Are You Ready to Face the Scariest MCU Moments?

By Nick Cimarusti

In the Marvel Cinematic Universe, there’s of course our fair share of scary monsters and super-villains. Heroes gotta have enemies, so naturally we’ve seen some pretty frightening on-screen fights and foes.

There have been Asgardian fire demons, Dark Elves, Gargantos’ Eyeball, and a (not so) surprising amount of zombies. Recently, the MCU even tried its hand at old school horror with Werewolf By Night — to resounding howls of success!

But the scariest moments of the MCU happen when the audience is forced to confront something … a failure, a fear, even reality itself. Here are the top 10 scariest moments in the MCU.

Spoiler Alert: The only thing scarier than the following scenes are the amount of spoilers. You’ve been warned.

Werewolf by Night’s Cage Rage

(Werewolf By Night)

One of Marvel’s most recent additions to the MCU, Werewolf By Night, is an homage to the black-and-white monster movies of the old days. The special presentation also sets up the MCU for more supernatural storytelling. Jack Russell, along with Elsa Bloodstone and other monster hunters, must hunt down a creature to prove their worth in obtaining the Bloodstone. But not every hunter is exactly who (or what) they say they are.

In a shocking display of power, Russell breaks free from his cage after transforming into Werewolf by Night. This monster hacks, bites, and claws his way through TVA minions and fellow monster hunters until nearly the entire room is drenched in blood. Now we know why the caged werewolf howls.

Gorr the God Butcher’s Story

(Thor: Love and Thunder)

Any fan of horror loves a good campfire story. Huddled around the burning embers and surrounded by the eerie quiet of nature, there’s no better setting to tell a spooky story. As Heimdall’s son Axl calms the abducted children of Asgard with a story about Thor, he’s interrupted by Gorr the God Butcher’s sudden appearance.

Gorr conjures a feathered serpentine beast called Octy, only to decapitate it and toss it into the crowd of kids. He terrifies the children with ease and his calm manner of speaking undermines the chilling tale he tells. The tale, of course, is that of his deceased daughter, which certainly does not help the rattled nerves of these poor kids. Also, RIP Octy.

Thanos’ First Snap

(Avengers: Infinity War)

We take for granted that good will always prevail. Our heroes can’t lose — they’re the heroes! But what happens when a villain actually triumphs?

It was the Snap That Launched a Thousand Memes, but before the memes, we were all rooted to our seats, eyes wide and mouths open. What just happened?! Before Avengers: Infinity War, fans had never seen a super-villain succeed quite like Thanos. The effects were immediate. Skies were filled with the crash of abandoned aircraft while a deafening silence replaced our beloved Avengers.

No matter who your favorites were, it was hard to deny the tears that welled up as we saw T’Challa, Peter, Vision, Wanda, and so many others just … disappear. For anyone who has lost a loved one, and especially after a world-halting pandemic, we can all feel the scope of this franchise-defining moment. A world without the protection of our trusted heroes is indeed a scary place.

Peter’s Final Fight with Green Goblin

(Spider-Man: No Way Home)

We expect our heroes to always be good and do what’s right, especially heroes like Spider-Man. Though he cracks jokes and teases bad guys, underneath it all, Peter Parker is a good person. But even the best people can reach a breaking point.

In his final fight with Green Goblin during Spider-Man: No Way Home, Peter finally loses it. Norman Osborn has terrorized Spider-Man across the Multiverse. He pushes Peter to his absolute limit. We see the utter pain in Peter’s eyes as he struggles to overcome Norman’s goading. If it weren’t for the interference of his fellow Spider-Men, Earth-199999’s Spider-Man might have killed Green Goblin without a second thought.

Ultron’s Entrance

(Avengers: Age of Ultron)

A villain’s entrance is meant to be memorable. Entrances can be destructive or sinister, but the best ones are both. And that’s where Ultron comes in.

Avengers: Age of Ultron was the debut of Ultron, a killing machine brought to life. Ultron’s voice alone is enough to send shivers up your spine as he quotes Pinocchio. He teases the Avengers, shattering their short-lived peace. His speech about strings shows that he will answer to no one despite being created to serve. But the real terror is watching the slow realization spread across Tony Stark and Bruce Banner’s faces. The best of intentions can lead to the ugliest of results.

