Top 30 Marvel Moments That Left Us Speechless

Top-30-Marvel-Moments-That-Left-Us-Speechless

Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the top 30 Marvel Moments That Left Us Speechless. We’ll include scenes from any Disney backed project after 2008 along with plenty of major spoilers.


#30: Thor Goes For the Head
“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 for 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.

#29: 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.


#28: Magneto Shows Restraint
“X-Men ‘97” (2024-)

Magneto agreed to undergo a trial at the U.N. to address his past crimes. Unfortunately, the proceedings were interrupted by the so-called Friends of Humanity. The violent group attacked mutants and tried to depower the master of magnetism. When one of their guns took Storm’s abilities away, an enraged Magento took a Friends of Humanity leader and the U.N. council into the sky. We were convinced that he would exact a brutal punishment. But to our utter surprise, Magento showed restraint. He chose to deliver an epic monologue where he encouraged his foes to put aside their prejudices. Magneto’s self-control and the epic mic drop he hit everyone with at the end of his speech both left us too stunned to speak.

#27: Maria Hill Dies
“Secret Invasion” (2023)

While this particular Marvel show didn’t really resonate with everyone, there’s no denying that a major plot point in its premiere sent shockwaves through the fanbase. In the first episode, Nick Fury, Maria Hill, and Talos teamed up to stop the villainous Gravik from setting off a bomb. Their task was especially difficult because the antagonist could shapeshift into anyone. By the time Fury found Gravik, it was too late to stop the bomb. We were still reeling from this tragedy when Maria Hill met up with her boss. Before they could make a new plan, Fury fatally shot her. We were expecting the reveal that Gravik had been behind this. However, we never expected that franchise mainstay Maria Hill would die like this.

#26: Kahhori’s People Arrive
“What...If?” (2021-)

A young Mohawk woman named Kahhori was living a peaceful life until conquistadors arrived. While she was running away from the invaders, they shot her and knocked her into a tesseract powered portal. The trip gave her powers and took her into a populated place called Sky World. Since the residents there had special abilities too, Kahhori tried to lead her new allies into battle against the conquistadors. But no one was willing to fight beside her. Undeterred, Kahhori raced into battle alone. Just when it looked like she would be struck down, the Sky People arrived to back her up. The music, animation, and emotional weight of the scene all hit us hard. We simply watched in awe as Kahhori’s story ended in triumph.


#25: Daredevil Meets Spider-Man
“Spider-Man: No Way Home” (2021)

Audiences knew that Holland’s third solo outing would include cameos from characters that had appeared in past Marvel stories. But there was one appearance that no one had prepared for. After Peter Parker ran into legal trouble, he requested the services of a really good lawyer. We were blown away when we realized that Matt Murdock had agreed to help the webhead. Although we didn’t get to see him suit up on the big screen, he still got to make another unexpected cameo on streaming. During the very first episode of “Echo”, Maya Lopez went on a mission for Kingpin and encountered a fully suited Daredevil. The fight scene that followed was absolutely breathtaking. Daredevil just has a knack for making excellent cameos.


#24: 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.


#23: A “Quick” Cameo
“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.


#22: 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.

#21: Rocket Loses His Friends
“Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3” (2023)

Throughout this epic and funny space film, we got sobering flashbacks to Rocket’s awful origins. We quickly learned that he and his three animal friends were experimented on and caged by the morally bankrupt High Evolutionary. They found comfort by giving each other hope. So, when Rocket discovered the High Evolutionary planned to execute them, the guardian broke them out. Just when it looked like they were all homefree, the villain killed the kind Lyla right in front of Rocket’s eyes. He cried out. But we were speechless. After Lyla’s shocking death, Rocket brutally damaged the villain’s face. Security answered his violent actions by killing his last two friends. The traumatic flashback stands as one of the most harrowing scenes in the entire MCU.


#20: The Multiverse is Born
“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.


#19: Quicksilver's Death
“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.


