The Marvel Cinematic Universe continues to expand at a huge rate this summer - Ms. Marvel and She-Hulk join the small screen, while Thor returns (with some new characters alongside) in Thor: Love And Thunder. In addition to these official entries, of course, will come even more deleted scenes - and with the DVD release and behind-the-scenes content that Marvel fans can access, even some iconic deleted scenes have made it to the Marvel lore.
While the movies continue being influential even without these scenes, several fans on Reddit offer their views on how they could have enhanced the narrative even further. From adding more perspective on character motivations or just serving as fun fillers, these deleted scenes have their own loyal fandoms.
Steve Rogers In The Modern World - The Avengers
Defrosted back to life after decades, Captain America wakes up in a different era altogether. As he struggles to get acquainted with the new world and laments the loss of his former World War allies, he sits at a cafe and wonders what Wi-Fi means. Even Stan Lee drops in for one of his cameos, pushing Steve to ask the waitress' phone number.
Reddit user rooney815 feels that "This is the best-deleted scene that's not in a movie. It's one of my favorite scenes in the MCU." Another Redditor shatonamime adds, that the scene featured a Stan Lee cameo that seemed more naturally placed and organic.
Alternate Opening - Iron Man 2
While Tony Stark was introduced as a bratty playboy in the first of the Iron Man movies, he starts maturing as a lover from the sequel onwards. Instead of Whiplash's origin sequence, Iron Man 2 was originally supposed to start off with a deleted intro that features Tony and Pepper Potts aboard an airplane. Pepper kisses the armored Avenger's mask throws it out, and Tony prepares to fly below to get it. As he jumps off, he unexpectedly says "you complete me".
Fans have praised the scene for showing Tony's heartwarming nature. Initially, Tony is shown to be pukish and exhausted and that's why VRtoons adds, "I think it would have helped solidify the movie's theme: the withering of Tony Stark." The Redditor also comments, "His, "You complete me," is so perfect and so Tony."
Thor's Vision - Avengers: Age Of Ultron
To seek more answers to Ultron's plans, Thor and Erik Selvig pay a visit to the mystical Water of Sights. However, this turns out to yield unexpected results for Thor who gets possessed by a Norn and understands that Ultron has what is known as the "Mind Stone". This is, of course, a subtle but major setup for MCU's future course in which all the stones come together under Thanos.
The Redditor bflaminio agrees that the overall relevance this scene could have had in Marvel's Infinity Saga. "It didn't make a huge amount of sense in the context of the film, but in the greater Infinity Saga it's crucial."
Strange Helps A Dog - Doctor Strange
On his way to Kathmandu, Doctor Strange encounters an injured dog. Given that he is a skilled man of medicine, he quickly tends to his broken leg in a deleted scene that hardly lasts for a few seconds. The scene goes on to show the neurosurgeon-turned-sorcerer's compassion. And for this, reason, several Redditors seem confused as to why exactly was it deleted.
ScottyKarate1452.3 agrees that the scene also shows how skilled he is in his profession. "I think the scene gives Strange a lot of depth. Prior to this we really only saw him as a jerk. This scene shows that a) he really cares about his line of work and is good at it, and b) no matter how down on his luck he is, he still wants to help people and animals."
Okoye And W’Kabi’s Argument - Black Panther
Okoye and W'Kabi were both loyal to the throne until they parted ways after Erik Killmonger returns to Wakanda in Black Panther. As the two debate over T'challa and Killmonger's style of kingship, W'kabi also blames T'Challa for not dealing with Ulysses Klaue on his own and instead of sending him over to the UN.
More depth is added to W'kani's character as he reveals that Klaue murdered his parents. Okoye debates that Killmonger's plans would turn Wakandans into "conquerors" to which W'kabi argues that it is essential for Wakanda to rise. To quote LittleYellowFish 1, " Without it, their relationship is basically told to the audience instead of shown so it isn’t as meaningful when he surrenders to her at the end. The scene is also really intense and allows both Guriri and Kaluuya to show off how talented they are."
Bruce In The Arctic - The Incredible Hulk
Edward Norton’s take on Bruce Banner and his green-skinned alter ego has been an introspective portrayal that taps into the character’s darkest side. Hence, it makes sense to establish the tone of the movie right from the start. Instead of the thrilling chase sequence that made the final cut, The Incredible Hulk’s original opening was planned to showcase the titular character’s solitary sadness.
As Banner wanders in an unknown Arctic location, he holds a gun in his hand. Plagued by his Hulk persona and the damage it leads to, he finally decided to end himself and Hulk in this process. However, the other side of his personality overpowers his human side and viewers see the gun being dwarfed with a gigantic fist. As Redditor VRtoons notes, “(the scene) works perfectly as a starter to the film, and tells us exactly where Banner is at with the transformation without a prolonged credit-sequence-catch-up.”
Before The Coronation - Thor
The central reason behind Thor and Loki's conflict in the Thor movies is the latter's envy of the royal throne. Before Thor gets crowned as Odin's successor, the two siblings have a quick laugh pulling each other's legs. The scene contrasts with their relationship with the rest of the MCU. Despite having a few more laughs later, the brothers have shared a tragic bond over the years.
"They exchange words and Loki says that despite his moments of envy he’s proud of his brother. It’s a nice moment that would’ve shown more of what they were like before their relationship got torn down.", says Reddit user Galaxy_Black.
Strange Kneels For Tony Stark - Avengers: Endgame
Tony Stark's sacrifice at the end of Endgame is definitely a moving sequence with all the remaining Avengers paying their tributes. But as they are all seen standing in mourning, Doctor Strange goes down on one knee and kneels as a sign of respect. All the other Avengers follow suit. It is a perfect tribute to the fallen hero from a fellow hero who foresaw his demise.
Right from the events of Infinity War, Doctor Strange had seen through multiple realities to defeat Thanos and only one could ensure success. But obviously, success comes at a price. Reddit user count023 notes, "having Strange kneel in front of Tony while his loved ones were crying over his corpse reflects the weight of every decision makes on his shoulders."
Stealing A Motorcycle, Terminator Style - Captain Marvel
In a hilarious nod to the opening of the Terminator movies, Captain Marvel gets her own "T-800 entry" as she bashes a foul-mouthed motorcyclist. The scene starts off with the man cat-calling her only for Carol Danvers to shake his hand with an iron grip. As he groans in pain, she asks for his bike and rides away.
On Reddit, bflaminio likes the pop culture reference in the scene along with the fact that Brie Larson's character's morality hadn't been established by this scene. "It's an obvious parallel to The Terminator, and at that point, in the film, Vers is still a "bad guy" so it fits in context."
Bruce Breaks Down During Dinner - The Incredible Hulk
Bruce's tortured soul prevents him from leading a normal life, leading to a turbulent romance with Betty Ross. When Betty introduces Bruce to her new boyfriend Leonard, the trio decides to have dinner. A normal conversation turns into a sudden emotional breakdown for Bruce with Betty reassuring him that he has nothing to worry about.
It is a crucial scene for some as much like the deleted opening, it reveals the inner demons that Bruce has to battle because of his Hulk persona. This can result in some unexpected moments where he can be triggered. As an anonymous Redditor notes, "That scene where Banner is eating with Liv and her boyfriend and he starts to cry... I think it's amazing."