Credit: Marvel Studios/Walt Disney Pictures; from Avengers: Infinity War (2018)
There have been a ton of fight scenes in the Marvel Cinematic Universe movies, but which MCU fights were the best and what made them so great?
The Marvel Cinematic Universe has set the bar for what comic book movies should be. Even when another comic book movie is amazing, people will still compare it to the MCU. For example, Aquaman has been compared to Black Panther due to a few of their similarities.
One thing that the MCU tends to get a lot of credit for is the action. The Marvel Cinematic Universe fight scenes have improved in some way or another from Iron Man 1 to Avengers: Infinity War. Whether it’s the CGI or how the battles are choreographed, there have been changes to keep people intrigued. But what makes a good fight scene?
First, the fight scene has to fit with the movie. You can’t have two random people fighting for no reason. It would throw the movie off. Second, and more importantly, the fight has to actually be entertaining. The action has to be smooth and the attacks have to make sense for the characters. You can’t have the Hulk doing backflips kicks or Thor using Black Widows acrobatic head scissors.
What we have coming up are the 15 best fight scenes in the MCU with a look at the reasoning behind the fight, the winner, what made the fight so good, and how this influenced the movies and the characters.
Which Marvel Cinematic Universe fight scene will take the cake? All will soon be revealed!
Marvel Studios’ AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR..Hulk (Mark Ruffalo)..Photo: Film Frame..©Marvel Studios 2018
Thanos vs. The Hulk
Movie: Avengers: Infinity War
The Hulk is known as the strongest Avenger being having only taken a couple of losses. However, Thanos is known throughout the universe as the scariest being there is. It was only a matter of time before these two goliaths collided. At first it looked like Thanos was going to lose this fight and then he overpowered Hulk and punched him in the throat.
The fight went pretty quick after that with Thanos dominating the Hulk like no one ever has. So much so that Bruce Banner couldn’t entice Hulk to come out when doing battle later in the film.
Winner: Thanos
This fight changed the course of Avengers: Infinity War. If Hulk hadn’t gotten beaten so bad, maybe he could have helped turn the tide during the fight with Ebony Maw and Cull Obsidian in New York. If this happened, Tony Stark wouldn’t have gone into space and would have went to Wakanda to fight with the rest of the Avengers.
Despite the fight being a quick fight, it played a crucial role in the movie and was put together well. Not all fights have to be lengthy with a bunch of fancy moves and weapons. Sometimes, they only need two guys just beating each other down.
Marvel’s DOCTOR STRANGE..Doctor Stephen Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch)..Photo Credit: Film Frame ..©2016 Marvel. All Rights Reserved.
14. Doctor Strange vs. Dormammu
Movie: Doctor Strange
During a hero’s origin story, they have to overcome one of their biggest flaws. This was no different in Doctor Strange. Stephen Strange was one of the most arrogant people in the world. It may have been justified because of his skill as a surgeon, but that didn’t mean anything to the people he hurt.
After becoming a sorcerer, he was charged with humbling himself and was tested during his fight with Dormammu. Strange used the Eye of Agamotto (the Time Stone) to sacrifice himself by repeatedly dying. The first time he’s done anything like this.
Winner: Doctor Strange
Doctor Strange died who knows how many times, but he won the fight. He bet on Dormammu wanting to fight another day rather than continue an endless battle. A gamble that paid off. Not only did Strange save the world, but he also got rid of Kaecilius (who killed the Ancient One) and his goons in the process.
What made this fight so special was its creativity. We could have easily gotten a magical fight between the two and everyone would’ve gone home happy. Instead, we got to see Doctor Strange use his intelligence to win. It was a smart scene and pretty funny the way Strange sarcastically kept saying he was there to bargain. Also, there no way Strange still being a novice would have won a magical bout with Dormammu. This was a more believable ending.
Marvel Studios’ AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR..L to R: Okoye (Danai Gurira), Black Panther/T’Challa (Chadwick Boseman), Captain America/Steve Rogers (Chris Evans), Black Widow/Natasha Romanoff (Scarlet Johansson) and Winter Soldier/Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan)..Photo: Chuck Zlotnick..©Marvel Studios 2018
13. Wakanda and the Avengers vs. the Chitauri and the Black Order
Movie: Avengers: Infinity War
The fight starts with Black Panther and Steve Rogers racing to the Chitauri who were coming in through the Wakandan forcefield. Falcon and War Machine hit the skies to unleash an assault from above.
