Top 20 Darkest MCU Moments
Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the Top 20 Darkest MCU Moments. For this list, we’ll be looking at the bleakest and grimmest scenes this superhero franchise has to offer. Most of these are crucial plot points, so there are spoilers ahead. Which of these moments sent a chill down your spine? Let us know in the comments.
#20: Loki’s Infinity War Demise
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“Avengers: Infinity War” (2018) The god of mischief always has a trick up his sleeve when his life’s in danger. But his luck finally runs out when he comes across an Infinity Stone-wielding Thanos. Under the pretense of pledging his services, Loki prepares to stab the Mad Titan. But Thanos is all too familiar with the trickster. As punishment, or for pure fun, he calmly snaps Loki’s neck with one hand. It is painful to watch. And it’s amplified by Thor’s muffled cries as he helplessly watches his brother die for the third time. Brutally killing off a character who constantly cheats death, definitely upped the stakes.
#19: Tony’s Vision
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“Avengers: Age of Ultron” (2015) It doesn’t get much darker than seeing Earth’s Mightiest Heroes battered and broken, and that’s exactly what Tony sees when the Scarlet Witch uses her mind control powers to get inside his head. When our heroes attack a secret HYDRA base, the villainous organization unleashes their secret weapons on the Avengers, leading to this frightening vision in which Tony sees his friends and teammates in ruins. It’s this vision that prompts him to use the Mind Stone to create Ultron, and to be honest, we can’t say we blame him. The sight of his friends dead and the Earth beset by an alien armada would be enough to put anyone on edge.
#18: Tony’s Panic Attack
“Iron Man 3” (2013) Post-traumatic stress disorder is a serious matter, and can prove to be debilitating for anyone who’s been through a traumatic event - even years later. While the heroes of the MCU make jumping headlong into danger look easy, this scene reminds us that even Iron Man is human at the end of the day. While relaxing with his best friend Rhodey, Tony’s PTSD from his near-death experience in “The Avengers” is triggered, leading to a massive panic attack that sends him staggering from the restaurant. It’s a moving scene, one that underscores the lasting psychological scars that people who undergo traumatic experiences are left with.
#17: Ravager Executions
“Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2” (2017) There’s absolutely nothing pleasant about Taserface, the brutish Ravager who steals control of Yondu’s gang of space outlaws from the slightly more pleasant Yondu. But Taserface’s method of getting rid of those Ravagers still loyal to their previous boss is low even for him. While many of the crew have no problem accepting the recent change of management, a few of them remain committed to their former leader. Taserface responds to their loyalty with a one-way trip out the airlock in this scene, leaving the loyalists to die in the cold vacuum of space. Talk about a chilling moment.
#16: Thor Beheads Thanos
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“Avengers: Endgame” (2019) Brutal kills aren’t unusual for the MCU, but even we didn’t see this coming. With half the universe wiped out after “Infinity War”, the remaining Avengers track down Thanos. But upon finding him and the infinity stones destroyed, Thor succumbs to his anger. The beheading happens in the blink of an eye and leaves us just as shocked as the Avengers. In Thor’s shoes, we might have done the same. But the fact that he was pushed this far at all is what makes this kill even more unsettling. It’s a pretty grim way to end the film’s opening act.
#15: The Death of Quicksilver
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“Avengers: Age of Ultron” (2015) Being an Avenger is a dangerous job, and we’re frankly surprised that more members of the team haven’t bitten the bullet. In the second Avengers film, the group endures its first loss when the speedster Quicksilver goes down in his very first battle as an Avenger. Though he started out as a brash, hot-headed villain in the employ of Hydra and later Ultron, Pietro and his sister Wanda eventually saw the light and were convinced by Hawkeye to fight the good fight. Sadly, during the battle, Quicksilver sacrifices himself to save his new teammate, throwing himself in the path of enemy fire. No... we didn’t see it coming.
#14: Marc Spector’s Backstory
“Moon Knight” (2022) We spend a lot of time getting to know Marc Spector and his alter Steven Grant. But we don’t learn much about their backstories until the fifth episode “Asylum”. Here we see exactly why Marc tried so hard to repress his memories. As a child, Marc had a brother named Randall who drowned in a flooded cave. Their mother Wendy blamed Marc for the tragedy, and frequently took her anger and grief out on him. The resulting trauma created Steven Grant, an alternate personality who believed that his mother was kind and loving. Wendy’s later death becomes so painful for Marc that he lets Steven take over. Tragic origins aren’t new to Marvel, but Oscar Isaac’s acting makes this revelation especially dreadful.
