THE Marvel Cinematic Universe has 34 films, 11 Disney+ series, and nearly five entire phases under its belt, but many fans understandably still have a soft spot for the entries that started it all. 2008 Iron Man is still widely considered one of the best films the MCU has to offer, and the same could be said for the 2011 one. Captain America: The First Avenger And Marvel’s Avengers. There’s also something about the action sequences in the first phase. As the MCU has progressed, some entries have stuck to the now-standard finale of something big falling from the sky, while others have managed to shake up the formula a bit, e.g. Ant-Man and the Waspthe three Spiderman movies, and Deadpool and Wolverine. But when it comes to Phase One, there is a natural progression in the complexity of the fight scenes, from Iron Man has The Avengers this gives each a certain charm that sets them apart from the rest of the MCU. From Tony Stark’s escape from the Ten Rings to the Battle of New York, these are the best action sequences from the MCU’s first phase.

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Escape from captivity Iron Man

Tony Stark’s escape from captivity in Afghanistan got the MCU’s action sequences off to a perfect start. It’s bombastic, but also character-driven. After all, the audience has just spent about half an hour watching Stark get close to Yinsen (whose early meeting he doesn’t even remember from a previous meeting), only to watch his friend be killed by their captors: the Ten Rings.

There’s also a lot of tension as the film focuses on Stark’s uniform, primarily regarding the billionaire’s supposed construction of the “Jericho” missile. Then, once he and Yinsen are discovered building the arc reactor instead of this missile, the audience gets to see the full suit along with the Ten Rings. The scene works mainly because it shows Stark’s potential for growth as a character, but it’s certainly still interesting to see Iron Man’s prototype armor shoot flames from his arms at crates of ultra-ammo. volatile.

A peacekeeping mission in Iron Man

Much like how the escape from the Ten Rings showed Stark’s potential for personal growth, his reaction when he discovered that his weapons (which he had ordered to be stopped in production) were still being sold to this terrorist group . In his brand new red and gold costume, he returns to the land from which he fled, not only to destroy what remains of his weapons, but also to save the people subjugated by them.

It’s a scene that ends up having a huge impact on the film’s narrative, given that it ends up revealing just WHO had sold these weapons to the Ten Rings. But, ultimately, it was the action sequence that gave the film its most trailer-worthy moments, including Iron Man confidently walking away from a tank after shooting a bit of fire. explosive in its hull.

Iron Man vs. Iron Monger in Iron Man

With a few trailer-worthy moments, Iron Man vs. Iron Monger is an entertaining and worthy conclusion to a solid film in every way. The metal-on-metal street clash may be somewhat brief, but the whole sequence really stands out thanks to Stark getting run over by a panicked family and his opponent’s hard-learned lessons about the effects of icing on their costumes. Not to mention the photo of Iron Monger lifting a motorcycle at high speed and slamming it into Iron Man remains etched in the memory.

To top it all off, Tony makes a selfless decision that shows his growth as an individual over the past two hours. He survives this selfless decision, but he doesn’t know that will be the case at the time, and it’s a great way to end things. Additionally, as a whole, the sequence is coherent, something that can’t really be said of all of the settings in its immediate sequel. But we’ll talk about that in a moment.

Hulk vs. Abomination in The Incredible Hulk

The Incredible Hulk was essentially retroactively incorporated into the MCU from the beginning. It wasn’t shot from the start as an entry into the universe as a whole, but soon after it was seen as a rational point to jump in and introduce another member of the Avengers. The thing is, more often than not, it’s the one MCU movie that just doesn’t feel 100% like an MCU movie, and to an extent that includes its action sequences, but that doesn’t mean that they are not remarkable.

The Blonsky-Hulk showdown at Culver University deserves some props, especially the silver shot of Banner’s hand hitting the glass of an elevated walkway, that hand turning green, and then the big guy jumping to through the window. However, the rock ’em sock ’em finale is the best in the film. Have all the CGI in the Harlem sequence aged so well? Not quite. The use of “Hulk smash!” » looking back, does that seem a little weird to you? Sure, but it also shows that this is the solo Hulk movie that actually knows how to construct a Hulk action sequence, something Ang Lee’s bizarre 2003 snoozer certainly didn’t do.