Meanwhile, Black Widow, Bucky, Bruce Banner (in a Hulkbuster Armor), and the Wakandan forces killed as many Chitauri as they could. When the Black Order got involved, they were killed in spectacular fashion. Especially when Black Widow, Okoye, and Wanda teamed up. All would have been fine if Thanos didn’t show up.
Winner: Thanos
It seemed like the Avengers were winning. The Chitauri were being dealt with and the Black Order were killed. It wasn’t until Thanos showed up that things took a turn. It didn’t matter that Vision sacrificed himself. Thanos used the Time Stone brought him back from the dead and restore the Mind Stone. And even though Thor got a really good shot in, as Thanos said, he should have aimed for the head. With a snap of his fingers, the Avengers lost and the universe suffered.
This was the first major loss the Avengers took. Not only did they fail their teammates, they failed the universe. This changed the course of the MCU for good. Even if the Avengers put everything back the way they were, there’s no guarantee the universe won’t take heavy losses in the process.
Marvel’s IRON MAN 2 ..L to R: Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) Lt. Col. James ‘Rhodey’ Rhodes (Don Cheadle)..Photo Credit: Film Frame ..©2010 Marvel. All Rights Reserved.
12. Iron Man vs. War Machine
Movie: Iron Man 2
Say what you will about Iron Man 2 as a movie, but it had some really important fight scenes. Among them was a fight that put friend and against friend. Tony Stark was dying and started becoming self-destructive. Among those reckless things was getting drunk in his Iron Man armor.
At that point, his best friend James “Rhodey” Rhodes had to step in. Stark didn’t take him until Rhodey showed up again in his silver Iron Man armor. It stopped being funny when Rhodey threw a weight at his head. The two fought more like angry siblings than anything. It ends when Tony and Rhodey shot a repulsor blast at each other and impact caused a force that knocked them both on their butts.
Winner: Rhodey
Iron Man may have had experience in the armor, but Rhodey is a fighter. He used that to hold his own. The big reason Rhodey won this fight was because he ended up taking the armor back to the U.S. Military after the tussle and this was the how he became War Machine.
If not for this fight, Rhodey may not have become War Machine and he’s a major part of their team. He was especially needed during Tony’s fight with Whiplash and his Iron Man drones.
Credit: Marvel Studios/Walt Disney Pictures; from Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015)
11. Avengers vs. Hydra
Movie: Avengers: Age of Ultron
An opening scene can make or break a movie and Avengers: Age of Ultron set the stage perfectly. Having gotten good intel on a Hydra base (thank to Phil Coulson), the Avengers assembled to take the Hydra base and their leader Baron Wolfgang von Strucker. Hydra may have outnumbered the Avengers, but they were vastly underpowered.
The Avengers went in and took them out with ease completing their goal of capturing Baron Strucker and securing the Hydra base.
Winner: The Avengers
Despite Wanda and Pietro Maximoff getting involved, this was a clear victory for the Avengers. There aren’t enough Hydra henchmen to take on the Avengers. Especially with Hulk, Thor, and Iron Man leading the charge. It was cool to see the Avengers showcasing all of their strengths. Thor jumping and flying around, Hawkeye hitting targets with ease, and Hulk just running through people. Two moments that will remain in everyone’s heads are Captain America yelling out “LANGUAGE!” and Black Widow being the only person who could make the Hulk calm.
This scene leads to the introduction of the Maximoffs and getting the Mind Stone. Both of these moments affect the MCU. Ultron and Vision are created, Wanda joins the Avengers, and it made it harder for Thanos to get the Mind Stone.
Marvel Studios’ THOR: RAGNAROK..Thor (Chris Hemsworth)..Ph: Film Frame..©Marvel Studios 2017
10. Thor vs. Surtur and his ilk
Movie: Thor: Ragnarok
We hadn’t seen Thor since he disappeared after Avengers: Age of Ultron to try to put an end to the Asgardian Gods called Ragnarok. One prophecy was that the fire demon Surtur would destroy Asgard. To avoid this from happening, Thor got himself captured to get close enough to kill Surtur.
