Highlights
- Iron Man 2 ends with an exciting fight scene as Iron Man and War Machine take on an army of drones, providing pure comic book fun.
- Thor: Ragnarok gets more exciting in its third act as Thor finally gets to control his lightning powers and achieves victory by causing the destruction of Asgard.
- Doctor Strange’s third act takes a less traditional twist as he uses the Eye of Agamotto to trap Dormammu in a time loop, showcasing how he is different from other superheroes in the MCU.
The third act in any movie is always important. It is how the movie wraps up everything that came before it in a satisfying fashion. When it comes to big-budget superhero movies, this third act normally culminates in one big fight scene. Both heroes and villains clash in a way that has been teased throughout the first two acts, and the Marvel Cinematic Universe has been particularly good at fashioning this type of ending.
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There have been over thirty different MCU projects so far, each varying in quality. However, nearly all their films end in a great third act. Some are just better than others.
7 Iron Man 2 (2010)
Tony Stark Takes On An Army Of Drones
Iron Man 2 from 2010 may not appear on many fans’ top ten lists of movies in the MCU, but there is no denying that the film ends with a burst of excitement. As the action starts, the villain of the movie, Ivan Vanko, activates an army of drones at the Stark Expo, and it is up to Iron Man to stop them from harming civilians. What starts as a high-speed chase around the city then culminates in a massive fight where Iron Man and War Machine must wipe out all the drones.
The result is pure comic book fun, and the pair get to use their tech in some interesting ways. Fans also get a sub-plot that shows Black Widow using her skills for the first time. While the final suit for Whiplash leaves something to be desired, the final confrontation with the villain and his army is everything a movie like this should give audiences.
6 Thor: Ragnarök (2017)
Thor Brings The Lightning
The third movie in the Thor franchise is a drastic departure from the first two entries. Directed by Taika Waititi, Thor: Ragnarök sees the God of Thunder stranded on a battle world without his hammer after his evil sister takes over Asgard. It is on this planet that he teams up with The Hulk, Loki, and Valkyrie to flee the slave world and retake Asgard.
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As fans would expect, the combination of all these heroes is enough to provide some great action as they try to protect the Asgardians from Hela and her army of dead minions. However, the third act gets more exciting as Thor finally gets to control the lightning powers that have been teased throughout the film. After a touching moment with his dead father, Thor emerges more powerful than ever as he mows down skeletons with his newfound abilities. What follows is a subversive ending where the heroes achieve victory by causing the destruction of Asgard.
5 Doctor Strange (2016)
Steven Strange Shows How Brains Can Be Better Than Brawn
Doctor Strange from 2016 shows how a logical neurosurgeon opens his mind to learn magic to heal himself and become a superhero. During the movie, Strange learns of a group of zealots who are hellbent on bringing the evil Dormammu into their reality. As this conflict progresses, the movie begins veering toward a third act many have seen before. Both the heroes and villains end up in Hong Kong, with time running out before Dormammu appears.
However, just as things start to look like the movie is going in a very familiar direction, Doctor Strange flees the battle by using the Eye of Agamotto previously established in the film. This artifact can help Strange manipulate time, so he uses it to trap Doramammu in a time loop before he can reach Earth. This encounter results in the immortal line ‘Dormammu I’ve come to bargain,’ as Strange is killed over and over again before Dormammu agrees to leave Earth alone in exchange for being let out of the time loop. It is a less than traditional third-act twist, but one that works to show how Doctor Strange is different from other superheroes in the MCU.
4 The Avengers (2012)
Bringing The Team Together
Possibly one of the most iconic moments in the MCU comes from the shot of all six of the original Avengers standing back to back in the middle of New York. That is because it was a culmination of everything the MCU had been building up to at that point. Four of these heroes had appeared in their own movies and now they had to put their differences aside to stop Loki and his army. As such, this third act was asking whether audiences wanted to see more superheroes teaming up on the big screen.
The answer was a resounding yes, as fans got to see The Avengers fight across New York in a battle that still stands as the blueprint for modern MCU movies. Every character gets a chance to shine, and the final battle only left Marvel fans wanting more.
3 Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)
A Funny Ending That Made Audiences Love The Guardians
The first Guardians of the Galaxy movie from 2014 was a surprise hit with fans, especially since very few people had ever heard of the space-faring team beforehand. This success can be attributed to James Gunn’s sense of humor, which made audiences to care for this group of criminal misfits as they blunder their way through trying to stop Ronin from destroying the planet Xandar with the Power Stone.
The team does group together for a final battle in the third act in a traditional sense, but what fans love most about this ending is how the gang finally save the day. After the tragic death of Groot, Peter Quill cuts the tension by challenging the villain to a dance-off. This silly move turns out to only be a distraction, and the Guardians seize the Power Stone and save the planet at the last moment.
2 Avengers: Endgame (2019)
The Culmination Of Over Ten Years Of Movies
There is an argument to be made that all The Avengers movies have some of the best third acts in cinema. While that is true, none of them quite have the same impact as the ending of Avengers: Endgame. The movie follows the original group of Avengers as they try to grab the Infinity Stones from the past to help restore the half of the universe snapped out of existence by Thanos in the previous movie. Although the team successfully retrieves the Stones, a past version of the villain emerges with an army just after Hulk makes the snap to bring everyone back.
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What follows is the team trying to fight Thanos again, which leaves Captain America as the last one standing against Thanos and an entire army. Just when it seems all hope is lost, though, Cap hears a voice in his ear, and a bunch of portals open behind him. All the heroes from the MCU step through to reveal that The Avengers were successful. A huge battle for the fate of the planet is about to occur. As such, the final battle is epic and moving, effectively paying off ten years worth of storytelling with action beats, character moments, and comedic references.
1 Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021)
Three Generations Of Heroes Come Together
It is rare for a movie to pay homage to twenty years of a hero’s legacy, and do it well, but that is exactly what Spider-Man: No Way Home achieves. The MCU’s version of Peter Parker seeks the help of Doctor Strange to conceal his identity again after Peter’s identity was made public by Quinten Beck at the end of Spider-Man: Far From Home. The spell fails, however, and Spider-Man villains from previous movies (and franchises) start showing up to cause trouble in the MCU.
After Aunt May is killed, Peter’s friends accidentally stumble across two previous versions of Spider-Man from the multiverse, played by Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield. What follows is a battle between three generations of Spider-Men and a host of villains atop the Statue of Liberty. This fight is filled with callbacks to the other Spider-Man films, which make this third act a great nostalgic event for older audience members. However, the final showdown also works as a great ending to the story for younger fans, and wraps up MCU Peter’s origin arc in impressive fashion.
