10 Incredible Shots That Totally Defined Movies

1. Avengers, Assemble - The Avengers

The Matrix Bullet Time
Marvel Studios

Boiling the Marvel Cinematic Universe's two-dozen films down to just one shot may not seem easy on the surface, but there's one clear landmark moment which has defined the series ever since.

That image arrives near the end of The Avengers, when Joss Whedon captures the original six superheroes in a spinning "hero shot" before they head off to battle the Chitauri.

Beyond looking like a comic book panel brought to life, it's the culmination of years of hard, diligent work building the MCU, and while an unapologetically fan-serving moment, effectively paved the way for the series to grow and become the gargantuan entity that it is today.

Compared to the impossibly epic stature of Avengers: Endgame's crowded finale, this original hero shot might seem simple, even quaint, but it remains the most important and enduring image in the entire enterprise.

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Contributor

Stay at home dad who spends as much time teaching his kids the merits of Martin Scorsese as possible (against the missus' wishes). General video game, TV and film nut. Occasional sports fan. Full time loon.