10 Saddest Quotes From MCU Heroes

The Marvel Cinematic Universe has taken its heroes to some very low places, resulting in many poignant and tear-jerking quotes that rattle the soul. It’s easy to say that the movies of the MCU are nothing but low-brow entertainment, with CGI spectacle and quippy dialogue to keep general audiences entertained. But the franchise deserves more credit for just how emotionally devastating it’s able to get, as exemplified by the hardest-hitting tragic quotes spouted by the franchise’s protagonists.

MCU heroes are usually tragic at their core, with some fundamental misgivings, trauma, or failure rooting them in the world of superheroics. The journeys of Avengers like Iron Man, Captain America, and Thor throughout the timeline of the Marvel Cinematic Universe take them to some very low places filled with tragedy, highlighting the sacrifice being a hero entails. The writing is usually able to keep up with these emotional low points, resulting in some of the most memorable and heart-breaking lines in movie history.

10

“I Had A Date.”

Captain America, Captain America: The First Avenger

One of the few MCU movies to double as a period piece, Captain America: The First Avenger details Captain America’s origins as a World War II conscript who undergoes an experimental procedure, becoming the world’s first true superhero. Despite the brutality of the conflict pictured, no scene is as emotionally resonant in the first film of the Captain America trilogy as the moment in which Steve Rogers finally realizes he’s been unearthed in the present day. Breaking out of the S.H.I.E.L.D. facility containing him, Steve is awestruck by the progression of technology and society.

As terrifying as this concept is, it’s a personal matter that truly causes Rogers emotional distress, as he quickly realizes that the passing decades caused him to miss his chance with Peggy Carter. Running out into the street with a look of bewilderment, Nick Fury asks Steve what’s wrong, only for him to mutter “I had a date.” It’s this missed opportunity that goes on to define Captain America’s journey throughout the rest of the MCU, a bitterly sad moment of realization.

9

“So Was I.”

Iron Man, Captain America: Civil War

Captain America might be dedicated to telling the truth and defending the freedoms of all people, but that’s not to say that his commitment to these ideals never comes with casualties. One of the most profoundly sad losses Captain America endures is the erosion of his friendship with Iron Man over ideological and personal disputes in Captain America: Civil War. Attempting to defend his choices in helping Bucky escape the wrath of Iron Man, Captain America can simply offer “He’s my friend“, setting up Tony for a devastating retort.

The key use of “was” instead of “am” is what makes this line so devastating, emphasizing that Iron Man and Captain America’s friendship is officially through thanks to Steve’s actions. With three simple words, Tony tears down Steve’s favoritism and commitment to his older friend in place of their own camaraderie on The Avengers. This schism would never fully heal throughout both men’s journey in the coming Infinity Saga, making the line even sadder in retrospect.

8

“What More Could I Possibly Have To Lose?”

Thor, Avengers: Infinity War

Few heroes are as accustomed to loss in the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Thor Odinson, the God of Thunder. Throughout Thor’s MCU journey, he’s lost his brother, his mother, his brother again, his father, his home, his eye, most of his fellow Asgardians, his brother one more time, and his love interest. All of this loss begins to truly weigh on him by the time of Avengers: Endgame, going on a desperate suicide mission to take revenge on Thanos at all costs.

Worried about his new friend’s mental state, Rocket tries to convince Thor of the hopelessness of such an undertaking, only for Thor to launch into a haunting diatribe about his life as a warrior. Musing on the countless lives he’s taken and the countless attempts on his own life he’s endured throughout 1500 long years of life, Thor convinces himself that Thanos is just another enemy to be felled. He ends on the bleak note that he truly has nothing left to lose, and it’s hard to argue otherwise at this point in the story.

7

“It’s Ok, Let Me Go.”

Black Widow, Avengers: Endgame

While all the Avengers took the devastating loss of half of all life at the hands of Thanos, no one was perhaps as desperate to reverse the damage as Black Widow. Constantly monitoring the unfamiliar cosmos as best she could, Black Widow was instrumental in orchestrating the time-traveling search for the Infinity Stones. When it came down to it, she was willing to make the ultimate sacrifice to bring everybody back.

Arriving on the strange planet of Vormir, Black Widow and Hawkeye soon get into a contest as to who can sacrifice themselves for the Soul Stone the fastest, with Natasha ultimately coming out on top. The painful moment in which she convinces her old friend to literally and figuratively let go of her, painfully recognizing she’s the “correct” choice for a sacrifice, is one of the hardest to watch in the entire MCU. It’s hard to keep dry eyes watching Black Widow fall to her death, being the first member of the original Avengers lineup to die.

6

“I Didn’t See An End, So I Put A Bullet In My Mouth And The Other Guy Spit It Out.”

Dr. Bruce Banner, The Avengers

These days, The Hulk is treated as something of a joke in the MCU, with the goofy Dad-like antics of Professor Hulk overshadowing the character’s complexity and darkness. But looking into Hulk’s earlier MCU appearances, some of the Hulk’s best quotes arise from his bleak circumstances. One of the saddest and most chilling moments happens during the Helicarrier scene in The Avengers, when the newly-formed team discusses just how dangerous The Hulk truly is.

