The Funniest Moment In Every MCU Movie
When the Marvel Cinematic Universe started, it was a mostly hit, sometimes miss franchise that pretty evenly balanced fun action flicks ("Iron Man," "The Avengers") with more forgettable outings ("Thor") that took themselves a bit too seriously. But it found its footing along the way, eventually settling into a tried and true formula that combined phenomenal action sequences with deep characterization, human drama, and, of course, bursts of side-splitting humor. Most other movies would collapse under the weight of all that tonal shifting, but the MCU managed to perfect and own it.
But even the earliest MCU movies took breaks from the corniness and melodrama for jokes, so each movie has at least a handful of memorable laughs, almost always pulled from the interactions of the characters themselves. So which moments are the best? From snarky quips to slapstick to bizarre misunderstandings, we've assembled the funniest moment from each MCU movie.
Iron Man (2008) - "This isn't the worst thing you've caught me doing."
When "Iron Man" was released in 2008, nobody had any idea how much of a box office behemoth the MCU would eventually become. Iron Man was, at that time, a D list comic book character at best. But we all know how that turned out. Robert Downey, Jr. gave a career defining performance as Tony Stark — in his own words, a genius billionaire playboy philanthropist — who has a change of heart after nearly getting killed by some of his own weapons, and develops a mech suit to fight bad guys. (As if you didn't know that already).
There are plenty of classic Tony lines in the movie, and plenty more were delivered by the character in the decade to come. But we'll give the nod to the scene when Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow), Tony's assistant (and later successor as Stark Industries CEO and lover) stumbles in on Tony, suspended by robotic arms in his lab, struggling to get out of his Iron Man suit.
"Let's face it," he says when he sees her gawking at him. "This isn't the worst thing you've caught me doing."
The Incredible Hulk (2008) - "You wouldn't like me when I'm hungry."
2008's "Incredible Hulk" is one of the first MCU movies, having been released just months after "Iron Man." But compared to that film, which relaunched Robert Downey Jr.'s career to dizzying new heights and formed the backbone of what would eventually become the highest grossing film franchise of all time, "The Incredible Hulk" had a comparatively puny impact. As fans know, Edward Norton was replaced as Bruce Banner by Mark Ruffalo in every subsequent outing, making for an awkward transition. Plus, Disney doesn't have the rights for a solo Hulk movie, which is why he's had to settle for team-ups and supporting roles instead of his own series.
But despite all that, there's plenty to enjoy about this largely solid outing. The funniest scene involves Banner, lying low after his initial, murderous Hulk transformation, trying to rescue a woman from a sleazy coworker at their Brazilian bottling factory. When the man turns and confronts him, Norton stumbles over his 8th grade Portuguese, accidentally saying "You wouldn't like me when I'm hungry." Everyone's confused, including him.
Iron Man 2 (2010) - Justin Hammer sells guns
2010's "Iron Man 2" isn't as skippably lousy as most MCU fans remember it being, but it's certainly not in anyone's top five. That being said, the MCU's first sequel did have one all-time stand out performance (in addition to another predictably charming one from star Robert Downey, Jr.).
That would be none other than Sam Rockwell as Tony Stark's weapons dealing archrival, Justin Hammer. It shouldn't surprise anyone familiar with Rockwell's peerless acting chops that his Hammer character, played as a silver-tongued but ultimately unlucky and clumsy arms dealer, steals every scene he's in. He's much more of a nerd than Tony, nowhere near as cool, and only 70-80% as smart. His tech being undependable when it counts is a running gag throughout the movie.
His main scheme in the film is recruiting Mickey Rourke's Ivan Vanko (Whiplash) to kill Stark, but Hammer also wants to get his hands on Tony's superior tech. After James Rhodes secures an Iron Man suit, Hammer tries to trade for it with the newest Hammer tech, in one of the most sharply written and underrated scenes in the entire MCU. His describing a new munition type as being able to "bust the bunker underneath the bunker you just busted" is particularly memorable.
