12 Most Fan-Pleasing MCU Movie Moments

3. Puny God - The Avengers

Loki was the coolest villain by some distance in the MCU until Erik Killmonger's complexity and swagger shook things up for the adoptive Asgardian. He was conniving, incredibly intelligent and theatrical in the best way - mostly thanks to Kenneth Branagh's Shakespearean background and fondness for Iago - and he bucked the MCU trend of returning frequently until his death in Avengers: Infinity War.

So beloved was the character that by the time Thanos squeezed the life out of his throat, he was basically a hero (standing up to Thanos all but confirmed as much). But that doesn't mean he wasn't thoroughly detestable in The Avengers.

Given a badass upgrade by Whedon for that movie, Loki was stained by his experiences in exile: he was darker, grimmer and more bloodthirsty and he believed his own hype, even monologuing in the presence of his enemies. And it was all so that Whedon could tear a strip off him with the MCU's first truly hilarious moment, when Hulk smashes him into the floor and growls "puny God" to the collectiver audience's delight.