The Marvel Cinematic Universe is a well-oiled machine at this point, constantly releasing new content for its generations of fans. Moviegoers who spent years watching the Marvel movies in order have seen plenty of action on the big screen, as well as a ton of funny one-liners from its cast of heroes and villains. And there are several times a Marvel character had a great comeback. Let's break it all down.
Humor has become a regular part of the shared universe, and smart money says upcoming Marvel movies will continue this trend. While some projects are more comedy-heavy than others, most of our favorite characters have gotten sassy comebacks in throughout the MCU so far. In no particular order, here are some favorite. But be warned, a big spoiler alert is in effect given how many movies and their contents will be discussed. Someone cue the MCU theme song!
"Genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist." - Iron Man
During most of the first Avengers movie, Earth's Mightiest Heroes are struggling to come together and work as a team. Around halfway through, the team is once again arguing, where Steve Rogers asks Tony Stark what he is without his Iron Man armor. And RDJ's delivery of his response is the stuff MCU dreams are made of.
"What’s up, Regular Sized Man?" - War Machine
The Avengers often struggle to coexist given their years of history together. We saw this in Endgame, when those heroes who didn't get snapped decide to band together and pull off a Time Heist. Given their scuffle during Civil War's airport fight, Rhodey is sure to poke fun at Ant-Man as they meet at the Avengers Compound.
"Just Wong? Like Adele? Or Aristotle? Drake, Bono, Eminem." - Doctor Strange
The original Doctor Strange movie really opened doors in the MCU, bringing trippy visuals, magic, and new characters into the fun. While Wong and Doctor Strange are buddies, their first meeting was a bit awkward. Especially when Stephen went on a rant about people with just one name.
"Why was she up there all this time?" - Okoye
Avengers: Infinity War's battle of Wakanda was a truly epic action sequence, especially as the Battle on Titan was happening at the same time. The Good Guys tried to protect Vision from Thanos' forces, with Wanda staying at his side as Shuri tried to procure the Mind Stone from his head. But after Wanda stepped away and took out a huge amount of enemies at once, Okoye was left wondering why she wasn't in the field sooner.
"Have fun in prison!" - Darcy
The WandaVision finale was super satisfying, and offered answers and badass superhero fights for the beloved series. It became clear that S.W.O.R.D. acting director Tyler Hayward was manipulating the entire situation, and was in fact a true villain. And after he attempted to shoot Wanda's children, Darcy made sure to pin him in his car until the authorities could arrive.
"We have a Hulk." - Iron Man
Given his penchant for banner and backtalk, Tony Stark appears a number of times in this list. Iron Man's swagger was in full effect for The Avengers, especially when he was threatening Loki before the final Battle of New York. And when the horned villain mentions he has an army, Tony gives him this iconic four-word response.
"You need a woman who is pathetic like you." - Drax
The Guardians of the Galaxy franchise is arguably the funniest in the entire MCU, thanks to its zany group of characters and the way they interact with each other. Dave Bautista's Drax is a consistent scene-stealer, and has some truly hilarious lines. Case in point: the not-so-helpful advice he gives to Peter Quill about Gamora in Guardians 2.
"I do what he does, just slower" - Sam Wilson
Sam Wilson/ The Falcon was introduced in Captain America: The Winter Soldier, which is considered by some fans to be one of the strongest entries in the entire MCU. His friendship with Steve begins when Cap consistently passes him while jogging, which is how the "on your left" line was cemented into Marvel history. And when talking to Nick Fury in his secret bunker, he maintains he does whatever Steve does... but slower.
"We are Groot." - Groot
While the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise is full of funny lines of dialogue, James Gunn's Marvel franchise has also had plenty of heart to go with it. And the first big tear-jerking moment came from the first movie, when Groot decides to sacrifice himself to save the rest of the team. And when Rocket asks why he's doing this, an alternate version of his signature line is delivered.
"I could do this all day." - Captain America
This line is one of the biggest catch phrases /recurring themes throughout the entire MCU. During Captain America: The First Avenger, Steve is getting beat up in an alley, but insists he could do it all day long. This line would be uttered a number of other times throughout the MCU, including by Captain Carter in Doctor Strange 2.
"What are those?!" - Shuri
Letitia Wright's Shuri is the biggest comedic relief throughout Ryan Coogler's Black Panther movie. Case in point: when T'Challa visits her lab early in the movie, and she takes the time to poke fun at his footwear. And given the popularity of the "what are those?" memes at the time, this comeback was doubly effective.
"I just pay for everything and design everything, make everyone look cooler." - Iron Man
When we catch up with Earth's Mightiest Heroes in Avengers: Age of Ultron, they've become a pretty cohesive team unit. They're good in the field, and have a hierarchy of power that's been established. And when Maria Hill calls Tony "boss" he hilariously clarifies his role, and makes it clear that Captain America is running the show.
"Baskin Robbins always finds out." - Dale
Early in the first Ant-Man movie, Paul Rudd's Scott Lang is struggling to live outside of prison. And while he's pretty miserable while working at Baskin Robbins, he needed that job. Unfortunately his manager Dale figured out his real name and criminal record, and things go downhill.
"I recognize that the council has made a decision, but given that it's a stupid-ass decision, I've elected to ignore it." - Nick Fury
During early stages of the MCU, Samuel L. Jackson's Nick Fury is taking his orders from the World Security Council. But he ends up at odds with them a number of times, including in The Avengers. Because while they want to nuke NYC, Fury is intent on letting his newly formed team try to the end.
