The 10 Darkest Stories From The MCU’s 16-Year History

THE Marvel Cinematic Universe has explored some incredibly dark stories in the 16 years since it began with the 2008 release Iron Man. Marvel Studios has become known for producing a lighthearted, family-friendly, and colorful live-action superhero franchise, something other studios have often struggled to replicate. However, the MCU isn’t all fun and games, as some of Marvel Comics’ darkest and most heartbreaking plots have also been adapted into the live-action MCU.

Audiences have been seeing the darkest corners of the MCU since Robert Downey Jr.’s Tony Stark came face to face with the consequences of his weapons manufacturing empire in Iron Manbut Marvel’s stories have only gotten darker since then. Over the past 16 years, we’ve seen HYDRA nearly commit genocide, Scarlet Witch descend into darkness, Thanos wipe out half the universe’s population, and Agatha Harkness murder hundreds of witches in cold blood. These are just some of the MCU’s darkest stories, and more are certainly on the way as the franchise continues to grow.

10

Agatha Harkness lures witches to their deaths with The Witches’ Road

Agatha All the Time (2024)

Marvel Studios’ latest live-action project, Agatha all the timeexplained more about the story of Kathryn Hahn’s original Salem witch after her 2021 debut WandaVision. Agatha all the time finale, “Maiden, Mother, Crone”, revealed the truth about the Witch Road, confirming that Agatha Harkness and her son, Nicholas Scratch, innocently wrote “The Ballad of the Witches’ Road,” and then Agatha used the song to lure witches to their deaths. after Nicholas’ death. This was a twisted storyline that certainly makes it one of the darkest in the MCU yet.

Shortly after burying her son in 1756, Agatha Harkness was approached by a witch seeking the rewards the Witch’s Road had to offer. She gathered a clan, made them sing the Ballad, and taunted them when the Witch’s Road failed to appear. They fired their magic at Agatha, which she absorbed along with their lives. Tarnishing the innocent song she wrote with her late son makes Agatha Harkness one of the MCU’s most reprehensible villainsespecially since it followed this same pattern for centuries, at least until the Witch’s Road actually appeared.

9

Iron Man’s parents are murdered by Bucky Barnes’ Winter Soldier

Captain America: Civil War (2016)

2016 Captain America: Civil War has persisted as one of the most exciting films in the MCU, given the fact that it marked the disbandment of the Avengers and an epic battle between Tony Stark’s Iron Man and Steve Rogers’ Captain America. Perhaps Civil War The most poignant and darkest moment, however, was when Stark discovered the truth about his parents’ deaths in 1991: that Bucky Barnes killed them while operating as HYDRA’s Winter Soldier. After learning that Rogers knew Barnes had killed his parents, the deal was made for Tony Stark.

Robert Downey Jr.’s performance in this moment was simply beautiful and moving, as he tried to come to terms with the death of his parents in security footage, while also seeking quick revenge on Bucky Barnes. The battle between Iron Man, Captain America and the Winter Soldier was intense, leading many to believe that at least one would lose his lifewhile the fight ended with only Barnes losing his arm and Rogers giving up Captain America’s shield and mantle. Tony Stark learning the truth in Captain America: Civil War It’s an MCU moment that’s hard to forget.

8

John Walker kills someone with Captain America’s shield

The Falcon and the Winter Soldier (2021)

Steve Rogers adopted the role of Captain America again in Infinity War and End of the gamebut soon passed these responsibilities to Sam Wilson. Before Sam, however, Wyatt Russell’s John Walker took on the role of Captain America, with his ego and corruption leading him to take an experimental super soldier serum, which apparently led to this epic but harrowing moment. in 2021. The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. After Karli Morgenthau inadvertently killed her friend, Lamar Hoskins, the super soldier John Walker arrested one of his followers and publicly murdered him using Captain America’s shield.

