For people who grew up reading Marvel comics, the MCU is an achievement we never thought imaginable. Seeing our favorite heroes brought to the big screen is one thing, but seeing them sharing the screen together in connected storylines is beyond amazing.
Though the MCU is known to can a lot of the comic book storylines and create their own stories, they certainly take a lot of inspiration from the source material. Some of the best moments in these films are lifted directly from the pages of those books. Here are the best MCU moments pulled from the pages of the comics.
10 Captain America Punching Hitler
Captain America was possibly the most difficult hero the MCU had to bring to the big screen in Phase One. Though an incredibly popular character, is done poorly in live-action form, he could come off as ridiculous. Not only did they pull it off beautifully, but they also managed to recreate an iconic moment in a way that made sense.
The one to cover of Cap's very first appearance in Captain America #1 we see the star-spangled hero punching Adolf Hitler in the face. The cheer-worthy image is recreated as part of Cap's cheesy USO tour show. Sadly, it's only an actor playing Hitler.
9 Loki On The Throne
When the MCU was struggling to create a worthwhile villain in its early years, Loki emerged as the quintessential MCU bad guy all others should aspire to. The God of Mischief was a complex and entertaining baddie striving to overthrow his brother as King of Asgard.
In the comics, Loki finally got to sit on that coveted thrown in his solo adventure Loki in 2004. Loki of the MCU got his wish much earlier, taking it in his first appearance in Thor and striking that same iconic pose.
8 Thanos Is Coming
Avengers: Infinity War brought nearly every MCU hero together to fight Thanos. However, as epic as the roster was, there were several key characters missing from the Infinity Gauntlet storyline which inspired the film. Even without these characters, they managed to recreate famous moments.
The movie kicks off with a bang as Thanos collects two Infinity Stones and Hulk is sent to Earth to warn the others. He crashes through the roof of the Sanctum Sanitorium where he meets Doctor Strange. This moment is almost identical to the comics but with Silver Surfer in the place of Hulk.
7 Strange On The Operating Table
Doctor Strange introduced a whole new mystic level to the MCU which will surely play a massive role in future films. Strange's abilities allowed for the film to explore some mind-blowing visuals, some of which are very much inspired from the comics.
One particular moment which is clearly a nod to the source material comes when Strange has been shot and needs to be operated on. As Christine Palmer operates, Strange assists her through his astral form, overlooking his own unconscious body. This is a moment directly taken from Doctor Strange: The Oath.
6 Hawkeye And Ant-Man
Though it was technically a Captain America films, Captain America: Civil War sure did feature a lot of his fellow Avengers. This led to one of the most entertaining MCU sequences as the heroes on each side of the issue battle each other in the famous airport sequence.
The scene has so many fun interactions between old friends and new acquaintances. One of the best moments comes when Ant-Man rides one of Hawkeye's arrows through the air, an image that was first seen on the covers of Avengers Vol 1 #223.
5 Killmonger Throws T'Challa Over The Waterfall
Black Panther is one of the MCU's most acclaimed movies and the first superhero film to be nominated for Best Picture at the Oscars. It is an epic adventure that introduced the fascinating world of Wakanda, dealt with heavy subjects and gave us one of the MCU's best villains with Erik Killmonger.
Killmonger proves to be a more than formidable foe as he battles T'Challa atop a waterfall for the throne of Wakanda. After beating T'Challa, Killmonger picks him up and tosses him over the falls. Killmonger pulls off the same frightening feat in his first appearance in Jungle Action Vol 2 #6.
4 Spider-Man Buried
Even though we have seen Spider-Man brought to the big screen several times, seeing him become a part of the MCU was something special. Tom Holland proved to be a fresh new take on the character and his first solo film Spider-Man: Homecoming was a great high school superhero film.
One standout moment for Holland in Homecoming was when he was attacked by Vulture and buried underneath a hill of rubble. Though it first seems hopeless, Spider-Man summons his strength and frees himself. This is taken from the iconic moment in The Amazing Spider-Man #31-33.
3 Captain America And Iron Man's Fight
As fun as the airport sequence in Civil War was, the film took a hard emotional turn in the final act. As Zemo puts his master plan into effect, he reveals the truth that Winter Soldier is the one responsible for the death of Tony Stark's parents.
The revelation pits Iron Man against Captain America in a brutal fight. The former friends trade blows, neither holding back. Though the reason for their fight differs from the Civil War comics, the film does still feature the famous image of the two going head-to-head and Cap using his shield to block Tony's blast.
2 The Snap
We all knew that whatever story was started in Infinity War would be concluded in Avengers: Endgame, but few of us expected such a devastating cliff-hanger. After Thanos collects all of the Infinity Stones, we see him raise his hand and snap his fingers.
Again, the reasoning behind it and the events leading up to it are different in the comics, but the image and the impact are very similar. "The Snap" means that the Mad Titan succeeded in his plan and half of all life was wiped out.
1 Captain America Lifts Mjolnir
Avengers: Endgame was an incredibly satisfying conclusion to this epic battle with Thanos and it featured some of the most crowd-pleasing moments in the MCU. Most fans would agree that the best moment comes during the climactic battle with Thanos when Captain America finally wields Mjolnir.
Seeing Cap run into battle along with the other heroes while swinging that hammer would make any comic book fans head explode. Though Cap has wielded Mjolnir several times in the comics, the moment most mirrors the scene in Fear Itself Issue #7, complete with his epic call, "Avengers Assemble".