"And for gosh sake, watch your language!" - Iron Man
During the opening battle of The Avengers: Age of Ultron, we see the titular team attacking a heavily armed HYDRA base. The team is using coms to speak to each other as they dispatch a variety of enemies, and at one point Cap accidentally scolds them for cursing. This becomes a running joke throughout the rest of the sequence, because Tony Stark is Tony Stark.
"At first it was fun, then scary, then fun again, then spooky but in a fun way." - Madisynn
She-Hulk was a delightful breath of fresh air for the MCU's TV world, and had plenty of memorable moments like the return of Daredevil. But the fourth episode also introduced us to a glorious new character named Madisynn King. The party girl and TV addict (and Wong's new bestie) has to take the stand, and her description of going through a demon dimension is hilarious.
"You're in a relationship with me. Everything will never be okay." - Iron Man
At the end of Iron Man 3, Gwyneth Paltrow's Pepper Potts ends up being the real hero of the final battle, successfully killing the villainous Killian. This was partly because she had the extremis virus in her, which gave her new dangerous abilities. But while asking if she was going to be okay after all of it, Tony Stark had an endearing comeback about their relationship.
"And I killed Sparky too." - Agatha
At the end of WandaVision's seventh episode, Kathryn Han's Agatha reveals she was the one pulling the strings throughout the entire series. Set to the Emmy-winning song "Agatha All Along", we see the various ways she manipulated Wanda. And to top it all off, she reveals to the audience that she also killed Billy and Tommy's dog Sparky.
"I do anything and everything Mr. Stark requires. Including occasionally taking out the trash." - Pepper Potts
When we meet Tony Stark at the beginning of Iron Man, he's a rich playboy who doesn't seem anything like a hero. We see him seduce journalist Christine Everhart, and the morning after she and Pepper have a sassy exchange about her employer. And just like Tony, Gwyneth Paltrow's character is quick with a comeback.
"I just keep imagining you waking up in the morning, sir, looking in the mirror and then all seriousness, saying to yourself, 'You know what would be a really kickass name? Taserface!" - Rocket
During Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, the Ravagers stage a mutiny against Yondu. He and Rocket are taking prisoner, and are intimidated by Taserface. But when Bradley Cooper's character learns that the alien actually chose that name, he absolutely loses it.
"He’s a friend from work!" - Thor
Thor: Ragnarok is arguably the most popular of Chris Hemsworth's franchise, as it brought new energy and comedy to the property. Fans were eager to see him and Hulk reunite in the Colosseum on Sakaar. But the crowd and The Grandmaster are puzzled when the God of Thunder was excited to see the big green guy, and referred to him as a "friend from work." That's one way of describing their relationship.
"Get lost, Squidword." - Iron Man
Thanos and his forces come searching for the Infinity Stones in Avengers: Infinity War, and a number of conflicts arrive. And when The Black Order arrive on Earth for Doctor Strange's Time Stone, Tony shades Ebony Maw's appearance by comparing him to a SpongeBob character.
"I’ll do you one better, Why is Gamora?" - Drax
The Guardians and Avengers interact for the first time in Avengers: Infinity War, and there are some mild communication issues to be had. After a standoff Star-Lord asks "Where is Gamora?", Iron Man asks "Who is Gamora" and Drax... is Drax.
"I get emails from a raccoon, so nothing sounds crazy anymore." - Black Widow
Avengers: Endgame features a five-year time jump, where the entire galaxy attempts to move on after The Snap killed half of all life. During that time Natasha talks to Steve, and makes it clear that she's not surprised by anything in the new, cosmic world.
"You're such a poser." - Yelena
Black Widow helped to reveal Natasha's mysterious backstory, including the family that she bonded with as a kid. In that family is Florence Pugh's Yelena, who has quickly become a fan favorite. And that's partly because of the way she busted her sister's chops... including the signature Black Widow pose.
"You look like melted ice cream." - Rocket
After the time jump in Avengers: Endgame, Marvel fans were introduced to Bro Thor. A ton of jokes about his appearance were made throughout the rest of the movie, starting with Rocket telling him that he looks like "melted ice cream" in New Asgard.
"Doth mother know you weareth her drapes?" - Iron Man
There's a ton of internal conflict during The Avengers, before the group of heroes is able to work together. Iron Man and Thor have a fight during that time, where Tony Stark also pokes fun at Thor's costume and way of speaking.
"Wow. I guess all actors aren’t complete pieces of sh*t" - Nebula
The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special is full of memorable comebacks and hilarious lines from the cast of cosmic heroes. Some of the best are about how much they hate actors, with Nebula dropping an expletive while complimenting Kevin Bacon's character.
"You’re only a genius on Earth, Pal." - Rocket
In Avengers: Endgame, Rocket develops a strong bond with the rest of the surviving heroes that didn't get snapped by Thanos. And while getting some sass from Tony Stark, Rocket made it clear that he wasn't the only genius in the room.
"Oh that crown. I thought that was a big eyebrow." - Thor
In the opening sequence of Thor: Ragnarok, Chris Hemsworth's hero is captured by Sutur. The two trade insults during this time, including The God of Thunder's critique of Fire Demon's appearance.
"An ant has no quarrel with a boot." - Loki
Loki is the main villain of The Avengers, and has plenty of sassy one-liners throughout its runtime. That includes his very fist scene, where he compares humans like Nick Fury to an insect.
When Captain America Comments On His Own Butt
Avengers: Endgame's time heist was a wild ride through the MCU at that point, and featured some wild crossover moments. While back in 2012, there's some discussion about Steve Roger's butt. And after he beats a younger version of himself, he looks at his unconscious body and pays his derriere a compliment.
