Top 20 Marvel Moments That Left Us Speechless
Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the Top 20 Marvel Moments That Left Us Speechless. For this list, we’ll be looking at scenes from the MCU that shocked or surprised viewers the most. Since there are big twists and reveals on this list, this is your final spoiler alert. Which Marvel moment caught you off guard the most? Let us know in the comments.
#20: Thor Goes For the Head
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“Avengers: Endgame” (2019)
After Thanos eliminated trillions of people in “Infinity War”, the Avengers tracked him down in hopes they could reverse what he’s done. But unfortunately, they’re too late. It turns out that Thanos destroyed their only hope of fixing this tragedy. This shocking revelation led to the moment where Thor took a piece of advice that the mad titan once gave him. With one swing from his ax, the god of thunder decapitated the Mad Titan without warning. Thor’s brutality and cold expression left us dumbstruck. While the villain got what he deserved, his sudden death still didn’t feel like a victory for our heroes.
#19: Kamala Khan Is Confirmed to Be a Mutant
“Ms. Marvel” (2022-)
Fans of the X-Men have long been awaiting the moment that mutants arrived to the live-action Earth-616. However, they had no idea they’d already been following one until the final episode of “Ms. Marvel”. After Kamala embraced her legacy and became the hero of Jersey city, we learn something completely unexpected about her physiology. Bruno reveals there’s something special about her genes. If his verbal suggestion wasn’t enough, the moment is capped off by a familiar musical motif. We don’t know how or if Kamala will factor into the X-Men’s future. But this moment is still a huge and surprising step towards bringing mutants closer to Avengers.
#18: A “Quick” Cameo
Top 10 Marvel Moments That Left Us Speechless
“WandaVision” (2021)
“WandaVision” is quite the meta show, paying tribute to and parodying plenty of TV shows and tropes. One of these is stunt casting, and it worked like a charm! While Wanda and Vision are having an argument, Wanda has to answer the door, and who should appear but her long lost brother, Pietro Maximoff! Except, it’s Quicksilver as played by Evan Peters from the “X-Men” films! Everyone lost their minds with excitement over what this could mean with regards to the multiverse in the MCU. While the payoff was not as satisfying as the reveal (Ralph Bohner, really?), it was still a fun and surprising moment.
#17: Liz’s Dad
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“Spider-Man: Homecoming” (2017)
Being a teenage superhero can be stressful. In addition to trying to stop Adrian Toomes, the Vulture, Peter Parker also has to deal with high school stuff – like Homecoming Dance. When he turns up at his love interest Liz’s house, he and the audience are flabbergasted when the Vulture answers the door. Toomes is actually her father! Sure, the movie’s called “Homecoming,” so it had to tie into the plot somehow, but we didn’t think the villain would be Liz’s dad! It’s a great twist that made the Vulture not only more relatable, but arguably scarier! That scene in the car still gives us chills!
#16: Quicksilver's Death
The Flash VS. Quicksilver
“Avengers: Age of Ultron” (2015)
As soon as it was announced that Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver would be in “Ultron”, audiences got pretty excited. But no one could’ve anticipated that the duo’s time together would be so brief. During “Age of Ultron’s” final battle, the titular villain fires at the Avengers and other survivors of his attack. When Hawkeye is caught in the robot’s path while protecting a young boy, Pietro suddenly runs over to shield them from the gunfire. The sacrificial act was as jaw-dropping as it was controversial. Although we’re glad Hawkeye survived, we still can’t believe Quicksilver’s time as an Avenger ended so soon.
#15: Marc Reveals Steven’s Origin
“Moon Knight” (2022)
In the episode “Asylum”, we learn that when Marc was younger, he lost his brother after an innocent afternoon playing in a cave went horribly wrong. After the incident, Marc’s mother blamed him for his brother’s death. She often lashed out at him in a variety of horrible ways. During a particularly dramatic confrontation, Marc manifested the Steven personality to help him cope with the pain. While this entire plotline took audiences by surprise, its conclusion truly left us speechless. A flashback shows that Marc was unable to attend his mother’s funeral due to their turbulent history. But after his grief catches up to him, we were left stunned when he switched into his Steven personality and kept going.
