In the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the Avengers are just as likely to fight each other as they are to come together against a singular threat. With so many big personalities and conflicting ideals, it's little wonder that the of the team have butted heads time and time again.
While the Avengers do manage to put their differences aside and save the day most of the time, several arguments had the characters and fans alike worried that they would never be able to get past their arguments.
From romantic tensions to major ideological blow-ups, the Avengers have bickered over just about everything there is to bicker. Not all conflicts are created equal, however, and some fights have resulted in major setbacks for the Avengers.
Pepper's Concerns Over Tony (Iron Man 3)
Iron Man 3 shows Tony Stark at his lowest after he nearly dies during the Battle of New York. Haunted by his experience, Stark finds comfort in the only thing that he guarantees will keep him safe: his suits. His reliance on his technology puts him at odds with Pepper Potts, his girlfriend, who believes Tony is prioritizing his own fears over their relationship.
Tony's inability to put his own relationships before protecting the world leads to tension in his relationship with Pepper. It begins a chain of events that lead to the two briefly separating because of Tony's destructive selflessness.
Rhodey Vs. Stark (Iron Man 2)
Tony Stark just can't seem to catch a break. In Iron Man 2, Tony realizes that he is slowly dying from palladium poisoning due to his arc reactor and struggles to keep this hidden from those closest to him. His best friend, Rhodey, is sickened by what he perceives as Tony spiraling and confronts him at his birthday party, borrowing an Iron Man suit in order to shut down the party.
Ultimately, Rhodey's aggravation over Tony's destructive behavior and Tony's secret did create some tension between the friends. However, they did manage to reconcile in the end once they talked it out.
Bucky Releasing Zemo (The Falcon And The Winter Soldier)
In order to follow the trail of rogue super-soldiers, Bucky Barnes breaks the villainous Helmut Zemo out of prison and enlists his help in tracking them down. His actions, however, earn the ire of Ayo, who is the second in command of Wakanda's Dora Milaje. Ayo, who had helped Bucky overcome his brainwashing, expresses hurt that Bucky would free the man who was responsible for the death of former king T'Chaka.
Even when Zemo agrees to be taken back to prison, Ayo still hasn't completely forgiven Bucky for his betrayal. While there is hope they will be able to reconcile in due time, it may take years before Ayo and Bucky can move on with their friendship.
Nebula And Gamora (Guardians Of The Galaxy: Volume Two)
Growing up as the daughter of Thanos is difficult enough; for Nebula, however, the true struggle came from living in the shadow of Gamora, their father's favorite sister. Disowned by Thanos and embittered by Gamora's newfound family in the Guardians of the Galaxy, Nebula tracks Gamora down to Ego's planet and engages her in another fight.
It is here that Nebula reveals her tragic reason for chasing down Gamora: after everything that happened, she only wanted her sister. Through this argument, Nebula manages to break through her own troubles and begins a path towards redemption.
Odin Seeks Revenge (Thor: The Dark World)
After an invasion by Malekith and his Dark Elves leaves Asgard in tatters and his beloved wife Frigga is killed, Odin becomes obsessed with revenge. Thor's attempts to talk his father down and find a more peaceful option fall on unlistening ears as Odin insists on seeking out Malekith and fighting him alone. He forbids Thor from leaving Asgard until he has ensured the threat is no more.
Thor has disagreed with Odin before but otherwise had followed his orders. Thor: The Dark World, on the other hand, marks the first time that Thor actively defies Odin's orders for the sake of the Nine Realms.
Nothing Without The Suit (Spider-Man: Homecoming)
While Tony Stark serves as a mentor and father figure to Peter Parker, that doesn't mean the two are always on the same page. Shortly after returning home from the events of Captain America: Civil War, Peter finds himself seemingly ghosted by Tony and with no answers as to when he's truly ing the Avengers. Unbeknownst to Peter, Tony has been working behind the scenes to chase after criminal Adrian Toomes.
When Tony discovers that Peter has gone behind his back and gotten himself involved, he confronts Peter about his recklessness and confiscates the suit he gave them. It's a hard blow to Peter, but Tony's scolding teaches him a valuable lesson about standing on his own without help.
Vision Confronts Wanda (WandaVision)
The Disney+ exclusive WandaVision puts Wanda Maximoff and Vision's romantic relationship through the wringer as the latter begins to suspect that the picture-perfect world he lives in hides a dark secret. When Vision discovers clues that point to his wife Wanda being behind the odd phenomena in Westview, he confronts Wanda about her involvement after their kids have gone to bed.
At first, Wanda tries to avoid her husband's questioning, even going as far as to roll the credits over him. The argument gets so heated that the two of them almost come to blows against each other, marking a strain in their otherwise happy marriage.
The Vormir Sacrifice (Avengers: Endgame)
Clint Barton and Natasha Romanoff have been inseparable since Clint spared Natasha and gave her a second chance with SHIELD. When the two arrive on the planet Vormir in search of the Soul Stone, they learn that retrieving the stone demands a sacrifice. Both Clint and Natasha immediately offer to sacrifice themselves for one another, neither wanting the other to go.
The idea of losing each other leads to Clint and Natasha fighting as they try to slow each other down so they can make the sacrifice. It's not the conflict itself that makes this argument tragic, but rather the circumstances and platonic love Clint and Natasha have for one another.
What Is SHIELD Hiding? (The Avengers)
When first brought together to fight the threat Loki posed to the entire world, the Avengers didn't find themselves immediately united by a common enemy; rather, they instead grew suspicious over Nick Fury and SHIELD's motivations and investment in the Tesseract. After having bad run-ins with the government before, heroes like Tony Stark and Bruce Banner were quick to believe that SHIELD had ulterior motives.
Things come to a head when the Avengers discover SHIELD's plans to harness the Tesseract into unstoppable weapons. With the intervention of a little magic from Loki, the entire team engages in a heated argument with each other, stooping to personal character attacks and suspicion towards each other.
The Entirety Of Captain America: Civil War
Tensions within the Avengers began anew after a failed mission in Lagos spurred the United Nations into drafting the Sokovia Accords, splitting the team apart due to differing opinions on the regulations. From there, the situation just gets worse and worse; international incidents, some meddling from Helmut Zemo, and some disturbing truths about the murder of Howard and Maria Stark not only break up the Avengers as a team but destroys the friendship between Tony Stark and Steve Rogers.
Ultimately, Captain America: Civil War is a movie built on one major argument that escalates to a point of no return. Its aftermath is so catastrophic that it majorly damages the Avengers and the trust between them - which only puts them in a disadvantageous position when Thanos comes knocking.
