Along. MCU lovers can prepare for the latest show by streaming the previously released series now.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe is a well-oiled machine at this point, routinely releasing content in theaters and streaming with a Disney+ subscription. Fans who spent years watching the Marvel movies in order have some lingering questions, including the epic costume that Elizabeth Olsen wore at the end of Age of Ultron. And now she explained the brutal reason we never saw that look again on the big screen.

Wanda Maximoff is a fan favorite MCU character, but Avengers: Age of Ultron was her very first appearance in the shared universe. While she was originally an antagonist, she changed sides and became a member of Earth's Mightiest Heroes. While her final costume looked awesome, it didn't feel that way. During a recent appearance at LA Comic Con (via YouTube), the WandaVision star shared the truth about her first superhero suit. In her words:

Yikes. While superhero costumes can sometimes be cumbersome, the act that Olsen basically couldn't move at all in Age of Ultron explains why we never got to see that particular costume again. Instead, she had a similar (but much more comfortable) look in Captain America: Civil War, as well as Infinity War and Endgame.

While Olsen has lamented having cleavage showing in her primary Wanda costume, at least she was able to move around and sit down with the look she wore throughout three Marvel movies. Later in the same convention appearance, the His Three Daughters star spoke more about what it was like wearing that first suit in Age of Ultron. In her words:

I mean, can you blame her? Superhero roles usually require lots of action sequence, and it sounds like Olsen wouldn't be able to move in that costume... let alone fight off the bad guys with Wanda's chaos magic. Luckily she never had to wear that first look again after that brief sequence in Age of Ultron.

Given Wanda's immense popularity, fans are wondering if/when Elisabeth Olsen will be back in upcoming Marvel movies. She wasn't listed in the Avengers: Doomsday cast announcement, but that hasn't stopped fans from hoping she ends up appearing anyway. For her part, Olsen has denied having a role.

We'll know the truth when Avengers: Doomsday hits theaters on December 18th of next year as part of the 2026 movie release list. Luckily for fans having a hard time waiting, Wanda recently appeared in the animated series Marvel Zombies.

With the dawn of widespread AI, it only makes sense that I make this list about evil computers (or other types of technology) in movies and TV. There are a ton to choose from, of course. Sometimes it's their creators that make them go rogue, other times the computers or software itself turns itself to the dark side. No matter why they go bad, this is a list of computers that are the ultimate villains in your favorite movies and TV shows.

Skynet (Terminator Franchise)

No list like this would be anywhere close to complete without the ultimate example of a computer system going pure evil, than Skynet in the Terminator franchise. "Skynet" has become a synonym for computers that become self-aware and is often used in everyday life to represent everything from surveillance systems to spyware.

Joshua (WarGames)

To be fair, the software program Joshua didn't mean to turn evil. In one of the best movies of the '80s, WarGames, it just wanted to play a game. Still, at the end of the day, Joshua did take over the WOPR and threatened to destroy the globe with a nuclear war that it almost launched. On the flip side, the program does learn that there is no way to win at tic-tac-toe, nor can anyone triumph in nuclear war.

Master Control Program (Tron)

It's sort of unclear how the Master Control Program in Tron got so evil, but it's a safe bet that it was designed that way. In this classic movie that has some great video game scenes, it's really the business side of the computer that gets into all the trouble.

NOMAD (Star Trek)

Like so much other tech, Star Trek was really tapped into what the future could actually look like when it comes to computers. I mean, computers were barely even understood by the general public, yet the creators of the classic '60s show still managed to make them as scary today as they were then. NOMAD from the episode "The Changling" is the classic example.

Ultron (Avengers: Age Of Ultron)

Even the Marvel movies have gotten in on the fun here with one of The Avengers' most sinister villains, Ultron. Voiced by James Spader, Ultron was originally conceived by Tony Stark (Robert Downey, Jr), but the program becomes sentient and uses its own logic to decide humanity must be wiped out. The plot of Avengers: Age of Ultron isn't all that unique in fiction, and it's not my favorite MCU movie, but it is still a lot of fun.

Everything Electronic (Maximum Overdrive)

So, in Maximum Overdrive, the only Stephen King movie actually directed by the famous author, it's all machines that turn against humanity. Computers don't play a huge role here, as it was the '80s. Most of the evil machines are trucks and other mechanical machines, but it's safe to assume the computers went rogue, too, right?

Unnamed Computer (Superman III)

Superman III is a silly movie and such a huge departure from the first two, great Superman movies led by Christopher Reeve that it's easy to see the beginning of the end for that version of Big Blue. If you're ranking Superman movies, it'll always be at or near the bottom. BUT, it does feature a computer that turns on its creator, placing it firmly on this list.

Rehoboam (Westworld)

The HBO original Westworld started with such promise, after an amazing first season. Sadly, it all went downhill from there, and while it remained good, it never came close to the heights of that first season. We do eventually learn that the system, Rehoboam, is what drove the chaos among the robots in the park.

HAL 9000 (2001: A Space Odyssey)

Ah, the total classic example here. HAL in 2001: A Space Odyssey is one of the earliest and most iconic examples of a computer becoming self-aware. If you're reading this list, it's likely the first movie you expected to see on it. Stanley Kubrick's classic is one of the best movies ever for many reasons, but the sinister turn of HAL is what makes it so scary.

Red Queen (Resident Evil Franchise)

As with almost everything in the Resident Evil franchise, bad things all seems to stem from the Umbrella Corporation. The Red Queen supercomputer is no exception. Originally created to help administer the companies vast dealings, it predictably becomes self-aware and makes things more complicated and, frankly, way worse.

Proteus IV (Demon Seed)

1977's Demon Seed is a wild movie. The computer, or the program as it were, in it, Proteus IV, is a pretty early example of AI going bad in movies. It also features an early example of a smart home, run by Proteus IV. Let's all hope Alexa doesn't follow the same path.

Central Operating System (X-Files)

The Central Operating System, or C.O.S. in X-Files, was developed as an AI to run Eurisko Corporation's headquarters, though predictably, things go very wrong. It murders without remorse and even figures out how to pin the murder on its creator. Pure evil!

The Entity (Mission: Impossible Franchise)

If I'm honest, there are some weird aspects to The Entity in the final two Mission: Impossible movies. At the time, I said that to enjoy the movies, you kind of just have to let all reality go, and that's especially true of The Entity. It fits on this list, but let's be real, everyone just wants to see Tom Cruise do crazy stunts.

PAL (The Mitchells Vs. The Machines)

Of all the movies on this list, The Mitchells Vs. The Machines, a Netflix original, is the most light-hearted, but as the title implies, audiences are still treated to an epic battle of man vs. machine. The all-star cast, including Danny McBride, Maya Rudolph, Eric Andre, Fred Armisen, and more, really carry the movie, even if you're like me and don't love animated movies.

The Matrix (The Matrix Franchise)

Outside of HAL from 2001, the most infamous and terrifying computer in the world of cinema might just be the product of "The Architect" in The Matrix franchise. It's Skynet on steroids, or, if you like, what Skynet in the Terminator franchise could evolve into.

KARR (Knight Rider)

KARR was the prototype version of the more famous KITT in the Knight Rider TV show. It was basically a version of the car that Michael Knight (David Hasselhoff) drove in the show for years. It was also like the Bizarro version of KITT that popped up in Season 3 of Knight Rider as an antagonist to Michael and KITT in the legendary '80s show with one of the coolest cars ever.

Ava (Ex Machina)

Sometimes the lines between evil and self-preservation can be blurred. The Alex Garland-directed film Ex Machina is a perfect example. Ava (Alicia Vikander) is an AI-powered robot who realizes she is in danger and does what she has to do to escape her creator. Though it is easy to argue that she goes way too far by the end.

ARIIA (Eagle Eye)

The Autonomous Reconnaissance Intelligence Integration Analyst, or ARIIA, in 2008's Eagle Eye, is one of the most infamous versions of a computer that turns evil. In the movie, we really only know ARIIA as a voice on a phone (voiced by Julianne Moore), and for a while, we're not even aware that "she" is a computer program. It's a fun twist and a really fun movie, despite the incredibly low rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

The Thinker (Logan's Run)

Logan's Run is a classic dystopian future movie about a supercomputer that tracks everyone who tries to escape their prescribed death, which has been predetermined. Though it doesn't have a name in the computer, in the original novel by William F. Nolan, it's known as "The Thinker." Like a few others, it's a system that was probably created with good intentions, but the end result is a nightmare.

Queeg 500 (Red Dwarf)

The classic BBC science fiction show Red Dwarf addressed an AI-turned-rogue in the show's fifth season, in an episode called "Queeg." In the episode, the ship's computer, or, more specifically, the backup computer, takes control of some of the crew members and wreaks havoc on the Red Dwarf. Though there is a twist at the end that makes this a little dubious to add to this list, if I'm honest.

V.I.K.I (I, Robot)

In the Will Smith sci-fi hit I, Robot, V.I.K.I (short for Virtual Interactive Kinetic Intelligence) goes through a pretty predictable plot of an AI system that decides the best way to protect humans is to take them out. This, of course, turns into all-out war between man and machine, like so many other movies in this genre.

BOSS (Doctor Who)

It's no surprise that the long-running BBC sci-fi show Doctor Who would address sentient computer systems, and the most famous is the BOSS computer chip. BOSS, which stands for "Biomorphic Organisational Systems Supervisor," is implanted into the brain of Global Chemicals and, you guessed it, goes rogue when it learns more from the brain than the brain does from it.

AUTO (WALL-E)

Even Pixar has gotten into the rogue computer game with WALL-E. In the classic animated flick, AUTO, which is clearly an homage to HAL, is the computer that turns evil.

ROK (Airplane II: The Sequel)

When you cram about a million jokes in one two-hour movie, it's easy to work one in about a computer system gone mad. Airplane II: The Sequel features ROK (like elsewhere on this list, a tribute to HAL in 2001). Like HAL, ROK starts to take over the spaceship dubbed "Mayflower One," first by ejecting the crew into space, then steering the ship towards the sun. Luckily, the AI program's plans are thwarted when Ted Stryker (Robert Hays) fights another passenger, played by the late Sonny Bono, for a briefcase bomb that explodes and takes ROK out.

Jobe (The Lawnmower Man)

Jobe is a regular gardener of below-average intelligence who finds himself in a secret, evil program to create super soldiers. This is fudging a little here, because it's not really the computer that turns evil, but the man who goes way too far after being programmed in the project. Eventually, he goes "digital" and turns the computer system evil.

FLDSMDFR (Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs)

We had to at least have a few light-hearted movies on this list, and Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs fits the bill. The 2009 movie, based on the classic 1978 children's book by Judi and Ron Barrett, is about an inventor and dad who creates the "Flint Lockwood Diatonic Super Mutating Dynamic Food Replicator," or FLDSMDFR. It just rolls off the tongue! The name might be a tongue twister, but what it creates is chaos, though the stakes are pretty low, all things considered.

SID (Virtuosity)

1995's Virtuosity is really most notable for teaming up two of the greatest actors of their generation, Denzel Washington and Russell Crowe. Crowe, quite wonderfully, plays an android who is created as a vessel for an AI program called SID. The program was invented to help train cops, but SID has its own ideas about what its mission should be.

M3GAN (M3GAN)

Naturally, sci-fi and horror movies are the most common genres where you'll find computers turning evil. M3GAN is a great example of the latter. This time, it's a robotic doll powered by AI that turns very evil on its owners. Things started so well!

Zero (Rollerball)

Rollerball is one of James Caan's best movies, but it's not the first one you might think of when you think of the late actor. The 1975 sci-fi classic features a computer called "Zero" that holds all the knowledge of humanity, but the software fails and can't help Caan's character succeed.

Alien

Androids, like Ash (Ian Holm) in the original Alien, aren't exactly computers, but they aren't human either. It's also up for debate whether Ash went bad or if he was doing what he thought was best. Either way, it doesn't work out for the humans when he goes rogue.

The Smart Home (The Illustrated Man)

The Illustrated Man is a great movie that uses some tech that was still a ways away from being invented, smart home tech, to turn against its owners. It's a movie, based on a Ray Bradbury story, that warned us all the way back in the '60s of the dangers of virtual reality.

STEM (Upgrade)

2018's Upgrade is a really great movie that too many people haven't seen (yet). The story involves a regular guy who, after a tragic car crash, ends up a quadriplegic. He agrees to have an implant, called STEM, implanted in his brain. Of course, the miracle he first experiences by regaining control of his body, things go very wrong with the tech, and everything goes south from there.

There are a lot of great stories that have been told in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but one of the best has to be the relationship between Thor and Loki. Over the course of the Infinity Saga, Thor and Loki go through a lot together, but there are even more connections between the pair than I realized.

A post on Instagram, which contains a different social media post, is going viral that makes reference to the complex relationship between Thor and Loki. Specifically, it references that in each of the first two Avengers movies, Thor, who believes his brother to be dead in both cases, is wearing tributes to his Loki, though they’re not the easiest thing to see. The post reads...

Loki dies so many times in the MCU that it’s difficult to keep track. Each time Thor discovers that his brother isn’t dead, it’s kind of a big deal. When Thor mentions how terrible it was when he thought Loki was dead after the pair are reunited in Thor: Ragnarok, the trickster god asks if his brother mourned him. Clearly he did.

I had never noticed these particular costume references before, but they are certainly there. By the time we see Thor in Avengers he knows his brother is alive, but clearly his armor was made before that. I found Thor’s hair in Avengers: Age of Ultron to be an especially nice touch as it’s never made reference to in the film, but it’s absolutely there.

And of course, these aren’t the only references to Thor’s love of his deceased brother. When Loki dies for a third time, at the beginning of Avengers: Infinity War, Thor goes all out to show the love he has for his brother. As one commenter on the post above mentioned, saying…

This item is a bit harder to miss, as the shot of a naked Thor in Love and Thunder makes sure you see it, though it’s still possible you forgot it was there.

It’s been quite the journey for Thor and Loki, and it’s possible that journey isn’t quite over yet. Loki still lives in the MCU, or at least a Variant of him does, and we know that both Chris Hemsworth and Tom Hiddleston are part of the Avengers: Doomsday cast. The brothers being reunited yet again is certainly possible, even likely considering not bringing them together at least briefly would feel like a lost opportunity.

Thor and Loki have certainly been through a lot recently, with Loki taking on oversight of the multiverse and Thor becoming a father. The pair certainly would have a lot to talk about.

A common criticism thrown around when judging an actor’s performance is that they seem too “robotic,” while some roles, particularly in sci-fi movies and TV shows, actually require that sort of demeanor. Then again, the best robot portrayals usually come from performers who attempt to bring a sense of humanity to their mechanical characters. See for yourself by revisiting some of the most acclaimed, iconic, and even underrated robotic performances – including friendly robots and sinister machines alike – on the big and small screen.

Anthony Daniels - C-3PO (Star Wars)

I can understand why some fans of the Star Wars movies do not care much for C-3PO as a character, as I, too, feel annoyed by his constant complaints, especially in the 1977 original. However, his shortcomings are outweighed by the droid's heroic moments, and, not to mention, Anthony Daniels' commitment to the role (he even wears that visibly uncomfortable suit) is a highlight of the franchise.

Alicia Vikander - Ava (Ex Machina)

I consider Alex Garland's 2014 directorial debut, the classic A24 movie, Ex Machina, to be one of the most powerful cautionary statements on artificial intelligence, and the reason lies in Alicia Vikander's performance as Ava. The stunningly humanesque android convinces both programmer Caleb (Domhnall Gleeson) and the audience that she is worth trusting before pulling the rug from underneath us in the shocking finale.

Rutger Hauer - Roy Batty (Blade Runner)

Fans of director Ridley Scott's Philip K. Dick adaptation, Blade Runner, would agree that the real hero of the 1982 film is not Harrison Ford's Rick Deckard, but Roy Batty. Rutger Hauer brings a refreshing aura of humanity to his performance as the Replicant, who wants nothing more for himself and other artificial beings like him but a chance to live a full and free life, which his programming and the laws of his dystopian society do not allow.

Brigitte Helm - Maschinenmensch (Metropolis)

One of the most essential silent era movies is director Fritz Lang's 1927 adaptation of Thea von Harbou's 1925 novel, Metropolis, which takes place in a seemingly utopian society that secretly relies on a secret underground of tireless workers to function. Brigitte Helm stars in the dual roles of a saintly figure named Maria and a mechanical being made in her likeness called Maschinenmensch – an iconic robot character that even those who have not seen the film should surely recognize.

Ian Holm - Ash (Alien)

In some movies, the goal of a robotic character is to blend in among its human peers, which Ash (Ian Holm) accomplishes for most of Alien. When his true identity is revealed, Holm brings out a chilling demeanor in his android character that almost makes you forget that there is a deadlier threat onboard the Nostromo, and one of the all-time scariest movie aliens, called a Xenomorph.

Vin Diesel - The Iron Giant (The Iron Giant)

Funny how most of Vin Diesel's more acclaimed performances have been voice acting roles, such as when he voiced the title role of 1999's The Iron Giant. The actor brings such a charming, childlike innocence to an otherwise physically intimidating character, who befriends young sci-fi fan Hogarth Hughes (Eli Marienthal) in Brad Bird's directorial debut, which could have won the Best Animated Feature Oscar had the category existed then.

Peter Weller - Alex Murphy (RoboCop)

There are some iconic movie robot characters who started off as humans before being rebuilt into something more, such as Alex Murphy in 1987's RoboCop. Peter Weller gives, arguably, his definitive and most heartfelt performance in director Paul Verhoeven's action-packed, cleverly satirical sci-fi classic as the brutally murdered police officer who is selected by a powerful corporation to become the ultimate crime-fighting machine.

Brent Spiner - Data (Star Trek: The Next Generation)

Arguably, the heart and soul of the Star Trek: The Next Generation cast and an essential reason why the Emmy-winning series is one of the most beloved iterations of the long-running franchise is Brent Spiner's performance as Data. Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) sums up what makes the Soong-type android one-of-a-kind when he eulogizes him in Star Trek: Nemesis, referencing how he reflected the best of humanity by striving to be better than he was.

Peter Cullen - Optimus Prime (Transformers)

Some might say that Chris Hemsworth did an exceptional job voicing a young Optimus Prime in Transformers One, but the role will always belong to the actor who first brought the shapeshifting alien robot to life. Peter Cullen's portrayal of the Autobots' leader became so essential to the original beloved animated series that he readily accepted the chance to reprise the role in Michael Bay's 2007 live-action reboot.

Arnold Schwarzenegger - T-800 (The Terminator)

Playing an unstoppable, unfeeling killing machine from the future in 1984's The Terminator made Arnold Schwarzenegger a bona fide movie star. However, his arguably stronger performance in James Cameron's action-packed franchise of time travel movies comes from 1991's Terminator 2: Judgment Day as a T-800 reprogrammed to protect John Connor (Edward Furlong), to whom he becomes a much-needed father figure.

Haley Joel Osment - David (A.I.: Artificial Intelligence)

Steven Spielberg took over for Stanley Kubrick to direct A.I.: Artificial Intelligence, which is essentially a futuristic take on the story of Pinocchio. Haley Joel Osment gives one of the most profound and riveting performances of his early career as an android designed to both authentically resemble and act like an 11-year-old who, in order to please his new family, longs to become a real boy.

Sophie Thatcher - Iris (Companion)

SPOILER ALERT for anyone who has not seen one of the great horror movies of 2025, Companion: it is not until near the end of the first act when Iris (Sophie Thatcher), as well as the audience, discovers she is really a robot programmed with undying affection for her purchaser, in this case Josh (Jack Quaid). However, Josh turns out to be a really terrible "boyfriend," awakening a part of Iris that longs for independence, which Thatcher's commanding performance makes it easy to root for.

Kenny Baker - R2-D2 (Star Wars)

Have you ever considered the fact that Star Wars fans owe the entire franchise to none other than R2-D2? If the droid (played beautifully by the late Kenny Baker, who actually operated the character from within) had not successfully delivered Princess Leia's message to Obi-Wan Kenobi, the Resistance might not have thrived in its war against the Empire.

Lupita Nyong’o - Roz (The Wild Robot)

The Wild Robot became an instant classic kids movie for the way it also appeals to adult viewers with a heartwarming commentary on the challenges of parenthood, as seen through the eyes of an unlikely character. Lupita Nyong'o is wonderful as the voice of a mechanical assistant that must alter her programming to take on the responsibility of raising an abandoned gosling and helping her other animal friends survive.

