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The One Scene that Fixed the Marvel Cinematic Universe
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- Published on Apr 15, 2026
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In the Avengers, Joss Whedon and Marvel Studios successfully sold the idea of an interconnected universe from very different franchises. In this video, ScreenCrsh breaks down one crucial scene--just 185 seconds, that sold the world on a shared cinematic universe.
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Kevin Feige has said several times that Thor was the linchpin. If Thor didn't work it would have fallen apart. Thor was able to get us off Earth.
I can see that since all most superhero movies before Thor were somewhat grounded. Thor certainly normalized the notion of having magical super powers without trying to explain it - it certainly gave way for Superman to fight villains other than Zod or Luthor. However, for me, I feel that it was GOTG that allowed Hollywood to fully utilized the more comic villains in other comic franchises such as Darksied to be introduced in the live action DC films because of the various alien-looking like aliens co-existing in the same universe in the MCU.
@FallenGemini ???? What?
@stephensoda2379 replace Darkseid with Thanos, and the sentence makes sense.
Thor introduced extraterrestrials with 5000 year lifespans, vast powers and science/tech knowledge so far beyond Earth's own that it seemed like magic. When Asgardians visited Earth 1000 years earlier, they were considered gods by primitive Viking tribes.
GoTG introduced really alien-looking modern aliens who didn't have any connections to Earth.
@stephensoda2379Ok, it wasn't just me. I was confused too! 😅
@roberthughes2803 no, I meant Darksied, not Thanos. For years, people wanted Darksied to be a villain in a new Superman movie. However, such a thing wouldn't seem to work in how semi grounded The Superman and Batman movies were and stoll are with Batman. However, with the MCU, it allowed Zack Synder and the WB to embrace the more comicbook elements from the comics.
this is what happened in justice league, Superman defeated everyone so after it felt like they won because of superman rather than justice league
Nope , the problem was Joss Whedon just sucks.
@vfwarlordforever9589 The same Joss Whedon that directed Avengers?
@ThomasamohT1 Yes Joss Whedon is a terrible person.
Meant as a director, personality aside @jabzilla21
That was the point of Justice League. There was a threat so powerful that even combined they couldn't win. They needed Superman. That's why they brought him back to life.
Not sure if you realized, but Tony is able to take the lightning from Thor because he upgraded his armor after his fight with Whiplash who uses electric whips.
(And now I have to say it)
“because Tony always learns from his mistakes.”
Well he wasn't genius enough to estimate the power of the infinity stones.
@Sukhbir4567 because nobody can estimate the power of the infinity stones since it's infinite.
you can harness part of the power to use it , but still
yep, just what I was about to say F
They kind of stressed how the infinity stones kept the universe in balance and that without even one of them things could fall into chaos. With that said, I'm wondering what the effects are now that there aren't any in the 616 or 1999999 universe. (I'm not sure which it is for the MCU or if my 19er one is accurate).
@Emulcoolwell if nobody can estimate the power of infinity stones how did he create a glove to hold all of them? Seems like a rookie calculation mistake on his part he didn't take into account his body's parameters correctly.
I leaned back in my cinema seat when Thor nailed Cap's shield. Also. Thor, a literal god, was not only always unconditionally supportive of Cap throughout the films, he respected Cap's judgment. He took orders from Cap in The Battle of New York.
After the film goes on from the forest scene, the Avengers have learned how to work together. Cap has a brilliant tactical mind, like the exceptional soldier he has always been before the serum. Natural combat leader. A lesser Asgardian would never take orders from a human but Thor has the virtue of humility.
I agree on everything except that I have never seen an ounce of humility from MCU Thor. Everything from "Loki's motivations here are entirely about Me" to "I completely fail at any level of empathy toward the young man I repeatedly claim brotherhood with" to "let me just gaslight my supposed allies while trying to persuade them to come join me on a suicide mission," he's shown so many aspects of Narcissism that I'm just glad the fanfic writers were able to portray a positive version instead of merely a cinematic one.
Next time I watch the Avengers I'll have to keep an eye out for Thor's reaction to the others, though. The idea of him taking orders so readily from a mortal does give at least one point in his favor.
(Seriously, this particular scene might be crucial to the franchise but all it does for Thor is show that his supposed character growth from the first film was smoke and mirrors: He comes to Midgard and the very first thing he does, knowing full well that mortals are fragile beings compared to his powers, is to attempt to flat-out murder two of its core protectors.)
@Arkyliethey murdered Thor's character in subsequent films
@Arkyliei think the humility they're talking about is the lesson his father forced him to learn by making him closer to mortal in the very first film. I'm not saying he ever really got close to being as empathetic as a mortal, he is a god after all and you can only really perceive the environment you're exposed and taught and gods are anything but humble, so the time spent on earth GREATLY increased his humility. Even if it's from a 0 to 1 that's still 100% improvement.