"Iron Man 2" introduced us to fan favorites Black Widow and Don Cheadle's War Machine. But we haven't seen nearly enough of Rockwell's Hammer either. Get on it, Marvel.
Thor (2011) - Thor tries coffee
Some earlier MCU movies are better than we remember them. Others really don't stand the rest of time and get worse with each repeat viewing. Unfortunately, 2011's "Thor" falls into the latter category, and not just because of Chris Hemsworth's awkwardly bleached eyebrows. One of the major issues with the film (and its sequel) is that Thor is an inherently silly character that was taken far too seriously, leading to a lot of unintentionally corny moments. Whenever they let the character lean into that silliness, though, he shined. Luckily, the powers that be eventually recognized his (and Chris Hemsworth's) comedic strengths later on and the character really came into his own in time for "Thor: Ragnarok," "Infinity War," and "Endgame."
So it's no surprise that some of the best moments in "Thor" feature the titular character, a god stranded on Earth without his powers, trying to understand modern American customs. He speaks like a prince, asks for a horse at a pet store, gets constantly tazed, and almost eats a restaurant out of business while future girlfriend Jane (Natalie Portman) and her family look on in shock. After his meal, he tries coffee for the first time. Mistaking this little deli for a thatch-roofed medieval alehouse, he exclaims, "This drink. I like it. Another!" and smashes the cup on the ground. He's then genuinely confused when everyone in the restaurant reacts with shock and has to teach him basic manners.
Captain America: The First Avenger (2011) - anything Colonel Phillips says
"Captain America: The First Avenger" is a solid origin movie that's been largely overshadowed by its stronger sequels, but there's a lot in here that works. Hugo Weaving's Red Skull is a perfectly frightening baddie. Hayley Atwell's Peggy Carter and Sebastian Stan's Bucky Barnes are both gems. Toby Jones gives a great turn as a Nazi doctor. Chris Evans shines in the leading role, as the naively pure but inspiringly noble Steve Rogers, whose transformation from a scrawny nerd into a supersoldier is the central arc of the film.
Then there's Tommy Lee Jones, whose Colonel Chester Phillips steals every scene he's in. He's gruff, out of patience, sarcastic, and wickedly funny in a way that doesn't care if you laugh or not. In other words, he's Tommy Lee Jones. Particular standout lines include "He's still skinny," after a pre-serum Steve Rogers leaps on a dummy grenade, believing it's live, "If you've got something to say, now's a perfect time to keep it to yourself," to Carter, in response to news that Cap has defied orders and left the base, the entire scene in which he interrogates Toby Jones, and "I'm not kissing you!" after Cap kisses Carter before leaping into Red Skull's America-bound bomber plane in the movie's climax.
Lots of characters from this WWII era movie managed to survive long enough to be in future MCU movies. It's a shame he wasn't among them.
Marvel's The Avengers (2012) - Hulk smashes Loki
Fans were excited but uncertain about "Marvel's The Avengers" as its release date loomed, but to say it exceeded expectations would be an understatement. Far from being a forgettable team up movie that wrapped up the four year Avengers project, the movie was a smash critical and commercial hit that proved the MCU was just getting started.
In this movie, Thor's bitter, adopted brother Loki seizes the Tesseract and brings about an alien invasion of New York City that's only barely contained by the quarreling Avengers, who are forced to put aside their differences and team up for the first time. Towards the end, the Hulk (Mark Ruffalo) leaps up to Stark Tower to confront Loki, as the battle rages outside.
Loki snaps, shouting, "Enough! You are all of you beneath me. I am a god, you dull creature, and I will not be intimidated by the likes of-"
He never finishes the line. Hulk, not interesting in his megalomaniacal rant, grabs him by the feet and smashes him repeatedly into the ground like a ragdoll, leaving him stunned and whimpering, before walking off with a cool, "Puny god."
It was perhaps the first MCU moment that had theater audiences cheering in their seats.
