The first Phase of the Marvel Cinematic Universe had some seemingly innocent moments that have gone on to become quite dark in the context of the longer series. Compared to other films in the MCU, Phase One was quite darker in tone, not yet touched by the sanitization of Marvel Studios under the Disney banner. Yet later films have managed to put a great many beats from the first five films into a more somber perspective, darkening the early franchise even more.
✕ Remove Ads
There are several ways later events in the Marvel Cinematic Universe have put specific scenes from Phase One into a jarringly darker context. Sometimes, it’s mere convenience that puts certain events into a darker perspective when compared to the later darkest moments of the MCU. More often than not, however, the series is very deliberate about the story beats it seeded early one, paying them off later with some heart-breaking revelations.
10 “I Am Iron Man” Got Better & Darker Years Later
Iron Man
Perhaps the single most iconic line read in the entire Marvel Cinematic Universe, Tony Stark’s admission of being Iron Man at the end of his debut film sent shockwaves through the franchise for years to come. Not only is it impressive that Robert Downey Jr. improvised the line, but it did away with secret identities (for the most part) being a central element of the MCU’s drama. As of Avengers: Endgame, the quote “I am Iron Man” gained even more grave significance.
✕ Remove Ads
After Thanos seemingly is about to get away with performing his snap with the Infinity Stones for a second time, he smugly declares “I am inevitable“, only to realize Iron Man pickpocketed the stones from under his nose. In response, Tony repeats the same line he said at the press conference all those years ago before snapping away the Mad Titan along with his army. Looking back, the original line has now become a chilling portent of Tony’s own death.
9 Thor’s Early Conflict With Odin Constantly Looks Different In Hindsight
Thor
Thor has had quite a tumultuous journey throughout the Marvel Cinematic Universe. While the God of Thunder may have once been a confident warrior, his banishment to Earth and the enchantment of Mjölnir to only allow itself to be lifted by the worthy was merely the beginning of his long road to humbleness. Odin’s distaste for Thor’s reckless behavior, which prompted this response, seems all the more grave considering what he knew to be coming in later movies.
✕ Remove Ads
In Thor: Ragnarok, Odin reveals that he seemed to know his time was coming, and with his death would come his tyrannical secret child, Hela. A painful ghost of Odin’s past life as a vicious conqueror himself, Hela being on the horizon makes it more obvious why he was so desperate to mature his son into a wise, capable, and kind leader. In hindsight, Odin seemed to be ashamed of his bloody past, hoping Thor could become the peaceful, benevolent, yet strong ruler he never was before Hela’s arrival.
8 Loki’s Debut Got Darker & Darker As The MCU Continued
The Avengers
Few figures in the Marvel Cinematic Universe are as tragic as Loki, the God of Mischief. Despite being the earliest multi-movie villain of the series, as early as his first appearance, Loki is given some sort of sympathy by the narrative, presented as someone who could’ve been a much kinder god under different circumstances. His story only becomes more tragic with the later implication that he may have been being manipulated by Thanos into committing the atrocities he does in The Avengers.
✕ Remove Ads
According to one theory, Loki was mind-controlled by Thanos, at least partially, into invading New York in The Avengers. Using the Mind Stone as a conduit, Thanos was supposedly able to convince Loki to invade Earth with his Chitauri Army, setting into motion the events of the Infinity War. The MCU has since confirmed this theory as being accurate, making his villainous appearance in the first crossover thing far more terrifying than it originally seemed.
7 Iron Man’s Journey Through The Portal Began His Dark Paranoia
The Avengers
If it weren’t for Iron Man, it’s tough to say if The Avengers would’ve won the Battle for New York in their debut film. Directing a massive missile into the portal opened by the Chitauri, Iron Man was able to detonate the powerful warhead directly on the aliens’ mothership, disabling all of their cybernetic warriors in one fell swoop. Tony has a terrifying near-death experience as his systems wink out, barely managing to fall back through the portal before it closes through sheer luck.
✕ Remove Ads
This event went on to give Tony Stark significant PTSD, the symptoms of which were explored in the underrated Iron Man 3. Not only that, but his experience in space and brush with the aliens’ leadership made him more fervent than ever to create a “suit of armor around the world” that could protect the Earth from future invaders such as Thanos. This idea eventually gave way to the creation of Ultron, another event that nearly destroyed the planet.
6 Bucky Barnes’ Fall Had Some Grisly And Wide-Reaching Results
Captain America: The First Avenger
Though it might not have seemed like it at the time, Bucky’s “death” in Captain America: The First Avenger has had some of the darkest and widest-reaching effects of any event in the entirety of Phase One. Steve Rogers’ childhood friend, Bucky Barnes became a highly-decorated sniper and special ops soldier who got the chance to fight alongside his old buddy in the Howling Commandos. However, this career would end in tragedy as his botched rescue led to his apparent death and capture at the hands of HYDRA.
✕ Remove Ads
Under HYDRA’s cruel experimentation, Bucky becomes the Winter Soldier, an event that went on to have a tremendous impact on the rest of the series. Most importantly, The Winter Soldier’s murder of Howard and Maria Stark specifically played a massive role in the split of The Avengers in Captain America: Civil War. Knowing what the future has in store for Bucky’s MCU journey makes the sight of him disappearing into the snow in Captain America: The First Avenger a chilling one indeed.
5 The Tesseract Turned Red Skull Into An Immortal Guide
Captain America: The First Avenger
It isn’t just heroes in the MCU who are thrown into bizarre, painful circumstances, especially in Captain America: The First Avenger. Red Skull is far from a sympathetic villain, a Nazi and HYDRA agent obsessed with harnessing the power of ancient artifacts like the Tesseract. However, it’s not fun to imagine the reality he experienced after being teleported across the cosmos by the very power he sought to control.
