After a 2021 full of terrific MCU TV shows, Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness (set to be released in May 2022) promises a much-awaited return to the big screens packed with twists and turns. And, considering that one of its protagonists (or antagonists, depending on how it plays out) will be Wanda Maximoff and that these events occur after Westview, it will also be packed with feelings.
Throughout its almost fifteen years of construction, the Marvel Cinematic Universe has bet a lot of its cards on making justice to the characters, as well as on delivering audiences both fulfilling and sour moments. The result is an overall enjoyable experience that leaves the door open to pain from mere words.
The Fall of Strange
"You ruined me."
Doctor Strange has been one of the most praised movies of Phase 3. It stars Benedict Cumberbatch as Dr. Stephen Strange, a famous neurosurgeon who eventually becomes a Master of the Mystic Arts.
Strange's career is set back when he suffers a brutal accident that irreversibly damages his hands. Dr. Nicodemus West tries his best to fix the injuries, but Strange remains unable to go back to performing surgeries. Despite his arrogance so far at this point, the audience is called upon to empathize with this character's struggle. It is true that his words to Dr. Wes are harsh and undeserving, but they are also a desperate cry for the expectations Strange had set for himself and his future, now destroyed.
Scott Lang's Return
"You're so big."
In Avengers: Endgame, Scott Lang was able to escape the Quantum Realm after being stuck there for five years. He then anxiously searches San Francisco for his loved ones, afraid that they were all dead.
The tension pays off as he reaches his ex-wife's house where he is reunited with his daughter Cassie. Relieved that she was alive after all, they hug, crying together. He realizes that she is no longer his little girl and that he had missed the last five years of her life. The bittersweetness of the situation and its realization by Lang produce an even more emotional and impactful scene.
Nebula's Wish
"I just wanted a sister."
Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 2 paid more attention to some of its secondary characters' arcs than its predecessor. Nebula, played by Karen Gillan, for instance, gets in the limelight.
Nebula and Gamora are fighting on Ego's Planet when Gamora accuses Nebula of crossing the universe only because she wanted to beat her. In a tense comeback, Nebula tells her and the viewers not to presume to know what she wants before remarking bitterly that she "just wanted a sister." It's undoubtedly one of Nebula's best quotes and marks a turning point in the audience's perception of the character, which, up until then, had been dismissed as the "evil sister."
Goblin's Omen
"You can’t escape yourself."
The third Spider-Man movie with Tom Holland as the lead was one of the last hits of 2021. The recurring cast was ed by some familiar faces from old versions of the franchise and No Way Home did its best to strengthen all of them, including the villains.
One of the returning head figures was Willem Dafoe's Norman Osborn. After being brought to the MCU universe, while Norman is slowly regaining control of his body, Goblin accuses him of not being able to escape himself, as they are both parts of the same body. This becomes even more disturbing in light of the role that they will play in Spider-Man's demise, foreshadowing the loneliness Peter will have to endure.
Carter's Almost Subtle Reference
"You’re more than the suit."
In What If...'s first episode, Agent Carter is the one who takes the super-soldier serum instead of Steve Rogers, becoming Captain Carter. When the Tesseract suit used by Rogers is destroyed, she reminds him that "the suit is nothing without the man inside."
It is a sweet moment and a great nod to a recurrent motif in the MCU: power versus the humanity of the hero. It recalls the events of The Avengers when Tony accuses Cap of only being special due to the serum. Later, these characters would become friends fighting together, and their development would lead to Tony trying to on the same message Carter transmits in What If... to his pupil, Peter Parker: "If you are nothing without the suit, then you shouldn't have it".
Wanda's Heart Breaks
"I can't feel you."
WandaVision premiered last year and has been rounding up applause ever since from critics and audiences alike. It stars Elizabeth Olsen, Paul Bettany, and Kathryn Hahn.
In the eighth episode's flashback, she goes to the S.W.O.R.D. Headquarters, but is prevented from retrieving Vision's body for burial by Director Hayward. He does, however, allow her to visit the room where he was being disassembled. While Vision was alive, Wanda could sense him thanks to the Mind Stone, whereas now that link is forever severed. "I can't feel you" is what she says as the painful truth of him never coming back hits her again. It's impactful moments like this that have made WandaVision rank among the highest-rated MCU shows.
It Comes Full-Circle
"I Am Iron Man."
Iron Man/Tony Stark has been part of the MCU from the beginning, so the fans' attachment to the character comes as a surprise to no one, and this Tony Stark quote proves he's the best Avenger.
It was first used by Tony back in Iron Man 3, in which he had ended with a bang: "You can take away my house, all my tricks and toys, but one thing you can't take away - I am Iron Man".
Cap's Missing Chance
"I had a date."
In Captain America: The First Avenger, Steve Rogers sacrifices himself to prevent the plane he is flying from crashing, killing innocent civilians in the process. Upon his return, after being declared dead, he is faced with a heart-wrenching realization.
Until then, his relationship with Agent Peggy Carter had been developing steadily, with her agreeing to go out with him. However, almost seventy years had ed from that point until he was brought back, which meant that Peggy was either dead or had moved on with her life by then. This scene sees Rogers' understandable confusion at a whole new world merging with his apprehension for Penny and desolation for their lost opportunity.
A Heartfelt Goodbye
"Bury me in the ocean."
Killmonger's final moments were an emotional roller coaster. He was a brilliant addition to the Black Panther franchise, with many fans even suggesting that the sequel shouldn't have a villain because they won't beat Michael B. Jordan's character.
After a harsh fight against Chadwick Boseman's T'Challa, Killmonger dies in the arms of his cousin as the sun rises over the Wakandian landscape. Even if Killmonger's plan included questionable means, his last words lay bare his life goal of ending the oppression of African people worldwide. In a clear reference to the atrocities committed during the slavery period, he asks T'Challa to be buried in the ocean with his "ancestors who jumped from ships, 'cause they knew death was better than bondage."
An Accomplished Mission
"You can rest now."
Avengers: Endgame features one of the MCU's saddest moments, when Tony ends up dying, leaving Pepper utterly devastated. Before, however, she manages to stay calm and even smiles at him, as she tells him four of the most heartbreaking words of the entire movie.
Tony retired several times from being Iron Man, but never for good. Despite managing to build a family with Pepper and their daughter Morgan, he ends up reing the Avengers to defeat Thanos after Pepper reminds him that he would not rest until the world was safe. Therefore, she is not simply giving him permission to die, she is assuring him that his mission had been accomplished so that he would die peacefully.
