The entire catalog of Marvel movies may be built around fantastical superheroes, but that doesn’t mean it can’t pack an emotional punch, and it doesn’t need to kill off characters to do it. While theMarvel Cinematic Universeis certainly the most expansive and far-reaching series of films starring Marvel Comics characters,Marvel movies go back even further.From the 1990sBlademovies, to the Sony Spider-Man Universe, or SSU, there have been dozens of Marvel movies.
While these films generally explore hopeful themes and bright, exciting acts of heroism, they aren’t afraid to dig deeper.The comics have always been praised for their ability to portray a spectrum of emotion,and push boundaries, and the movies have done a lot to recapture this same complexity and diversity. But sadness is so much deeper and more varied than simply mourning death, andMarvel movies have provided plenty of great momentswhere the heroes face their most isolated moments, only to come back stronger than ever before.
10Mary Jane Watson Is Insulted By Norman Osborn, And Harry Takes His Side
Spider-Man
In 2002,Sam Raimi brought one of the most famous and beloved heroes of all time to the big screen in live action.Starring Tobey Maguire,Spider-Manput the humble beginnings and the heartbreaking loss of Peter Parker into a spectacular film that would launch a trilogy. However, while the movie’s most emotional moment may come when Parker loses his uncle Ben, there are other moments that highlight the challenges he faces as he tries to juggle his life and support all of his friends.
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For one, Parker pines over his next door neighbor, Mary Jane Watson, but he struggles to build up the confidence to express his feelings.While MJ waits for Parker to make a move, Parker’s best friend, Harry Osborn, begins dating her instead.
Spider-Man (2002)
While this is hard for Parker to watch, the situation is made significantly worse when Harry’s father, Norman, loudly declares his honest and cruel thoughts about MJ in the hall before he leaves. Instead of caring for MJ in this moment,Harry defends his father, and the cycle of abuse that started in MJ’s family home appears to continue unless Peter acts.
9The High Evolutionary’s Experiments On Rocket Raccoon
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
Another character who suffered a great deal in their youth,and grew to become more closed off is Rocket Raccoon.Rocket finds a family with the Guardians of the Galaxy, but he also tries to keep his distance and ensure he doesn’t fall into the trap of getting too close, or emotionally invested. InVol. 3, the reasoning behind Rocket’s self-imposed distance is revealed.
As a young kit, or baby raccoon,Rocket was kept in a cage with several other animals by the High Evolutionary.All the flashbacks to this early stage in his life are difficult to watch, but it’s heartbreaking to see Rocket reminded of his childhood trauma, and the loss of his only friends as a child. For all his rough edges, Rocket just wants love, and family, and thankfully, he found it with the Guardians.
8Wanda Maximoff’s Family Disappear
WandaVision
Something was clearly off about Westview.From the moment thatWandaVisionreveals Wanda’s new home, it’s clear that things are not how they should be. For one, the entire city appears to be in a sitcom that flies through stylings of different decades. However, seeing Wanda reunited with her beloved Vision does feel extremely satisfying.
Unfortunately, things are too good to be true, and despiteWanda and Vision having babiesthat rapidly grow and become young children in almost no time, this fantasy can’t last forever.The kids and Vision may have been brought to life through Wanda’s own magic,and thus, not real, but the moment when she has to free Westview, and lose her entire family, again, is devastating. No one died, since they were never technically alive, but the love and pain were all too real.
7Miles Morales Is Completely Alone
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
After the thrilling discovery of his powers inSpider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, Miles Morales is aware of the existence of others who are gifted like him.These people became family to him, and he took a particular interest in Gwen Stacey,who appeared to have a mutual attraction to Miles. However, once Miles saved the Multiverse, he was more alone than ever.
The opening scenes inSpider-Man: Across the Spider-Versereveal a struggling Miles. With his friends gone, and his powers making him into something completely different to his peers,Miles could use a friend.However, it is soon revealed that not only have Miles' friends been popping up in his reality, but they are avoiding him. Despite most Spider-people across the Multiverse being welcomed into a larger Spider-family, Miles is actively being shunned.
6Peter Parker Tells Tony “I Don’t Want To Go”
Avengers: Infinity War
Avengers: Infinity Warcontains the saddest and most challenging ending in any superhero movie. While the Avengers and company fought with all of their might to repel Thanos and prevent him from collecting the Infinity Stones, Thanos won. Upon collecting every stone, hewields his Infinity Gauntlet, and snaps his fingers, which sets in motion the chain of events that wipes out half of all life throughout the universe. However, seeing this happen closer to home adds even more emotional weight.
