Superhero movies are just dandy, but don't you sometimes wish we could take a break from all the fighting and the Thanos and the blahblah justice to just, like, hang? With 10 years and over 20 films under its belt, the Marvel Cinematic Universe has precious few scenes that aren't plot or battle – but those are some of their finest.
Here are the 10 best mundane scenes of the MCU.
10. Goose throwing up the Tesseract - Captain Marvel (2019)
Was there ever a hairball so pivotal this adorable flerken's? Goose coughs up a casual Space Stone and then goes about the rest of the day. Whose job was it to clean that thing, and are they okay?
9. Shawarma - The Avengers (2012)
Arguably the mundane scene that started it all, the Avengers post-credits (post-post-credits, technically) saw Captain America, Iron Man, Thor, Black Widow, Bruce Banner, and Hawkeye silently and ravenously consuming Middle Eastern food after the battle for New York. No one speaks, no one smiles, no one even looks at each other, yet it's perfect.
8. Beyoncé - Doctor Strange (2016)
These two get off to a rocky start, with Steven making jokes about Wong having one name, like Adele or Drake. Later on, after calling Wong Beyoncé to his face, Strange zips in and out of the library to steal books through dimensional portals while the bookkeeper is just trying to jam to some Bey.
7. Gym class - Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)
Homecoming shines more than any Spider-Men before it (and there are many, lest we forget) because it's a teen rom-com as much as a superhero movie. The gym class in act one epitomizes this; From a classic Captain America PSA to an Avengers-themed game of KFM (obviously f Thor...but marry Iron Man? Really?) to Peter's crush inviting him to a party and Ned's constant, hilarious asides – it's beautiful.
6. Fondue - Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)
Sweet, innocent Steve Rogers takes some time to adjust to his 100 extra pounds of muscle, but that's nothing compared to his inability to navigate his feelings for Peggy Carter. Poor Steve is so inexperienced with dating and relationships that he thinks "fondue" is a sex euphemism and legitimately asks Peggy about it in conversation. This woman loved him until she died!!
5. Dude vs. Man - Avengers: Infinity War (2018)
There were a lot of reasons to look forward to Thor meeting the Guardians of the Galaxy, but watching them all fall in love with the god of thunder was an unexpected delight. Drax is most forward, calling Peter a "dude" where Thor is a "man" and saying he looks like "a pirate had a baby with an angel." Even Gamora finds an excuse to fondle those Asgardian biceps and Peter feels so inferior that he deepens his voice once Thor comes to.
4. Meet Korg - Thor: Ragnarok (2017)
Picking just one scene from this absolute banger of a movie was difficult bordering on impossible, but Korg personifies the whimsically mundane. His plaintive, lilting delivery makes every line funny – and they're funny lines to begin with ("a freaky circle"). Even the name Doug just feels hand-picked for maximum humor, and Hemsworth plays his part admirably straight.
3. Groot's Task - Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. II (2017)
An imprisoned Rocket and Yondu manage to get Baby Groot's attention, but getting the kid to bring them Yondu's Finn is a different story entirely. In an adorable (and vaguely sinister – a toe?) montage, Groot brings over a parade of items from Yondu's usurped bedroom, and even explains why he hates hats.
2. Sam and Bucky - Captain America: Civil War (2016)
Instead of a full scene, these two get a lot of little moments peppered perfectly throughout the film, from the fantastic "Can you move your seat up?" to Sam's deadpan "I hate you" during the final fight. The fun part is that they're Cap's two besties stuck in a de facto competition for his affection; the truth is also that one was a military combatant and the other stopped being one when Hydra commandeered his body for evil. Classic shenanigans!
1. The post-game - Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015)
Superheroes, like celebrities, are just like us, but rarely do movies or comics let us experience this. The Ultron post-game is a wonderful glimpse into avenging off-season and the very real bonds these "friends from work" must form while saving the world. Casually roasting a close friend over drinks? Who hasn't! Tipsily trying to lift Thor's hammer even when you know it's impossible and kind of dangerous? Nothing another drink won't fix.
Avengers: Endgame opens April 26.
Topics Marvel