@JWill051995 And also, you see his difference in Humility as a Marvel god and his connectedness to mortals in "Thor: Love and Thunder." That pains me to say it since dipshit Taika completely murdered Thor's personality and character in that film EXCEPT for his humility and willingness to protect the mortal realms. All the other "gods" were assholes and didn't care about anyone but themselves.
@JWill051995 It's quite a bit more than just 100% when it's from Zero to 1 ;)
In the last 13 years I have NEVER gotten tired of Marvel's The Avengers. It is so much fun and so enthralling to watch.
i actually think it’s an awful movie
@awildsebastianappeared9771oh nobody asked tho
@awildsebastianappeared9771 ratio then
I tried to play it when I was in the military, my entire platoon booed me down. I mean, it wasn't that bad. :(
It's good but it's gotten to be too much, too often. I followed it closely through Endgame but very little since.
And this explains why the DCEU didn’t work. Very well done, this is probably one of the most well thought out videos on the MCU to date on YT!
Well this, and the fact that the DCEU really had no heroes. If you start a universe where all the so-called heroes are killers, and exist in an objectivist, morally-grey area of personal philosophy, it's really hard to make an audience see much of a difference between the so-called heroes and the villains.
The DCEU had a Batman who killed A LOT and marked criminals so they'd be killed in prison. It had a Wonder Woman who was okay with raping an unconscious man for weeks. It had a Flash who jumped RIGHT to trying to change history as soon as he realized it was possible. It had an Aquaman who was a drunken misanthrope. It had a Cyborg who... Was entirely blank because they didn't bother to flesh out his character.
When the main heroes in your DC universe closely resemble Amanda Waller on the morality and ethics scales, you have a problem. How do decent people root for that?
Excellent point about the DCEU.
Interesting, couldn't disagree more
Facts!
@Caethewildre snyder was never the man
Small detail Idk if people noticed it. People seem to miss it when they cover it, but Thor actually dented Tony's helmet with that headbutt😅😅😅
Yeah! I was disappointed he didn’t mention it. The lil dent on the helmet is so cute
I didnt realise this till just now, thanks !
I remember when Marvel announced The Avengers, and everyone laughed at them. They were basing this wildly ambitious plan off a lightning-in-a-bottle fluke like Iron Man? No way was it going to work. No one was going to care about seeing these characters most people hadn't heard of team up, and the idea of Iron Man standing next to Thor was just embarrassing. Then, as soon as the receipts for Avengers came in, literally everyone else tried to do the same thing.
Agreed. I'm seeing a lot of revisionist comments in this thread about how obvious it was to do it.
Agreed. I remember Zack Snyder laughing at the idea of a Thor movie
@LL-tg2sg That's the thing about movies like this: it's a lot easier to see why it worked in hindsight. Between that and the ubiquity of the MCU afterwards, people forget that this was a gamble when it happened. It's like how people think the original Star Wars trilogy or Citizen Kane is passe now. They don't realize how different things were before these films came out.
Well said!
Especially with a movie called Captain AMERICA, in this modern day when the nation lacks a noble reputation.
This is a bit off topic, but whoever thought to put the spider sense waves above Spiderman's head when he got pushed out of his body, they're frickin awesome. It was so cool to see it in a movie and for there to be a real reason for why its visible.
I don’t think I noticed that. Good catch!
"We need a plan of attack" - "I have a plan. Attack" 😂 That scene gets me every time
That was a stupid one liker if there ever was one. I prefer "I'm listening"😂
right 😂
Thor:“You want me to PUT THE HAMMER DOWN??”
Tony: “Uh, Cap, BAD IDEA!”
😂
That one particular line always makes me cringe. Shit was gay as hell
@kitten-whisperer How was that scene "gay"?
"The person who'd win in a fight is the person that the scriptwriter wants to win!" Stan Lee
So that's why a good script mathers. Otherwise: zzzzZZZZZZZZzzz
never really agreed with that, cause it just kinda refuses to engage with the actual question, sure the writer decides, but that's not what's being asked here, if we take what's been shown, who would come up on top? that's a fairly basic premise in which the writer doesn't come in to play, it's just fun debate comparing characters, and saying the author decides is just avoiding the question.
@jakobwilliamzachariassen2640 I think it has something to do with people who get really mad when it’s suggested that their favorite character would lose a match and either attempt to overplay their character or downplay the opponent.
Or, in this case, when the rider doesn't want _anyone_ to win.
aka nerfing
If , God forbid🙏🏾I ever end up with dementia please just replay the first phase of the MCU so I can relive the original nostalgia of this universe
I'm old and live with chronic pain. The first phase movies are always my go to when the pain is bad. They help because they are just plain fun.
