Scarlet Witch Kills The Illuminati
Sam Raimi's Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is the closest the MCU has gotten to a horror movie, and while it has various dark moments, the most memorable one took place on Earth-838. There, Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) and America Chavez (Xochitl Gomez) met the Illuminati, formed by Karl Mordo, Peggy Carter, Maria Rambeau, Black Bolt, Reed Richards, and Charles Xavier. As Wanda was dreamwalking with the help of the Darkhold, she took over her body on Earth-838 and brutally killed the Illuminati: she made Black Bolt's mouth disappear, forcing him to use his own power against himself, she shredded Richards into strings, she sliced Carter in half with her own shield, crushed Rambeau with a statue, and snapped Professor X's neck.
Captain Carter, Black Bolt, Reed Richards, and Captain Marvel facing Scarlet Witch in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness
This scene was truly horrifying, as it showcased the extent of Wanda's powers and the darkness that consumed her, leaving a lasting impact on the MCU.
Doctor Strange 2 Charles Xavier lying dead on his wheelchair
Thanos Chokes Loki To Death
Avengers: Infinity War wasted no time in shocking the audience, and its opening scene saw Thanos (Josh Brolin) and his army taking over the spaceship carrying the survivors of Asgard's destruction. In addition to killing various Asgardians, Thanos subdued Thor (Chris Hemsworth) and Loki (Tom Hiddleston) tried to trick the Mad Titan so he could kill him. Unfortunately, Thanos was well aware of Loki's ways and choked the God of Mischief to death, snapping his neck in front of Thor.
Thanos killing Loki at the start of Avengers Infinity War
This dark and unexpected moment set the tone for the entire film, establishing Thanos as a ruthless and formidable villain.
The High Evolutionary Loses His Face
In a flashback exploring Rocket Racoon's past, it is revealed that, after the High Evolutionary kills Rocket's friends, the latter viciously attacks him, disfiguring his face and forcing him to use a prosthetic mask. In the present, after facing the whole Guardians team, Gamora notices the mask coming off and peels it off, revealing the High Evolutionary's real face: no nose, no lips, only one eye with eyelids, and other gruesome and graphic details.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3 High Evolutionary
This disturbing moment showcased the cruelty of the High Evolutionary and the impact of his actions on the characters, leaving a haunting impression on the audience.
John Walker Kills A Flag-Smasher
The Falcon & The Winter Soldier introduced John Walker (Wyatt Russell), who before becoming U.S. Agent at the end of the series, was given the mantle of Captain America by the U.S. government. Walker took a vial with a copy of the Super Soldier Serum, which had not-so-heroic effects on him. In a battle against the Flag Smashers, his partner, Lemar Hoskins, was killed by the Flag Smashers' leader, Karli Morgenthau, leading an enraged Walker to brutally kill a Flag Smasher with the Captain America shield.
John Walker with bloody Captain America shield in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier
This shocking and brutal act was captured by civilians, leaving a lasting impact on the audience and challenging the perception of Captain America as a symbol of justice and heroism.
Ego's Motivations Are Revealed
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 introduced Ego the Living Planet (Kurt Russell), Peter Quill's (Chris Pratt) father. Just as Peter thought he had found his family, Ego explained to him his big plan, and with that came the shocking reveal that Ego was the one who killed Peter's mother, Meredith. It was as shocking to Peter as it was to viewers, and Peter's face when he heard what Ego did was one of the most heartbreaking moments in MCU history, and unsurprisingly, Peter then violently attacked his father.
Kurt Russell as Ego in the MCU
This heartbreaking revelation shattered Peter's world and added a new layer of darkness to the MCU, highlighting the emotional and psychological impact of Ego's actions.
Black Widow's Training
When Wanda gave Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) a vision, it was one of her turbulent past. Natasha's vision took her and viewers many years back, to her days training at the Red Room. The quick shots of Natasha's training and "graduation" made this sequence quite disturbing, and Black Widow added to this with more looks at what happened in the Red Room. Black Widow's Red Room flashbacks were shown as archival footage, making them even more unsettling as they mirrored real-world nightmares like human trafficking.
Black Widow and her vision as she aims a gun in the Red Room in Avengers: Age of Ultron
This disturbing glimpse into Black Widow's past shed light on the trauma and horror she endured, adding depth to her character and the dark realities of her training.
Taserface Kills Ravagers
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 saw Taserface (Chris Sullivan) leading a mutiny after Yondu (Michael Rooker) refused to turn over Peter as ordered by the High Priestess, Ayesha (Elizabeth Debicki). Taserface took extreme measures to punish and get rid of the Ravagers who were still loyal to Youndu, and what he did was lock them in the airlock and then leave them to die in the dark and horrifying vacuum of space.
Taserface bears his silver teeth in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2
This dark and cruel act of Taserface showcased the ruthlessness and brutality within the Ravagers, leaving a haunting impression on the audience.
The Plane Fight Scene
In Captain America: The First Avenger, in a fight scene between Captain America and the Red Skull's allies, he fights one of the bad guys on top of a plane, and when the pilot tries to get rid of them, Captain America manages to hold on to the plane while the bad guy falls right into the plane's propeller, with the plane leaving a trail of blood in the sky.
Captain America First Avenger plane flying away leaving a blood trail
This quick and disturbing scene showcased the dark and violent nature of war, leaving a lasting impact on the audience.
Tony Stark's Visions
The MCU is packed with moments of foreshadowing, and one of the most shocking ones, both when the movie was released and years later, happened in Avengers: Age of Ultron. Wanda Maximoff (Elizabeth Olsen) subdued the Avengers with nightmarish visions of either the past, the future, or what hurt them the most. In Tony Stark's (Robert Downey Jr.) case, it was a vision of a lost battle where all his fellow Avengers were killed, with Captain America (Chris Evans) telling him "you could have saved us".
Elizabeth Olsen's Wanda Maximoff mind controls Robert Downey Jr's Tony Stark in Avengers Age of Ultron
It's not just the shocking image of all the other Avengers dead, but Tony's reaction as Wanda knew exactly how to get to Tony's deepest fears and insecurities. Years later, Tony sacrificed himself to save the universe, showcasing the lasting impact of this dark vision.
Tony Stark's vision as he looks heartbroken in Age of Ultron
