TheMarvel Cinematic Universehas seen many heroes disagree on key topics or approaches, as well as being pitted against one another by outside forces or something else, leading to several exciting fights between heroes. Sure, a superhero movie is only as good as its villain. However, the genre is ripe for heroes taking on one another, with villains not even having to be involved at times.Some of theMCU’s best moviesfeature heroes fighting each other.
After all, that is a common trope in the comics.Heroes fighting when they meet for the first time before teaming upis something most have gone through. However, throughout theMCU’s slate of projectsdating back to 2008’sIron Man, there have been many different cases of heroes fighting. The multiverse opens the door for that to be intensified inMarvel Studios' upcoming movies, which could rival the epic hero vs hero fights the MCU has had so far, such as:
10The Hulk Vs Thor
The Avengers (2012)
The Avengerswas the first team-up movie in the MCU. It completely changed the franchise and superhero movies in general.The two strongest members of the Marvel teamwere Chris Hemsworth’s Thor and Mark Ruffalo’s Hulk. As such, Marvel could not resist testing their power against each other.
The Thor vs Hulk fight was creative. Loki orchestrated the whole thing, with Bruce Banner not being able to control his Hulk form. That led to himrampaging through SHIELD’s Helicarrier. Out of all the Avengers, Thor was the only one strong enough to stop him.
Their fight wasthe start of a rivalry that would span multiple MCU movies. Both Thor and the Hulk had moments where they got the upper hand in the fight, though neither was the clear winner. The fight helped the MCU show fans the potential in its heroes coming together.
9Iron Man Vs The Hulk
Avengers: Age Of Ultron (2015)
The Hulk has been part of some of the MCU’s most thrilling hero vs hero fights. A huge factor in the character’s early adventures in the franchise was his rage.Bruce Banner was not in complete control when he transformed into the Hulk, so casualties were expected.
InAvengers: Age of Ultron, the Hulk once again fought one of his teammates. This time around,he was mind-controlled by Elizabeth Olsen’s Wanda Maximoff. The Scarlet Witch sent him on a rampage in South Africa, which led to Iron Man being the one to stop him.
The fight showed Tony Stark’s resourcefulness and brought a beloved comic book element to life. With Banner’s help, Stark created a contingency to take down the Hulk, which wasIron Man’s Hulkbuster armor. Their fight left a path of destruction behind and showed how Iron Man can stand up to more powerful characters.
8Thor Vs The Hulk
Thor: Ragnarok (2017)
Another Thor vs Hulk fight finds its spot on the list. The setup for this fight iscompletely different from when they battled inThe Avengers. Years later, these are more experienced versions of the two heroes, who have gone on multiple missions together as the Avengers.
Thor: Ragnarokmade up for the duo skippingCaptain America: Civil War, which was essentially an Avengers movie. Since several heroes fought each other in that film, it was only right that Thor and the Hulk would clash when they met again. With a gladiator spin to it, the affair was thrilling.
There was an epic element to it, as Thor and the Hulk faced each other as gladiators with thousands watching in Sakaar’s arena. Be it with weapons or their fists, the two fiercely clashed. Thor, using lightning without Mjolnir, gave him the upper hand untilthe Grandmaster cheated for the Hulk to win.
7Captain America Vs Captain America
Avengers: Endgame (2019)
Avengers: Endgameis the MCU’s most ambitious movieto this day. Through the use of time travel, Marvel was able to make the film a victory lap across the MCU. That also led to opportunities other movies in the franchise were not able to get.
One of those was having multiple versions of the same characters interact. When they went back to 2012’sThe Avengers, Chris Evans' older Captain America wasmistaken for Loki in disguiseby the younger Steve Rogers. The fight was equal parts epic and hilarious. It thrived on Evans pulling double duty.
The MCU showed that the younger Captain America might have been stronger, but the older Steve was a better tactician. The fight scene featured epic moments like the Captain America shields clashing, Steve’s catchphrases, and ended with a Bucky mention andthe hilarious “That is America’s ass.”
6Scarlet Witch Vs The Illuminati
Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness (2022)
This one is more of a unique entry on the list.Technically, it could be seen as a villain fighting heroes. However, Elizabeth Olsen’s Scarlet Witch has been, more often than not, a hero in the franchise, so I feel like the fight’s inclusion is warranted.
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Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madnessused the MCU’s Multiverse Saga to its advantage. Earth-838’s Illuminati was a very intriguing team. It featuredpowerful heroes, such as Black Bolt, Charles Xavier, and Maria Rambeau as Captain Marvel. The result of the fight was shocking.
