Marvel Cinematic Universe: Top 25 moments of all time

4. Thor: Ragnarok – Fall of Asgard

Thor: Ragnarok is a wild ride from start to finish. We’re talking about a movie that kills a biblical amount of Asgardians, then kills Asgard itself. Thor, heeding the words of Odin, sacrifices his beloved home in order to save what is left of its people.

By allowing the fire giant Surtur to rise, Thor ensures Hela’s defeat (or so it would seem). While this is one of the darkest moments of the MCU, it is definitely one of the best too. It is the culmination of Thor’s journey from brash prince to wise king (even paying for that wisdom with an eye, like his old man). However, by letting go of what he held dear, he is able to win the war, and the people of Asgard live to see another day.

The consequences of Asgard’s fall are just as important as its place in Thor’s story. To start, it sets up the events to come in Infinity War. The Tesseract is no longer protected in Odin’s vault, the Asgardians have no base of power and have been driven to the brink of extinction, and Thor is without a hammer. If the ends credits scene is any indicator, Thanos has a prime moment to strike. Not to mention that Odin hinted at the people of Asgard settling on Earth, which is a whole other issue.