Summary
Throughout its 16-year history, theMCUhas had some pretty impressive plot twists. Catching audiences completely by surprise, a good number of those twists were also hard to predict ahead of time. These can range from character deaths, big shake-ups to the status quo, and a variety of creative decisions that have generated their fair share of controversy.
Sometimes in the MCU, the seeds for an imminent plot twist are sown throughout the movie, or even in previous movies. An example would beCaptain America wielding Thor’s hammer inAvengers: Endgame, a twist that was to a degree set up inAvengers: Age of Ultronwith Steve Rogers having more success than anyone else in lifting Mjolnir. However, other plot twists in the MCU have come as a complete surprise for the vast majority of viewers. To that end,here are ten MCU plot twists that very few saw coming ahead of time.
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10The Mandarin’s True Identity
Iron Man 3
InIron Man 3, The Mandarin was introduced as a major new global terrorist leader who was threatening the world and was played by Sir Ben Kingsley. A classic Iron Man villain from the comics, the Mandarin’s casting seemed perfect. After all, Kingsley certainly had the gravitas to play such a foreboding and dynamic villain.However, so does Trevor Slattery, the in-universe actor whom Kingsley was actually playing.
In a twist that remains quite controversial to this day, it was revealed thatIron Man 3’sMandarin was nothing more than an actor hired by AIM’s Aldrich Killian in his bid to own both sides of the war on terror. However, this twist was so surprising and controversial thatboth a one-shot starring Kingsley and 2021’sShang-Chiestablished that the MCU did indeed have a real Mandarinand Ten Rings terrorist organization, one Killian had simply coopted. This also led to a very humorous return from Kingsley’s Trevor in theShang-Chimovie itself.
Cast
Iron Man 3 pits genius-billionaire-playboy-philanthropist Tony Stark (Iron Man) against the Mandarin, an enemy whose reach knows no bounds. When Stark finds his world destroyed by his mysterious antagonist, he embarks on a dangerous quest to find those responsible. His journey will test his character at every turn. With his back against the wall, Stark is left to survive by his own devices, relying on his ingenuity and instincts to protect those closest to him and determine whether or not the suit makes the man or if Tony himself is the hero.
9Hydra’s Infiltration of SHIELD
Captain America: The Winter Soldier
The twist inCaptain America: The Winter Soldierthat Hydra still existed and had been operating within the ranks of SHIELD for decades was very significant. As revealed by the computerized consciousness of Arnim Zola,Hydra had been shaping history in the shadows for years following the end of WWII, its corruption of SHIELD having extended to the very highest levels of the bureaucracy. As such, Captain America’s dismantling of SHIELD and exposure of all its secrets alongside Hydra’s was a huge moment during the MCU’s second phase, one that had massive ramifications for the MCU’s future.
The Winter Soldier’splot twist also had massive consequences forMarvel’s Agents of SHIELD. Not only did the ABC show help set up the movie prior to its release, but the film’s fallout was depicted in the final episodes of the show’s first season and beyond as the entire infrastructure of SHIELD had effectively been destroyed. As such, this opened the show to explore some very interesting narrative avenues in future seasons as they sought to rebuild SHIELD into something better and new.
8Quicksilver’s Death
Avengers: Age of Ultron
2015’sAvengers: Age of Ultronrevealed that Clint Barton’s Hawkeye had a secret family. Likewise, the movie spent quite a bit of time teasing the notion that Barton might lose his life by the movie’s end, especially after introducing these additional emotional stakes. Furthermore, Hawkeye’s end was intentionally set up during the Battle of Sokovia when Ultron began strafing the floating city in a jet while the Avenger was trying to get a young boy to safety,only for Pietro Maximoff’s Quicksilver to save them both while sacrificing himself.
Sokovians who volunteered to receive powers from Hydra, Pietro and his sister Wanda had just made their debut as heroes inAge ofUltronitself. As a result,Quicksilver’s death came as a major shock, though one that arguably had to happen. It also meant that Pietro received one of the most heroic ends in the entire MCU.