Iron Man 3 (2013) - Trevor Slattery
"Iron Man 3" is a largely forgotten MCU movie, largely because it's not as good as everyone's favorites, but nowhere near bad enough to be memorable for the wrong reasons. But it's definitely worth a rewatch when you get the chance. In addition to more knock-out performances from Robert Downey, Jr., Don Cheadle, Gwyneth Paltrow, Jon Favreau, and several others, it also features Ben Kingsley as the Mandarin — a terrifying international criminal whose acts of terrorism leave no forensic evidence.
But it turns out, when Iron Man and War Machine confront him in the beginning of the third act, he's not the Mandarin at all. Instead, he's Trevor Slattery — a down on his luck English actor who thinks covering for actual baddie Aldrich Killian (Guy Pierce) is the role of a lifetime. So rather than cooking up and carrying out evil schemes, we learn he spends his days lounging in Killian's lair, watching TV while utterly oblivious to the monstrous acts being carried out in his image. Kingsley's goofy performance makes the movie's big twist even more unforgettable.
Thor: The Dark World (2013) - Loki shapeshifts
We'll bet good money that "Thor: The Dark World," marred by a phoned in plot, so-so performances and an utterly forgettable villain, has never been listed as anyone's favorite MCU film. But it does have one thing going for it: Tom Hiddleston as Loki, who would go on to become an all-time fan favorite with his own acclaimed show on Disney+.
In one point of the film, Thor is breaking Loki out of prison. Loki is delighted at his brother's uncharacteristic behavior, and plays around with his shape-shifting powers as they sneak through the halls of Asgard. Loki turns into a guard, then turns Thor into a woman, prompting his brother to say, still in Chris Hemsworth's decidedly unfeminine voice, "it will hurt no less when I kill you in this form."
The highlight is when Loki morphs into Captain America, commenting on how tight the outfit is before mockingly saying "I can feel the confidence surging. Hey, wanna have a discussion about truth? Honor? Patriotism? God bless Amer-"
He's cut off when an out of patience Thor silences him with his hand. But it's a great moment in which a dull film shapeshifts into a fun one, even if only for a minute.
Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014) - "On your left"
2014's "The Winter Soldier" was a smash hit for audiences and critics alike, who shared in their pleasant surprise that the so far good-not great MCU could produce such an effective political action thriller, with lofty themes and stunning fight choreography. There wasn't much room for comedy in it, to be fair, although there were great lines like "I'm 95, I'm not dead" and a handful of other gems.
But one of the first scenes certainly counts. Steve Rogers is enjoying an early morning jog (which, for normal people, looks a lot like a sprint) around the reflecting pool, in front of D.C's Washington Monument. Another guy's there too: Sam Wilson (eventually known as Falcon). Sam's in enviable shape himself, but he certainly doesn't have Steve's supersoldier capabilities. Each time Steve passes him, he announces "on your left."
Sam grows frustrated, and even tries to keep up with Rogers, before realizing there's simply no hope. He collapses for a breather, and the two share a pleasant conversation that forms the basis of a years-long friendship. Wilson even contributes to Steve's list of things he's missed since WW2 (things like the Beatles, MTV, and Star Wars make appearances). Then Black Widow pulls up to pick up Steve, announcing she's looking for a fossil at the Smithsonian. It's funny, charming stuff, and a great intro to the character of Sam Wilson.
Guardians of the Galaxy (2014) - The Prison Breakout
Most MCU movies before and after James Gunn's joyous 2014 sci-fi romp, "Guardians of the Galaxy," were more action than comedy. This one is more comedy than anything else, though, and that means there are multiple worthy scenes that could've represented the film on this list. It certainly wasn't easy narrowing it down to the best.
But in the end, we have to give the nod to the prison breakout sequence. Quill, Gamora, Rocket, and Groot have been imprisoned by the Nova Corps on Kyln, where they meet Drax the Destroyer and ultimately hatch a plan to escape their confinement. With the classic lineup fully cemented, their wacky personalities can finally begin bouncing off each other to hilarious effect.
