Over the years, there have been many heartbreaking moments in the MCU, but there are some more-hidden realizations that make the MCU even sadder.

While the Marvel Cinematic Universe has already delivered some very emotional moments, some of these hidden truths and realizations make the franchise even more heartbreaking. In the 16 years since the MCU kicked off with 2008’s Iron Man, Marvel Studios has adapted some of Marvel Comics’ most intense and emotionally-impactful moments into live-action, as well as some that are completely unique to the MCU. These have seen heroes transform into villains, legends lay down their lives for the greater good, and evil adversaries succeed in their various missions, but some of the MCU’s most heartbreaking moments have been less overt.

Thinking back on the MCU’s various storylines with hindsight, there are many harrowing realizations that make some of the MCU’s most tragic moments even more emotional. Some heroes’ deaths mean they never saw their friends succeed, some last words left a huge impression on the MCU’s subsequent stories, and many sacrifices have been memorialized in some beautiful and inventive ways. These moments help make the MCU more grounded and realistic, proving some of the franchise’s most untouchable and powerful superheroes have innately human qualities, which has surely contributed to the massive success of the MCU over the last 16 years.

10. Thor’s Last Words To Loki Were “You Really Are The Worst Brother”

Avengers: Infinity War (2018)

The opening moments of Avengers: Infinity War set the tone for the entire story going forward, as iconic characters Heimdall and Loki were quickly killed by Thanos. Loki’s death came as a huge surprise, as the God of Mischief had only just redeemed himself in Thor: Ragnarok, with him and his adoptive brother, Thor, becoming closer. Unfortunately, the last words Loki heard from Thor declared him to be “the worst brother,” which makes this haunting scene even more tragic.

Thor speaks this line after Loki reveals that he stole the Tesseract from Asgard before the planet’s destruction in Thor: Ragnarok.

Loki Ended Up Knowing How Much His Brother Loved Him

While the original version of Loki will never know how much his brother loved him, the MCU’s new Loki variant certainly does. After escaping during the Avengers’ Time Heist and being captured by the Time Variance Authority, Loki watched his life back in video form. This included scenes of his death, and showed Thor crying over Loki’s body, proving to the God of Mischief that he will surely be missed.

9. Peter Parker Met Tony Stark’s Daughter At His Funeral

Avengers: Endgame (2019)

Since his debut in 2016’s Captain America: Civil War, Peter Parker formed a close relationship with Tony Stark, a.k.a. Iron Man. This meant that Spider-Man’s death in Infinity War, and Stark’s death in Endgame, had a huge impact on the other hero. While Spider-Man had been missing for five years after being blipped, Stark and Pepper Potts had a daughter, Morgan. During the Battle of Earth, there was no time for Stark to reveal this to his friend, so Parker wouldn’t have met his mentor’s child until his emotional funeral.

Peter Parker Had A Very Close Bond With Tony Stark In The MCU

Tony Stark initially recruited Spider-Man to join Team Iron Man in Civil War, but remained as the young hero’s mentor afterward. Since Parker’s father is absent, and Uncle Ben is presumably dead, Stark became a father figure to Parker. This made their farewells to each other even more heartbreaking, and made Parker’s grief in Spider-Man: Far From Home very raw.

Peter Parker was retroactively introduced in 2010’s Iron Man 2 as a child attending the Stark Expo whom Tony Stark’s Iron Man saves from a HAMMER Drone.

8. Bruce Banner Left His Whole Life Behind On Sakaar

Thor: Ragnarok (2017)

After disappearing at the end of Avengers: Age of Ultron, Thor: Ragnarok revealed that the Hulk had inadvertently traveled to Sakaar, where he had remained in his Hulk form for two whole years. Due to the confusing time distortions on Sakaar, it can be assumed that the Hulk actually lived on Sakaar for many years longer, which makes him leaving the planet even sadder. The Hulk must have had an entire life on Sakaar which he would have forgotten and abandoned when he reverted to Bruce Banner.

