Summary
- Hulk’s punch against the Leviathan is one of Mark Ruffalo’s best scenes in the MCU, showcasing his transformation into the Hulk with a cool one-liner.
- The Avengers’ battle shot in the Battle of New York remains one of the franchise’s most memorable moments, demonstrating their effective teamwork.
- The Shawarma scene after the Battle of New York is regarded as one of the best post-credits scenes, capturing the Avengers’ camaraderie and filmed last minute.
Earth’s Mightiest Heroes have appeared in four Avengers films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe thus far, which feature several memorable scenes. As the MCU’s premier superhero team, there has always been clamor to see more of the Avengers. While Robert Downey Jr. and Jon Favreau’s Iron Man kickstarted the franchise, it wasn’t until 2012’s The Avengers that it became clear that the MCU’s interconnected storytelling had a sustainable future. More than a decade since Earth’s Mightiest Heroes first assembled to fight Loki in the Battle of New York.
Since their first collective mission, the Avengers came together three more times in the Infinity Saga. Each time, the team would add new members as their missions became bigger and riskier. Years after their last outing during the all-out fight against Thanos and his attempt at taking over the universe, the Avengers is currently on hiatus as Marvel Studios rebuilds the MCU towards the Multiverse Saga’s culmination. Revisiting the Avengers’ best moments thus far in the franchise is a great idea as the wait continues for their return.
10 Hulk Punches A Leviathan (The Avengers)
On the heels of Mark Ruffalo taking over the Hulk from Edward Norton, the actor immediately proved himself to be an exciting replacement in The Avengers. Ruffalo’s Bruce Banner was enigmatic, which made him very interesting. His humor was rather dry, but he wasn’t above engaging Tony Stark in some light banter. However, Ruffalo’s best scene in the film, and arguably in his whole MCU stint was when he transformed into the Hulk and then coolly punched an approaching Leviathan. Banner’s “that’s my secret Cap, I’m always angry” line after Captain America suggested that he transformed into his monster form as they geared up for battle made it much better.
9 Battle of New York Continued Shot (The Avengers)
Motivated by the death of Phil Coulson, the Avengers finally shaped up and took their mission stopping Loki from taking over Earth seriously in The Avengers. Despite being the first time working together as a team on the battlefield, the original Earth’s Mightiest Heroes proved that they could actually work effectively together as seen in the continued battle shot that involved every single hero in the fight. There are several massive final action sequences that have taken place in the MCU since then, but it remains one of the best battle shots in the franchise to date.
8 Avengers Shawarma Tag (The Avengers)
Iron Man’s Nick Fury tag kickstarted the MCU’s penchant for post-credits scenes. Aside from Avengers: Endgame, Marvel Studios has included a tag at the end of their films. That being said, The Avengers‘ Shawarma scene is still regarded as one of the best. After their harrowing fight against Loki and the Chitauri army in the Battle of New York, the Avengers gathered around a random shawarma spot in New York to get some food. The scene featured them sitting together and eating quietly while the owner of the establishment cleaned in the background. The fact that it was also filmed last minute made it more special.
7 HYDRA Mission (Avengers: Age of Ultron)
Two years after they first assembled, the Avengers continued to function as a team, with the Avengers: Age of Ultron‘s opening mission supposedly their last. Looking at their most cohesive and coordinated, the team’s entrance into the HYDRA base in Sokovia featured several team-up scenes, all while the team engaged in fun banter using their communications gadgets. The slow-motion parallel shot of all of them leaping was such an effective way to open the sequel after the success of The Avengers.
6 Ultron Threatens The Avengers (Avengers: Age Of Ultron)
Convinced that they had finished their active stint as the Avengers, Iron Man hosted a wrap-up party at Stark Tower, which was also attended by the team’s other allies in Avengers: Age of Ultron. The party was fun; seeing the heroes just hanging out and being relaxed allowed fans to peak into their downtime dynamic. It also gave Marvel Studios the chance to humanize them. However, they were interrupted by the entrance of corrupted Ultron, who was out to get them.
5 Tony, Cap, & Thor Discussing Mjölnir (Avengers: Age of Ultron)
Avengers: Age of Ultron was a decent film, but it paled in comparison to the massively successful The Avengers. Criticized for prioritizing setting up the future rather than its own story, the sequel was easy to overlook. However, while it was inferior in quality, it had some of the best Avengers scenes. That included the final shot of Tony Stark, Steve Rogers, and Thor walking out of the new Avengers facility and having a hilarious conversation about what makes someone worthy of Mjölnir.
4 Iron Man Vs. Thanos (Avengers: Infinity War)
MCU’s inaugural hero finally faced his arch-nemesis in Avengers: Infinity War when Iron Man finally battled it out against Thanos in Titan. Because the 2018 film was packed, directors Joe and Anthony Russo had to group its massive ensemble into smaller teams to efficiently use its limited screen time. However, Avengers: Infinity War devoted a significant amount of time tackling Iron Man’s first fight with Thanos, considering that it was somehow the payoff for their long-teased face-off.
3 Hawkeye Vs. Black Widow In Vormir (Avengers: Endgame)
Not one to shy away from the call of duty, both Black Widow and Hawkeye volunteered to sacrifice themselves in exchange for the Infinity Stone in Avengers: Endgame. This resulted in one of the most tense moments between the pair, as they engaged in a tussle on who gets to jump off the cliff. Aside from being one of the best choreographed hand-to-hand combat in the MCU, it also highlighted the often overlooked relationship between the pair. It was also some of the best performances from Scarlett Johansson and Jeremy Renner in the franchise.
2 Steve Rogers Wields Mjolnir (Avengers: Endgame)
Avengers: Endgame featured so many memorable moments. Aside from wrapping up the Infinity Saga, it also paid off so many scenes from earlier films in the Infinity Saga. One of the best bits in the film came when Captain America was revealed to be worthy of Mjölnir during the Battle of Earth. His worthiness was already discussed when he was able to ever so slightly move Thor’s magical hammer in Avengers: Age of Ultron. It remained a favorite topic of conversation among fans until Marvel Studios finally resolved the mystery about the matter.
1 Iron Man’s Snap (Avengers: Endgame)
From a storytelling perspective, ending Tony Stark’s arc with the ultimate act of selflessness was the perfect way to send off the character. As tragic as it was seeing the Avengers’ co-lead do the final snap knowing that he had just found happiness in his personal life, it’s difficult to argue the importance of his death when looking at his overall story. Iron Man’s snap was fairly a simple scene on the surface, but the last minute of the “I am Iron Man” line, which referenced the character’s iconic phrase, added a layer of nostalgia and thoughtfulness to it.