The first phase of Marvel Cinematic Universe had some seemingly innocent moments that became quite dark in the context of the longer series. Compared to other MCU films, Phase One had a rather darker tone, still untouched by the sanitizing of Marvel Studios under the Disney banner. However, the later films managed to put many beats from the first five films into a darker perspective, further obscuring the initial franchise.
There are several ways that later events in the Marvel Cinematic Universe placed specific scenes from Phase One in a shockingly darker context. Sometimes it's sheer convenience that puts certain events in a darker perspective when compared to the darker moments of the MCU. For the most part, however, the series is very deliberate about the story, getting past the first, rewarding them later with some heartbreaking revelations.
10
'I Am Iron Man' Got Better and Darker Years Later
Iron Man
Perhaps the most iconic line read in the entire Marvel Cinematic Universe, Tony Stark's admission of being Iron Man at the end of his debut film sent shockwaves through the franchise for years to come. Not only is it impressive that Robert Downey Jr. improvised the line, but it also eliminated secret identities (for the most part) as a central element of MCU drama. From Avengers: Endgame, the quote”I am Iron Man“gained an even more serious meaning.
After Thanos is apparently about to perform his Infinity Stone snap for the second time, he smugly declares, “I am inevitable“, only to realize that Iron Man stole the stones from under his nose. In response, Tony repeats the same line he said at the press conference years ago, before taking out the Mad Titan along with his army. Looking back, the original line has now become a chilling portent of Tony's own death.
9
Thor's Initial Conflict with Odin Constantly Looks Different in Hindsight
Thor
Thor has had a pretty tumultuous journey through the Marvel Cinematic Universe. While the God of Thunder may have been a confident warrior, his banishment to Earth and the enchantment of Mjölnir to allow himself to be lifted only by the worthy was only the beginning of his long road to humility. Odin's distaste for Thor's reckless behavior, which prompted this response, seems even more severe considering what he knew would happen in later films.
In Thor: Ragnarok, Odin reveals that he seemed to know his time was coming, and with his death would come his tyrannical secret daughter, Hela. A painful ghost of Odin's past life as a cruel conqueror, the fact that Hela is on the horizon makes it more obvious why he was so desperate to mature his son into a wise, capable, and kind leader. In retrospect, Odin seemed ashamed of his bloody past, hoping that Thor could become the peaceful, benevolent, but strong ruler he never was before Hela's arrival.
8
Loki's Debut Got Increasingly Darker As The MCU Continued
The Avengers
Few figures in the Marvel Cinematic Universe are as tragic as Loki, the God of Mischief. Despite being the first multi-film villain in the series, in his first appearance, Loki receives some kind of sympathy for the narrative, presented as someone who could have been a much kinder god in different circumstances. His story only becomes more tragic with the later implication that he may have been manipulated by Thanos into committing the atrocities he commits in The Avengers.
According to one theory, Loki was mind-controlled by Thanos, at least partially, into invading New York in The Avengers. Using the Mind Stone as a conduit, Thanos was supposedly able to convince Loki to invade Earth with his Chitauri Army, setting in motion the events of Infinity War. The MCU has since confirmed this theory as being accurate, making his villainous appearance in the first crossover much scarier than he originally seemed.
7
Iron Man's journey through the portal began his dark paranoia
The Avengers
If it weren't for Iron Man, it's hard to say whether The Avengers would have won the Battle for New York in their debut film. Directing a massive missile into the portal opened by the Chitauri, Iron Man was able to detonate the powerful warhead directly at the aliens' mothership, incapacitating all of their cybernetic warriors at once. Tony has a terrifying near-death experience as his systems disappear, barely making it back through the portal before it closes through sheer luck.
This event gave Tony Stark significant PTSD, the symptoms of which were explored in the underrated Iron Man 3. Not only that, but his experience in space and contact with the alien leadership made him more fervent than ever to create a “armor around the world“that could protect Earth from future invaders like Thanos. This idea eventually gave way to the creation of Ultron, another event that nearly destroyed the planet.
6
Bucky Barnes' downfall had some terrible and far-reaching results
Captain America: The First Avenger
Although it may not have seemed like it at the time, Bucky's “death” in Captain America: The First Avenger had some of the darkest and most far-reaching effects of any event in all of Phase One. Steve Rogers' childhood friend, Bucky Barnes became a highly decorated sniper and special operations soldier who got the chance to fight alongside his old man friend in the Howling Commandos. However, this career would end in tragedy, as his failed rescue led to his apparent death and capture at the hands of HYDRA.
Under HYDRA's cruel experimentation, Bucky becomes the Winter Soldier, an event that had a tremendous impact on the rest of the series. Most importantly, the Winter Soldier's murder of Howard and Maria Stark specifically played a major role in the splitting of the Avengers into Captain America: Civil War. Knowing what the future holds for Bucky's journey in the MCU makes seeing him disappear into the snow in Captain America: The First Avenger really scary.