The Hulk’s Life On Sakaar May Create Problems In The MCU’s Future

She-Hulk: Attorney at Law confirmed that the Hulk had been on Sakaar much longer, as Wil Deusner debuted as the Hulk’s son, Skaar, who is already a teenager. Fans of Marvel Comics may have spotted the seeds being planted for a live-action adaptation of World War Hulk with the introduction of Sakaar and Skaar. Nevertheless, it’s unclear when this catastrophic story will unfold.

7. Rocket Raccoon’s First Word Was “Hurt”

Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3 (2023)

After appearing in Guardians of the Galaxy and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, Rocket Raccoon’s backstory was explored in much more detail in James Gunn’s Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. Rocket was revealed to be the subject of an experiment by the High Evolutionary, who added cybernetic implants to a regular raccoon from Earth. This allowed Rocket to speak, but in a haunting scene, the young raccoon’s first word was “hurt,” prompting him to be comforted by his newfound friends.

Rocket’s Early Life Was Full Of Tragedy

Rocket’s early life was spent primarily in captivity, living under the abusive thumb of the High Evolutionary. He had his similarly-enhanced friends, the otter Lylla, the walrus Teefs, and the rabbit Floor, to keep him company. However, during an attempted escape, Lylla, Teefs and Floor were all killed, leaving Rocket completely alone. This was a hard way for the future hero to begin his journey in the MCU.

6. Peter Quill Almost Killed Gamora, Which Would Have Had A Bigger Impact On His Mental State

Avengers: Infinity War (2018)

Avengers: Infinity War marked the end for Gamora in the MCU, as the Guardian of the Galaxy was killed by Thanos in exchange for the Soul Stone. Prior to this, however, Gamora begged Peter Quill to kill her instead, ensuring that Thanos would never find the sixth Infinity Stone. Quill would have been successful in killing his love, had Thanos not already acquired the Reality Stone, but this would have had a much greater impact on Quill’s mental state in subsequent projects.

Peter Quill Struggled With Gamora’s Death Well Into The MCU’s Phase 5

Peter Quill’s emotional reaction to Gamora’s death allowed Thanos to defeat Earth’s Mightiest Heroes on Titan, and he continued to feel the repercussions of her demise throughout Phases 4 and 5. Quill turned to alcohol to numb his grief, and tried to make amends with the new variant of Gamora in the MCU, but to no avail. This would have been amplified massively had Quill killed Gamora himself.

5. Natasha Romanoff Never Knew If The Avengers Succeeded

Avengers: Endgame (2019)

Over almost the entire duration of the MCU, Natasha Romanoff’s Black Widow was widely regarded to be one of the most insulted heroes in the franchise. Romanoff’s big moment came during Avengers: Endgame, when she sacrificed herself to save Clint Barton and allow him to acquire the Soul Stone during the Time Heist. Unfortunately, Romanoff never got a funeral in the MCU, and never knew if her sacrifice had allowed the Avengers to succeed in bringing back their fallen friends and finally defeating Thanos.

Natasha Romanoff always took a back seat to the MCU’s male superheroes, and only saw her first solo movie, which wasn’t entirely successful, after her death in Avengers: Endgame.

Black Widow’s Death Had A Huge Impact On The MCU

While Natasha Romanoff was insulted time and again in the MCU, her demise had a huge impact. Clint Barton’s grief was palpable in 2021’s Hawkeye, and Yelena Belova dealing with her surrogate sister’s death provided some of the MCU’s most-recent heartbreaking moments. At least this original MCU hero has finally been given some justice, albeit posthumously, and this is expected to continue in Phase 5’s Thunderbolts*.

4. Wanda Maximoff Had To Kill The Love Of Her Life Twice

Avengers: Infinity War (2018) & WandaVision (2021)

Since her debut in Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Wanda Maximoff proved herself to be one of the strongest MCU characters, but also one of the most traumatized. Tragically, Wanda was forced to kill the love of her life, Vision, twice, once in Infinity War to stop Thanos from collecting the Mind Stone, and again in WandaVision, when Wanda brought down the Westview Hex. These moments ultimately contributed to Wanda Maximoff’s harrowing Phase 4 evolution.

