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This is either because they introduce important characters or mention a particular detail that will later turn out to be crucial for the entire movie. With so many opening scenes, it’s difficult to choose the best, but some of them still stand out.
7 Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017)
While this particular opening scene doesn’t have such a big impact on the story as others do, it still deserves a mention. The Guardians of the Galaxy take on yet another enemy and their fighting strategy doesn’t seem to work so well as they’re all over the place.
The only member of the team who seems to be enjoying the fight is Baby Groot, who is dancing around full of joy — at least until someone turns off his music or a space rat crosses his way. The scene immediately sets the humorous tone of the movie, and it also showcases Baby Groot in great detail, which is a good thing since he goes on to become one of the fan-favorites.
6 Avengers: Age Of Ultron (2015)
The first Avengers movie takes some time to bring the team together. So it only makes sense for the sequel to start with an action scene in which all the Avengers are fighting side by side. Traveling through the forest, the team penetrates a Hydra compound and takes Loki’s scepter, which is stored there.
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The opening scene not only immediately draws the audience in because they want to know what’s going on, but it also gives each hero the chance to show what they can do and where their strengths lie. Last but not least, it also offers some funny banter and memorable quotes, most notably the scene in which Captain America advises Iron Man to watch his language, which Tony later uses against him.
5 Iron Man (2008)
Even though the MCU has had some pretty impressive opening scenes during its run, the opening scene of the first Iron Man movie (2008) suggests what the entire universe will be about. Just like many subsequent movies, it mixes humor and action.
Tony Stark is in Afghanistan to make business, soldiers accompany him, they joke a little… when all of a sudden, the car is under attack and Tony’s in danger. The opening scene is efficient on three counts: it draws the audience in, introduces the main hero, and it immediately starts his origin story that leads to his transformation to Iron Man.
4 Captain America: Civil War (2016)
The fans who wanted to know more about Bucky’s past got a further glimpse into his uneasy life during this movie’s opening scene. The scene portrays Bucky getting brainwashed by Hydra and then killing two people on a dark road.
As the audience later realizes, it was this act of violence that started the Civil War between the Avengers and possibly influenced their defeat by Thanos. As such, it’s easily one of the most important opening scenes in any MCU movie because it had a huge impact on future events.
3 Doctor Strange (2016)
Even though Doctor Strange is a pretty typical origin story, its opening scene stands out among the rest because of its overall visual quality. Stephen Strange himself doesn’t appear in the scene. Instead, it focuses on the main villain Kaecilius and his men, who steal sacred texts from the Kathmandu library and run from the Ancient One.
Not only does the scene introduce two major characters who will influence Stephen Strange’s life, but it also works with some impressive moments in which Kaecilius uses magic to bend the rules of the world and reality to fit his purpose. It’s the first major glimpse into what these types of sorcerers can do in the MCU, and it shows that even greater things are to come.
2 Avengers: Infinity War (2018)
After hyping up Thanos for so long (since the release of the first Avengers movie), his first major onscreen appearance had to be memorable. And what better way to achieve such an effect than to show Thanos’s strength and brutality in the opening scene in Avengers: Infinity War?
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Thanos and his people board the Asgardians’ ship. Thanos then proceeds to defeat the Hulk, stop Thor, and finally breaks both Thor’s and the fans’ hearts when he kills Loki. That’s the moment the characters and the audience both realize that Thanos isn’t playing games, and he won’t stop at anything to achieve his goal. As a way to introduce its villain number one, the opening scene in the movie doesn’t disappoint.
1 Avengers: Endgame (2019)
A lot of MCU opening scenes work with action. While that’s captivating, sometimes simple human emotions do even more wonders, and Avengers: Endgame is easily one of the most emotionally deep and touching MCU movies. Even when the heroes manage to win and save the day, it’s not without sacrifices and losses.
The opening scene returns to Hawkeye, who was strangely absent during the events of Avengers: Infinity War (and some Hawkeye memes suggest that this is the reason why the Avengers lost against Thanos). Clint is spending a peaceful time with his family, but when he walks away for just a moment, his wife, as well as all of his kids, are snapped. So when Clint comes back, he has no idea what happened, and his confusion and fear help set the tone for the beginning of the movie.
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