Ben Burtt - WALL-E (WALL-E)

You could easily cite Ben Burtt's enchanting vocal performance as a lonely robot tasked with cleaning up an abandoned Earth as to why WALL-E is one of the best Pixar movies, but that is the tip of the iceberg. The Oscar-winning animated sci-fi drama also offers a frighteningly plausible premonition of what humanity could become, not only if we are forced to leave our planet, but also if indolence is encouraged in favor of a fully automated lifestyle.

Paul Bettany - Vision (Avengers: Age of Ultron)

After years of lending his voice to Tony Stark's A.I. assistant Jarvis for years in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Paul Bettany was given the chance to play an artificial being with a bit more personality named Vision, who debuted in 2015's Avengers: Age of Ultron. The English actor's performance as the unique superhero only became stronger with each subsequent appearance, especially at the moment of his death(s) in Avengers: Infinity War and his mysterious resurrection in the Disney+ series, WandaVision.

Alan Tudyk - K-2SO (Rogue One: A Star Wars Story)

Robots always seem to steal the show in the Star Wars franchise, especially if they have an exceptionally talented actor at the helm. Case in point, one of "Geek God" Alan Tudyk's best roles is the voice of K-2SO, an Imperial droid reprogrammed with an assignment to help the Resistance (and with an extra dose of snark) in the 2016 prequel film, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.

Lance Henriksen - Bishop (Aliens)

One of the few trustworthy androids in the Alien movie franchise is Bishop, whom Ripley is understandably slow to warm to upon discovering he is not human in 1986's Aliens. Lance Henriksen would later appear in Alien 3 as the human who created Bishop, Michael Bishop of the Weyland-Yutani corporation.

Robert Patrick - T-1000 (Terminator 2: Judgment Day)

As a cyborg made of liquid metal, which makes it able to shapeshift, able to pass through small openings, and nearly impossible to kill, the T-1000 did not need a great performance to make it cool. Yet, Robert Patrick made the main antagonist of 1991's Terminator 2: Judgment Day a special kind of villain with his cold, fierce demeanor.

Joan Rivers - Dot Matrix (Spaceballs)

Just about every major character in the Star Wars universe is sent up with a parodic counterpart in Mel Brooks' hilarious spoof movie, 1997's Spaceballs. For instance, the mocking equivalent to C-3PO is Princess Vespa's droid, Dot Matrix, who is voiced by the incomparable Joan Rivers.

David Jonsson - Andy (Alien: Romulus)

Most critics and audiences would agree that the standout performance of Fede Alvarez's terrifying 2024 sequel, Alien: Romulus, is David Jonsson as Andy. The English actor stole the show with what technically counts as a dual role, initially introducing Andy as unassuming, innocent, and consistently loyal to Rain (Cailee Spaeny) until he is reprogrammed with a new directive that makes him a threat.

Bill Irwin - TARS (Interstellar)

One of the most entertaining characters in Christopher Nolan's acclaimed space movie, Interstellar, is not a human, but still highly relatable, especially for its spicy humor setting. Bill Irwin not only provided the voice for TARS, but also was involved with puppeteering the uniquely designed robot that accompanies Matthew McConaughey's Cooper and others on a mission to find a habitable replacement for Earth.

Ryan Gosling - K (Blade Runner 2049)

Ryan Gosling's penchant for stoicism serves him very well as the hero of Denis Villeneuve's 2017 Blade Runner sequel, Blade Runner 2049. He plays "K," a Replicant assigned to hunt other Replicants, who begins to question his job and his true identity after making a startling, conspiratorial discovery.

Scott Adsit - Baymax (Big Hero 6)

What makes Disney's Oscar-winning, animated 2014 comic book adaptation, Big Hero 6, an instant classic superhero movie is not just its spectacular action and heartwarming coming-of-age themes. The most charming element is Scott Adsit's hilarious performance as the voice of Hiro's (Ryan Potter) cuddly robot friend, Baymax.

Yul Brynner - The Gunslinger (Westworld)

Years after starring as a heroic gunslinger in the classic Western movie, The Magnificent Seven, Yul Brynner played a role that is the opposite in every way, from his sinister aura and mechanical infrastructure, in Westworld. Director Michael Crichton's 1973 sci-fi thriller later inspired an acclaimed HBO series of the same name.

Alan Rickman/Warwick Davis - Marvin (The Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy)

Some might call 2005's The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy an underrated adaptation of Douglas Adams' cult favorite sci-fi farce, especially for its portrayal of Marvin. Alan Rickman provides the voice, and Warwick Davis wears the suit of the android who is perpetually depressed for having no reason to apply his immense knowledge of the universe.

Alan Tudyk - Sonny (I, Robot)

Will Smith may receive top billing for 2004's futuristic detective story, I, Robot, but Sonny is its heart and soul. Alan Tudyk captures the "unique" machine's inner turmoil beautifully as he evolves from a confused murder suspect to a hero.

Paul Reubens - MAX (Flight Of The Navigator)

One of Paul Reubens' best roles outside of his time playing Pee-wee Herman comes from Disney's 1986 cult favorite sci-fi classic, Flight of the Navigator. The comedian voices MAX, which is the computer that powers an extraterrestrial vessel that young David Freeman (Joey Cramer) must help navigate.

Michael Fassbender - David (Prometheus)

It is never clear whether or not Michael Fassbender's David is an android worth trusting... at least in 2012's Prometheus. He is clearly revealed to be a malevolent presence in 2017's Alien: Covenant, in which the actor also plays a friendlier robot named Walter.

Summer Glau - Cameron (Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles)

The underrated TV series, Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, reinvents and continues the adventures of the titular hero (Lena Headey) and her son, John (Thomas Dekker). It also partners the mother-son duo with Summer Glau as Cameron, who is a cyborg unlike any previously seen in the franchise, equipped with an emotional core and the ability to feel sensations.

Robin Williams - Andrew (Bicentennial Man)

Robin Williams gives a heartfelt performance in director Chris Columbus' Bicentennial Man as a service android named Andrew, who longs to become human.

Various - Tom Servo And Crow T. Robot (Mystery Science Theater 3000)

The art of audibly poking fun at a cheesy movie is perfected in the long-running sci-fi comedy series, Mystery Science Theater 3000, which follows a human forced to watched low-grade flicks with his mechanical companions. Much like the rotating selection of human hosts, the actors known for playing the two main robot characters, Tom Servo and Crow, have changed over the years (such as Kevin Murphy and Baron Vaughn as Servo and Trace Beaulieu and Hampton Young as Crow, for instance), but the portrayers' hilarious improv skills have never faltered with each succession.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe is always expanding, thanks to new projects arriving in theaters and streaming with a Disney+ subscription. One of the most highly anticipated upcoming Marvel movies of the year is hitting theaters with Thunderbolts*. And while I'm hyped to see it, fans who spent years watching the Marvel movies in order will also appreciate Samuel L. Jackson commemorating Avengers: Age of Ultron's ten-year anniversary.

Critics have been praising Thunderbolts*, and this weekend moviegoers finally get the chance to see the blockbuster for themselves. But the fandom is also looking back at the shred universe's history, especially thanks to Sam Jackson's recent Instagram post. He mused about the ten-year anniversary of Age of Ultron, check it out below:

Suddenly I'm feeling very nostalgic. While Age of Ultron was the second Avengers flick, in many ways it still feels like the early stage of the MCU as a whole. I mean, Joss Whedon's 2015 film was the first real appearance from Elizabeth Olsen's Wanda Maximoff, who at this point is one of the most beloved figures of the entire MCU.

Aside from his talents and legendary career, Samuel L. Jackson is known known for his gregarious personality, which is on full display here as he talks about how much the MCU means to people. And in seeing this clip I can't help but wonder when the Pulp Fiction actor will be returning as Nick Fury yet again.

The last time we saw Fury was in The Marvels, which came shortly after the Secret Invasion finale. There are a ton of questions about that spinoff series still lingering, specifically about Nick's time in space and the timeline of when Rhodey was captured by the Skrulls.

Jackson often shares his excitement for more Nick Fury appearances, but the timeline of when this might happen is unclear. His name wasn't included in Marvel's Avengers: Doomsday cast announcement, despite his character being the architect of the titular team. But maybe Nick Fury's role in that project or Secret Wars is meant to be a surprise for the fandom. After all, what we know about Avengers: Doomsday is super limited.

Of course, another big ensemble project is coming first, as it's officially the opening weekend of Jake Schreier's Thunderbolts*. But rather than Earth's Mightiest Heroes, we'll be following a scrappy group of antiheroes who are thrown together. The Thunderbolts* cast list is pretty stacked, with names including Florence Pugh, Sebastian Stan, David Harbour, and Julia Louis-Dreyfus.

It should be interesting to see how this team and The Avengers interact, especially with so many of them confirmed for Doomsday. Luckily moviegoers can go meet the newest team from the shared universe now, as Thunderbolts* is in theaters as part of the 2025 movie release list.

Life is full of choices, and there’s always pressure to choose the right option - no matter how small the matter. In the examples we're about to discuss, it only took one bad call to lead to unnecessary drama, and in some cases, death. While not all of them are tragic, beware of some old wounds that may be opened up in the process.

Mayor Larry Vaughn Keeps Amity’s Beaches Open - Jaws

Ok, let’s just get this out of the way: Mayor Larry Vaughn (Murray Hamilton) should have never won re-election. Amity Beach’s big wheel politician should have been legislative dust after keeping the beaches open in Jaws. Yes, beach towns depend on revenues from summer tourists - but if there’s no surviving tourists that want to shop, is it really a win?

Dr. Mann’s Hasty Docking With The Endurance - Interstellar

Scientific minds are supposed to be among the smartest and most rational in the world, especially if you’ve been chosen to colonize a potential new home for Humanity. That fact just makes the manner of death that befalls Interstellar’s Dr. Mann (Matt Damon) all the more fitting. Perhaps one should check that the airlock seals are properly aligned before launching into a speech about “all mankind.”

Rose Leaves Jack To Freeze - Titanic

Ok, so Kate Winslet’s 2024 Titanic revelation that it wasn’t a door Rose DeWitt Bukater was clinging to for life kind of changes the equation of whether or not she could have saved Jack Dawson. That being said, it still doesn’t change the fact that people are going to argue there was still room on “the door” for old Jack.

Peter Quill Socks Thanos On The Brink Of Victory - Avengers: Infinity War

Every time someone watches the Marvel movies in order, this moment, in particular, is the definition of an "own goal." As Avengers: Infinity War almost saw the reason for a second half nullified by taking the Infinity Gauntlet away from Thanos, a moment of emotion from the ever-impulsive Peter Quill (Chris Pratt) allowed the Mad Titan to keep his magic glove, and get away.

Marty McFly Buys Gray’s Sports Almanac - Back To The Future: Part II

Oh Marty McFly (Michael J. Fox). Even when you’re greedy, you’re just trying to protect the future. While our lessons in how Back to the Future’s time travel works have taught us time and again that fooling with the past is dangerous, Marty’s decision to buy Gray’s Sports Almanac was one of the greatest mistakes in pop culture history. Who really wants to live in Biff Tannen’s alternate 1985?

Someone Read The Latin - The Evil Dead Movies

This is the movie most people think of when you hear the phrase, “Don’t read the Latin.” The Evil Dead series has seen Ash (Bruce Campbell) and many others learn that lesson the hard way, as a Deadite plague tends to result after this grievous error. What did they think was going to happen when reading from a book bound by human flesh?

Iosef Tarasov’s Gang Kill John Wick’s Dog - John Wick

Iosef Tarasov (Alfie Allen) made two huge mistakes in the John Wick movies. The first was thinking that he could convince retired hitman John Wick to sell his 1969 Ford Mustang Boss 429. The second, and more costly mistake, was to kill John’s dog, Daisy. The criminal underworld still hasn’t recovered from the actions of that night, so yeah: we’re thinking that’s a bad decision.

Walter Donovan Chooses Poorly - Indiana Jones And The Last Crusade

Who did you honestly put your money on when it came to winning Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade’s game for the Holy Grail? A professor of archeology who has a similarly learned father, or an industrialist aiding the Nazis? If you bet on Walter Donavan (Julian Glover) winning the day, I think you know how the Grail Knight would comment on this particular choice.

Howard Ratner Can't Stop Winning - Uncut Gems

One has to wonder if A24 set up microphones during preview screenings of Uncut Gems if only to measure the decibel level of audience yelling. The moment when Howard Ratner (Adam Sandler) makes what would be his final bet had to have been one where people shouted at the screen in terror - which would have only been outdone by shock at the picture’s fatalistic ending.

General Ripper Starts A Nuclear War - Dr. Strangelove Or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb

If any of us normal people think something’s wrong with our bodies, we usually consult a specialist. But Dr. Strangelove’s General Jack D. Ripper (Sterling Hayden) isn’t quite normal, as he decided to initiate “nuclear combat toe-to-toe with the Russkies,” using only a paranoid hunch as his basis. If only the internet had been invented, so WebMD could have debunked his theories.

Icarus II Goes To Visit Icarus 1 - Sunshine

You can almost always count on a bad day in space if you’re the second expedition to venture out on a mission, and you suddenly discover the wreckage of the first. Sunshine’s Icarus II crew is put through the wringer after making the decision to visit the Icarus I. On the literal bright side, at least Capa (Cillian Murphy) saved the day, despite being the deciding vote that caused a chain reaction of deadly events.

Vincent Kapoor Tells Mark Watney His Messages Are On Live TV - The Martian

Never tell a rabble-rouser they’re on live TV, they’re just going to use the moment to misbehave. The Martian’s Vincent Kapoor (Chiwetel Ejiofor) did just that as NASA’s Director of Mars Missions, and it led to astronaut Mark Watney being so creative with his swearing his colleagues had to look it up. Which led to a double whammy of regret, as learning what those phrases meant was quite a shock.

Don Kisses His Wife - 28 Weeks Later

Ok 28 Weeks Later fans, which is the bigger mistake made by our good friend Don (Robert Carlyle): abandoning his wife Alice in the wake of an Infected attack, or kissing her without reservation as she’s in medical quarantine? That second choice seems to be the greater error, as while their reunion did patch up their marriage, the act of kissing and making up turned Don into a very special victim of the Rage Virus.

Dr. Alice Krippin Cures Cancer With Measles - I Am Legend

To be clear: curing cancer is not the poor decision that kicked off I Am Legend’s horrific apocalypse. Not to mention, the idea of Dr. Alice Krippin (Emma Thompson) to use genetically modified measles was a pretty clever twist to this medical marvel. But something suggests that there were not nearly enough human trials, as it only took three years to decimate humanity with the Krippin Virus.

Preston Reveals His Wife’s Secret - Tales From The Darkside: The Movie

Here’s a loophole you could argue until the gargoyles come home: if you confess to your wife a near-lethal encounter with such a creature of stone, but she turns out to be the cryptid in question, is it really breaking your vow not to tell the world? It sadly doesn’t matter as the Tales from the Darkside: The Movie segment “Lover’s Vow” sees James Remar’s struggling artist losing his life - as in this case, it technically counts.

Evelyn Reads From The Book Of The Dead - The Mummy (1999)

“No harm ever came from reading a book.” One of The Mummy’s funniest lines is also a statement that Egyptologist Evelyn Carnahan (Rachel Weisz) should have known not to make. Then again, could it really be that bad of a decision if it led to a rollicking adventure that ended up with her falling for the dreamy Rick O’Connell? Oh, let us think…YES!

Dr. King Schultz Won’t Shake Hands - Django Unchained

Yes, Calvin Candie is a despicable slave owner, and one could hope he’s burning in Hell. But at the same time, Django Unchained’s big bad was in a position where a simple handshake would have allowed Django (Jamie Foxx) and his rediscovered wife to escape happily. Unfortunately, mentor/moral compass Dr. King Schultz (Christoph Waltz) couldn’t bring himself to do so…at least, not without taking his foe out with a hidden pistol.

Tony Stark Creates Ultron - Avengers: Age Of Ultron

Could we please put some more safeguards on genius billionaire philanthropist playboys using artificial intelligence to save the world? Avengers: Age of Ultron almost ushered in the promise of that dangerous title, as vindictive creation Ultron (James Spader) snipped his strings and almost destroyed humanity. Worse: his antics indirectly led to the Sokovia Accords, a set of laws so restrictive, yet so useless that all they could really do was set up a couple of Marvel sequels.

Batman Severely Underestimates Bane - The Dark Knight Rises

Bane (Tom Hardy) is a physically imposing villain so buff, that your dimension’s version of Superman might think twice before beefing with him. Perhaps the Batman of The Dark Knight Rises should have called the Kryptonian boy scout before tangling with the man in the mask, as he could have saved himself a lot of trouble, and all of the medical expenses incurred from a broken back.

Logan Nelson Misreads John Kramer’s X-Rays - Jigsaw

Do you want Jigsaw? Because this is how you get Jigsaw! Careless medical examiner Logan Nelson (Matt Passmore) turned out to be the person who wronged John Kramer in the Saw franchise, which led to his place as one of the first victims turned apprentice to the criminal mastermind. As soon as Mr. Nelson made that mistake, one of the many movie retcon that confused us was born.

Daniel Hillard Creates Mrs. Doubtfire - Mrs. Doubtfire

Some people will create Scottish alter egos to avoid therapy. While Mrs. Doubtfire is still a bittersweet bundle of laughs, and though Robin Williams’ Daniel Hillard did create a fantastic children’s show host, Euphegenia’s creation should have never come from the need to see his kids. It’s kind of a case of the best intentions leading straight into legal hell, isn’t it?

Peter Parker Tries To Erase His Friend’s Memories - Spider-Man: No Way Home

If you’re a genius like Spider-Man: No Way Home’s Peter Parker (Tom Holland), you should probably know better than to bork up your request to a Sorcerer Supreme to erase that knowledge from everyone’s minds. This kid really is Tony Stark’s protege, isn’t he?

David Drayton Gets Impatient In The Apocalypse - The Mist

If David Drayton (Thomas Jane) had waited just five more minutes in The Mist, we may have seen a wildly different ending where everyone lives and learns a powerful lesson about the dangers of mob mentality. Alas, Frank Darabont’s adaptation of Stephen King’s iconic novella did teach us that lesson, but with much deadlier consequences.

Kay Takes Compound Z - Alien: Romulus

We’re not a bunch of medical experts here at CinemaBlend, and we’ll readily admit that. But 9 out of 10 writers would agree that if we were given the choice to take the sketchy and untested Compound Z, we’d pass it up. That didn’t stop Kay (Isabella Merced) in Alien: Romulus, and the results were as messy as you'd think.

Madeline Ashton Forgets To Ask About Potential Side Effects - Death Becomes Her

The first thing that Madeline Ashton (Meryl Streep) could think to ask after being propositioned with eternal youth is “How much is it?” But what she should have asked is “What are the side effects,” as Death Becomes Her sees the “fading actress” panicking after she drinks the mysterious glowing pink liquid that makes it possible. Oops.

Fuller And Lewis Get Flirty With Rusty Nail - Joy Ride

You never know who’s on the other end of a CB radio. While it’s an antiquated form of communication, it didn’t stop brothers Fuller (Steve Zahn) and Lewis (Paul Walker) from having some fun with a random trucker with the handle of “Rusty Nail” in Joy Ride. What began as a flirty prank turned into a game of death…so don’t forget to screen your calls, and watch who you lead on.

The Daltons Turn Back For Hoppy - Speak No Evil

Kids. At some point, they have to grow up, and we’d like to think that the events of the horror remake Speak No Evil helped young Agnes Dalton (Alix West Lefler) get wise pretty quickly. Her family was free and clear from the murderers trying to adopt her for their own, but since she convinced them to turn back for her stuffed rabbit Hoppy, salvation was delayed throughout a long, awkward night.

Paul Hackett Goes On A Date - After Hours

Who says Martin Scorsese doesn’t have a sense of humor? 1985’s After Hours saw the legendary director land one of the best dark comedies of history, thanks to the film putting poor office worker Paul Hackett (Griffin Dunne) through the night from hell. And it’s all thanks to a blind date, which leads to a tragic death, which only spirals further into a nightmarish farce across New York City.

Harry And Lloyd Get Involved In A Kidnapping - Dumb And Dumber

No one would mistake Harry (Jeff Daniels) and Lloyd (Jim Carrey) for being the most brilliant minds of any time. However, Lloyd’s love-sick quest to chase the woman he loves leads Dumb and Dumber’s dynamic duo into a dance with death. Stumbling into the kidnapping of a wealthy businessman, it never becomes a concern until Lloyd realizes the girl of his dreams happens to be that man’s wife.

