Amongst all the great things that the MCU has done this year, there are certainly some moments that hit different from others. It’s no secret that audiences frequently disagree with those over at Marvel Studios running the show when it comes to some of the choices they make, although it’s unreasonable to expect that they’ll be able to please everyone.
With that being said, the top 5 worst moments from 2021 have earned the title for a number of reasons, not necessarily because the scenes were poorly written or boring. In many cases, the worst MCU moments this year were simply too heartbreaking to be deemed some of the best.
Wanda Gives Up Vision And Her Kids
As controversial as it might be, the destruction of the Hex wasn’t all good. Wanda certainly needed to release the innocent people of Westview from her accidental prison world. There’s no denying that it wasn’t right for Wanda to keep a small corner of the universe trapped in a fantasy designed specifically for her own happiness. However, watching Wanda lose both her children and Vision in a single moment was one of the most tragic scenes Marvel had to offer in 2021.
Wanda’s goodbye to her make-believe world is one of the worst MCU moments, simply because of how sad it is. Having already lost her parents, her brother and half of the superhero team she was just starting to become a part of, being forced to give up the rest of her family was certainly one of the worst things that could've happened to any of the MCU heroes.
Loki Kisses Sylvie
There was a lot of ambiguity over who and what, exactly, Sylvie was when Loki premiered this summer. The TVA and even Loki himself referred to her as a variant multiple times throughout the series, even though Sylvie denies being a Loki variant. Despite her protests, she and Hiddleston’s Loki have the same brother, the same mother and they were both children of Asgard. When the two kissed, it created a divide amongst fans, with quite a lot of people taking to social media to express their thoughts. Some were totally for the relationship, while others were completely against it, however both sides did make good points.
Admittedly, their bond played a crucial role in teaching Loki how to care for others. However, Sylvie does seem to be a variant of him, in spite of her protests, and for a character that's trying to work on being less self-involved, it's pretty strange that Loki chose to be with someone who is basically just himself. Marvel has never been great at giving fans compelling on-screen romances, and Loki’s kiss with Sylvie also fell pretty short.
John Walker’s Captain America Murder
When John Walker used the Captain America shield to kill in cold blood, he went against everything Steve Rogers and Sam Wilson stand for. Unlike the first two moments on this list, an overwhelming majority of the MCU fan base are in agreement that John Walker has never, and will never, deserve the title of Captain America.
Senseless violence is what brought everyone into the mess in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, so even though John was assigned to stop it, he ended up making the problem worse. In the original Captain America movie, Steve said the reason he signed up for the army and agreed to take the serum was because he hates bullies. John is the definition of a bully, using both his political and newfound serum-related powers to quite literally beat the Flag Smashers into submission.
Not only is John a power-seeking bully who resorts to violence, he doesn't have the same level of commitment that Sam does to the shield. Sam’s first move in a fight was never his fists, but his words, as his only goal was to make real, positive change in the world. When John transformed into a “shoot first, ask questions later” kind of guy and killed the wrong person, he proved to fans just how unworthy he is of the shield and tarnished the legacy Steve worked so hard to build.
Valentina Allegra de Fontaine’s Black Widow Lie
The Black Widow post-credits scene is among the worst MCU moments in 2021 for one reason - Valentina. By lying to Yelena about Natasha’s end, Val forced Yelena to see her sister's death in a different, and completely untrue, light. Instead of knowing that Natasha made a noble sacrifice in favor of giving someone she loved a second chance at life and redemption, Yelena now thinks Clint murdered Natasha on Vormir.
Yelena deserves to start her grieving process the right and healthy way, not be sent on a wild goose chase to kill Clint Barton because of a trickle-down effect that began with Valentina, a woman who shouldn't have even been involved. As fans have seen in Hawkeye, Yelena is now missing the chance to find a friend in Clint, the way Natasha did, and work on moving forward together. Val’s lie had a long string of consequences for Yelena, but most importantly, she turned a potential ally for her into an enemy.
Monica’s Feud With Captain Marvel
Although the circumstances are unclear, Wandavision made it clear that Monica Rambeau wants nothing to do with Carol Danvers. Not only did she lose her biological mother, Monica now wants nothing to do with the woman and hero who stayed by her side while she was growing up. Fans saw that the Rambeau family was very close to Carol in the first Captain Marvel movie, but that relationship will require some heavy mending in the sequel, according to Wandavision. A lot of fans were thrilled to see the way Carol and the Rambeau’s managed to stick together through thick and thin, so the loss of that bond is truly devastating.