Repel a Marteloid attack in Iron Man 2

Tony and Rhodey’s third act battle face hammer drones and whiplash in Iron Man 2 faces the same problem as its other major element: it is on the short side. However, there are a few elements that give the final battle the edge over the race in Monaco, even though it’s the one with the best money payoff in the film (Vanko beating his whips with razor-sharp precision and a growing smile ).

On the one hand, there’s the series of rapid-fire shots showing the armored duo destroying the drones. Samurai JackGenndy Tartakovsky’s Genndy Tartakovsky scripted the film, and this is where it comes across most clearly. Second, there’s Tony’s line “repelling a Hammeroid attack”, which fits the character perfectly.

Reckless behavior on Jotunheim in Thor

ThorThe third act fight with the Destroyer in New Mexico is the film’s big set piece, but it’s actually pretty bland. The best part really isn’t the fight itself, but rather Thor’s acceptance of responsibility and humility and subsequent obtaining of Mjölnir.

When it comes to Kenneth Branagh Thorthe action peaks near the beginning, in the scene where the main character’s aforementioned responsibility and humility are called into question. The Jotunheim fight is the standout element because it makes it clear that Thor is the most powerful Avenger (at least of those introduced throughout the first phase). He mows down frost giants like they’re nothing and puts the icing on the cake by flying through a frost beast’s skull via its open maw.

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We will need an edit in Captain America: The First Avenger

There is an argument to be made that Joe Johnston Captain America: The First Avenger is not only the best film of the first phase of the MCU, but of the franchise as a whole. Yet it’s not the action sequences that propel it to the top, it’s the film’s focus on characters, its successfully replicated retro style, and the chemistry between Chris Evans and Haley Atwell. In fact, when it comes to the action sequence department, the film is rather light, but there are still some standout moments.

The scene of Rogers chasing the HYDRA agent right after he’s upgraded is fun, but if there’s a high point in his action sequences, it’s (Return of the Jedi-reference) montage once Rogers becomes a “dancing monkey” and truly becomes Captain America. Still, the film is a real winner because of its smaller, action-oriented moments, such as Peggy Carter discharging a clip into Cap’s shield, not to test his strength, but to show that she has actually had feelings for Steve and that she didn’t have many. I want to see it fondue with Pvt. Lorraine.

Attack on the SHIELD helicarrier in Marvel’s Avengers

The extended sequence of a brainwashed Hawkeye leading the charge to rescue Loki from captivity on the SHIELD helicarrier works because it’s interspersed with a fierce fight between Thor and Hulk. Not to mention it’s like a training mission for the team before arriving at the Chitauri invasion. Their ability to work as a team has yet to be solidified, and it’s fun to watch.

The sequence helps establish the report between Steve Rogers and Tony Stark and, to some extent, the dynamic between Bruce Banner and Natasha Romanoff. She’s the one who tries to calm him down, which could have killed her. Better yet, it’s not with some silly “sun sets” mantra.

The battle for New York Marvel’s Avengers

The crown jewel of MCU Phase One’s action sequences, The AvengersThe final fight was and remains one of the most entertaining set pieces in the franchise. And rightly so, given that it has a flow that sometimes even lacks the pacing of the narrative of the same film (the first 20 minutes are a bit laborious). Beyond that, the photo encircling the now-united team is about as iconic as MCU images can get.

The Chitauri are better cannon fodder than an actual threat, but they provide the perfect challenge for the team’s first third act. And, when it comes to Lokithere’s Hulk hitting him like a rag doll. It’s a moment that’s been referenced in MCU projects for good reason, as it’s part of a much larger iconic action sequence that’s about as good as the MCU gets.

The first phase of the Marvel Cinematic Universe can be streamed on Disney+.