#18: Infinity Ultron Breaks Free
“What...If?” (2021-)

We were stunned when we saw the evil AI launch enough nuclear missiles to kill off most of earth’s population. But his global act of destruction was just a warmup. After Ultron acquired all the Infinity Stones, he gained the ability to travel to any universe. His curiosity about the multiverse eventually put him face-to-face with the Watcher. The cosmic narrator knew that Ultron could cause untold destruction across every reality. With the fate of the multiverse at stake, the Watcher decided to fight the AI himself. We fully expected the cosmic being to dismantle the robot. But to our shock and horror, Ultron won their duel. The sight of the victorious villain looking out at the multiverse still chills us to the bone.

#17: Liz’s Dad
“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: Isaiah’s Backstory
“The Falcon and the Winter Soldier” (2021)

After Sam Wilson is entrusted with Steve Rogers’ 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.

#15: Natasha’s Sacrifice
“Avengers: Endgame” (2019)

The Avengers could only restore the lives taken by the mad titan by collecting all six of the Infinity stones. That’s why Natasha and Clint couldn’t turn back when they discovered that they could only get the soul stone by paying a heavy price. Although Black Widow volunteered to give her life to get the cosmic item, Hawkeye refused to accept her selfless wish. The two proceeded to fight each other to see who would walk away with the soul stone. Just when it seemed like Clint would die, a last minute reversal saw Black Widow make the ultimate sacrifice. Hawkeye initially couldn’t utter a single word after he watched his friend die. At that moment, we all knew exactly how he felt.



#14: The Mandarin Reveal
“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: Strange Supreme's World Falls Apart
“What,..If?” (2021-)

Sometime after Stephen Strange saw his girlfriend Christine die from injuries sustained during a car crash, he found a way to travel back in time. Although the doctor turned back the clock many times, he could never save the woman he loved. Strange eventually learned that he could prevent this tragic event if he absorbed power from other living beings. After claiming the lives of many creatures and his other half, he was finally able to save Christine. Unfortunately, his decision to alter history caused his reality to fall apart. It was horrifying to watch Strange desperately try and fail to prevent everything and everyone in his world from disappearing. After committing so many evil acts, he and audience were left with nothing but silence.

#12: Ego Both Gives & Is Cancer
“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.

#11: Rogue Can’t Feel Gambit
“X-Men ‘97” (2024-)

Genosha was supposed to be a safe haven where mutants could live in peace. Unfortunately, it became ground zero for a devastating attack. We watched a few of the show’s most memorable characters perish left and right in a series of harrowing scenes. But all that death couldn’t prepare us for the biggest loss of them all. When Master Mold attempted to wipe out Nightcrawler and other survivors, Gambit rushed in to stop the carnage. His heroic charge seemingly ended when the villain pierced his body. Despite being impaled, Gambit delivered one last attack. No words could describe what we felt when we saw his body lying in Rogue’s hands.



#10: The God of Mischief Takes His Throne
“Loki” (2021-)

One of the MCU’s best villains was once presented with an impossible choice. He could either let every single reality be destroyed or let Who He Remains rule over one strict timeline. After trying hundreds of different solutions and getting nowhere, Loki decided to create a third option. In an awe-inspiring scene, the god of mischief fully tapped into his divine powers. Loki then reached out and grabbed every timeline he could. Once he had taken the multiverse into hiS hands, he decided to keep them all going by sitting with them on a throne alone for all of time. Loki’s unending sacrifice shocked and amazed us. This was the moment where a great villain became the benevolent god of every Marvel reality.


#9: Who Killed Tony’s Parents
“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
“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
“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
“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 Mordo! Frankly, a fistfight with Strange is getting off easy, compared to what Wanda does to the others.


#3: Spider-Man?
“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
“Avengers: Endgame” (2019)

“Endgame” has 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
“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.


What moment stunned you the most? Tell us all about it in the comments!