That would make a tragic event --- awesome 😎😎 😎
@bunsmom I pray you have an easier time with the pain. May God heal you.
And half of the second phase as well.
that and the series Loki because holy fuh that show is incredible
I never noticed Steve threw his shield at Thor’s head 😂 @ 12:32
Oh! Yeah! 😅
Uh... doesn't look like it hit Thor's head. Maybe it looked like it from the angling; but it might be that Steve Hit Thor's hammer in that toss. I mean: it did bounce and hit the spot where Tony's arc reactor; his weapon, is.
That was Thor's hammer, not his shield.
Same lmao. Might as well have been a sandal 😂😂
I don't know man it's so hard to tell even at the slowest setting. Id like to think it's the back of his head and he just walked it all like it wasn't shit. 🤷🏻♂️😂
The “Trinity” couldn’t succeed without the most grounded Avenger, the guy with sticks & strings, Hawkeye
Using Captain planet's planeteers as an analogy, the Hulk is Earth, Iron Man is "Fire", Thor is "Wind", Steve Rogers is "Water", and Hawkeye is "heart".
@williamclose6978Isn't Natasha is the "heart"?
@spidoggo275it could be filled by either.
@spidoggo275I nearly meant it was the power that made zero sense with the others, but somehow was constantly vital to the others succeeding.
@spidoggo275Hawkeye/ Natasha and Phil
Iron man = Toy Story (suits are toys) captain America is rocky (non stop fight and no giving up) and Thor is lord of the rings(self explanatory)
Well played sir, well played.
Agreed
@guyvanarsdall7686 i mean its a terrible analogy but thats quite literally the best matchup for the 3 in that analogy
Tony=Playboy/Machinist=toystory
Steve=Fighter/nevergiveup=rocky
Thor=Magic and mythical realms=LOR
A wild street altercation caught on camera shows a woman holding scissors during a heated argument - when a man suddenly launches a kick that connects with her face.
Witnesses say she was surrounded by several men, yet nobody stepped in to protect her.
The clip has social media divided, with many calling out the men nearby for not stopping it. Would y'all have stepped in or stood back like the rest of the crowd?
⚠️ Viewer Discretion:
👇🏾📺 Check the comments for the full clip 📺👇🏾A wild street altercation caught on camera shows a woman holding scissors during a heated argument - when a man suddenly launches a kick that connects with her face.
Witnesses say she was surrounded by several men, yet nobody stepped in to protect her.
The clip has social media divided, with many calling out the men nearby for not stopping it. Would y'all have stepped in or stood back like the rest of the crowd?
⚠️ Viewer Discretion:
👇🏾📺 Check the comments for the full clip 📺👇🏾394358523515394358523515394358523515
Glad someone else made this exact comparison haha
Well I guess I need to rewatch the entire MCU
Remember to stop at "Endgame," because we actually learn our lessons. lol
@jacob4920after endgame watch Loki And what if and end it there
@jacob4920well, Spider-Man no way home and the third guardians movies are worth rewatching I think. Everything else after endgame is 🗑️
@DracaliaRay "No Way Home" is a truly rare case of a studio actually doing its' homework, and giving fans what they want. I attribute that movie way more to Sony pictures than I do to Disney. Because if Disney had been behind that entire thing, with Kevin Feige in their pockets, you know it would have turned out just as crappy as everything else.
But yes. It IS a good movie.
@jacob4920 Why did fans want a nostalgia fest that only happens because Dr. Strange acted so stupidly to allow events to occur at all? And for Ned to suddenly have mystic art powers? Fans aren't looking so great from that.
2:22 to be fair… I also have a skull for a head.. and you do too.
Plus, it didn't stop Feige from having Iron Man fight a Cap villain (AIM).
😅
The best moment of all time was in End Game when Steve summons Mjolnir. I still get excited and choked up just thinking about that moment...wanting to battle cry that moment (screaming, "YEAH!!!!") with everyone else in the theater when we all experienced it together as our own personal Avenger. Then the next rolling emotional moment when Captain America says, "Avengers...Assemble!" we all jumped out of our seats.
Yes. Several movies of antici
.
.
.
pation!
This is the thing I miss most about the decline of in-person movie theaters; it’s a communal bonding experience much like a music concert, comedy show, etc. where people volunteering for a shared experience, regardless of belief or opinions, can bond over one amazingly cool built-up moment. That payoff of Steve picking up Mjonlir was almost ten years in the making.
@queenannsrevenge100 "I knew it!" - Thor Odinson
Its almost like they confirmed he could use the hammer whenever back in age of Ultron but cap didn't lift it because he didn't want to hurt Thor's feeling.
He was about to say “I can keep this up all day” before he heard “On your left!”
