Artnewspress :
A recent IMDb poll showcases classic favorite MCU lines as well as a number of lesser hyped chestnuts.
The Marvel Cinematic Universe, now stretches across a massive 27 films showcasing a wide and colorful variety of fantastic characters brought to life by some of the most respected actors in movie history. And it’s not looking set to slow down any time soon, with 3 new MCU films coming out this year alone.
Yet the pollsters over at IMDb have managed to tally an eclectic total of what they deem to be among either the most often memorable or most underrated quotes from the vast array of quirky or magnificent moments from the entire MCU repertoire of snappy, world-changing dialogue. And although not too many people voted, the results are still pretty much exactly what fans might expect.
10 Loki, Avengers Infinity War (2018) – 7 Votes
“Well, for one thing, I’m not Asgardian. And for another…we have a Hulk.”
Tom Hiddleston’s Loki is unquestionably one of MCU’s best villains. And he probably has the highest count of memorable and snappy one-liners due to the god of mischief’s inherent capacity for sarcasm, duplicity, and comic relief. This early line from Infinity War is twofold, in that Loki is echoing to Thanos a similar sentiment expressed to him in an earlier appearance during 2012’s The Avengers with Iron Man, when Loki reminds Tony he has an army and Stark counterpoints him with the Avengers ‘having a Hulk.’
It’s a fine precursor to Hulk’s initial battle with Thanos, though the outcome is much less successful than New York and offers a shocking and unexpected conclusion when Thanos summarily defeats Hulk in quick fashion.
9 Steve Rogers, Captain America The First Avenger (2011) – 9 Votes
“I can do this all day.”
Naturally Steve Rogers’ signature line wasn’t going to escape the scrutiny of any legitimate top ten MCU quote list and the only real surprise is how low it’s ranked among the nine other leading choices. It starts with Chris Evans’ earnest delivery in his origin film standing up to a bully before he becomes Cap and to the Red Skull at the movie’s climax.
The line shows up in two more of Cap’s appearances in the MCU, including his face-off with Iron Man in Captain America Civil War as well as his showdown with the past version of himself in Avengers: Endgame.
8 Tony Stark, Avengers Endgame (2019) – 9 Votes
“Part of the journey is the end.”
Of course this line is a foreshadowing precursor to Iron Man’s final denouement, one which many Marvel fans anticipated yet desperately wanted to avoid. It’s another double entendre line, in that not only is Tony Stark portending a conclusion for his hero days and giving a posthumous message to his daughter Morgan (tearing out our hearts in the process).
It’s also Robert Downey Jr. giving fans an unpopular yet necessary closure of Iron Man in the Infinity Saga with his last (?) appearance in the MCU. It’s an odd IMDb list that touts this line over his final statement to Thanos at Endgame’s conclusion, but stranger internet happenings have occurred.
7 The Ancient One, Doctor Strange (2016) – 9 Votes
“Death is what gives life meaning…to know your days are numbered, that time is short.”
Tilda Swinton’s mysterious mentor to Benedict Cumberbatch’s Stephen Strange has a variety of cliched mystic tropes to choose from, but apparently, it’s this one-off that IMDb pollsters decided to include.
While it’s a good one, it’s definitely derivative of innumerable variations on the same theme throughout pop culture and philosophical settings. Seeing as how death is a somewhat mutable and frequently reversible state in the MCU, it might be a moot point, but Swinton delivers it in style nonetheless.
6 Baron Zemo, Captain America Civil War (2016) – 9 Votes
“An empire toppled by its enemies can rise again. But one which crumbles from within? That’s dead… forever.”
Daniel Bruh was written a many colorful and villainous one liners in each of his appearances in the MCU, including his primary antagonist turn in Civil War as well as a supporting character in The Falcon and The Winter Soldier on the Disney Plus television series.
This line, asserted to Chadwick Boseman’s T’challa just before he attempts to end his own life, explaining his machinations to disassemble the Avengers, was a haunting invocation and indirect condemnation of a very real possibility in the American political landscape.
5 Thanos, Avengers Infinity War (2018) – 10 Votes
“Fun isn’t something one considers when balancing the universe. But this…does put a smile on my face.”
Josh Brolin has so much fun portraying the best villain in the MCU, it’s hard to choose a favorite in the dozens of one-off lines Thanos spouts during his rabid, eco-warrior quest to rid the universe of half its life forms. Being a formidable tyrant who’s assured he’s right and set in his determination to make what he wants to happen, this line perfectly sums up his narcissism.
Still, fans might’ve preferred IMDb pollsters including the far more iconic Thanos Infinity War line: “Dread it. Run from it. Destiny still arrives. And now it’s here. Or should I say, I am.” Or “You should’ve gone for the head.”
4 Steve Rogers, Avengers Endgame (2019) – 13 Votes
“Avengers…assemble.”
At long last, after twenty odd movies and three prior Avengers films, Chris Evans’ long-suffering Steve Rogers was allowed to say in full his most iconic line from the Avengers comics. Fanboys and fangirls had been waiting nearly a decade to hear the signature catchphrase and were finally rewarded at the onset of the MCU’s most epic battle, concluding the Infinity Saga once and for all.
Steve nearly got to say it at the end of Captain America Civil War with the newly assembled roster of Avengers after the original break in ranks, but the Russo brothers pulled the rug out from under fans, choosing to save the heralded chestnut for Avengers Endgame.
3 Tony Stark, Spider-Man Homecoming (2017) – 13 Votes
“If you’re nothing without the suit, you shouldn’t have it.”
Again we have an IMDb entry that seems at odds with the plethora of Spider-Man offerings throughout three universally beloved movies showcasing the ongoing trials of Tom Holland’s immensely popular Peter Parker.
While fans might likely choose a number of quotes during Tony and Peter’s first meeting in Aunt May’s house back in Civil War, it’s this one that stood out among pollsters as a reminder that heroes like Iron Man and Spider-Man must be more than the costumes and gear they wield.
2 Groot, Guardians Of The Galaxy (2014) – 17 Votes
“We are Groot.”
For a character that only has two distinguishable lines of dialogue throughout four epic and acclaimed MCU movies, this line sure did pack a hefty punch.
Vin Diesel’s fan favorite character only deviates from his three-word line just once, at the end of the first Guardians of the Galaxy movie where he switches up the lead pronoun to reply to his buddy Rocket, who’s anguished in wondering why his big galoot associate is sacrificing himself to save the others’ lives as they battle the movie’s villain Ronan The Accuser during the Dark Aster’s crash on Xandar. Few eyes in the house were dry as Groot told him why and wiped a tear away from Rocket’s face.
1 Aunt May, Spider-Man No Way Home (2021) – 24 Votes
“With great power, there must come great responsibility.”
This is likely Marvel’s most famous line of all time, an ancient adage first rendered by Voltaire, and fans had been waiting for someone, anyone, to at last relay it to Tom Holland’s Peter Parker. Fans hadn’t seen anyone use the seminal line since Cliff Robertson said it to Toby Maguire in Sony’s first Spider-Man outing.
Since Kevin Feige’s MCU opted not to include the Uncle Ben aspect of Holland’s Parker, they focused on Aunt May as an equally influential surrogate and it was quite an emotional climax when Marisa Tomei finally gave Tom Holland her last piece of advice before dying.
