Though the Avengers are the MCU’s most important superhero team, there are many things about them that fans seem eager not to acknowledge.

Even though The Avengers are the foremost heroes in the MCU, the franchise’s fans often overlook key issues with the team. The movies of the MCU have proven to be some of the most successful in cinematic history, with record-breaking box office figures and a huge fan following to back it up. The backbone of this success is the franchise’s shared universe format, with multiple heroes introduced in their own solo movies, then banding together as a team to battle dangerous enemies in the Avengers movies. Since the beginning, the team has been at the heart of the MCU’s story.

In spite of the team’s importance to the MCU’s wider story, there are actually a number of issues with The Avengers as the franchise presents them. Throughout the MCU’s movie timeline, the franchise has made a number of missteps or subtly damaging decisions that paint The Avengers in a less than favorable light, lending an easy-to-miss air of fallibility to the heroes; for all their efforts to help humanity, they are far from perfect. With all of that in mind, here are 10 things that no MCU fan wants to admit about The Avengers.

10. There’s A Huge Power Imbalance Between The Avengers

Power Levels & Influence Affect The Team’s Ability To Operate

The MCU presents its Avengers as a necessity: a team that is required when the might of a single hero simply won’t do. However, despite such importance being placed on their collective power, there’s a hugely imbalanced dynamic to the Avengers. Certain heroes, such as Iron Man and Captain America, hold significant sway over their teammates, acting as the team’s leaders. However, they possess considerably less power than many of their fellow heroes, some of whom seem content to take orders despite being infinitely more powerful. Essentially, the power structure of the MCU’s Avengers simply makes no sense.

9. Some Members Of The Avengers Are Pretty Useless

Some Heroes Render Their Teammates Obsolete

When examining the ranks of the MCU’s Avengers, it’s clear that there’s a huge power imbalance. In terms of specific abilities, this actually renders multiple individuals essentially useless. Considering that Thor is a literal god and Hulk possesses boundless strength, the likes of Hawkeye and Black Widow are essentially useless alongside them. This problem only gets worse as new Avengers are introduced, as the more powerful heroes should theoretically render their teammates obsolete. Though this isn’t an issue the MCU directly addresses, it’s clear that some heroes make their fellow Avengers pointless when fighting alongside one another.

8. Black Widow’s Sacrifice Was Bigger Than Tony Stark’s

Natasha Romanoff Is More Of A Hero Than Iron Man

Though MCU characters have made tragic sacrifices, some appear more substantial than others. The franchise presents Iron Man’s snap as the most powerfully selfless moment, but shortly before, Black Widow made a similar choice that actually cost her more. Natasha Romanoff gave her life to acquire the Soul Stone, and Stark gave his using the Stones to stop Thanos. As Stark’s sacrifice was more public and more obvious, he receives an immortal hero status, whereas Natasha’s sacrifice is largely overlooked. As Black Widow’s sacrifice is all but forgotten alongside Stark’s, she should actually be considered more selfless by comparison.

7. The Avengers’ Treatment Of Female Heroes Is Problematic

The Team’s Female Members Are Unfairly Treated

It’s no secret that the membership of the MCU’s Avengers skews more male, but it’s actually the way in which the team treats its female heroes that is too often overlooked. All of the most prominent female Avengers have either been underused in the franchise – such as Captain Marvel – or largely ignored by their teammates. For example, after losing her family and her romantic interest, Wanda Maximoff’s grief saw her turn into a villain in her MCU TV show. None of her male teammates stepped in to help or defend her, showing the MCU’s disregard for its female Avengers.

6. The Avengers Don’t Care About Endangering Children

The Team Has No Problem With Underage Heroes

Captain America: Civil War saw the Sokovia Accords cause a schism between the team’s heroes. In reaction to Captain America’s refusal to sign the Accords, Iron Man sets out to recruit some new blood to the team, opting to bring in Spider-Man. Though Spider-Man’s introduction to the MCU was heavily anticipated, many MCU fans aren’t willing to admit that the inclusion of a 14-year-old in a battle between superheroes is incredibly irresponsible. It seems the Avengers have no issues with bringing children into life-threatening situations, which isn’t a good look for the team.

5. The Sokovia Accords Were Justified

Humanity Was Right To Push For Greater Control Over Superhumans

As Civil War is told largely from Captain America’s perspective, it’s implied that the Sokovia Accords are unnecessary red tape backed by a guilt-ridden Tony Stark. However, looking at it from the perspective of the MCU’s non-superpowered population, the Accords are entirely justified. In a world filled with magic users, gods, and immensely powerful alien beings, the public has every reason to expect governmental oversight of superheroes. After all the collateral damage that had already occurred in the MCU, the Sokovia Accords were entirely reasonable, even if some heroes didn’t seem to think so.

4. The Avengers Being Celebrities Is Super Irresponsible

Not Having Secret Identities Is A Bad Idea

There appear to be several unwritten rules for the Avengers to follow in the MCU, one of which is that the majority of the teams’ heroes do not make use of secret identities. In some cases, this makes sense, but the fact that almost every Avenger’s identity is public knowledge is an incredibly bad idea. Any potential villain would be able to locate the heroes easily, and those with loved ones risk endangering their lives. Though it’s not widely acknowledged, the Avengers’ lack of secret identities actually makes very little sense.

3. The Superhero Team Is Weirdly Selective

The Avengers’ Recruitment Tactics Make No Sense

Another often overlooked issue with the MCU’s Avengers is the team’s bizarre recruitment tactics. Though Hank Pym’s Ant-Man adventures were known to SHIELD, he seemingly wasn’t approached to be involved in the Avengers Initiative. Most new members are simply the friends of existing members, such as Rhodey and Falcon. The Avengers were willing to take on the Maximoff Twins after knowing they were affiliated with both Hydra and Ultron, and they happily overlooked many street-level heroes such as Daredevil and Luke Cage. They then accepted the 14-year-old Spider-Man without hesitation.

2. The Avengers Need To Be A Smaller Team To Work Long-Term

A Huge Roster Is Bad For Most Avengers Stories

Though the MCU found massive success with its use of the biggest Avengers team ever assembled on the big screen, the franchise actually needs to think smaller in the future. As epic as it is to see the many heroes of the MCU band together, the franchise now has too many characters for this to be sustainable. Balancing so many characters in a single movie or battle sequence would be all but impossible, and though it’s not something MCU fans will want to admit, the franchise would do better to use a much smaller Avengers team for subsequent team-up movies.

1. They’ve Been No Good In The MCU Since They First Assembled

The Avengers’ Best Moment Was Their First

Though it’s not something that the MCU is likely to admit, the Avengers haven’t been at their best since they were first introduced. 2012’s The Avengers saw six heroes come together to protect the Earth, but since then, the team has faced nothing but internal issues. From Age of Ultron onwards, the Avengers have struggled to agree on any major issue and instead have fallen to in-fighting and even disbanded. Though they may be Earth’s mightiest heroes, it appears that the best days of the MCU’s Avengers are already behind them.