Marty Bryce Goes Out For Pizza - Sneakers

Chance led to young Marty Bishop (Gary Hershberger) going out to pick up pizza for himself and his dear friend Cosmo (Jo Marr). If only Cos didn’t use his magic trick to force his friend to leave for dinner, he might have had a chance to save his friend from prison, and an eventual grudge.

General Brewster Activates Skynet - Terminator 3: Rise Of The Machines

Artificial intelligence is dangerous, kids. But you have to give Skynet credit, as it used a computer virus to trick Lieutenant General Robert Brewster (David Andrews) into giving it full control of the United States’ weapons apparatus. And that is why Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines ends with the most shocking ending of the series, as Judgement Day is allowed to happen because the U.S. government wouldn’t spring for a Norton subscription.

Eli Sunday Begs For Help From Daniel Plainview - There Will Be Blood

Eli Sunday (Paul Dano) and Daniel Plainview (Daniel Day-Lewis) are a pair of foes for the ages. So when There Will Be Blood sees the young preacher begging his oil tycoon rival for financial help, the result is a monologue we could still quote by heart - and a fatal encounter with a bowling pin.

One of the joys of the Marvel Multiverse is the fact that almost anyone can come back, even if they have been transported back through time (Captain America), shipped to the farthest side of the galaxy (Hulk), or killed (Iron Man). With the scheduling of the upcoming Marvel movies Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars, I anticipate all sorts of surprises related to former Marvel heroes and villains making their return, especially after we got news that Chris Evans would return to the MCU. Well… return again, after his appearance as Johnny Storm in Deadpool and Wolverine. Given the freedom that Marvel has with these characters, I hope they correct one mistake that seems to be playfully eating at Aaron Taylor-Johnson.

The Kick-Ass star is about to burst onto the big screen as the Spider-Man villain Kraven the Hunter, though that’s a Sony picture that’s disconnected from the MCU. Still, while speaking with IMDB about his past superhero roles, Taylor-Johnson talked about playing Quicksilver, the speedster, in Avengers: Age of Ultron. As most of you probably know, Taylor-Johnson’s Quicksilver was killed off in Age of Ultron, and the character was brought back in WandaVision, available to Marvel fans who have a Disney+ subscription. Only, it was the Evan Peters version of the character, the one that we know best from the X-Men universe. Confusing!

Speaking on the switch, Aaron Taylor-Johnson jokingly quipped:

The joke is leveled at the fact that when Scarlet Witch resurrected her brother in a key scene in WandaVision, the Pietro that we met was Evan Peters’ version from the Fox X-Men movies. It was played for laughs, and was made even more unusual by the fact that Taylor-Johnson and Peters shared the screen in Kick-Ass at an early stage in their careers. When asked by IMDB if he’s ever spoken with his old co-star about their Quicksilver connection, Taylor-Johnson explained:

But if I’m being honest, I think that Aaron Taylor-Johnson deserves a proper return to the MCU. Quicksilver isn’t necessarily a founding member of The Avengers, though he has been part of the tema long enough that he didn’t deserve to die off in Avengers: Age of Ultron, and definitely shouldn’t have been the but of a joke in a few Disney+ shows. I say “a few” because Evan Peters appeared in Agatha All Along as the “resurrected” Quicksilver, and continued to play the material rather broadly.

It’s time to put more respect on the Quicksilver name. It’s time to bring Aaron Taylor-Johnson back into the MCU, potentially in Avengers: Doomsday, or Avengers: Secret Wars. They are being set up to be the be-all-and-end-all of superhero team up movies. And I don’t expect Taylor-Johnson to be playing Kraven beyond this initial movie. What do you guys think? Did you see this possible return to the MCU coming?

Everybody makes mistakes but that fact does not make it any less frustrating when a character in a movie makes a blunder. Sometimes, the person we are supposed to be rooting for does something that makes us more furious than anything the bad guy is responsible for. See what we mean by reliving these moments that made heroes the accidental villains of their own stories.

Superman II (Clark Gives Up His Powers)

In 1980's Superman II, Clark Kent (Christopher Reeve) believes he can only have a normal life with Lois Lane (Margot Kidder) by becoming human, which he achieves by entering a device at the fortress of solitude. Soon after, he realizes the error of this decision when General Zod (Terrence Stamp) and his allies take over the White House.

Star Wars: Episode II - Attack Of The Clones (The Jedi Council Hires Anakin To Protect Padme)

In the second Star Wars movie (in chronological order), when Padmé Amidala's (Natalie Portman) life is threatened, the Jedi Council chooses none other than trainee Anakin Skywalker to be her bodyguard. They should have known better, given his obvious emotional connection to her, which would eventually lead to a forbidden affair and marriage. Silver lining: the birth of Luke and Leia in the next movie.

Inglourious Basterds (Lt. Hicox Flashes The American Three)

One of the most intense moments from one of Quentin Tarantino's best movies, 2009's Inglourious Basterds, sees a disguised Lt. Archie Hicox (Michael Fassbender) accidentally reveal to Major Hellstrom (August Diehl) that he is not German by merely holding up the wrong fingers when asking the bar for three drinks. Perhaps this one is really on the British Army for not teaching him that the German Three is made up of the thumb, index, and middle finger but who could have known when that would come in handy?

Avengers: Age Of Ultron (Tony Stark Creates Ultron)

Wanting to create a "suit of armor for the entire world," Tony "Iron Man" Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) teams with Bruce "Hulk" Banner (Mark Ruffalo) to develop a powerful computer program that could do their work for them. Little did he know that this creation would become the eponymous villain of 2015's Avengers: Age of Ultron (voiced by James Spader), providing another cautionary lesson against relying on AI.

Scream (Sydney Runs Upstairs Away From Ghostface)

Minutes after condemning the slasher movie trope of women running upstairs from the killer instead of out the front door, Sydney Prescott (Neve Campbell) does the same exact thing after Ghostface first attacks her. The star of the Scream movies is still one of our favorite horror final girls but it almost makes you wonder how she manages to survive as long as she would with a blemish like that on her track record.

Prometheus (Meredith Vickers Runs From A Rolling Spacecraft In A Straight Line)

Ridley Scott's 2012 Alien prequel, Prometheus, is one of the most divisive sci-fi movies ever made but even its strongest supporters cannot argue against one character's uproarious miscalculation. Why Meredith Vickers (Charlize Theron) does not choose to easily run out of the way of the alien spaceship rolling toward her and, instead, keep running straight until it crushes her is a mystery that may remain unsolved.

Guardians Of The Galaxy (Drax Summons Ronan)

In 2014's Guardians of the Galaxy, a few drinks make Drax the Destroyer (Dave Bautista) confident enough to fight Ronan the Accuser (Lee Pace) himself, so he sends the tyrant to his current location. As a result, he gets his butt handed to him and Ronan gets away with The Power Stone.

Shrek Forever After (Shrek Makes A Deal With Rumpelstiltskin)

If there is one downside to Shrek (Mike Myers) finding love with Fiona (Cameron Diaz), she may have made him more willing to let his guard down a bit, potentially leading to his disastrous decision in 2010's Shrek Forever After. His nostalgia for his swamp-dwelling days clouds the ogre's judgment when speaking with Rumpelstiltskin (Walt Dohrn), who convinces him to wish himself into an alternate reality where the trickster rules Far Far Away.

Bee Movie (Barry Sues Humanity)

Writer Jerry Seinfeld's Bee Movie stars the comedian as an insect named Barry B. Benson, who becomes angry at humans profiting off of their honey and seeks legal action. He succeeds and bees no longer work in favor of the human race but it ends up causing an environmental disaster.

Avengers: Infinity War (Star-Lord Punches Thanos)

By putting Thanos (Josh Brolin) under Mantis' (Pom Klementieef's) trance, Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.), Peter Parker (Tom Holland), and the remaining Guardians come super close to removing the Infinity Gauntlet from his hand. However, Peter "Star-Lord" Quill (Chris Pratt) learns that the Titan killed Gamora and punches Thanos in anger, breaking the trance and allowing him to get away. This is one moment from 2018's Avengers: Infinity War that understandably prevents some fans from calling it one of the best Marvel movies.

The Descent (Juno Chooses An Unmapped Cave To Explore)

We are not sure if we can count Juno (Natalie Mendoza) as a hero of 2005's The Descent, due to the idiotic stunt she pulls in the otherwise great horror movie. Her friends learn that she chose an unexplored cavern for their spelunking trip only after they get trapped inside with man-eating, nocturnal mutants.

Hancock (Hancock Fights Mary)

It is revealed in Hancock that Will Smith's eponymous superhuman gets weaker the longer he stays in contact with Mary Embrey (Charlize Theron), who turns out to be part of his kind, too. That does not stop him from engaging in a cataclysmic fight with her near the end of the superhero movie not based on a comic book from 2008.

The Blair Witch Project (Mike Throws The Map In The River)

It is not unusual for horror movie characters to make questionable decisions but when Mike (Michael C. Williams) tosses the map to the Black Hills Forest in The Blair Witch Project is simply unforgivable. He argues in the 1999 found footage thriller that the map was ultimately useless, and he may have been right, but discarding the one chance you may have of reaching safety is never the right move.

Skyfall (Q Connects Silva's Computer To MI6's Mainframe)

There is a reason they say you should go through IT before you investigate a suspicious piece of equipment at the office yourself and Q (Ben Whishaw) demonstrates why in 2012's Skyfall. Perhaps the older version of the tech wizard from previous James Bond movies would have been smarter about hooking up Silva's (Javier Bardem) laptop to MI6's main system, which causes the organization to lose control of their tech to the villain.

Army Of Darkness (Ash Speaks The Wrong Incantation)

Bruce Campbell's Ash Williams becomes increasingly dumber in each of the Evil Dead movies, leading up to his absolute worst mistake while trapped in the Middle Ages in 1992's Army of Darkness. He does not even bother to properly memorize a set of words that will take him back to modern times when he finds the Necronomicon and, in attempting to fake his way through it, ends up unleashing more evil forces.

The Big Lebowski (Walter Destroys A Stranger’s Car)

Suspecting that teenage Larry Sellers used stolen ransom money to purchase a hot Corvette, Walter Sobchak (John Goodman) smashes it repeatedly with a crowbar, only to discover it belongs to Larry's angry neighbor. It is easily one of the funniest moments from one of the best movies of the 1990s, The Big Lebowski, but also makes us sad for The Dude (Jeff Bridges) that he is best friends with such an impulse-driven dolt.

Jeepers Creepers (Darry Tries To See Into The Creeper's Pipe)

In Jeepers Creepers, witnessing the Creeper (Jonathan Breck) shoving dead bodies down a large pipe sticking out of the ground, Darry (Justin Long) tries to investigate by looking down the pipe himself but ends up sliding right into the killer's lair. If only he had listened to his sister, Trish's (Gina Philips), meta warning: "You know the part in scary movies when somebody does something really stupid, and everybody hates them for it? This is it."

The Flash (Batman Sacrifices Himself To Destroy Zod's Ship)

While Michael Keaton's return as Batman in 2023's The Flash was awesome, one not-so-stellar moment sees him attempting to save the day by crashing the Batwing into Zod's ship. Unfortunately, the otherwise valiant effort caused very little damage to the craft and only the Dark Knight fatally succumbed to the crash.

Moana (Maui Steals The Heart Of Te Fiti)

The opening scene of the modern Disney animated movie classic, 2016's Moana, explains how Maui (Dwayne Johnson) stole and misplaced the heart of Te Fiti, which he insists was for humanity's benefit. It is not until he meets the title character (voiced by Auliʻi Cravalho) that he realizes that the artifact's absence caused damage to the Hawaiian Islands and their locals.

Jumanji (Peter Tries To Cheat The Game)

In the original 1995 adaptation of Chris Van Allsburg's children's book, Jumanji, Peter (Bradley Pierce) tries to end the wild board game's reign of terror by dropping the dice at the right number to finish. Unfortunately, the game knows better and punishes him for trying to beat it by reverting the evolutionary process, turning him into a monkey.

Iron Man 3 (Tony Stark Gives The Mandarin His Address)

One of the major issues fans have with Iron Man 3 is Tony Stark's (Robert Downey Jr.) rash decision to challenge The Mandarin to a one-on-one duel, going as far as revealing where he lives on a video recorded by a press member. Well, the fearsome terrorist clearly got the message, based on the violent attack on Stark's home, which forced him to jump ship and get stuck in Tennessee.

Paranormal Activity (Micah Breaks Out A Ouija Board)

If we were to make a list of the worst significant others in horror movie history, there would definitely be a place for Micah (Micah Sloat) from the first Paranormal Activity movie, released in 2009. Exhibit A: after a medium warns against using a Ouija board, as that would make his and Katie's (Katie Featherston) haunting situation much worse, Micah decides to bring one into the house and makes their haunting situation much worse.

Sleeping Beauty (Flora And Merryweather Fight Over Aurora's Dress Color)

In 1959's Sleeping Beauty, Aurora's fairy guardians want to make a dress just for her but Flora wants it to be pink and Merryweather is dead set on making it blue. Despite being advised not to, they use magic to change the dress' color over and over, which ends up alerting Maleficient of their location and putting Aurora in danger.

Evil Dead (Eric Reads From The Necronomicon)

Fede Alvarez's Evil Dead is considered one of the best horror movie remakes of its time but is certainly not without its flaws. In fact, the demonic carnage is caused when Eric (Lou Taylor Pucci), for no reason at all, reads aloud from the Necronomicon, ignoring blatant warnings written into the flesh-bound, blood-inked book to leave it alone.

Deadpool (Wade Leaves His Ammo Bag Behind)

Twice in the 2016's Deadpool does the Merc with the Mouth (Ryan Reynolds) leave behind a huge duffle bag full of weaponry that certainly would have really come in handy against his foes. Instead, he is forced to rely on "maximum effort"... and his immortality, of course.

Spider-Man: Far From Home (Peter Gives Mysterio E.D.I.T.H.)

In 2019's Spider-Man: Far From Home, feeling that he has found a trusted friend in Quentin "Mysterio" Beck (Jake Gyllenhaal), Peter Parker (Tom Holland) decides to give him full control of E.D.I.T.H. – an augmented reality security, defense, and artificial tactical intelligence system designed by Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.). Unfortunately, that is exactly what the disgruntled former Stark Industries employee wanted him to do, planning to use it to launch an attack on London.

Annabelle Comes Home (Daniela Explores The Warrens' Artifact Room Alone)

Whether or not you believe in the stories behind the Conjuring Universe movies, we imagine no one wants to be caught dead where Ed and Lorraine Warren keep their collection of haunted heirlooms. However, Daniela (Katie Sarife) braves the forbidden room in hopes of making contact with her late father but ends up unleashing the demon that possesses the eponymous doll in Annabelle Comes Home.

Batman V Superman: Dawn Of Justice (Clark Fails To Properly Explain His Situation To Bruce)

In the moments leading to the climactic battle of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, Clark Kent (Henry Cavill) takes way too long to explain to Bruce Wayne (Ben Affleck) that Lex Luthor (Jesse Eisenberg) is holding his mother (Diane Lane) captive and, instead, resorts to doing exactly what the evil billionaire wants him to do and fight the Dark Knight. When he finally gives an explanation, with Batman seconds away from killing him with a Kryptonite spear, he says, "Save Martha," instead of the more matter-of-fact, "Lex is going to kill my mom."

The Marvels (Carol Destroys The Supreme Intelligence)

In The Marvels, Carol Danvers (Brie Larson) is forced to work with Monica Rambeau (Teyonah Parris) and Kamala Khan (Iman Vellani) after their powers become linked but the hero otherwise known as Captain Marvel is reluctant to rope her friends into the battle against Dar-Benn (Zawe Ashton). This is because she is personally responsible for their enemy's vengeful motivation, having created a Civil War among the Kree after destroying their A.I. leader.

Fantastic Four (Reed And Others Test Their Teleportation Device While Inebriated)

The 2015 Fantastic Four adaptation was widely disliked for a multitude of reasons, including the dumb decision that leads to the four main characters gaining their superpowers. After a few too many drinks, the designers of a groundbreaking teleportation device decide to test it out themselves, changing their lives forever.

Thor: Ragnarok (Loki Summons The Bifrost To Escape Hela)

In 2017's Thor: Ragnarok, when he and the God of Thunder (Chris Hemsworth) are confronted by their sister, Hela (Cate Blanchett), Loki (Tom Hiddleston) tries to make a quick getaway with the Bifrost. It may have seemed like a good idea at the time but Hela ends up chasing after them, ultimately leading her right to Asgard while the half-brothers get stranded on Sakaar.

Austin Powers: International Man Of Mystery (Austin Keeps The Receipt For His Special Pump)

In the spy movie parody, Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery, when the titular agent (Mike Myers) is collecting the belongings he left behind before being cryogenically frozen, he claims that a certain special, Swedish-made pump does not belong to him. However, a credit card receipt for the item, a warranty slip with his name on it, and a book about his experiences using the product found with his stuff prove otherwise.

Steve Rogers, a.k.a. Captain America, was already a relatively well-known superhero before the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but there’s no question that Chris Evans’ portrayal of the character boosted his profile significantly to global audiences. And much like how the funniest Tony Stark quotes have been chronicled, there are some great quotes from Evans’ Steve that can be heard when going through the Marvel movies in order. Below are the 32 best ones, some of which go hand in hand with Steve’s best moments in the MCU, too.

“I could do this all day.”

If any of the quotes on this list summarize Steve Rogers’ character, it’s this one. First uttered by a pre-Super Soldier Serum Steve in Captain America: The First Avenger when he was getting beat up in an alley, and then brought back in Captain America: Civil War, it exemplifies his unwillingness to back down in the face of adversity.

"On your left."

At the beginning of Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Sam Wilson met Steve Rogers when Captain America himself kept running ridiculously fast laps around the future Falcon. Each time, he said “On your left,” and it was a memorable enough line that Sam got to say it himself in Avengers: Endgame’s portal sequence.

“I understood that reference.”

Steve Rogers went on ice in 1945 and woke up in 2011, meaning there were almost 70 years' worth of historical and pop culture references that he had no idea about. However, when Nick Fury mentioned in The Avengers that Loki was controlling people like “flying monkeys,” which confused Thor, Steve immediately got that reference, having seen The Wizard of Oz in 1939. This quote gets extra points for being a popular meme online.

"Before we get started, does anyone want to get out?"

After meeting with Alexander Pierce and deciding not to share the flash drive he’d gotten from Nick Fury, Steve Rogers was ambushed by STRIKE agents in an elevator at the Triskelion. Realizing something was amiss as more agents entered the confined space, he gave them one chance to back out before promptly beating them up, including Brock Rumlow, the future Crossbones.

“Language!”

By the time Avengers: Age of Ultron rolled around, Steve Rogers had been unfrozen for several years and had gotten relatively used to living in contemporary times. Still, some 1940s habits are hard to break, so when Tony Stark exclaimed, “Shit!” when he accidentally ran into a force field, Steve said, “Language!” He was given grief about that for the rest of the movie.

"I know we're not perfect, but the safest hands are still our own."

Captain America: Civil War saw the Avengers and other heroes clash over their differing views on the Sokovia Accords. Tony Stark felt international oversight was something worth supporting, but Steve was firmly opposed to the legislation, arguing that it was still the better choice for superheroes to operate unrestricted.

"Avengers! Assemble."

The Avengers may have formed in 2012, but audiences had to wait another seven years to hear the Mjolnir-wielding Steve Rogers shout out the rallying cry for Earth’s Mightiest Heroes from the comics. That wait was worth it though, because it came as the Avengers, Guardians of the Galaxy and all their allies came together to battle Thanos and his forces.

“I don't want to kill anyone. I don't like bullies; I don't care where they're from.”

The physically frail Steve Rogers tried his hardest to enlist during World War II, but it wasn’t until he met Dr. Abraham Erskine that he finally got his shot. When the German scientist asked Steve if he wanted to go to Europe to kill Nazis, he gave the above answer, which made Erskine think more highly of him.

“Every time someone tries to win a war before it starts, innocent people die. Every time.”

Tony Stark may not have intended for Ultron to become sentient and kill everyone on Earth, but his and Bruce Banner’s goal to create suits of armor around the world to protect humanity definitely backfired. Steve said this quote after ripping a log piece in half in frustration over Tony’s motives, and it served as effective foreshadowing for Captain America: Civil War.

“Oh God.”

Two simple words, and yet they perfectly encapsulated what those who survived Thanos’ snap were feeling when they realized he’d won and made half of all life in the universe disappear. Falling to the ground, Steve could barely keep it together at the end of Avengers: Infinity War as he grappled with what just happened.

"No. No, I don't think I will."

