After so many MCU movies and TV shows, fans understandably have a strong emotional connection to this vast stable of characters. Unlike the comics, when someone dies in the MCU they tend to stay dead, so any heroic sacrifice always results in some quiet sobbing in theaters. But what are the key MCU moments guaranteed to have you insisting that you’ve just got something in your eye?
Fans on r/MarvelStudios have been breaking down the most recent candidates, and it seems Phase 4 has had its fair share of downbeat and depressing developments:
The most obvious candidate is the opening of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, in which we saw how Chadwick Boseman’s T’Challa died and its impact on his family and the nation of Wakanda:
Another popular candidate (and one that got us…) was Andrew Garfield’s Spider-Man saving a falling MJ in No Way Home:
May Parker’s death was also rough going:
And this No Way Home moment was also heart-wrenching:
Thor: Love and Thunder wasn’t great, though at least it nailed this scene:
And then there’s the Arc Reactor-powered elephant in the room:
Expect Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 to have its fair share of sad moments, with the trailer all but confirming that some of these beloved characters won’t be around to see the credits. Well, after reliving all those moments we’re now pretty gloomy ourselves. Maybe we’ll rewatch the I Am Groot shorts on Disney Plus to cheer ourselves up a bit. No tears there. Only positivity and cuteness.