The Marvel Cinematic Universe is sometimes described as a machine. A smooth, efficient, and risk-free franchise factory spearheaded by Kevin Feige churning out blockbuster movies at an unprecedented rate. And yet, the foundation of the MCU was laid out initially through a bunch of daring risks and unconventional choices, from hiring Robert Downey Jr. to play Iron Man to making the first big budget superhero ensemble film.
Despite critics often decrying the MCU for playing it safe and sticking too closely to the traditional superhero movie script, the franchise has given us a lot more unscripted moments than many people realize. Let us take a look at some of the best moments in the MCU when the makers of the films decided to toss out the script and allow actors to organically improvise in the moment.
20 Wakandan War Chants
Avengers: Infinity War sees all the major MCU players coming together for the first time to stop Thanos and his army from destroying half of all life in the universe. The Avengers gather together in the secret city of Wakanda, where they are joined by the military forces of the powerful city in repelling Thanos’ army. As the heroes prepare for battle, the Wakandans start a battle cry that brings terror and elation to the scene.
That chant was not part of the script, but rather came organically from the actors’ deep relationships to their Wakandan characters thanks to them having recently worked on Black Panther. “We did not know — because we had not seen Black Panther because they were still making Black Panther — about their war chants,” The film’s co-director Joe Russo explained. “And they just started doing it.”
19 “I am Iron Man”
The first Iron Man movie was considered a huge risk for the studio, for a number of reasons. To make matters worse, the movie was being made in a highly haphazard manner without a concrete script and the actors being forced to come up with new scenes and story elements on the fly. Fortunately, lead actor Robert Downey Jr. thrived in this uncertainty and made ample use of his improv skills on set.
One of the biggest gambles the actor took was something that forever changed the way superhero movies would get made. At the end of the film, Downey ad-libs the line “I am Iron Man” in front of the press. That daring scene made it into the final cut of the movie, and because of it, Marvel movies no longer had to remain a slave to the “superhero secret identity” trope that almost every other film in the genre was following at the time.
18 Calling out Captain America
After the heady rush of Avengers: Infinity War, Avengers: Endgame is all about dealing with the devastating loss of Thanos’ victory, and the erasure of half of all life in the universe. Tony Stark is left exhausted and depleted thanks to his run-in with Thanos on another planet and the return trip to Earth. Afterwards, Steve Rogers tries to get Tony to help think up a way for the Avengers to find Thanos again.
That’s when an overwhelmed Tony viscously chews out Captain America in one of the franchise’s most shocking and painful moments. What makes the scene even more raw is that large parts of it were improvised by Robert Downey Jr., which made his anger and Steve’s reaction to it feel all the more genuine and gut-wrenching.
17 Peter Tries to Hug Tony
Mentor-Mentee relationships have become par for the course for the MCU. But there was a time when the trope still felt brand new when Tony Stark decided to take Peter Parker aka Spider-Man under his wing. Tony was a huge influence in Peter’s life, and the older superhero was wise enough to understand the potential of his young protege after spending time together.
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This leads to a memorable scene in Spider-Man: Homecoming where Tony comes to drop Peter off at his home. The two had been chatting pleasantly, and Peter feels thrilled when Tony leans in for a farewell hug. But as Peter is returning the gesture, Tony explains that he’s just opening the car door on Peter’s side. Once again, we have Robert Downey Jr.’s improv skills to thank for that hilariously awkward scene.
16 “Why is Gamora?”
When it comes to comedic moments, no MCU characters provide as much fodder for hilarity as the Guardians of the Galaxy. Drax, Star-Lord, Mantis, and Rocket Raccoon are responsible for some of the funniest moments in the entire cinematic universe, and the team was in top form for their big crossover moment with the Avengers in Infinity War.
As is the tradition, the two superhero teams met while fighting each other. While Drax is held down by Iron Man and Star-Lord is shouting at the Avengers to give him Gamora’s location, Drax takes the opportunity to shout “Why is Gamora?” The confusion that line adds to the scene is equaled only by the laughter it caused among theater audiences. This time, it was Dave Bautista who improvised the piece of dialog, and it was welcomed with open arms by the filmmakers.
15 “He’s a Friend From Work”
After years of straight-laced action shenanigans, Thor: Ragnarok showcased a new, more human side to everyone’s favorite God of Thunder. New director Taika Waititi allowed Chris Hemsworth to improvise to his heart’s content, and some of the best scenes in the movie occur because the makers decided to go off script upon hearing the voice of inspiration.
In the case of one particular scene, that voice belonged to a young fan who was visiting the set as part of a Make-a-Wish meeting. The fan suggested the line “He’s a friend from work!” while watching a scene getting filmed where Thor meets Hulk after a long time. Hemsworth and Waititi loved the suggestion so much it ended up in the final cut of the movie, and emerged a fan favorite moment upon the film’s release.
14 “I Don’t Want to Go”
Avengers: Infinity War features one of the most shocking endings in the history of Hollywood blockbusters. After spending the whole movie trying to stop Thanos, the villain finally succeeds in his quest to end half of all life. The heroes can only watch in horror as many of their comrades turn to dust. The most gun-wrenching farewell belongs to Spider-Man, who whimpers “I don’t want to go” while holding on to Iron Man for dear life.