It didn’t matter how many of Surtur’s demons came at him, Thor destroyed them all with an array of moves with his hammer we hadn’t seen. When it came time to take down Surtur, Thor destroyed him easily and with more than a few quips.
Winner: Thor
It may have looked like this was going to be an epic battle, but it wasn’t. What made this fight so great was getting to really see Thor let loose. Thor had a good amount of solo fights in the MCU, but there was always something off. Either the scene was too dark (Thor 1) or it wasn’t creative (any of his fights in Thor: Dark World). This one was perfect. He swung, tossed, and slammed his hammer like he did in the comic books. It may have taken a few movies, but we finally got the Thor fight scene we’d been waiting for.
Had this never happened, Asgard may not have been easy pickings for Thanos since Surtur wouldn’t have destroyed Asgard. Thor brought Surtur back to Asgard where he was resurrected and fulfilled the prophecy of Ragnarok. However, Hela still would have come back and it would have been Hela versus Thanos.
Credit: Marvel Studios
9. War Machine and Iron Man vs. Whiplash and Hammer’s drones
Movie: Iron Man 2
Iron Man hadn’t really been challenged yet up until this point. Obadiah Stane wasn’t a fighter or versed in using the armor used. When Whiplash first encountered Stark he wasn’t equipped with the tech to fight once Stark put his armor on. Stark’s first real fight was battling Justin Hammer’s drones and then Whiplash in his giant armor.
Luckily, Iron Man had Rhodey in his new War Machine armor. The two of them fought together for the first time and it looked like they had been fighting together for years. When Whiplash stepped up, they look a quick beating but used a trick they learned while fighting each other to defeat Whiplash.
Winner: Iron Man and War Machine
This fight had no business being as good as it was. Two guys using their armors for the first time in a fight against drones programmed to beat them and they won smoothly and with style. The contrast in their armors made for a great visual. Iron Man’s armor having flashier and possibly more destructive attacks while War Machine’s was full of guns shooting and cutting the drones in half. The end with the heroes blasting Whiplash with their dual repulsor blast was a perfectly loud ending.
This fight proved that War Machine belonged in the MCU. He may look clunky, but he’s the perfect counter to Iron Man.
Credit: Marvel Studios/Walt Disney Pictures; from Captain America: Civil War (2016)
8. Iron Man vs. Captain America and Bucky
Movie: Captain America: Civil War
Baron Zemo found a way to show Tony Stark that Bucky killed his parents. Even though Bucky was brainwashed, Tony didn’t care. He killed his mother (Tony’s exact words). Cap felt he had to defend Bucky and this turned into a 2 on 1 brawl. Despite the numbers being against Tony, he more than held his own.
Once Cap started winning, Stark had his suit analyze his fight pattern and then proceeded to whoop Cap bad. The fight ended when Cap got his shield back and drove it into Iron Man’s chest destroying the power source of his armor. Cap didn’t start this fight, but he did finish it.
Winner: Steve Rogers
The people who put this Marvel Cinematic Universe fight together did an amazing job. They took an uneven fight and made it fair. Bucky and Cap are just men fight a guy with the most advanced weapon in the world. It was beautifully done and the shot of Cap holding his shield against Iron Man’s blasts was a great shot straight out of the Marvel Civil War comic cover.
This fight was building up since the, “Big man in a metal suit” comment in the first Avengers movie. Steve Rogers always had a problem with how Tony Stark did things. It was only a matter of time before they fought. Thankfully, it didn’t disappoint.
Credit: Marvel Studios/Walt Disney Pictures; Thor: Ragnarok (2017)
7. Thor vs. Hulk
Movie: Thor: Ragnarok
This is another fight that people have been waiting to see for a long time. In Marvel’s The Avengers, they had a short fight. Thor didn’t want to fight The Hulk so there was no real brawl. Even during this fight in Thor Ragnarok, Thor didn’t want to fight him. He was ecstatic to see him with an audible, “YES! I know him. He’s a friend from work.”
Even after the Hulk hit him a few times, Thor tried to calm him down. When that didn’t work, they put on a show worthy of the gods.