This symbol of hope, patriotism and unity was quickly reduced to nothing more than a murder weapon, and the entire world watched. This led to a huge feud between John Walker, Sam Wilson, and Bucky Barnes, with the former Avengers acquiring the shield, while also allowing Sam to officially become Captain America. Walker’s actions as Captain America will be investigated further in the upcoming Marvel Studios film. Rays*as he’s currently famous for all the wrong reasons, and will certainly deal some deadly blows in the future of the MCU, though not with Captain America’s shield.

7

HYDRA plans to commit genocide

Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)

Captain America’s MCU stories have included some of the most revolutionary and world-spanning events, such as the rise of HYDRA during World War II, the disbandment of the Avengers, and the return of HYDRA in 2014. Captain America: The Winter Soldier. It was revealed that HYDRA has been growing as a parasite within SHIELD since the organization’s inception, but that only set the backdrop for this incredibly dark MCU plot. Although S.H.I.E.L.D. thought Project Insight was a peacekeeping strategy, HYDRA planned to use the trio of aircraft carriers to commit genocide, eliminating millions of threats at once..

Project Insight ran on an algorithm developed by HYDRA scientist Arnim Zola, who joined S.H.I.E.L.D. after being detained in Captain America: The First Avengerbut never lost his loyalty to HYDRA. Zola’s algorithm targeted Tony Stark, Bruce Banner, Steve Rogers, President Matthew Ellis, and Stephen Strange, among millions of others – anyone who posed a threat to HYDRA’s mission then or in the future. If Project Insight had been successful, the world of the MCU would have been shaken beyond repairand it came dangerously close to becoming reality.

6

Black Widow and Yelena Belova are raised in the Red Room

Black Widow (2021)

Since then Avengers: Age of Ultron gave us a glimpse into Natasha Romanoff’s training as an assassin in the mysterious Red Roommany expected that a solo Black Widow the film would have explored Romanoff’s origin story. Unfortunately, only from Black Widow the opening credits did this before most of the film caught up with Romanoff in the period between Civil War and Infinity War. Still, it created one of the most impactful and moving montages in the MCU, as viewers saw Romanoff and Yelena Belova ripped from their family and trafficked into General Dreykov and the Red Room.

Scarlett Johansson’s Natasha Romanoff has mentioned her abuse and torture at the hands of the Red Room many times while growing up and being trained to be nothing more than a weapon, and this was reiterated by Florence Pugh’s Yelena Belova in Black Widow. Undergoing involuntary hysterectomies and being chemically manipulated and controlled is just scratching the surface. There are hopes that a future MCU project will delve deeper into this dark and frightening story of Romanoff and Belova, who will return alongside Bucky Barnes and John Walker in Rays*.

5

Gamora and Nebula recount their childhood being tortured by Thanos

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017)

Gamora and Nebula’s sisterhood has been one of the most rewarding things to see since the duo’s debut in 2014. Guardians of the Galaxybut this had its obstacles. Raised by Thanos, Gamora and Nebula regularly mentioned the torture they faced at the hands of their father growing up, and it culminated in Nebula trying to kill her sister in 2017. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2. Eventually, however, Nebula admits she never wanted to fight, but just wanted to have a sister in Gamora, bringing the formidable villains-turned-heroes closer together.

Director James Gunn referred to Gamora and Nebula’s embrace at the end of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 as one of the most moving scenes he wrote. This moment was full of connection because of the duo’s shared experience, each suffering under their father’s control. Gamora and Nebula’s childhood wasn’t properly explored in the live-action MCU, but perhaps that’s for the best, as it appears to be nothing more than torture, pain and tormentcontributing to some of the MCU’s darkest and funniest moments in the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise.

4

Marc Spector’s mother’s abuse leads to the birth of Steven Grant

Moon Knight (2022)

Oscar Isaac’s Marc Spector is one of the MCU’s most exciting yet troubled new heroes, as Moon Knight revealed that Spector is a man dealing with his dissociative identity disorder while also being the avatar of the Egyptian moon god Khonshu. The origins of Spector’s DID were explored in Moon Knight episode 5, ‘Asylum’, which saw alter Steven Grant discover he was created by Spector to repress the impact of his mother’s abuse following his brother’s accidental death. Wendy Spector blamed Marc for Randall’s death, which produced some heartbreaking moments in Moon Knight.

