Thanks to the massive success of the MCU, the Avengers have become the epitome of cinematic heroes for an entire generation. This group of extraordinary individuals has thrilled and inspired audiences for years with their selflessness and bravery. But as impressive as these heroes are, they are also flawed and have made their share of mistakes.
Though they are usually doing what they think is right, the members of the Avengers can occasionally make very poor decisions. Some are ill-advised attempts to save the day, while others are decidedly unheroic moments. It is these flaws that make these iconic characters more interesting. Here are the worst things each member of the Avengers has done in the MCU.
Ant-Man: Stealing From Hank Pym
Scott Lang is one of the only Avengers who started out on the wrong side of the law. Yet he is still perhaps the Avenger with the cleanest conscience. Lang spent time in prison for stealing from a major corporation that was defrauding its customers. But while that might have been a noble crime, he did continue his life of crime.
After getting out of prison, Scott has trouble finding a job. Desperate he agrees to help his friend Luis rob Hank Pym’s house. Though not a malicious crime, Scott still knew what he was doing was wrong.
Spider-Man: The Ferry Accident
Peter Parker seems to be more excited than anyone that he gets to be an Avenger - which makes it all the more tragic that he is apparently off the team. As the youngest Avenger, Peter still has a lot to learn and sometimes his ambition gets him and others in a lot of trouble.
Peter hopes to prove himself as a genuine hero by tracking down and capturing Vulture while he's doing an arms deal on a ferry. But due to his careless actions, Peter screws up an FBI operation and puts the ferry passengers in danger.
Doctor Strange: Lashing Out At Christine
Stephen Strange has one of the most interesting origins stories in the MCU. He was once a brilliant and arrogant surgeon who lost the use of his hands in an accident. His quest to heal himself led to him meeting the Ancient One and training to become a master of the mystic arts.
However, before his transformation into a hero, Strange was not a kind man. Especially after his accident, he became bitter and pushed way the one person that cared about him, Christine Palmer. When she is trying to help him, Strange lashes out with cruel and hurtful insults.
Hawkeye: Becoming Ronin
Avengers: Infinity War ended with an emotional wallop as many of our favorite heroes are blinked out of existence. Avengers: Endgame continues the heartbreak as it opens with a scene of Clint Barton losing his entire family to The Snap.
Obviously, this trauma has a big effect on Clint and he adopts the persona of Ronin, a brutal vigilante who kills people he believes are unworthy to have been spared from The Snap. Though he is killing bad guys, the cold-blooded and selfish nature of his acts is definitely not heroic.
Black Panther: Trying To Kill Bucky
Though each of the Avengers has a lot of responsibility to go along with their great power, Black Panther is the one burdened with the most. Along with holding the title of Black Panther for Wakanda, T'Challa is also the country's king, a position that was thrust upon him after his father was killed.
T'Challa immediately proves he is a king of action and one that might act too quickly on his emotions. Thinking that Bucky Barnes killed his father, T'Challa is determined to hunt him down and kill him. Without questioning the facts enough, T'Challa almost killed an innocent man.
Thor: Taunting Thanos
It seems like tragedy is a prerequisite for superheroes. But no member of the Avengers has suffered as much loss as Thor. The God of Thunder has seen his entire family and many friends killed, his people slaughtered and his home destroyed. It is that immense loss and his arrogant quest for revenge that led to a devastating mistake.
Armed with Stormbreaker, Thor is the only one capable of killing Thanos and preventing him from wiping out half the universe. However, his arrogance gets the best of him and Thor doesn't kill Thanos so that he can taunt him. Thanos takes that moment to snap his fingers and fulfill his mission.
Captain America: Not Telling Tony The Truth
Steve Rogers is such a noble guy that it's hard to imagine that he ever does anything wrong. However, he does learn many times that the right thing to do is not always clear and he can sometimes make the wrong choice.
After Tony finds out that Winter Soldier killed his parents, he asks Steve if he knew and Steve admits that he did. Though Steve was only trying to protect Bucky and spare Tony, it's a decision that tears their friendship and the Avengers apart at a crucial time.
Hulk: Trying To Kill Natasha
Hulk is certainly the most unpredictable of the Avengers. Bruce Banner might be a level-headed asset to the team, but Hulk seems to fight his own fellow heroes as much as he fights the villains. And in some cases, when he really loses control, he can be quite frightening.
After the Hellicarrier is attacked, Banner loses control and Hulk takes over. He targets Natasha and goes after her with everything he has. If not for Thor intervening, who knows what Hulk would have done.
Iron Man: Trying To Kill Bucky
Tony Stark evolved a lot from the selfish businessman to someone who will sacrifice everything. However, he is still known to act impulsively at times. With the conflict over The Accords, blame can be shared between many people. However, Tony's real fight comes when he learns the truth about his parents' death.
After learning that a brainwashed Bucky was the killer, Tony loses control and tries to kill him. He is even willing to fight his friend to get his revenge, failing to listen to reason a realize it wasn't Bucky's fault.
Black Widow: The Red Ledger
Though many of the Avengers have come from less-than-heroic pasts, none of them compare to Black Widow. In her youth, Natasha was selected for a program that trained her to be an assassin. Before being recruited to S.H.I.E.L.D. she did a lot of bad things for bad people.
While the exact nature of her crimes is not clear, we hear Loki refer to some of them. He mentions Dreykov's daughter, Sao Paulo, the hospital fire all of which seem to still haunt Natasha. It's likely we'll learn more about her dark past in her upcoming solo film.