3. Erik Selvigs Portal Device
Marvel StudiosDoctor Erik Selvig, the man who opened the portal to the Chitauri in The Avengers, forever altered the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The creation of the device (although influenced by Loki) was clearly partially Selvig's doing as he incorporated a fail-safe function that enabled the portal to be closed. Given the importance of the portal to Iron Man 3 and Captain America: The Winter Soldier, it is hard to neglect Selvig's genius. The Avengers was years in the making, and after years of small teasers we were treated to the explosive film, culminating in the Battle of New York where the heroes came together to battle the Chitauri. Without Selvig's genius this would have been unnecessary as there would be no threat. The shot of the Avengers in a circle preparing to battle to save the Earth has become one of the defining moments within the Marvel Cinematic Universe, so Selvig's important invention deserves recognition for giving us this enthralling shot. Selvig's genius was shown again in Thor: The Dark World, as he understood the convergence before anyone else. He may have had a mental breakdown, but the genius of the character remains intact. He was a minor character in Thor, but with The Avengers and Thor: The Dark World he has grown to such importance that his genius cannot be neglected.