Marc Spector’s mother blamed him for Randall’s death as he took his younger brother to the caves during a flood, which trapped the pair inside and ultimately led to his brother’s death. Of course, this wasn’t Marc’s fault, but his mother’s abuse following this traumatic event spurred the birth of Steven Grant to bring some lightness and joy to Spector’s life. It is common for changes to appear in young children after trauma, and this was beautifully represented in the MCUdespite being one of the most tragic and harrowing moments in the franchise.

3

The high evolutionary brutally enhances Rocket and his friends

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (2023)

Although previous Guardians of the Galaxy Movies Had an Emotional Impact, 2023 Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 was the most moving installment yet. Through flashbacks, audiences saw Rocket Raccoon’s origin story, including his cybernetic enhancements at the hands of the twisted High Evolutionaryhis painful first words and his joyful experiences with his new friends, Lylla, Teefs and Floor. Rocket’s story has been touched on in previous MCU projects, but seeing it unfold in live action was incredibly powerful and moving.

Chukwudi Iwuji’s High Evolutionary has proven himself to be one of the MCU’s most twisted, sinister, and disgusting supervillains thanks to his actions in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 and throughout the MCU’s unseen history. His enhancement of Rocket and his friends was just the beginning, as he created the Humanimals, but ended up exterminating them in a brutal and frightening act of genocide.. The High Evolutionary’s survival means more dark plots could surround him in the MCU’s future, which is both exciting and terrifying.

2

Scarlet Witch holds Westview hostage

WandaVision (2021)

Elizabeth Olsen’s Wanda Maximoff has been on a tumultuous journey since her 2014 debut Captain America: The Winter Soldier. She went from minor villain to Avenger, and from grieving mother to outright villain, allowing her to be the subject of some of the MCU’s darkest stories, especially in Phase 4. The entire 2021 storyline WandaVision mountain range Wanda Maximoff, in her grief over Vision’s death, inadvertently erects a hexagon-shaped radiation barrier around Westview, New Jersey, trapping the residents inside. and forcing them to act out sitcom-style scenarios over several decades.

This act of pure power and manipulation of reality was a truly spectacular demonstration of Wanda Maximoff’s power, which eventually led to her officially becoming Scarlet Witch. However, the residents of Westview certainly weren’t that impressed, as they were practically tortured throughout Wanda’s stay in the sleepy New Jersey town. They felt her pain, they dreamed her dreams, they had no free will or willpower of their own, and they were frustrated when they finally confronted Scarlet Witch with the help of Agatha Harkness.. Agatha all the time revealed that Westview is still reeling from Scarlet Witch’s actions in WandaVision.

1

Thanos destroys half the universe’s population

Avengers: Infinity War (2018)

While all of these dark events have had a huge impact on the MCU and its viewers, the franchise’s darkest moment is, of course, Thanos snapping his fingers. Avengers: Infinity War. The year 2018 marked the culmination of a decade of stories in the MCU, with most of the franchise’s heroes coming together to try to thwart Thanos’ plan to collect the six Infinity Stones and bring balance to the universe. After several emotional defeats and deaths, the Avengers were unsuccessful, leading to a harrowing few minutes as we watched some of our favorite characters turn to dust..

People like Bucky Barnes, T’Challa, Peter Parker, Peter Quill, and Wanda Maximoff, as well as trillions more, lost their lives in Infinity War. Avengers: Endgame Fortunately, this was reversed five years later, meaning the MCU was thrown into a long period of uncertainty, darkness, and depression following Thanos’ attack. Even Thanos’ eventual defeat was bittersweet, as Natasha Romanoff and Tony Stark paid the price. The Mad Titan photo will always be remembered as one of the most iconic and darkest moments, not just in Marvel Cinematic Universebut in the history of cinema as a whole.