The post-credits scene in MCU movies way before the credits roll.
In plenty of films, the audience thinks they know where the story is headed, only for something to totally alter the expected path. That can come from a simple case of a character saying something. These lines could make a hero into a villain or reveal a shocking twist, yet all leave the viewers stunned.
"You And I Lost Everything At The Hands Of The Kree."
Captain Marvel
Going into Captain Marvel, audiences knew that Skrulls were part of the story. Given the history of the alien race in the comic books, everyone believed they were the antagonists of the film and had the potential to be set up as overarching villains in the franchise.
That was all changed when Carol had her first conversation with Talos and heard the contents of the black box from her crash years prior. It revealed that the Kree were the antagonists, not the Skrulls. Talos and Carol had a shared enemy in the Kree, changing everything.
"You Break The Rules And Become A Hero. I Do It And Become The Enemy."
Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness
Including Wanda Maximoff in WandaVision and share the screen with Stephen Strange. That said, her role in the movie wasn't made clear ahead of time.
So, when Strange visited her for help, it was assumed they'd be working together. When Wanda let her knowledge of America Chavez slip, Stephen got worried, and for good reason. Wanda wanted America's powers and was willing to do whatever it took to get them, even if her plan painted her as the villain.
"I Want The Throne."
Black Panther
As soon as Killmonger appeared on screen in Black Panther, he stole the show by being engaging to watch and having a ruthless streak. He took out Klaue and his girlfriend before making his way to Wakanda but his true intentions in the country were unknown.
After revealing himself to be related to T'Challa, Killmonger shouted his desires. He wanted to be king of Wakanda and to use their technology to liberate Black people around the world. This quote not only set the story down a new path but also added a personal nature to his issue with T'Challa. It was all part of making him one of the MCU's greatest villains.
"I'm Liz's Dad"
Spider-Man: Homecoming
For the most part, unexpected plot twists in the MCU are few and far between. There are certainly a few notable instances but a lot of the twists are telegraphed. However, you'd be hard-pressed to find someone who caught on that Adrian Toomes was Liz's father in Spider-Man: Homecoming.
Peter Parker's life was seemingly getting back to normal after being benched by Iron Man and he went to pick up his crush for the dance. The shock of Toomes, known as the villainous Vulture, opening the door blew audiences away. Toomes as Liz's dad complicated things even further for Peter, who was already in over his head.
“Who The Hell Is Bucky?”
Captain America: The Winter Soldier
Longtime comic book readers knew that Bucky Barnes was the Winter Soldier but for those more casual fans of the MCU, the identity of the villain was unknown. During revealing that it was Bucky, who he thought was dead.
As if that wasn't enough to completely change the course of the film, Bucky's response to hearing his name was another added factor. This let moviegoers know that not only was Bucky the antagonist but that he also had forgotten who he was. That helped make him a sympathetic character who fans have rooted for ever since.
"I'm An Actor."
Iron Man 3
Reactions to comics, he's one of Iron Man's greatest foes and the trailers hinted that Sir Ben Kingsley was going to be terrifying in the role.
When Tony Stark confronted the man, it was revealed that The Mandarin was all a ruse. It was just an aspiring actor named Trevor Slattery who was hired to give off the impression that he was a terrorist. Even if you didn't like the twist, there's no doubt that Trevor explaining his work as an actor changed the film.
"But It Broke My Heart To Put That Tumor In Her Head."
Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2
Pretty much everyone saw the twist coming that Ego was not someone to be trusted. Peter Quill's father played a big part in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 and bonded with his son almost immediately. Even though fans knew not to trust him, they likely didn't see this quote coming.
It was evil enough to find out that Ego had killed his offspring that didn't have the celestial gene but to find out that he was the reason why Peter's mother died was something else entirely. Peter thought he finally found a parental figure but Ego had done the ultimate thing that he couldn't forgive.
“He Killed My Mom.”
Captain America: Civil War
While the MCU's civil war is about the Sokovia Accords, things didn't get truly personal until the final act. Even when the heroes were all fighting at the airport, some were pulling their punches and nobody was out to kill anyone else.
However, the reveal that Bucky was behind the murder of Tony Stark's parents changed everything. Once that was revealed, there was no turning back. Even when Steve tried to reason with Tony, he responded with this line, indicating how furious and past the point of no return he was.
“You Should’ve Gone For The Head.”
Avengers: Infinity War
If there's one thing that fans of superhero movies have come to expect, it's that the good guys will win. That was never more in doubt than in Avengers: Infinity War as Thanos killed Loki, Gamora, and Vision on his way to collect the six Infinity Stones. As soon as he did, Thor hit him with Stormbreaker, which had spent most of the movie acquiring.
Once again, it looked like the heroes would prevail but an injured Thanos said this line before snapping his fingers. Since Thor didn't go for the head, Thanos was still alive and was able to complete his mission, altering the course of the entire MCU.