5
The Tesseract turned the red skull into an immortal guide
Captain America: The First Avenger
It's not just the MCU's heroes who are thrown into bizarre and heartbreaking circumstances, especially in Captain America: The First Avenger. Red Skull is far from a sympathetic villain, a Nazi and HYDRA agent obsessed with harnessing the power of ancient artifacts like the Tesseract. However, it's not fun to imagine the reality he experienced after being teleported across the cosmos by the very power he sought to control.
According to Red Skull in Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame, the Cosmic Cube transforms him into an almost spiritual guide, dressed in flowing robes that, when added to his skeletal face, give the appearance of an avatar of death. It's hard to imagine what he went through when he was folded, seemingly against his will, into a mouthpiece for the Infinity Stones themselves. The decades of isolation on Vormir cannot have been pleasant, with only unworthy Soulstone hunters and alien rocks to keep their sanity from fraying more than their clothes.
4
Loki's words at the end of Thor echo in his own ending
Thor
Once again, Loki's tragic journey through the MCU colors his first appearances in tragedy. Nowhere is this more intentional than with the ending of Thor, Loki's first appearance in the franchise, which eventually ends up echoing the last. Hanging from the Bifrost Bridge, Loki begs his father for understanding, insisting that he only did what he did for the benefit of all of Asgard, stating “I did this for you, for all of us“.
Loki ends up saying the exact same words to his new friends in the season finale. Lokiwhich deliberately references Loki's Phase One appearances. Not only the title of the end, Glorious Purpose, evoke Loki's words in The Avengers, “I'm burned with a glorious purpose“, but he ends up repeating the same line from the end of Thor. It's truly moving to see Loki go through his initial struggle for acceptance and recognition, knowing where his path in the series takes him.
3
Iron Man and Black Widow are the first two original Avengers to meet and the first to die
Iron Man 2
Easily the most underrated film of Phase One, it's no wonder that Iron Man 2 isn't exactly drowning in heartbreaking scenes that remain relevant much later in the MCU's history. But if there's one moment in the film that's almost hard to watch with the knowledge of future films, it's the introduction of Black Widow. The scene is quite fun and humorous in a way that the MCU probably wouldn't attempt now, with Tony Stark meeting Natasha Romanoff under her false identity, clearly smitten by her beauty and abilities.
While not celebrated with much fanfare, this moment marks the first time in the MCU that two Avengers have actually met. Unfortunately, Black Widow and Iron Man are not only the first two original Avengers to meet, but also the first two to die, both dying in Avengers: Endgame. It's difficult to see Natasha (or Natalie, as she goes by here) and Tony Stark meeting so casually, knowing the tragic history that both would share in the later Infinity Saga.
2
Black Widow and Hawkeye's Budapest reference turned out to be a lot darker than it seemed
The Avenger
Almost a running joke in the early stages of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Hawkeye and Black Widow's infamous failed mission to Budapest is referenced several times. The first of these references occurs in the Battle for New York, in which Black Widow comments to Hawkeye about the similarities between the two missions, only for Hawkeye to coldly shut her down, claiming that they both remember it differently. It's just in Black Widow that the true context of the Budapest mission is finally revealed.
It turns out that Budapest was a real low point in the careers of Black Widow and Hawkeye. Being the good faith mission that finally allowed Natasha Romanoff to defect from the Black Widow program, in Budapest, the two explosives detonated that murdered the man behind the Red Room, General Dreykov, alongside his innocent daughter. Even if Antonia ended up surviving and becoming Taskmaster, hearing Black Widow reference the event so insensitively in The Avengers makes Hawkeye's response quite understandable.
1
Tony's weapons testing is put into perspective by Wanda and Pietro Maximoff
Iron Man
Part of what made the MCU work so well was Tony Stark's captivating arc from indifferent war profiteer to selfless hero. In the initial moments of Iron Man, Tony's ego is on display as he tests one of his latest “Jericho” missiles, extending his arms like a vengeful god as the blast wave from the explosion engulfs him. It's a captivating image, but it's important to remember that weapons like these have had a very real effect on the lives of other characters in the series, even other Avengers.
In WandaVision, the truth behind Scarlet Witch's words in Avengers: Age of Ultron is shown, watching a Stark Industries bomb lodge in her home, nearly killing her and her brother. It takes a near-death experience at the hands of the Ten Rings for Tony to realize the error of his ways, but shots like the Jericho missile test make it clear in retrospect that Tony has real blood on his hands. Complicated characters like this are a big part of what made the beginning UCM so successful.
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- Release date
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February 14, 2025
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Rays*
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- Release date
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July 25, 2025
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- Release date
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July 24, 2026