Ever since Marvel Studios nailed their initial ambitious crossover event in 2012, the Avengers movies have become the most popular blockbusters in the world. Three of the four Avengers films are in the top 10 highest-grossing movies of all time, while Age of Ultron takes the 11th spot. Between the first movie and Endgame, the team grew from six members to dozens. One city was at stake in The Avengers, the world was at stake in Age of Ultron, and the universe was at stake in Infinity War and Endgame.
These movies aren’t perfect — one of them actually commonly ranks among the MCU’s worst entries — but the best ones are really great. There are both terrific and disappointing scenes in all four films.
The Avengers’ Best: Tony’s Sacrifice
The Battle of New York in the third act of Joss Whedon’s The Avengers is one of the greatest set pieces in the MCU because it captures the feel of reading a big action scene in a comic book, but brings it to life with actors and CGI. At the climax of the battle, as the U.S. government writes off Manhattan and sends a nuke to blow it up, Tony Stark proves to Steve Rogers that he is the kind of guy who would “lay down on the wire” by grabbing the nuke out of the sky and taking it through the wormhole to destroy the Chitauri fleet.
He ends up surviving, but he was ready to die triumphantly in space to save the lives of his teammates and fellow New Yorkers. The sacrifice ended up significantly affecting his MCU arc as it gave him PTSD attacks.
The Avengers’ Worst: Getting Caught Was Part Of Loki’s Plan
Ever since the Joker revealed that getting arrested was part of his plan in The Dark Knight, getting caught has been a part of almost every villain’s plan in every blockbuster. It was even a part of Bane’s plan in the sequel, The Dark Knight Rises.
Just like the Joker and Bane and Raoul Silva in Skyfall and John Harrison in Star Trek Into Darkness, getting caught is a part of Loki’s plan in The Avengers, and it’s painfully predictable.
Age Of Ultron’s Best: Arriving At Hawkeye’s Farm
Joss Whedon had to really fight Marvel to keep the scene at Hawkeye’s farm in Age of Ultron. It’s understandable why the studio was reluctant to include it — it’s a long, dialogue-driven stretch in the middle of a tentpole blockbuster with no action or stakes — but that’s exactly why it’s the best scene in the movie.
The scene works so well because it doesn’t need any world-ending catastrophes to keep the audience invested. They're invested in the characters, and this scene is all about character.
Age Of Ultron’s Worst: “You Still Think You’re The Only Monster On The Team?”
One of the worst elements of Age of Ultron is its treatment of Black Widow. Halfway through the second act, she’s captured by the bad guys and becomes nothing more than a damsel in distress who needs to be rescued by her knight in shining armor. And there’s a shoehorned romance between Natasha and Bruce Banner.
In the worst scene in the movie, as Bruce is brooding about his double life as the Hulk, Nat explains that she was sterilized in the Red Room program and says, “You still think you’re the only monster on the team?” It’s supposed to be a sweet moment, but the insinuation that infertile women are monsters is really uncomfortable.
Infinity War’s Best: The Snap
All throughout Infinity War, Thanos details his insane plan to collect all six Infinity Stones, snap his fingers, and wipe out half of all life in the universe at random so the surviving half can prosper. To any moviegoer who hadn’t read the comics, this seemed like another diabolical villain plan that would be thwarted by the heroes at the last second.
But the Mad Titan effortlessly tore through Earth’s Mightiest Heroes to gather the stones, did exactly what he said he was going to do, and then disappeared, leaving the Avengers with their first crushing defeat, surrounded by the dust that used to be their friends.
Infinity War’s Worst: The Off-Screen Destruction Of Xandar
This moment is disappointing because it doesn’t even happen on-screen. The whole victory of Guardians of the Galaxy was the titular team’s successful attempts to save Xandar from being destroyed.
And in the opening scene of Infinity War, that entire movie is negated when it’s revealed that Thanos has destroyed Xandar off-screen. It didn’t even lead to Nova’s introduction.
Endgame’s Best: Portals
Steve Rogers is ready to take on Thanos and his armies alone when Alan Silvestri’s “Portals” kicks in and he hears the voice of Sam Wilson in his ear: “On your left.” Doctor Strange and Wong open up a portal to Wakanda, from which T’Challa and his soldiers march onto the battlefield.
Then, they open up more portals and heroes from across the universe emerge, ready to join Steve in the biggest battle in history. When everyone’s there, Steve summons Mjolnir and, for the first time in the MCU, says, “Avengers...assemble!”
Endgame’s Worst: The Pandering LGBT Representation
While Black Widow’s disjointed, rule-bending death scene is a strong contender for the worst moment in Endgame, the emotions of Nat’s demise are there, and it’s nothing compared to the movie’s pandering LGBT representation.
The Russo brothers bragged about featuring the MCU’s first openly gay character in their movie, but the representation they were so proud of was the bare minimum. The character appears in one scene and he’s not a superhero; he’s just a guy, played by straight co-director Joe Russo.