After 12 years of dominating the silver screen, the Marvel Cinematic Universe would begin a new and exciting phase on television. Thanks to the giant success of the streaming platform Disney Plus, the creatives at Marvel would develop several limited series based on characters from the movies.
The first series to air was the wildly unique WandaVision, which saw a bizarre take on the sitcom formula. After that, The Falcon and The Winter Soldier dropped a daring and action-packed storyline with important social issues. At the time of writing, the third series, Loki, is days away from its finale and like WandaVision before it, has fans speculating like crazy as to what could be going on behind the curtain. These vastly different shows have resulted in numerous sequences that viewers have fallen in love with. SPOILER WARNING ahead.
10 Wanda's Magic Act Goes Off The Rails
In the second episode of the series, Wanda takes the role of an assistant to Vision for a fun magic act at a local talent show. Unknown to Wanda, Vision ingested a piece of chewing gum soon beforehand that played havoc with his insides, and essentially, rendered him drunk as a skunk.
When he eventually shows up for the act, an embarrassed Wanda has to compensate for his antics with her powers. The scene was particularly memorable due to Paul Bettany's slapstick performance as the hapless android, and he based much of his behaviors on that of legendary British comedian Rik Mayall.
9 The Dora Milaje Come For Vengeance
In 2016's Captain America: Civil War, the nation of Wakanda was devastated by the assassination of King T'Chaka. Years later, the culprit, Baron Helmet Zemo, would be forced to assist Falcon (Sam Wilson) and the Winter Soldier (Bucky Barnes) against a greater threat.
While in Latvia, Bucky encounters Ayo, a member of an elite Wakandan team named the Dora Milaje. Ayo tells Bucky to hand over Zemo in 8 hours, and she and two of her allies arrive exactly on time to take their prisoner. Bucky and Sam fight them off in a bid to keep Zemo in their custody until the job is done, and the ensuing fight scene is an exhilarating sequence.
8 The Variant Makes A Statement
After the revelation that a rogue Loki was traveling through time and causing dangerous Nexus Events that could harm the timeline, viewers were treated to a great scene to establish the Variant's threat. The 'real' Loki, along with members of the Time Variance Authority (TVA), travels to a fair in 1985 Wisconsin to find the Variant's handiwork.
In the fantastic sequence, viewers see an earlier TVA team arrive at the fair and enter a tent. Once inside, they are caught off-guard and swiftly defeated by a shadowy assailant. This mysterious Loki effortlessly wipes out the opposition to the sound of Bonnie Tyler's "Holding Out for a Hero".
7 "She recast Pietro?"
In possibly the most jaw-dropping cliffhanger in recent years, the 5th episode of WandaVision sees the two leads almost come into conflict. As the situation escalates, someone knocks at their door and the duo calls a truce for Wanda to answer. Neither she nor the audience believes who's standing on the other side: her brother, Pietro. Kind of.
Having died in the battle of Sokovia during Avengers: Age of Ultron, Pietro's reappearance called everything into question. However the most pressing issue wasn't that he was back from the dead, but why he suddenly looked completely different. Fans knew that this version of the character was portrayed by Evan Peters, who previously played Pietro/Quicksilver in the X-Men franchise.
6 The New Captain America Makes A Smashing Entrance
The finale of Avengers: Endgame left fans with an amazing tease to the future, a future where Sam Wilson would take flight as the new Captain America. In the premiere episode of The Falcon and The Winter Soldier, Sam felt unworthy of the mantle and turned it down.
As the series reaches its climax, however, it becomes clear that someone is going to have to step up, and Sam is the man for the job. Armed with his signature wings, the vibranium shield, and a brand-new suit, Sam Wilson, AKA Captain America, swoops into action and begins his own legacy.
5 A Daring Escape From A World's End
Perhaps the creative team behind Loki took some inspiration from Netflix's Daredevil, as the third episode of the series saw an incredible one-take action sequence like nothing else the regular MCU has offered. Both Loki and his mysterious Variant, Sylvie, find themselves on another world, Lamentis-1 in 2077. The two are forced to put aside their differences as the world is about to end in 12 hours, and they're stuck.
They discover a route to a vessel that's due to leave the planet just before doomsday, and after a particularly sweet dialogue between the two (more on that later), they find themselves at the launch site. As meteors begin slamming into the planet's surface at a devasting rate, our heroes sprint through the carnage, dodging debris and explosions. The scene features no obvious cuts (with transitions being hidden by clever CGI and camera tricks) and the effect is breathtaking.
4 "It's Been Agatha All Along!"
Who expected Marvel to produce a song that would top the digital charts? After Wanda discovers that someone has been pulling every evil string behind the scenes, she finally uncovers the truth: her friendly neighbor Agnes is the mastermind.
Revealing herself to be an ancient witch, real-name Agatha Harkness, she is desperate to discover the source of Wanda's immense power. When audiences were given the big reveal, a hilarious new intro sequence was rolled out with a catchy new theme tune. The clips showed the truth of how Agatha manipulated Wanda and worst of all, she killed Sparky, too.
3 A Forgotten Hero Gets The Respect He Deserves
TFATWS did a lot more than deliver fun action and spectacle, it also took a genuine look at racism and inequality, both in the past and present day. A heartfelt scene in the finale involved the character of Isaiah Bradley, a forgotten super soldier from the Korean war.
Bradley disagrees intensely with Sam over the idea of him becoming Captain America due to his own experiences, but Sam takes the extra step to make sure Bradley gets recognition for his sacrifices. The two men visit the Smithsonian and Bradley is stunned to see a monument in his honor. The gesture is so powerful that it brings the hard-edged former soldier to tears.
2 An Insight Into Loki's Past
While on a train journey to their intended escape from Lamentis-1, Loki and Sylvie kill some time by getting to know each other a little better. This scene did a great job of establishing a genuine connection between the two misfits, but that's not the main reason viewers got talking.
As they enquire about each other, Sylvie drops an innocent question as to whether Loki has any would-be princesses waiting in the wings, or perhaps even another prince. Loki smiles and tells her "A bit of both." While this may not seem like much to some, the sequence received massive support online with many being thrilled to see such representation in the MCU.
1 Yes Sir, He Can Boogie
One scene from the Disney Plus MCU slate has triumphed above all else, and the moment lasts only a few seconds. In the third episode of TFATWS, the heroes take Baron Zemo to a nightclub while undercover. What follows has become the stuff of internet legend.
The villain of Civil War, a man who split the Avengers apart, took to the dancefloor and showed off his moves. The sequence has become so legendary that Marvel themselves had to join in the fun and post a 1-hour edit of the scene to YouTube. It's almost enough to make you want to forgive Zemo for his crimes. Almost.