Top 10 MCU Moments Since ‘Black Widow’
After a lengthy hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Marvel Cinematic Universe returned to theaters on July 9, 2021 with the theatrical release of Black Widow. The Scarlett Johansson vehicle was the first film in “Phase 4” of the MCU. It has since been followed by Shang-Chi And The Legend of the Ten Rings, Eternals, and Spider-Man: No Way Home. Since Black Widow’s release, subscribers to Disney+ were introduced to the series Loki, followed by What If…?, Hawkeye, and Moon Knight.
The upcoming release of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness certainly has Marvel fans anticipating many memorable moments to add to what has been seen. In this article, I will attempt to rank the top ten MCU moments since Black Widow.
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10. Marvel Zombies (What If…?)
The Marvel animated series, What If…? presented numerous interesting scenarios for fans to consider. One of them involved the introduction of Iron Man and Scarlett Witch as…zombies! With their appearance in What If…? and scenes from the Doctor Strange trailer, it will be interesting to see how zombies are incorporated into the future of the MCU.
9. The Return of Doctor Octopus (Spider-Man: No Way Home)
The first Spider-Man entry on our list brought about the return of Doctor Otto Octavius. His appearance in the film would serve as an arc of repentance for his actions in 2004’s Spider-Man 2, and the scenes shared with Tobey Maguire’s Spider-Man made his appearance very worthy of being included on this list. When asked by Variety how it felt to be back portraying the scientist, actor Alfred Molina said “It was wonderful. It was very interesting going back after seventeen years to play the same role given that in the intervening years, I now have two chins, a wattle, crow’s feet, and a slightly dodgy lower back.”
8. Shang-Chi Fights His Father (Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings)
Near the end of Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, Shang-Chi battles his father, Wenwu and gains control of the Ten Rings, a device of mystical power. As a new inclusion into the MCU, Shang-Chi and the film itself have encouraged Marvel fans about the future of the character.
7. Kingpin Returns (Hawkeye)
Vincent D’Onofrio reprised his role as Wilson Fisk a.k.a. Kingpin in the Disney+ series starring Jeremy Renner, Hawkeye. Previously from Netflix’s Daredevil, Fisk appeared in the fifth and sixth episodes as a benefactor behind the scenes to Kate Bishop’s mother. When asked about the return of Kingpin to Marvel properties, studio president and producer Kevin Feige said, “When you talk about organized crime in the Marvel universe and you talk about the seedy underbelly of New York City, there is only one primary character that comes to mind.”
6. Spider-Man Defeats Dr. Strange Using Geometry (Spider-Man: No Way Home)
One of the more humorous scenes is when Tom Holland’s Spider-Man figures out a way to delay Benedict Cumberbatch’s Dr. Strange by using geometry. This shows that learning math can have impacts down the road!
5. Hi There (Moon Knight)
At the end of the fifth episode, Mark Spector and Steven Grant are greeted by a happy, potentially hungry hippo? While the scene may not possess much importance for the MCU moving forward, it is certainly a scene that has left an impression in my mind and has the potential for many memes.
4. The Return of Daredevil (Spider-Man: No Way Home)
Despite Netflix’s cancellation of the television series, it was rumored that actor Charlie Cox would return to the MCU as Daredevil. Those rumors came true when Matt Murdock represented Peter Parker in his legal troubles. As a lawyer myself, I am always interested in the possibility of a legal series within the MCU (She-Hulk, anyone)?
3. The Introduction of He Who Remains (Loki)
In the season finale of Loki, viewers were introduced to He Who Remains, a known variant of Kang the Conqueror and appears to have a big role to play in the “Phase 4” projects to come. Actor Jonathan Majors will return as Kang the Conqueror in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania.
2. William Defoe Turns into the Green Goblin (Spider-Man: No Way Home)
One of the most memorable moments of acting in the MCU for me is when Willem Dafoe switches personalities from Norman Osborn to the Green Goblin while in Happy Hogan’s apartment. The moment he says, “Norman’s on sabbatical,” honey, that was chilling for me!
1. Three Spiders Together (Spider-Man: No Way Home)
The biggest moment in the MCU for me and many other fans since Black Widow was the team-up of Tom Holland, Andrew Garfield, and Tobey Maguire in Spider-Man: No Way Home. When asked how it was to work together, Holland stated, “It was so collaborative. From Garfield cracking Tobey’s back, to Garfield coming up with the idea of pointing at us, it was all stuff we came up with on the day.”
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