Top 20 Improvised Superhero Movie Moments

“Spider-Man” (2002)
With great power comes a lot of growing pains! Soon after getting his spider abilities in this version of “Spider-Man,” Peter Parker goes up onto a rooftop and tries to get his webbing to come out of his wrists on command. He has a lot of trial and error to get through before he’s successful, and during his experimentation, he uses a variety of hand gestures and shouts several catchphrases, some of which reference DC comics properties. A lot of this sequence is unscripted, with actor Tobey Maguire “swinging” with his own lines. Thankfully, they land a lot better than Peter himself does!

“X-Men” (2000)
The first theatrical film in this franchise enjoyed poking fun at some of its comic book conventions. Along with the team’s costumes, this includes their famous superhero names. When Professor Charles Xavier introduces Logan a.k.a. Wolverine to Storm and Cyclops, he scoffs and makes a joke about what the professor’s own nickname could be. The line was improvised by Hugh Jackman. And while “Wheels” can sound a bit ableist, calling a guy with a visual impairment “Cyclops” isn’t a great look either, but Scott Summers seems fine with it.

“The Amazing Spider-Man” (2012)
Whether it’s malicious, alliteratively named newspaper editors, or the police, Spider-Man has a hard time getting people to believe him. Granted, Peter Parker’s claims that a scientist has turned into a lizard man and is rampaging through the city are a little incredible. When told this, NYPD Captain George Stacy responds by asking Peter if he looks like the mayor of Tokyo, referencing famed giant monster Godzilla’s frequent attacks on the city. The line was improvised by actor Denis Leary, and helped lighten up an otherwise grounded and serious take on Spidey’s origin story.

“Kick-Ass 2” (2013)
Any time Jim Carrey stars in anything, there’s bound to be some improvisation! The comedic actor appears in “Kick-Ass 2” as Colonel Stars and Stripes, a patriotic vigilante. He leads his team of fledgling wannabe superheroes in busting up a sex trafficking ring. During this scene, several of his lines were ad-libbed by Carrey himself. The first of these is his surprisingly wholesome message to his team. The second occurs after the colonel has his pooch, Eisenhower, attack one of the criminals. His description of the goon’s situation is both obvious and hilarious!

“Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice” (2016)
Upon realizing that the demonic creature unleashed by Lex Luthor is Kryptonian, Batman decides to lure Doomsday back to the port, where the Kryptonite spear he planned to use on Superman still resides. Despite his piloting skills, the Dark Knight is unable to evade Doomsday in his personal aircraft for long, eventually getting shot down by the energy beams the monster fires. With Doomsday bearing down on him, and nowhere left to run, Batman mutters, “Oh shit,” which Ben Affleck improvised. The reaction is a very relatable one and shows that, for all his wealth and power, Batman is still only human.

“Avengers: Infinity War” (2018)
In the now famous, or infamous, conclusion of this massive production, Thanos snaps his Infinity Gauntleted fingers and turns half the main characters to dust! For many, it happens instantly. But when young Peter Parker dies, it’s an absolute gut punch. His heartbreaking final moments have him clinging to Tony Stark, distraught that he “doesn’t want to go.” His emotional final moments brought many Marvel fans to tears. And it’s especially impressive, considering that actor Tom Holland improvised the whole thing, according to director Joe Russo. Thanos may have killed him, but Holland killed this scene!

“The Dark Knight Rises” (2012)
Tom Hardy is iconic as the imposing, masked madman Bane in Christopher Nolan’s third Batman film. The beefy fanatic’s plans for Gotham City are explosive. During one of his biggest moves, Bane attacks a football stadium during a crowded game. However, before he collapses the entire field, the villain pauses to listen to a young boy sing the national anthem. Bane’s seemingly genuine compliment on the kid’s voice was an improvisation by Hardy, according to the film’s producers. He may be an extremist, but at least Bane can appreciate a good performance when he hears one.

“Avengers: Endgame” (2019)
Robert Downey, Jr. frequently injected his own personal touches into Tony Stark, and it shows, as there seems to be considerable overlap between actor and character. While this is often in comedic scenes, one of the most impactful examples is from this dramatic scene. After Tony’s return from space, and losing to Thanos, an embittered, broken Iron Man rails against Captain America, despite barely being able to stand. He throws many of Cap’s words back at him. According to director Anthony Russo, Downey improvised Tony’s quietly calling Steve a liar. It’s a subtle, yet powerful, choice that really speaks to Tony’s deeper issues.

“Black Panther” (2018)
Erik Killmonger is among the most memorable Marvel villains, and a lot of credit should be given to Michael B. Jordan’s charismatic performance. When Killmonger swaggers into the Wakandan throne room, he commands attention. He delivers an impassioned speech about Wakanda using its advanced technology to help Africans and those of their descent the world over. He then drops a bombshell reveal - that he’s cousin to the king and wants the throne. Killmonger’s iconic, cheeky follow-up line to the queen mother was, at least according to this interview with Angela Bassett, entirely Jordan’s idea. And it’s a phenomenal line too!

“Batman” (1989)
From Marvel to yet another Batman movie, and this time it’s the villain doing the improvising again. Arriving at Vicki Vale’s apartment, the Joker and some thugs hold Bruce Wayne and Vicki at gunpoint, leading to a confrontation between Wayne and the clown prince of crime. The Joker shoots the billionaire and tells Vicki sarcastically that he’s sad on the inside, doing a little dance as he leaves before blowing a raspberry. Jack Nicholson made up the dance on the spot, which adds even more of the character’s manic glee to the scene.

