The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) has changed a lot since it started in 2008, with some iconic moments forever transformed by the events that have played out in the following decades. When Iron Man came out in 2008, it would have been nearly impossible to predict that the arrogant billionaire Tony Stark would evolve to become one of the most beloved figures in film.
However, thanks to spectacular storytelling and an endlessly connected universe, the MCU has grown alongside the audience. And as the narrative continues to unfold, the emotions that this fictional universe stirs up in the fan base are spectacular. But it’s also changed the way key moments earlier in the MCU play out, adding new layers of context that occasionally bring a tear to the eye.
10
Rocket’s MCU Backstory
When Rocket Raccoon is first introduced, the character comes across as a brash figure who is undeniably alien. This is tied to the fact that he is a talking animal, but also the fact that Rocket has a chip on his shoulder, and his only real connection is with a giant walking tree. But as the Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy plays out, Rocket’s backstory becomes more clear.
While Rocket is standoffish, and he pushes people away even when they want to support and love him, GotG Vol. 3 reveals that the first family that Rocket came to know was a group of talking animals. These creatures were all experiments who were in the possession of the High Evolutionary, but despite their tragic circumstances, they found a connection together. But Rocket’s family was brutally executed by the High Evolutionary, leaving him alone and isolated until he eventually made a connection with Groot and the other Guardians.
9
Spider-Man Gets EDITH
In Spider-Man: Far From Home, Peter Parker finds a gift that was left to him from his late friend and mentor, Tony Stark. While Peter has already had some challenging moments before he ever appears in the MCU, having already lost his parents and his Uncle Ben, this moment is the first time in the MCU where his grief is addressed, and his connection to Tony Stark is reaffirmed. And EDITH becomes the last connection Peter has to Tony, and a guiding voice that helps him to further embrace his idenтιтy as a hero.
However, Peter struggled to see himself as Tony did, and he doubted his own abilities. This eventually led to Peter entrusting Quentin Beck with the glᴀsses, only to be betrayed when Beck revealed himself as the villain Mysterio. Following this, Peter continues to face increasingly greater challenges, with his idenтιтy revealed, his friends and family put in danger, before he eventually loses his Aunt May, and is forced to erase himself from the minds of everyone who knew and loved him as Peter Parker. It’s a dark story and one that sees Peter become increasingly isolated in the MCU.
8
Iron Man Parts Ways With Harley
Speaking of former mentees to Tony Stark, in Iron Man 3, Tony Stark confronts some of the biggest stresses that have come into his life since embracing life as a hero. This leads to him experiencing intense panic attacks and anxiety. And at one point, while escaping a missile attack on his home, Tony finds himself stranded in Tennessee when his suit runs out of power in a severely damaged state.
While there, Tony meets a young boy named Harley Keener, who provides him with shelter, and expresses an interest in Stark’s engineering skills. The two form a sweet connection that appears to promise future reunions. However, the next time that Harley appears in the MCU, he is one of the attendees at Tony Stark’s funeral. This is already one of the most emotional scenes in the MCU, but seeing the extent of Tony’s influence, and what must have happened between the stories, is bittersweet in the best way.
7
Peter Quill Meets His Dad
Peter Quill was abducted as a boy while his mother was terminally ill. After being taken, Quill was raised by a harsh alien named Yondu, and he struggled to fit in with the savage aliens who became his adopted family. For years, Quill clutched тιԍнтly to the last relic of his homeworld and his mother, a device for playing music called a walkman, with a mixtape from his mother. But there was always a missing part of the puzzle that is Peter Quill, the idenтιтy of his biological father.
In GotG Vol. 2, Quill comes face to face with his father, and he learns that he is actually part alien, possessing the powers of a Celestial. His father, Ego, the Living Planet, formed a romantic connection with his mother on Earth, but he left before Peter was born. However, while the reunion is initially a joyous one, Peter learns that his father was responsible for causing his mothers illness.
6
Scarlet Witch & Vision Make A Romantic Connection
While the relationship between the young Wanda Maximoff and the humanoid machine Vision is a little odd on the face of it, the bond between two living embodiments of powerful magic in the galaxy felt like destiny. Wanda possesses the power of chaos magic in the form of her Scarlet Witch persona, and Vision was brought to life by the power of the Mind Stone. And for both, they felt disconnected from normal society, and even their peers.
