In 2009, Disney bought the rights to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Since then, the family-friendly megacorporation hasn’t delved too deeply into the darker parts of Marvel comics. There haven’t been too many violent moments in the MCU thus far, instead, the focus has been kept on lighter, more fantastical stories.
With that being said, Disney has recently acquired the rights to darker characters such as Wolverine and Deadpool, leaving fans to speculate how these more mature characters will fit into the MCU. Between this and the news that Daredevil and Punisher could be making appearances in upcoming projects, it could be that some more violent moments in the MCU may be on the way.
With that in mind, we decided to take a back look at some of the most violent moments in the MCU up until now:
5. Emil Blonsky gets kicked into a tree by The Incredible Hulk
The Incredible Hulk is often forgotten when discussing the MCU. Whether that is down to the fact it was released before the Disney buyout officially went through, or due to the recasting of the Bruce Banner character in The Avengers is unclear. One thing that is not forgettable though is that brutal kick suffered by Tim Roth’s Emil Blonsky.
Sure, Blonsky probably deserved it, being that he isn’t the nicest guy in the world. At the same time though, bouncing across the grass into a tree trunk like that isn’t something that you’d wish on your worst enemy. The crunch sound emitted when Emil collides with the trunk along with the way his seemingly lifeless body slumps over afterwards is truly brutal.
4. Sara is melted by The Scarlett Witch in front of Wong
There were multiple moments throughout Doctor Strange and The Multiverse of Madness which could be considered among the most violent moments in the MCU. It is a Sam Raimi movie after all! Although, the one which stands out the most in my mind is the moment where Sara sheds a tear whilst turning to ash in front of a restrained Wong.
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Whilst seeing the Sorcerer Supreme being forced to watch one of his students being murdered is disturbing enough, it is how Sara is killed which stands out. Watching the character slowly burn alive and turn to ash after destroying the Darkhold is an image which stays with the viewer long after the movie is over.
3. Tony Stark’s convoy is attacked
Not only is the opening scene of Iron Man a lesson in selling technology to a potential enemy, but it is also the birth of the entire Marvel cinematic franchise. As such, it is always fairly surprising to go back and watch that scene in hindsight and witness just how dark it plays out.
To see things go from jovial and carefree one minute to then become intense and deadly the next is jarring and also encapsulates how quickly a situation can turn for a soldier. Seeing those goofy, awkward troops switching gears to deal with the situation before being unceremoniously mowed down is harrowing to witness.
2. The Mind Stone is ripped from Vision’s head
Okay, so this one may not be amongst the most physically violent moments in the MCU since Vision is a cyborg and isn’t made from flesh and blood. Instead, this scene is more emotionally violent. Witnessing Wanda watch as the love of her life is brutally killed twice in front of her is so haunting that it went on to inspire the entire plot of Wandavision.
1. John Walker decapitates an adversary using Captain America’s shield
Whilst being physically distressing to witness, this one hits on more than one level for Cap fans. To see a shield which was once wielded as a symbol of hope, being used as a makeshift guillotine in public isn’t easy to watch. Regardless of your thoughts on US Agent, this is not what Steve Rodgers would have wanted his legacy to be.
And that is our list. Let us know your thoughts on our picks in the comments section below and let us know if we missed any of the most violent moments in the MCU.
