Since the release ofIron Manin 2008, theMarvel Cinematic Universehas been one of the most prominent and beloved film franchises. With33 theatrical releasesto date, as well as a number of television series, the MCU has been responsible for some of themost memorable film moments and quotesof the last two decades.
But not every line of every Marvel film is golden. While someAvengers' quotesmay stick out for their inspirational value, or their humor,others stick out for how cringe-worthy they are. Whether that cringiness comes in the form of rushed and forced character development, or just jokes that fall flat, these lines stick out because they’re a step below the quality that fans have come to expect from Marvel’s writing.
10"I have famously huge turds."
Drax, ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2’(2017)
TheGuardians of the Galaxyfilms are some of thefunniest in the MCU. Star-Lord (Chris Pratt), Gamora (Zoe Saldaña), Drax (Dave Bautista), Rocket (Bradley Cooper) and Groot (Vin Diesel) have some of thebest comedic chemistry of anygroup within the Marvel universe, but this doesn’t mean that every joke the Guardians spout is comedic gold. The best example is this quote fromGuardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2.
Drax delivers this line right at the end of a comedic argument between Rocket and Star-Lord. During this exchange, the two have a battle of egos to determine who should be in charge of piloting the Milano during a tense escape scene. While the debate is funny, it is also used toillustrate the tension and in-fighting within the Guardiansthat keeps them from operating as well as they could be. At the end of the exchange, Rocket threatens to hide one of Drax’s turds in Star-Lord’s pillowcase. This line works well to establish Rocket and Star-Lord’s almost sibling-like relationship in the movie. But Drax’s next line, the quote in question,pushes the scatological humor over the edgeto the point that the joke falls flat. It serves as a sour punctuation mark on a solid character interaction, and causes the audience to cringe in a moment where, had that line simply been removed, they didn’t have to.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2
9"The Illumi-whaty?"
Doctor Strange, ‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’ (2022)
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madnessis adivisive entry in the MCUto say the least. While there are plenty of crowd-pleasing moments, such as thereturn ofPatrick Stewartas Professor X, there are also plenty of cringe-worthy ones as well.
This quote may be the most cringe-worthy in the entire film. It is a particularly forced joke that doesn’t make much sense in the context of who Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) is. Strange is an educated person, and the Illuminati is such a commonly used trope in both media and real world conspiracy theories that he should already be aware of the word. If it doesn’t exist in his universe, then the joke still falls flat for the audience because it isn’t a strange word to them. Overall, this joke is a good example of the cringe-worthy and forced humor that Marvel’s critics point to.
Doctor Strange: In the Multiverse of Madness
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8"Get on your phones, scour the internet and… Scooby-Doo this s**t."
Doctor Strange, ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’ (2021)
This quote is another out of place line from Doctor Strange. Delivered as instructions to Spider-Man (Tom Holland), MJ (Zendaya) and Ned (Jacob Batalon), it’sthe sort of pop-culture reference that would normally get a chuckleout of the audience. However, unlike the moment inCaptain America: Civil WarwhereSpider-Man compares taking down a giant Ant-Man(Paul Rudd) to taking down a walker inThe Empire Strikes Back, this pop-culture reference feels forced.
The biggest issue that makes this quote so cringe-worthy is the fact thatthe reference doesn’t totally make sense. While theScooby-Doogang is known for solving mysteries and unmasking costumed monsters, Spider-Man is only tasked with tracking down villains. He isn’t solving a mystery of any sort, nor is he trying to uncover anyone’s identity, so theScooby-Dooreference comes off as hollow and forced, rather than organic.
Spider-Man: No Way Home
7"My name is Darren, and I am not a d**k!"
M.O.D.O.C.K., ‘Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania’(2023)
Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumaniasplit fans in terms of critical response. WhilePaul Rudd’s portrayal of Ant-Manwill always stick out as a bright spot in the MCU,his charm alone couldn’t save the film from criticism. Much of this criticism was aimed athowQuantumaniatreated its characters, and this is perhaps best encapsulated by this cringey quote.
Delivered by M.O.D.O.K. (Corey Stoll) in his big moment as he turns against Kang (Jonathan Majors), this line is supposed to represent the conclusion of M.O.D.O.K.’s character arc. But ultimately, this change comes with little build-up, andthe comedic nature of this line ends up undercutting the momenteven more, causing it to be the cringiest moment in a movie with more cringey moments than the average Marvel movie.
Ant-Man & the Wasp: Quantumania
Korg, ‘Thor: Love and Thunder’ (2022)
Thor: Love and Thunderisanother divisive entry in the MCU. Some fans love its sense of humor, while others find that the comedy is over-the-top and gives the film tonal whiplash.Love and Thunder, similarly toAvengers: Endgamebefore it, focuses a lot on Thor (Chris Hemsworth)recovering from his past. At the beginning of the film, Korg (Taika Waititi) delivers some narration that catches audiences up with the traumatic events that Thor has lived through. However, most of the narration, this quote included, is delivered with a comedic tone.