#14: The Mandarin Reveal
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“Iron Man 3” (2013)
The terrorist mastermind the Mandarin proves quite the threat to both Tony Stark/Iron Man, as well as the United States. His explosive soldiers and dark charisma gave him an air of menace. But, when Tony finally infiltrates the Mandarin’s compound, he’s dumbfounded to discover that the man he thought was the Mandarin is just a silly British actor named Trevor. The “real” Mandarin (not really, he came later) is Aldrich Killian, a scientist Tony once ditched at a party. While this twist certainly proved controversial, there’s no denying that nobody saw it coming! Who would expect using an actor of Ben Kingsley’s caliber as a misdirect?!
#13: Rhodey’s Fall
“Captain America: Civil War” (2016)
You’d expect there to be casualties in a film with the word “war” in the title. But although no Avenger dies by the end, there are still some steep consequences. After two teams of heroes spend time brawling at an airport, Captain America and Bucky fly away from the battlefield. When War Machine gives chase, he asks Vision to get Falcon off his tail. But the distracted synthezoid misses and breaks Rhodey’s power source. The harrowing sequence ends with War Machine hitting the ground because no one could get to him fast enough. Fortunately, Rhodey survives the fall. But we’ll never forget how close the MCU veteran came to death.
#12: Isaiah’s Backstory
“The Falcon and the Winter Soldier” (2021)
After Sam Wilson is entrusted with Steve Roger’s iconic shield, he’s shocked to learn that the Avenger wasn’t the only Captain America. The hero once known as Falcon is eventually introduced to a Black man and veteran named Isaiah Bradley. During the Korean War, the soldier became a super soldier and single handedly liberated a prison camp. But he wasn’t treated with a ‘welcome home’ like Steve Rogers was. Instead, Isaiah was imprisoned and experimented on for thirty years by the country he fought for. Carl Lumbly’s moving performance makes this revelation especially heartbreaking. And while nothing can ever replace what he’s lost, Isaiah is done some justice when he finally gets the recognition he deserves in a truly awe-inspiring scene.
#11: Ego Both Gives & Is Cancer
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“Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2” (2017)
Ego, Peter Quill’s Celestial tool of a dad, is exposed as a villain, with a plan to
spread throughout the galaxy like a cancer – making everyone a part of him. Having basically been brainwashed by Ego, this doesn’t concern Star-Lord too much and the audience kind of figured it out by then. But then he drops a bombshell – to stop himself from getting attached to Peter’s mom, Ego intentionally gave her brain cancer. The shock of this is so great, that it snaps Peter out of Ego’s control, and he just starts blasting him! If we weren’t still trying to get over this reveal, we’d be tempted to join him.
#10: The Multiverse is Born
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“Loki” (2021-)
When Loki and Sylvie reach the end of time, they discover a stranger named He Who Remains. The mysterious man reveals that he built the Time Variance Authority to control the timeline. Additionally He Who Remains reveals that if he dies, the multiverse will be born. But splitting the timeline could also allow an infinite number of enemies to threaten the main universe. At first, we were positive that the two gods of mischief would never allow the multiverse to exist. But Sylvie fights until she defeats Loki and slays He Who Remains. Watching the timeline split before our eyes was astounding. While we knew trouble was coming, we also knew that the MCU could now access a multiverse of characters.
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#9: Who Killed Tony’s Parents
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“Captain America: Civil War” (2016)
The evil genius Zemo spent most of “Civil War” manipulating and deceiving the Avengers. But his final sinister act relied on a brutal truth. After Zemo gets Tony, Steve, and Bucky in the same room, he shows them footage of the car crash that killed Howard and Maria Stark. What was thought to be an accident was quickly revealed to be an assassination. And it turns out that the brainwashed Bucky was responsible. As Tony got angrier, we sat there breathless and waiting to see how Iron Man would react. Although we didn’t want him to lash out at Bucky after seeing that video, we definitely understood why the orphaned billionaire couldn’t let things go.
#8: T’Challa’s Funeral
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“Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” (2022)
Two years after Chadwick Boseman passed away, audiences arrived at “Wakanda Forever” with the knowledge that the cast and crew had worked hard to honor his memory. The film immediately mADE it clear that his character T’Challa had passed away. After this tragic opening, we watched as Wakandans came together for his funeral. Angela Bassett and Letitia Wright’s performances were full of raw emotion and grief during the ceremony. And throughout the heartbreaking scene, Wakandans celebrated their king’s life with beautiful expressions of art. No one made a sound during this impactful and moving tribute to the late and great Chadwick Boseman.
