After 14 years, 34 movies, and a bunch of TV shows, the MCU is full of extremely quotable lines of dialogue. Some of these are witty asides (Tony Stark’s specialty), some are goofy but lovable, some are short and sweet, and some are just plain badass (“I’m always angry”), but tucked in amongst them are some fans find genuinely inspiring.
Fans on r/MarvelStudios have been discussing which is the best, with the replies naming some killer moments from across the years.
The top-voted reply shouldn’t be much of a surprise. In WandaVision, the line “What is grief, if not love persevering?” picked up a lot of praise online, with many saying they were surprised a Marvel Studios production would be so profound. Vision also gets to show off his philosophical nous by saying, “Humans are odd. They think that order and chaos are somehow opposites and try to control what won’t be.”
Another line that’s praised as “the thesis of the entire MCU” is Tony Stark’s “If you’re nothing without this suit, then you shouldn’t have it” from Spider-Man: Homecoming. This gets to the core of the MCU’s view on heroism: that all the fancy armor, superpowers, and reality-bending magical items don’t matter unless you’re brave and going to stand up for what’s right.
That’s echoed by dialogue explaining the Super Soldier Serum from The First Avenger:
“The serum amplifies everything that is inside. So, good becomes great. Bad becomes worse. This is why you were chosen. Because a strong man, who has known power all his life, will lose respect for that power. But a weak man knows the value of strength, and knows compassion… whatever happens tomorrow, you must promise me one thing; that you will stay who you are. Not a perfect soldier, but a good man.”
Steve Rogers may have retired from the superhero life, but the heroic legacy he left casts a long shadow over the rest of the MCU. Lines like “This is the fight of our lives and we’re going to win. Whatever it takes.” from Endgame, “I’m just a kid from Brooklyn” from The First Avenger, and “The price of freedom is high, it always has been. And it’s a price I’m willing to pay. And if I’m the only one, then so be it. But I’m willing to bet I’m not,” from The Winter Soldier are all seriously inspiring stuff.