Over the last 11 years, the Marvel Cinematic Universe has established itself to be a global phenomenon. With over 22 incredible films, the “Infinity Saga” has made a good home in our hearts. Several A-list performers have been a part of this phenomenal journey and have, without a doubt, given their best. Speaking about performers; a good actor not only does what he is told to do but also adds something impressive to their performance that wasn’t asked of him but he does it regardless as he believes that his contribution will sit well with the people watching the movie. This unscripted contribution is referred to as “improvisation” and MCU films are packed with improvised scenes and lines. We have handpicked 15 best-improvised scenes from Marvel Cinematic Universe for you:
15. Try Me, Beyonce (Doctor Strange)
Benedict Cumberbatch is one of those artists who can completely catch you off-guard with his witty one-liners. He portrays the Master of Mystical Arts, Doctor Strange in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. His first solo outing in 2016 featured the character traveling to Nepal to find a mystical cure for his severely injured hands.
His initial encounters with then-librarian, Wong were quite funny. When he reached out to Wong to get a book on astral projections, Wong denied handing Strange the book as he was inexperienced.
This caused Strange to say, “Try Me, Beyonce”. This was shot at Wong for having just a single name. B.D. Wong (the actor who portrays Wong) later revealed that the line was completely made up by Cumberbatch himself. You can also notice his reaction in the scene.
14. We are Putting Together a Team (The Incredible Hulk)
The Incredible Hulk was the second film in the MCU franchise. Although the flick has its ups and downs, it is an integral part of the expanded Universe now.
One of the most talked-about scenes in the film doesn’t even involve the titular hero. Yes, we are talking about the post-credits scene where Tony Stark visits Thunderbolt Ross and informs him about the Avengers Initiative, after exchanging a few jabs with him. According to William Hurt (who plays Ross in MCU), the scene was completely improvised.
13. Don’t Interrupt Odin! (Thor)
The first two Thor films don’t receive much appreciation but that doesn’t mean that they aren’t packed with powerful scenes. The first Thor film featured the titular character as a hothead who did what he thought was right without fearing the consequences.
This led to Odin taking away Thor’s hammer and banishing him from Asgard. Thor’s stepbrother, Loki tried to intervene but was quickly put off with a fierce growl by Odin. The growl part of the scene came totally out of the blue and shocked everyone involved in the scene, as is evident from Loki’s reaction.
12. Noticed you’ve Copied my Beard (Avengers: Infinity War)
Infinity War was one of the most ambitious and highly anticipated crossovers in Cinema history. From breathtaking scenes to an intriguing plot and interactions we thought we would never see on the big screen, the film had it all.
This once-in-a-lifetime experience caused many actors/actresses to throw in a few unscripted lines here and there. One such instance of this claim was when Thor arrived in Wakanda and had a brief interaction with Captain America (who was sporting a beard due to him being on the run). Thor took a funny shot at Captain America for copying his beard and it was revealed that the scene was purely an idea of Chris Hemsworth.
11. I am Iron Man (Iron Man)
There’s a saying that nothing beats the original and it’s completely true when it comes to Iron Man, the film which kicked off the MCU. There are reports across the web about the film containing a lot of improvised scenes due to a complete script not being ready before the filming is initiated.
In an ocean of improvised scenes, one which stands out is the final scene before the credits where Tony Stark, in a press conference, announces that he is Iron Man. The scene was not included in the script. Robert Downey Jr. threw the line by himself and it was liked so much that it made the final product.
10. A Worthy Rack? (Thor: The Dark World)
Thor: The Dark World might not be considered a great film, but it has its moment and is crucial to the MCU continuity. It features the reality stone, which is one of the six infinity stones. In addition to that, Chris Hemsworth’s screen presence and comic timing make the film quite watchable!
One of the scenes in the film involved Thor resting his hammer, Mjolnir on a coat rack after returning from another realm. This scene surely raised a lot of questions but it was so sudden and unexpected that the audience let it pass after a strong laugh. To top it all, the scene was improvised by Hemsworth himself!
9. The Super Soldier (Captain America: The First Avenger)
Ironically, the final film before the mega-crossover event, “Avengers” introduced the first Avenger, Captain America. It showed the journey of a scrawny kid, Steve Rogers who wanted to join the army. He was selected for the super-soldier program.
After the program completely transformed his physique, Peggy Carter’s reaction was priceless. She was literally in awe of Roger’s physique. The scene seemed too genuine to be scripted. Hayley Atwell revealed later that it was her genuine reaction to seeing Chris Evans shirtless for the first time. She added that she did her best to hide her reaction but thankfully, to no avail, or else we would have been deprived of such a sweet moment.
