With 16 years and 33 films under its belt, the Marvel Cinematic Universe has touched almost every register. From pure action to horror tints, passing through an invincible enemy to a journey through the multiverse. One of the strongest points of the saga has been to transform in all possible ways, through multiple characters and an interconnected world in constant expansion. What it gives you not only his unmistakable personality, but the possibility of playing with different points of his best-known stories.
But, nothing is more exciting, fun and of special interest to fans than all the occasions in which the superhero saga has managed to surprise the public. Not just by defying your expectations. At the same time, by showing new and unexpected circumstances, in apparently familiar scenarios. What has given the franchise not only several of its best moments. At the same time, some of the most memorable and those who went down in cinema history for challenging all odds in the midst of the most popular films of recent decades.
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We leave you ten times that the Marvel Cinematic Universe surprised its fans. From the true identity of a villain to the appearance of a sinister figure in the most unusual setting. It is a journey through the most peculiar places of the saga. At the same time, from its highest points, of greater interest and with a lasting cinematic legacy, worthy of being remembered in the future.
The true identity of the Mandarin
This classic comic book villain was one of the surprises — and not a pleasant one — that Iron Man 3 (2013) brought with it. Especially since the character was presented as the leader of a global terrorist group that threatened world peace. As if that weren’t enough, he was also played by renowned actor and Oscar winner Ben Kingsley. Which announced that his presence in the film, It would be decisive both for the story and for the following films in the saga.
But it turned out that it was all a gratuitous bait and a twist created to baffle fans. In the end, the supposed Mandarin turned out to be actor Trevor Slattery, hired by Aldrich Killian (Guy Pearce), in an attempt to control both ends of the terrorist war that the film narrates. A curious detail? Ben Kingsley reprised his role as Trevor in Shang-Chi and the legend of the Ten Rings (2021)
Hydra’s infiltration of SHIELD
One of the most interesting twists in the trilogy of Captain Americaoccurred when it was revealed that the feared Hydra group had not disappeared. That, in fact, it was not only still active — which would be complicated enough — but that it had also corrupted SHIELD. The combination of both factors created a critical situation that became one of the most complicated political factors in the Infinity Saga.
The above is the most exciting turn of events. Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014). One that also made it clear that the totalitarian organization had never stopped preparing its future plans for world domination. As Arnim Zola (Toby Jones) revealed, it was a series of tentacles of influence that acted within SHIELD until their objectives were compromised. Something that was narrated in Agents of SHIELD and, In fact, it is mentioned quite frequently in the film series.
The Death of Quicksilver
Deaths in the Marvel Cinematic Universe tend to be especially tragic. And an example of that is what happened in Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015), in which one of the most important figures in the plot dies in the middle of the Battle of Sokovia.
This is Quicksilver/Pietro Maximoff (Aaron Taylor-Johnson), who was killed while trying to save the life of a child. At the same time, also that of Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner), who was in the middle of the line of fire. The result was a tragic heroic act, which culminated in the character’s death.
Planet Ego murdered mother Star-Lord
In Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017), Star-Lord (Chris Pratt), goes through a journey of self-discovery that includes meeting his real father. Planet Ego (Kurt Russell) seems to be the answer to all of Quill’s concerns and questions about life and his hybrid nature. But much more, a figure who came to console the loneliness in his life.
So the sudden revelation that Ego is the killer of the hero’s beloved mother not only comes as a surprise, it completely changes the tone of the film. What’s more, it turns it into a catastrophic scenario that pushes Star-Lord to the impossible decision of rejecting his galactic heritage in order to kill Ego. An ethical dilemma on a grand scale — and in more ways than one — that resulted in one of the best stretches of the film.
Vulture is the father of Spider-Man’s love interest
Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017), has many good things. But one of the most interesting is its curious twist to unite the villain and the hero in the same scenario. All of the above, through the latter’s love interest. The above occurs when Peter (Tom Holland) goes in search of Liz (Laura Harrier), to celebrate the school homecoming dance together.
Furthermore, it is the culmination of a long journey of encounters and disagreements between the young couple. Which makes discovering that Liz’s father is none other than Vulture (Michael Keaton), much more complicated and strange than one might assume. As expected, none of this ends well and the superhero’s budding love life ends up going down the drain.
Thanos’ snap
Decades will pass and the multiversal saga will probably surprise everyone. But nothing will be the same after Avengers: Infinity Warr (2018) and its most shocking moment in the Marvel universe. Namely: when Thanos (Josh Brolin), after having collected the Infinity Stones throughout the cosmos, he snapped his fingers and wiped out half of life in the cosmoss.
Not only is this a historic moment for the superhero saga — which it is, of course — but it is also a milestone in the cinematic world. The Russo brothers not only swept away all the main heroes of the franchise. At the same time, they made it clear that the world in the central trunk of the stories would never be the same again. A tremendous shock that astonished not only to fans but to film lovers for its scope and originality.
Quicksilver returns with another face
Mourned by a legion of Marvel fans after his death, Quicksilver became a tragic hero in Marvel. So when Wanda (Elizabeth Olsen) opened the door to her brother, to find another man in his place, it was surprising. But much more so because Evan Peters isis the interpreter who gave life to the same character, but in the Fox universe.
The possibility of the multiverse in Lto Scarlet Witch and Vision, became a complicated theory that was debated on a large scale. But in reality, everything was a decoy, very similar to the one used by Shane Black with the figure of The Mandarin. In the end, Wanda’s supposed brother was not a version of her deceased brother, but Ralph Bohner, a figure of no importance in the plot of the series.
Mysterio exposing Spider-Man’s secret identity
In Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019), Jake Gyllenhaal’s Mysterio became one of the most fearsome and twisted villains in the saga. Not only for devoting time, effort and interest to turning the inventions of the late Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) into weapons of war. Also, because of his capacity for lying and manipulation.
Something that even transcended his death. In the last scene of the Marvel film, Mysterio manages, through the Daily Bugle and its editor J. Jonah Jameson (JK Simmons), to spread a fake video, in which, in addition to insisting that Peter killed him, he reveals his identity. Which becomes the main twist. that will support the next Spidey story on the big screen.
The world forgets Peter Parker
With a jump into the network, Peter must face the consequences of all of the above in Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021). Which, in fact, chronicles all of the hero’s attempts to deal with Mysterio’s accusation. Everything gets worse, when a ruined spell by Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch), opens a rift in the multiverse, with all sorts of dire consequences.
But the ending of the Marvel movie is the most painful. After meeting two versions of him and managing to free the multiversal villains from some of his evils, Peter must make a tough decision. That of allowing a spell that erases the memory of him from all the people in the world who knew him or ever had news of him. Which includes MJ (Zendaya) and Ned (Jacon Batalon).
Shuri encounters an unexpected presence on the astral plane
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022), was an emotional farewell to Chadwick Boseman for Marvel, who played its main character. But at the same time, the presentation of Princess Shuri (Letitia Wright), as the new Black Panther. On the other hand, in the midst of all the transition and mourning, there was an unprecedented moment that surprised fans.
After the character consumes the Heart-Shaped Herb to enter the astral plane, he has an unexpected encounter with a relative. However, it is not his recently deceased mother, Queen Ramonda (Angela Bassett), but the evil one (Michael B. Jordan). The reason? That the new heroine is full of anger and desire for revenge, so she connected with the spirit of her deceased cousin.
