Being a superhero comes with the expectation that you will face challenges that are simply beyond what the average person can endure. As well as delivering some incredible moments of drama, this trope has established the heroism of numerous characters, who are forced into situations in which they must prove their moral fiber and their capacity for heroism. For example, the movies of the MCU regularly see their heroes faced with decisions with complex moral undertones or the necessity to put the needs of the few first without hesitation, and at almost every turn, the heroes rise to the task.
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As one superhero movie character once famously said, with great power comes great responsibility. This is essentially the crux of many apparent crises in the lives of superheroes, and the root of many of the most emotional and often tragic moments in comic book adaptations. Facing an impossible decision might seem unfair, but in becoming a hero, the characters involved establish themselves as being capable of handling such difficult situations in order to preserve the greater good, as has been shown time and time again in superhero cinema.
1) Crashing The Valkyrie – Captain America: The First Avenger
Though Captain America has had many great moments in the MCU, few defined his story in the franchise as much as the choice he was forced to make at the end of Captain America: The First Avenger. After defeating the Red Skull, Cap realizes that the Hydra airship was on a course for New York City, which it was primed to destroy. The choice he was faced with was relatively simple: allow New York to be destroyed, along with all its citizens, or sacrifice himself to save them.
Naturally, Steve Rogers made the heroic choice, crashing the ship into an ice field near Greenland where it rapidly froze and was lost. When Rogers was miraculously discovered and revived 70 years later, the life he had before was long gone, and he was faced with another impossible task: reintegrating with society far beyond his own time. Though the initial choice itself was an obvious equation, choosing to sacrifice oneself in such circumstances is still a mammoth task, and one that Captain America proved himself more than worthy of rising to.
2) Superman Killing Zod – Man of Steel
2013’s Man of Steel put a far grittier spin on the character of Superman than many initially would have thought possible. Henry Cavill’s titular hero was faced with the same moral dilemma that all iterations of Superman are; namely, that his godlike abilities force him to employ a level of restraint in line with the moral principles instilled in him by his humble human upbringing. However, the arrival of Zod puts those morals to the test.
When Zod’s scheme threatens to destroy all of humanity in order to make Earth more hospitable for Kryptonian survivors, Superman fights back. Upon realizing that Zod will stop at nothing to achieve his goal, the hero is faced with the impossible decision to end the villain’s life. Superman’s inner conflict is evident in the scene, and he ultimately makes the decision to kill Zod in order to preserve human life.
3) Saving Mary Jane or Schoolchildren – Spider-Man
2002’s Spider-Man delivered some of the most memorable Spider-Man action scenes in live-action history, but it also put its hero through the wringer. The movie saw Tobey Maguire’s Peter Parker start his hero career as Spider-Man by facing considerable hardship, including the murder of his Uncle Ben and the attempted murder of his Aunt May. Then, he is forced by the Green Goblin to make an impossible decision to either save the woman he loves or a group of schoolchildren.
The villain’s desire to impose such a choice on the hero was intended to teach the hero that he was only human. Spider-Man managed the impossible, though, saving both before thwarting the villain in a final confrontation. However, for a brief moment, Spider-Man was forced to consider the implications of his own heroic decisions, facing up to the possibility that he wouldn’t be able to save everyone or to always protect the people he loves.
4) Obtaining The Soul Stone – Avengers: Endgame
Over the course of the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s story, the franchise has placed its characters in some pretty tricky situations. However, very few of these have had the lasting impact of Hawkeye and Black Widow’s time on Vormir in Avengers: Endgame, when the two were sent to retrieve the Soul Stone. As audiences had previously learned during Avengers: Infinity War, the sacrifice of a loved one was the price for taking the Soul Stone, forcing the two founding Avengers to make a heartbreaking decision.
Both Hawkeye and Black Widow fought to be the one to die in order to save their closest friends, with the latter ultimately winning and sacrificing herself. Regardless of the outcome, the decision the pair were forced to make was always going to be an impossible one, as it required watching a loved one die. There was no good way to resolve the issue, but the Avengers were able to accept the decision in heroic fashion, each hoping to spare the other’s life, both making the most selfless choice.
5) Saving the East or West Coast – Superman: The Movie
Villains forcing superheroes to make horrible choices isn’t a new trope, as it predates the modern success of the superhero genre. Way back in 1978, Superman: The Movie saw Lex Luthor do the same to Superman, trapping him in his lair before revealing his despicable and twisted scheme. Having launched two nuclear missiles in opposite directions, Luthor explains that Superman will have to choose between saving the East Coast and the countless lives living there, or the West Coast, where the missile will certainly kill his beloved Lois Lane.