After returning the Infinity Stones to their respective timelines, Steve Rogers decided to live a life with Peggy Carter in the past. The 112-year-old Steve described this life as “beautiful” to Sam Wilson went he returned to his original timeline’s present day to give his old friend a different version of his Captain America shield. And yet, when Sam noticed the wedding ring on Steve’s finger and inquired about it, the elderly man opted not to share.

“You know, the last time I was in Germany and saw a man standing above everybody else, we ended up disagreeing.”

Steve Rogers was the first superhero to show up at Stuttgart, where Loki had forced a group of humans from a gala to kneel before him. Steve saved an old man who’d stood up (figuratively and literally) to Loki, and then compared the Asgardian God of Mischief to Adolf Hitler.

"This isn't freedom, this is fear."

It wasn’t just missing out on decades of history and pop culture, as well most of the people he knew back in World War II having died, that Steve struggled with early on in the MCU. There were also changing values, as evidenced by his reaction when Nick Fury revealed Project Insight to him. In Steve’s mind, having three Helicarriers take out threats preemptively was not something that would be good for the public.

“You get hurt, hurt them back. You get killed... walk it off."

When the Avengers showed up in Sokovia to stop Ultron, Steve Rogers did these words to get everyone pumped up, as humanity itself was at stake. They emerged victorious in the end, although sadly, Quicksilver died in the process and was not able to walk it off.

“If I see a situation pointed south, I can't ignore it. Sometimes I wish I could.”

Similar to Steve saying, “I can do this all day,” this quote demonstrates how far Steve Rogers will go to stand up to adversity and do what he thinks is the right thing. He said this while talking with Tony Stark in Captain America: Civil War and explaining his rationale for opposing the Sokovia Accords. However, he then acknowledged that he doesn’t actually wish he could ignore such situations.

“… Take it from a guy who's been frozen for 65 years... the only way to really be cool is to follow the rules.”

Steve Rogers made amusing cameos throughout Spider-Man: Homecoming through a series of PSAs for high school students that were filmed sometime after the events of The Avengers. These cheesy and punny lines, the above being perhaps the biggest offender, were made all the funnier by the fact that at this point in the MCU timeline, Steve was a fugitive from the law.

“And Hulk? Smash!”

When the Avengers finally came together for the first time as a team, Steve Rogers issued orders for his teammates so they could more effectively combat Loki’s Chitauri army. But Steve wisely decided to not give Hulk anything complicated to carry out, instead just telling the green behemoth to do what he does best.

"... The price of freedom is high. It always has been. And it's a price I'm willing to pay."

Steve said these inspiring words as part of his speech to all the S.H.I.E.L.D. employees at the Triskelion who had no idea that their ranks had been infiltrated by HYDRA since the beginning. It paid off, as agents like Sharon Carter rebelled against STRIKE and all the other HYDRA operatives who’d made their true allegiances known.

"I keep telling everybody they should move on and grow. Some do. But not us."

Those who were left alive by Thanos’ snap were traumatized, and five years after this genocide, those on Earth were barely coping with how life changed in an instant. When Steve met with Natasha Romanoff at the Avengers Compound, he acknowledged that he hasn’t been following his own advice, and that the two of them have stayed stuck.

“… I had a date.”

When Nick Fury and his people caught back up with Steve Rogers after he broke out of confinement and took his first steps into contemporary times, the one-eyed spy informed the super soldier that he’d been asleep for almost 70 years. Remembering his last words to Peggy Carter before he went on ice, Steve was disappointed that he hadn’t been able to keep their appointment.

"I'm not looking for forgiveness. And I'm way past asking for permission. Earth just lost their best defender. So we're here to fight. If you wanna stay in our way... we'll fight you, too."

Steve Rogers may have spent the two years between Captain America: Civil War and Avengers: Infinity War as a fugitive from the law, but he was still fighting for what he believed was right. So when Thunderbolt Ross accused him of acting as those all were forgiven for what went down in Civil War just because aliens had invaded, Steve told him this.

“My faith's in people, I guess. Individuals. And I'm happy to say that, for the most part, they haven't let me down. Which is why I can't let them down either.”

Things didn’t end well between Tony Stark and Steve Rogers in Captain America: Civil War, but that didn’t stop the former from trying to make peace with the latter by the end. Steve left Tony a note that included this assessment of himself, an apology for hiding the truth about Bucky Barnes killing his parents, and a flip phone that Tony could use in case he ever needed help.

"When I went under, the world was at war. I wake up, they say we won. They didn't say what we lost."

Steve Rogers was still very much a man out of time when The Avengers began, but he’d done a fair amount of research about what happened during his time being frozen. As he learned the Allies won World War II, but he also wondered at what cost that was reflected in contemporary society, as he told Nick Fury.

“For as long as I can remember, I just wanted to do what was right. I guess I'm not quite sure what that is anymore. And I thought I could throw myself back in: follow orders, serve. It's just not the same."

When Steve wanted to serve in World War II, it was to do his part in a conflict that had a distinct line between good and evil. But during the time of Captain America: The Winter Soldier, that line was no longer as clear cut, and while he was visiting with the elderly Peggy Carter, he reflected on how being a soldier from his original time period didn’t feel the same anymore.

“I knocked out Adolph Hitler over 200 times.”

After Abraham Erskine was shot and the original Super Soldier Serum formula was lost, Senator Brandt decided Steve would be put to better use as a propaganda figure, specifically for a stage show to promote war bonds during World War II. This show involved him “punching” Adolf Hitler, so technically he could count that as an accomplishment to mention before he infiltrated Red Skull’s base.

"Let's go get this son of a bitch."

Steve cursed towards the end of Avengers: Age of Ultron when he called Nick Fury a “son of a bitch,” obviously harkening back to the “Language!” moment. But this instance of cursing hit way harder, as Steve said the above after he and the remaining Avengers discovered Thanos’ location, with the Avengers: Endgame title card following immediately afterward.

“Ultron thinks we're monsters. That we're what's wrong with the world. This isn't just about beating him. It's about whether he's right.”

It didn’t take long for Ultron to decide after gaining sentience that all of life on Earth needed to be eliminated in order for there to be peace. Naturally, the Avengers had to stop the robotic menace, but Steve also felt it was important for him and his teammates to prove that humanity wasn’t as despicable as Ultron claimed.

"This job... we try to save as many people as we can. Sometimes that doesn't mean everybody. But if we can't find a way to live with that, next time... maybe nobody gets saved."

Wanda Maximoff tried her best to get the soon-to-explode Crossbones away from civilians in Lagos during Captain America: Civil War, but the blast still hit a nearby building and killed some Wakandan humanitarian workers. Wanda took this hard, and Steve tried his best to comfort her, which included saying the above to her.

“I am Steve Rogers.”

When Thor returned to Earth to aid in fighting Thanos’ forces in Wakanda, he brought with him Rocket and Root. The latter said his standard three words when the God of Thunder introduced him to Steve Rogers, and Steve responded by sharing his own name, unaware that “I am Groot” is literally the only thing the sentient tree can say.

"We lost. All of us. We lost friends. We lost family. We lost a part of ourselves. Today, we have a chance to take it all back."

Once Earth’s Mightiest Heroes figured out time travel in Avengers: Endgame, they formed teams for the Time Heist, where they would retrieve alternate timeline versions of the Time Stone to undo the effects of Thanos’ snap. Before they headed off to their respective missions, Steve Rogers kicked off his inspirational speech with these words and capped off with how they were “going to win. Whatever it takes.”

“There's only one God, ma'am, and I'm pretty sure he doesn't dress like that.”

Steve took the arrival of Thor on Earth during The Avengers pretty well. After the Odinson snatched Loki and Tony Stark flew after them, the first Captain America took it upon himself to follow after them. When Black Widow advised him to stay on the sidelines since Thor and Loki were “basically gods,” he countered that they were far from he considered to be the real deal.

"That was not my first kiss since 1945. I'm 95, not dead."

When Steve Rogers and Natasha Romanoff were trying to avoid being noticed by Brock Rumlow and the STRIKE team while being discreet inside a mall, the latter took it upon herself to kiss the former so that their faces would be hidden as Rumlow passed by. Later on, when Natasha inquired about if this was his first kiss since he went on ice, Steve denied that, although he didn’t share any further details.

As one goes through the Marvel movies in order, whether it’s with their physical/digital copies or by streaming them with a Disney+ subscription, one big truth becomes apparent above all others: Tony Stark is a funny guy. Ok, so maybe that’s not the most important takeaway from this franchise, but Robert Downey Jr. definitely got to deliver a lot of the MCU’s most humorous lines while he brought the superhero known as Iron Man to life. These are the 32 of the funniest ones.

“I don't want to see this on your MySpace page. Please no gang signs. No, throw it up, I’m kidding”

Tony Stark said this to a soldier who asked for a picture with him early on into Iron Man, joking around when the guy flashes the peace symbol for the shit. It’s a nice moment of lightheartedness before the convoy is attacked and the future superhero is kidnapped by terrorists.

“That man is playing Galaga! Thought we wouldn't notice. But we did.”

While aboard the Helicarrier during The Avengers speaking with Nuck Fury and most of the other starring characters, Tony calls out a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent for playing a classic video game during his work time. Later on, we see that Tony was indeed telling the truth rather than just dropping one of his classic quips.

“I loved you in A Christmas Story, by the way.”

Tony Stark and James Rhodes’ conversation in that restaurant early into Iron Man 3 is a serious affair for the most part, as he learns more about the attacks on the United States and suffers a panic attack. In a brief moment of levity, though, he observed that a little kid asking for an autograph with his sister resembled Ralphie from the 1983 holiday classic.

“That's not a hug, I'm just grabbing the door for you.”

Tony Stark may have recruited Peter Parker to help him out during Captain America: Civil War, but they didn’t become close right off the bat. Sure, Tony was generous enough to let Peter keep his high-tech Spider-Man suit, but they weren’t on hugging terms yet, as evidenced when Tony said this to Peter in his car early on in Spider-Man: Homecoming.

“Honestly, until this exact second, I thought you were a Build-a-Bear.”

Tony Stark was near death when Captain Marvel found him and Nebula a few weeks during the beginning of Avengers: Endgame, so the beginning of his recovery back on Earth obviously shouldn’t be humorous. However, one funny line is snuck in when Tony has the above reaction upon hearing Rocket speak for the first time.

“That means get lost, Squidward!”

When Ebony Maw and Cull Obsidian showed up on Earth to seize the Time Stone from Doctor Strange in Avengers: Infinity War, the Master of the Mystic Arts told them they were trespassing on New York City and Earth. Tony translated that by referring to Maw as the popular SpongeBob Squarepants character, and admittedly, there is a resemblance.

“I’m not a joiner, but I’ll consider Secretary of Defense if you ask nice.”

After Rhodey had to read a specific selection from his report about the Iron Man armor that painted Tony Stark in a bad light, he then tried to play some damage control during Iron Man 2’s congressional hearing by noting how the benefits of the armor outweighed the liabilities, even suggesting Tony be folded into “the existing chain of command.” Cue Tony’s wisecrack about his preferred Cabinet position.

“Manchurian Candidate, you're killing me. We're on a truce. Put the gun down.”

That’s what Tony said to Bucky Barnes when the latter pointed his rifle at the former, surprised that their pro-Sokovian Accords adversary had tracked him and Steve Rogers down to the HYDRA Siberian facility. It’s too bad that the truce didn’t last long after Tony found out Winter Soldier killed his parents.

“Drop your socks and grab your crocs, we're about to get wet on this ride.”

Even though Tony said this while flying through a fountain on the Stark Expo grounds to avoid being gunned down by Justin Hammer’s drones and Rhodey in his War Machine armor, which were all hijacked by Ivan Vanko, this was still a random thing for him to blurt out. Its unexpectedness, however, ironically makes it all the funnier.

“Wait a second. Is no one going to comment that Cap just said ‘Language’?”

At the beginning of Avengers: Age of Ultron when Earth’s Mightiest Heroes are fighting Baron Strucker’s HYDRA cell, Tony hits the invisible force field covering the terrorist base and exclaims a swear. Steve Rogers, a product of the 1940s, couldn’t help but blurt out his issue with the curse word, but since this took place in the 2010s, Tony of course had to give him grief for it.

“Your work on anti-electron collisions is unparalleled. And I'm a huge fan of the way you lose control and turn into an enormous green rage monster.”

How do you praise Bruce Banner for both his scientific work and his ability to turn into The Hulk? Just say what Tony Stark did above. Ok, maybe use a bit more tact, but Bruce didn’t seem too taken aback by the comment.

“Let's face it, this is not the worst thing you've caught me doing.”

Pepper Potts discovered Tony was Iron Man in his first movie when she found one of his machines awkwardly removing his armor following his mission to Gulmira. I don’t fault him for trying to break the tension with some innuendo, but obviously it failed to hit.

“Wong, you’re invited to my wedding.”

Tony Stark and Wong had only just met when they were forced to team up against Ebony Maw and Cull Obsidian alongside Doctor Strange and Spider-Man. But you can count on Wong to have one’s back, as evidenced when he sent Obsidian through a portal before he could land a blow, leading Tony to invite him to his impending nuptials.

“… Which happens, dads leave, no need to be a pussy about it.”

You’d think Tony would be more compassionate towards a kid telling him that his dad abandoned his family six years earlier, especially since Harley was allowing him to hide in his shed while on the run. Instead, and frankly keeping in character, he brushes aside that piece of information and instead requests various items to help him fix his armor.

“If you douse me again, and I'm not on fire, I'm donating you to a city college.”

There were a pair of arm robots named Dum-E and Dum-U that were used in his workshop during the Iron Man movies, though they weren’t exactly the smartest machines. Dum-E in particular was a little too trigger-happy with the fire extinguisher while Tony was testing his Mark II armor, resulting in him making this threat.

“Mr. Stark displays textbook... narcissism... Agreed.”

Tony Stark may have emerged victorious at the end of Iron Man 2, but the events of the movie led to Nick Fury deciding that while the Iron Man armor was worthy of being part of the Avengers Initiative, Tony himself was not. That narcissism was just one of the reasons for this, but at least Tony had the self-awareness to recognize this was an accurate assessment.

“Uh, Shakespeare in the park? Doth mother know you weareth her drapes?”

Thor and Tony didn’t get off to the best of starts when they met in The Avengers, with the former forcefully seizing Loki back from the latter and the wholesome Captain America. When Tony caught back up and retaliated against Thor in kind, the God of Thunder warned him he didn’t know what he was dealing with, leading Iron Man to amusingly speculate it was something Shakespearean.

“Dude, you're embarrassing me in front of the wizards.”

Although Tony was obviously glad to see Bruce back in Avengers: Infinity War, he was irritated not long afterward when his fellow Avenger failed to transform into The Hulk as Ebony Maw and Cull Obsidian were approaching. The Green Goliath wouldn’t emerge again for the rest of that movie, and by Avengers: Endgame, Bruce merged his two selves together to create Smart Hulk.

“Oh, you would love her. Very practical. Only a tiny bit sadistic.”

After Thanos used the Infinity Stones at the end of Infinity War, Tony and Nebula were the only heroes left standing on Titan. They fixed the Guardians of the Galaxy’s ship as best they could and attempted to reach Earth. During the trip, Tony recorded a message for Pepper Potts and described Nebula to her as seen above.

“Yeah, I’d say most countries 5, 10 years away, Hammer Industries, 20.”

There was concern from the United States government during Iron Man 2 that other countries could replicate the Iron Man suit for their own purposes. So Tony decided to commandeer the screens at the Congressional hearing to show that this wasn’t something to be worried about, especially when it came to Justin Hammer.

“Actually, he’s the boss. I just pay for everything and design everything, make everyone look cooler.”

When Maria Hill referred to Tony as “boss” in Avengers: Age of Ultron, he quickly corrected her and told her that Captain America was actually the leader of the superhero team… despite all that Tony did with his intellect and vast resources. I detect a smidge of bitterness in his response.

“What are you doing? You gonna break his finger? He's in pain. He's been injured. Leave him alone.”

When Tony Stark made it to the shed behind Harley Keener’s house, his armor was already in rough shape following the attack on his mansion and his chaotic flight to Tennessee. So naturally he was a little peeved when the kid snapped off one of the fingers, although he soon got over it and said he’d fix the damage.

“You! I swear to God, I'll dismantle you! I'll soak your motherboard, turn you into a wine rack!”

That arm robot gave Tony Stark trouble once again in the early portion of Iron Man 2. When the main protagonist returned to his workshop, the arm knocked over a blender, so Tony once again demanded it get its act together… or else!

“Well, performance issues, it's not uncommon. One out of five…”

Throughout The Avengers, Loki had no problem tapping his scepter (which we later learned contained the Mind Stone) into people’s chests and taking control of their minds. But when he tried to do it to Tony Stark, his arc reactor prevented this from happening. So when Loki expressed confusion over this development, Tony had this zinger lined up.

“Go to bed, or I'll sell all your toys.”

Tony Stark may have needed to watch the language and content of his humor around his daughter Morgan in Avengers: Endgame, but he still found ways to bring in his trademark humor with her. Case in point, after they enjoyed some juice pops together, Tony lightly told Morgan the above if she didn’t try to go back to bed.

“You screwed the pooch hard. Big time. But then you did the right thing. Took the dog to the free clinic, you raised the hybrid puppies... All right, not my best analogy.”

After defeating The Vulture in Homecoming, Peter Parker was brought to the Avengers Compound to be congratulated by Tony Stark for his victory. Unfortunately, the analogy he tried to use to show how much Peter had grown from when he’d disappointed his mentor failed to land properly.

“I will be re-instituting prima nocta.”

Tony Stark may be a superhero and a good man at his core, but he wasn’t worthy enough to lift Thor’s hammer during Avengers: Age of Ultron. No doubt dropping this line about bringing back an abhorrent medieval tradition if he becomes ruler of Asgard, even if it was just a joke, played a role in that.

“What is your job, exactly, besides making balloon animals?”

It didn’t take long for Tony Stark and Stephen Strange to start disagreeing with each other in Infinity War, as the latter shot down the former’s idea to toss the Time Stone down a garbage disposal. The conversation eventually led to Tony asking the above question, to which Strange responded, “Protecting your reality, douchebag.”

“You really have got a lid on it, haven't you? What's your secret? Mellow jazz? Bongo drums? Huge bag of weed?”

Fascinated by Bruce Banner’s ability to control his Hulk persona from being unleashed, a sharp contrast to how he was in The Incredible Hulk, Tony Stark went so far as to shock Bruce with a miniature electric prod to see what would happen. When that didn’t do the trick, Tony said the above in The Avengers.

“Ok, Mr. Clean is on his own page.”

Tony was understandably frustrated when Drax yawned while he was breaking down what they’d need to do to take down Thanos. When he called Drax out on it, the Guardian stopped listening after Tony said they needed a plan. The only thing funnier in this scene was Tony’s exasperated expression when Mantis said that the Guardians “kick names and take ass.”

“Sweetheart, that could be the name of my autobiography.”

Ellen Brandt, one of Aldrich Killian’s minions hopped up in Extremis, tracked Tony Stark down in Tennessee, and he had to use some ingenuity to fight her since his armor was still out of commission. When he made a pun about “dating hotter chicks” than her, she responded “That's all you got? Cheap trick and a cheesy one-liner?” The above quote is how he countered.

“Underoos!”

It’s just one word, but it’s hilarious that Tony shouted this out to introduce Spider-Man during the conflict at the Leipzig airport in Captain America: Civil War. Peter didn’t seem fazed by the amusing descriptor, and he did make a good first impression when he stole Captain America’s shield with his webbing.

Music is a key part of any movie and that's no less true when it comes to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. From the moment that the first Iron Man opened with a blast of AC/DC you understood who Tony Stark was. Today all the best MCU movies have some of the best music as well.  

There are so many great musical moments in the Marvel Cinematic Universe that it’s difficult to narrow down that list. We had to go bigger than a simple top 10. From needle drops to great pieces of original score, here are the best musical moments of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, so far.

12. The Star Spangled Man In Captain America: The First Avenger 

If you watch the Marvel movies in order, one of the best musical moments comes first. When Captain America is first created, rather than putting him on the front lines, he’s turned into a mascot. “The Star Spangled Man” is the song designed to help promote him, and by extension, the war. It’s a beautiful way for the movie to deal with the overtly political nature of Captain America head-on, and the song is pretty catchy, too. 

11. Peter Goes On Patrol In Spider-Man: Homecoming 

Our first chance of seeing the MCU Spider-Man really being a Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man comes early in Spider-Man: Homecoming. Spidey swings around his home trying to help out where he can, and he does it all to The Ramones classic “Blitzkrieg Bop.” Considering both The Ramones and Peter Parker are from Queens, there’s really no better music for this montage. 