Once again, the makers of the movie trusted their actors to make that scene come alive with some organic improv. In this case, Tom Holland employed his acting technique to guide him through the process of turning to dust. The actor explained in an interview that he likes to repeat a single line in his head to reach an emotional state for particular scenes, and in this case Holland decided to say that line out loud for Spider-Man’s death scene.
13 “Move the Leg”
Tom Holland had quite the massive responsibility when he was brought in to play Spider-Man in the MCU, and the young actor was fully aware of the enormity of jumping into a massive franchise filled with industry veterans. Chief among them was Robert Downey Jr., who had the biggest role in bringing Holland’s Peter Parker into the MCU as Tony Stark.
One of the earliest MCU scenes Holland shot has him alone with Tony in his bedroom where they discuss Peter’s powers and desire to help people. Holland was naturally nervous to be sharing the scene with RDJ, so much so that he missed a cue to move his leg to allow the older actor to sit next to him. Without missing a beat, Downey improvised the line, “I’m gonna sit here, so you move the leg,” which ended up in the final cut of the film.
12 “I’ll Be Seeing You Again”
The MCU made one of its boldest choices when it brought in veteran funny man and 90’s heartthrob Paul Rudd to play superhero Scott Lang aka Ant-Man in his own franchise. Rudd more than rises to the occasion, imbuing Scott with an Everyman appeal and providing an outsider’s perspective on the world of the Avengers and their superhero hi-jinks.
Rudd was also able to make ample use of his impeccable comic timing. Like the scene in Ant-Man and the Wasp where he says goodbye to a baffled Agent Jimmy Woo, played by fellow comedy master Randall Park. Woo’s innocuous parting line “I’ll be seeing you again,” becomes the jumping off point for some hilarious improv as Scott innocently questions, “Where?,” leading to an awkward exchange ending with Woo apparently asking Scott out for dinner.
11 Get Help
While previous Thor movies showed the tortured relationship between Thor and his step-brother Loki, Thor: Ragnarok was the first time audiences got to see the shared happy memories and deep seated affection that the duo still retained even after all their fighting and arguments. This is best illustrated in a scene where Thor and Loki use an old diversionary tactic from their childhood called “Get Help!”
Tom Hiddleston, who plays Loki, explained in an interview how the scene is a testament to director Taika Waititi’s skill with making up scenes on the fly in a way that feels natural and hilarious. “As we worked [the scene] out, it was something completely improvised,” Hiddleston explains. “It gives you such an insight into the way Taika works.”
10 Throwing Bread at Spider-Man
While the MCU has seen a lot of success, none of the heroes have made as much of a splash as Spider-Man, everyone’s fan-favorite character since before he ever stepped foot in the MCU. Things got even better when it was revealed that Spider-Man: No Way Home will feature not one but three Spider-Guys from past live-action movies meeting each other for the first time.
One such meeting takes place between Andrew Garfield’s Spider-Man and MJ, the girlfriend of Tom Holland’s Spider-Man, played by Zendaya. When Andrew’s Spidey walks through an interdimensional portal claiming to be Peter Parker, In a hilariously misguided attempt to test his powers, MJ flicks a loaf of bread at the new Peter in a moment that was improvised by Zendaya.
9 Spider-Men Point at Each Other
The MCU can feel like a big, impersonal machine at times. But it must be remembered that a lot of the people who work on the movies do so out of a genuine feeling of love for the world of Marvel. One such person is Andrew Garfield, who was a Spider-Man fan long before being cast in the role, and was happy to reprise the character in Spider-Man: No Way Home.
While shooting the movie, Garfield proved that despite no longer playing the character, he had been keeping up with all things Spider-Man related when he suggested that he, Tom Holland, and Tobey Maguire recreate the famous “Spider-Man pointing” meme from the internet. The makers of the film loved the idea, and we get to see a version of the meme play out with the three Peter Parkers in the story when they’re in the lab.
8 “Hey Auntie”
One of the most dangerous characters in the MCU was Erik Killmonger, a psychopathic assassin and aspiring warlord, played to chilling perfection by Michael B. Jordan. Erik is a lost soul whose father was murdered at a young age, and Erik later discovered that he belongs to the royal family of the secret city of Wakanda where he has a legitimate claim to the throne of his ancestors.
Filled with hunger and ambition, Erik plots his whole life for a way to enter Wakanda and stake his claim. When the day finally arrives, Killmonger saunters into the royal palace as if he owns the place, even throwing out a casual “Hey auntie” to Queen Ramonda, a line that was improvised by Michael B. Jordan. The actor later repeated the line during an Oscars ceremony as a show of support for Angela Bassett, who plays Ramonda.
7 Kate Chats with Yelena
Hawkeye was a show about Clint Barton coming to grips with the violence and bloodshed he caused in his brief time working as the vigilante Ronin, and Clint’s efforts to pass on the torch of being Hawkeye to a naive but charismatic young archer named Kate Bishop. Also in the mix is Yelena Belova, who is coming after Clint in revenge for his part in the death of Yelena’s older sister Natasha Romanoff. All of this leads to a face-off between Kate and Yelena, which then surprisingly turns into something much more fraternal and goofy.