Despite how importantlyLove and Thundertreats Thor’s trauma, the way that the film introduces it feels like a comedic afterthought. Rather than immediately giving weight to Thor’s experiences,this introduction makes a joke out of them, which has the misleading effect of making it seem like Thor may be over these events already. Because of the strange tone of this quote, it has always come off as particularly cringey.
Thor: Love and Thunder
5"Lola, you’re right. I am magic."
Ned, ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’ (2021)
This quote isfrequently overshadowed by the amazing scene that follows, but despite that, on repeated viewings, the moment where Ned opens a portal allowingAndrew Garfield’s portrayal of Spider-Manto step into his living room doesn’t make a whole lot of sense in the context of the MCU. InDoctor Strange, the titular hero finds himself unable to create a portal immediately. Even with instruction from the Ancient One, Strange struggles to make his first portal.
This contrasts heavily with Ned, who accidentally makes a portal, and then explains it with this quote. Aside from a small line of dialogue earlier in the movie, it is never hinted at that Ned has powers before this. As such, the moment comes off as a cringey way to quickly throw Andrew Garfield into the mix without much regard for the story, or the rules of the universe. It also essentially shrugs away the reveal thatNed has powers.
4"Cheez Whiz?"
War Machine, ‘Avengers: Endgame’ (2019)
Avengers: Endgameis a tough movie for Thor. Blaming himself for what happened to the world after hefailed to kill ThanosinInfinity War, Thor slips into a deep depression. As a result, he goes into isolation, gains a fair amount of weight, and spends his time playingFortnite. Most of Thor’s arc inAvengers: Endgameiscentered around him overcoming these emotions to accept that he is worthy.
It’s a strong arc, but one that the movie doesn’t treat completely seriously. After the Avengers build a new infinity gauntlet, Thor immediately volunteers to be the one to snap to bring back half the universe, but the rest of the team is hesitant to allow him to due to his vulnerable emotional state. When Thor attempts to convey that he is capable of doing the right thing, he asks Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.) if he knows what is coursing through his veins. War Machine (Don Cheadle) interjects with this quote, which serves asa poorly-timed jokeabout Thor’s weight. It takes the emotional weight out of the moment, and it’s not a particularly funny quip, making it a glaringly cringe-worthy moment in an otherwise excellent movie.
Avengers: Endgame
3"What are those?"
Shuri, ‘Black Panther’ (2018)
It’s been six years since the release ofBlack Panther, but the movie has held up remarkably well. It has one of theMCU’s best villainsinMichael B. Jordan’s Erik Killmonger, and gave audiences more time withChadwick Boseman’s Black Panther before the actor’s passing in 2021. However, while it may be one of Marvel’s more well-loved works, this quote is also one of Marvel’s cringiest, andit will continue to grow cringier over time.
When Shuri (Letitia Wright) says “what are those?” to T’Challa while pointing at his shoes, she is referencing a meme that became popular in 2015.Black Pantherwas released in 2018, meaning thatthe reference was already dated when the film was originally released, and it continues to date the movie as time goes by. Ultimately, it stands as one of Marvel’s cringiest lines because it’s their most dated reference.
Black Panther
2"Hey, big guy. Sun’s getting real low."
Black Widow, ‘Avengers: Age of Ultron’ (2015)
This line is meant to illustrate the strength of the relationship between Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) and Hulk (Mark Ruffalo). InAvengers: Age of Ultron, Black Widow uses the quote in order to calm Hulk’s raging emotions. The words, along with touching hands, allows the out-of-control hero to transform back into Bruce Banner.
Unfortunately, this serves as a simplistic solution to a complicated problem. At this point,Hulk’s emotions are supposed to be overwhelming and hard to control; that’s what makes him interesting as a character. This line is cringe-worthy because it simplifies that internal struggle and allows it to be solved with what amounts to magic words. EvenThor: Ragnarok, Hulk’s next appearance, included a joke about this line, while making sure to clarify for viewers that it was the connection that Hulk and Black Widow shared that was able to calm him, rather than the words that were being said.
Avengers: Age of Ultron
1"You still think you’re the only monster on the team?"
This line is delivered during an emotionally charged conversation between Bruce Banner and Black Widow. After being sent on a rampage through a city as Hulk, Banner is forced to confront how dangerous he truly is, and considers leaving the Avengers to protect the world from Hulk. However, when Black Widow talks to him about what happened, she also reveals that she is incapable of having children due to what happened to her in the Red Room, eventually leading her to say this cringe-worthy quote.
The relationship between Banner and Black Widowin general is one of the cringier aspects of the MCU. However, this line, whichdraws a parallel between a monster destroying a city and a woman being incapable of having children, is by far the cringiest moment in the entire relationship, and the most cringe-worthy line in the MCU.