Whedon did this scene and the big argument of the Avengers so well during Loki's manipulation of Bruce Banner! He also nailed the argument in Age of Ultron when they realise Tony and Bruce made Ultron.
And then somehow DC hired him and together they completely fumbled the scene where the Justice League were supposed to argue with each other and then come together.
Completely agree… some times Whedon gets judged for adding too many quippy jokes, but he did a very good job of adding realistic conflict between the heroes in these movies. Im grateful that you pointed this out
"the Justice League" is a classic example of what is called "meddling suits".
@upisandhu Quippy jokes work when the universe evolves in certain ways, where you're realistically expecting the characters to be able to joke in a situation that a normal person wouldn't want to joke. You always expect characters like Tony Stark, Peter Parker, Peter Quill or Red Guardian to drop a joke even moments away from their death, but you also expect characters like Captain America, Scarlet Witch or Black Panther to be more serious in their roles, which gves you a good surprise if they crack a joke or become part of a joke. But the way the DCEU evolved, with all the dak and gritty themes and the "MEN ARE BRAVE" personalities, it does feel weird for characters like the Flash to naturally develop in. There are ways in which the humor could work, like if Whedon worked on the movie right from the start, but I think his humor missed largely due to the fact that Snyder already had 5+ hours of usable footage in his theme.
To be fair, he had to pick up where Snyder left off. That's no easy feat.
B-but martha
11:13 The reason why tony’s suit ABSORBED thors lightning attack was a direct product of tony fighting whiplash and loosing power to his electric whips.
Yep, it's brilliant how each armour upgrade counters a vulnerability a previous iteration of the armour suffered.
Which allowed for that scene to work out whaaaat 🤯🤯🤯
Actually, Hulk is the strongest avenger. Even Tony knows that.
I understood that reference.
i really loved their banter in that party scene in AVENGERS 2..
"Boom! You lookin for this?" 😆😆
5:14 a masterclass in storytelling is why it works. The story matters in movies. All of the flops did so because story telling and character development stopped being a priority and ignored the audience
I’ll watch Master of the Universe with you, Doug
Universal Monsters were having cross overs before the Abbott & Costello films
Weren't there at least 8 Thin Man movies?
Yeah but those 8 thin movies only equal 2 regular sized movies.
They may actually still only count as 1.
The MCU didn't eliminate power classes for characters, they just pushed them closer together. They flattened the power curve, reducing the gap between the least and most powerful characters.
Marvel Studios toned down the heavy hitters like Thor, Hulk and Dr Strange and boosted street level/lower powered characters like Black Widow, Falcon, and Captain America/Black Panther (who were both only peak human in the classic 1960s-1990s comics, not superhuman).
Cap was depicted lifting cars or bending steel in the 1960s and 1970s comic books. He was superhuman... just very low superhuman.
@mac_mcleod Cap wasn't doing stuff like that in the 60s, 70s and 80s. He was offically at the upper limit of human physical ability but no higher, which the Official Handbooks and Silver/Bronze/Copper age comics emphasized. The same was true of Black Panther and Ka-Zar, all three were "peak human" - in the same strength category with heroes like Hawkeye, Daredevil, Falcon, Nick Fury, Shang Chi and Moon Knight- just at the very top of that category.
In the 1970s a poisoning attempt backfired and resulted in Cap temporarily gaining superhuman strength, enabling him to rip metal doors, lift cars and bend steel bars. But that only lasted for two issues, after which Cap was shown back at his peak human level. Cap could officially lift 800 lbs overhead and bench press 1200 lbs.
In that same timeframe Cap was famously shown pulling on steel chains with all of his strength for an hour, trying to weaken one link enough to escape. And countless comics in those decades clearly stated that none of Cap's physical abilities were superhuman level.
When the Ultimate universe was created the early 2000s, it introduced a more powerful version of the super-soldier serum. In the Earth 1610 universe, Cap had 2-3 ton class superhuman strength instead of peak human, and attempts at replicating the serum were linked to other superhero origins, most notably the Hulk.
Ever since the late 80's/early 90's, I was always curious why we could never get movies that were equivalent to the MCU. Even though Marvel pulled it off, WB, Sony, and Universal showed us that it's not something that most can pull off.
10:36 Idk how everyone else conceptualize this but having played Marvel Rivals, there's no reason for Iron Man to be in a fist fight with Thor when he could easily spam REPULSOR from the sky, but the scene wouldn't have any tension.
5:54 really wish we had seen more of the spy aspect of her character. it almost feels like this movie is the peak of that.
The idea that Iron Man's armor can absorb massive amounts of external energy like electricity to power it up way beyond its normal limits was first demonstrated in the Secret Wars comic series where Rhodey was the one actually wearing the suit at the time.
