In 2008, the only superhero movies we knew were schlocky, uneven fairs like the X-Men and Spider-Man franchises and the gritty, clouded worlds of Christopher Nolan’s Batman movies. Then Iron Man hit theaters. The first entry into the Marvel Cinematic Universe hit theaters in a big way, not just because of its tribute to comics as a medium, but because of how it brought levity and comedy back to the genre. It was a revelation in its time and only set up a precedent for movies to come.
Since Iron Man, the MCU has become more confident in its comedy and has only gotten funnier. With over 20 films in the universe so far, there have been hundreds of hilarious moments, so it’s impossible to count them all.
We gave it a shot though. Here are FANDOM’s picks for the 10 funniest MCU moments.
“NOTHING GOES OVER MY HEAD”
Guardians of the Galaxy
Nobody was sure how most aspects of Guardians of the Galaxy were going to land, but one of the most intriguing was to see how WWE wrestler Dave Bautista would portray Drax the Destroyer. The character was ill-defined in the comics and Bautista had never acted on the big screen, so we definitely had some questions. When the movie introduced the idea that Drax’s people took everything literally, it was a shining moment of brilliance and Bautista was able to run with it. His now-famous rebuttal, “Nothing goes over my head. My reflexes are too fast. I’d catch it,” cemented Drax as the comedic surprise of Guardians, but also cemented Bautista as an actor to watch.
WHEN HULK CRUSHED LOKI
The Avengers
Loki’s going to appear a lot on this list, partially because it feels cathartic to watch the villain become the butt of the joke. After fighting Loki for the bulk of The Avengers, he finally gets what’s coming to him in an epic Hulk smackdown. He can gloat all he wants and taut about his power, but when it comes to the Hulk, he’s nothing but a “puny God.”
SHAWARMA
The Avengers
The MCU has, arguably, two influential post-credits scenes. One is of course at the end of Iron Man with the introduction of the Avengers Initiative. The second is at the end of Avengers. The team has defeated Loki and their own egos to save the world. So they get together to relax in a shawarma restaurant and just sit in absolute silence. It’s awkward and uncomfortable. They’re exhausted after the harrowing battle, so it makes sense that as the scene goes on, it gets even more awkward and uncomfortable. It’s still an unexpectedly hilarious bit that began the MCU’s trend of innocuous and comedic post-credit scenes.
TRYING TO PICK UP MJOLNIR
Avengers: Age of Ultron
Avengers: Age of Ultron isn’t as solid a flick as a lot of its MCU counterparts, but it does include one of the franchise’s funniest scenes and, eventually, punchlines. The first act of Ultron contains a lot of levity, including the post-party drinking session, which sees our heroes try to lift Thor’s hammer. It’s a great way to see how close everybody is to “worthy” and Thor’s reactions to Cap jiggling the hilt just a bit. However, the payoff comes in the third act, when Vision picks it up without any effort. Thor’s silence is almost worth the price of admission.
CAPTAIN AMERICA’S “PATIENCE” SPEECH
Spider-Man: Homecoming
Spider-Man: Homecoming is filled with hilarious moments, but its most memorable comes following the credits. Thanks in part to the “Shawarma” sequence in Avengers, after-credits scenes became irreverent and almost pointless, but in the best way, and Homecoming might have the most “disappointing” one. Throughout Homecoming, Captain America appeared in cheesy PSAs aimed at high school students. In this one, he addresses the movie-going audience personally, telling them that patience is an important virtue, even though “sometimes it leads to very little.”
“HE KNOWS HOW MUCH I LIKE SNAKES”
Thor: Ragnarok
This exchange is probably the ultimate example of director Taika Waititi’s unique brand of dry, subverting humor and, in a sense, it sums up the movie. Like any siblings, Thor and Loki squabble. A lot of that fighting leads to possible world-ending consequences, but sometimes it just ends in adorable mischief. During Thor: Ragnarok, as the Revengers (title pending) discuss whether to accept Loki into their group, Thor recounts a tale from their childhood when Loki, knowing how much Thor loved snakes, transformed himself into one and stabbed him. Hemsworth’s animated whispering as both Bruce Banner and Valkyrie look on in befuddlement, followed by Loki’s slight chuckle, make this not only a defining moment for the two Asgardians, but one of the most quietly funny moments throughout the entire MCU.
WHEN BRUCE BANNER JUMPS FROM THE SHIP ON ASGARD
Thor: Ragnarok
Yes, it’s another moment from Thor: Ragnarok, but we can’t help if it’s one of the funniest movies in the MCU. In this one, Thor is fighting Hela’s minions in Asgard. Bruce knows that the Hulk would be a huge help so he gets ready to jump from the ship hovering over the Bifrost. He pumps up the moment to Valkyrie, who by this time hasn’t made the connection between the scrawny guy in a blazer and her big green friend. The audience is also ready for the transformation as Bruce jumps — only to slam onto the ground and crumple into a heap of broken bones and groaning. It’s the Hulk’s best entrance since “I’m always angry.”
“I’VE BEEN FALLING FOR 30 MINUTES”
Thor: Ragnarok
Last Ragnarok moment, I swear! Thor is on the hunt for his father and he has the answers he’s looking for after talking to Doctor Strange, but he needs to get his brother back first. Strange releases Loki from portal hell, but his reaction to falling for so long is unexpected. Waititi revels in subverting audience expectations with childish reactions or mundane reactions and Loki’s recounting of the time is a bit of both.
“WHAT ARE THOSE?!”
Black Panther
We weren’t sure what to expect when we set foot in Wakanda for the first time, but just because it’s isolated doesn’t mean it can’t be modern. Shuri immediately stole our hearts in Black Panther, not just because of her confidence, intelligence, and loyalty to her family, but her ability to take a years-old meme and make it funny again.
“IT IS TRUTH SERUM!”
Ant-Man and the Wasp
The Marvel films have plenty of supporting characters that are able to stand out despite not getting into a pair of tights, but Luis manages to beat him all. The former cellmate and current business partner of Scott Lang has a lot to say, which sometimes leads to him going off on montage-filled tangents when attempting to tell simple stories. Those tales stole the show in the first Ant-Man but Ant-Man and the Wasp takes it to a whole new level when Luis is given “not truth serum,” leading to his best rant to date. It’s filled with wigs, flashbacks, cutaways, amazing lip-syncing, and the quickest fast-talking that Michael Peña could probably muster for what might be the perfect Luis story.