However, despite striking up a romantic connection, and running away to Scotland together after the Sokovia Accords came into effect, their relationship was cut short when Thanos and the Black Order invaded Earth. In an effort to stop Thanos from enacting his plans, Wanda was forced to kill her beloved Vision, only to watch him brought back to life and killed again by Thanos. Following this torture, Wanda was left broken, and her powers manifested in creating a whole new reality for herself, before eventually becoming a villain, and finally sacrificing herself.
5
Scott Lang Gets Creative Playing With His Daughter Under House Arrest
In Ant-Man and the Wasp, Scott Lang is on house arrest after the events Captain America: Civil War. Despite these restrictive circumstances, Scott was still able to make time for his daughter, Cᴀssie, and come up with creative ways to entertain his daughter. It’s clear that Cᴀssie means the world to Scott, but life as a superhero often gets in the way of family, and for Scott, it hit him harder than most.
At the end of Ant-Man and the Wasp, Scott becomes trapped inside the Quantum Realm, where time works differently. And due to Hank Pym, Janet Van Dyne, and Hope all becoming dust after Thanos’ snap, Scott was trapped for five years, despite feeling like little to no time had pᴀssed. This meant that when Scott escaped the Quantum Realm and reunited with his daughter, she was no longer his little girl, having spent the last five years without her father watching her grow up.
4
Loki & Thor Resolve Their Differences
Loki is one of the more unique characters in the MCU, with a wild character arc. From his early years growing up alongside Thor, to turning on his family after learning his true heritage, and the years he spent as a villain and a menace attempting to gain power and influence while pushing his brother further down. Loki is perhaps at the lowest point in The Avengers, only to experience a change of heart and become a hero who stands up to Thanos by the time Avengers: Infinity War comes out.
However, Loki’s story in the MCU goes on. When the Avengers go back in time to get the Infinity Stones and reverse Thanos’ snap, a variant Loki breaks free of his timeline. This version of Loki is earlier in the timeline, not having fixed his relationship with his brother, but he does get to witness that life play out without experiencing it himself. He then has a whole redemption arc, without ever reuniting with his brother, before eventually saving the Multiverse and becoming a God of the Multiverse.
3
Bruce Banner Is Recruited To Be An Avenger
Bruce Banner had a difficult road to becoming a hero. However, when he was approached to join the team, he forged strong bonds with characters like Tony Stark, who became a dear friend, and Natasha Romanoff, with whom he developed a romantic relationship. The Avengers changed the trajectory of his life, but after Avengers: Age of Ultron, Bruce ends up stranded in the depths of space on Sakaar.
When he would eventually rejoin his friends on Earth, he would be caught up in events that led to the death of both of his closest friends in the team. And with other members of the team retiring from superhero duties, Bruce was more alone than ever before. Now as one of the only remaining original Avengers, Hulk’s absence in several Multiverse Saga projects feels even more intense.
2
Nebula Confronts Gamora
Initially, Nebula enters the MCU as a clear villain trying to take down the Guardians of the Galaxy. However, it isn’t long before her history with Gamora is revealed. And yet, until the actual torture and suffering she endured at the hands of Thanos is shown in Avengers: Endgame, it’s hard to comprehend the depth of her pain.
Nebula was another stolen child, like her adoptive sister. However, because Gamora was more adept at fighting, Nebula was punished, broken down, and enhanced with technology that slowly replaced her until she became more machine than a living being. It’s brutal, and seeing her pain seep through from the start of her story is only enhanced by this moment in Endgame.
1
I Love You 3000
Tony Stark is the beating heart of the Infinity Saga, but his journey from self-destructive playboy to one of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes is a long one. Despite this, Tony does embrace change and growth. He forms connections with the next generation of heroes, and he even goes on to have a daughter of his own with Pepper Potts. And of course, the iconic moment in Avengers: Endgame when Tony tells Morgan that he loves her 3000 is unforgettable.
However, this precedes the most heartbreaking death in the MCU to date. When Tony Stark snaps his fingers to erase Thanos and his army, thus saving Earth and everyone else in the universe, his legacy is etched in stone. But his mortal body is unable to survive the power of his snap, and he pᴀsses away. As a result, his words to his daughter became an epitaph to the Infinity Saga, and the audience, closing the final chapter of that pioneering chapter in the MCU.