8. The Adults are Talking (Avengers: Infinity War)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H5mvewxtNSI
Infinity War makes yet another appearance on this list! Quite frankly, a whole list should be dedicated just to the improvised scenes of Infinity War. The talent associated with the flick had too much to offer aside from simply reading the script.
One such scene was when Tony Stark and Doctor Strange were arguing after disposing of Ebony Maw. Peter Parker tried to chime in too but was quickly asked by Stark to stay out of it as he was still young and the conversation was going on between adults. It was something Tony Stark would say but surprisingly, it wasn’t a part of the script, and Downey himself felt the need to add it in the scene, which convinces us how dearly he embodied the character of Stark.
7. Hilarious Hawkeye (Avengers: Age of Ultron)
It can’t be denied that Hawkeye was one of the key characters in the second Avengers film. His dialogue delivery, focus on his family, and everything else involving him was classic. His sarcastic one-liners made for feel-good moments when tensions rose high.
One such scene involved Quicksilver speeding right past him, leaving Hawkeye alone. At this point, the archer aimed an arrow in the direction where the speedster went and said,
“Nobody would know… ‘last I saw him, Ultron was sitting on him!’”
What makes this funny line even better
6. I don’t wanna go (Avengers: Infinity War)
One of the most heartbreaking scenes in Infinity War was seeing our favorite characters turning into dust after Thanos snapped his fingers to erase half of the life in the Universe.
Peter Parker/Spider-Man’s demise was the most emotional one. Upon sensing that something was wrong, he ran to Tony Stark and fell into his arms, and slowly turned into ash while repeatedly saying that he wasn’t feeling good and that he didn’t want to go. Surprisingly, such a masterpiece of a scene was Tom Holland’s creation. He was just told to act as if he didn’t want to go and he nailed it brilliantly.
5. Star-Lord, Man (Guardians of the Galaxy)
Many people predicted the first Guardians of the Galaxy film to be the first MCU failure due to people not being familiar with the characters. However, looks like keeping low expectations made it easier for the film to not only exceed the audience’s expectations but also make its place in their hearts as one of the most enjoyable MCU films.
The film is packed with hilarious one-liners and mind-blowing visuals. One scene featured Star-Lord getting caught by Korath. He explained to him that he was Star-Lord, whom Korath had no idea about. This caused the legendary outlaw to sigh in disappointment and explain further about himself.
The disappointing feeling when someone doesn’t recognize your achievements (or mischief acts) is quite relatable and Chris Pratt portrayed it excellently and interestingly, the line, “Star-Lord, Man; Legendary Outlaw” was improvised on the fly.
4. Blueberries? (Avengers)
During the filming of the first Avengers film, Robert Downey Jr. hid food items all over the set. Many people tried to locate it but to no avail. Downey would then pick any item up during the filming and eat it.
The Lab scene where Stark offers Rogers and Banner’s blueberry was completely unscripted and Mark Ruffalo’s acceptance of the offer was merely because he was hungry while Chris Evans did what Steve Rogers would do in such a moment i.e. ignore the offer amid a serious conversation.
3. Why is Gamora? (Avengers: Infinity War)
The first encounter between the Avengers and the Guardians went exactly as we all expected it to, BERZERK. There was a short fight scene that ended when both teams realized that they were fighting a common enemy.
The closing moments of the fight saw Star-Lord asking Iron Man where was Gamora, to which Stark responded by asking who was Gamora. Dave Bautista, who portrays Drax, then contributed by asking,
“I will do you one better, why is Gamora?”
The line came off as incredibly funny and was completely made by Bautista. It was completely illogical but we wouldn’t have it any other way!
2. A Friend from Work (Thor: Ragnarok)
Ragnarok was a 180-degree turn from the previous Thor films, in terms of theme. It was such a monster hit that it singlehandedly revived the Thor franchise. A compelling plot, quirky dialogues, and catchy visuals made for a highly entertaining flick. Several scenes were improvised as well.
One of the scenes in question featured a joyful Thor after he spotted the Hulk after a long time. Although they were set to battle each other, Thor let everyone know that Hulk was a “friend from work”. This line wasn’t a part of the script and was suggested by a make-a-wish kid who was brought to the set. The suggestion was highly favored and the line ended up getting added to the scene.
1. The Shawarma Scene (Avengers)
Have you ever thought what was the inspiration behind one of the best MCU post-credit scenes i.e. the Shawarma scene? Well, it was the man, Robert Downey Jr. himself.
After nearly sacrificing himself to save the world, Stark suggests that the team should try shawarma in one of the nearby blocks. The entire shawarma discussion was coined by Downey and this led to the creation of the epic post-credits Shawarma scene featuring all six Avengers.
Do you agree with our list of the best-improvised scenes from the Marvel Cinematic Universe? Have you any other suggestions in mind? Sound off in the comments and enlighten us!
