What Are The Best Marvel Fight Scenes Across All The Movies and TV Shows?
Which superhero battles have been the best across their movies and TV shows.
'Avengers: Endgame'
As a kid, I couldn't get enough of Marvel comics. I collected thousands of back issues and poured over them day in and day out. When those comics finally became movies, I rejoiced. I was finally going to see my favorite characters duke it out on the big screen.
And boy, has Marvel delivered on that promise.
Marvel has dominated the airwaves for almost 20 years and delivered so many movies and TV series with unforgettable characters. But my favorite parts of these movies are where all feels lost and our characters have to fight their way out.
Today, we're going to gp over my ten favorite Marvel fight scenes and talk baout what made them special and why I picked them.
Let's dive in.
10. Daredevil's Hallway Fight - Daredevil (Season 1, Episode 2)
- Movie/Series: Daredevil (Season 1)
- Directors: Phil Abraham (episode director)
- Writers: Drew Goddard (series creator); Luke Kalteux (episode writer)
- Key Cast: Charlie Cox (Daredevil), Peter Shinkoda (Nobu Yoshioka)
I am a sucker for a one-take shot, and doing it in a fight scene is pretty cool. Now, you had to watch this in your TV, but it sort of announced to the world that Marvel shows needed to be taken seriously. This was gritty, brutal, and showcased Matt Murdock's street-level fighting style. I love how we really get Daredevil's powers here and also I think it set the bar for the other shows that followed.
9. Shang-Chi vs. Wenwu (Bus Fight) - Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings
- Movie: Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings
- Director: Destin Daniel Cretton
- Writers: Dave Callaham, Destin Daniel Cretton, Andrew Lanham
- Key Cast: Simu Liu (Shang-Chi), Tony Leung (Wenwu), Awkwafina (Katy)
One thing that stands out to me about the best fight scenes is that they usually have a locale that aids in the action. and here, on the bus, we get a lot of creative shots and moves. This bus brawl blends traditional kung fu with modern action, utilizing the environment in incredibly creative ways. I love how lyrical it is and how it matches the tone of the movie as well.
8. Black Panther vs. Killmonger (Waterfall Battle) - Black Panther
- Movie: Black Panther
- Director: Ryan Coogler
- Writers: Ryan Coogler, Joe Robert Cole
- Key Cast: Chadwick Boseman (T'Challa/Black Panther), Michael B. Jordan (Erik Killmonger)
What Black Panther does so well is make every action scene have personal stakes. That's something you can really take away as a filmmaker. This scene matters to the audience and to the characters. It's a clash of ideologies as much as a physical battle. They're fighting for control of a kingdom and the philosophy behind how it will lead. It sets up the stakes for the whole movie.
7. Spider-Man vs. Doc Ock (Train Fight) - Spider-Man 2
- Movie: Spider-Man 2
- Director: Sam Raimi
- Writers: Alvin Sargent (screenplay); Alfred Gough, Miles Millar, Michael Chabon (story)
- Key Cast: Tobey Maguire (Peter Parker/Spider-Man), Alfred Molina (Otto Octavius/Doctor Octopus)
I remember seeing this in theaters when I was a kid and it blowing my mind. for me, this is the greatest superhero movie of all time. I believe it set the standard for all of Marvel to come. It was personal and it showed how much these heroes mattered. The whole train sequence is a masterclass in tension, spectacle, and sacrifice, cementing Doc Ock as one of the all-time great comic book villains and showing why Spider-Man is so popular for everyone watching and in the movie.
6. Captain America vs. Hydra (Elevator Fight) - Captain America: The Winter Soldier
- Movie: Captain America: The Winter Soldier
- Directors: Anthony Russo, Joe Russo
- Writers: Christopher Markus, Stephen McFeely
- Key Cast: Chris Evans (Steve Rogers/Captain America), Frank Grillo (Brock Rumlow)
Not every fight has to be this big and bombastic brawl. This one is in closed quarters, and pits a ton of agents against Cap. He's massively outnumbered, but he's still a hero. It's a tight, claustrophobic sequence with brilliant choreography. It sets Cap off on the adventure of the movie as well and thematically shows us it's him versus the world in this sojourn.
