Stupid things that happened in the MCU (2012-2018).

The MCU started all the way back in 2008 Iron ManAnd it has continued in progress for years. While recent films and shows have underperformed critically and commercially in 2025, 2026 looks promising as the year approaches. Spider-Man: A Brand New Day and in July Avengers: Doomsday In December. However, before traveling to the latest installment of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, why not reminisce?

The mostly serious MCU had its fair share of light-hearted moments, but some concepts and scenes were downright funny. Below, we've listed some of the silliest things that happened between 2012 and 2012 in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The Avengers And of 2018 Avengers: Infinity War So you can get a good dose of nostalgia and look back at how far the MCU has come.

Mandarin is a double fakeout

Neither Aldrich Killian nor Travor Slattery is a real Mandarin

• Featured in: Iron Man 3 (2013)

The Mandarin has been known as an old enemy of Iron Man for decades, so it was surprising that Tony Stark didn't face his greatest enemy. That was until Iron Man 3. Or was it? Iron Man 3 brought back the Mandarin, and even cast the legendary Ben Kingsley in the role. However, it was played for laughs, and Kingsley's character was Trevor Slattery, an actor pretending to be the Mandarin.

In reality, it was Aldrich Killian's character Guy Pearce who was the Mandarin, but even then, it was a double fakeout. Killian didn't act anything like Mandarin, and it wasn't until then Shang-chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021) that the real Mandarin would reveal himself as Tony Leung Chiu-wai's Xy Wenwu years after Iron Man's death. The fact that Iron Man got through an entire trilogy and 4 Avengers movies, and still never met his greatest enemy, is pretty ridiculous.

A talking raccoon and a tree become central figures in saving the galaxy

Guardians of the Galaxy proves how the MCU can get

• Featured in: Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)

after The Avengers (2012), the MCU took a small break from the adventures of Earth and Earth's Mightiest Heroes, and instead, traveled across the stars for an adventure across the galaxy. With 2014's Guardians of the Galaxy, fans were introduced to a new team of ragtag criminals turned reluctant heroes with Star-Lord, Gamora, Drax, and… a talking tree and a talking raccoon?

Guardians of the Galaxy It was quick to impress with how it worked so well with the characters of Groot and Rocket Raccoon. It's absurd to think that the central figures in the MCU are literal trees and raccoons, but that's the beauty of it all. It's funny, it's campy, and it's a lot of fun to see Guardians of the Galaxy on the big screen.

Captain America can pick up Thor's hammer, but doesn't want to hurt Thor's ego

Steve Rogers deserves it but decides to do nothing about it? Impossible

• Featured in: Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015)

Avengers: Age of Ultron Offers players a fun scene where the Avengers bond over some drinks and games, and each of them tries to lift Thor's hammer. However, no one is worthy enough to lift Thor's hammer, or so Thor himself so confidently boasts. That is, until Steve Rogers lifts up with all his might, and Mjolnir is seen with a slightly concerned look, a little gone. The fact that Steve is on his way to qualifying shows his character development and provides a deserved moment when he finally lifts Mjolnir. Avengers: Endgame (2019).

However, the directors of Avengers: Endgame, the Russo brothers, have stated that their headcanon is that Steve always deserved Mjolnir and did not pick up the hammer to avoid hurting Thor's ego. However, Steve obviously uses a lot of force to tilt it slightly rather than smoothly pick it up, so it would be pretty ridiculous for Thor's hammer to rise up where it needed it but decided to ignore it for ego's sake.

The Sokovia Accords destroy the Avengers

Waiting for the United Nations to approve Avengers-level action is how the Sokovia events will play out

• Featured in: Captain America: Civil War (2016)

The Sokovia Accords were drafted by 117 countries stating that the Avengers would no longer be a private entity, and would instead, operate under the supervision and direction of the United Nations. This essentially grounded the Avengers, allowing them to enter into action only if voted necessary. However, these agreements would send backlash to the superhero community that would forever fracture the Avengers for the obvious reasons that made the Accord so ridiculous.

The Accords were in response to the destruction of Sokovia, caused by Ultron, an event the Avengers managed to prevent from wiping out life on Earth by taking action. If the Avengers had waited for politics and voting to do their job, Ultron would have easily gotten away with it. The Sokovia Accords were ridiculous, halted progress for the Avengers, and the team disbanded based on their disagreements, leading to the end of the Avengers, Captain America becoming an Outlaw, and the group splitting up after Thanos' arrival on Earth.

“After 8 years” error

Spider-Man: Homecoming makes a huge mistake in the MCU timeline

• Featured in: Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)

Opening of Spider-Man: Homecoming Shows the destruction of New York after the war that took place in 2012 The Avengers (2012). The scene with Vulture isn't nearly as memorable as the time jump sequence, which describes the jump “8 years later” from The Avengers. Spider-Man: Homecoming. However, it's a funny mistake that managed to slip through the cracks, because it makes it. Spider-Man: Homecoming Takes place in 2018 and not 2016, the same year Captain America: Civil War (2016).

While this is a behind-the-scenes mistake, it's still as clear as day on the silver screen (and on Disney Plus), and remains so. This may leave some superfans scratching their heads trying to make sense of the MCU's ever-expanding canon timeline. Considering the 8 year time jump Spider-Man: Homecoming takes place later Avengers: Infinity War But first Avengers: EndgameWhich makes no sense.

Shrinking to the size of an ant unlocks multiverse travel

Gong Subatomic transgresses time and space on a multiversal scale

• Featured in: Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018)

Ant-Man has a strange power in which he can shrink down to sub-atomic levels for Pym particles. However, being compressed much smaller than an ant has its own unique properties, where you can get lost in the quantum realm, which exists outside of time and space. One might consider the danger of such a small contraction, one might even consider the potential, for it is literally the key to unlocking time travel and multiverse dimension hopping.

It's rather funny, and a cool concept, that shrinking so much provides a gateway to time travel and hopping dimensions to create branching timelines based on different outcomes in the sacred timeline. Time travel and its multitude of concepts are always difficult to navigate, but at least it's different from the standard time machine that makes it smaller.

The Infinity Gauntlet in Asgard turns out to be fake

Thanos wastes his time in Asgard with a fake relic

• Featured in: Thor: Ragnarok (2017)

of 2011 Thor The fact that the Infinity Gauntlet, complete with Infinity Stones, can be seen in the background of Asgard's vault featured a very exciting easter egg. This magnificent piece of the Infinity saga will rise once again in 2015 Avengers: Age of UltronWhen the mid-credits scene shows Thanos taking the Infinity Gauntlet without the Infinity Stones… and how did he manage to get to Asgard? It doesn't matter, and it's not explained on screen.

What is explained is that the Infinity Gauntlet is actually a fake, and Hela reveals that as such Thor: Ragnarok (2017). The fact that Odin and Asgard protected the fake Infinity Gauntlet is pretty ridiculous, but it helps explain Thanos' odyssey to find the Infinity Stones in Avengers: Infinity War. It's a funny Easter egg that pays off, and it's funny in the right way.