Although all projects in the Marvel Cinematic Universe ends in an epic battle between Marvel’s heroes and villains, some final battles are much more replayable than others. Since the beginning of the MCU with 2008 Iron ManMarvel Studios pitted some of Marvel’s most iconic superheroes from eight decades of comic books against its most powerful supervillains. This has often culminated in some of the most visually stunning, revolutionary, and thrilling final battles featured in the live-action MCU.
It was great to see the final battles between characters like Iron Man and Iron Monger, Captain America and Red Skull, Doctor Strange and Dormammu and Scarlet Witch and Agatha Harkness, among many others. However, there were several other iconic final battles that were far more spectacular, contributing to some of the most memorable and replayable moments in MCU history. Hawkeye, Shang-Chi, Thor and the Guardians of the Galaxy were the target of some of these scenesand there is certainly much more to come in the future of the MCU.
10
Iron Man vs. Aldrich Killian
Iron Man 3 (2013)
Robert Downey Jr.’s Tony Stark has been involved in some of the MCU’s most memorable and thrilling battle scenes, and although his fight with Obadiah Stane and his fight against Whiplash alongside Rhodey’s War Machine were great, Iron Man 3 delivered his greatest solo final battle. Iron Man 3 pitted Tony Stark against Aldrich Killian, the head of AIM and the man disguised as the Mandarin, a powerful legendary Chinese ruler. Killian wasn’t anything special other than his Extremis enhancements and his super-powered army, which made his last stand that much more exciting..
Not only was Tony Stark’s Iron Man facing off against Aldrich Killian and his Extremis soldiers, but War Machine and all of Stark’s Iron Man suits or armor joined the battle. It was brilliant to see Stark put all his suits to use, but even better is that the final blow was delivered by an Extremis-powered Pepper Potts. The biggest crime of this ending was that Marvel Studios undid everything quickly, with Potts losing his power and Stark becoming Iron Man soon after.but Iron Man 3 the final battle was explosive and complex.
9
Hawkeye and Kate Bishop vs. Kingpin and Tracksuit Mafia
Hawkeye (2021)
2021 Hawkeye The series paired Jeremy Renner’s Clint Barton with his new protégé, Hailee Steinfeld’s Kate Bishop, in a battle against the Tracksuit Mafia and their terrifying leader, Kingpin. Vincent D’Onofrio previously played Wilson Fisk’s Kingpin in the Netflix film Reckless series, and made his triumphant return to the MCU in Hawkeyeestablishing its greater role Echo and Daredevil: Born Again. It was great to see Kingpin harbor some newfound strength, but even better to see Kate Bishop use her wits and intelligence to take down the impending villain single-handedly..
While Bishop fought Kingpin, Clint Barton faced off against the Tracksuit Mafia’s goons before being stopped by Florence Pugh’s Yelena Belova. Sent Hawkeye’s way by Valentina Allegra de Fontaine on Black Widow, Yelena decided to kill Barton as revenge for Natasha Romanoff’s death, but an extremely emotional scene saw Barton reveal the truth to Yelena and earn her forgiveness.. This final battle perfectly showcased the connection between Barton and Bishop and left an emotional impact on Yelena Belova, setting them up for an exciting future in the MCU.
8
Ant-Man vs. Yellow jacket
Ant-Man (2015)
While the MCU Ant-Man franchise has recently come under some criticism, the 2015 original Ant-Man the film marked a strong debut for Paul Rudd’s Scott Lang. The final scheme of Ant-Man saw Lang and his team infiltrate Darren Cross’s Yellowjacket operation, destroying all evidence of the suit and particles being created, except the suit that Corey Stoll’s villain wore in the final battle. These scenes showed off some of Marvel Studios’ genius, as Ant-Man and Yellowjacket fought each other while changing sizecreating some hilarious moments.
MCU Ant-Man Movie |
Year |
Box office |
---|---|---|
Ant-Man |
2015 |
US$519.3 million |
Ant-Man and the Wasp |
2018 |
US$622.7 million |
Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania |
2023 |
US$476.1 million |
It was exciting to see Ant-Man and Yellowjacket use a Thomas the Tank Engine toy set as weaponry, while Scott Lang also employed his army of ants. To end the battle, Lang went subatomic, shrinking and deforming Darren Cross enough for Kang to transform him into MODOK, while finding himself trapped in the Quantum Realm as well. However, Ant-Man managed to return from his visually beautiful and mind-bending journey, providing hope for Janet Van Dyne’s return.which perfectly set up the plot for 2018 Ant-Man and the Wasp.
