The Marvel saga is explosive action, legendary heroes, extraordinary powers, and terrifying villains... But it's also a grandiose spectacle mixed with intense emotions, capable of deeply touching even the most hardened fans. Here's a look back at 10 moments that may have shocked some viewers during these epic adventures of the MCU.
#9 The butchered version of Johnny Storm
Among the countless cameos of Deadpool & Wolverine, the surprise return of Chris Evans as Johnny Storm — aka the Human Torch from the old Fantastic Four — made a lasting impression… at least, for the two or three lucky viewers who managed to reach the screening room without being spoiled. The shock was all the greater because Evans' gently nostalgic return led us to hope for a heroic nod like "Avengers, assemble!" or "I can do this all day." But instead, he gives an energetic "Flame on!"… just before suffering a death as brutal as it is graphic. Literally torn to pieces, Johnny Storm experiences one of the goriest moments in this Deadpool, a far cry from the usual tone of the MCU. This bloody sequence reminds us that Deadpool & Wolverine is above all a Deadpool, much more than a polished Kevin Feige production.
#8 Zombie Iron Man
In Spider-Man: Far From Home, one of the most striking — and disturbing — moments occurs when a zombie version of Iron Man appears in an illusion sequence orchestrated by Mysterio. While Peter Parker is still trying to mourn his mentor Tony Stark, the master of illusion strikes where it hurts. In front of Stark's grave, a corpse in decomposing armor leaps from the ground, its face eaten away by death, to hunt down a horrified Spider-Man.
This macabre apparition, at the heart of a film that is nevertheless lighter and good-natured in the Marvel spirit, froze the blood of even the most invested spectators. Seeing the grave of one of the pillars of the MCU desecrated, only to be transformed into a walking nightmare, is a visual and emotional shock. This intense scene reminds us that, behind the jokes and the costumes, the MCU sometimes knows how to hit where it hurts.
#7 The Illuminati Massacre
Directed by the brilliant Sam Raimi, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness offered its share of memorable images, but no scene surprised viewers as much as the Scarlet Witch's brutal massacre of the Illuminati. Indeed, in the alternate universe Earth-838, Wanda Maximoff, corrupted by the Darkhold, delivers a terrifying display of her powers by methodically executing some of the most powerful heroes in the multiverse: Charles Xavier, Blackagar Boltagon (Black Bolt), Reed Richards (Mr. Fantastic), Maria Rambeau (Captain Marvel), and Peggy Carter, now Captain America's equal: Captain Carter. Each staged death is particularly brutal, playing with the limits of what the "general audience" format allows. Black Bolt has his head exploded, Reed Richards is transformed into organic string cheese, and Charles Xavier is killed in his own mind. Perhaps the most disturbing thing is that this massacre is orchestrated by a former Avenger, who seemed to have found peace in the WandaVision series, but who is here driven by tragic pain and distress.
#6 The killing of the Stark family
For viewers who have been following Bucky Barnes' journey since Captain America: The First Avenger, the central revelation of Civil War is truly heartbreaking. We knew him as Steve Rogers' faithful friend, brave and loyal, willing to risk his life for others. We saw him go on a mission, then suddenly disappear, leaving behind an unanswered question. It's only much later that we discover the horror of his fate: captured, broken, then reprogrammed by Hydra to become the Winter Soldier, an assassin with no will of his own. When the footage of Howard and Maria Stark's execution is revealed, we finally get a glimpse of what we had only vaguely imagined until then. Not only is Bucky the perpetrator of this double murder, but he carried it out mechanically, without conscience, forced to kill innocent people he would once have protected without hesitation.
#5 The Death of Agent Coulson
Killing off a "sympathetic-burlesque" character always works — Kevin Feige and Joss Whedon understood this well. In Avengers, they hit hard by sacrificing Phil Coulson, an endearing S.H.I.E.L.D. agent who, in just a few films, had become one of the fans' favorite supporting characters. Played by Pepper Potts in the first Iron Man, an imperturbable professional in Thor, a touching geek opposite Captain America in Avengers, Coulson shone with his loyalty, his discreet humor and his humanity.