Secret Wars wasn't the first time Iron Man's armor was supercharged by an external power source, but it was the definitely the most notable, blowing out an entire mountainside.
@neospock5034 Thank you, I wasn't aware of that - that was the only time I remembered it from my childhood. It seemed like a new thing to Rhodey and proved to be too OP so they had to nerf it once they returned from Secret Wars.
A soldier, a playboy and a god... that's wild.
the jaw that i dropped when steve braced for mjolnir is still iconic
7:00 Or perhaps slowly... assemble them? Eh???
Boooo!
@blight1885I'll see myself out :)
say that again…
....um. Assemble them? 😅
I remember low key flipping out during this scene in the theater as a teenager. So, I knew from the thumbnail that this video would be great ❤️
Thanks for reminding me why I love this original franchise and miss them.
12:00 when Thor headbutts Iron Man he leaves a dent on his helmet
Love how it says “leapfrog” at the 6:20 mark for just the fun
OK, I wasn't the only one who noticed that... Thought something was wrong with my computer
It also helps when the all the actors swallow their pride and decide to share the screen and work for probably less than they normally would.
oh I love the chemistry at 15:36, the small scenes between Cap and Thor.
They really respect eachother and have such a chill vibe :)
MCU 2008 - 2019 was SO PEAK 🔥🔥🔥
That's why the first Avengers is the best MCU movie 🖐😎🤚
Hell yeah my man
It's better than second avengers people were saying it's underrated film while avengers infinity war is the best comic book movie ever in the mcu and same with endgame
not even close. the best one is winter soldier. everyone knows this. the second is infinity war
@Affasss yeah the winter soldier is the best too and civil war too besides brave new world
@AffasssExactly 💯
Yes, this scene established the physical compatibility and power levels of the 3 heroes, and the Helicarrier argument scene established the emotional and psychological incompatibility that gets (somewhat) resolved immediately after that scene.
5:02 - I am Buzz lightyear.
8:42 which is weird when they basically reverse roles in Civil War.
I like when you cover old stuff. When new stuff is not happening and you’re not making Marvel breakdowns and focusing instead on some other franchise, idk what to put on. So even hearing you talk about older movies is great fun
You also teased an important overlooked aspect. The main characters also enjoyed some downtime together.
At the end of Avengers, you get the shawarma end credit scene.
In Age of Ultron, you get the party where they drinking and flirting and make a party game out of trying to lift Mjolnir.
And each solo movie is introducing more characters that be woven into the fabric of the Avengers; usually well-grounded in character arcs, not action.
Too many superhero movies get hung up on effects and forget they have to tell an interesting story, as well. They can't just bank on an IP and rehash the same movie tropes over and over again *cough* Star Wars *cough*.
Steve is my favourite Avenger by far. Even amongst these powerful individuals he still commands their respect, in the defence of NYC they defer to him for what to do. We also don't really know the limits of his strengths. Even in Infinity War and End Game we see him pull off things that were surprising.
Marvel did not train us to think that way… I BEEN making cinematic universes in my head lol
15:30 Thor could have easily crushed Tony here but that would have been outside his character.
Yeah, he spent that whole fight trying not to really hurt Iron Man, but getting angrier and just a little bit harder. The 400% power boost from the Whiplash upgrade/ Arc reactor absorption of lightning kept Tony in that fight way longer than he "should have been", which yeah, good writing...and remembering Thor takes it easy on people and kinda likes a brawl. (He's a much better fighter than Yony btw).
@therealevertonYony???
A literal God being strong enough to strangle a middle-aged man I don’t know man. Seems pretty far-fetched.
Ryan, this is a terrific video analysis and very key story that moves the plot of the an umbrella story over the saga. Just like your recent video on Fantastic Four First Steps. Stories need to be character driven and the scenes you spoke on are very much character driven.
This scene hits differently after we find out Thor can take the full force of a star and survive.
"You're about to take the full force of a star. It'll kill you." Thor replies, "Only if I die,"
MCU Thor took the full force of a star and it was more than his Asgardian body could handle- he was moments from death.
He's only alive now because the newly completed Stormbreaker healed and revived him.
@neospock5034He took the full force of the star and continued to hold the aperture open. He wasn't instantly killed. He could have let go earlier and survived no problem. That force far outweighs a hit from the Destroyer. This thing was no threat to him at all once he'd regained his power.
@bobagorof he wasn't instantly killed, but the damage he took while holding the aperture open was fatal. He was dying, just as Eitri had warned. Thor didn't recover on his own, Stormbreaker saved him.
Yeah the MCU Destroyer was never a threat to Thor except when he was depowered and banished to Earth. In that form, he was just equivalent to a very strong normal human. Once Thor regained Mjlonir and his powers, it wasn't a problem. That's different from the comics where the Destroyer was far more powerful than Thor and could only be defeated by dealing with whoever was controlling it.