Naturally, Superman wastes no time in his heroism, but is ultimately too late to stop both missiles. The latter results in the death of Lois, prompting an enraged Superman to turn back time to save her. Even so, the pain caused by Luthor’s despicable gambit is evident in Superman’s reaction to Lois’ death, demonstrating just how impossible a decision Superman had been forced into making by the villain.
6) Wanda Letting Go Of Her Children – Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness
Of all the MCU villains introduced after Avengers: Endgame, the Scarlet Witch is by far one of the most powerful. Once a member of the Avengers, Wanda Maximoff was corrupted by the Darkhold due to her grief over losing her children, prompting her Multiversal mission to supplant one of her variants and regain her lost sons. Though Doctor Strange couldn’t stop her in her crusade, she was faced with a stark reality in which her children saw her as little more than a monster.
In Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, Wanda isn’t forced into a difficult decision by a villain, but rather by her own conscience. Realizing the horror she has begun to inflict on the ones she loved the most, she simply chooses to walk away, leaving her children behind and putting their own wishes ahead of her own. It’s a horrible situation for a hero to find themselves in, and Wanda’s reaction turned out to be one of her final redemptive acts in her MCU story.
7) Signing The Sokovia Accords – Captain America: Civil War
Captain America: Civil War was a pivotal movie not just for the titular hero, but for the entire MCU. Its story didn’t just concern Captain America, but all of the Avengers, as it saw the drafting of the Sokovia Accords establish a schism in the team that split them into two opposing factions. This was the result of Steve Rogers’ unwillingness to sign the Sokovia Accords, which would have put all superheroes under governmental jurisdiction.
Steve Rogers’ decision to do what he believed was right is one of the core elements of Civil War‘s story. Examining that choice more closely highlights what an impossible situation Rogers was faced with, as many of his teammates had already announced themselves as supporters of the Accords. Standing against his former friends and allies in order to preserve what he believed was right was a choice that can’t have been easy to make, especially as it resulted in the disbanding of the Avengers.
8) The Joker’s Gambit – The Dark Knight
As well as delivering some of the best quotes in the Dark Knight trilogy, Heath Ledger’s Joker is one of the most iconic movie villains of all time. Part of his charm stems from his inventive and sadistic attempts at teaching Batman a lesson in morality, one example of which stands out as especially difficult for the hero. After being captured by the GCPD, the Joker reveals that he has both Harvey Dent and Rachel Dawes captive at different locations rigged to explode, and that Batman can choose to save only one.
Being forced to decide whether to save the woman he loves or the man who inspires the city of Gotham to be better is an impossible choice for Batman on a moral level. However, it was made even more difficult by the Joker switching their locations, leading to Batman mistakenly saving Dent instead of Rachel. The decision ultimately led to Batman losing the love of his life while also making an enemy of the man he saved, making it seem even more horrific in hindsight.
9) Letting His Mother Die To Save Reality – The Flash
Though the Flash is seen as one of the Justice League characters ruined by the DC Extended Universe, his solo movie was able to deliver a powerful moment for the hero. After finding himself trapped in a dying reality as a result of meddling with time to save his mother’s life, Barry Allen is faced with perhaps the hardest decision anyone has been forced to make in a DC movie. He learns that the only way to repair the damage he has caused to the fabric of reality is to go back in time once again and change things back, causing his mother’s death in the process.
Having Barry accept that his mother’s death is an inevitability is a tough moment, and it’s one of the few emotional beats that 2023’s The Flash is actually able to sell convincingly. It’s an impossible situation, as Barry is faced with the knowledge that reality will collapse if he doesn’t actively cause the death of his own mother. It’s a terrible moment in which the Flash is forced to do something incredibly selfless for the greater good, but that still does little to soften the emotional blow.
10) Doctor Strange Letting Thanos Win – Avengers: Infinity War
Avengers: Infinity War ended with the shocking defeat of the Avengers at the hands of Thanos, who succeeded in eradicating half of all life in the universe. This came after Doctor Strange glimpsed into countless futures, seeing only a single avenue for success. The hero then gave Thanos the Time Stone, facilitating the Mad Titan’s victory and his own death. Though it isn’t obvious how tough that decision must have been, it’s horrendous when considered on a logical level.
Strange was faced with the prospect of a single chain of events resulting in Thanos’ defeat, but it required him to sacrifice himself and take a leap of faith that the other Avengers would react accordingly. Although it all played out for the best in the end, Doctor Strange being forced to effectively surrender his own life – and those of countless others – in the hopes of winning in the long run was an impossible decision to make. Despite paying off in Avengers: Endgame, Strange had no way of guaranteeing the plan’s success, subtly making it one of the most difficult decisions in the history of superhero cinema.
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