The 10 Best Marvel Cinematic Universe Moments From All 21 Films

The long wait for Marvel fans will soon be over. Not just an answer to Infinity War's shocking cliffhanger, Avengers: Endgame stands as the culmination of 11 years of production, 21 movies and more than 18 billion dollars in box office revenue worldwide. It's no wonder then that the buzz built up before Endgame can only be described as legendary, with ticket pre-sales even crashing major theater servers.

From the legacy of everyone's favorite Captain to the record-breaking Black Panther, Marvel's Cinematic Universe has created a group of films that range from perfectly acceptable summer blockbusters to true cinematic masterpieces. Before Avengers:Endgame, here's a look back on ten of the best moments from all 21 Marvel films.

10. Spider-Man meets the parents

Marvel took on the burden of a lifetime in welcoming Spider-Man back to the MCU. While audiences were mostly grateful they didn't have to watch Uncle Ben die for the umpteenth time, most considered Spider-Man: Homecoming a lighthearted and welcome escape from the heaviness of Captain America: Civil War, which is why the movie's biggest twist stands as one of the best Marvel shocks of all time. When Peter Parker prepares for his date with the gorgeous Liz Allan, all signs, including the killer '80s theme soundtrack playing in the background, point towards a quintessential teen prom night. Vulture opening the door, stopping the music and Peter in his tracks, was a perfect "this can't be good" kind of moment that made the film an instant Marvel classic.

9. Killmonger challenges T'Challa for the Throne

Let's be honest, it's hard to rank a dude who's upset that he got left alone in Oakland next to a giant purple alien bent on wiping out half of the universe's population. Despite this challenge, Killmonger has emerged as one of Marvel's greatest villains to date. Why? It's probably a combination of Michael B. Jordan shirtless and the raw energy and charisma he poured into the role. Regardless, the heart-pounding fight between T'Challa and Killmonger stands as a testament to Black Panther's popularity and one of Marvel's best fight scenes of all time. "Is this your King?"

8. Tony finds out Bucky killed his parents

Civil War may have been one of Marvel's most divisive movies, both figuratively and literally. Whether you were Team Cap, Team Iron Man or Team 'These Are World Renowned Superheroes And You're Telling Me They Can't Just Chill And Talk For Five Seconds," there's no denying the raw emotion Iron Man shows when confronting his long-time co-worker turned frenemy.

7. Thor reclaims his power

In the grand scale of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Thor movies have always ranked somewhere between "hot Shakespeare in the park" and simply acceptable. Thor: Ragnarok took what could have been another dull Thor movie and elevated it to another level, managing to highlight the comedic genius of Chris Hemsworth and the depth of power Thor possesses both as a god and as a character. Nothing shows this win better than Thor, down one eye and his legendary hammer, reclaiming his true power as the God of Thunder. (The choreographed fight to Led Zeppelin afterward doesn't hurt, either.)

6. The Team tries to lift Thor's hammer

While Avengers: Age of Ultron didn't add much in terms of epic Marvel movies, it did give us our closest glimpse of the Avengers as we imagined them after their first film: a group of highly advanced friends living it up the world's only frat house for superheroes. The movie might not be worthy of any laurels, but it does bring up the age old question: Who is worthy? And judging from the tiniest of movements when Captain America tries his hand at the hammer, it might just be our resident First Avenger. A 2.0 version of the iconic schwarma scene, the Avengers collectively trying and failing to lift Thor's hammer almost makes up for the 2 hours and 17 minutes audiences wasted on watching Age of Ultron. Almost.

5. The Avengers Assemble

When bringing up famous Marvel moments, it would almost be irresponsible to exclude the iconic 360 first shot of our heroes. This scene has everything. Bruce Banner riding into New York on a moped and delivering one of the most iconic lines in Marvel history, Black Widow and Hawkeye trying to hold their own next to a literal god and Captain America once again looking like he desperately wants to be back in the '50s.

4. "We Are Groot"

Pegged from the get-go as an irreverent comedy, Guardians of the Galaxy shocked fans with its heartbreaking crash scene. Enveloping his teammates in branches, Groot makes the ultimate sacrifice in a scene bound to make even the most stoic of Marvel fans shed a tear. Thankfully, in true Marvel fashion, this isn't the last we see of the beloved Guardian, as Marvel doesn't even wait until the next movie to show a baby potted Groot dancing along to Jackson 5's hit song, "I Want You Back."

3. "Til The End of the Line"

There's something to be said for a bromance that just won't quit. Every Captain America movie in the MCU has involved Steve Rogers fighting monsters and men in order to save his best friend Bucky Barnes (The Winter Soldier/The White Wolf). While Steve Rogers risking life and limb (Bucky's left arm to be exact) is nothing new, there is something epic about watching Captain America's choose to die rather than fight his best friend any longer. And judging from Bucky's response of dragging Cap's lifeless body from the Potomac, even his amnesia rattled brain agrees.

2. The Snap takes Spider-Man

Yes, Thanos killed a lot of people, including some of our favorite superheroes. But audiences everywhere agree that nothing hurt as much as the disintegration of the newest Avenger. Spider-Man's heartfelt pleas of "I don't want to go" caused a wave of heartbreak (and a flurry of memes). While the drop of Spider-Man: Far From Home's official trailer assured fans that Spider-Man would see the light of day after Endgame, the death of everyone's favorite web slinger was still hard to bear.

1. "I Am Iron Man"

Before 21 movies, countless superheroes and an empire of a cinematic universe, this is the moment that started it all. In front of a room full of reporters, Tony blusters through a shot at humility, trying to convince the crowd that he's "not the hero type." Instead, with four words, he launches his reign as Marvel's first succesful superhero and starts a journey that will last long after Endgame's credits roll.