The MCU began all the way back in 2008 with Iron Man, and it's continued in strides for years. While recent movies and shows have underperformed both critically and commercially in 2025, 2026 seems promising with the arrival of Spider-Man: Brand New Day in July and Avengers: Doomday in December. However, before taking a trip to the latest phase of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, why not reminisce?
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The mostly serious MCU had its fair share of lighthearted moments, but some concepts and scenes were downright ridiculous. Below, we've outlined some of the silliest things that have happened in the Marvel Cinematic Universe between 2012's The Avengers and 2018's Avengers: Infinity War so you can get a nice dose of nostalgia and look back on how far the MCU has come.
The Mandarin is a Double Fakeout
Neither Aldrich Killian nor Travor Slattery is the Real Mandarin
- Featured in: Iron Man 3 (2013)
The Mandarin has been known as Iron Man's archenemy for decades, which is why it was shocking that Tony Stark had never seemingly faced his greatest adversary. That was, until Iron Man 3. Or was it? Iron Man 3 brought back the Mandarin, and even had the legendary Ben Kingsley take on the role. However, this was played for laughs, and Kingsley's character was Trevor Slattery, an actor who was just pretending to be the Mandarin.
In actuality, it was Guy Pearce's character of Aldrich Killian who was the Mandarin, but even then, it was a double fakeout. Killian acted nothing like the Mandarin, and it wasn't until Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021) that the real Mandarin would reveal himself as Tony Leung Chiu-wai's Xy Wenwu, years after Iron Man's death. The fact that Iron Man received a whole trilogy and 4 Avengers movies, and still never met his greatest enemy, is pretty ridiculous.
A Talking Raccoon and a Tree Become Central Figures to Saving the Galaxy
The Guardians of the Galaxy Proves How Weird the MCU Can Get
- Featured in: Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)
After The Avengers (2012), the MCU took a small break from Earth and the adventures of Earth's Mightiest Heroes, and instead, journeyed across the stars for an adventure across the galaxy. With 2014's Guardians of the Galaxy, fans were introduced to a new team of ragtag criminals turned reluctant heroes with Star-Lord, Gamora, Drax, and... A talking tree and talking raccoon?
Guardians of the Galaxy was quick to impress in how it made the characters of Groot and Rocket Raccoon work so very well. It's absurd to think that central figures in the MCU are a literal tree and a raccoon, but that's the beauty of it all. It's ridiculous, it's campy, and it's oh so fun to see the Guardians of the Galaxy represented on the big screen.
Captain America Can Lift Thor's Hammer, But Doesn't Want to Hurt Thor's Ego
Steve Rogers is Worthy But Decides to Do Nothing About It? Unlikely
- Featured in: Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015)
Avengers: Age of Ultron provides players with a fun scene where the Avengers bond over some drinks and games, and one game has each of them take turns attempting to lift Thor's hammer. However, none are worthy of lifting Thor's hammer, or so Thor himself confidently boasts. That is, until Steve Rogers lifts with all his might, and Mjolnir slightly nudges, seen only through Thor's worried gaze. The fact that Steve is on the road to being worthy shows his character development and provides a deserved moment when he finally lifts Mjolnir in Avengers: Endgame (2019).
However, the Russo brothers, directors of Avengers: Endgame, have said that their headcanon is that Steve was always worthy of Mjolnir and simply didn't lift the hammer to avoid hurting Thor's ego. However, Steve clearly uses a lot of strength even to get it to nudge slightly instead of effortlessly lifting it, so it would be a tad ridiculous for plenty of opportunities to arise where he needed Thor's hammer but decided to ignore it for the sake of ego.
The Sokovia Accords Destroy the Avengers
Waiting for the United Nations to Approve Avengers-Level Action is How Sokovia Events Would Happen
- Featured in: Captain America: Civil War (2016)
The Sokovia Accords were drafted by 117 countries to ensure that the Avengers would no longer be a private organization, and instead, would operate under the supervision and direction of what was approved by the United Nations. This essentially grounded the Avengers, allowing them only to enter action if it was voted as absolutely necessary. However, these Accords would send rippling consequences throughout the superhero community that would forever fracture the Avengers for obvious reasons that made the Accords so ridiculous.
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The Accords were in response to the destruction of Sokovia, caused by Ultron, an event that the Avengers managed to prevent from wiping out life on Earth by taking action. If the Avengers had waited for politics and voting to do their thing, then Ultron would've easily gotten away with it. The Sokovia Accords were ridiculous, halted progress for the Avengers, and fractured the team based on their disagreements that led to the Avengers ending, Captain America becoming an outlaw, and the group being divided upon Thanos' arrival on Earth.
The "8 Years Later" Blunder
Spider-Man: Homecoming Makes a Grand Flaw in the MCU Timeline
- Featured in: Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)
The opening of Spider-Man: Homecoming showcases the devastation after the battle of New York that occurred in The Avengers (2012). The scene with the Vulture isn't as memorable as the time jump sequence, which explains an "8 years later" jump from The Avengers to Spider-Man: Homecoming. However, this is a ridiculous mistake that managed to slip through the cracks, as that would make it so that Spider-Man: Homecoming takes place in 2018 and not 2016, the same year as Captain America: Civil War (2016).
While this is a behind-the-scenes blunder, it's still clear as day on the silver screen (and on Disney Plus), and remains that way. This might lead to some super fans scratching their heads as they try to decipher the ever-expanding canon timeline of the MCU. If the 8-year time jump is to be believed, then Spider-Man: Homecoming takes place after Avengers: Infinity War but before Avengers: Endgame, which doesn't make sense at all.
Shrinking Down to the Size of an Ant Unlocks Multiverse Travel
Gong Subatomic Breaches Time and Space on a Multiversal Scale
- Featured in: Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018)
Ant-Man has a quirky power in which he can shrink to subatomic levels thanks to Pym Particles. However, shrinking far smaller than an ant has its own unique properties, where you can get lost in the Quantum Realm, which exists outside of time and space itself. While one might consider the danger of shrinking so small, one can also consider the potential, as this is the key to unlocking literal time travel and multiverse dimension hopping.
It's rather ridiculous, and a cool concept, that shrinking so much will provide a gateway to time travel and hopping dimensions to create branching timelines based on different outcomes in the sacred timeline. Time travel and multiversal concepts are always tricky to navigate, but at least doing it via shrinking small enough is different from a standard time machine.
The Infinity Gauntlet in Asgard Turns Out to be a Fake
Thanos Wastes His Time With a Fake Relic in Asgard
- Featured in: Thor: Ragnarok (2017)
2011's Thor showcased a very exciting easter egg in the fact that the Infinity Gauntlet, complete with the Infinity Stones, could be seen in the background of Asgard's vault. This grand piece of the Infinity Saga would come to rise once more in 2015's Avengers: Age of Ultron, when the mid-credits scene showcases Thanos taking the Infinity Gauntlet, albeit without the Infinity Stones... And how did he manage to get into Asgard? It doesn't matter, and it's not explained on-screen.
What is explained is that the Infinity Gauntlet is actually a fake, and Hela reveals that as such in Thor: Ragnarok (2017). The fact that Odin and Asgard protected a fake Infinity Gauntlet is pretty ridiculous, but it helps to explain Thanos' odyssey to find the Infinity Stones in Avengers: Infinity War. It's a fun easter egg that pays off, and it's ridiculous in the right ways.
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