Out of all the disappearances, one of the most tough to watch is when Peter Parker is lying in Tony Stark’s arms, his surrogate father figure and mentor, and he declares emphatically “I don’t want to go.“His young age, the fear in his eyes, and the prospect of never coming back all make this moment even more emotional,but since he returned and technically only went into the soul stone, it isn’t an official MCU death. Just one of the single saddest moments in the entire franchise.
5Steve And Peggy Plan Their First Date
Captain America: The First Avenger
After heroically saving the world from the terrifying Red Skull and his HYDRA agents, Steve Rogers does what he can to fly home. However, the ship that Steve is flying is carrying deadly weapons of mass destruction.to prevent a loss of life, and stop the bombs from detonating,Steve chooses to fly into the Arctic, sacrificing himself for the safety of others as he was always inclined to do.
As heroic as this moment is, it is also made into a deeply emotional scene asSteve speaks to his dear Peggy Carterover the radio.The two had a clear mutual attraction, and hoped to go on a date after the mission was complete,but just as Steve ensures the safety of his people, he also dooms himself to a near certain death. In order to take their minds off that fate, Peggy and Steve plan their date, both fully aware that it will never happen.
4Raven Chooses Magneto Over Her Brother
X-Men: First Class
One of the biggest changes inX-Men: First Class’rebooted universe is the relationship between Raven, aka Mystique, and Charles Xavier. As a child, Raven was without a home, and due to her mutation, she was rejected by society in general. However, when she was just a child, she wandered into Xavier’s family home to steal food and get shelter. Xavier, being the kind-hearted boy that he is, welcomes her, and ensures that she will be taken care of, essentially adopting her as his own sister.
From that point on, they grew up together, and Xavier took on the role of the protective and loving brother.However, his love soon felt smothering to Raven, who struggled with accepting her mutant self, and Charles appeared to be largely similar in those struggles. When the moment arrived that Charles and his dear friend Erik Lehnsherr, aka, Magneto, parted ways, Raven chose to go with Erik over her brother.
3Tony Learns That Bucky Barnes Killed His Parents
Captain America: Civil War
One of thedefining moments in Tony Stark’s life was the loss of his parentswhen he was a young man.Tony was left with conflicting feelings, as he resented his father for lack of attention and affection, but he loved both of his parents deeply. He fell into bad habits, and for years, lived a life without responsibilities or accountability. However, when he took on the Iron Man mantle, he began to consider his life and his parents more deeply.
While this brought up difficult emotions, Tony was not emotionally prepared to find out that the best friend of one of his best friends, was the man who killed his parents.Bucky Barnes, brainwashed by HYDRA to become the Winter Soldier, was the person who carried out a hit on Tony’s parents, killing them in cold blood.Of course, Tony is angry, but beneath that frustration, he is completely shattered to learn this secret, and that Steve Rogers has been aware of it for some time, but kept the secret from Tony.
2Scott Lang Sees Cassie Again… After Disappearing For 5 Years
Avengers: Endgame
While the world went into a period of mourning in the five years betweenInfinity WarandEndgame,Scott Lang had a unique blip experience.Scott was trapped in the Quantum Realm, just before the blip happened, and in this micro universe, he was completely oblivious to the passage of time as he experienced it very differently. Upon breaking free, he noticed the world was different, but he wasn’t prepared to discover just how significant the changes were when he knocked on the door of his daughter’s home.
As Cassie opens the door, Scott is greeted by a girl, clearly still his daughter, but she is five years older.At this pivotal point in her life, he missed some of the most important years, leaving his daughter in a position where she thought he was gone for good. Of course, the reunion is sweet, but the devastation of losing his little girl, and trying to step back into her life after a five-year gap is incredibly upsetting.
1Charles Xavier’s Seizure In Logan
Logan
Logandepicts a world in a dystopian future, where the mutants are being hunted down and destroyed.This world has taken its toll onLogan, aka, The Wolverine, as he has grown older and become illwith a unique infection that slows his healing factor. However, the change of state for his old mentor, Charles Xavier, is even more extreme. Charles was once a vibrant, thriving man, full of hope and wonder. However, as his body deteriorates, and critically his mind, Charles becomes a shadow of his former self.
He continues to have powerful psychic abilities, but as his mind fades, his powers grow more unstable.When he experiences seizures, he is in unimaginable pain, and causes the same to those close by. This change is one of the most upsetting and difficult to see in any Marvel film, especially considering a man with so much knowledge and power was laid low by natural causes that make him weak and a victim to his own powers. But these sad moments also elevate these Marvel movies to become something that is so much deeper and more layered.
