We’re so spoiled for Marvel content these days that it’s hard to remember how unlikely it once seemed that even B-tier Marvel characters would ever make it to the screen before Iron Man swooped into cinemas in 2008, kickstarting the MCU in the process. Though Phase One’s march to The Avengers was hugely ambitious at the time, it now seems almost quaint in comparison to the exponential growth of the universe we’ve witnessed since.
So imagine how much your 2008 self’s mind would be blown if you could use some Pym Particles to travel back in time and warn them of what’s to come in the MCU? And which moment, in particular, would the younger you find the hardest to believe? That’s the great question posed by u/random_guy_somewhere on the r/MarvelStudios subreddit this weekend.
A lot of the most popular responses involved the Guardians of the Galaxy gang in some way, as it’s wild to remember they were obscure comics characters not so long ago.
Imagine finding out about Thor and Teen Groot’s friendship after only seeing Iron Man?
For some people, the most shocking moment was the franchise’s original crossover: Samuel L. Jackson’s cameo as Nick Fury in IM1.
Another mind-blowing moment? The fact that Ant-Man exists.
It’s a world-famous scene now, but who’d have thunk we’d ever see this Infinity Gauntlet moment adapted in a major movie a decade ago?
Endgame‘s “Avengers assemble” scene was mind-blowing enough for our 2019 selves, let alone if we found out about it in 2008.
Another commenter pitched WandaVision as the craziest thing to come from the MCU, and it’s hard to disagree: “Two Avengers starred in a black and white sitcom based on The Dick Van Dyke show with a witch next door and being watched by supporting characters from Thor , Captain Marvel and Ant-Man.”
Last but not least, the fact that the MCU is over 20 movies deep and every one of them makes a ton of cash would be pretty inconceivable 14 years ago.
What do you think would blow your past self’s mind most about the modern MCU? Join the conversation in the comments.