#13: Namor Kills Queen Ramonda
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“Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” (2022) The opening funeral for T’Challa already tugged at our heartstrings. But the film really pushed the limit with this unexpected death. When the underwater kingdom of Talokan invades Wakanda, their ruler Namor goes straight for the heart of the nation. He finds the throne room and floods it with water, with Queen Ramonda and Riri Williams still inside. Although his bombs don’t kill them initially, Ramonda tragically drowns while saving the young inventor. Even as Okoye tries to resuscitate her, Namor continues to threaten them. Shuri’s cries for help, and the slow realization that the queen has passed, are all a grim reminder that Namor means business.
#12: Wanda Kills the Illuminati
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“Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness” (2022) Fans had long been speculating which new characters would appear in the titular “Multiverse of Madness”. But no one predicted that they’d be slaughtered within minutes of meeting them. After possessing her Earth-838 counterpart, Wanda makes her way to the Illuminati. The team of heroes tries to put up a fight, but are clearly in over their heads. The battle begins with Black Bolt’s head imploding and Reed Richards being torn to pieces! Captains Carter and Marvel fare a little better, but they meet their end in equally grisly ways. And just when we think Charles Xavier might save the day, his neck is snapped. For a PG-13 rating, these are pretty horrifying deaths.
#11: Isaiah Bradley Reveals His Backstory
“The Falcon and the Winter Soldier” (2021) In this Disney Plus series, we’re introduced to the problematic legacy of the super soldier serum. When Sam Wilson meets with Isaiah Bradley, we learn that he was a super soldier in the Korean War. But he didn’t get a hero’s welcome back in the U.S. Instead, the government imprisoned and experimented on him for the next 30 years. His backstory parallels the historical mistreatment of Black military veterans. And that makes this conversation even more devastating to hear. We don’t actually see Bradley’s origin in flashbacks. But Carl Lumbly’s performance gets the message across painfully well.
#10: Disaster in Lagos
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“Captain America: Civil War” (2016) What starts as a fairly normal day fighting evil for the Avengers turns tragic when the villainous Crossbones detonates a suicide vest. It looks like Scarlet Witch has saved the day when she encases the scarred baddie in a telekinetic field and hurls him into the air, but the field collapses and the explosion kills a number of civilians in a nearby building. As we later learn, this included a group of Wakandan aid workers. While this definitely isn’t the first time that civilians have been caught in the crossfire of superhero battles, it’s still a somber reminder of the constant risk of innocent casualties when these throwdowns take place in populated areas.
#9: Gamora’s Death
“Avengers: Infinity War” (2018) Throughout the first two Guardians films, we are reminded time and time again that Gamora is a daughter of Thanos. If you weren't reading the comics, it was easy to assume that Big Purple never had a real bond with his children, and was just using them for their fighting skills. Ultimately Thanos decides to sacrifice Gamora to retrieve the Soul Gem in "Avengers: Infinity War", and in this moment we see the most humanity the Mad Titan has ever shown; shedding tears for his daughter before throwing her over the cliff. The Marvel movies often depict death, but a parent murdering their beloved child isn't something we ever expected.
#8: Black Widow Training
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“Black Widow” (2021) “Captain America: The Winter Soldier” gave us a taste of the spy thriller side of the MCU. But “Black Widow” fully embraces its dark underbelly. In the opening credits of the film, we see dozens of scared young girls indoctrinated into the Red Room. They then undergo a cruel training process that involves weapon exercises and psychological conditioning. And sadly, they don’t all survive the experience. It’s all captured in disturbing archival footage, and backed by a haunting rendition of Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit”. This opening also serves as a dark reminder of the human trafficking that still goes on in our world.