The sequence in the guard tower is a particular highlight. Drax takes offense after Quill calls him a thesaurus, prompting Rocket to point out that his people are so literal that such metaphors go over their head. Drax responds, hilariously, with, "Nothing goes over my head. My reflexes are too fast. I would catch it." It's just A+ comedic writing.
Before this scene, audiences were still getting to know these bizarre characters and didn't know what to expect from a movie based on such an obscure comic book property. After this scene, the Guardians had more than made their mark as all time fan favorites.
Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015) - "The Screams of his victims"
One of the most engaging arcs in "Age of Ultron" is that of Bruce Banner, who still has yet to control the Hulk and is deeply ashamed of what "the other guy" often does when he takes over. Namely, absolute madness and destruction, directed towards his friends as often as his foes. In one scene, Natasha is comforting Bruce after such an outburst. She turns to Thor to prove a point, saying "Thor, report on Hulk."
But Thor, who's strategizing with Captain America, hasn't been paying attention. He gleefully announces that "The gates of Hell are filled with the screams of his victims." He picks up on his mistake when Banner buries his head, Natasha shoots him daggers, and Cap pretends to be looking elsewhere. Then he scrambles and comes up with the definitely very convincing, "B-but not the screams of the dead, of course. No, uh, wounded screams. Mainly whimpering, a great deal of complaining, and tales of sprained... deltoids and uh, gout."
It's a hilariously awkward moment that highlights how long it took for the MCU to recognize the comedic potential of Chris Hemsworth's Thor. Thank God they eventually did.
Ant-Man (2015) - Baskin-Robbins
Paul Rudd's Scott Lang (Ant-Man) is easily one of the comedic high points of the MCU. In his first 2015 movie, Scott — a career criminal on the run from his sordid past — is making a living scooping ice cream at Baskin Robbins. Just before a manager discovers his true history ("Baskin Robbins always finds out") and calls him in the back to fire him, we see him trying and failing to convince a customer that Baskin Robbins sells ice cream, despite ice cream being the only thing on the menu and in the glass cases separating the two.
"Welcome to Baskin Robbins," says Scott, who will one day save the universe with time travel. "Would you like to try our Mango Fruit Blast?" The kid turns him down and instead orders a burger, and then, when he learns Baskin Robbins doesn't sell burgers, a pretzel, followed by "whatever's hot and fresh." It's a stupid moment, but Paul Rudd's infinitely charming performance sells it.
Captain America: Civil War (2016) - Tony meets Peter
"Captain America: Civil War" was a leap forward for the MCU in terms of the maturity of its themes and storytelling. Most of it centered around two things: the Sokovia Accords, a divisive resolution in which the Avengers would be subjugated to the UN in order to prevent further collateral damage, and Baron Zemo's using a brainwashed Bucky to split Steve Rogers and Tony Stark apart even more. Much of the movie was tragic and heavy.
There were some more lighthearted moments though, like Stan Lee's "Tony Stank" scene at the end, Ant-Man during the airport fight, and the scene where Tony visits the home of one Peter Parker, played fantastically by Tom Holland, to recruit him.
Here, Peter, a high school aged local hero, tries unsuccessfully to convince Tony that he's not Spider-Man. Tony sees right through his ruse. He instantly spots his costume dangling in a ceiling hideaway, pokes fun at Peter's nervousness, and comments on how hot Aunt May (Maris Tomei) is. This interaction is made funnier by the fact that Robert Downey, Jr. and Tomei briefly dated in real life. In a movie where even Tony is depressed and angry for much of the runtime, it's great to see him back in his fun, sarcastic element.