5. Avengers & Guardians vs. Thanos (Battle on Titan) - Avengers: Infinity War
- Movie: Avengers: Infinity War
- Directors: Anthony Russo, Joe Russo
- Writers: Christopher Markus, Stephen McFeely
- Key Cast: Robert Downey Jr. (Iron Man), Benedict Cumberbatch (Doctor Strange), Tom Holland (Spider-Man), Chris Pratt (Star-Lord), Josh Brolin (Thanos)
We knew Thanos was a man with an evil plan. But here we see that he's a vulnerable crusader who is not impervious to pain or attacks, but does have the added power of the stones to make things hard on our heroes. Still, the multiple heroes of Iron Man, Spider-Man, Doctor Strange, Star-Lord, Drax, and Mantis cannot defeat this guy...you're going to need more power. But as they duel, I admire how every hero gets a moment to shine, even in failure
4. Iron Man vs. Captain America & Bucky (Final Fight) - Captain America: Civil War
- Movie: Captain America: Civil War
- Directors: Anthony Russo, Joe Russo
- Writers: Christopher Markus, Stephen McFeely
- Key Cast: Chris Evans (Captain America), Sebastian Stan (Bucky Barnes/Winter Soldier), Robert Downey Jr. (Iron Man)
3. Team Iron Man vs. Team Captain America (Airport Battle) - Captain America: Civil War
- Movie: Captain America: Civil War
- Directors: Anthony Russo, Joe Russo
- Writers: Christopher Markus, Stephen McFeely
- Key Cast: Chris Evans (Captain America), Robert Downey Jr. (Iron Man), Scarlett Johansson (Black Widow), Chadwick Boseman (Black Panther), Tom Holland (Spider-Man), Paul Rudd (Ant-Man), Jeremy Renner (Hawkeye), Elizabeth Olsen (Scarlet Witch)
Every kid who grew up reading comics also grew up debating who could beat who. This was the living embodiment of that debate come to life. It was the ultimate superhero splash panel brought to life, an epic battle royale featuring almost the entire roster of heroes, each getting a moment to shine. while the fight was personal and contained some real casualties from those in it, it's also a joyous, inventive spectacle that remains a fan favorite.
2. Captain America vs. The Winter Soldier (Street Fight) - Captain America: The Winter Soldier
- Movie: Captain America: The Winter Soldier
- Directors: Anthony Russo, Joe Russo
- Writers: Christopher Markus, Stephen McFeely
- Key Cast: Chris Evans (Steve Rogers/Captain America), Sebastian Stan (Bucky Barnes/Winter Soldier)
I think this might be my favorite modern Marvel movie, because it really just cooks the stakes of the movie into a personal story about Cap finding a friend. This is the pinnacle of grounded hand-to-hand combat in the MCU. Every hit feels impactful, every move precise. We completely understand the emotional weight of Cap fighting his best friend and also the stakes of what happens if he loses.
1. "Avengers Assemble" (Final Battle) - Avengers: Endgame
- Movie: Avengers: Endgame
- Directors: Anthony Russo, Joe Russo
- Writers: Christopher Markus, Stephen McFeely
- Key Cast: Chris Evans (Captain America), Robert Downey Jr. (Iron Man), Chris Hemsworth (Thor), Scarlett Johansson (Black Widow), Mark Ruffalo (Hulk), Jeremy Renner (Hawkeye), Brie Larson (Captain Marvel), Josh Brolin (Thanos), and countless others.
Look, this fight really was a celebration of everything we got from Marvel. It was the end of an era but it introduced us to so many characters and here we see the breadth of the world that was built and the stakes of the universe suffering.
From Captain America finally wielding Mjölnir to him delivering the goosebump-inducing "Avengers Assemble", to the massive, sprawling conflict that follows -- This is the ultimate superhero spectacle and what we want from these kinds of films. It’s pure catharsis and an emotional payoff for every fan.
Summing It All Up
Marvel comics were always known for their epic battles and as soon as these movies got adapted to the big screen, those melees followed. These are my ten favorite of them but I bet you have some you like as well.
What do you think I left out?
Let me know what you think in the comments.