✕ Remove Ads
According to Red Skull in Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame, the Cosmic Cube turns him into an almost spiritual guide, clad in flowing robes that, when added to his skeletal visage, gives the appearance of an avatar of death. It’s hard to imagine what he went through being bent, seemingly unwillingly, into a mouthpiece for the Infinity Stones themselves. The decades of isolation on Vormir can’t have been pleasant, with only unworthy seekers of the Soul Stone and alien rocks to keep his sanity from fraying more than his clothes.
4 Loki’s Words At The End Of Thor Are Echoed In His Own Finale
Thor
Once again, Loki’s tragic journey through the MCU colors his early appearances in tragedy. Nowhere is this more intentional than with the ending of Thor, Loki’s very first appearance in the franchise, which eventually ends up echoing his last. Dangling from the Bifrost Bridge, Loki begs his father for understanding, insisting that he only did what did for the benefit of all of Asgard, stating “I did it for you, for all of us“.
✕ Remove Ads
Loki ends up saying the exact same words to his new friends in the season finale of Loki, which deliberately references Loki’s Phase One appearances. Not only does the finale’s title, Glorious Purpose, evoke Loki’s words in The Avengers, “I am burned with glorious purpose“, but he ends up repeating his same line from the ending of Thor. It’s truly tear-jerking to watch Loki go through his early struggle for acceptance and recognition, knowing where his path through the series ultimately leads him.
3 Iron Man And Black Widow Are The First Two Original Avengers To Meet, And The First To Die
Iron Man 2
Easily the most-disparaged movie of Phase One, it’s no wonder that Iron Man 2 isn’t exactly drowning in poignant scenes that remain relevant far later into the MCU’s history. But if there’s one moment in the film that’s almost hard to watch with the knowledge of future films, it’s Black Widow’s introduction. The scene is quite playful and humorous in a way the MCU most likely wouldn’t attempt now, with Tony Stark meeting Natasha Romanoff under her fake identity, clearly smitten with her good looks and skills.
✕ Remove Ads
Though it isn’t celebrated with much fanfare, this moment marks the first time in the MCU that two Avengers actually meet. Sadly, Black Widow and Iron Man are not only the first two original Avengers to meet, but also the first two to die, both perishing in Avengers: Endgame. It’s tough to see Natasha (or Natalie, as she goes by here) and Tony Stark meet so casually knowing the tragic history they’d both share in the later Infinity Saga.
2 Black Widow And Hawkeye’s Budapest Reference Became Way Darker Than It Seemed
The Avenger
Almost a recurring gag in early phases of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Hawkeye and Black Widow’s infamous botched mission in Budapest is referenced several times. The first of these references occurs in the Battle for New York, in which Black Widow remarks to Hawkeye about the similarities between the two missions, only for Hawkeye to coldly shut her down, claiming that the two of them remember it differently. It’s only in Black Widow that the true context of the Budapest mission is finally revealed.
✕ Remove Ads
As it turns out, Budapest was a true low point in both the careers of Black Widow and Hawkeye. Being the mission of good faith that finally allowed Natasha Romanoff to defect from the Black Widow program, in Budapest, the two detonated explosives that assassinated the man behind the Red Room, General Dreykov, alongside his innocent daughter. Even if Antonia ended up surviving and becoming Taskmaster, hearing Black Widow reference the event so callously in The Avengers makes Hawkeye’s response quite understandable.
1 Tony’s Weapons Testing Is Put Into Perspective By Wanda And Pietro Maximoff
Iron Man
✕ Remove Ads
Part of what made the early MCU work so well was Tony Stark’s captivating arc from uncaring war profiteer to selfless hero. In the opening moments of Iron Man, Tony’s ego goes on full display as he tests one of his latest “Jericho” missiles, holding out his arms like a vengeful god as the shockwave from the explosion roils around him. It’s a captivating image, but it’s important to remember that weapons like these had a very real effect on the lives of other characters in the series, even other Avengers.
In WandaVision, the truth behind Scarlet Witch’s words in Avengers: Age of Ultron is shown, watching as a Stark Industries bomb lodges itself in her home, nearly killing her and her brother. It takes a near-death experience at the hands of the Ten Rings for Tony to realize the error of his ways, but shots like the Jericho missile testing make it clear in hindsight that Tony has real blood on his hands. Complicated characters like this are a huge part of what made the early MCU so successful.
✕ Remove Ads
Upcoming MCU Movies
-
Your changes have been saved
Email is sent
Email has already been sent
My List My Favorite MoviesMy Watchlist
Success!
Captain America: Brave New World
Release Date February 14, 2025
-
Your changes have been saved
Email is sent
Email has already been sent
My List My Favorite MoviesMy Watchlist
Success!
Thunderbolts*
Release Date May 2, 2025
-
Your changes have been saved
Email is sent
Email has already been sent
My List My Favorite MoviesMy Watchlist
Success!
The Fantastic Four: First Steps
Release Date July 25, 2025
-
Your changes have been saved
Email is sent
Email has already been sent
My List My Favorite MoviesMy Watchlist
Success!
Avengers: Doomsday (2026)
Release Date
-
Your changes have been saved
Email is sent
Email has already been sent
My List My Favorite MoviesMy Watchlist
Success!
Spider-Man Homecoming 4
Release Date July 24, 2026
-
Your changes have been saved
Email is sent
Email has already been sent
My List My Favorite MoviesMy Watchlist
Success!
Avengers: Secret Wars
Release Date May 7, 2027