TheDoctor Strangesequel did not hold back.Olsen’s Scarlet Witch brutally killed every member of the Illuminati. Some of the kills were straight out of horror movies, with the bloody action showcasing just how powerful the Scarlet Witch is. Wanda left the scene unscathed.
5Doctor Strange Vs Spider-Man
Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021)
Spider-Man: No Way Homeis one of the MCU’s biggest movies. Doctor Strange played a key role in it, helping Peter Parker with two very important spells. However, the one at the start of the film led tomultiverse villains coming to Earth-616.
Peter’s good heart did not allow him to let Strange send them back to their universes, where they were destined to die. As such, he stole the encased spell and ran, leading to a major hero vs hero fight.Doctor Strange’s MCU fights are always visually stunning.
The same held true for his battle with Spider-Man. Magic, webs, and different dimensions made the fight dynamic. The Spider-Sense being in full effect despite Peter’s soul being removed from his body was impressive. Finally,Spider-Man outsmarts Doctor Strangeand traps him in the Mirror Dimension, showing how formidable he is.
4Tobey Maguire’s Spider-Man Vs Andrew Garfield’s Spider-Man
The fourth-biggest hero vs hero fight in the MCU is a special case. It does not rank so high on the list due to the fight itself, as the moment is quite short, and not a lot happens. However,theSpider-Man: No Way Homefight is epic.
That is becauseTobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield returned as their versions of Spider-Manin the MCU movie. That was already shocking, but the fact they had a brief fight when they met each other for the first time was very exciting. Webs were the weapon of choice.
Maguire’s Peter Parker managed to hit Garfield’s Spider-Man with his organic webs. They never traded blows, only studied one another. However, having both actors back as their Marvel characters and fighting as soon as they meet was impressive. Maguire winning made sense, as he is the elder Spider-Man.
3Hawkeye Vs Black Widow
The first hero vs hero fight in the top three isone of the most emotional sequences in the MCU. Like the entry that came before it, the Black Widow vs Haweye fight fromAvengers: Endgamewas not a traditional fight. Both heroes were fighting to save the other.
The unique setup of the scene was that the winning hero would die, sacrificing themselves for the other. Scarlett Johannson’s Natasha Romanoff and Jeremy Renner’s Clint Barton had been built up as best friends over their time in the MCU. However,one had to die for the other to get the Soul Stone.
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This led to one of Marvel’s most unpredictable sequences. Hawkeye and Black Widow alternated between winning and losing as both heroes tried to incapacitate their best friend and dive off Vormir’s cliff. In the end,Natasha reminded Clint of what he had to live for— his family — falling to her death in a heartbreaking fashion.
2Team Iron Man Vs Team Cap
Captain America: Civil War (2016)
Captain America: Civil Waristhe movie to watch if you’re looking for MCU fights between heroes. The film made Robert Downey Jr.’s Iron Man, the franchise’s most popular hero, its antagonist. Team Captain America and Team Iron Man fought over their different sides of the Sokovia Accords.
The action resonated because it built on years of shared adventures between many of the heroes and the ideals they stood by. The airport fight between the two teams is one of the MCU’s most thrilling moments. It wasthe first time Tom Holland’s Spider-Man was in action.
There are many interesting hero pairings throughout the battle. Most of them get a moment to shine, with climactic beats, such as Ant-Man becoming a giant,Spider-Man taking Cap’s shield, and Black Widow betraying Team Iron Man, standing out. The fight felt like a comic book splash page.
1Captain America & The Winter Soldier Vs Iron Man
Finally, the biggest fight between heroes in the MCU has to be the final one inCaptain America: Civil War.Chris Evans' Steve Rogers and Robert Downey Jr.’s Tony Stark are the faces of the franchise. The movie ends with an incredibly raw, emotional fight between Steve and Bucky against Tony.
The fight was impressive in every way.
The fight was visually stunning, evoking iconic panels from Marvel Comics' Civil War. The hand-to-hand action was intense, making it seem like anything could happen, all due to the high stakes.Iron Man wanted to kill the Winter Soldierafter learning Bucky killed his parents while under HYDRA’s control.
The fight was impressive in every way. The emotional component of it, as well as the characters involved, make itone of the MCU’s biggest moments. It was the event that broke up the Avengers and led to Thanos winning inInfinity War, making it the most relevant hero vs hero fight in theMCU.