Wanda Maximoff’s Grief Transformed Her Into A Powerful MCU Villain

Following years of grief and turmoil, losing her parents, brother and children, killing Vision, and being ousted from the Avengers, it’s no wonder Wanda Maximoff became a villain in Phase 4. Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness marked her official transformation into a villain, embracing her corruption as the Scarlet Witch. Although she met her demise in Phase 4, there are hopes that the Scarlet Witch will return to the MCU as a hero.

3. Clint Barton’s Son’s Middle Name Is Pietro, As Quicksilver Sacrificed His Life To Save Hawkeye

Avengers: Age Of Ultron (2015)

After Clint Barton’s Hawkeye went practically unnoticed in The Avengers, Avengers: Age of Ultron revealed more about his family life, including introducing his then-pregnant wife, Laura. Barton’s third child, Nathaniel (named after Natasha Romanoff), was born shortly after the battle against Ultron in Sokovia, during which Barton’s life had been saved by Pietro Maximoff’s Quicksilver. To memorialize Quicksilver’s sacrifice while saving Hawkeye’s life, the Bartons named their new son Nathaniel Pietro Barton.

Quicksilver Is Still One Of The MCU’s Most Wasted Heroes

While Wanda Maximoff’s Scarlet Witch has gone on to have a brilliant career in the MCU, her brother is widely regarded to be one of the franchise’s most-wasted heroes. Quicksilver had an exciting debut in The Winter Soldier and Age of Ultron, but was killed off in his first full adventure. There are hopes that Marvel Studios will revive the hero while debuting the MCU’s X-Men team, which could see him introduced as a mutant in the MCU.

Quicksilver and the Scarlet Witch were depicted as the mutant children of Magneto for most of their Marvel Comics history, but this was retconned in 2015’s Uncanny Avengers (Vol. 2) #4, making them products of the High Evolutionary’s genetic experiments.

2. Bruce Banner Attempted Suicide, & Nobody Talks About It

The Avengers (2012)

In a well-known deleted scene from 2008’s The Incredible Hulk, Bruce Banner was revealed to have attempted suicide in the film’s now-removed opening sequence. This tragic sequence was perhaps deemed too dark for the opening moments of the MCU’s second live-action project, yet was confirmed to be canon in The Avengers, as Mark Ruffalo’s Bruce Banner revealed he had indeed tried to shoot himself. Luckily, this attempt didn’t pan out, allowing the Hulk to grow brilliantly in the years since.

Bruce Banner in The Avengers: I didn’t see an end, so I put a bullet in my mouth, and the other guy spit it out. So, I moved on. I focused on helping other people. I was good, until you dragged me back into this freak show and put everyone here at risk.

Bruce Banner Has Come A Long Way Since The Incredible Hulk

Over the years, Bruce Banner has come to embrace his Hulk persona, after previously viewing the Hulk as something that needed to be cured. The pair quarreled throughout The Avengers, Age of Ultron, Thor: Ragnarok and Infinity War, but eventually merged into one body in Avengers: Endgame. Smart Hulk is a combination of the Banner and Hulk personas, proving that the character has learned to love himself over the years.

1. Groot Called Rocket “Dad” Before Being Dusted By Thanos

Avengers: Infinity War (2018)

The relationship between Rocket Raccoon and Groot began long before their introduction in Guardians of the Galaxy, forming one of the most popular partnerships in the MCU. After Groot died in Guardians of the Galaxy, Rocket saved a sprout and grew a new Groot. Groot fell victim to Thanos’ snap in Infinity War, and James Gunn confirmed that Groot’s final word to Rocket was “dad,” proving the strong bond between the pair, and making this moment even more heartbreaking.

Avengers: Infinity War Was Full Of Heartbreaking Moments

Groot’s demise wasn’t the only tragic moment in Infinity War, as the project marked the Avengers’ epic loss against Thanos. Sam Wilson died alone, Tony Stark watched Peter Parker die, Thanos sacrificed Gamora, Wanda Maximoff was forced to kill Vision, and countless other heroes lost their lives. This was a huge loss for the Avengers and the Marvel Cinematic Universe as a whole, solidifying Infinity War as Marvel Studios’ most heartbreaking installment.