Avengers: Age of Ultron, released in 2015, follows Earth’s Mightiest Heroes, including Iron Man and Captain America, as they contend with Ultron, a rogue AI with plans for global annihilation. This Marvel sequel sees The Avengers form uneasy alliances and embark on a perilous global adventure to thwart Ultron’s schemes.
7Ego Killed Star-Lord’s Mom
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2
One of the most vicious plot twists in the entire MCU,the reveal inGuardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2that Ego put the tumor in the head of Star-Lord’s mother was incredibly brutal. Claiming that he had to kill Meredith Quill to continue his great “Expansion” throughout the cosmos, Ego couldn’t see the problem with killing Peter’s mother. That said, Star-Lord’s instantaneously opening fire on his Celestial father the moment he hears this dark truth is one of the most satisfying moments in the entireGuardiansfranchise.
This particular plot twist also carried some significant ramifications for the rest of the movie. After all, it’s what led to Star-Lord giving up his powers as a half-celestial. Rejecting his father, Quill reunited with the rest of the Guardians while also realizing that Yondu had been the one who truly cared for him as a father all along, resulting in some incredibly touching dynamic just before Yondu’s death at the end ofGuardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 continues the adventures of Peter Quill and his eclectic crew as they navigate complex family dynamics and revelations about Quill’s mysterious heritage. Set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the film explores themes of family and identity against a backdrop of intergalactic adventure.
6Vulture Is The Father of Spider-Man’s Date
Spider-Man: Homecoming
An MCU plot twist that drew audible shock from several theater audiences in 2017, the reveal that theVulture was the father of Spider-Man’s date Liz inSpider-Man: Homecomingwas completely blindsiding. Having been named Liz, many assumed that Peter’s crush and eventual date was Liz Allan from the comics. However, she was actually Liz Allan-Toomes, a reveal that was made only when Vulture himself opens the door when Peter arrives to pick her up for a school dance.
The resulting connections Adrian Toomes makes while driving Peter and Liz to the dance have largely been seen as one of the greatest villain moments in the entire MCU.Realizing that Peter is Spider-Man, Peter’s stunned shock and justified fear is on full display as Vulture figures it all out, the green light at the intersection sinisterly illuminating his face. As such, the audience is made to feel exactly as Peter does during this incredibly dynamic scene as it deals with this major twist.
Spider-Man: Homecoming follows Peter Parker after the events of Captain America: Civil War as he navigates high school challenges and battles the emergence of a new villain, the Vulture. With mentorship from Tony Stark, Peter strives to prove himself while balancing his responsibilities as Spider-Man and a student.
5Thanos' Snap
Avengers: Infinity War
While there was always the danger that Thanos would snap his fingers,few could have predicted that the Mad Titan would actually succeed by the end ofAvengers: Infinity War, effectively the first part of the story that concludes withAvengers: Endgame. Likewise, it’s very unlikely that many were expecting so many of the MCU’s newest heroes to be among the victims, let alone that the entire roster of original Avengers would survive. It perfectly set up massive amounts of excitement forEndgame, as many questioned how Earth’s Mightiest could bring their fallen allies back.
Avengers: Infinity War brings together the Avengers and their allies to face a new threat from the cosmos, Thanos, who seeks to collect the Infinity Stones. The film, part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, unites numerous superhero characters in a battle to prevent Thanos' ambition of altering reality itself.
4Evan Peters Revealed As Ralph Bohner
WandaVision
The appearance of Evan Peters in Marvel’sWandaVisioneffectively came with two major plot twists for the first MCU Disney+ series. Initially, Peters' appearance alone came as a major surprise, especially due to his claims that he was Wanda’s brother Pietro.Having played the Fox universe’s version of Quicksilver beginning withX-Men: Days of Future Past,many believed that the multiverse was in play and that Peters' Quicksilver was simply the first of many X-Men who might appear in the MCU following Disney’s recent purchase of 20th Century Fox.