#7: Thanos’ Sacrifice
Gorr vs Thanos
“Avengers: Infinity War” (2018)
The deaths in “Infinity War” are some of the hardest hitting in the franchise. While it was tempting to discuss Vision’s heartbreaking death, both of them, this one was arguably more surprising. After Gamora is forced to take Thanos to Vormir, the location of the Soul Stone, they’re told by its guardian, Red Skull, that Thanos must sacrifice what he loves most to obtain it. Gamora is first amused, since she believes Thanos loves no one, but she is proven tragically wrong, as Thanos cries for what he’s about to do. Despite Gamora’s attempts to deny him, Thanos throws his favorite daughter from the cliff. This death left us shook, both from grieving Gamora’s loss, and because of how committed Thanos was to his mission.
#6: HYDRA Had Infiltrated S.H.I.E.L.D.
“Captain America: The Winter Soldier” (2014)
After Hydra’s defeat in “The First Avenger”, the rogue Nazi division seemed to be gone for good. And boy were we wrong. In the second Captain America film, Steve Rogers and Black Widow meet a digital copy of HYDRA scientist Arnim Zola’s brain. The villain then reveals that his organization was secretly rebuilt inside of S.H.I.E.L.D. ranks. This tactic allowed HYDRA to influence global events and assassinate potential threats for decades. While this reveal could’ve just affected the plot of one movie, the twist is so memorable because of its far-reaching consequences. This game-changing HYDRA twist went on to affect other MCU tales and will likely continue to do so in the future.
#5: A Bloodied Shield
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“The Falcon and the Winter Soldier” (2021)
John Walker wasn’t most of our picks for a new Captain America, but as we saw more, we saw how the impossible expectations of the role wore on him. While engaging in battle with the Flag Smashers, Walker’s partner, Lemar, is accidentally killed by their leader, Karli Morgenthau. Enraged at the death of his friend, Walker pursues one of the Flag Smashers, demanding to know where Karli is. With the man at his mercy, Walker brutally kills him, as dozens look on and record it. We know Walker was under pressure, but to see him break like this and for him to tarnish Cap’s shield, once a symbol of hope, is appalling.
#4: Illuminati Demise
“Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness” (2022)
The introduction of the Illuminati alone was a shock to the system! Old favorites returning in new roles in this universe? Patrick Stewart back as Professor X? And they cast John Krasinski as Mr. Fantastic?! But that shock was compounded soon after. Just as Dr. Strange tries to warn them, Wanda Maximoff, the Scarlet Witch, pursues him into this universe. She confronts the Illuminati and proceeds to kill them all in creative and grisly ways! Well, all except for Mordo! Frankly, a fistfight with Strange is getting off easy, compared to what Wanda does to the others.
#3: Spider-Man?
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“Spider-Man: No Way Home” (2021)
Yes, we were all beaming at the sight of the three Spider-Men just interacting with each other (xref) But that still didn’t prepare us for the emotional gut punch that is the ending. With reality coming apart and legions of Spider-Men’s enemies encroaching on New York, Peter asks Dr. Strange to make them leave the only way he knows how – a spell to make everyone forget him, not Spider-Man, mind you – Peter Parker. Peter promises to come find Ned and M.J. after they’ve forgotten, and he’s true to his word on that account. It’s rough seeing him meet them and for them to not recognize him. It’s even tougher to watch him decide not to tell them, to keep them safe.
#2: Cap Brings the Thunder
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“Avengers: Endgame” (2019)
“Endgame” had so many jaw dropping, epic moments that we could have chosen. The portal scene alone had everyone shouting incoherently. But our pick goes to a moment slightly before that one. Iron Man, Thor, and Captain America face off in a 3v1 against Thanos. Things look dire for the god of thunder when the other two are seemingly out of commission and Thanos has him at his mercy. That’s when Thor’s hammer Mjolnir rises and strikes the Mad Titan in the back! It then returns to Cap’s hand! Fans were hopeful beforehand, and of course a man as good as Steve Rogers was worthy, but knowing and seeing are two different things. Easily one of the best surprises we’ve gotten yet in the MCU!
#1: The Snap
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“Avengers: Infinity War” (2018)
Throughout “Infinity War,” Thanos proves he’s a capable and threatening villain. Even so, most viewers who hadn’t read the comics still didn’t think he would actually succeed. How naïve we were. After acquiring all the Infinity Stones, Thanos seems poised to kill half of all life in the universe. But then Thor arrives, and lands a decisive blow! Except…his aim was off. Thanos still manages to snap his fingers. He departs, and then, many of our favorite heroes dissolve into dust. It can’t be overstated how astonishing this moment is. Marvel is supposed to be the upbeat franchise! They can’t kill off half your characters like this! But they did. Temporarily, at least.
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