The 10 Best Action Sequences From The MCU Phase Three
The Marvel Cinematic Universe is well into Phase Four now with multiversal heroes joining from pre-existing franchises and B-tier Avengers like Wanda Maximoff and Sam Wilson finally getting the spotlight they deserve. After the immense sense of finality in Endgame, some Marvel fans feared that Phase Four would struggle to keep the story going, but ambitious hits like WandaVision and Spider-Man: No Way Home have proven that Kevin Feige is just getting started.
From Captain America: Civil War to Spider-Man: Far From Home, Phase Three stepped up the MCU’s action with such breathtaking sequences as Spidey saving the Washington Monument and Thor’s gladiatorial match with the Hulk.
10 Dormammu, I’ve Come To Bargain (Doctor Strange)
Scott Derrickson’s Doctor Strange mostly follows the familiar structure of Marvel origin movies, but its third act culminates in a delightfully subversive final battle. By 2016, the MCU had become infamous for its cookie-cutter battle sequences.
In the final act of his first solo adventure, Strange creates a time loop to prevent the kind of big, devastating battle sequence that Marvel movies usually end with. By trapping Dormammu in a time loop, Strange specifically avoids widespread destruction.
9 Captain America Fights His Younger Self (Avengers: Endgame)
When Earth’s Mightiest Heroes figured out time travel in Avengers: Endgame, it was inevitable that one of them would fight their younger self. Steve Rogers, one of the two flagship heroes whose MCU tenure comes full circle in Endgame, was the perfect character for this unique conflict.
There’s a fun nod to Cap’s familiar catchphrase – 2012 Cap says, “I could do this all day,” and an exhausted 2023 Cap tells him, “Yeah, I know” – and the resolution of the action is driven by character, not brawn. The older Steve uses his knowledge of Bucky’s true fate to distract his former self long enough to incapacitate him with the Mind Stone.
8 Mysterio’s Illusions (Spider-Man: Far From Home)
When Jon Watts returned to helm the MCU’s second Spider-Man solo movie, he beautifully realized the visual potential of Mysterio’s illusions. In one second-act sequence, Peter thinks he’s talking Nick Fury, but he’s actually caught in another one of Mysterio’s elaborate tricks.
Spidey is plunged headfirst into Mysterio’s web of illusions, seeing everything from a hall of mirrors to a zombified Iron Man. This is one of the most impressive CG sequences in the whole MCU (a franchise that’s notorious for shaky CGI).
7 The Guardians Slay An Interdimensional Beast (Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2)
The opening scene of James Gunn’s Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 perfectly reintroduces the titular interstellar mercenaries as the Guardians defend some valuable tech from a giant, slimy monster.
Baby Groot kicks off the sequence by dancing to ELO’s “Mr. Blue Sky” while his cohorts are busy fighting the beast. There’s a nice balance between hilarious banter and spectacular action.
6 Thor Vs. The Hulk (Thor: Ragnarok)
With Taika Waititi at the helm, Thor: Ragnarok places a lot more focus on the humor than the action. But there’s still plenty of exciting action, like the fireworks-laden escape through the “Devil’s Anus,” and Thor’s gladiatorial match with the Hulk.
The reveal of the Hulk as the Grandmaster’s champion was spoiled by the trailers, but it’s still a fun moment in the movie – “He’s a friend from work!” – and the ensuing fight, with green-fisted smackdowns and bolts of lightning, doesn’t disappoint.
5 Killmonger Fights T’Challa For The Throne (Black Panther)
One of the few glaring weaknesses in the MCU’s first Best Picture nominee, Black Panther, is the final fight between T’Challa and Killmonger. Chadwick Boseman and Michael B. Jordan nail the emotions, but the CGI is bland and lightweight.
The first showdown between the movie’s hero and villain is much more compelling. After revealing his Wakandan heritage, Killmonger challenges T’Challa to the throne – the same challenge he faced effortlessly with a different opponent earlier in the movie – and, much to the audience’s surprise, Killmonger wins the ritualistic combat by a landslide. He claims the throne, then throws T’Challa over the waterfall to certain doom.
4 The Battle Of Earth (Avengers: Endgame)
A big part of Endgame’s sense of finality comes from its mega-sized climactic battle sequence. Feige topped the carnage of battles like the Battle of New York, the Battle of Sokovia, and the Battle of Titan with Endgame’s “Battle of Earth.”
Just as Steve Rogers is about to face Thanos and his armies alone with a broken shield, the Masters of the Mystic Arts open up a bunch of portals and Steve is joined by just about every single superhero in the universe to fight against the Mad Titan’s forces. Surrounded by this much backup, Cap finally utters the phrase, “Avengers... assemble!” Iron Man’s sacrifice made a satisfying finale for both the movie itself and the entire Infinity Saga.
3 Spidey Saves The Washington Monument (Spider-Man: Homecoming)
In Spider-Man: Homecoming’s most suspenseful sequence, Ned unwittingly takes volatile alien tech onto an elevator in the Washington Monument and nearly destroys the landmark. In a race against time, Spidey desperately swings into action to pull the column together and save his friends from the faulty elevator.
Director Jon Watts masterfully cross-cuts between Peter’s friends in danger and Peter himself trying to scale the monument in time, creating palpable tension throughout the sequence. The dazzling aerial cinematography is created with greenscreens, so the heights aren’t quite authentic, but Watts’ shot choices give the audience a refreshing sense of perspective.
2 The Battle Of Titan (Avengers: Infinity War)
The final act of Avengers: Infinity War cuts between two different battles: the Battle of Titan and the Battle of Wakanda. In the Battle of Titan, by far the most focused and well-crafted of the two, Thanos singlehandedly takes on Iron Man, Spider-Man, Doctor Strange, and the Guardians of the Galaxy in the ruins of his home planet.
Unlike the Battle of Wakanda, this one doesn’t have an army of faceless goons – just a handful of heroes facing off against their most powerful enemy to date. Everybody uses their powers creatively in this sequence, from Strange using an illusion to duplicate himself to Iron Man using his thrusters to catch a falling moon.
1 Steve Protects Bucky From Tony (Captain America: Civil War)
One of the most talked-about action scenes from Captain America: Civil War is the airport battle. But it’s not the movie’s best action sequence. It has some fun character beats, but its visuals are dull and its pacing is disjointed. The airport battle is the movie’s large-scale climactic action sequence, despite taking place in the second act, which allowed the final set-piece – Civil War’s greatest action sequence (and arguably Phase Three’s greatest action sequence) – to be a subversively intimate, character-driven fight between heroes who were once friends.
Just when Tony and Steve are starting to get along, Tony learns that Bucky killed his parents. This powerful conflict puts Steve in a difficult spot: he understands why Tony wants Bucky dead, but he can’t let anything happen to his childhood best friend. The ramifications of this smackdown affected the whole of Phase Three up to Endgame’s satisfying conclusion.