“Avengers: Infinity War” (2018)
This alien member of the Guardians of the Galaxy ranks as one of the funniest characters in the MCU. And one of his best lines was devised by actor Dave Bautista himself. During the tense, yet hilarious, first meeting between the Guardians and the Avengers, the former are looking for Gamora after she’s been kidnapped by Thanos. The only problem is, Tony has no idea what they’re talking about. Drax, on the other hand, decides to go for a more esoteric, and hysterical, question. But who will ask “how” or “what is Gamora?”

“Doctor Strange” (2016)
While studying at Kamar-Taj, Stephen Strange meets the librarian Wong, whose single name causes the doctor to relate him to several famous people with mononyms, like Adele and Aristotle. In a later scene, he asks for advanced books that Wong says he isn't ready for. Benedict Cumberbatch ad-libbed the line "try me, Beyoncé," going on to express his disbelief that Wong hasn’t heard of her. This ad-lib clearly influenced additional parts of the film too, as a later scene shows Wong listening to the Beyoncé song "Single Ladies” while Dr. Strange steals books from behind him.

“Guardians of the Galaxy” (2014)
You might think that a computer-generated character like Rocket Raccoon would not be conducive to improv, but you’d be wrong. Before the final battle, Peter Quill tries to convince his friends to take a stand and fight Ronan, and when each affirms their desire to stand with him, they stand up. Rocket is the last to do so, and is just as cranky about it as every other decision, saying: … [“We're all standing up now. Bunch of jackasses, standing in a circle.”]. Rocket’s on-set stand-in, director James Gunn’s brother Sean, made up the line during filming, which led to its inclusion in the final product.

“Avengers: Age of Ultron” (2015)
The antagonistic relationship between Clint Barton, a.k.a. Hawkeye, and Pietro Maximoff, or Quicksilver, is a fun through-line in “Age of Ultron.” Quicksilver gets the better of Hawkeye several times due to his speed, though Hawkeye gets some digs in too by stopping the cocky speedster from running. Even after joining forces against Ultron, the pair still manage to take shots at each other, as Quicksilver picks up his sister and runs off at one point, telling Hawkeye, “Keep up, old man.” Actor Jeremy Renner improvised Hawkeye’s grumbling response:

“Captain America: The First Avenger” (2011)
The transformation of Steve Rogers into a super soldier causes him to grow stronger, faster, and develop tremendous muscles. Agent Peggy Carter takes a physical interest in the latter aspect, going so far as to touch his torso very briefly, which actress Hayley Atwell improvised. It’s a small character moment, but it goes a long way towards illustrating how miraculous Rogers’ transformation is, as well as showing that Agent Carter is more down-to-earth than her professional demeanor would suggest…and it’s funny to boot.

“The Dark Knight” (2008)
Heath Ledger as the Joker in this film is one of the most celebrated comic book villain performances ever. Although a lot of his little mannerisms and tics were developed by Ledger himself, one notable improvisation occurs during a scene where the Joker says nothing at all. After the clown-faced criminal is arrested by Jim Gordon, the mayor congratulates the police officer and announces his promotion to commissioner. Amid all the clapping, everyone turns to look at the Joker, who joins in with the rest of them. The guy makes even applause seem creepy!

“Thor: Ragnarok” (2017)
Arguably the most memorable scene in the third “Thor” film sees the titular God of Thunder facing off against the Hulk in an arena. However, far from being worried, Thor is happy to see his fellow Avenger, calling him “a friend from work” and surprising the crowd. The line was improvised, though not by actor Chris Hemsworth. Rather, it was suggested to him by a child who was visiting the set as part of the Make-a-Wish foundation. Reports say that as much as 80 percent of the dialogue in the film was improvised, but this line stands out, for its origin, delivery, and iconic place in the film and trailer.

“The Avengers” (2012)
Robert Downey Jr. is no stranger to improv, as most of his dialogue in the first “Iron Man” was ad-libbed. There’s no doubt that this moment was the result of this skill. After his near death experience saving the city from a nuclear missile he sends through a wormhole, Stark remarks that there's a nearby shawarma restaurant that he wants to try, a line that Robert Downey Jr. threw in after discussing some possible alternate takes with director Joss Whedon. This led to the infamous after credits scene where the Avengers eat at the restaurant in silence.

“Deadpool” (2016)
Becoming a superhero isn’t always easy or pain-free, and Wade Wilson definitely gets the short end of the ugly stick when he’s given healing abilities that also leave him disfigured. Upon revealing his face to his friend Weasel, the bartender proceeds to come up with a variety of colorful, creative ways to tell him how unpleasant he looks. All of these imaginative invectives were invented by T.J. Miller and Ryan Reynolds themselves, with even more of their insults appearing in deleted scenes, outtakes, and trailers.

“Iron Man” (2008)
Since most of the script wasn’t finished before shooting, the actors had no choice but to improv a lot throughout this movie. However, the ending tops all the others. During his press conference, Tony Stark is instructed to deny that he’s Iron Man. He’s told to give credit to a supposed bodyguard in his suit instead. However, Robert Downey Jr. decided to improvise a change of plans. In the scene, Tony instead reveals his identity. Not only is the line one of the character’s most famous now, but it also marked a shift in how superhero secret identities were portrayed on screen and set the stage for more departures from the source material in the MCU.