Doctor Strange (2016) - "Mr. Doctor"
2016's "Doctor Strange" is hit or miss, for the most part. On the plus side, there's Benedict Cumberbatch's winning performance in the lead role, the always excellent Tilda Swinton, some awesome visual effects, and the MCU's most clever ending (when Strange torments the evil Dormammu by appearing over and over to bargain over the future of the universe). On the downside, there's a rather meandering second act and forgettable secondary villains.
But the leader of those secondary villains, Kaecilius (Mads Mikkelsen) does give us one funny moment. After he sees Strange at the top of the stairs, we get this exchange:
"How long have you been at Kamar-Taj, Mister-?"
"Doctor."
"...Mister Doctor?"
"It's Strange."
"Maybe. Who am I to judge?"
We can't say it tonally fits in with the scene, since Kecilius murders Strange's mentor immediately after, but it's definitely a little gem of a moment.
Guardians of the Galaxy: Volume 2 (2017) - Mantis reads minds
In this 2017 sequel, the Guardians have come into their own as heroes for hire, taking down all manner of space monsters in exchange for cash (and whatever Rocket can steal). After Rocket gets them in trouble with some powerful clients, they flee to a mysterious planet inhabited only by Ego (Kurt Russel), a godlike Celestial who turns out to be Peter Quill's father. This being a "Guardians" movie, there are plenty of laughs to be had along the way, especially concerning baby Groot, Yondu ("I'm Mary Poppins, y'all!") and the Ravagers (one of whom is named Taserface, which Rocket finds deeply funny despite being imprisoned by the man and his violent minions).
What has to be the funniest scene, though, involves Mantis — Ego's naively sweet, mind reading, vaguely insect-like humanoid helper — reading Peter's thoughts. She reveals he's in love with Gamora, who's standing nearby. Drax loses it, laughing hysterically at Peter. "She just revealed your deepest, darkest secret!" he cries between fits of laughter, as Peter squirms. "You must be so embarrassed!" Classic, classic stuff, delivered excellently by Dave Bautista.
Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017) - Interrogation mode
In 2017's "Spider-Man: Homecoming," Peter Parker is investigating the illicit sale of advanced weapons that's being orchestrated by Adrian Toomes (Michael Keaton), later revealed to be the villainous Vulture. His search leads him to Aaron Davis (Donald Glover), who he confronts in a parking garage with his Spider suit's "Interrogation mode."
He initially intimidates Davis, after webbing his hand to the trunk of his car and trapping him. But then Davis recognizes him from an earlier encounter, remembers what Spidey sounded like, and asks, "What happened to your voice?" It's all downhill from there. Davis cannot be scared, as he's convinced Peter is a girl. Peter, still speaking in his comically deep Interrogation mode voice, says very scary lines like "I'm not a girl, I'm a boy! I mean, I'm a — I'm a man!"
Peter is ready to give up, distraught (the way he says "deactivate Interrogation mode" is particularly funny), but there's a happy ending here. Davis knows Spidey is a true hero, and agrees to contribute what little he knows to the investigation.
Thor: Ragnarok (2017) - The Revengers
All due respect to the "Guardians of the Galaxy" and "Ant Man" movies, but "Thor: Ragnarok" is the most delightfully funny movie in the MCU. Director Taika Waititi, who knew that Thor's inherent goofiness should be embraced, turned the character's third film into a party.
So many scenes could've made this list. The play in the beginning. "Behold, my stuff!" Thor meeting Doctor Strange on earth. Thor meeting Valkyrie, Thor meeting the Grand Master, Anything involving Korg. "Get help!" Banner smacking the rainbow bridge after failing to turn into the Hulk. Not to mention Thor and Hulk's argument ("Hulk like raging fire. Thor like smoldering fire") and Thor and Banner's interaction (which gave us the memeable "is he though?" line, in response to Banner's assertion that he was as dangerous and useful in a fight as Hulk). Then there was Thor's hilarious "disguise" as he and Banner snuck through crowds cheering the missing Hulk, who was a gladiator champion.
