10 Greatest Opening Scenes In MCU History

Is there a greater feeling of excitement and anticipation in the world of cinema than getting through the trailers and ads, and after months and possibly years of waiting, finally getting into the movie you’re there to see? Of course, this is no different for the MCU.

If anything, the way Marvel Studios have built their shared universe, with post credit scenes and character cameos starting the ball rolling on new projects years in advance, this excitement is arguably greater in the MCU than anywhere else.

To that end, it is always important for these movies to hit the ground running and grab fans’ attention essentially immediately. Cinema goers can be fickle and have short attention spans, so if something doesn’t work right off the bat, it can be difficult to regain an audience. A movie needs to engage from the get go, to avoid giving itself an unnecessary mountain to climb throughout the rest of the film.

Within the MCU, there is a wide array of opening scenes, from poor copies of a Star Wars style crawl, right to mind-blowing action and emotion from the very first moments. Thankfully, there are some truly spectacular openings to be enjoyed throughout the franchise.

While Eternals was tasked with introducing three new races of aliens and chose to do so with a scrolling few paragraphs, Black Panther introduced a whole new country and culture to the fanbase in a much more creative, compelling, and engaging way.

To open the movie, a young N’Jadaka asks his father to tell him a story of home. The voice of Sterling K. Brown, complete with a wonderful Wakandan drawl, details the history of the African nation, from beginning with a vibranium meteorite through the gift of the Heart-Shaped Herb, and why they stay hidden away.

This was the narration for a uniquely animated telling of the story that brought to life the wars that were fought, the coming together of the five tribes, and the Panther goddess, Bast. Immediately, audiences knew everything they needed to know about Wakanda.

Delivering this exposition could have felt like a slog, and an incredibly slow start to the movie. However, though this was still an exposition dump, it was done in a way that gave audiences vital information while still entertaining at the same time.