@neospock5034...so, as I said, he took the full force of the star and *did not die*. He then continued to take the full force of the star, which exhausted him and would have killed him, as you said. But had he let go sooner, rather than continue to hold the aperture open, he would have been fine.
The point wasn't what some other imagining of Thor could withstand, the point is what the MCU Thor can stand from what they show us. And having seen him take the full force of a star, this scene loses its threat (as, really, do most other secenes).
Wow, that was an awesome analysis! Makes me like the first Avengers movie that much more.
right 😂
You're right.
This epic scene is a very significant.
This movie is like how many years ago? I can't remember, but it seems like yesterday.
I don't care what anyone says... The writing and directing for the majority of the MCU movies was absolutely awesome. They had enormous challenges to bring those characters to live action and make them all interesting and relevant, and they did a fantastic job.
Step By Step took place in Port Washington, Wisconsin -- not Seattle.
This is the exact same problem justice league faced . in batman vs superman , superman is on highest footing , then wonderwoman and then batman being the weakest against doomsday . Eventhough their in universe power levels were different , the film scene should have been written and directed in such a way that made them all stand on equal footing
DCEU could've worked great if they weren't rushing to do the sups/bats/ww/flash thing. Doctor Fate and Hawkman from Black Adam were the characters I would've built the franchise on. DC should start over with the foundation being Pierce Brosnan and Aldis Hodge.
Before the Abbott & Costello “Meet the Monsters” comedies, there had already been a series of “monster rally films” from Universal. It started with “Frankenstein Meets the Wolfman” in 1943.
First, I LOVE this movie. I even love the “director’s commentary” version, although finding out later what an ass JW was (and, apparently, still is) diminished my enjoyment of it considerably.) But let’s be clear. Tony and Thor were the only idiots in the woods that night. Those two were needlessly beating each other’s brains in when Rogers calmly and assertively intervened, trying to de-escalate the situation. He bounced his shield off the heads of the other two, yes, but only to get their attention. (Natasha had just told him that Thor and Loki were “basically gods”, and he’d already seen Tony in action, so he knew the shield hit wouldn’t harm them.) Also, when Cap tried to reason with Thor, Tony acted like a jackass and mouthed off again, heedless and uncaring of the immense DANGER Thor’s rage and obvious lack of self-control posed to Rogers in that moment. Yet when Thor responded by knocking Tony out of frame and charging at Cap, the latter reacted defensively and strategically. That’s not the behavior of an “idiot”. 🤨 P.S. Here’s a thought experiment. There was no indication, prior to that moment, that Thor knew anything about Rogers or his shield, let alone, whether it would protect him from a full-power blow from Mjolnir. What if Thor had done the unthinkable…and had ENDED Rogers with that hammer strike…in part, because Tony had goaded him? Scary thought. 😳
Dude what a great breakdown. …thanks
@16:28 I definitely don't agree with this assessment. Tony and Thor are definitely hot-heads, but Cap didn't go in on an ego trip, he went in to break it up and get the job done. Cap has a bit of an ego demonstration a little later on with Tony, but it's not all ego, it's also a resignment to the fact that Tony has to be humbled before he will be helpful. Cap doesn't demonstrate idiocy in this scene.
RDJ's wit held the MCU together....
It’s crazy how Iron Man was supposed to be just a standalone experiment, but its success completely reshaped Marvel’s entire plan. The original slate had stuff like Nick Fury, Cloak & Dagger, and Power Pack, not even a connected universe. Then Iron Man hits, people loved the nick fury post credit scene, and suddenly everything’s rewritten. You can tell Iron Man 2 and Thor Dark World kinda suffered from that sudden shift, both felt like they were carrying the weight of setting up something bigger. But looking back the world building they pulled off from that chaos is still insane. They literally built a cinematic universe out of one lucky gamble.
No, Marvel and DC have always thought that their respected universes would work in cinema and television. It was the executives in Hollywood who never let them do it. DC and Marvel have attempted for decades to do what the current MCU accomplished. Iron Man wasn't a "standalone experiment" and everything wasn't "rewritten" because of the Nick Fury post credit scene or it all being "one lucky gamble" like you say. The goal of Kevin Feige and Marvel was a connected universe from the very beginning, they just left some things vague enough to where the solo movies could stand on their own if the executives pulled the plug.