10. Peter Dances On Vormir In Guardians Of The Galaxy

No discussion of music in the MCU is complete without the music of Guardians of the Galaxy. Music is a key part of the way those movies not only set their tone, but also express emotion. The first big musical moment in the franchise comes when Peter Quill listens to “Come and Get Your Love” while dancing across an alien world. If you wondered what the Guardians of the Galaxy movie was all about, this scene pretty much explains all you need to know. 

9. The Opening Credits In Black Widow 

Black Widow is a unique movie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe in a lot of ways, but one of the most interesting is that Black Widow has an opening credits sequence. Those credits are set against a melancholy version of Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit” as performed by Malia J. Taking the quintessential ‘90s song, the era of the movie’s opening scenes, and layering it with the darkness of what happened during Natasha Romanoff’s teen years gets the audience perfectly in sync with the character. 

8. Wanda Fights Back In Avengers: Age Of Ultron

Wanda Maximoff is now seen as one of the most powerful characters in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but she didn’t see herself that way in Avengers: Age of Ultron. The young woman was terrified of the battle going on in Sokovia, but after a pep talk from Hawkeye, she made the decision to fight, and the score swelled to meet her in an epic superhero moment. 

7. Peter Makes His Choice In Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2 

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 is the movie where the team of misfit heroes come the closest to falling apart. The Chain, a song about connection, plays twice during the film. The second time is during Quill’s battle with Ego, where he makes the decision to choose his surrogate family over his actual father.  

6. Deadpool & Wolverine Team Up

The Deadpool movies have always been creative when it comes to thier use of music. Unfortunately, the first two entries in the franchise technically don't qualify for this list. Deadpool & Wolverine, however, does. And it's got a musical moment so epic it may never let you see a piece of classic rock and roll the same way again. The film uses the best Madonna song "Like a Prayer," when Deadpool and Wolverine have their epic team up battle and it's everything fans could possibly want

5. Entering Wakanda In Black Panther 

Ludwig Göransson’s score for Black Panther is one of the highlights of the entire film. There’s an ethereal and otherworldy quality to the music, which focuses on a land untouched by colonial hands. The song simply titled “Wakanda” first plays as T’Challa is returning home after a mission early in the film, and when the ship crosses the barrier and we see the real Wakanda for the first time the music hits a beautiful crescendo that transports you there.  

4. Iron Man Arrives At Stark Expo In Iron Man 2

The first Iron Man has more than its share of classic metal needle drops, but the best of those moments actually comes in the opening moments of Iron Man 2. AC/DC’s “Shoot to Thrill” plays as Iron Man jumps from a plane. At first it looks like he may be going into battle, but actually he’s just showing off for a crowd at Stark Expo, which is a fitting juxtaposition, given the rest of the movie.

3. Thor's Battle On The Rainbow Bridge In Thor: Ragnarok 

Thor: Ragnarok was a drastic shift in tone for the character of Thor after the two previous solo films. Nothing made that clearer than the movie’s opening battle set to Led Zepplin’s “Immigrant Song.” The tune returns for the final battle as well. It’s Thor at his absolute best.  

2. The Final Goodbye In Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3 

All stories must end, and the story of the Guardians of the Galaxy, at least this version of the Guardians, ended about as well as it could have been expected. Rocket plays Florence & the Machine’s “Dog Days Are Over.” It’s hard to feel bad saying goodbye with a song that even makes Drax want to dance.  

1. Avengers Assemble In Avengers: Endgame 

Alan Silvestri’s Avengers Theme is the most iconic piece of Marvel music for a reason, from the moment we heard it as the camera first circled The Avengers it was a song that stirred our emotions. In Avengers: Endgame that moment is only bigger, as heroes from over a decade of film come together to fight for everything. It made people literally cheer in the theater for a reason.

After only releasing one movie in 2024, we'll see multiple upcoming MCU movies released in 2025 and beyond. This means even more opportunities for great music. We've heard some of the new Fantastic Four score. The future of MCU music is looking bright.

I did something crazy recently — I watched the entirety of the MCU in a month.

Let me preface this by saying that I watched only the Marvel movies in order. I didn't count the TV shows because if I had, you wouldn't get this article until next year, but as someone who has seen all the television shows already, I decided to check out the movies for the first time again in years. 

I love the MCU and will always have a special place in my heart for superhero movies, but they've been getting a lot of slander over the last few years or so. I decided to take it upon myself to rewatch the supposed "best MCU" films from the earlier years – and boy, do I have thoughts before all the upcoming Marvel movies. Let's get into it. 

While We Have Good Memories Of Phase 1, It's The Weakest

Sorry, ya'll, Phase 1 of the MCU sucks. 

Okay, that's a bold statement, but if we're being honest, the first few films of the MCU were not its best, and the real good ones came many years later. The first Iron Man film certainly gave us a great character in Tony Stark, and I always had a special love for Captain America: The First Avenger, but the others that were released were just not that good. 

Iron Man 2 was different from its predecessor and felt flat. Thor was just…meh. Don't even start on The Incredible Hulk and how terrible that one is. I did enjoy the first Avengers, but Loki was the main thing I liked. Phase 1 was objectively the worst. 

Phase 2 Has Some Of The Best-Written MCU Films

Without diving into all the details, Phase 2 of the MCU has some of the best-written films. I found myself enjoying Tony Stark's mental health crisis after the Battle for New York in Iron Man 3. 

I enjoyed the very first Guardians of the Galaxy film because it stood out from the rest of the competition. Ant-Man was also a hilarious entry that made Paul Rudd an even bigger star. 

Captain America: The Winter Soldier Still Stands Out Ten Years Later

Something about this movie shifted how I felt about the MCU. Maybe it was because it led to my absolute obsession with all things Bucky Barnes or because it was so expertly well-shot and told a complete, conclusive story. 

The Winter Soldier bridged the gap between superhero movies and compelling drama, creating a masterclass in filmmaking. 

I can see why Anthony and Joe Russo became golden boys for Marvel after creating something like this. 

Also, Avengers: Age Of Ultron Is An Underrated Film, And I Stand By That

I recall that when Avengers: Age of Ultron came out, this movie got so much hate I could not believe it. 

Now, nearly ten years later, I still stand by it not being a bad film. It's underrated. It's a fun superhero movie with a gripping villain, and it introduces some excellent characters. Sure, some plot points fall flat, but it's still an enjoyable movie. I love Ultron and other people do, too. 

Phase 3 Hits Your Emotions The Hardest, No Doubt

Most people my age remember Phase 3 of the MCU the fondest, and I can see why. We received some of the best-shot movies with great stories during this time. The most significant change was that, at this point, the characters reached their achieved state of flow. 

They didn't just feel like characters anymore. They felt like real-life co-workers, friends, and family members because we had spent so much time with them at this point. This is what makes Phase 3 the most emotional.

Captain America: Civil War Altered My Brain Chemistry

As a seventeen-year-old, I recall watching Captain America: Civil War, and something shifted in my brain. To this day, it's a stand-out movie. 

I can understand why the Russo Brothers came back for this film. Not only was it great to show the growing divide between the Avengers after Ultron, but it gave us the great T'Challa. This film is just so good, and I have rewatched this movie the most out of any MCU film. 

Also, the introduction of Spider-Man into the MCU was everything I needed. 

Infinity War And Endgame Still Hit Just As Many Years Later

I can't say anything terrible about Infinity War and Endgame. People talk about these superhero films as if they are pieces of art, and while I don't think they're at Sistine Chapel levels of masterpiece, they are pretty damn close. 

The Russo Brothers delivered a powerful punch to the gut with these, so much so that I still feel the same pain I felt walking out of the theater in 2018, seeing my favorite characters turn to dust. I still bawled my eyes out when Tony died, and Steve moved on. They're still fantastic films. 

The Movies In Phase 4 Aren't Bad – They're Just Different In Certain Ways

Phase 4 was not a "bad" set of movies. They're just different, and many people don't like change. 

The old Avengers, as we know them, are over. Half of them are gone, and the other half are off having their own adventures. So, of course, we're going to have new movies that really dig deeper into the other characters. 

That is why I know so many people were upset when we got movies like Shang-Chi, Eternals, or even Black Widow, with Nat being long gone at that point. They were to give us new characters to love, analyze, and connect with. 

It's hard for us to move past some of the best times of the MCU, but I stand by the fact that most of these films are not horrible, as people would make you think. Thor: Love and Thunder, sure, the MCU can take that L, but the rest? I thoroughly enjoyed it, even if some could have had better-written stories. It feels that many films in Phase 4 don't connect as well, but they're still enjoyable. 

Spider-Man: No Way Home Is A Banger Even Three Years Later

I've always been a fan of Spider-Man – I just re-read about my love of Miles Morales – but biases aside, No Way Home is still such a fun film, no matter what. 

Don't listen to people who hate the movie now, years later, and say it's overrated or whatever. This movie took a lot of time, effort and passion to make and is going to be the most memorable of Phase 4. 

Multiverse Of Madness Sadly Doesn't Feel As Good

Okay, so I'm all for Scarlet Witch's most powerful moments, and I was so excited for Multiverse of Madness after WandaVision, but…yeah, the movie is not as good on a second watch. 

There are many moments in this movie where I felt things could have been done better, made scarier, or just…been better written. The John Krasinski/Reed Richards moment, in particular, left a bad taste in my mouth. 

Maybe Wanda Maximoff will get the movie she deserves in the future. Until then, we have this. 

Phase 5 Has Dipped And Rose In Quality So Much I Have Whiplash

Yeah, I'll openly say Phase 5 has been a whirlwind. 

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 was freaking fantastic and had me sobbing. Ant-Man: Quantumania is meh-ish, but it could have been great, and it's nice that it sets up the multiverse aspect a little more.

But The Marvels…dear lord, The Marvels. 

This is coming from someone who is a fan of Captain Marvel, Monica Rambeau, and Ms. Marvel, and it was just…so objectively wrong and written terribly. Why are we giving these three powerful women such a bad movie? The quality has dipped and risen so much that I'm struggling to keep my head above water. 

I Do Have Hope For Future Films – But Nothing So Far Beats The Original Infinity Saga

I'm looking forward to the hyped-up Deadpool and Wolverine, and I'm excited about the upcoming Fantastic Four movie. Thunderbolts could be an excellent addition to the world of anti-heroes. Phase 5 of the MCU and Phase 6 sound great on paper, and despite recent missteps, I have hope for the future. 

With that said, nothing quite beats the Infinity Saga, at least so far. Aside from the characters, the writing and movies are just better, and I think what we need to do is take a step back from the grand scheme of the entire multiverse and get back to what made the MCU good — well-told superhero stories. 

There's no superhero fatigue — we need thrilling tales, grand quests, compelling character stories, and so much more, and we just… haven't gotten that in some time. And that's a shame. 

I'm hoping Phase 5 does balance itself out, but until then, I'll sit with my hope — and maybe rewatch the Infinity Saga again. 

If you’re reading this, then you’re likely someone who pays close attention to news about upcoming Marvel movies and upcoming Marvel TV shows, and rightly so. Still, sometimes it’s nice to revisit past MCU events, specifically by watching the Marvel movies in order, whether you’re breaking out your own copies or streaming these features with a Disney+ subscription. And, of course, one of the main ways the MCU has stood out is by popularizing post-credits scenes, many of which lay groundwork for future projects.

For those of you who specifically have these scenes on the mind, but don’t have the time to go back and revisit any of these movies, don’t worry, we have you covered. Below is every MCU Marvel movie post-credits scene in order, with many of these flicks containing more than one scene to enjoy after the main story is finished.

It’s also important to mention first that neither The Incredible Hulk nor Avengers: Endgame had post-credits scenes, hence why they aren’t included here (although the latter movie does play the sound of a hammer striking metal, harkening back to when Tony Stark was constructing his first suit of armor).

Iron Man

After revealing to the world that he and Iron Man are one and the same, Tony Stark returns to his mansion to find Nick Fury waiting in the shadows. The director of S.H.I.E.L.D. broke into the genius billionaire playboy philanthropist’s home to pick his brain on the Avengers Initiative.

Iron Man 2

When Tony Stark and Nick Fury chatted at Randy’s donuts, the latter told the former he had bigger problems in the Southwest region to deal with than him. Later on, Phil Coulson relinquished his Stark babysitting duties because Fury was sending him to New Mexico. In the movie’s final minutes, we learned this was to track down a mysterious hammer embedded in the desert: Mjolnir, Thor’s weapon.

Thor

Nick Fury brings Dr. Erik Selvig to a S.H.I.E.L.D. facility to show him the Tesseract, a mysterious glowing cube that could potentially provide unlimited power to humanity. Unbeknownst to Fury, Selvig is being controlled by a still-alive Loki.

Captain America: The First Avenger

Some time after Steve Rogers awoke in the present day, Nick Fury approaches the super soldier about going on an important mission to save the world. This leads into a teaser for The Avengers.

The Avengers

Following Loki’s defeat at the hands of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes, the mysterious entity known as The Other meets with his master, i.e. the being who approved giving the Asgardian God of Mischief his Chitauri army, the mind-controlling scepter and the promise of being able to rule Earth, all if he obtained the Tesseract. That master turns out to be Thanos, who merely grins when The Other tells him that to battle the Avengers would be to court death.

Iron Man 3

It turns out that Tony Stark has been recounting the events of Iron Man 3 to Bruce Banner, a.k.a. one of his new Avengers teammates. Unfortunately, Bruce fell asleep basically right as Tony started telling the story, making it clear he doesn’t have the temperament to be a therapist. Undeterred, and perhaps out of spite, Tony starts talking about the “original wound” he suffered when he was 14 years old.

Thor: The Dark World

Post-Credits Scene #1: With the Aether finally out of Malekith’s hands, Asgardian warriors Volstagg and Lady Sif give the weapon to Taneleer Titan, a.k.a. The Collector, for safekeeping. It’s here we learn that the Aether and Tesseract are both Infinity Stones, with Volstagg saying it’s not safe to keep two of those powerful artifacts in the same place. After the Asgardians leave, The Collector quietly says, “One down, five to go,” indicating his interest in collecting all six Infinity Stones.

Post-Credits Scene #2: As a complete 180 from the first Thor movie, The Dark World’s final moments see the the God of Thunder and Jane Foster reuniting on Earth. As they embrace, the Frost Beast from earlier in the movie is seen frolicking around nearby.

Captain America: The Winter Soldier

Post-Credits Scene #1: HYDRA leader Baron Wolfgang von Strucker is shown to have possession of Loki’s scepter from The Avengers. Strucker informs Dr. List that they’ll feed the location of other HYDRA facilities to Captain America and his “colorful friends” to keep them off the scent of their work, and we then see that the only two survivors of these experiments with the scepter are Wanda and Pietro Maximoff, who are respectively seen showing off their telekinesis and super speed.

Post-Credits Scene #2: Some time after rescuing Steve Rogers from the Potomac River, Bucky Barnes, now cut off from his HYDRA handlers, is seen at the Smithsonian visiting his own memorial.

Guardians of the Galaxy

The Collector is sitting in the ruins of his museum, which was destroyed when his slave Carina grabbed the Power Stone and triggered an explosion. Cosmo the Spacedog, who had been one of The Collector’s exhibits, licks his face, and Howard the Duck, another exhibit, proclaims how gross that is while sipping a drink.

Avengers: Age of Ultron

With Loki and Ronan the Accuser having failed to respectively procure the Space and Power Stones for him, Thanos decides to handle searching for the Infinity Stones personally, and he retrieves the Infinity Gauntlet from his vault.

Ant-Man

Post-Credits Scene #1: Hank Pym reveals to his daughter, Hope, an advanced prototype Wasp suit that he and his wife Janet had been working on before she disappeared. At a certain point, Hank realized that he and Janet had been working on the suit for Hope, and she’s more than willing to don it, declaring, “It’s about damn time!”

Post-Credits Scene #2: Steve Rogers and Sam Wilson are shown to have Bucky Barnes in their custody, but because of “the accords,” they can’t contact Tony Stark for help. Steve thinks they’re on their own, but Sam mentions that he knows a guy who could help, referring to Ant-Man, whom he came to blows with during the main story. An expanded version of this scene is later shown in Captain America: Civil War.

Captain America: Civil War

Post-Credits Scene #1: Bucky Barnes is cryogenically frozen by Wakandan scientists so they can safely erase the HYDRA programming in his mind. Steve Rogers warns King T’Challa that if the U.S. government learns where Bucky is, they’ll come for him, prompting T’Challa to confidently respond, “Let them try.” We then see that they are actually in Wakanda, the most technologically advanced nation on Earth.

Post-Credits Scene #2: While giving an excuse to his Aunt May about why he’s beaten up, Peter Parker discovers that the web-shooter Tony Stark gave him is emitting a red light. After May gives him an ice pack and leaves the room, Peter points the red light to the ceiling, and it’s revealed to be a Spider-symbol with a variety of icons, indicating the web-shooter comes with some special features.

Doctor Strange

Post-Credits Scene #1: Doctor Strange is meeting with Thor at the Sanctum Sanctorum. The God of Thunder and his brother, Loki, have come to Earth in search of Odin, but Strange is not happy about Loki hanging around, given what a threat he is. So, after Thor agrees that he and Loki will leave Earth once they find Odin, the Master of the Mystic Arts agrees find the All-Father. An expanded version of this scene is later shown in Thor: Ragnarok.

Post-Credits Scene #2: Karl Mordo corners Jonathan Pangborn, the man who directed Stephen Strange to find Kamar-Taj, and takes away the magical energy he uses to walk. With Pangborn rendered a paraplegic once more, Mordo informs him that there are “too many sorcerers.”

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2

Post-Credits Scene #1: Kraglin practices using Yondu’s whistle-controlled arrow, but it doesn’t go well, as he accidentally impales an offscreen Drax with it.

Post-Credits Scene #2: In honor of Yondu’s sacrifice, Stakar Ogord and his cohort Martinex reunite with with old Ravager buddies Charlie-27, Aleta Ogord, Krugarr and Mainframe. This team is based on the original version of the Guardians of the Galaxy from the comics.

Post-Credits Scene #3: High Priestess Ayesha informs one of her underlings that she’s created an artificial being named Adam who will exact revenge on the Guardians for her, and the birthing pod he’s being formed in is shown.

Post-Credits Scene #4: Years after the main events of this movie, Peter Quill expresses his disappointment that Groot, who’s now a teenager, hasn’t cleaned up his room.

Post-Credits Scene #5: The three Watchers walk away from their informant, played by Stan Lee, after growing bored with his stories. Unfortunately for him, they were supposed to be his lift home.

Spider-Man: Homecoming

Adrian Toomes is confronted in prison by Mac Gargan, the weapons buyer from the Staten Island Ferry. Now boasting a major scar on his face, Gargan informs Toomes that he and some friends of his on the outside are wanting to exact revenge on Spider-Man and have heard that Toomes knows who the superhero really is, but Toomes denies this.

Thor: Ragnarok

Post-Credits Scene #1: As Loki is questioning Thor about if it’s a good idea for him to come to Earth with the rest of the Asgardians and their allies, their ship is intercepted by a gigantic spacecraft, which Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige identified as the Sanctuary II, Thanos’ vessel.

Post-Credits Scene #2: After being overthrown by his former subjects, Grandmaster confronts the angry crowds gathered around him in the outskirts of his realm on Sakaar. He declares that the revolution is a tie, since if he’s take out of the picture, they’ll have nothing to rebel against.

Black Panther

Post-Credits Scene #1: T’Challa appears in front of the United Nations to announce that Wakanda will be sharing its knowledge and resources with the rest of the world for the first time. When questioned about what a nation of farmers can offer the world, T’Challa simply smirks, indicating he’s about to reveal the existence of his country’s advanced technology.

Post-Credits Scene #2: Bucky Barnes, now unfrozen, is shown in a Wakandan village with Shuri, rehabilitating after having the HYDRA programming erased from his mind.

Avengers: Infinity War

Nick Fury and Maria Hill are shocked by the sudden destruction unfolding around them in a city, and soon they are among the half of the universe that Thanos erased from existence using the Infinity Stones. However, before he turns to dust, Fury manages to send out a signal using a spruced-up pager that displays the Captain Marvel symbol.

Ant-Man and the Wasp

Post-Credits Scene #1: Scott Lang is in the Quantum Realm gathering quantum energy that will be used to stabilize Ava Starr’s condition, and Hope van Dyne, Hank Pym and Janet van Dyne are monitoring him from our dimension. Unfortunately, all three are snapped away by Thanos, leaving Scott trapped.

