Marvel Cinematic Universe: Top 25 moments of all time

2. Iron Man – Leaving the Cave

Iron Man emerging from the cave is a pivotal moment for Tony Stark and for the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Compared to some set pieces now, its pretty basic, but at its core it’s badass. Stark, with some very important help from Ho Yinsen, survives shrapnel to the heart.  On top of that, they build a suit of armor that can really dole out punishment to their captors. Perhaps the most important part of this sequence is Yinstn’s death, which is a burden that heavily influences Stark’s actions.

This is the first brick, the foundation on which the whole MCU is built. Up until this point, Tony Stark is some billionaire genius jerk who only looks after himself. When he puts on the Iron Suit and escapes the clutches of the Ten Rings, he becomes Iron Man. This sequence defines the tone of the movie, which in turn sets a tone for a shared universe. If this movie had been made poorly, we might be discussing the shared DC Universe or even some other publishers expanded universe brought to film. It is on the strength of this moment, the mix of action and Robert Downey Jr.’s acting, that a multi-billion dollar movie empire was built. I cannot stress this enough.