7
Shang-Chi vs. Xu Wenwu and Dweller of Darkness
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021)
Destin Daniel Cretton Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings remains one of the most popular films of Phase 4 of the MCUthanks in part to its beautiful, cinematic ending. Ta Lo was the battleground for the final fight between Shang-Chi and his corrupted father, Xu Wenwu, the MCU’s true Mandarin. Wenwu attempted to free the Dweller of Darkness, who was disguised as his late wife, but he faced opposition from his children and the residents of Ta Lo, including the dragon-like Great Protector.
After freeing the Dark Dweller, Wenwu realized the error of his ways and gifted his son with the mystical and powerful ten rings. This gave Shang-Chi the power to kill the Dweller-in-Darkness and save the world, setting him up to be a huge piece of the MCU puzzle going forward. Paying homage to Chinese culture and martial arts films of the past, the final battle of Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings was a monumental undertaking for Marvel Studiosand helped make the film one of the franchise’s most beloved installments.
6
Thor, Valkyrie, Hulk and Loki vs. Hello
Thor: Ragnarok (2017)
Just like Iron Man, Thor’s third solo adventure in the MCU presented his most fun and intense final battle, pitting him and his new team, made up of him, Loki, the Hulk and Valkyrie, against Hela, the Goddess of Death. Thor: Ragnarok saw Chris Hemsworth’s God of Thunder explore his true potential, with the power of lightning flooding his veins without Mjolnir to channel it. This made it quite easy for Thor to overthrow Hela’s forces, although the Goddess herself was only defeated after Surtur released the prophesied Ragnarok on Asgard.
Taika Waititi’s style in Thor: Ragnarok was highly praised, mainly for its use of classic rock music, in the style of Guardians of the Galaxy franchise, and its bright, vivid, and fun use of color and action. It’s a shame this hasn’t been replicated as successfully in Thor: Love and Thunderbut Thor: Ragnarok and his final battle will go down in history as one of the most incredible additions to the MCU. The power, transformation, intensity and optimism of this final fight were brilliant, and the end of Thor: Ragnarok perfectly configured the events of Avengers: Infinity War.
5
Eternals vs. Icaris
Eternals (2021)
While 2021 Eternals received a lot of criticism from discerning “fans”, the film has gained some retrospective praise in the years since, and this is in part due to the thrilling final battle. Eternals saw the titular team attempt to prevent the emergence of the Celestial Tiamut from within Earth, which threatened humanity, although they were opposed by Richard Madden’s Ikaris, who wanted the emergence to happen. Watching Ikaris battle the other Eternals was truly fantastic, as all of his ultimate powers were on display.
Member of the Eternals |
Actor |
Power |
---|---|---|
Sersi |
Gemma Chan |
Transformation of Matter |
Icaris |
Richard Madden |
Flight and Power Projection |
Ajak |
Salma Hayek |
Cure |
Kingo |
Kumail Nanjiani |
Energy Projection |
Sprite |
Leah McHugh |
Illusion Projection |
Makkari |
Lauren Ridloff |
Speed |
Phastos |
Brian TyreeHenry |
Intelligence |
Druig |
Barry Keoghan |
Mind Control |
Thena |
Angelina Jolie |
Weapon Creation |
Gilgamesh |
Don Lee |
Strength |
It was great to see Lauren Ridloff’s Makkari’s speed in action, Angelina Jolie’s Thena put her weapon creation skills to the test, and Brian Tyree Henry’s Phastos used his incredible intelligence. This was all an attempt to contain Ikaris, who wanted to stop Gemma Chan’s Sersi from stopping the emergence. This entire sequence was one of the most cinematic and thought-provoking moments Marvel Studios has ever produced.so it’s a shame that a sequel to Eternals hasn’t been confirmed yet and doesn’t seem all that likely.
4
Agatha Harkness and Wicca vs. Death
Agatha All the Time (2024)
Marvel Television Agatha all the time series caught up with Kathryn Hahn’s Agatha Harkness three years after her debut in WandaVisionexpanding her story as she began the Witches’ Road with a new clan. This clan included Joe Locke’s “Teen,” who was soon revealed to be the reincarnation of Billy Maximoff, son of Scarlet Witch. Along the way, Agatha’s connection to Rio Vidal from Aubrey Plaza was developed before Rio was revealed to be the personification of Death.and this culminated in an epic battle between the three powerful MCU characters.
