The Marvel Cinematic Universe has a fair few deus ex machinas to contend with, as is the nature of the science fiction, superhero, and fantasy genres. For those unaware, a deus ex machina is a sudden and unexpected solution to a narrative problem, which is usually far too convenient to be believable.
Often, by bringing in this story device, it can help the creative team get out of a sticky situation, allowing the narrative to move forward. But through the MCU, the use of these deus ex machinas has ensured that other plot holes have arisen, which might have to be addressed at some point down the line.
Disabling Ultron
The age of Ultron descended upon the MCU, even if that period didn't exactly last very long. The android seemed like an unstoppable force to overcome, with the Avengers having to rally to battle against his seemingly limitless army of robots.
The character was defeated relatively easily in the end, simply by wiping out his physical forms. However, the whole point of Ultron was that he could survive in a digital form. It seems odd that conveniently, the way to suddenly stop the android was to finish off his final mechanical body. Surely he still survives on a computer somewhere, considering he'd been jumping between devices for most of the film.
Hulk's Snap
While Thanos and Iron Man might have been the two characters to make the most impact with the Infinity Gauntlet, it was Hulk who utilized the device to bring back all of those that had been snapped away. It genuinely damaged Bruce so much that it seems his replacement in the MCU is being lined up.
It was quite convenient that the gamma radiation in Hulk's system allowed him to snap back everyone in the universe, but, oddly, Bruce didn't make a slightly different wish. If he had simply wished away Thanos and his repercussions, then it would reverse everything and consequently avoid the combat from Thanos suddenly appearing. Hulk had the power to do anything but failed to stop the oncoming threat when it would have been possible. Ultimately, it was a convenient solution for the moment.
Thor Bestowing Powers
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Thor's battle against Gorr and his shadow creatures was taken up a notch when he bestowed the surrounding kids with the powers of the god of thunder. It was a feel-good moment that helped to beat down Gorr's forces and ultimately allow Thor to reach victory.
But this sudden magical ability that Thor has, hasn't been seen before. It would have been great for the Avengers to use some of those abilities when fighting against Thanos, or indeed Thor could have given his abilities to anyone over his previous adventures. This quick-fix certainly left a lot of questions unanswered as to why audiences were only just seeing the trick.
Stark's Hidden Technology
Tony Stark has always had some gadgets hidden away, saved for a special occasion. He seemingly has a fix for everything, whether it's the lasers he takes down Whiplash's robots with, or the Hulkbuster armor that he eventually breaks out to combat the incredible Hulk.
Even the surrounding characters have begun to question why he hasn't used these abilities more often. Just like in the comics, there appear to be no limits on the technology that Stark can call upon at any given time, so it's any wonder that he meets many challenges at all. They are deus ex machinas in every sense, literally designed to solve one problem, and then are never seen again.
The Widow Family
Black Widow has never mentioned having a family previously. Characters like White Widow, Iron Maiden, and Red Guardian had never been brought up, although Clint Barton seemed aware of them. It seemed as if they were sudden allies, created out of thin air, to help combat the rest of the Widows.
Sure they were given deeper backstories and personality traits than a normal deus ex machina, but when Black Widow has been one of the most well-used characters throughout the MCU, it seems odd that even when she was on the run, she didn't have the rest of her family supporting her in some capacity. Where had they been all those years since?
Strange Using Dark Magic
Doctor Strange had to turn to dark magic to defeat the Scarlet Witch. It was a moment of madness that led to him embracing some of the corrupt teachings of the Darkhold, elements of which he has seemingly held on to for future adventures. Yet, in his past, dark magic had been quite controversial.
It might have been an easy fix, for Strange to tap into the Darkhold to claim victory, but in his earlier years in the field, he had shamed the Ancient One in her use of dark magic, with the very truth of the matter almost tearing apart their alliance. It seems to go against everything the character had stood for, creating many plot holes for the sake of that solution.
Wiping The Memory Of Peter
It was an unexpected solution to Peter Parker's problem. Spider-Man's identity had been leaked around the world and the only way to put things right was to completely wipe the memory of Peter from everyone. It was a deus ex machina solution that had been avoided thus far; the final fix that hadn't previously been touched upon but would remove all the good Peter had done.
But the plot holes it creates seem never-ending. The way in which the spell works is completely confusing. While it might not be convenient for Peter short term, nothing is stopping him from reforming the bonds he had previously made, making the impact long-term not as bad. But there are so many questions surrounding the intricacies of what took place that could lead to further plot holes.
Captain Marvel's Arrival
Captain Marvel hadn't been seen in the Marvel Cinematic Universe until Nick Fury suddenly called on her to defeat Thanos. Her very arrival was a deus ex machina in itself, and while there has been an explanation as to who the character is, there's been no real defense of where she's been all those years.
Other threats really could have used the Captain's help, but Fury had never called upon her. The very existence of a superhero with such power throws up a lot of different plot holes and ultimately makes Nick Fury look pretty irresponsible with Earth's defense plan.