10 Biggest Jaw Dropping Betrayals in the MCU (So Far)
The Marvel Cinematic Universe has no shortage of excitement, thrills and compelling stories of heroics. From its beginnings in 2008's Iron Man to the upcoming May 2022 release of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, fans have taken in the progressive narrative of great feats of strength, and greater bonds of friendship connected across galaxies.
However, not all friendships and alliances are built to last. For every Steve Rogers & Bucky Barnes, there is a Tony Stark & Obadiah Stane. While some rivalries are clear from the outset of the film, there are also many moments in the MCU when a character's sudden change in allegiance takes viewers by surprise.
Former agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. Sharon Carter has seen her share of darkness in the 5 years following Thanos' snap of terror across the universe. Hardened by her surroundings and need to survive, Sharon ends up forsaking the intelligence communities that shaped her and proceeds to make one black market dealing after another for her own gain.
In her status as the Power Broker, Sharon has evolved into something akin to the Hydra-infiltrated version of S.H.I.E.L.D. that she fought so hard to destroy in Captain America: The Winter Soldier. Viewers are left temporarily with a glimmer of hope at the end of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier when Sharon accepts a position with the CIA. Sadly, this redemptive moment is short-lived when Sharon leverages her new position to continue her Power Broker work.
General Dreykov is the overseer of the MCU's Red Room, training ground for assassins in Black Widow. Natasha Romanoff and Clint Barton launch an attack on Dreykov's Budapest location, leaving both he and his daughter Antonia for dead. Not only does Dreykov survive the attack and continue to seek revenge and wreak havoc on the world, he now does so with his weaponized, brainwashed daughter who now goes by the name Taskmaster.
Red Room horrors notwithstanding, it is a new low of treachery for Dreykov to see his daughter, a miraculous survivor, as less of family and more as his favorite weapon. The dehumanization of his daughter is a betrayal on an even more sinister level. Dreykov lacks any loyalty, no matter how close the person may be.
Revelations abound in Eternals, particularly that the heroes' existence is simply to preserve Earth until its intended date of destruction. The destruction of Earth is a byproduct of the birth of a new celestial and Ikaris, loyal to his cause, accepts this fate. However, leader Ajak no longer agrees and wishes to delay the catastrophic event. This conflict leads to Ikaris' betrayal, sending Ajak to her death.
Ikaris' creed and belief in his mission blinds him so much it leads him to throw away literally centuries of relationship with Ajak, and his other fellow Eternals as well. The decision does weigh heavily on Ikaris and the rest of his story arc seems to indicate that he carries a measure of regret, but it is too late.
In an inverse to Eternals, Natasha Romanoff values the person over the mission. In Captain America: Civil War, chaos has ensued as the Avengers have fractured and are doing battle amongst themselves. Steve and Bucky attempt to escape the fray in order to continue an investigation that will clear hero-turned-villain-turned-hero Bucky's name, and Natasha, fighting on the opposing side, betrays Team Iron Man and assists in the escape.
This interaction would never happen if Steve had not proven his merit and integrity to Natasha in previous films. He set the example for Natasha of prioritizing people over the mission, and has clearly left a strong impression on her, as she hesitantly decides to return the favor. It is a betrayal, but this time there is an admirable quality to the decision being made.
Mystery surrounds WandaVision from the very beginning. Viewers are quickly introduced to quirky neighbor Agnes who always seems to show up at crucial moments. It is not until later that Agnes is revealed to be the ultra-powerful Agatha Harkness, a witch who has been manipulating events from the very beginning of the show.
The magnetic blend of charm and sinister intentions is what makes Agatha transcendent. She attempts to steal the very core of what makes Wanda powerful, both in her status as a witch and a mother, not to mention killing the family dog. To top it all off, how many betrayals come with their own theme song?
Spider-Man: Far From Home takes place in the aftermath of Tony Stark's death, leaving Peter Parker without a mentor. Enter Mysterio, another super being with high intelligence who takes Peter under his wing. Not long after gaining Peter's trust is it revealed that Mysterio was only using Spidey to further enact his own evil intentions.
This comes at such a cruel time for Peter. The young hero is alone, abandoned, and the world in its collective mourning will not allow Parker a moment's respite to get his mind off of Tony Stark. Mysterio using this need to grieve and seizing the opportunity in the absence of a mentor makes this a doubly evil act.
MCU viewers who tuned in to Hawkeye were introduced to Maya "Echo" Lopez, the hearing impaired commander of the Tracksuit Mafia, and Kazimierz "Kazi" Kazmierczak, her ASL communicating right-hand man. Echo is obsessed with exacting revenge upon Ronin for the murder of her father, but only comes to learn later in the series that Ronin was tipped off for the opportunity - and the strongest evidence points to Kazi being the informant.
What is interesting about this double-cross is that Kazi is continuing to be loyal to Maya. Despite the major impact he created by allegedly tipping off Ronin and leading to Maya's father's death, Kazi seems to truly care for Maya. He even goes so far as to pay for his treachery with his life, but not before trying to convince Maya to give up her dreams of revenge.
In Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, Peter Quill meets his celestial father Ego, played by the always-welcome Kurt Russell. Ego in discloses to Peter that he's been searching all over the galaxy for his estranged offspring in order to assist him in taking over the universe. Later on, it is further revealed that once, Yondu Udonta, the trafficker of Ego's offspring, wise to Ego's intentions, refuses to return the boy to his father.
This incident proves that not all deceptions are inherently bad. The decision by Yondu carries multiple consequences with it. Yondu experiences personal growth as a character, forms a bond with the would-be Star-Lord, and preemptively saves the universe by delaying its potential destruction.
In the Disney+ series What If...? episode 3, "What If...the World Lost Its Mightiest Heroes?" Hank Pym, an ally of S.H.I.E.L.D. begins to exact revenge upon Nick Fury by assassinating the Avengers as Fury attempts to recruit them. By the end of the episode, viewers learn that Pym's motivation was out of revenge due to the untimely death of his own daughter Hope, killed in the line of duty as an agent of S.H.I.E.L.D.
There is vengeance, and there is murdering an entire team of superheroes just to get a point across. Hank's loss drives him to betray the organization he and his daughter were supporting. The sheer personal nature and amount of chaos Hank is determined to leave in his wake is what makes this particular betrayal so intense.
2018's Black Panther is not short on betrayals within its story. Wakandan royal brothers come to blows, and tragically N'Jobu is killed by T'Chaka, leaving behind a son with no family to speak of and no knowledge of his homeland. The child is abandoned in order to "maintain the lie" that N'Jobu simply disappeared and cover up Wakanda's role in the tragedy.
The child N'Jadaka, better known as the sympathetic villain Killmonger, is formed from this trauma. This betrayal resonates on a deeper level due to its personal nature. It also presents a cold, uncharacteristically heartless portrayal of Wakanda, the desire to put the "good" of the nation ahead of caring for one of its native citizens. By doing so, it nullifies the very objective that Wakanda is attempting to accomplish.