Over ten years worth of stories for film and television and theMarvel Cinematic Universehas had a lot of ups and downs. There have been huge challenges and great triumphs, but that doesn’t mean there wasn’t any heartbreak along the way. A hero’s journey, especially if he or she is a superhero, is filled with tragedy.
Related:Best MCU Characters, Ranked
A lot of times these tragedies come from death, but not always. There are falling outs and lost battles that can take an equally horrific toll on a hero. Of course, audiences want to see the hero triumph over adversity and push through their struggles. Here is a list of some of the saddest moments experienced in the MCU thus far.
10John Walker’s Meltdown
Captain America is one of the most revered figures in the Marvel Universe. He’s held up as a beacon of hope, truth, and freedom. Even more than that though, he’s a representative of America. Americans like to believe their country embodies those ideals, but that’s not always the case.
This one scene encapsulates that truth. The image of John Walker holding Cap’s shield like the Punisher while it’s covered in blood from brutally murdering somebody in the street is a haunting sight. It tears to the heart of the Captain America dilemma within the MCU.
9Avengers Disassembled
It’s one thing to go into Captain America: Civil War knowing that two of the universe’s most revered heroes are going to be battling it out. It’s another thing to actually watch it happen in the movie’s climax. For years, the MCU heroes had been aligned and fighting together asAvengers.
Seeing them attempt to tear each other apart is heartbreaking for a fan. It also had the trouble of creating a new status quo in the universe, one which Thanos undoubtedly exploited when he arrived.
8Yondu Saves Peter
There are so many characters with father issues within the MCU, but no film cuts to the heart of this subject more than the secondGuardians Of The Galaxymovie. Peter had finally met his biological father after years of clashing with his adopted father Yondu.
Related:Marvel Villains That Should Be Introduced To The MCU After Gorr the God Butcher
However, by the end of the film Ego tried to kill Peter while Yondu sacrificed himself to save him. It was a truly heartbreaking moment and one of the MCU’s most sorrowful death scenes. The only saving grace is that Yondu got a Ravager funeral in the end.
7Gamora’s Murder
Continuing the trend of father issues, there’s probably no eternal relationship more twisted than the one Thanos views with his adopted daughters. If torturing Nebula wasn’t enough, Thanos actually murdered Gamora in order to obtain the Soul Stone.
The saddest part about the whole event is that Thanos, who was a good guy in What If…?, actually viewed it as an example of his fortitude and will. He was willing to kill his own beloved daughter in order to accomplish his goal. Even after he killed her he believed he was mourning a sacrifice he was forced to make.
The snap is such a widespread event that it’s hard to encapsulate it as a single moment. In many ways, it was inevitable. As a two-part story, fans always had to know that a sad ending was imminent. However, the scope of the snap wasn’t truly clear until after it happened.
Even in future films and shows, the true extent of the snap was still being revealed. Hawkeye lost his family just as Monica Rambeau returned five years later and had to grapple with the death of her mother. It truly was a sad moment that the MCU is still recovering from.
5Black Widow’s Death
The Hawkeye and Black Widow fight scene is in many ways the mirror version of when Thanos sacrificed Gamora. The two of them knew that one of them had to die, and they were literally fighting over that right. Hawkeye wanted to die because he felt as if he had nothing left to live for.
Related:Games To Play If You Love Marvel’s Midnight Suns
However, Black Widow understood that they were fighting to bring Hawkeye’s family back. By contrast, Black Widow didn’t feel as if she had the same kind offamily that Hawkeye did. So her sacrifice wasn’t just to save the world. It was also to save her friend’s soul, making it truly heartbreaking.
4Iron Man’s Sacrifice
The most truly heartbreaking moments are ones that are coupled with happiness.Iron Man’s sacrifice with the Infinity Stones essentially sealed the Avengers' victory over Thanos. Iron Man saved the universe, but it also cost him his life.
Having him die in front of his family and friends was a truly heroic end for the character that birthed the MCU. Furthermore, besides Pepper Potts, Peter Parker had the most sorrowful reaction to Tony’s death. Although it might not have been apparent at the time, this was symbolic of the old generation dying and the new generation rising up in the MCU.
3Queen Romanda’s Death
It’s tough being a royal from Wakanda, even though they may be getting their own game. There is a lot of political turmoil to deal with both within the kingdom and internationally. Plus, they don’t tend to last very long in the MCU. Shuri had to watch her father and brother both die in a short span.
This left her mother in charge, with the weight of everything on her shoulders. And yet, when a young girl was in trouble, the Queen sacrificed herself to save her. It was a heartbreaking moment in a film that was already filled with tragedy.
2Aunt May’s Death
Spider-Man and tragedy go hand in hand. In fact, his entire origin is wrapped in the death of a loved one. In the MCU, Spider-Man has taken a very roundabout way to explain how he became the wall-crawler. Uncle Ben was never shown if he even existed at all. So in many respects, Aunt May’s death was his replacement.
Related:She-Hulk: How Jennifer Walter’s MCU Origin Is Different From Marvel Comics
However, it was very different circumstances and a very different lesson Peter had to learn. The fact that audiences got the chance to appreciate Aunt May over the course of three films made her death all the more impactful.
1Wanda Loses Vision
Wanda gets a lot of heat for her time asa villain both in the Doctor Strangesequel as well as her own show, but that doesn’t make her trauma any less real. She’s had a very tough life, from seeing her home blown up to having to kill Vision only to watch Thanos bring him back to life and kill him again.
So it’s tough to blame her for creating the perfect home life for herself. However, watching it vanish right before her eyes was a tear-jerking finale for her own story.