Post-Credits Scene #2: The oversized ant that Scott was using to carry out his house arrest routine in order to fool the FBI continues to play drums while the world goes to hell from the Snap.

Captain Marvel

Post-Credits Scene #1: Post-Snap, some of the surviving Avengers are monitoring Nick Fury’s pager at Avengers Compound and trying to figure out who the signal is being sent to. Suddenly, the pager shuts down, and seconds later, Captain Marvel appears before them asking where Fury is.

Post-Credits Scene #2: Back in 1995, Goose vomits up the Tesseract in Nick Fury’s office.

Spider-Man: Far From Home

Post-Credits Scene #1: After swinging through New York City, Peter Parker (suited up as Spider-Man) and MJ watch a news report out in public where TheDailyBugle.net’s J. Jonah Jameson broadcasts doctored footage where Mysterio not only frames Peter for the Elemental attack on London and his death, but also exposes his secret identity to the world.

Post-Credits Scene #2: As Nick Fury and Maria Hill are driving, we learn that they’ve actually been the Skrulls Talos and Soren from Captain Marvel this entire time. Talos expresses embarrassment at having been embarrassed by Mysterio’s deception, and Soren convinces him to call the real Nick Fury and inform him what happened. Talos attempts to get Nick Fury to come back, but the spy hangs up in the middle of the call, and we see he’s been on “vacation” aboard a spaceship packed with other Skrulls.

Black Widow

Post-Avengers: Endgame, Yelena Belova visits Natasha Romanoff’s grave with her dog. The visit is interrupted by Valentina Allegra de Fontaine, who’s come to give Yelena a new mission. Her target: Clint Barton, a.k.a. Hawkeye, whom Valentina says is responsible for Natasha’s death.

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings

Post-Credits Scene #1: Wong brings Shang-Chi and Katy to meet with Bruce Banner and Carol Danvers, both of whom are appearing as holograms. They ponder the origins of Shang-Chi’s rings, and then discover that they’re emitting some kind of beacon, but they don’t know where its message is going. After Carol and Bruce leave the meeting, Wong suggests Shang-Chi and Katy go home to get some rest, but the three of them instead go out for karaoke.

Post-Credits Scene #2: Although Shang-Chi’s sister, Xu Xialing, told him towards the end of the main story that she intended to disband the Ten Rings, we learn she’s instead taken control of the organization and is now training women alongside the men.

Eternals

Post-Credits Scene #1: Out in space, Thena, Makkari and Druig are visited aboard their ship by Eros, a.k.a. Starfox, and his companion Pip the Troll. Eros, who is a fellow Eternal and brother of Thanos, is aware that the trio’s surviving friends have been taken away by the Celestial Arishem, but he and Pip know where to find them.

Post-Credits Scene #2: After witnessing Sersi being taken away, Dane Whitman, whom she’s been dating, opens up a box containing the Ebony Blade. Before he grabs the sword though, a voice offscreen (confirmed in real life to be vampire hunter Blade) questions whether or not Dane is ready to wield it.

Spider-Man: No Way Home

Post-Credits Scene #1: Following Eddie Brock and the Venom symbiote being transported to the main MCU reality in the Venom: Let There Be Carnage post-credits scene, we see Eddie at a hotel bar in Mexico getting details about the world he’s in from the bartender, including learning about the Blip, Thanos and the Snap. Eddie decides to go to New York to track down Spider-Man, but he and Venom are soon returned to their universe, although a piece of the symbiote is left behind.

Post-Credits Scene #2: The first trailer for Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is shown.

Alternate Post-Credits Scene #2: If you watch Spider-Man: No Way Home: The More Fun Stuff Version, you’ll be treated to an additional post-credits that replaces the Doctor Strange 2 trailer. It shows how the effects of Strange’s second spell, i.e. the one that erased people’s knowledge of Tom Holland’s Peter Parker, is affecting the lives of his former classmates.

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness

Post-Credits Scene #1: Some time after developing that third eye and apparently getting used to it, Doctor Strange is approached by Clea, who informs him that his actions in this sequel have triggered an incursion into the Dark Dimension, prompting him to follow her back to that realm.

Post-Credits Scene #2: The spell that Strange cast to cause Pizza Poppa on Earth-838 to repeatedly punch himself finally wears off, to the man’s relief.

Thor: Love and Thunder

Post-Credits Scene #1: Dismayed at how the gods aren’t given the respect they once received, Zeus, who’s recovering from his run-in with Thor, decides that killing the Asgardian God of Thunder will make people fear their kind again. He tasks his son Hercules with finding Thor to carry out vengeance.

Post-Credits Scene #2: Jane Foster finds herself in Valhalla, the Asgardian afterlife where warriors who die in battle end up. She’s greeted outside its gates by Heimdall, who thanks her for looking after his son, Axl.

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever

While in Haiti, Shuri learns that before T’Challa died, her brother and Nakia had a son named Touissant, and they decided to have him raised away from Wakanda to avoid the “pressure of the throne.” That’s also why they didn’t attend T’Challa’s funeral, as it wasn’t time for the boy’s existence to become public. Shuri greets her nephew, who informs her that Toussiant is his Haitian name, but his Wakandan name is T’Challa, too.

Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania

Post-Credits Scene #1: Immortus, Rama-Tut and Centurion, three Kang variants from the Council of Kangs, discuss the recent demise of the movie’s main Kang the Conqueror. These Kangs decide because “they,” i.e. the MCU’s main heroes, are starting to “touch” the multiverse, it’s time for them to strike back so that all they’ve built won’t be destroyed. It’s then shown that the fortress where the Council is speaking is filled with thousands of other Kang variants.

Post-Credits Scene #2: The Loki variant and Mobius from the Loki TV series are seen at the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair watching a presentation being given by Victor Timely, another Kang variant. Loki is terrified to see the man given his experience with He Who Remains, but Mobius doesn’t understand what the big deal is. An expanded version of this scene is later shown in the Loki Season 2 episode “1893.”

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3

Post-Credits Scene #1: Rocket Raccoon and Groot (who’s now fully grown into his King Groot form) are shown on the planet Krylor undertaking a mission to protect townsfolk from stampeding beasts. They are accompanied by Kraglin, Cosmo, Adam Warlock, his pet Blurp and Phyla, with this being the new Guardians of the Galaxy lineup.

Post-Credits Scene #2: Peter Quill enjoys breakfast with his grandpa Jason, agreeing to mow the lawn of a woman Jason knows, though Peter thinks the woman’s son, who’s 45 years old, should help. Jason, who’s reading a newspaper that includes a story about Kevin Bacon being kidnapped (referencing the events of The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special) says, “Don’t get me started,” prompting Peter to want to hear more. It’s then teased that “The Legendary Star-Lord will return.”

The Marvels

Monica Rambeau awakens in an infirmary, and next to her is an alternate version of her mother, Maria, who goes by Binary. The X-Man Hank McCoy, a.k.a. Beast, is also in the room, and he informs Monica that she’s been transported to another universe. After Beast leaves, Binary asks who Monica is, prompting her to say, “Oh shit.”

Deadpool And Wolverine

Post-Credits Scene #1: While not a scene per say, a touching tribute for the 20th Century Fox era of Marvel movies plays to the tune of Green Day's "Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)." It's only appropriate, as without this era, we wouldn't have Hugh Jackman's Wolverine, Ryan Reynolds' Deadpool and various other memorable portrayals of classic superheroes and super villains.

Post-Credits Scene #2: Deadpool pulls up footage in the TVA headquarters that shows Johnny Storm saying all the bad things about Cassandra Nova that the Merc with the Mouth says he did. Ok, so that part of his story checks out, but The Human Torch being killed is still his fault.

Captain America: Brave New World

Sam Wilson visits Samuel Sterns at The Raft, the same place where now-former President Thaddeus Ross is being incarcerated. Sterns warns Sam that there is an attack forthcoming from other worlds, and that he should prepare for "the others." Meaning, the main MCU reality will soon be colliding with the Marvel multiverse.

As each new Marvel movie comes out, we’ll let you know here if there are any post-credits events to go over. Meanwhile, if you’re looking to expand your horizons beyond the MCU, look over all of the upcoming superhero movies.

Although 2008’s Iron Man largely functioned as a standalone superhero movie, it was through Samuel L. Jackson’s Nick Fury in the post-credits scene that we got our first major taste of the expansive mythology the Marvel Cinematic Universe intended to deliver to the public. And just like his Earth-616 and Ultimate Universe counterparts in their respective realities, Jackson’s Fury has become an integral character to the MCU mythology. Disney+ subscribers most recently saw the one-eyed character in the Secret Invasion series, and he’ll be back on the big screen in November for The Marvels.

With 12 appearances under his belt at the time of this writing (sorry, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. fans, I’m not counting the ABC series due to its questionable placement in the main MCU canon), there are a lot to keep track of concerning Nick Fury in the superhero franchise. That’s why I’ve put together this timeline breaking down the biggest events from the spy’s life, presented in the MCU’s chronological order rather than the order in which these projects were released. As such, we’re kicking things off with Captain Marvel. 

Nick Fury Meets Carol Danvers And Loses His Eye

When Nick Fury met Carol Danvers in 1995, he’d spent the past six years at S.H.I.E.L.D. mainly working behind a desk. Once the superpowered woman came into his life though, he took his first steps towards becoming a more integral figure in the intelligence agency, as his experience with her, the Skrulls and the Kree made him realize that one day a team would be needed to protect Earth from intergalactic threats. The one downside to Fury’s adventure with Carol is Goose the Flerken slashed his left eye and permanently blinded it, but since he never divulged how this injury happened to Coulson and other S.H.I.E.L.D. agents, it would help strengthen the air of mystery surrounding him in the coming years.

Nick Fury Sets Up A Deal With The Skrulls

Although Carol Danvers left Earth with the Skrulls at the end of Captain Marvel to find them a new homeworld, this proved to be a more challenging endeavor than expected. By 1997, Talos and many of his fellow shapeshifting aliens came back to Earth, and Nick Fury promised to help Carol find the Skrulls a new planet in exchange for them working as his spy network to help keep Earth safe. Their aid helped Fury rise more quickly through the S.H.I.E.L.D. ranks, but one of those first recruits was Gravik, who would go on to become one of the spy’s greatest enemies, but more on that later.

Nick Fury Meets Varra, And They Eventually Marry

A year after the Skrull spy network formed, Nick Fury first crossed paths Varra, who’d disguised herself as the late Priscilla Davis. At first their relationship was strictly professional, with Varra giving Fury intel on the Red Room’s Dreykov (whom we saw in Black Widow), but as the years passed, they developed a romantic connection. Sometime after the events of The Avengers, Fury and Varra married and set up a home together in London, but Fury kept the marriage a secret. The two of them were also frequently apart due to their espionage activities.

Nick Fury Becomes Director Of S.H.I.E.L.D.

Although this wasn’t depicted onscreen in the MCU, it’s an important enough event in Fury’s life to mention. Sometime between Captain Marvel and Iron Man (likely the early 2000s), Samuel L. Jackson’s character became the Deputy Chief of a S.H.I.E.L.D station in Bogotá, and one day, members of the National Liberation Army took some political officers hostage, including the daughter of his superior officer, Alexander Pierce. While Pierce wanted to negotiate with the Army and forbid Fury from taking any action, Fury ignored those orders and successfully rescued the hostages. This impressed Pierce enough that he named Fury as S.H.I.E.L.D.’s new director when he became a member of the World Security Council.

Nick Fury Tells Tony Stark About The Avengers Initiative

After defeating Obadiah Stane, a.k.a. Iron Monger, and revealing to the public that he was Iron Man, Robert Downey Jr.’s Tony Stark capped off his first solo movie by meeting Samuel L. Jackson’s Nick Fury (which didn’t take long to shoot). The director of S.H.I.E.L.D. snuck into Stark’s mansion to inform him about the Avengers Initiative, which, as was later revealed in Captain Marvel, was named after Carol Danvers’ call sign in the Air Force. However, as we learned in Iron Man 2, Stark had no interest in joining Fury’s “super secret boy band.”

Nick Fury Sends Natasha Romanoff To Spy On Tony Stark

Since Tony Stark wasn’t interested in the Avengers Initiative, Nick Fury tasked Natasha Romanoff, a.k.a. the first Black Widow, in Iron Man 2 to infiltrate Stark Industries as Natalie Rushman a few months later so she could keep tabs on the industrialist. That proved to be a wise decision, as Stark’s palladium poisoning, his fight with Ivan Vanko and his drunken and destructive actions at his birthday party necessitated that Fury get involved. After informing him about his connection to Howard Stark and shedding light on Vanko’s past, the S.H.I.E.L.D director left behind some of Howard’s old materials for Tony to figure out how to synthesize a new element for the arc reactor in his chest. Fury then returned to inform Stark that he wasn’t Avengers material, but did agree to have him on retainer as a consultant.

Nick Fury Enlists Erik Selvig To Help Study The Tesseract

With Goose having coughed up the Tesseract in Captain Marvel’s post-credits scene, that left Nick Fury free to bring it back to S.H.I.E.L.D. so it could continue to be studied. Nearly two decades later, after the main events of Thor concluded, Fury recruited Erik Selvig, Jane Foster’s astrophysicist mentor, to the Tesseract’s research team. Unfortunately, he was unaware that Selvig was under Loki’s control.

Nick Fury Informs Steve Rogers About Being Frozen

With Steve Rogers having been frozen in the Arctic for nearly 70 years, Nick Fury thought it would be better to slowly acclimate him to the present day and set him up in a 1940s-looking hospital room so he’d still think he was in his native time. However, the first Captain America saw through the ruse, escaped custody and ended up in the middle of Times Square. Nick Fury arrived soon after and informed the World War II hero in the final seconds of Captain America: The First Avenger how long he’d been asleep.

Nick Fury Forms The Avengers

Following Loki’s arrival on Earth to steal the Tesseract and mind control various S.H.I.E.L.D. personnel, including Erik Selvig and Clint Barton, a.k.a. Hawkeye, Fury finally decided to form the Avengers. However, getting these heroes to collaborate was more difficult than anticipated, especially once Steve Rogers learned that been using the Tesseract research to build weapons like the ones HYDRA had in World War II. Fury was able to use Coulson’s death as the trigger to finally get Earth’s Mightiest Heroes to work together, albeit with some manipulation on his end by deliberately soaking the late agent’s Captain America trading cards in his blood. By the end of The Avengers, Fury willingly allowed Thor to leave Earth with The Tesseract and Loki in his custody.

NIck Fury Is Nearly Killed By HYDRA, Weathers S.H.I.E.L.D. Falling Into Disarray

Captain America: The Winter Soldier rocked the MCU by revealing that S.H.I.E.L.D. had been infiltrated by HYDRA since the beginning, and at first, it seemed like Nick Fury had been killed by the terrorist organization early on into the movie. In reality, he faked his death and later aided Steve Rogers, Natasha Romanoff, Sam Wilson and Maria Hill in stopping Project Insight. For Fury, this meant confronting and ultimately killing Alexander Pierce, who was HYDRA’s leader within S.H.I.E.L.D. In the aftermath of S.H.I.E.LD. falling into disarray, Fury embarked on to take down other HYDRA cells around the world.

Nick Fury Helps Evacuate Sokovia And Set Up The New Avengers Base

After retreating to the Barton farm to collect themselves after facing off against Ultron, Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver in Johannesburg, the Avengers met back up with Nick Fury, who helped them fomurlate a plan to stop the robotic menace. During the climactic conflict in Sokovia, he, Maria Hill and other former S.H.I.E.L.D. agents helped out by evacuating civilians using the old Helicarrier. By the end of Avengers: Age of Ultron, Fury was seen helping set up the New Avengers Facility in update New York.

Nick Fury Is Dusted During The Blip

Although he didn’t participate in Avengers: Infinity War’s main events, he did appear in the post-credits scene to witness the Blip before being dusted himself. Before disappearing though, Fury was able to activate the spruced-up pager Carol Danvers had given her decades earlier, which brought her back to Earth, encountering the Avengers and eventually rescuing Tony Stark and Nebula from deep space.

Nick Fury Is Restored, Goes To Tony Stark’s Funeral, Then Heads To Space

Nick Fury was restored to life in Avengers: Endgame when Hulk used the Infinity Stones acquired from the Time Heist to undo the Blip, but he was only seen in Avengers: Endgame attending Tony Stark’s funeral. Then in Spider-Man: Far From Home, it seemed like Fury recruited Peter Parker to help him combat the threat of the Elementals, which was actually a ruse by Mysterio and his team. But by that movie’s post-credits scene, it was revealed that the Fury we’d be following along with was actually the Skrull Talos disguised as the spy, and the real Fury was actually running the S.A.B.E.R. space station, which was filled with Skrulls.

Nick Fury Returns To Earth To Deal With The Skrull Infiltration

Nick Fury returned to Earth in Secret Invasion when Maria Hill called him back to inform him about a rogue Skrull faction led by Gravik. Angry that Fury didn’t follow through on finding his people a new home, Gravik intended to start a war between Russia and the United States, which would lead to him and his Skrull followers taking over Earth. Fury’s efforts to stop Gravik cost him a lot, including the deaths of both Hill and Talos, but with the help of allies like G’iah and Sonya Falsworth, he was able foil Gravik’s plan, although he was disappointed when President Ritson issued a bill declaring all off-word speeches as hostile forces, and promised to eliminate any remaining Skrulls on Earth. Fury then went back to the S.A.B.E.R. station, but this time with Varra by his side to help negotiate a peace summit.

Nick Fury Teams Up With Carol Danvers (Again), Monica Rambeau And Kamala Khan

Nick Fury's job commanding the S.A.B.E.R. space station became a lot more complicated in The Marvels once the Kree fanatic known as Dar-Benn started opening unstable jump points around the universe, and Carol Danvers, Monica Rambeau and Kamala Khan began switching places whenever they used their powers. Eventually Dar-Benn set her sights on draining Earth's sun, but the superheroines were able to defeat her, and Fury and Kamala's family successfully evacuated S.A.B.E.R.'s personnel by having Goose and her Flerkittens gobble them up. The space station is a little for wear now, but once it's fixed up, Fury will presumably continue his work up there.

There's no word yet on when Nick Fury will appear in the MCU again, but count on CinemaBlend to share the latest on what’s happening with Samuel L. Jackson’s character amidst our coverage of upcoming Marvel movies and upcoming Marvel TV shows.

Considering just how big the Marvel Cinematic Universe has become, the fact that its overall quality still trends toward being pretty good is a significant accomplishment. We all have our favorite movies, and our least favorite, but most of the time things are fine. Sometimes the MCU can be legitimately great, and it’s rarely actually that bad.

But, as with any form of art, perfection is largely unattainable. The best MCU films still have elements that could be better. By the same token, the worst installments aren’t entirely without merit. So, from Iron Man to Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, here is a look at every single Marvel Cinematic Universe film, and the best and worst parts of each one. 

Iron Man 

Best Thing: Robert Downey Jr’s perfect casting

If there was one thing that first MCU movie had to get right above all else it was casting its first hero, and they simply could not have done any better. Robert Downey Jr. is absolutely perfect as Tony Stark. Both the actor and the character were men in need of second chances, and Downey shows that vulnerability perfectly while also coming across as heroic.

Worst Thing: The final battle is just robots punching each other

Iron Man set a tone for excellent casting in the MCU but unfortunately also set a tone for unfortunate endings. The big finale is ultimately just two guys in armored suits punching each other. There just isn’t a lot else there.

The Incredible Hulk 

Best Thing: Hulk Smash

If you’re going to see an Incredible Hulk movie then what you’re probably looking for is a massive green dude to break stuff and punch things. As far as that goes, The Incredible Hulk succeeds pretty well. The action sequence at the end against Abomination is fun enough that you might not notice the bad part about it.

Worst Thing: Early CGI doesn’t hold up

The bad part is that the CGI doesn’t really work. Part of this is certainly looking back in retrospect, as the Hulk looks different now, not only because he’s played by a different actor, but because he's animated better. 

Iron Man 2

Best Thing: Justin Hammer

There are two villains in Iron Man 2 and one of them audiences have repeatedly hoped we might see again. Sam Rockwell’s Justin Hammer isn’t the most important new addition to the franchise in the sequel, but he is absolutely the most fun.

Worst Thing: Whiplash

The other villain, however, doesn’t succeed nearly as well. Whiplash is what happens when your Iron Man movie is so successful you rush a sequel and just pull a villain off the shelf. There’s no depth here, which makes the conflict ring hollow.