This is mainly thanks to the bond between Hailee Steinfeld and Florence Pugh in their roles as Kate and Yelena. Their crackling chemistry is on full display in the scene where Yelena invades Kate’s lair, and they end up eating mac and cheese together. A highlight of the scene is Yelena’s obsession with hot sauce, which she insists on pouring over her meal. Adding the condiment into the mix was Pugh’s idea on the day of the shoot, and she soldiered through eating the spicy concoction several times for the scene without complaint.
6 Vision Death Scene
Most of the improv scenes that get famous are the ones that add humor to movies. But improvisation is also an important part of making dramatic scenes feel natural. This can be seen in the final moments of Avengers: Infinity War, when Scarlet Witch is forced to destroy the love of her life Vision in order to keep Thanos from getting his hands on one of the infinity gems.
It is a deeply emotional scene where Paul Bettany and Elizabeth Olsen really sell the depth of their love and sorrow as Vision and Wanda. Bettany revealed in an interview that the reason the scene feels so raw is because the actors improvised large parts of it. “The [directors] ran over to us and went ‘So, okay, the entire beating heart of the movie is now on your shoulders,’” Bettany recalled. “And they went off. So we did [the scene] a couple of times and they said, ‘Ok, that’s great, let’s just improvise it now.'”
5 Thor Smashing the Mug
When Thor: Ragnarok was first released, a lot of the general audience was surprised to see the serious and commanding Thor in a whole new light, as a goofy and somewhat bumbling hero with a strong comedic air. A lot of this change had to do with Chris Hemsworth, who was finally given permission to use his natural comedy chops for the role after playing Thor straight for so long.
But the signs had always been there regarding Hemsworth’s eventual transformation into funny Thor. Even in the character’s first solo movie, the funniest scene was Hemsworth’s doing. When Thor drinks Earth beer for the first time, he declares “Another!” and smashes his glass on the floor. The moment was improvised by Hemsworth, and echoed more than a decade later by his brother Loki in his own series.
4 Standing in a Circle
One of the trickiest roles in the MCU is that of Rocket Raccoon. The character is entirely CGI. His voice is provided by Bradley Cooper, and during shooting, the physical placement of Rocket during scenes is determined with the help of a puppet stand-in or actor Sean Gunn playing the role of the character in a CGI suit.
Despite not getting to voice Rocket, Sean Gunn managed to make an input for the character during the first Guardians of the Galaxy. When the main characters finally decide to team up to save the day, Rocket cynically remarks, “Bunch of jack**ses standing in a circle.” Director James Gunn liked the line so much he added it to the script and had Cooper voice it for the character later.
3 Kang Gets on the Desk
The first season of Loki in its final moments introduced the most important character of the MCU going forward. Namely Kang the Conqueror. Except this particular person wasn’t Kang, but one of his infinite variants who happened to be a peaceful man rather than a maniacal warlord. This version of Kang is tasked with explaining the concept of the multiverse to the two Lokis in the scene.
Explanations can be a long and rather boring affair. But actor Jonathan Majors in his role as Kang keeps things moving and dynamic. At one point, he even gets up on his desk in his excitement while explaining the true nature of the TVA. That movement was improvised by Majors, and the makers of the show liked how it turned the conversation into almost a dance, with the Lokis following Kang’s every movement closely. And so that bit of improv stayed in the final cut of the episode.
2 Ever Tried Shawarma?
It’s a strange thing to remember now, but there was a time when the idea of making a movie featuring multiple superheroes teaming up was considered highly risky. But Marvel Studios had faith in 2012’s The Avengers, thanks mainly to the excellent chemistry between the main cast, and the love that the audience had shown their characters in previous movies.
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Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark aka Iron Man was in charge of leading his cast mates into the grand adventure, and the actor tried his best to inject the proceedings with genuine humor and pathos. One such moment comes after Tony nearly dies carrying a missile into outer space. After regaining conciousness, Tony randomly starts talking about getting some shawarma. The line proved such a hit that the makers filmed and added a whole new post-credit scene to the movie showing the Avengers sitting at a shawarma restaurant after the big battle.
1 Peggy Can’t Help Herself
The first Captain America movie is a story about the way the world was irrevocably changed because of the Second World War. One of the most literal ways the film explores this theme of change is through its main character Steve Rogers. At the start, Steve is a short and skinny man who is filled with loads of courage. His inner strength leads to Steve getting injected with a super soldier serum that transforms his physical body.
The audience is left in awe of Steve’s imposing new physique after he is given the serum. And they are not the only ones. The normally stoic and composed agent Peggy Carter can’t help but reach out to touch Steve’s impressive new pectoral muscles. This was not a part of the script. It was simply that on the day of the shoot, Hayley Atwell could not resist trying to cop a feel when confronted with Chris Evan’s perfect super solider Steve physique.
Some of the best moments in the MCU happened because the actors decided to go off script. Read More