5. HYDRA Are Actually S.H.I.E.L.D. - Captain America: The Winter Soldier
Captain America: The Winter Soldier pretty much excelled in every single capacity: not only did it mark itself as one of the most relentlessly entertaining comic book movies ever made, it also played homage to the political thrillers of the '70s, and managed to work as both a solo film and as part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It also dared to take a few risks, the most unforgettable of which came in the form of a mid-point twist, which revealed that HYDRA were actually running S.H.I.E.L.D. In case you're unfamiliar, HYDRA were the Nazi-esque bad guys that antagonised Captain America int the original flick, The First Avenger, whilst S.H.I.E.L.D. have been running the show as a sort of superhero C.I.A. ever since the first Iron Man movie. For Marvel to pretty much tell the fans: "Oh, S.H.I.E.L.D. has literally been infiltrated by these Nazi guys the entire time, by the way" takes a hell of a lot of balls, and the revelation is bound to send shockwaves through the entire MCU as the franchise goes on. Unbelievable.
Sam Hill is an ardent cinephile and has been writing about film professionally since 2008. He harbours a particular fondness for western and sci-fi movies.
