10 Darkest Moments In The Marvel Cinematic Universe
1. Tony's Vision - Avengers: Age Of Ultron
Avengers: Age Of Ultron was not as good as its predecessor, but it was darker than its predecessor, and that was apparent early on.
As Cap, Thor, Black Widow and the gang are raiding a Hydra base in search of Loki's scepter, Tony manages to breach the facility's walls, and comes across a room full of alien tech from the New York Chitauri invasion.
He spots the scepter, but before he can grab it, he's stealth-attacked by Scarlet Witch, who manipulates his mind and creates a distressing vision for Tony to witness - the cold, dead, bloodied bodies of his fellow Avengers.
The MCU has never gone darker than this - Black Widow, Hawkeye, the mighty Thor, the impenetrable Hulk, the strong, brave and smart Captain America, all lying dead - or severely wounded - in the dirt.
It's eerie, seeing characters we remember as heroic, and largely unbeatable, reduced to a handful of battered corpses atop a battlefield. It's even more eerie when you hear Cap's final words - "you could've saved us" - and see his supposedly indestructible shield, snapped in two, lying on the ground.
Is this the work of Thanos? Is this still to come? Are the Avengers destined to die? The moment creates a ton of questions, none of which have yet been answered.
It also creates a lasting impression. The impression that, no matter how enjoyable the adventure or how easily the enemy is defeated, death is always a possibility - and that's why this is the darkest moment in any MCU movie to date.
Any darker moments that we missed? Let us know in the comments below!