His death, as brutal as it was unexpected, stabbed by Loki while trying to save the day, shocked the first viewers of the film. It marks an emotional turning point for both the heroes and the audience. Coulson wasn't even a character from the comics, and yet his absence created such a void that Marvel eventually resurrected him in the series Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D, where he became the main character. But this scene, the first truly significant death in the MCU, remains etched in our memories.
#4 MODOK's Horrible Special Effects
If the initial enthusiastic feedback from the Quantumania previews is anything to go by, this third Ant-Man was the equivalent of a Star Wars prequel in terms of visual world-building and creature design. Yeah... Once you see the result, if you see a common point with Lucas's second trilogy, it's mainly in the excesses of bad taste and the effects with a more than approximate rendering. The height of bad taste, the cherry on the excrement cake: the catastrophic appearance of the villain MODOK.
Already laughable in the comics, MODOK is here definitively disfigured by artistic and technical choices that, at this level, would almost be genius... in reverse. This character, difficult to adapt, appears here in poorly finished CGI, with Corey Stoll's face frozen in a grotesque egg-shaped costume. The animation is sorely lacking in realism, making MODOK more ridiculous than frightening. This visual flop, much discussed on the internet, remains a stain on the Marvel filmography, which had already made some "nice" mistakes. The whole thing is all the more surprising given the resources invested by Disney/Marvel in each of its films.
#3 Spider-Man Turns to Dust
Spider-Man's disappearance in Avengers: Infinity War took everyone by surprise. Despite the hero's immense popularity and the strong relationship built between Peter Parker and Tony Stark, Marvel dared to take the plunge. This choice was all the more risky since Spider-Man's usage rights have long complicated his presence in the MCU, making his death almost unpredictable. Tony, as a mentor and father figure, seemed to clearly designate Peter as his successor, reinforcing the emotional impact of this loss. The shock was all the more intense because, unlike the other victims of Thanos's snap, who disappeared instantly, Peter slowly fades away, visible and conscious, expressing his fear and pain as his body gradually disintegrates. This poignant and unique scene remains etched in our memories as one of the most moving and human moments in the MCU.
#2 Tony Stark's Sacrifice
Tony Stark, aka Iron Man, was the very first hero of the MCU and its central pillar from the beginning. The majority of the plots in this connected universe revolve around him, making his presence an essential element. It's therefore an even greater shock to see him sacrifice himself in Avengers: Endgame, even though he has become a father. However, clues to his tragic destiny had been discreetly sown since Age of Ultron, notably in Thor's vision. But the final heroic act of this Iron Man, taking the Infinity Stones to save the universe, is marked by his iconic punchline, "I am Iron Man," a farewell as clever on the part of the writers as it is emotionally charged for the most committed fans. This unexpected sacrifice left his viewers speechless, as Tony embodied, for them, the beating heart of the MCU. This moment made Tony Stark's death one of the most moving and memorable scenes in the Marvel saga. src="https://static.hitek.fr/img/up_s/2159457758/a10fb_screenshot20250606at162342reddithttpspreview.redd.itintheguardiansofthegalaxy2014rocketraccooncriesasv0yf5qkihc0usa1.pngwidth640cropsmartautowefps801d7d8cd2bb6f2ee9944d82d1777e1160aa91....webp">
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 offered the MCU one of its most emotionally difficult moments. Rocket Raccoon's past, long shrouded in mystery, is laid bare here: that of an animal mistreated, tortured, transformed, and then condemned to see his friends suffer the same fate. These sequences, centered on animals endowed with consciousness, voices and human emotions, are of astonishing brutality, evoking mutilations, psychological suffering and heartbreaking deaths. Ironically, the film was rated PG-13 in the US—not for the intense scenes of animal cruelty, but because a character says the word "fuck." This contrast leaves one wondering about the sensitivity of the rating agencies, which seem to be about as sensitive, in the end, as the film's terrible villain: the High Evolutionary. And if you want to discover more about Marvel's world of heroes and villains, check out Spider-Man: 10 Facts You Didn't Know About the Green Goblin, Marvel: Ranking the 8 Best Wolverine Comics, or Marvel: The 10 Most Terrifying Spider-Men.
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