10 Early MCU Moments That Are Way Deeper Now

There were several moments in the early stages of the Marvel Cinematic Universe that have been made much deeper over the years. Over the many entries into the MCU’s movie timeline, the franchise has grown from a handful of solo superhero movies into the biggest shared universe in cinema. As the franchise has grown, so too have its heroes, with their individual stories shaping them as characters as well as their dynamic as a team.
With the stories told by the movies of the MCU expanding upon each hero’s story, it only follows that moments from early in the franchise might take on new meaning as events unfold. In fact, many moments from the earliest stages of the MCU have grown to take on incredibly poignant or meaningful aspects in the years since their release. With that in mind, here are 10 early MCU scenes that are way deeper now.
10 Yinsen’s Final Words Iron Man (2008) The first movie in the MCU shaped the franchise in many ways, not just by starting the franchise but by planting the seeds of future developments, too. Iron Man served as origin story for its titular hero, following Tony Stark’s transformation from a billionaire arms dealer to a superhero. After being kidnapped by a terrorist organization, Tony Stark is able to escape by building a powerful mechanical suit and relying on the help of his fellow captive, Yinsen.
Yinsen’s final words to Stark before his death proved to be much deeper as Iron Man"s MCU story went on. Yinsen’s insistence that Stark not waste his life became a key part of the hero’s character arc, eventually leading to his own heroic sacrifice. The moment was touching upon Iron Man’s release, but after following Tony Stark’s story, it takes on a much deeper and more significant aspect.
9 Scarlet Witch Plants A Vision In Steve Rogers’ Head Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015) Early in Avengers: Age of Ultron, the Avengers encounter the Maximoff twins, Wanda and Pietro. Using chaos magic, Wanda infects each of the heroes with the seeds of insecurity and mistrust, prompting each to have a disturbing vision. Steve Rogers is shown a scene occurring back in his own time, after the end of World War II, showing him the people he left behind and the life he might have had.
The ending of Captain America’s MCU story saw him travel back to his own time to live out his life with the woman he loved. This makes Wanda’s vision seem much deeper, as it seems to have spurred Cap into his eventual decision to return to the life he left behind. Though the vision was intended to influence Rogers, it ultimately proved to do so in a very different way than it first would have seemed.
8 Hawkeye’s Coolest Phase 1 Moment Became Way More Important The Avengers (2012) As far as the founding Avengers go, many consider Hawkeye to be the least useful and the least interesting. Though the MCU eventually expanded upon his character and his story, he was initially criminally underused in the franchise, particularly in The Avengers. His finest moment in the movie comes during the Battle of New York, where he leaps from a rooftop before firing his bow in mid-air and safely evades an incoming explosion.
The moment is later made far more significant when it is revealed that witnessing Hawkeye in action that day is what inspired Kate Bishop to become an archer herself. Establishing that the moment was responsible for the creation of Hawkeye’s later sidekick retroactively makes him much more inspirational and important as a founding Avenger. In turn, this makes his coolest moment in The Avengers one of his most meaningful, too.
7 Cap’s Elevator Scene Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014) The elevator fight in Captain America: The Winter Soldier is an incredible MCU moment that never gets old. The close-quarters action that pits the hero against multiple Hydra agents is one of the most memorable in the earlier stages of the MCU, but it’s also one that has become a much deeper statement on the character of Captain America. Avengers: Endgame revisited the moment during its time heist, with Cap changing the narrative and outlining his own personal growth.
Between the events of The Winter Soldier and Endgame, Steve Rogers learned the importance of knowing when not to fight. This simple lesson is one that made all the difference in the hero’s story, and retroactively makes the iconic fight scene an example of Cap’s once violent approach to conflict resolution. Having a prominent hero demonstrate his development in such a way only serves to make the original moment seem so much deeper.
6 “I’ve Got Red In My Ledger.” The Avengers (2012) During the early stages of the MCU, Black Widow was a supporting hero who also happened to be a founding Avenger. Her backstory was something that was only hinted at until some time later, meaning that many moments came to take on a deeper meaning years later. One such moment came in The Avengers, where Natasha Romanoff explains her desire to do good stems from the fact that she has “red in [her] ledger.”
This is later explained in full by the story of Black Widow, which delves into Natasha’s origins and the basis of her deep-seated guilt. By the ending of Black Widow, it becomes clear just why Natasha was once so desperate to redeem herself, as the horrific actions she was forced to commit in her younger years clearly haunt her. This makes her brief allusions to her origins in The Avengers seem much deeper, as well as subtly heartbreaking.