This scene, and indeed the MCU movies, remind me of when we were little and would play with the toys from different "franchises" together. For example GI Joe fights Skeletor. (Though I didn't have either of those guys)
I remember when I was 14 years old when I saw the movie me my friends and brother watch iron man vs thor and I thought thor is going to one shot iron man but iron man fought a god almost like equals witch to me was crazy
It's cool seeing all of the individual specifics broken down into a "rock, paper, scissors" ideology. Great job! 😊👍
This did end up causing a little bit of a problem for me. With the next round of solo films, in particular The Winter Soldier, it made it seem kind of nuts that the others weren’t called in by Cap or Black Widow. It didn’t help that when they were on the roof with the hydra guy (whose name I can’t recall) he mentioned Bruce and maybe Tony. Why didn’t they at least get a call warning them.
Usually they had something explaining it. Sometimes it's because the movies were set simultaneously. Why not call him in? Fighting his own villain at the moment.
I think you really nailed this one Ryan. Good job.
I just took for granted that the Avengers worked because, well, it did. But after watching this, I believe you are right that the whole success of the MCU might actually boil down to that scene. Feige laid the groundwork to bring 3 successful franchises together, but it didn’t work unless Whedon stuck the landing (which he did, though a horrible person he may be)
I love Screen Crush are they at war with the New Rockstars Channel!😅❤😂🎉😊
Nope they're friends
Fight fight fight
Mephisto 😂
There’s a Heavy Spoilers/Screencrush/New Rockstars shared universe. MT, Colton, and Tommy are the links.
Coincidentally, I’ve just watched the first Avengers film (and the second, and civil war) today and this theory makes absolute sense. After this scene, you can see how each subsequent team up movie could add more characters, and that each character had a place. Something the first two phases of the MCU did exceptionally well. Thanks for the insight Ryan, keep up the great work.
This movie was so masterfully crafted. I remember coming home from school, watching it on repeat and the only thing I hated each time was how hulk scared me when he chased black widow.
14:53 single-handedly ?
Dude named 2 different groups and said they “single-handedly” fought Thanos 😂
"No! Bad call! He loves his hammer!"
leapfrog
leapfrog
The scene is perfectly balanced... and where does this bring them, back to Thanos ? 😀
While Joss Whedon may be a scumbag (based on the accusations), he is still a brilliant writer.
The first two Avengers movies have the best dialogue
Well, the first movie of Marvel was Blade. The first movie of the MCU franchise was Ironman.
In all seriousness, the first Cinematic Universe is NOT the MCU. Instead, it's... Godzilla? Yep. Mothra and Rodan and even the Toho version of Kong began in their OWN movies, in separate universes, then were introduced into the Godzilla universe. There have since been multiple movies for Mothra, at least, OUTSIDE the main Godzilla universe(s).
Aren’t those just spin offs
Agreed and James Bond was probably the next Cinematic Universe after the G-Man.
Universal monsters did it first
Except that's not even true, Universal's monsters had a cinematic universes decades before even the first Godzilla movie, with examples like "Frankenstein and the Wolfman", etc.
Maybe (though an argument for the Universal Studios monsterverse can be made), but the Toho studios Kaiju -verse wasn't particularly concerned with continuity. It isn't so much a shared universe as movies with shared characters.
I feel it's worth mentioning that in addition to the Thor vs Tony headbutt exchange, Thor hit hard enough it dented Tony's helmet
12:45! That moment still gives this 51 year old comics book nerd since 10 years old chills! And if any other director besides Joss Whedon had tried this would it have worked? I don't think so! Snyder would've made it too dark. Gunn would've made it too comedic. I could go on... The question is (and I preface this with sympathy for Charisma Carpenter, Gal Gadot, Michelle Trachtenberg, and anyone that he might've hurt along the way) how long will we be denied the genius of Joss Whedon (who, if I listed all the great entertainment he gave us this post would become too long) for being an asshole on a set? I'm sure he's not the first director to do that, and he won't be the last. As far as I know (correct me if I'm wrong) he was slightly sexist towards women, and mean to guys. I heard that the guy (who's name I don't even know) that played Cyborg's only gripe was that Whedon kept pushing him to say "Boo ya!" I mean, does he deserve to be in the doghouse forever? Maybe there's parts of this story I don't know. If so, somebody give me some answers.
Don't hold your breath. If it was anything actually illegal something would've happened by now. Instead, the suggestive gossip lingers on - everyone's been trained to caveat any mention of Whedon lest they get labelled.
In the midst of all the accusations, Whedon casts an engaged actress with pregnancy plans and makes allowances for that in a show's structure and script. She's also as black as Crybro - sorry - Cyborg. How do the haters rationalise that?
I still wonder exactly how far his MCU 'consultancy' role went. Did it coast through to Endgame on his input before the wheels fell off?
@andrewflindall9048 Was that in The Nevers? So disappointed he didn't get to finish that show!
@b-dog3131No - Gona 'Zoe' Torres in Firefly
In "the death of Johnny Storm", Hulk and Thor, take a grieving Thing to the desert to help him out of his depression.
