The Marvel Cinematic Universe has given audiences everywhere some of the best movies based on comic books in history. However, as with any subject matter taken from elsewhere and thrust onto the big screen, remnants of the source are bound to pop up at some point (or in the MCU’s case, a lot of points).
Despite the MCU’s current eleven-year-long global domination, the comics they’re based on go back decades further and have given the creative minds behind Marvel’s many films plenty to work off of to help bring the spandex-wearing heroes to life. Here are the 10 best scenes from the MCU pulled right off the colorful comic-book pages.
Ant-Man on Hawk-Eye’s arrow
Neither of them might be the most popular among the MCU heroes (heck, one of them has been around since Thor and is only just getting his own standalone project) but that doesn’t mean audiences don’t love it every time these two underrated Avengers step on screen. One of the best moments from Captain America: Civil War was the airport battle pitting Team Cap and Team Iron Man against one another. Even better was when they took a moment right out of the comics of Ant-Man riding on top of one of “Arrow-Guy’s” arrows as he sends it flying through the air.
Pepper Potts as Rescue
The Russo Brothers have made it clear that they love taking scenes out of the Marvel comics for their movies. In fact, seven out of the ten moments on this list come from the Russos’ movies.
When it came to Avengers: Endgame, they went haywire filling every nook and cranny of the film with scenes straight from the comic books. Even though most audience members had no idea that it came right out of the comics, one of the best moments of the movie was when all of the heroes were arriving to face Thanos and Pepper Potts arrived wearing her Rescue armor. We loved it, 3000.
Gladiator Hulk
It might not have been the Planet Hulk storyline that people familiar with the comics wanted, but they have to admit that the outfit was pretty spot on. Audiences hadn’t caught a glimpse of the raging, green radiation-monster since Age of Ultron when it was announced that he would be joining Thor for his third outing. When further details came out that they’d be going on a “cosmic field trip across the galaxy,” people further speculated this meant they’d finally get to see the Planet Hulk comic play out on the big screen. It turned out just to be a gladiator match, but the Hulk in armor vs the God of Thunder was something to behold.
Professor Hulk
This version of the Hulk was a bit more timid than the Gladiator version, but nevertheless, it was still pulled straight from the comics. Another moment coming from Avengers: Endgame was actually one that many fans guessed would be coming to fruition. They were looking for balance after the utter lack of Hulk in Avengers: Infinity War (besides that first fight with Thanos). Bruce Banner still hasn’t gotten a standalone movie since Mark Ruffalo took over the character, but who knows where he could end up now that he’s got a lid on the whole “don’t get angry” thing.
Spider-Man frees himself
He might not be sticking around the MCU for much longer, but everybody’s favorite web-slinger has already given comic book movie fans some of the best moments in the Marvel franchise, to date, including when the young hero had to prove that he could do things on his own. “With great power, comes great responsibility.” You might be tired of hearing it, but it warrants repeating and Spider-Man needs to be reminded of it every now and then. In his first solo film, with no more Iron Man to back him up, Peter Parker must lift an immense amount of rubble off of himself, all on his own. He did it in the comics and he pulled it off on-screen too.
Barton becomes Ronin
Half of the universe got Thanos, the other half got Ronin - and the Thanos-half were the lucky ones. It may have only been for one brief scene (Endgame had a lot of material to get through) but glimpsing the moment when Hawk-eye’s alter-ego, Ronin, took down an entire Yakuza gang like it was nothing was just enough to satisfy comic-book fans who saw it coming.
When Clint Barton didn’t appear at all in Infinity War, fans everywhere guessed that his family would perish from ’the Snap’ and he would take on his darker-form in response - spoiler alert, they were right.
Killmonger tosses T’Challa off a waterfall
Director Ryan Coogler made it known when he got the job for Black Panther that he wanted the antagonist to be the Kraven, one of Marvel Comics’ most infamous villains. Thanks to some legal issues, it ultimately didn’t work out that way, but that didn’t stop Coogler from pulling some moments right off of the comic pages for his final product. He might not have been Kraven, but Killmonger, played by Michael B. Jordan, became an instant hit among Black Panther viewers, in no small part because he truly was a worthy villain. He proved he could best T’Challa in physical combat and tossed him over a waterfall in the process.
Sam Wilson becomes Captain America
Have you read the word Endgame quite a bit during this list? As we’ve already stated, Marvel knew what they were doing when they handed the reigns of their most important franchise over to the Russo brothers. This particular moment, however, the Russo brothers could have had a little fun with.
In the comics, it’s certainly true that Sam Wilson takes up the Captain America mantle when Steve Rodgers calls it quits, but in the MCU it could’ve just as easily been handed over to the Winter Soldier. Who knows - maybe they’ll get to share the shield in their upcoming Disney Plus show.
Captain America vs. Iron Man
Since Civil War was a popular storyline from the Marvel Comics, it only made sense for the Russo brothers to incorporate as many moments from the actual comics into the movie that they could. Naturally, as was the story’s course in the comic and the entire MCU build-up, the two opposing sides were led by Captain America and Iron Man. While the comics ultimately had even more heroes in the mix than the MCU film did, the conclusion was the same with Steve Rodgers and Tony Stark going head to head against one another, and the Russos made a point of putting this exact shot in the movie.
Cap wields Mjolnir
Insert “Know Your Place, Trash!” meme here – other than Iron Man’s sacrifice and his snapping of the Infinity Gauntlet, this was easily the most bad-ass moment of Avengers: Endgame (and the entire MCU). The fact it came straight from the comics did nothing to negate it. Fans had been theorizing for four years whether Cap could actually pick up Mjolnir since the classic scene in Age of Ultron where all of the heroes try to lift Thor’s legendary hammer. But fans were proven right when Cap wielded the miraculous lightning-rod with as much ease as his famous shield and kicked Thanos’ purple butt. Cap is worthy, and we all knew it.