#7: John Walker’s Revenge
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“The Falcon and the Winter Soldier” (2021) A government appointed Captain America already sounded like a bad idea. And whatever potential Walker had to carry the mantle, was wiped away with this one action. When his partner Battlestar is killed in battle, Walker takes his rage out on the nearest Flag-Smasher, Nico. In a brief chase he knocks Nico down then repeatedly plunges his shield into his chest. Civilians capture the moment on their phones. And in the aftermath all we see is Walker holding the bloodied shield, and looking unstable. Steve Rogers has killed plenty of bad guys, but never in a way that was this cold-blooded.
#6: Aunt May’s Death
“Spider-Man: No Way Home” (2021) We’ve seen multiple Peter Parkers suffer tragedies over the years. But that still didn’t prepare us for this. In the third MCU Spider-Man film, Peter comes face to face with Green Goblin. Their first fight spirals into chaos and leaves Peter dejected. But an injured Aunt May comes to his aid with a familiar mantra. It’s an emotional delivery, followed by the gut wrenching reveal that her wounds are much more severe than we thought. As Peter tries to comfort her, she attempts to do the same, even as she slowly fades away. When she finally passes, he’s forced to leave her behind as Damage Control closes in. It’s a heart-wrenching moment that leaves Peter, and audiences, feeling shattered.
#5: Zola Reveals S.H.I.E.L.D. is HYDRA
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“Captain America: The Winter Soldier” (2014) The Red Skull’s paramilitary organization was thought to be long gone after World War II. But nearly 70 years later, HYDRA scientist Arnim Zola drops a huge bombshell. It turns out that SHIELD recruited him to help build the spy agency. And that from within their ranks, he’s been rebuilding HYDRA from the shadows. Zola then reveals that they’ve secretly been behind global events and countless deaths around the world. They even have undercover operatives in high level government positions. All that to ready the world for their new world order. Absolutely chilling.
#4: Ego’s Revelation
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“Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2” (2017) Everything was going so well for Star Lord. He’d not only found his dad, but learned that he’s of ancient and powerful heritage too. Unfortunately, the other shoe drops when Peter’s father, Ego, reveals that it was he who caused Peter’s mother to die of a brain tumor. His reasoning for killing Meredith Quill is baffling, but not as baffling as him choosing this moment to tell his son about it. Prompting a response from Star Lord that only a living planet could NOT see coming, this reveal is a crushing blow to Quill - and he quickly responds with pure rage. Of course… Ego really shouldn’t have crushed his Walkman either.
#3: The Death of Howard & Maria Stark
“Captain America: Civil War” (2016) Up until this moment, the damage done to the Avengers by the Sokovia Accords, and the subsequent falling out among the team, might conceivably have been fixed. But when Zemo reveals that it was Captain America’s friend Bucky who murdered Tony Stark’s parents, the schism between the two allies is completed. To make matters worse, Cap reveals that he knew it was Bucky all along. The ruthless way that Bucky dispatches the Starks is hard to watch, especially the fleeting moment of recognition when Howard realizes that his killer is his old World War II ally. The subsequent, emotionally charged fallout between Cap and Iron Man makes it even worse.
#2: Strange Supreme Breaks Reality
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“What if...?” (2021-) The Doctor Strange we know might have had it rough, but Strange Supreme’s fate was far worse. In the fourth episode of the animated series, Stephen attempts to resurrect his love Christine Palmer. But his tampering causes time itself to fall apart. And what follows is the complete collapse of his entire reality. Strange begs for his universe to be saved, but even an event this disastrous is not enough to convince the Watcher to intervene. Ultimately, Strange’s pleas and attempts to fix his mistake amount to nothing. All he’s left with is an empty universe - a prison of his own making.
#1: The Snap
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“Avengers: Infinity War” (2018) This was the moment the Marvel Cinematic Universe out 'darked' DC's Extended Film Universe. After one final fake-out where we think Thor was able to swoop in and save the day, Thanos does what he promised, snaps his fingers and end half of all life. It was heartbreaking to see so many of our beloved heroes fade into dust while those that reminded could do nothing but watch in disbelief. The ultimate knife to the gut was Peter Parker's death, more drawn out than the rest as the teenager in well over his head clung to his father-figure Tony Stark begging not to be taken away. We all know that most-of, if not all the heroes will make a return, but Spider-Man's pleading as he faces death is going to haunt Marvel fans for the rest of their lives.