Winner: Hulk by way of the Grandmaster
Thor was without his hammer and was unable to access his powers due to his confidence being shot. For a while, Thor held his own without the use of his lightning. Once he got control of his powers, Thor showed the Hulk what it meant to be a god. Too bad the fight was cut short when the Grandmaster intervened and shocked Thor with the control disc on his neck. That shock knocked Thor down giving Hulk the final blow.
Even though it was interrupted in the end, everyone got the answer they wanted. If MCU Thor wanted to beat the Hulk, he can and will. Even without his hammer, Thor was beating Hulk in hand to hand combat. Hulk may be strong, but he’s not a skilled fighter. Thor is on top of his powers.
Credit: Marvel Studios
6. The Avengers vs. Loki and the Chitauri
Movie: Marvel’s The Avengers
This movie solidified the Avengers as a legitimate franchise. This many high-profile characters getting their own moments was going to be challenging. They’d also have their moments during the final showdown with the big bad. This scene was handled beautifully from the very first punch Hulk through until Loki asked for the drink Tony Stark offered him earlier.
Each hero had a memorable moment and there were so great moments where they worked as a team. The part everyone remembers was Hulk slamming Loki around like a ragdoll and then calling Loki a puny god.
Winner: The Avengers
This was the first time the Avengers worked together. They had to trust each other’s skill and that they’d have each other’s back. Despite all of the arguing and fighting, it all worked out. When it came down to it, they protected each other and fought like a well oiled machine. Except for that one time when Hulk punches Thor just because.
The world knew that the Avengers were here to protect them, but something else more sinister was happening. Thanos now knew who the Avengers were and he welcomed the opportunity to take them on. When he was told that challenging them was to court death, Thanos turned around and smiled. That moment let us know that the Avengers were on a collision course to fight the Mad Titan.
Credit: Marvel Studios/Walt Disney Pictures; from Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015)
5. Hulkbuster vs. Hulk
Movie: Avengers: Age of Ultron
When Wanda put a spell on The Hulk, it was up to Iron Man to take him out. Since his regular armor wasn’t going to do the job, it’s a good thing he had his Hulkbuster suit ready just in case. Ironman and Hulk fought throughout a city destroying everything in their path. Thankfully, Iron Man was aware of civilians and made it a point to protect them while he was fighting. If not for him, the death toll would have been astronomical.
The battle was intense and Stark’s commentary during was great. Nothing will beat him punching Hulk over and over saying, “Go to sleep! Go to sleep! Go to sleep! Go to sleep!”
Winner: Hulkbuster
The fight could have been just two behemoths going punch for punch, but what’s the fun in that? They attacked each other everywhere from the land to the sky and hit each other with everything they could get their hands on. At one point Stark hit Hulk with an elevator. Iron Man getting the final blow the way he did helped Hulk save face but also stop the fight without the audience calling shenanigans. It was a nice touch having a way for more parts of the armor flown in.
This fight helped the government’s reasoning for the Superhero Registration Act. A law that leads to the split of the Avengers. Plus, with Hulk not getting into the final fight in Avengers: Infinity War, Banner needed something to simulate Hulk’s powers.
Credit: Marvel Studios/Walt Disney Pictures; from Captain America: Civil War (2016)
4. Team Cap vs. Team Iron Man
Movie: Captain America: Civil War
It may have seemed like Iron Man’s team had Cap’s team overpowered, but they made up for it with skill and experience. Plus, who wouldn’t bet on a team led by Captain America? The fight was full of creative action and a ton of quips. Also, Spider-Man’s intro with Stark going, “UNDER-ROOS!” made every comic book fan happy. Of all the fights on this list, this one was easily the most fun.
When the commercials came out, everyone thought that they’d have to wait until the end of the movie to see the big fight between the two Avengers teams. That wasn’t the case. In fact, it was perfectly placed. Having the fight at the end wouldn’t have made sense.
Winner: Captain America and Bucky
The point of this was to get Captain America and Bucky to safety and they completed that goal. Unfortunately, the rest of the team had to make a sacrifice to do it. But they were more than happy to give up their freedom to help Steve Rogers. This was the only reason it could be said that Cap’s team won this fight.
This was the debut of Spider-Man and Black Panther in the MCU. Both of them had to have better than average debuts in this melee. Especially Spider-Man who was on his third actor in less than 15 years. They both had memorable moments in this fight and left the scene looking strong.
