The Single Biggest Mistake Each MCU Film Has Made

17. The Avengers: The Opening Scene

DOCTOR STRANGE Likable
Marvel Studios

The Movie:

After four years of solo movies, Marvel released every comic book fan's dream: a team-up of the Avengers on film. It's safe to say the film did not disappoint and while the story is fairly by-the-numbers, this still adds up to one of the most purely enjoyable movies in recent memory.

The opening scene of The Avengers is actually really bad. It deserves to be remembered as one of the worst openings to a great movie ever.

Loki's arrival on Earth is a very badly-done sequence in every way. The dialogue, action, framing are all completely off here, while the car chase just before the film's title card is also fairly dull. Considering how accomplished and well-written the rest of the movie is, this opening feels like it came from a different movie altogether.

The film does pick up more or less immediately after this sequence finishes so it doesn't harm the overall film, but this is a jarring beginning to an otherwise delightful viewing experience. This opening scene feels like it was hastily put together in order to show Loki arriving on earth, since it lacks the care that went into the rest of the movie.

Fix:

Rework this entire scene from the bottom up.

Contributor

Film Studies graduate, aspiring screenwriter and all-around nerd who, despite being a pretentious cinephile who loves art-house movies, also loves modern blockbusters and would rather watch superhero movies than classic Hollywood films. Once met Tommy Wiseau.