I can't wait for the MCU version!!!!
In the theater I said out loud "Paper, Rock, Scissors"
So cool.
This is true, there are lots of things taken time and done right in the first phase that makes people engage with the first set so much. Later ones are rushed and failed to keep people engaged that much with the newer heroes, because of this when Endgame is done and it concluded the story of the first set of heroes people just quit watching, people just don’t care. If Marvel takes less time to introduce more heroes and take more time to make sure each of them are likable, it would’ve not went downhill like this. Even as of now they tries to bring back the first set to make people engage again, but that’s not gonna make a franchise survive long term if they can’t really establish importance the newer heroes.
Steve saves Iron Man. Thor spends almost ALL of that fight holding back and trying not to hurt Iron Man.
Yes, it's a great scene but Thor basically never tries, except when he backhands Iron Man away and then hits the shield.
Yes, he could've ended that very quickly if he wanted. In the comics, it's forbidden by Odin for Asgardians to kill mortals. That's why Loki is such a problem and why Thor will sometimes take a beating from obviously weaker characters.
@cosmiccollector7586 Truth
... also Thor does like a brawl a little too much😂👍🏾. Like when in this he says Iron Man is faster. I mean, sure kinda here, but that's also because they spent time building up Thor and, wisely, often having him holding back. Til Ragnarok & Infinity War.
Dude, excellent breakdown and analysis! What was subtle subtext becomes clearly intentional and well-thought-out. Thanks!
15:34. I have ALWAYS LOVED the immediate follow-up to Steve and Thor's "battlefield respect" in Age of Ultron.
It's the moment when they're casually discussing the myriad fights they've already had, leading to this point. Then Steve dismissively says of the hydra soldiers, "...Well, they're a little excited." And what follows is the use of the Cap's shield/Mjolnir shockwave to split a Hydra APC in HALF.
We don't just HEAR about their mutual respect, and how well it has lead them to cooperate on the battlefield, we SEE it, in a casual display that's almost an aside while weightier matters are going on. That's effective storytelling.
This dude loves the word Fantastical
Id also argue alien vs predator in 2004 hit a solid collab of two franchises together, about 8 years before the avengers!
And Freddy vs Jason came out in 2003. Batman crossovered with Green Hornet in 1966. King Kong vs. Godzilla came out in 1962. And Frankenstein Meets The Wolfman came out in 1943.
This is one of my fav video from you guys of all-time. Well organized, well thought out and explained, and spot on! Love the channel guys!
1:54 sorry Ryan but the first film in the franchise did no such thing. The first film was about Bruce Banner and his whispering girlfriend
We don’t talk about the first film in the franchise
If you're referring to The Incredible Hulk starring Edward Norton, that came out a month AFTER Iron Man. So Iron Man is the first film in the MCU. That's why Tony cameos at the end. Because HIS movie came first.
If you mean the 2003 film, it’s implied that 2008 Hulk is a somewhat a sequel if you squint your eyes enough and say that can work, but doesn’t have to be since that wasn’t in the lineup of the MCU.
Overall, Iron-Man is still the official first film in the MCU, while 2003 Hulk is not the wanted unofficial first film.
Oh, that’s too funny I never realized the shield actually hit thor In the forehead before ricochets to Tony’s chest
Thor's hammer Mjolnir sensed that Captain America was 'Worthy" and dispersed its energy away from Steve. How about that?
15:18 maximum glazer moment
If you read Marvel comics the Avengers was never a stretch for me. In fact, not have the Avengers movie would have been a waste of time.
Well put. You are 100% right on this one. And totally wrong about FF FIRST STEPS, which effin' rules.
I didn't like it
If you look at it, this is kinda the reason first steps didn’t resonate. This setup more growth and arcs, first steps placed us in the middle of everyone’s arcs
As always another great video! This is my new favorite on the channel!
And no, the 1970s Hulk show was not on everyone’s mind. I would highly doubt if more than 5% of cinema goers during Avengers actually watched that show.
Bro why...lou 4 lyfe
I always thought this scene was a key moment for the future of the MCU, glad that this video confirmed my thoughts
Speaking of Avengers being a sequel to all that came before..you didn't mention the fact Iron Man's armor was upgraded to withstand and to his surprise store all that electricity was due to his fights with Whiplash in Iron Man 2
Funny thing The Avengers WAS my first movie, and it worked PERFECTLY as an introduction to the franchise. Sure my dad had some old comics but I never read em, so I thought of Iron man as the big main character of Marvel. Funnily enough, he BECAME that later on lol.
I guess that's one more reason why the Joss Whedon's Justice League didn't really work as well as The Avengers (and i would argue even better than the snyder cut verison but I digress)