10 MCU Phase 1 Movie Quotes That Aged Poorly

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The earliest movies of the Marvel Cinematic Universe remain an important part of the franchise, but some quotes from their movies have not aged well. Coming as they did as the foundational part of the MCU’s movie timeline, the films of Phase 1 of the MCU remain hugely important in the wider franchise. After introducing multiple heroes via solo movies, Phase 1 ended with The Avengers in 2012, which at the time was one of the biggest crossovers in cinematic history.
For all their importance, the movies of Phase 1 in the MCU haven’t aged perfectly. In the years since their release, many quotes from the six movies of Phase 1 have actually become either problematic or have simply been contradicted in some way by subsequent movies in the MCU. With that in mind, here are 10 MCU Phase 1 movie quotes that have aged poorly.
10 “You People Are So Petty... And Tiny.” Thor, The Avengers (2012) Close The Avengers brought the disparate heroes of the MCU together in a way that once might not have been thought possible. The resulting conflict and tension was a big part of the MCU’s early success as a shared universe, with one scene in particular standing out as an important moment in the team’s history. During a scene in which the Avengers argue with one another, Thor laughs at his fellow heroes, announcing: “you people are so petty... and tiny.”
Despite being under the influence of Loki’s scepter, Thor’s mean-spirited comments have aged particularly poorly. Thor’s MCU story saw him develop an innate respect for humanity, serving as their protector on many occasions. His early assessment of his human teammates retroactively shows how far he has come in his story, but also ages poorly for the character himself considering his later involvement with both the team and the people of Earth.
9 “We’re A Time Bomb.” Bruce Banner, The Avengers (2012) Close Another scathing assessment of the Avengers from one of its own members, the 2012 movie sees Bruce Banner criticize his teammates, too. As tensions between the Avengers mount, Banner finds himself becoming worked up. He calmly expresses his opinion that the Avengers are “not a team, [but] a time bomb.” Though the observation is actually somewhat accurate at the time, it’s one that ultimately aged relatively poorly.
Banner’s comment about the team being a time bomb was later proved correct, but not exactly in the way he meant. When uttering the line, Banner is referencing his own place in the team, and their inability to achieve Nick Fury’s intended result. Ultimately, this was wrong, as the Avengers were able to protect Earth on several occasions, and eventually disbanded due to the actions of Iron Man and Captain America. As such, Banner’s Phase 1 quote proved to age poorly, even if he was technically correct.
8 “Next Time, Baby.” James “Rhodey” Rhodes, Iron Man (2008) Many characters wear Stark armor in the MCU, and other than Tony Stark himself, one of the most prominent is James “Rhodey” Rhodes, also known as War Machine. Tony’s best friend and later teammate first appeared in 2008’s Iron Man played by Terrence Howard, and though he didn’t don the armor in his first outing, his future as War Machine was referenced. One scene sees Rhodey spot the War Machine armor, and pauses over it, eventually saying: “next time, baby.”
Though Rhodey did become War Machine in the sequel, the quote aged poorly due to the actor speaking it. Howard was replaced for Iron Man 2, with Don Cheadle taking over the role. The fact that Terrence Howard announced that he’d wear the suit “next time” only to never appear again made the quote age particularly poorly, albeit in a significantly meta sort of way.
7 "That Guy's Brain Is A Bag Full Of Cats. You Could Smell Crazy On Him." Bruce Banner, The Avengers (2012) The Hulk’s role in The Avengers was, surprisingly, less prominent than that of Bruce Banner. The scientist proved hugely valuable to the team while pursuing Loki and his forces, although he did speak one particular quote regarding the villain that has aged badly. In the movie, Banner describes Loki as having a brain that’s “a bag full of cats” and that “you could smell crazy on him.”
The context of the quote makes it seem somewhat harmless in the movie, but it’s far from a sensitive way to describe mental illness. Equating Loki’s villainy to a human illness is especially insulting for those living with mental illnesses, and as a result, would perhaps not have been included in a script written today. Simply put, society’s treatment of people with mental illnesses has grown more sensitive, and it has made Banner’s line in The Avengers age poorly as a result.
6 "I Got Stuck Doing A Piece For Vanity Fair." Tony Stark, Iron Man (2008) Close Tony Stark’s debut marking the beginning of the MCU made him one of the franchise’s most important and beloved characters. Iron Man’s MCU story saw Stark grow from a self-absorbed billionaire to a truly selfless hero, marking one of the most emotional and well-written character arcs in cinema. However, one unfortunate byproduct of this development is that early quotes from the character have aged incredibly badly in hindsight.