Moon Knight Confronts His Trauma

(Moon Knight)

Moon Knight is a wild ride through Steven Grant’s eyes, especially when Marc Spector is brought into the fold. Together, these two men must reconcile their connection to each other while also stopping a madman from resurrecting an ancient Egyptian deity. In the fifth episode, “Asylum,” answers finally arise about how Marc and Steven are connected.

Without spoiling too much of the revelation, everything is tied to the trauma of Steven’s childhood. At a young age, he suffered the loss of his brother and his family was never the same again. The scenes from within Steven’s childhood room are particularly painful — and sadly, a horrific reality for many people.

Natasha’s Induction into the Red Room

(Black Widow)

Natasha Romanoff is another Marvel super hero whose childhood left lasting scars. From the outside, her family might have seemed ideal, happy even. But it was all a front for her parents’ undercover work with General Dreykov. When they’re suddenly summoned to Cuba, Natasha and her sister Yelena Belova are forcibly separated. Each is taken toward their own Red Room, and young Natasha takes her first step toward becoming Black Widow.

While a lo-fi cover of “Smells Like Teen Spirit” plays, a montage shows countless young girls who are abducted into the program. They’re inspected for defects and trained to perform high-risk tasks. It’s difficult to watch knowing this terrifying reality isn’t far from what some children in the world must face.

Intelligencia Violates Jen’s Privacy

(She-Hulk: Attorney at Law)

Despite being a half-hour procedural comedy, She-Hulk: Attorney at Law works in high-profile cameos as well as compelling storytelling. Jen Walters’ humor breaks the fourth wall and is a breath of fresh air. Of course, sometimes that air is befouled by the stink of trolls.

Jen, as She-Hulk, must deal with Intelligencia, a secret organization whose sole purpose seems to be taking her down. In the climax of episode 8, “Ribbit and Rip It,” Jen’s patience is broken. A video of Jen having sex interrupts a ceremony meant to honor her work as a lawyer. It plays on a huge screen behind her until She-Hulk rips apart the screen display. Of course the full power of a Hulk is intimidating but the scariest part of this episode is the video. Intelligencia personifies the very real abuse that women face, as well as the unshakeable trauma of having your privacy violated.

Scarlet Witch Commits Murder

(Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness)

A hallmark trait of super heroes, especially one repeated by the Avengers, is that heroes do not kill. Well, looks like Wanda forgot that bylaw in her contract … oops? Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness shows the dark lengths Scarlet Witch will go to as she tries to restore the reality she knows is rightfully hers.

After her children, Billy and Tommy, were erased in Westview, Wanda’s pain knew no end. So, she looked for answers in the Darkhold. And wouldn’t you know it but an evil book written by Chthon himself urged her to commit murders and subvert reality to her own will. Wanda’s descent into madness as the Scarlet Witch is tragic. But her slay count? Nothing short of iconic.

Doctor Strange Destroys the Universe

(“What If…Doctor Strange Lost His Heart Instead of His Hands?”)

Just like heroes aren’t supposed to kill, they’re also not supposed to be selfish. But heroes are (mostly) human, after all, which is why Doctor Strange’s What If…? episode is all the more terrifying. In “What If…Doctor Strange Lost His Heart Instead of His Hands?” we see Doctor Strange succumb to the pain of heartbreak.

We all get heartbroken, what’s the harm, right? Well, when you’re the Sorcerer Supreme, a normal occurrence is never just normal. Add in an arrogant personality and the ability to rewrite the laws of physics, and you’ve got a recipe for disaster. We can feel sorry Stephen, and even root for him as he tries to change the past, but when his actions destroy his entire universe, we bear witness to the utter destruction that even our most trusted heroes are capable of. Those we trust can usually hurt us the most, and that goes for super heroes, too.

The MCU is full of wonder and power, but if you look closely enough, there’s also plenty of scares! What do you think are the scariest MCU moments? Share your thoughts with other Marvel fans at side.show/geekgroup, and don’t forget to Let Your Geek Sideshow!

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Join us from October 24 – October 31 by visiting side.show/spooktacular and don’t forget — Sleep is for the weak!