But the scene after that takes the cake. Valkyrie, who's already captured Loki, gets recruited to Thor's "Revengers" team, which will be heading back to Asgard to defeat his evil sister Hela. Banner says he's undecided on whether he wants revenge. Thor throws something at Loki to make sure he's really there. Then he tells a story about Loki pretending to be a snake when they were kids, just so he could surprise and stab him. The laughs just don't stop.
Black Panther (2018) - T'Challa freezes
Towards the beginning of 2018's "Black Panther" T'Challa (Chadwick Boseman) retrieves Nakia (Lupita Nyong'o), an ex lover who he's clearly still smitten with, for his upcoming coronation ceremony. When they land in Wakanda, flanked by General Okoye and her Dora Milaje guards, they're greeted by T'Challa's newly widowed mother, Ramonda (Angela Bassett) and his younger sister, brilliant scientist Shuri (Letitia Wright). After Nakia gives her condolences for the death of the king, she heads off. T'Challa watches, prompting Shuri to ask Okoye, about her smitten older brother seeing his love interest again:
"Did he freeze?"
"Like an Antelope in headlights."
An embarrassed, almost-king T'Challa asks his General "Are you finished?" and she leads her guards away, still smiling.
There are other funny moments in the movie, most of which involve Shuri (including making fun of T'Challa's shoes with "what are thoooose"), but this moment, which charmingly humanizes a powerful superhero king, takes the cake.
Avengers: Infinity War (2018) - the heroes meet on Titan
It's hard to think of "Infinity War" as a particularly funny movie. After all, it had just about the most shockingly depressing ending in summer blockbuster history. But before the infamous Thanos snap that vaporized half of all life in the universe, there were scenes that were outright hilarious. Iron Man delivered some classic quips ("That means get lost, Squidward!"). Spider-Man was as charming as always, especially when meeting Dr. Strange. Any and all interactions between the Guardians of the Galaxy and Thor, who they rescued after Thanos destroyed his ship, were hysterically funny.
But the funniest scene has to be Iron Man, Spidey, and Strange meeting the Guardians on Thanos' ruined homeworld of Titan. Since each team was expecting to confront Thanos there, they assumed the other guys were working for the Mad Titan, and had a brief battle that nearly led to Spider-Man and Drax getting killed. Then they realized they're all on the same side and hatched a plan to take down Thanos when he arrived.
The whole scene, from Drax's "Die, blanket of death!" and "I'll do you one better: why is Gamora?", to Mantis' "Kick names, take ass" line, to Peter Parker telling Quill that "Footloose" was never the best movie ever (prompting Star Lord to shoot him daggers), was comedy gold. Given what was about to happen, those laughs were precious indeed.
Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018) - Truth Serum
Who knew when "Ant-Man and the Wasp" came out, when the shock of "Infinity War" was still fresh, that it would have such a massive impact on the saga's conclusion in "Endgame?" After all, the time travel that made the good guys' victory possible originated in this little overlooked Ant-Man sequel. You don't need to watch it to understand "Endgame," but it's a great little action-comedy with some hilarious moments.
The funniest scene has to be when the evil Sonny Burch (Walton Goggins) gives Luis (Michael Pena) a truth serum to discover the location of Ant-Man. Well, actually, as Burch's henchman frustratingly explain to Luis, Lang's somewhat oafish but infinitely lovable and loyal best buddy (and business partner) and his employees, it's not actual truth serum. It just acts exactly like it.
When he's shot up with the definitely not truth serum, Luis answers Burch's question of "where's Scott Lang" with a hilarious, rambling monologue about Scott's emotional state and how they met, along with a tangent about his grandma's old jukebox. When a frustrated Burch snaps, demanding to know, "where is Scott Lang LITERALLY?!" Luis says, simply, "Oh! The woods." Comedy gold, and one of the funniest MCU moments ever.