Acknowledging that S.H.I.E.L.D. and the rest of the Avengers are likely in need of some contingency plan to kill him, Dr. Bruce Banner assures them that such a thing is impossible. He then goes on to tell the team about his suicide attempt, which simply resulted in The Hulk spitting the bullet out of Dr. Banner’s mouth. It’s quite disheartening and tragic to hear how low of a point Dr. Banner was brought to by his unique affliction.

5

“Hurts.”

Rocket Raccoon, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 focused on the origin of Rocket Raccoon, depicting his early life as an experiment orchestrated by the cruel mastermind villain The High Evolutionary. After being vivisected and granted consciousness, Rocket is unceremoniously dumped into a cell with several other cybernetic animals. Shaking, afraid, and confused, Rocket can only shiver in fear as he takes in his new surroundings before being offered a small gesture of kindness by Lylla.

In this scene, the freshly-created Rocket can only express a single word, “Hurts“, to describe the newfound agony of his existence. The fact that this very well may be his first word ever makes the simple expression even more heartbreaking. It’s difficult to watch the adorable baby Rocket endure such awful conditions, especially on a repeat viewing, knowing what comes not long after.

4

“You’re So Big.”

Ant-Man, Avengers: Endgame

For the most part, Scott Lang’s Ant-Man is known as a comedic relief character in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It’s easy to see why, from the lighthearted tone of his solo movies to Paul Rudd’s excellent joke delivery. However, like every other character affected by the events of Thanos’ Snap, there’s a true tragedy that seeps into Scott Lang’s life as he misses out on valuable years with his daughter while trapped in the Quantum Realm.

In Avengers: Endgame, Scott is finally able to re-unite with his daughter, who was but a little girl the last time he saw her. Upon meeting his now-teenaged child, Scott tears up, and can only choke out “You’re so big!” Always one to hide his pain with a joke, the cute statement clearly betrays the devastating realization that Ant-Man wasn’t there to raise his daughter for a massive chunk of her life, leading to his internal conflict in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania.

3

“I Can’t Feel You.”

Scarlet Witch, Avengers: Infinity War

In a movie with so much heartbreak, one of the hardest-hitting lines in Avengers: Infinity War occurs when Scarlet Witch is forced to kill her soulmate, only to watch as Thanos makes her relive an even crueler death. As the clock ticks down, it becomes clear that Scarlet Witch will be put in the unfortunate position of having to kill Vision just to ensure that Thanos can’t use the Infinity Stone embedded in his forehead. Worried about the pain, Vision assures Wanda that he’ll simply be “feeling” her in their final moments together.

But even this tragic end is besmirched by Thanos, who resurrects Vision with the Time Stone only to painfully rip his treasure from Vision’s head. Not only does Thanos take Vision’s life, but he also takes away his final moments, as well. Clutching the android’s desiccated corpse, Wanda can only cry “I can’t feel you“, making for one of the saddest lines in perhaps the single saddest MCU movie.

2

“I Just Buried The Last Person Who Truly Knew Me. My Heart Was Buried With Her.”

Shuri, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever

Much like Thor, Shuri is a hero who has become all too accustomed to tragedy in her life, having lost her father, cousin, brother, and mother in a disturbingly short time period. When the latter happens in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, M’Baku approaches Shuri at the traditional outdoor funeral for Queen Ramonda, asking her where her heart is. Shuri coldly replies that her heart was just buried with her mother, the last person who truly knew her.

The entirety of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is something of a memorial to T’Challa and the beloved Chadwick Boseman, who played him, so it’s fitting that one of the saddest lines in the franchise would come of it. This line also sets up Shuri’s willingness to break cultural norms and cloud her mind with revenge, leading to her meeting with Killmonger in the ancestral plane. It’s raw emotion like this that makes Black Panther: Wakanda Forever one of the most underrated MCU movies.

1

“I Bet We Were Fun.”

Gamora, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3

Tragedy doesn’t always necessarily have to come in the form of death in the MCU, at least not in the traditional sense. In addition to exploring Rocket Racoon’s past and character growth, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 also takes time to address Star-Lord’s attempts to reconcile with the 2014 version of Gamora, hoping to reclaim the romantic relationship he lost with the original’s death. Try as he might, he isn’t able to get her to come around, and the new Gamora finally acknowledges his efforts and pain in one of the film’s last scenes.

Before the two depart, likely to never see each other again, Gamora offers Peter Quill some small consolation, telling him “I bet we were fun.” Even if she ultimately doesn’t return his feelings, 2014 Gamora can at least appreciate the beauty of what was lost to the cruelty of the Infinity War. In a way, because it almost gives a hint that Star-Lord and Gamora could have continued to grow together in other circumstances, this line is easily one of the most devastating in the entire MCU.

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