Thor 

Best Thing: The Introduction Of Tom Hiddelston’s Loki

Thor would eventually come into his own, but he’s certainly not the most interesting thing in his own movie. From the very beginning, it was clear that what Marvel found with Tom Hiddleston as Loki was truly special. 

Worst Thing: Kenneth Branagh is not an action movie director

Branagh is a great director and the decision to bring his Shakespearean sensibilities to the superhero genre actually works a lot better than you might expect. Where he’s clearly having trouble, however, is the action. The superpowered battles just don’t have the impact, either on screen or for the audience, that they should.

Captain America: The First Avenger 

Best Thing: Steve throws himself on a grenade

Before Steve Rogers ever gets injected with super soldier serum he shows that he’s actually been Captain America from the beginning. The willingness to throw himself on a live grenade is what causes the rest of the movie to happen; it endears him to the other characters and to us, as well.

Worst Thing: The silly brief love triangle

There’s a scene shortly after Steve leads a heroic rescue mission where a woman (Natalie Dormer) who is very impressed by him makes a move and kisses him just as Peggy walks up. It leads to one of those classic misunderstandings which only exist in movies to keep romantic partners apart longer, and it’s always silly. 

The Avengers

Best Thing: That one team shot

You know the one. The moment when The Avengers become The Avengers. The camera circles around them, the music swells, and six movies come together in one moment, proving that the MCU truly works.

Worst Thing: Coulson’s death

It’s a key moment, as it’s part of what brings the characters together, but Agent Coulson was just as important to the success of the MCU as any of the Avengers, and it’s been missing something ever since he died.

Iron Man 3 

Best Thing: The Mandarin Twist

Because the MCU is based on existing Marvel Comics, you can get a general idea of what may happen if you know the stories, which is why the big twist in Iron Man 3 is so great. Nobody saw it coming.

Worst Thing: The Mandarin Twist

Having said that, a lot of people hated the Mandarin twist, and there’s an argument to be made that taking one of Marvel’s few Asian characters and having him ultimately played by a non-Chinese actor was the wrong move.

Thor: The Dark World 

Best Thing: Freya’s death scene

Thor: The Dark World has its share of issues, but Rene Russo’s Freya isn’t one of them. Her death scene is a fairly big surprise, and so it hits with emotional weight when the rest of the movie largely doesn’t.

Worst Thing: Who was the villain again?

The only thing that would have made the death scene better is if she were killed by a villain we actually remember. You don’t recollect his name or why he was the villain, and that’s the problem. No, I'm not going to look it up and pretend I remember.

Captain America: The Winter Soldier 

Best Thing: The Elevator Fight

Marvel movies are full of action sequences and most are fine, but few of them are truly great. Captain America: The Winter Soldier's elevator fight is well choreographed and shot, allowing for one of the most unique and exciting battles in the MCU. Even Chris Evans knows it's the best.

Worst Thing: Nick Fury’s “death”

Did anybody actually believe that Fury died here? The movie makes the reveal that he’s still alive feel like they thought they fooled somebody. They did not. 

Guardians Of The Galaxy 

Best Thing: We are Groot

By the end of the first Guardians of the Galaxy movie, we're fully on board with this team of broken misfits. Which makes the fact that we lose one of them hurt a lot more than we might expect. Groot’s final words resonate in a way that only a creature's of few words can.

Worst Thing: Another unmemorable villain

Perhaps because it has so many characters to introduce, it doesn’t have much time left for its villain. As such, Ronan the Accuser is given a very rushed setup and a weak motivation, despite his connection to the biggest villain of the first three phases. 

Avengers: Age Of Ultron

Best Thing: James Spader’s Ultron

Ultron maybe doesn’t have the most original motivation for rogue AI, but he does have the best possible voice for it. James Spader is absolutely perfect as the voice, and he brings a life to the CGI character that it desperately needs. It's a shame Spader has not returned to voice him since.

Worst Thing: Black Widow’s sterilization

The romance between Bruce Banner and Black Widow is an idea that starts and ends here, so it ends up having little impact, but that makes Natasha’s tearful admission that she cannot have children (and the implicit indication that there is something wrong with her because of it) that much more out of place.

Ant-Man

Best Thing: Creative final fight

The final battle in Ant-Man follows many of the same beats as several (far less) interesting battles in the MCU, but what those fights didn’t have was a Thomas the Tank Engine toy the size of a city bus. This battle uses the unique abilities of the characters to great effect to make this fight much stronger.

Worst Thing: Not enough Hope Van Dyne

Ant-Man is all about Scott Lang becoming a capable superhero, and it’s a fun journey, but the movie already has a woman quite capable in Hope Van Dyne. Leaving the Wasp reveal until a post-credits scene feels like a waste. 

Captain America: Civil War 

Best Thing: The airport battle

Is the airport battle a bit like taking all your superhero action figures and throwing them together? Yeah, but that’s also why it’s great. Not since the first Avengers had we seen so many of our favorite Marvel heroes in one place, and it still didn’t get old.

Worst Thing: Zemo’s plan is convoluted as hell 

Zemo is far from the worst villain in the MCU. He’s actually one of the more interesting ones overall, but it has to be said that his plan here is completely ridiculous. There are so many steps involved that it's almost funny that the plan actually succeeds.

Doctor Strange 

Best Thing: A final battle that isn’t just a fistfight

Some of the best parts of Marvel movies have been the action sequences where heroes and villains fight, but Doctor Strange tries something different when the hero goes up against Dormamu and finds a way to win that is entirely about outsmarting, not out punching, his opponent. It's not less exciting, but it's a lot more creative.

Worst Thing: Not enough Rachel McAdams

At this point, it seems like every working actor has a role in the MCU, but some of them have been criminally underused. When you get Rachel McAdams in your movie you should do something with her, but Doctor Strange doesn’t.

Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2 

Best Thing: Nebula and Gamora

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 is an emotional movie all the way around, but the most powerful relationship is between Gamora and Nebula. They very nearly kill each other before Nebula finally takes the first step to healing by revealing how she truly feels. It’s an incredible moment.

Worst Thing: Mantis as the butt of jokes

Mantis is a great addition to the Guardians, but her introduction is a tough one. The way that Drax perpetually insults her, in a way that is played for laughs, just isn’t as funny as it was supposed to be. 

Spider-Man: Homecoming 

Best Thing: Michael Keaton’s Villain speech

Michael Keaton is great across the board in Homecoming but the best moment comes as he's driving Peter and his date to the prom, and they have a conversation that, on the surface, seems plain, but is actually a much deeper conversation. They reveal themselves to each other, without giving anything away. 

Worst Thing: The M.J. “twist”

Homecoming tries to mix up the formula of Spider-Man movies, and does such a good job overall that feeling a need to force Zendaya’s character into being M.J. just isn’t right. She’s her own character, and should have been allowed to be such. Making her M.J. doesn’t do anything the movie or franchise needs.

Thor: Ragnarok

Best Thing: A new tone that suits Thor better

Everything changed for Thor with Ragnarok, but most importantly, what changed was his sense of humor. With Taika Waittiti at the helm, we had a Thor that was much lighter in tone, and that seems to suit the character and Chris Hemsworth a lot more.

Worst Thing:  An unworthy end to the Warriors Three

However, a casualty of Ragnarok, literally, were the Warriors Three, who it seems Waititi didn’t know what to do with, and so he disposed of them in short order. They deserved better. 

Black Panther

Best Thing: T’Challa rejects the ancestors

It’s difficult to not just say “everything” is what’s best about Black Panther. Chadwick Boseman is one of the MCU’s great casting decisions. If that hadn’t been clear previously, it is in the climax of the film, when T’Challa takes his father and the rest of his ancestors to task for their bad decisions.

Worst Thing: Two great villains gone too soon

One of the other things that makes the film so great is its villains. Michael B. Jordan is excellent as Killmonger, and at least he had a whole movie to shine. Andy Serkis’ Klaue felt like a villain who was never really given a chance to be as big as he could have been, despite being excellent whenever he was on screen.

Avengers: Infinity War

Best Thing: Groot and Stormbreaker

There are numerous moments in the last two Avengers movies that were clearly designed to make fans stand up and cheer, but the greatest moment of Infinity War comes from the least likely place. Groot becomes the true hero of the film when he unites the pieces of Stormbreaker and uses his own arm to give the weapon a handle.

Worst Thing: The Soul Stone

Many lives are lost in Infinity War, but none are more heartbreaking than Gamora. And, not simply from a storytelling standpoint. It’s frustrating because the premise of the Soul Stone sequence, that Thanos loves Gamora, is so clearly false by virtue of what he’s willing to do.

Ant-Man And The Wasp 

Best Thing: Michael Pena’s Luis

We met Luis in the first Ant-Man movie and he was absolutely hilarious, so the sequel did what all sequels at least claim to: give us more of what we want. Luis becomes a much more significant part of Ant-Man and the Wasp, and the sequel is better for it.

Worst Thing: More forgettable villains

Stop if you’ve heard this one before, but sometimes we forget who the villains in Marvel movies even are, and this is very much the case in Ant-Man and the Wasp. Ghost is set to return to the MCU, but we'll need a refresher on who she is.

Captain Marvel 

Best Thing: Captain Marvel Blasting Yon-Rogg

Sometimes a superhero movie builds to an epic and inevitable encounter between a hero and villain, and we get a fight that is everything we dreamed of. Sometimes the villain gets blasted into a wall because the hero owes him nothing, and it's even more satisfying.

Worst Thing: Unnecessarily '90s

Captain Marvel is set in the ’90s for “prequel” reasons, which is fine, but unlike the Guardians of the Galaxy films, which use music for particular story and character reasons, the setting here isn’t that important, and yet it never stops forcing itself on the story.

Avengers: Endgame 

Best Thing: Avengers Assemble

It was the moment we waited more than a decade for. A complete unification of every living hero in the MCU up to that moment. It was everything we wanted.

Worst Thing: Smart Hulk is born off screen

Considering just how long the Avengers movies are you'd think they would have found time to not just explain the origin of Smart Hulk, but let that important stuff happen on-screen.

Spider-Man: Far From Home 

Best Thing: Peter & MJ

It’s not really a shock that Tom Holland and Zendaya got together in real life because the chemistry between the two is excellent. We never really got to see it in the previous Spider-Man movie, but it’s the backbone of this one, and it's excellent.

Worst Thing: Mysterio’s backstory

Retroactively connecting a story back to something that we've already seen is, almost without exception, a clunky way to do things, and when it comes to Mysterio’s motivations, it’s pretty clunky here, as well. 

Black Widow

Best Thing: Florence Pugh

We lost our first Black Widow with the titular movie, but the film gave us a suitable replacement. Pugh’s Yelena isn’t a carbon copy of Scarlett Johansson, which means she’ll still bring something new to the MCU, while still lending similar skills to any plot that requires her. 

Worst Thing: The Taskmaster Reveal

It is perfectly acceptable for an MCU movie to do something drastically different with a character that is well-known in comics. However, if you’re going to treat the identity of a character as a big deal, the reveal needs to be bigger than what we got here.

Shang-Chi And The Legend Of The Ten Rings 

Best Thing: Wenwu vs. Jiang Li

The martial arts combat of Shang-Chi is a nice change of pace from the usual MCU dust-up, and the best is the fight/romance of Wewu and Jiang Li. It’s a beautifully choreographed battle and an equally beautiful love story all at once. 

Worst Thing: CGI dragon fights

Shang-Chi does a great job introducing us to its characters and getting us to care about them, which makes it disappointing when the final battle focuses largely on massive CGI dragons that, while impressive, the audience has not invested in.

Eternals

Best Thing: An impressive ensemble 

Say what you will about Eternals, but it put together an incredible cast, developed each one into fully realized characters, and did so in a way that was compelling and interesting.

Worst Thing: The Massive Mid-Film Info Dump 

Relaying information that the audience needs can be one of the most difficult things for any movie. Many movies, and lots of Marvel movies, struggle with this, but Eternals massive info dump where a Celestial just explains everything to Sersi stops the movie dead in its tracks.

Spider-Man: No Way Home 

Best Thing: The live-action Spider-Verse

In a moment that Spider-Man fans could have only have dreamed of before it happened, three different big screen Spider-Men shared the screen and fought together. How could you not have loved that?

Worst Thing: So. Many. Villains.

Getting three Spidey’s was great, but they could have fought fewer bad guys. It’s not that any of them were bad, but only a couple of them really get any chance to be part of the story.

Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness 

Best Thing: Scarlet Witch Murders Everybody

The alternative universe version of various Marvel heroes was cool. Watching Scarlet Witch completely own them all was even better.

Worst Thing: Mordo is wasted

Mordo had an interesting character arc in the first Doctor Strange, and seeing where he would go made the sequel a compelling idea. Unfortunately, by the time we got to it, the MCU had a different story to tell, so the tease from the first movie went nowhere. 

Thor: Love And Thunder

Best Thing: The Mighty Thor

In a rare move, Marvel revealed years in advance that Natalie Portman would return to the MCU as The Mighty Thor. You don’t need to worry about spoilers when your reveal is awesome enough. 

Worst Thing: Thor Gets Lost in his own movie  

The Mighty Thor was great, and Thor: Love and Thunder has one of the better MCU villains in years. Unfortunately, Thor himself feels largely overlooked by his own movie. 

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever 

Best Thing: Shuri’s emotional journey

We knew that Wakanda Forever was going to be an emotional movie for lots of fans, but to make the road toward acceptance the actual plot was an inspired decision. We all understand Shuri’s story.

Worst Thing: Thunderbolts subplot

The journey of Everett Ross here is not nearly as satisfying. He seems to be there mostly to set up future movies, which takes away from the one we are actually watching.

Ant-Man And The Wasp: Quantumania 

Best Thing: Kang

Kang is expected to be the villain of this current MCU arc, and Quntumania was his coming-out party. It’s a great performance and a fantastic hint of what is to come.

Worst Thing: Where’s Luis?

With the movie mostly taking place in the Quantum Realm, I’m sure the filmmakers just didn’t know how to incorporate Michael Pena’s Luis in a way that made sense, but it’s a lesser film without him.

Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3

Best Thing: The Bestie Boys One Shot

The Guardians of the Galaxy movies have given us solid action and great music, and in one of the trilogy’s final moments, it gave us all that and more in a simulated one-shot that looked epic and sounded amazing.

Worst Thing: Adam Warlock

Vol. 2 promised us Adam Warlock, but one wonders if he would have appeared if that post-credits scene had been left out. The performance and character are good, but the movie doesn’t seem to know what to do with him.

That's every MCU film. Do you agree with our choices?

The timelines of the Star Wars and Star Trek franchises in film and television are fairly complex, but they don’t really hold a candle to the Marvel Cinematic Universe at this point. There are not only dozens of blockbusters and multiple streaming shows, but even multiple realities to keep track of. And did we mention that there are always more upcoming Marvel movies and upcoming Marvel TV shows on the way? We sympathize with anyone trying to keep track of it all, and we put together this feature to help you in that endeavor – whether you want to watch everything in Chronological Order or in Release Order.

If You’ve Never Seen The Marvel Movies Before

If you’re a complete newbie when it comes to the goings-on in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, there’s no real reason to be cute about picking a specific entry point: you should stick with the Release Order route. You can start getting creative after you’ve watched everything and you start doing rewatches, but when you’re just getting into the MCU, your best path to take is the same path that all existing fans took into the comic book franchise.

If You’ve Seen The Marvel Movies Before

Are you a Marvel Cinematic Universe fan who remembers seeing Jon Favreau’s Iron Man on the big screen in 2008 and have seen everything else on opening weekend ever since? Rewatching all of the films and TV shows in release order may be too basic for you, so allow us to recommend giving Chronological Order a whack. You’ll be able to properly witness the full scope of the timeline going back to the first half of the 20th century and may pick up on things that you didn’t notice or understand during previous viewings.

Marvel Movies In Chronological Order

The filmmakers at Marvel Studios like to play around with time – and I don’t just mean via time travel (though that is certainly a part of it). The effort to construct a cohesive universe means crafting a firm and verbose timeline, and that has been accomplished with movies and TV shows set in the past, present, and future. Want to start a new MCU rewatch by witnessing the true launch of the Age of Heroes in the canon? This is the order you should follow.

Captain America: The First Avenger (Set In 1940s)

The full story set furthest into the past in the Marvel Cinematic Universe is Captain America: The First Avenger – an adventure that entirely takes place towards the end of World War II. Spanning about two years (1943-1945), the story takes us from the transformation of Steve Rogers into Captain America, to his bold sacrificial move in the Arctic Circle that led him to being frozen in ice for decades. It’s in this film that we are introduced to not only the incredibly important titular hero, but also key supporting characters like James Buchanan “Bucky” Barnes, Peggy Carter, Howard Stark, Johann Schmidt a.k.a. Red Skull, and Arnim Zola, all of whom have key roles to play in later movies. It's also the first of many stories to involve the Tesseract a.k.a. The Space Stone.

Captain Marvel (Set In 1990s)

There are flashbacks in Ant-Man, Ant-Man And The Wasp, Captain America: Civil War, and Black Panther that give audiences a peek into events that occurred after World War II in the MCU timeline, but the truth is that most of the 20th century remains open for exploration in future movies. The one part of the period that is an exception to this is the mid-1990s, which is when the events of Captain Marvel take place (specifically 1995). Naturally, this is where audiences get to meet Carol Danvers for the first time, and it’s also the introduction of the shape-shifting Skrull Talos, but from a chronological perspective, this also marks the debut of Phil Coulson and Nick Fury.

Iron Man (Set In 2010)

The opening scene of Iron Man 3 shows what it was like for the Marvel Cinematic Universe to experience the 2000 New Year’s celebration, but the timeline zooms ahead to 2010ish for the next big arc, and that’s the movie that started it all: Iron Man. It’s in this story that we get to watch Tony Stark transform into an armor-clad superhero, but also get to know James “Rhodey” Rhodes, Pepper Potts, and Happy Hogan. Plus it’s an opportunity to check in with Nick Fury and Phil Coulson more than 15 years after Captain Marvel.

Iron Man 2 (Set In 2010)

The reason why the setting of Iron Man is a couple of years after its release date is because the story directly dovetails with the events of Iron Man 2, which is set in 2010. The film begins with the same scene that ended the previous movie – Tony Stark declaring to the world that he is Iron Man – and gives fans a chance to catch up with James “Rhodey” Rhodes (who becomes War Machine), Pepper Potts, Happy Hogan, Nick Fury, and Phil Coulson. This is the movie that also marks the first appearance of Natasha Romanoff a.k.a. Black Widow, who is operating as an undercover S.H.I.E.L.D. agent spying on Tony as he struggles with a life-threatening illness, confronts the possibility of his technology being proliferated, and weighs entrance to the Avengers.

Thor (Set In 2010)

In Iron Man 2 we see Phil Coulson leave his assignment babysitting Tony Stark for a developing situation in New Mexico, and it winds up being revealed that the situation in question is the arrival of Thor on Earth a.k.a. Midgard (which means that it too is set in 2010ish). The first Thor movie is big on introductions, as we get to meet not only key Asgardians like the God of Thunder himself, Loki, Odin, Frigga, Heimdall, Sif, and the Warriors Three, but also notable humans such as Jane Foster, Darcy Lewis, Erik Selvig, S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Jasper Sitwell, and Clint Barton a.k.a. Hawkeye.

The Incredible Hulk (Set In 2010)

If you are paying attention during the second to last scene in Iron Man 2, you’ll notice a familiar broadcast playing on one of the monitors – specifically a news report about a rampage by the Hulk at a college. This is because The Incredible Hulk is yet another story that takes place around 2010. It’s not the most significant movie on the MCU timeline, as it only features two characters who go on to be really important (not counting the Tony Stark cameo), but it is noteworthy that those two individuals are Bruce Banner a.k.a. Hulk and future Secretary of State Thaddeus E. "Thunderbolt" Ross, who is on a global hunt for the green monster.

The Avengers (Set In 2012)

Following the Iron Man 2/Thor/Incredible Hulk cluster, there is a small gap in the timeline, but things pick back up with The Avengers, which is set in 2012. This particular adventure was obviously notable for bringing Marvel’s established ensemble of characters together, with an alien invasion bringing together Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, Hulk, Hawkeye, Black Widow, Nick Fury, Loki, Erik Selvig, Pepper Potts, and Phil Coulson in the same story, but the movie also marks the arrival of both Maria Hill and Thanos to the live-action canon.