Captain Marvel (2019) - Goose is a Flerken
"Captain Marvel" follows, well, Captain Marvel (Brie Larson), a part human, part Kree former Air Force pilot and Kree Starforce soldier whose exposure to Tesseract energy gives her nearly godlike superhuman abilities. On earth, she's just Carol Danvers, a young woman who lives with a cat named Goose. Well, it appears to be a cat, anyway. It's actually an alien species called a Flerken, which, in certain conditions, will reveal giant tentacles that allow them to eat giant things and store them in pocket dimensions in their bellies. Because why not?
In one scene, Goose terrifies a Kree, who knows what it really is (Nick Fury, who loves cats, is unconvinced). In another, Goose gets scanned. The computer says "Species: Flerken. Threat: high." In more scenes, Goose swallows the Tesseract, Nick Fury uses it as a gun (its tentacles lash out and make short work of alien baddies), Goose scratches Fury — which is how Fury ends up with that eyepatch — and later coughs up the Tesseract like a hairball.
Avengers: Endgame (2019) - Smart Hulk
"Endgame" lived up to the hype, delivering a triumphant celebration of the MCU and a thrilling, tearjerking conclusion to the epic Infinity saga. It also featured plenty of comedic gems.
There were the scenes with Fat Thor. There was the scene when Ant-Man dove into the time machine and came back as an old man and a baby, before the situation was resolved. There were scenes when the characters discussed the rules of time travel via movie references.
But the award for funniest scene here goes to the introduction of Smart Hulk. The team tracks down Banner to help them build a time machine. Turns out, he's resolved his "Infinity War" issues, in which Hulk refused to emerge after a traumatic beating by Thanos, by merging Hulk's brawn with Banner's brains. Some kids then come up for a photo. He hands their phone to Scott Lang (Ant-Man), who then asks if the kids want one with him — only to find out that they don't even know who he is. Don't sweat it, Scott. They didn't recognize Captain America or Black Widow either, who were sitting right there.
Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019) - Night Monkey
In this 2019 Spidey adventure, Peter Parker and his friends, all reeling from the fallout of "Endgame," head to Europe on a field trip. Pete wants to take some time off and just be himself but Nick Fury has other plans. While on his trip, Pete gets roped into all sorts of heroics while fighting off dangerous elementals (eventually revealed to be elaborate projections by Mysterio). Pete has to avoid being seen as Spider-Man in public, electing instead to don an all black suit that bears little resemblance to his iconic red and blue one. Naturally, his buddy Ned is in on this and, while trapped on a ferris wheel with his crush Betty Brant, does what he can to run cover for Pete while he's battling a fire monster.
"Do you think that's Spider-Man?" she asks. Ned scrambles, instantly and impressively slapping together a story about some European Spidey knock-off he'd read about. When Betty tries to shout at this new hero for help, she asks Ned what his name is. "Uh, N-Night Monkey," he stammers out. Luckily, it's enough to get Pete's attention.
Black Widow (2021) - Yelena asks about action poses
After the last few MCU movies, which focused on space monsters and magic jewels, "Black Widow" was a welcome reminder that the MCU is just as good at grounded political spy thrillers. The movies sees Natasha Romanoff (Scarlett Johansson) reunite with her "family" (in reality, biologically unrelated Russian spies) to take down the evil General Dreykov, who kidnaps and brainwashes women so he can use them as assassins. Much of the movie's comic relief comes from the Red Guardian (played hysterically by David Harbour), Nat's "dad," who was built by the USSR to compete with Captain America.
But the funniest running gag here is between Nat and her younger sister, Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh), who managed to get un-brainwashed. Yelena has spent the years since watching Nat on TV, saving the world with the Avengers. When they meet again, Yelena has one question: what's the deal with all those corny action poses?
Nat plays dumb, but Yelena imitates them, kneeling down with one hand on the floor, the other arm outstretched behind her, and whipping her hair back like she's in a photoshoot. Meanwhile, Nat shrinks in embarrassment and tries to change the subject. Later in the movie, Yelena tries it herself when nobody's looking, before shrugging it off in disgust. Definitely not her style.