The Marvel Cinematic Universe is filled with mind-blowing camera work and staggering visual
effects.
But there are a handful of particularly powerful shots that truly stand out as being some of
the most ambitious, and successful, ones in the entire superhero extravaganza to-date.
Let's take a look at some of the Marvel movie shots that have helped to define the franchise.
Always angry
The Avengers' first true assembly scene marked the exact moment the MCU became the cinematic
juggernaut its architects always knew it would be.
"That's my secret, Cap.
I'm always angry."
Banner's transformation is a direct lead-in to the squad finally taking shape, after five
movies' worth of buildup, to battle what is arguably still the most compelling villain
of the MCU, Loki.
When people think back to The Avengers, they think about this shot and the bevy of amazing
scenes that follow it.
Passenger patrol
Iron Man 3's entire Air Force One rescue scene is downright incredible, so narrowing it down
to a single shot was tough.
While there are several examples of stunning cinematography on display in this scene, one
narrowly rises above the competition.
It's the shot of Iron Man dashing down from a destroyed Air Force One to save its entire
crew, immediately after being told by Jarvis that carrying them all would be an impossibility.
From a visual imagery perspective, the shot contains all the necessary elements: a smoking
Air Force One in the distance, a crew of people screaming and flailing mid-free fall, and
a tiny gold and red speck rocketing toward them to save the day.
This shot does an impeccable job of conveying the stakes of the situation before Iron Man
defies all odds once again with another stroke of brilliance.
"Excellent.
Good team effort all around.
Go us."
Guardians gather
With Guardians of the Galaxy, James Gunn crafted an action film that had heart and wit, and
the shot of the group getting together to form their own mini-Avengers pack was so very
satisfying.
The slow-mo dolly shot that aligns this new, unusual gang of heroes is as spectacular as
it is subversive, with each of the five looking annoyed or bored, or, in the case of Rocket
Raccoon, tugging on a suit too tight around his junk.
Its gritty lighting and muted colors, in an otherwise colorful outer space world, gives
us the sense our heroes are walking toward their doom.
And, considering a couple of them are yawning, they're obviously not too busted up about
it.
That tracking shot
Considering how exhilarating the first Avengers' big tracking shot was, it's no surprise that
Joss Whedon opted to double-dip and reuse the technique for the opening of Age of Ultron.
Here, he takes the idea to its logical extremes, reserving the whole first minute of the film
for a non-stop assault on the senses.
The camera moves at a rip-roaring pace, re-introducing you to each Avenger and the abilities they
bring to the team.
It's a near-perfect blend of pure spectacle and unspoken character descriptions.
And as icing on the cake, the shot even finishes with the whole team assembled, striking a
pose together in mid-air that pays homage to a number of comic covers..
It's the ideal way to open up an Avengers movie and get the audience ready for two hours
of high-octane, over-the-top action.
The big punch
The Hulk vs. Hulkbuster fight instantly became one of the most anticipated MCU throwdowns
of all time, and the hype was certainly well warranted.
This shot that really captures the most epic moment is when the upper-hand flip-flops back
and forth between Hulk and Iron Man in his Hulkbuster suit.
The ultimate stalemate is reached when green fist meets robot fist, creating a blast wave
that breaks glass and sends people flying.
It's as intense as punches come and is captured at an extra wide angle that really helps translate
the enormity of the two titans clashing.
Not only is it a very cool shot on a technical level, but, for Marvel fans, it's just an
amazing sight to see Hulk and Iron Man going at it on the big screen.
Pistol hop
Maybe it's the kinetic energy of the camera sweeping beside Ant-Man that makes the moment
so special, but the shot of the title character running on the surface of a gun immediately
after dodging its bullet at (literal) point-blank range is superb.
It's that brand of absurdity that perfectly summarizes why the shot works: it revels in
its craziness while also giving Scott Lang the heroic framing he deserves, however small
that might be.
Civil War
As a tribute to Captain America: Civil War's source material, the climactic wide shot of
Cap fighting Iron Man is ripped directly from the comics.
In the scene, Cap charges at Stark, deflecting each and every repulsor blast with his shield
until the two foes are inches apart.
Then the world slows to a crawl, isolating the visually stunning moment when Iron Man
unleashes one final repulsor blast directly onto the surface of Cap's shield.
The blast reflects off it and blazes to life, filling the screen with a light that could
only be achieved by the union of this unstoppable force meeting the immovable object.
There's no mystery why this shot is the defining image of the film it's representing—it fulfills
everything we hoped this movie would be, all within a few frames.
Kaecilius' Sling Ring Escape
You can tell the director and storyboard artist had a fun time thinking up the various shots
in Doctor Strange, and the one that really brings magic to the MCU is Kaecilius's big
sling ring escape.
The mind-bending shot subliminally reinforces one of Dr. Strange's biggest themes, that
everything's just a matter of perspective.
The color grading leaves the buildings a dull, desaturated grey divided only by pitch-black
shadows, allowing us to perfectly track where the sorcerers are distorting geography and
help us focus our attention on the mystical glowing elements.
It's also ridiculously busy yet super focused, allowing us to be overwhelmed by the buildings
consuming themselves in the background while still letting us remain fully concentrated
on Kaecilius' sling ring escape.
Ferry save
Last but not least, Spider-Man: Homecoming introduced the quintessential hero shot, displaying
a protagonist challenging impossible odds head-on in order to save the day.
There's nothing quite as epic as seeing the teen hero desperately clutching to his webs
to keep the Staten Island Ferry and all of its passengers from drowning.
Even though the scene was spoiled in the film's trailers, it still represents the Spider-Man
ethos: utter determination even in the absence of hope.
This moment reminds us that Spidey is always in it for the greater good, which is why he's
one of the greatest heroes.
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