Instead, it was eventually revealed thatPeters was actually playing Ralph Bohner, Agatha Harkness' pretend husband whom she turned into a puppet for use in her manipulations of Wanda. Much like Sir Ben Kingsley’s Trevor Slattery, it was also revealed that Bohner was an actor. In essence, Evan Peters' role was merely a dynamic bit of meta-casting to keep both the Scarlet Witch and audiences guessing throughout the series.
WandaVision, the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s first TV show on Disney+, first aired in 2021. The series kicked off the MCU’s Phase 4 and brought back Elizabeth Olsen as Wanda Maximoff, aka the Scarlet Witch, and Paul Bettany as Vision. WandaVision strayed away from Marvel’s typical formula, this time formatting itself more like a classic sitcom as Wanda struggles to cope with the death of Vision.
3Mysterio Exposing Spider-Man’s Secret Identity
Spider-Man: Far From Home
Following his defeat of Mysterio inSpider-Man: No Way Home, Peter Parker was ready to get his life back on track, including his life as Spider-Man. However,Mysterio had a video released that not only publically outed the Webslinger as Peter Parker, but also as a murderer using doctored footage from their battle in London. Again, audiences' shock and surprise were made to perfectly match Spider-Man’s major “WTF” moment at the end of the 2019 movie.
Naturally, this is something that 2021’sSpider-Man: No Way Homeimmediately followed up on as the public, media, and law enforcement all began swarming Peter Parker and his loved ones. It also motivated the core plot ofNo Way Homewith Spider-Man asking Doctor Strange to cast a spell and make everyone forget that he’s Spider-Man. As such,Far From Home’sending certainly ranks as one of the biggest MCU plot twistsresulting in the biggest fallout and changes to the status quo (right up there with Hydra’s infiltration of SHIELD and Thanos' Snap).
2The World Forgets Peter Parker
Spider-Man: No Way Home
Needing to save all reality from the spell he inadvertently botched, Spider-Man received yet another major plot twist at the end ofSpider-Man: No Way Home. To reverse all the multiversal mayhem,the entire world had to forget that they knew Peter Parker via a new spell from Strange. While Spider-Man would still be remembered, the man underneath would be completely forgotten, including by his friends, allies, and loved ones. It’s a huge plot twist, one that has changed Spider-Man’s entire life going forward andwill hopefully be addressed in the upcomingSpider-Man 4.
For the first time in the cinematic history of Spider-Man, our friendly neighborhood hero is unmasked and no longer able to separate his normal life from the trials and tribulations of being a superhero. In Spider-Man: No Way Home, Peter Parker (Tom Holland) asks for help from Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) when his identity becomes a problem for the ones he loves. Unfortunately, when the spell goes wrong, Spider-Man will now have to face off with villains such as Doctor Octopus (Alfred Molina) and Electro (Jamie Foxx) as Peter finally comes to terms that he can’t run from being Spider-Man. Supported by his close friends and help from an unexpected place (or multiverse), Spider-Man will go toe-to-toe with some of the most legendary foes in his storied history.
1Shuri Faces Killmonger In Ancestral Plane
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
Near the end of the film, Princess Shuri consumes the heart-shaped herb to become the next Black Panther in 2022’sWakanda Forever. Initially, one would have expected her to reunite with the recently deceased Queen Ramonda or even a panther version of her fallen brother T’Challa.However, Shuri instead comes face to face with her cousin Erik Killmongerwho tried to take the throne in the first film prior to his defeat at the hands of T’Chlla.
The Killmonger cameo from Michael B. Jordan came as a major surprise, though it did make a certain amount of sense for theMCUstoryline. Seeing Killmonger spoke to Shuri’s similar desire for vengeance against Namor, just as Killmonger had sought vengeance for his fallen father N’Jobu. Likewise, Killmonger was also the last Black Panther to drink from the heart-shaped herb aside from T’Challa himself.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever explores the efforts of Queen Ramonda, Shuri, M’Baku, Okoye, and the Dora Milaje as they strive to safeguard Wakanda from external threats following King T’Challa’s passing. Collaborating with allies like War Dog Nakia and Everett Ross, they seek to shape the nation’s future.