The final battle between Agatha Harkness, Billy Maximoff’s Wiccan, and Death in Agatha all the time episode 8, “Follow Me My Friend/To Glory at the End”, was a sight to behold. Agatha was repowered by Wiccan, allowing her to hold her own against Death, while the powerful entity also displayed her formidable abilities. All of this culminated in Agatha Harkness sacrificing herself for Billy Maixmoff with a passionate kiss from Deathdelivering a cathartic, satisfying and strangely beautiful ending to Agatha all the time, which created new stories for the future of the MCU.
3
Guardians of the Galaxy vs. Ronan the accuser
Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)
All three of the Guardians of the Galaxy’s final battles were incredible to watch in the MCU. Vol. 2 saw the expanded team fight the Celestial Ego in a thrilling, drawn-out battle, and Vol. 3 ended with the cathartic defeat of the High Evolutionary after a fantastic hallway fight between the Guardians and the High Evolutionary’s Hell Spawn. However, 2014 Guardians of the Galaxy ended with one of Guardians of the Galaxy’s most memorable moments, when Chris Pratt’s Peter Quill, aka Star-Lord, engaged Ronan the Accuser in a dance for the fate of Xandar.
Peter Quill danced with Ronan the Accuser to 1970’s “Ooh Child” by The Five Stairsteps.
Of course, This was just a ploy to distract Ronan long enough for Rocket to create a weapon capable of destroying the Kree Universal Weapon and releasing the Power Stone.. This allowed Peter Quill to grab the Stone, share its power with the other Guardians, and defeat Lee Pace’s Ronan once and for all. Combining comedy, action and visual spectacle, Guardians of the Galaxy the final battle was a powerful and emotional moment that forged the Guardians as a true team and family in the MCU, themes that continued throughout the entire franchise.
2
Captain America and Bucky Barnes vs. Iron Man
Captain America: Civil War (2016)
One of the most intense and emotional scenes in MCU history was delivered at the end of 2016 Captain America: Civil War. This led to Tony Stark discovering that Bucky Barnes, as the Winter Soldier, had killed his parents, and that Steve Rogers had known this for the past few years but refused to reveal the truth. This led to a huge three-way fight between Iron Man, Captain America, and the Winter Soldier.which many theorized would end with the death of Stark or Rogers, but instead marked the official disbandment of the Avengers team.
Team Captain America |
Iron Man Team |
---|---|
Captain America by Steve Rogers |
Tony Stark’s Iron Man |
The Falcon by Sam Wilson |
Rhodey’s War Machine |
Scarlet Witch by Wanda Maximoff |
Vision |
Hawkeye by Clint Barton |
Black Widow by Natasha Romanoff |
The Winter Soldier by Bucky Barnes |
T’Challa’s Black Panther |
Ant-Man by Scott Lang |
Peter Parker’s Spider-Man |
The brutality of Iron Man, Captain America and the Winter Soldier’s fight was thrilling. Every move and moment was thought out and perfectly choreographed, with each character getting the chance to show off some of their incredible powers. while Daniel Brühl’s Baron Zemo reveled in his success, only to be spared from suicide by Chadwick Boseman’s T’Challa, aka Black Panther. Captain America: Civil War It ended in tragedy, but this was a truly powerful moment that won’t be forgotten as the MCU continues to develop.
1
Avengers vs. Thanos
Avengers: Endgame (2019)
The Russo Brothers’ Third Act Avengers: Endgame detailed the Avengers’ last stand against the Mad Titan, Thanos and his armies, who attacked Avengers HQ after traveling from the past during the Time Heist. Thanos threatened all existence, introducing the greatest risks the Avengers have ever fought throughmeaning all the heroes were willing to put their lives on the line to save the day. The feeling of watching Avengers: Endgame the final battle for the first time is almost hard to describe and even harder for Marvel Studios to replicate.
Avengers: Endgame it was the conclusion of more than a decade of stories in the MCUand the Battle of Earth included many moments that yielded big loose ends and packed big emotional punches. Captain America wielding Mjolnir, Scarlet Witch facing Thanos alone and Spider-Man protecting the Infinity Gauntlet are just some of the best scenes from this battle, while Iron Man’s sacrifice will forever be one of the most powerful moments in the history of the world. Marvel Cinematic Universe. Many consider End of the game be the pinnacle of Marvel Studios, but the future now looks very bright.