The Marvel Cinematic Universe is packed to the very brim with, well, just about everything; multi-movie character arcs, gleeful tinkering with genre fiction (especially by way of the Disney Plus shows), and the ability to make us laugh, cheer, and cry for about five different reasons.
Indeed, any cinema with slots for the MCU has seen its fair share of tears shed out of happiness, bittersweetness, or outright devastation. And with all the bravery of an Eternals fan, the redditors of r/marvelstudios are taking the opportunity to revisit the MCU catalogue to pick out the moments that cranked their emotions up to 11.
One mention that popped up quite frequently was the end of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, which featured a particularly touching death and funeral for Yondu. For poor Peter Quill, this was technically the third time he lost a parent or parental figure, to say nothing of Yondu’s death coming from sacrificing his life to save Quill’s.
Others pulled out a handful of moments from Spider-Man: No Way Home, such as Aunt May’s death, which nearly drove Peter Parker to spiraling atrocity, the dreamlike arrivals of Andrew Garfield and Tobey Maguire, and the heartbreaking decision made by Parker at the end of the film, sacrificing his life, family, friends, and livelihood to protect everyone.
One other user went outside the box and mentioned the entire fifth episode of the Disney Plus series Moon Knight, in which we’re given a glimpse back into Marc Spector’s childhood, introduced to the origins of Steven Grant, and also learn more about the deep trauma the mercenary carries within him.
Indeed, there’s no shortage of emotional impact within Kevin Feige’s magnum opus. We may be taking a short break from it, though; She-Hulk: Attorney at Law seems to be lowering the stakes across the board for the sake of a more comedic, everyday romp, and we’ll get to watch those shenanigans unfold on Disney Plus when it releases on August 18.