Here are our picks for the most controversial superhero scenes of the last decade. The superhero genre is bigger than ever, in large part thanks to the breathtaking success of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It's no longer unusual to see a superhero film break $1 billion at the global box office, and the highest-grossing movie of all time.
For all that's the case, though, not every superhero film is actually good. 2011's campaign for Warner Bros. to release the Snyder Cut.
But sometimes the controversy is really over a handful of scenes, either because they're emblematic of a film's problems, or because they stand out as particularly ill-thought-out compared to the rest of a masterpiece. Here are the top 15 most controversial superhero moments from the 2010s.
15. The Rape Scene - Super
James Gunn's Super contains probably the single most disturbing sex scene there's ever been in a superhero movie. Fresh from his time at Troma Studios, Gunn created a film starring Rainn Wilson as low-budget superhero the Crimson Bolt. Ellen Page played Boltie, the kid who decided her life wouldn't be complete unless she became the Crimson Bolt's sidekick. Then, in a disturbing and psychopathic twist, Boltie raped her mentor. Disturbingly, in an interview with Ain't It Cool News James Gunn described the rape scene as "sort of beautiful."
14. The Joker And Harley Quinn - Suicide Squad
No, the Joker and Harley Quinn are not #RelationshipGoals. Both the Batman animated series and the comics have always treated Harley Quinn as a victim of abuse, her mind twisted and warped by the Joker. And yet David Ayer's Birds of Prey theater-only trailer declaring that Harley is so over clowns.
13. Gamora's Death - Avengers: Infinity War
Gamora's Infinity War death scene was powerful and emotional, but it was also deeply troubling, because it was hard to see Thanos' love as genuine. Rather than an object of love, Gamora was properly viewed as a victim of abuse at Thanos' hands. And yet, Avengers: Infinity War implicitly treated Thanos' love as genuine, given the Soul Stone accepted his sacrifice.
12. Black Widow's Death - Avengers: Endgame
Avengers: Endgame may have been a blockbuster hit, but it Spider-Man: Far From Home minimized Black Widow's significance.
11. Flash Vision - Batman v Superman
Flash vision sequence is one of the worst moments in it. In this sequence, a sleeping Batman dreams a vision of a dark future, and then encounters a time-jumping Flash with a mysterious warning. The scene fits uncomfortably with the plot of Batman V Superman, and was intended to set up Zack Snyder's overarching narrative. It caused a lot of confusion for casual viewers, and the DCEU changed direction, meaning said narrative was abandoned. The whole sequence therefore points the way to a plot that will never happen.
10. The Destruction Of Auschwitz - X-Men: Apocalypse
The last decade has seen the superhero genre become increasingly destructive, but no example has really been quite so crass as the obliteration of Auschwitz in X-Men: Apocalypse. The titular villain was attempting to turn Magneto to his cause, and in order to do so he took the Master of Magnetism to the old concentration camp at Auschwitz, reminding Magneto of his personal history. In what was clearly meant to be a powerful and emotional moment, Magneto lashed out with a flare of power and tore Auschwitz apart. Unfortunately, it just came across as crass and tasteless, given the place Auschwitz holds in world history.
9. Batgirl & Batman's Sex Scene - Batman: The Killing Joke
In general, DC Animation's movies are high-quality and beloved by fans. An exception is Batgirl and Batman. It came to a head in a sex scene on a rooftop, in which Batgirl straddled the Dark Knight. It's important to that Batman is essentially Batgirl's mentor, and that in the comics she's best known for her relationship with his protege Dick Grayson. The general consensus is that this whole addition was tasteless.
8. The Biker Scene - Captain Marvel
Brie Larson smiled enough in her titular role. Marvel was probably wise to cut this.
7. Superman And Zod's Trail Of Destruction: Man Of Steel
Even comic book writer Mark Waid, generally considered one of the best in the business, felt that Zack Snyder's Doomsday battle to a deserted island to prevent another Disaster Porn accusation.
6. "Eight Years Later" - Spider-Man: Homecoming
The Marvel Cinematic Universe is a unique Hollywood franchise, but it has its flaws. One of these is continuity; the timeline works, right up until the moment you look too closely and realize that it doesn't. Marvel generally get away with it, simply because they've earned a lot of goodwill, and audiences are happy to overlook most eight years after The Avengers, when it only took place four years later. There was absolutely no way to make any sense of it, and in the end even Marvel described this as "very incorrect."