5 Odin’s Reaction To Thor’s Attack On Jotunheim Thor (2011) One of the earliest moments in Thor’s MCU story is also one of his most defining. It sees him rashly attack the Frost Giants of Jotunheim, earning the ire of his father, Odin, and ultimately seeing the God of Thunder banished to Earth to learn the true value of his power. However, later developments in Thor’s story offer additional context to Odin’s reaction that make the moment much more meaningful.
It is revealed in Thor: Ragnarok that Thor is not Odin’s oldest child, and that his sister Hela once helped the All Father conquer the Nine Realms. As Odin was forced to imprison Hela for her bloodthirsty acts of conquest, his reaction to Thor’s similar actions can be considered in a new light. Rather than overreacting to Thor’s decision, Odin is instead attempting to right a past wrong, repainting the moment in a fascinating way.
4 Loki’s First “Death” Thor (2011) 2011’s Thor introduced multiple characters to the MCU, including the villain Loki. After acting as the movie’s antagonist, Loki goes on to eventually become one of the MCU’s most beloved characters, but not after cheating death on several occasions. Before appearing to perish at the end of Thor, Loki tells his brother and father about his failed attack on Earth that he “could have done it! For you! For all of us!”
It’s not until the ending of Loki season 2 that the moment gets much deeper. Shortly before heroically sacrificing himself to save the Multiverse, Loki utters a similar quote, mirroring the earlier MCU moment. It shows that Loki has always considered himself capable of making such sacrifices, but also outlines just how much he has grown since the events of Thor, making his first MCU death much deeper as a result.
3 Iron Man Saves A Child At The Stark Expo Iron Man 2 (2010) Iron Man 2 is often considered one of the weakest entries in the early MCU, but for all its faults, it has many positive points. There’s a deceptive amount of depth to its story, particularly in relation to prominent MCU characters featured in the sequel. However, a late moment in which Tony Stark saves a small child in an Iron Man mask only became a deeper and more meaningful scene much later on.
The moment was eventually retconned to establish that the child in the Iron Man mask was actually none other than Peter Parker. This means that it served as the first interaction between the two popular MCU heroes, and a moment that potentially inspired Peter to become Spider-Man and see Stark as a role model. The retcon made the moment so much more poignant than it once was, even coming so many years after Iron Man 2’s release.
2 Steve Rogers And Tony Stark’s Argument The Avengers (2012) For all of The Avengers’ action scenes, one of its most significant moments in terms of the wider franchise actually comes during a non-violent conflict. After first being brought together, the squabbling heroes clash on the SHIELD helicarrier, with Steve Rogers and Tony Stark in particular finding themselves at odds. In the heat of the moment, Captain America offers a cutting assessment of Stark, positing that he’s "not the one to make the sacrifice play", effectively asserting that he’s not a real hero.
Cap’s words in the scene were, at the time, a harsh but fair assessment of Stark’s character. However, over Iron Man’s subsequent MCU appearances, his character development sees him become far more heroic, leading to him making the ultimate sacrifice in Avengers: Endgame. Iron Man’s eventual death makes the early moment between the two heroes all the more meaningful, as he is later able to prove Rogers wrong.
1 “I Am Iron Man.” Iron Man (2008) One of the MCU’s first shocking moments saw Tony Stark announce himself as Iron Man to the world, simply stating “I am Iron Man” at a press conference and forgoing any secret identity. The moment was a divergence from typical comic canon, and also a defining one in the wider MCU. Interestingly, it became a much deeper quote more than a decade after Iron Man’s release.
Avengers: Endgame marked the end of Tony Stark’s story, as Iron Man died stopping Thanos once and for all. The hero’s final words before sacrificing himself were simply: “I am Iron Man”, referencing his earlier decision to announce himself to the world. The fact that the early quote went on to become Tony Stark’s final words makes it one of the most meaningful in the entire Marvel Cinematic Universe, even if it was only fully established years after they were first spoken.
Upcoming MCU Movies Captain America: Brave New World
Release Date February 14, 2025 Thunderbolts*
Release Date May 2, 2025 The Fantastic Four: First Steps
Release Date July 25, 2025 Avengers: Doomsday (2026)
Release Date Spider-Man Homecoming 4
Release Date July 24, 2026 Avengers: Secret Wars
Release Date May 7, 2027


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