In 2008’s Iron Man, Tony Stark is shown romancing a journalist, Christine Everheart, from Vanity Fair. After sleeping with her, Tony leaves and has Pepper Potts escort her out of his home, later explaining his lateness for a flight by asserting that he “got stuck doing a piece for Vanity Fair.” It’s a disrespectful and generally disgusting way to speak about another human being, and in the wider context of Stark’s personal growth over the Infinity Saga, it didn’t age well at all.
5 “We’d Only Like To Use You As A Consultant.” Nick Fury, Iron Man 2 (2010) Iron Man 2 saw Tony Stark’s story continue, establishing him as somewhat self-destructive in his early days as a hero. The movie established many characters and elements that later became relevant, including Stark’s involvement in Nick Fury’s Avengers Initiative. Speaking with Stark at the end of the movie, Nick Fury explains that he’d only like to include Tony Stark in the program “as a consultant”.
In general terms, it’s one of those MCU decisions that aged poorly, as Stark not only joined the Avengers in his next cinematic outing, but effectively led the team, too. SHIELD’s early assessment of Stark was ultimately proved entirely wrong by his heroic actions, and this goes some way toward explaining why Fury’s choice to employ him as a consultant was wrong. Even so, the quote has aged terribly as a result, especially as it makes Fury seem incredibly indecisive.
4 “You’re Not The Guy To Make The Sacrifice Play.” Captain America, The Avengers (2012) One of the most memorable quotes from all of the MCU’s Phase 1 came in The Avengers, during the tense confrontation between Tony Stark and Steve Rogers. The two fundamentally different heroes found themselves at odds, trading scathing assessments of one another before later discovering mutual respect. The scene sees Rogers tell Stark that he’s “not the guy to make the sacrifice play,” referencing his inability to act as a truly selfless hero.
The Captain America quote has aged poorly in many ways, especially as Stark later proved himself to be exactly what Rogers said he wasn’t. As accurate as Rogers might have been at the time, Stark’s later development saw him eventually make a sacrifice play in order to defeat Thanos, losing his life in the process. It’s one of the MCU’s best-written pieces of foreshadowing, but it also made Cap’s appraisal of Iron Man age especially poorly.
3 “That Lovely Lady... What Was His Name... Was It Ivan?” Tony Stark, Iron Man (2008) As the MCU’s first movie, Iron Man, was released in 2008, it’s only natural for a certain amount of societal shift to have occurred in the years since. This is perhaps most notable in a scene in which Tony Stark gently teases his close friend, Rhodey, in front of a group of young personnel. The scene sees Stark reference Rhodey"s experiences in Spring Break 1997, stating "that lovely lady you woke up with... what was his name? Was it Ivan?"
The way the line is written might once have been considered a joke, but it comes off differently in today’s climate, and it makes the film’s humor feel decidedly less inclusive than it otherwise might have been. The innate prejudice in the quote means that it hasn’t aged well at all when judged through a more modern lens.
2 “We Have Orders. We Should Follow Them.” Captain America, The Avengers (2012) The Avengers features several iconic MCU scenes, including many that proved vital to the franchise as a whole and pivotal for the characters involved. However, it also features a number of lines that simply didn’t age well, largely down to the development of the characters in question over the movies that followed. Perhaps the best example of this comes in a scene where Stark and Banner question SHIELD’s motives, and Captain America simply responds by saying: “we have orders. We should follow them.”
Captain America’s subsequent appearances saw his character undergo many changes as he adapted to the modern world. One such change saw him question not just SHIELD’s efficacy, but the integrity of the US government itself, leading to him becoming a fugitive for refusing to adhere to the Sokovia Accords. With that in mind, his earlier quote in the Avengers about following orders has aged terribly.
1 "She Is Potentially A Very Expensive Sexual Harassment Lawsuit If You Keep Ogling Her." Tony Stark, Iron Man 2 (2010) Iron Man 2 saw the introduction of Black Widow to the MCU, but the film’s treatment of the character was particularly problematic. Throughout the movie, she is objectified by multiple characters, and one particular quote regarding Black Widow has aged worse than most. Shortly after she first appears, Tony Stark asks Pepper Potts who she is, to which Pepper replies: “she is potentially a very expensive sexual harassment lawsuit if you keep ogling her.”
Iron Man 2 was released in 2010, but since the #MeToo movement reframed society’s viewpoint on sexual misconduct, what once may have seemed a joke is now simply horrifying, and the casual nature in which it’s mentioned can feel very different. The implications of the line, combined with Pepper’s own disregard for the issues surrounding Stark’s apparent treatment of his employees, make the quote especially terrible in hindsight. As such, it’s by far the worst-aged quote from Phase 1 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
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