Credit: Marvel Studios/Walt Disney Pictures; from Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)
3. Captain America vs. Bucky
Movie: Captain America: Winter Soldier
Hydra instructed the Winter Soldier to kill Captain America, Black Widow, and anyone else helping him. Eventually, the fight came down to Cap versus Winter Soldier and we witnessed something special. These two guys went at each other with an abundance of attacks. Punches, kicks, and even a German suplexes from Cap.
It didn’t matter if Winter Soldier was using his knife and metal arm or Cap was using his shield, neither guy had a clear advantage. It wasn’t until Cap unmasked him that the fight stopped. Who knows how the fight would have ended if that didn’t happen.
Winner: Captain America
This was the benchmark of one-on-one fights. The moves were fluid and it seemed like that either person could win. Bucky flipped his knife and attacked smoothly and Cap adjusted to avoid getting cuts. Bucky would shoot his guns and Cap would block and dodge. Never has there been a more evenly matched fight.
Also, it was fast paced without being blurry. Even with all the fancy moves, there was still a lot of brutality. And just when you thought the fight couldn’t get any better, you get the reveal that Winter Solder is Cap’s old best friend. A perfect combination of action and a dramatic ending.
This was a step in showing how magnificent of a fighter Steve Rogers is. He doesn’t just throw his shield around. He has an assortment of attacks in his repertoire and it showed.
Marvel Studios’ AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR..Star-Lord/Peter Quill (Chris Pratt)..Photo: Film Frame..©Marvel Studios 2018
2. The Avengers vs. Thanos
Movie: Avengers: Infinity War
Thanos may have beaten the Hulk with ease, but he hadn’t fought an entire team of beings who were prepared for him. Star Lord put a plan together that was perfect. Iron Man, Spider-Man, Drax, Nebula, Star Lord, Mantis, and Doctor Strange all played their parts flawlessly.
Everything would have worked if Star Lord hadn’t have found out that Thanos sacrificed Gamora. Star Lord got emotional and hit Thanos causing Mantis to lose her grip. After that, Thanos got loose and that was the beginning of the end.
Winner: Thanos
The fighting was smooth and made everyone look great. Each character showed off their amazing abilities, but it also showed how unstoppable Thanos is. He wielded the Infinity Stones and used them in ways that were just breathtaking. The only thing that may have been more impressive was Doctor Strange. He gave the world a taste of what a Sorcerer Supreme can do. He even turned a blast from the Infinity Gauntlet into moths. At one point it even looked like Strange might actually win. But, as we found out, they had to lose in order to save the universe.
This fight truly showed the world why Thanos is supposed to be feared. It’s one thing to have the Infinity Stones, it’s another to use them well. For example, Thanos crushed a moon, took the broken pieces, and threw them at his enemies. No way anyone could compete with this kind of power and the creativity to use it.
Credit: Marvel Studios/Walt Disney Pictures; from Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)
1. Captain America vs. S.H.I.E.L.D.
Movie: Captain America: Winter Soldier
We’ve seen Steve Rogers fight in a couple of movies previous to this, but Captain America: Winter Soldier displayed Cap’s skill on a more intense level. His first real challenge was going up against S.H.I.E.L.D. agents in an elevator. Cap had to take on a bunch of highly trained goons and get it done quickly.
A great moment came when he noticed he was about to get into a fight. He saw the nervous sweat running down their faces, the agents not looking him in the face, and the way they surrounded him and kept hands on their weapons. He then said, “Before we get started, does anyone want to get out?”
Winner: Captain America
Who would have thought that a fight in an elevator would have been so good? Outnumbered and in tight quarters, Cap was at a major disadvantage. On top of that, the agents had advanced tech to keep Cap restrained and in pain. None of that mattered. Captain America came out victorious leaving everyone unconscious. This was the best choreographed fight in the MCU. With so little room to maneuver, this could have been a disaster. Instead, it was a work of art.
This movie was possibly the reason we have all of the hallway fight scenes in the Marvel Netflix shows. The biggest thing that came out of this fight was how the audience perceived Captain America as a fighter.
What has been your favorite Marvel Cinematic Universe fight scene of all time? Are there any MCU fight scenes you’re surprised didn’t make the cut? Keep the conversation going in the comments section below!