10 Marvel Movie Endings That Were Basically Perfect

The Marvel Cinematic Universe not only elevated the superhero genre to one of cinema’s most dominant box office forces but has also delivered some truly exceptional stories to audiences around the world. Although the movies of the MCU now form the main continuity for Marvel movies, the franchise has retroactively absorbed previous movies via its Multiverse narrative, creating connections between the Marvel movie adaptations of the past and those of the present. Considering the strength of this shared movie universe, many consider Marvel to be the undisputed king of the superhero genre, especially with so much recent success both with fans and at the box office.

Over the years, there have been a handful of comic book movies with perfect endings, with several of them coming under the Marvel banner. Finishing a movie on the perfect note isn’t easy, as it usually involves either wrapping up a story in an immensely satisfying way or teasing an interesting future, or, in some cases, a clever combination of the two. While it’s no simple feat, it’s one that several Marvel movies have achieved in major blockbuster releases.

10) Cap Becomes A Fugitive – Captain America: Civil War (2016)

There have been many great Captain America moments in the MCU, and all of his solo movies had great endings. However, the final film in Steve Rogers’ Captain America trilogy, Civil War, delivered a truly perfect conclusion to its story. Following his refusal to sign the Sokovia Accords, Rogers was branded a fugitive. The movie’s final scene sees Steve embrace his lawless side, breaking his fellow heroes free from the Raft and relinquishing the title of Captain America in the process, offering an organic and logical conclusion to the events of the movie.

9) Shuri Meets Her Nephew – Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022)

Since the tragic death of Chadwick Boseman, the MCU has introduced other Black Panthers. The end of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever saw T’Challa’s sister, Shuri — who inherited the hero mantle of her brother — meet her nephew. The movie’s ending revealed the existence of T’Challa’s true heir, setting up an exciting MCU future while also honoring the version of the character played by Boseman. Considering the complex and emotional nature of T’Challa’s death in the MCU, it was an ending that handled a sensitive subject with delicate care.

8) Blade Goes to Russia – Blade (1998)

Wesley Snipes’ turn as Blade in the hero’s trilogy of Marvel movies is iconic, and features some incredible moments. Marvel’s original Blade movie was a great introduction to the character, and its ending continues to stand out for the way it helped pioneer the genre. The movie’s climactic battle saw Blade narrowly defeat Deacon Frost and opt to continue his crusade against the vampire menace. A short final epilogue shows Blade in Moscow, hunting another vampire, hinting at the possibility of a sequel without outright committing to one, making it a truly perfect ending to an overall brilliant Marvel movie.

7) Miles Morales Embraces His Hero Identity – Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018)

2018 saw a new hero make his debut on the big screen, with Miles Morales serving as the movie’s main Spider-Man. An origin story explaining how the young New Yorker became his universe’s version of the hero, the groundbreaking animated movie weaved an intricate tale of multiversal madness, with the protagonist’s identity crisis at its heart. Into the Spider-Verse‘s ending is perfect, giving its hero a final scene in which he is shown completely embracing his identity as the hero of his city, understanding his responsibility and forging his own destiny with newfound faith in his abilities.

6) Peter Parker’s Fresh Start – Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021)

Spider-Man: No Way Home cemented Spider-Man as one of the most emotionally damaged characters in the MCU, with its story seeing things go from bad to worse for Peter Parker. After undoing the reveal of his secret identity and accidentally breaking the Multiverse, Peter Parker was left with no choice but to have the world forget him. The ending in which Peter is forced to embrace his new life is bittersweet and tragically perfect. It sets up a more comic-accurate future for the hero while also tying up his initial MCU trilogy in a way that fits perfectly into the Multiverse Saga, making it an exceptional Marvel movie ending.

5) Professor X & Magneto Go Their Separate Ways – X-Men: First Class (2011)

Professor X and Magneto are two of the most powerful mutants in Marvel movies, and the 2011 movie X-Men: First Class sought to capitalize on their popularity by exploring their origin stories. The prequel movie showed the beginnings of the pair’s friendship, but eventually ended with Magneto instead turning away from Xavier to embrace his darker side. It’s an ending that didn’t require any follow-up, but still invited one, with Michael Fassbender’s final villain turn an especially exciting prospect, and James McAvoy establishing himself as the full-time leader of the X-Men also setting up further movies.

4) Go Get ‘Em, Tiger – Spider-Man 2 (2004)

Spider-Man 2 featured some of the best non-MCU Spider-Man movie moments and is commonly considered one of the best Marvel movies of all time. Sam Raimi’s follow-up to his 2002 blockbuster was an incredible movie, and its ending was completely perfect. After discovering Spider-Man’s true identity, Mary Jane chooses to flee her own wedding and embrace a relationship with Peter Parker. Immediately after their romantic reunion, the pair is interrupted by sirens, with MJ giving Peter permission to swing away and be a hero. It’s the sort of happy ending that fans desperately hoped for, finishing a great movie on a positive and heartwarming note.

3) The End of the Avengers – Avengers: Endgame (2019)

While almost every Avengers movie has an incredible ending, none of them top that of Avengers: Endgame. The final movie of the Infinity Saga saw three of the MCU’s original Avengers die or retire. After the heroic sacrifices of Black Widow and Iron Man, Steve Rogers is revealed to have subsequently retired into the past, giving at least one of the MCU’s main heroes a happy ending. It’s an ending that not only topped off an exceptional movie but also delivered a satisfying conclusion to 11 years of movies, wrapping up numerous character arcs all at once.

2) Tony Stark Announces His Secret Identity – Iron Man (2008)

One of the MCU’s truly great Iron Man scenes comes at the end of the hero’s first ever movie. Following the climactic battle with the Iron Monger, Tony Stark is tasked with appearing at a press release in which he is intended to participate in a cover-up designed to protect his secret identity. Instead, he simply announces to the world that he is Iron Man, quite literally going off-script and making MCU history. It’s an ending that was perfect not just for the movie, but also for Robert Downey Jr.’s version of the character and for the wider MCU, as it perfectly set the tone for the stories that followed.

1) Wolverine Dies – Logan (2017)

When it comes to the best Marvel movies of all time, 2017’s Logan is almost universally acknowledged as a contender for the top spot. Its gritty, brutal, and emotional adaptation of the comics’ Old Man Logan storyline was massively well-received, and gave the titular character a heartbreaking but perfect ending. Putting his all into one final fight to protect his daughter, Logan emerges victorious, only to acknowledge that he isn’t going to survive. Seeing the nigh-invincible hero finally embrace death remains a deeply emotional ending, and no matter how many times Logan is revisited, it retains its potency.

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