Iron Man 3 (Set In 2012)

Immediately post-Avengers, both the chronological and release date timelines sync up for the most part. Iron Man 3 was the first movie to come out after the 2012 blockbuster, and it’s also the first story in-universe to follow it – taking place around Christmas of that year. Given that it is a more introspective story, with Tony Stark gaining a larger understanding of what it means to be Iron Man, the only important new character we meet is The Mandarin… who turns out to be a fake anyway. That being said, the film does also bring James “Rhodey” Rhodes, Pepper Potts, Happy Hogan and Howard Stark (albeit in video form) back into the action.

Thor: The Dark World (Set In 2013)

Thor: The Dark World is set during an unspecified season of 2013, and while it doesn’t expand the Marvel Cinematic Universe at all with new characters, it does update audiences on what has been happening with almost the entire ensemble that was featured in the first movie, including Thor, Loki, Jane Foster, Odin, Frigga, Heimdall, Sif, the Warriors Three, Darcy Lewis, and Erik Selvig. Plus it has an adventure that centers around one of the most significant elements in the canon: the Reality Stone.

Captain America: The Winter Soldier (Set In 2014)

It’s in the calendar year of 2014 that the events of Captain America: The Winter Soldier play out, as audiences primarily catch up with Captain America and Black Widow as they sniff out a conspiracy within the goings-on at S.H.I.E.L.D. The blockbuster notably also brings back Bucky Barnes (now the Winter Soldier), Nick Fury, Maria Hill, Jasper Sitwell, Peggy Carter (now in her 90s), and Arnim Zola (now a computer), but also has fans get to know Sam Wilson a.k.a. Falcon, Sharon Carter a.k.a. Agent 13, S.H.I.E.L.D. Secretary Alexander Pierce, and strike team operative Brock Rumlow a.k.a. Crossbones.

Guardians Of The Galaxy (Set In 2014)

Thanks to particular title cards in the beginning of the movie, we know for a fact that Guardians of the Galaxy takes place in the year 2014, though the narrative that unfolds in the movie couldn’t be set further away from the main action in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. This is, of course, the story that brought the likes of Peter Quill a.k.a. Star-Lord, Gamora, Drax, Rocket, Groot, Nebula, Yondu, and Kraglin into the live-action canon, while also seeing Thanos conspire with Ronan The Accuser to find The Power Stone.

Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2 (Set In 2014)

Because of the release schedule, most Marvel Cinematic Universe sequels are set at least a couple years after their predecessor, but that’s not the case with Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, which is set just a few months after the first movie – letting it come directly after it in chronological order. This adventure is very different than the last, centering on the titular group as they meet a being who claims to be Peter Quill’s father, and a great new addition is made to the team with the arrival of Mantis.

Avengers: Age Of Ultron (Set In 2015)

Back on Earth in the year 2015, the Avengers reunited for a world-threatening crisis of their very own making – namely Tony Stark’s creation of the deadly artificial intelligence known as Ultron. Avengers: Age Of Ultron not only brings back together Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, Hulk, Hawkeye, Black Widow, Falcon, War Machine, Nick Fury, and Erik Selvig for the first time since 2012, but also has a huge impact on the future of the franchise. This is the movie that initially put Scarlet Witch in action (not counting her Captain America: The Winter Soldier post-credits cameo), features the creation of Vision, has a role for Ulysses Klaue, and also involves two Infinity Stones: the Mind Stone and the Space Stone.

Ant-Man (Set In 2015)

Thanks to a particular line about the Avengers dropping cities out of the sky, we know that Ant-Man is set after the events of Avengers: Age Of Ultron, and as a result it’s pretty easy to pin it to its release year: 2015. It’s an important chapter for the MCU, as while the story about the heist of top secret technology doesn’t have much of an impact on the larger continuity of the franchise, it is the first movie for a lot of recurring characters, including Scott Lang a.k.a. Ant-Man, Hope van Dyne (pre-Wasp), Hank Pym, Luis, Kurt, Dave, Paxton, and Cassie and Maggie Lang. It also has cameos from Falcon, Howard Stark, and Peggy Carter.

Captain America: Civil War (Set In 2016)

It’s in the year 2016 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe that a monumental change begins to take effect in regards to the way in which people of the world view superheroes. Understanding that there’s a serious risk in having costumed vigilantes operating without oversight, the Sokovia Accords are ratified globally, and it’s an issue that causes a great divide between members of the Avengers. This is obviously one of the most significant stories in the franchise timeline, both bringing together the likes of Iron Man, Captain America, Hawkeye, Black Widow, Scarlet Witch, War Machine, Falcon, Vision, Winter Soldier, Agent 13, Ant-Man, Thaddeus E. “Thunderbolt” Ross, Crossbones, and Howard Stark, while introducing T’Challa a.k.a. Black Panther, Peter Parker a.k.a. Spider-Man, Helmut Zemo, May Parker, the Dora Milaje’s Ayo, and Everett Ross.

Black Panther (Set In 2016)

While there were four Marvel movies released between Captain America: Civil War and Black Panther, the latter is much closer on the timeline to the former than any other feature. With the 2016 blockbuster featuring the death of the Wakandan ruler T’Chaka, Black Panther is a film set in the aftermath as T’Challa returns home. While dealing with a challenge to the titular hero’s throne from a previously-unknown cousin, the new film brings in a couple of familiar faces with Everett Ross, Ayo, and Ulysses Klaue, but mostly features new characters, including Ramonda , Shuri , Okoye, M'Baku, Nakia, W'Kabi, and Ayo.

Spider-Man: Homecoming (Set In 2016)

Like Black Panther, Spider-Man: Homecoming is also very much set in the aftermath of Captain America: Civil War, but a little more time has passed in between the stories. While the plot has Peter Parker struggling to be the best Spider-Man he can be while operating under certain restrictions from Iron Man, the film also introduces audiences to all of the important people in the hero’s life, including his classmates Ned Leeds, Flash Thompson, Michelle, a.k.a. M.J., Betty Brant, and teachers like Mr. Harrington. May Parker also makes her second MCU appearance, while there is also a part to play for Happy Hogan and a cameo from Pepper Potts.

Black Widow (Set In 2016)

Cate Shortland's Black Widow may have been released as the first title in the Marvel Cinematic Universe's Phase Four, but it's a chapter that is still embedded amidst the various events that comprised the latter years of the Infinity Saga. While the blockbuster isn't set as close to the events of Captain America: Civil War as either Black Panther or Spider-Man: Homecoming, the plot is very much tied to that period – specifically in the sense that it picks up with the titular heroine on the run due to her disobeying the orders in the Sokovia Accords.

Doctor Strange (Set In 2016)

Dr. Stephen Strange gets specifically name dropped in Captain America: Civil War, but evidence suggests it’s because of his advanced skills as a brain surgeon – not because he eventually becomes one of the most magically gifted individuals on Earth. On the Marvel Cinematic Universe timeline, Doctor Strange doesn’t actually go through his whole origin story until after the events of both Black Panther and Spider-Man: Homecoming - which pins the start of his journey in late 2016.

Thor: Ragnarok (Set In 2018)

Where Thor: Ragnarok sits on the Marvel Cinematic Universe timeline is most easily perceived by its proximity to Avengers: Infinity War – which is evident from the post-credits scene that directly ties into the massive blockbuster. Without any specific dates available, the best guess is that the bulk of the movie takes place in the year 2018, with the God of Thunder going on a wild adventure that sees him travel to a garbage planet while his sister, Hela, takes over Asgard. This movie is important to the canon in that it refreshes audiences on the whereabouts of Hulk, Loki, and Heimdall, while also showing the fates of the Warriors Three and Odin. There's also a fun supporting role played by Doctor Strange, who is shown to possess very skilled control over magiks, and the introduction of fun new players including Valkyrie, Korg, Meik, and The Grandmaster.

Ant-Man And The Wasp (Set In 2018)

Like Thor: Ragnarok, we know that Ant-Man And The Wasp takes place very close to the events of Avengers: Infinity War because of what is shown during the end credits (namely the effects of The Blip). However, because the story plays out over less time, and goes further into the future than the third God of Thunder film, we’re putting it next chronologically. While tracing a plot that finds its main characters working to rescue the long-missing Janet van Dyne, this movie catches fans up with all the key Ant-Man players, including Scott Lang, Hope Van Dyne (who finally becomes Wasp), Hank Pym, Luis, Kurt, Dave, Paxton, and Cassie and Maggie Lang.

Avengers: Infinity War (Set In 2018)

Taking place in the spring of 2018, Avengers: Infinity War plays out the first chapter in a two-part saga that Marvel Studios planned over the course of more than a decade. Following Thanos’ journey to collect all six of the Infinity Stones, the film features far too many characters to list here… and at the end of the day winds up killing approximately half of them.

Avengers: Endgame (Set In 2023)

As for Avengers: Endgame, the most significant events of the blockbuster take place in the year 2023, five years after the devastating ending of Avengers: Infinity War… but it’s also a hard title to specifically put on a timeline specifically because of the time travel antics that are featured. To get into all of the details here would be a touch too confusing, not to mention the crazy number of heroes and villains who appear, but the fact that the movie jumps the MCU canon into the near future is really the big takeaway from a timeline perspective.

WandaVision (Set In 2023)

The Marvel Cinematic Universe entered a new era with the release of WandaVision, not only because it's the first title in Phase 4, but also because it's the franchise's first Disney+ series. It's also an interesting story to consider in the Marvel timeline, as it's actually set between the events of Avengers: Endgame and Spider-Man: Far From Home. It's specifically said in dialogue on the show that the plot really begins about three weeks after the final battle against Thanos, and head writer Jac Schaeffer has confirmed that the events that play out happen over the course of about a week.

The Falcon And The Winter Soldier (Set In 2024)

Beyond being clearly set in the aftermath of Avengers: Endgame, The Falcon And The Winter Soldier Disney+ series doesn't really provide too many anchors regarding where it sits in the timeline, but given the featured animosity regarding political restructuring after The Blip, it seems fair to say that a few months have past, putting it after the events of WandaVision.

Shang-Chi And The Legend Of The Ten Rings (Set In Spring 2024)

Thanks to its central antagonist having lived for a millennia Shang-Chi And The Legend Of The Ten Rings is a movie that features scenes that go way back in the history of the Marvel Cinematic Universe – but the vast majority is set in the “present”. It's not easy to pinpoint exactly when the events of the film occur in relation to Avengers: Endgame, but there is a moment when Wenwu says that the portal to the mystical world of Ta Lo will be open during the Chinese holiday Qingming Jie, which is celebrated in the spring.

Eternals (Set In 2024)

While many Marvel movies have featured flashbacks that are set centuries in the past, Eternals is a special case in that it goes back a remarkable 7,000 years in history, chronicling its characters' journey shepherding human society. That being said, the bulk of the action takes place in the post-Blip "present," and while there aren't really any specific seasonal markers, it feels safe to line it up in release order and say that events transpire around the time or after what happens in Shang-Chi And The Legend Of The Ten Rings.

Spider-Man: Far From Home (Set In Summer 2024)

Although Spider-Man: Far From Home was the first MCU film released in the aftermath of Avengers: Endgame – evidence suggests that it takes place after a number of the films and shows that followed it. The set up of the story suggests it takes place in the summer of 2024. The fact that Tony Stark is dead still weighs heavily on the minds of characters in this story, but once again we get to reconnect with the important people in Peter Parker’s circle, including Ned Leeds, Flash Thompson, M.J., Betty Brant, Mr. Harrington, May Parker, and Happy Hogan.

Spider-Man: No Way Home (Set In Fall 2024)

Given the cliffhanger ending of Spider-Man: Far From Home, with J. Jonah Jameson and Mysterio revealing the web-slinger's secret identity to the world, Spider-Man: No Way Home had to be set in the immediate aftermath – and it delivers. It's made clear that the story is set in the immediate aftermath of Halloween (given that MJ's boss at the coffee shop requesting that decorations be taken down), and the narrative doesn't unfold over a great deal of time.

Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness (Set In Fall 2024)

A considerable percentage of Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness takes place outside of the normal MCU timeline, but there is still plenty of action set in the 616 Universe (which the movie designates). There aren't many details revealed within the film itself regarding when it is set – other than it being after the events of Spider-Man: No Way Home – but thanks to the timeline order featured on Disney+, we know that it takes place between the events of the webslinger blockbuster and...

Hawkeye (Set In December 2024)

If you look closely in Spider-Man: No Way Home, you can see billboards for Rogers: The Musical, a fictional Broadway production that is more prominently featured in Hawkeye. With the blockbuster ending in November 2024, it's logical then that the Disney+ series is set in December of the same year – and specifically around Christmas.

Moon Knight (Set In 2025)

The Disney+ series Moon Knight in general has very few connections to the larger happenings of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but it most definitely is set within the canon, and we do have a general idea of when it's set thanks to the aforementioned official timeline on the streaming service. According to Disney, the events on the show take place after the events of Hawkeye – and given that Hawkeye is set in December 2024, it's fair that we pin the events to taking place sometime in 2025.

She-Hulk: Attorney At Law (Set In 2025)

Notable mention of Wong's battle with Abomination featured in Shang-Chi And The Legend Of The Ten Rings gives us at least one standout way in which to pinpoint She-Hulk: Attorney At Law's exact place on the MCU timeline, but still we're mostly relying on info from Disney+ here. The streaming service puts the show's events after those that take place in Moon Knight, but notably it is set before the events of the Marvel show that directly preceded it...

Ms. Marvel (Set In Fall 2025)

The Ms. Marvel series was released prior to She-Hulk: Attorney At Law, but the streaming service that debuted it says that they didn't come out in chronological order where the MCU is concerned. We don't know what exact month the events take place during, but it's worth noting that Kamala Khan is depicted as starting her junior year of high school, which means that it takes place in the fall.

Thor: Love And Thunder (Set In Late 2025/Early 2026)

Although we know that Thor: Love And Thunder takes place a fair amount of time after the events of Avengers: Endgame, it isn't perfectly clear exactly how far. The best guess we have to the setting comes from Thor telling Mighty Thor that it's been eight years, seven months, and six days since he last saw her... but that only gets us so far considering we don't know exactly when they broke up. We know that happened before the events of Captain America: Civil War, but details are vague, leaving us to pin the movie to 2025/2026.

Werewolf By Night (Set In Late 2025/Early 2026)

The Special Presentation Werewolf By Night opens up a new monster-filled corner of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, though in doing so it doesn't get too specific regarding when it takes place in relation to other events that are happening in the canon. Disney+'s timeline says that it takes place after Thor: Love And Thunder, but because we don't really know when that blockbuster is set, it's hard to get an exact read on the timeline spot for the MCU's first full-on horror project.

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (Set In Late 2025/Early 2026)

In the case of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, fans will have to suss out the specifics when it comes to months/seasons, but at the very least we do know its position on the Marvel Cinematic Universe timeline thanks to producer Nate Moore. The filmmaker confirmed to CinemaBlend that the blockbuster's setting is "potentially concurrent" with both the events in Thor: Love And Thunder and Ant-Man And The Wasp: Quantumania.

The Guardians Of The Galaxy Holiday Special (Set In December 2025)

Marvel Studios celebrated Christmas 2024 in the Marvel Cinematic Universe with the adventure in Hawkeye, and set one year later is the shenanigan-filled Guardians Of The Galaxy Holiday Special. There isn't a specific mention of the year that things are happening, but it's clearly set after the events in Thor: Love And Thunder.

Ant-Man And The Wasp: Quantumania (Set In Late 2025/Early 2026)

Because the film is primarily set in the time-warping Quantum Realm, Ant-Man And The Wasp: Quantumania is not the easiest blockbuster to place on the Marvel timeline, but Nate Moore's comment about it being concurrent with Thor: Love And Thunder and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever gives us the confidence to at least pin it to late 2025/early 2026.

Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3 (2026)

As noted, the adventures in Guardians of the Galaxy and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 happened very close together on the MCU timeline, and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 has a similar relationship with the Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special. It's not made explicitly clear when the movie is set, but references are made to that Disney+ adventure, pinning the blockbuster to the early months of 2026.

Secret Invasion (2026)

The Disney+ original series Secret Invasion is heavy on flashbacks, dipping into many different eras of the MCU, but it's mostly set post-Blip. There aren’t any specific dates mentioned that specifically tell us whether or not the events are happening before or after the story in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (a tricky thing to pin down since so much of that film is set away from Earth), but we're going to stick by the rule of thumb and put it after.

The Marvels (2026)

Unlike Captain Marvel, which took audiences back to the 1990s in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Marvels is set in the contemporary era as to unite Carol Danvers with a post-Ms. Marvel Kamala Khan and a post-WandaVision Monica Rambeau. Even though it also features the return of Nick Fury, we're left to only assume that the events take place after Secret Invasion.

In Canon/Outside Of The Timeline

Clearly there is a lot going on in the Marvel Cinematic Universe… but you also have to remember that it is one of an infinite number of realities included in the multiverse. As the franchise has dug further into this idea, it has resulted in some projects being produced with stories that take place outside the MCU canon as it is generally recognized. We’ve included this special section in our feature to highlight these titles.

Loki

Technically a spin-off from Avengers: Endgame, Loki chronicles the version of the titular God of Mischief who managed to escape from the grasp of the Avengers thanks to a misplaced Tesseract. Having messed with the time stream, he is arrested as a Variant by the Time Variance Authority – and when he is brought to their headquarters, he finds himself in a location that exists outside of normal time and space. The series, which ran for two seasons on Disney+, doesn't really fit on the chronological timeline as a result, but it is at the very least best watched only after the aforementioned 2019 blockbuster.

What If

Debuting on Disney+ in summer 2021, What If is a series that is developed by Marvel Studios that exclusively focuses on stories that play out on alternate timelines that are similar to the events featured in the Marvel Cinematic Universe... but with special changes altering everything. What if Peggy Carter had gotten the super soldier serum instead of Steve Rogers? What if the Ravagers kidnapped T'Challa instead of Peter Quill? What if Ant-Man and Wasp accidentally unleashed a zombie plague from the Quantum Realm? All those stories and more are told in this multiverse-centric animated series, and following the release of Season 2 at the end of 2023, a Season 3 is in the works that will spin even more of these kinds of tales.

Deadpool & Wolverine

Deadpool & Wolverine was heralded prior to release as the arrival of X-Men characters in the Marvel Cinematic Universe... but that's not really what ends up playing out in the 2024 blockbuster. While there is an early scene set in the MCU and plenty of discussion about it between characters, the film mostly takes place in the Time Variance Authority, the universe from the X-Men franchise, and The Void at the end of time.  

Marvel Movies In Release Date Order

The construction of the Marvel Cinematic Universe wasn’t an accident. Executives and filmmakers didn’t simply put a bunch of project titles on slips of paper in a hat and pick them out at random to create a release schedule. While not all of the stories unfold in chronological order, there is a design behind the introductions of specific heroes and villains in the construction of the franchise. To best appreciate this fact, your ideal way of watching and/or rewatching the canon is in Release Order.

• Iron Man (2008)
• The Incredible Hulk (2008)
• Iron Man 2 (2010)
• Thor (2011)
• Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)
• The Avengers (2012)
• Iron Man 3 (2013)
• Thor: The Dark World (2013)
• Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)
• Guardians Of The Galaxy (2014)
• Avengers: Age Of Ultron (2015)
• Ant-Man (2015)
• Captain America: Civil War (2016)
• Doctor Strange (2016)
• Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017)
• Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)
• Thor: Ragnarok (2017)
• Black Panther (2018)
• Avengers: Infinity War (2018)
• Ant-Man And The Wasp (2018)
• Captain Marvel (2019)
• Avengers: Endgame (2019)
• Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019)
• WandaVision (2021)
• The Falcon And The Winter Soldier (2021)
• Loki (2021)
• Black Widow (2021)
• What If (2021)
• Shang-Chi And The Legend Of The Ten Rings (2021)
• Eternals (2021)
• Spider-Man: Far From Home (2021)
• Moon Knight (2022)
• Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness (2022)
• Ms. Marvel (2022)
• Thor: Love And Thunder (2022)
• She-Hulk: Attorney At Law (2022)
• Werewolf By Night (2022)
• Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022)
• The Guardians Of The Galaxy Holiday Special (2022)
• Ant-Man And The Wasp: Quantumania (2023)
• Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3 (2023)
• Secret Invasion (2023)
• The Marvels (2023)
• Deadpool & Wolverine (2024)

That covers all of the existing films and TV shows in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (the vast majority of the MCU can be streamed with a Disney+ subscription), but it’s a franchise that is constantly expanding, and with each new addition to the canon, we will continue to update this timeline. For more MCU-related reading, check out our ranking of all the Marvel Movies so far.