5 MCU TV Moments That Should Have Happened in Movies

The Marvel Cinematic Universe‘s television sector has taken off on Disney+ in the years since Avengers: Endgame, though some of the franchise’s biggest TV moments should have happened in movies. Amid recent MCU debates concerning whether TV shows should only focus on characters separate from the movies and if a series should ever be required viewing for movies, it’s a good time to look back on the biggest moments in MCU series and question if they would have been better suited for a film. From WandaVision to Loki, the MCU’s Disney+ shows feature tons of pivotal character moments, giving fans a good reason to purchase a subscription to the streaming service. Still, some scenes are so momentous that it’s puzzling that they audiences didn’t first see them in movie theaters.

The following five memorable MCU moments happened in TV shows, but they would have been better on the big screen.

1) Wanda Maximoff Becomes the Scarlet Witch in WandaVision

WandaVision excellently launched the MCU’s TV ventures on Disney+ and delivered the captivating next chapter of Wanda Maximoff’s (Elizabeth Olsen) arc. Wanda reckons with her grief after creating a false reality in the town of Westview, culminating with her transformation into the Scarlet Witch. At the end of WandaVision Episode 8, Agatha Harkness (Kathryn Hahn) utters the words, “This is chaos magic, Wanda. And that makes you the Scarlet Witch,” leading into the series finale, in which Wanda fully embraces her new identity, tears down her Westview “hex,” and takes off alone with the Darkhold.

The moment when Wanda absorbs Agatha’s power and changes into her iconic Scarlet Witch outfit and tiara in the clouds above Westview is undoubtedly worthy of the big screen. The scene also represents Wanda’s most significant development in the MCU, and it’s strange that the Scarlet Witch’s grand reveal takes place on a streaming service instead of in a movie theater. WandaVision remains the MCU’s best TV show, however, the fulfillment of Wanda’s destiny as the Scarlet Witch would have inflicted a greater shockwave across the franchise if it had happened in a movie.

2) Sam Wilson Becomes Captain America in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier

Another assumption of a legendary mantle happens in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) passed his famous shield to Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie) at the conclusion Avengers: Endgame, but the former Falcon doesn’t officially accept the title of Captain America until the Disney+ series’ events. Sam doesn’t feel ready to follow in Steve’s footsteps at first, though the battle against the Flag Smashers produces the hero’s first occasion donning his new star-spangled suit and Captain America shield. Sam taking flight and crashing through a window is thrilling to see, while his declaration of “I’m Captain America” is satisfying to hear.

Still, this sequence would have carried much more weight if it had graced the silver screen. A pivotal moment in the MCU’s post-Endgame era, Sam’s debut as Captain America needed to be in a movie. The Falcon and the Winter Soldier‘s most important scene made the show required viewing for Captain America: Brave New World, which hit theaters four years later. The MCU would have benefited from saving Sam’s first Captain America outing for the next Captain America film so that fans could celebrate this momentous occasion the right way.

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3) Yelena Belova Faces Clint Barton in Hawkeye

The most compelling of Hawkeye‘s numerous storylines is Yelena Belova’s (Florence Pugh) pursuit of Clint Barton (Jeremy Renner), as the former Red Room assassin was tricked into believing that he was responsible for her adopted sister Natasha Romanoff’s (Scarlett Johansson) death. After a pair of amusing meetings with Kate Bishop (Hailee Steinfeld) in New York City, Yelena confronts Clint in front of the Rockefeller Center in Hawkeye‘s finale. The two fight, and Clint tries to tell Yelena the truth about Natasha’s sacrificial demise. Yelena and Clint’s intense encounter ends with them tearfully voicing how much they love and miss Natasha.

Sensationally performed and fraught with raw emotions, this Hawkeye scene hardly had room to breathe amid the show’s overstuffed narrative. Fortunately, not a second of Pugh’s screen time is wasted, however, Yelena’s involvement in Hawkeye deserved its own project. Black Widow and Thunderbolts* prove that Yelena’s arc works best as the heart of a story, thus her reckoning with her sister’s death in the presence of Clint should have featured as a major plot point in an MCU movie.

4) Billy Maximoff Reveals Himself in Agatha All Along

The wonder and mystery of Agatha All Along includes the highly anticipated reveal of Billy Maximoff (Joe Locke), the son of the Scarlet Witch. Initially known as Teen to Agatha and the rest of the coven, Billy unveils his true identity at the end of Agatha All Along Episode 5 out of fury over Agatha’s killing of Alice Wu-Gulliver (Ali Ahn) on the Witches’ Road. Reincarnated in the body of Billy Kaplan following Wanda’s dismantling of her false reality in WandaVision, the Maximoff boy makes an imposing entrance in Agatha All Along.

MCU TV shows deserve their own major reveals and awe-inspiring moments, yet Billy’s connection to the larger-than-life Wanda makes him an ideal movie character. Billy’s presence in Agatha All Along occasionally overshadows the series’ main character. As a result, the MCU’s introduction of Billy could have fit better in a movie. Even so, Agatha All Along serves as a fantastic follow-up to WandaVision and an enjoyable standalone tale.

5) Loki Finds His Glorious Purpose in Loki Season 2

Loki‘s Season 2 finale brings the titular anti-hero’s story to a riveting conclusion. Introduced as a lost variant of the God of Mischief, the Disney+ show’s Loki (Tom Hiddleston) embarks on a mesmerizing journey across the multiverse, ending up as the God of Stories in the final episode. Even though this character differs from the MCU’s longstanding version — who featured in six movies — his compelling story and momentous ending could have made their way into a Multiverse Saga film.

Hiddleston’s Loki has always been a movie-caliber character, thus it would feel more fitting to see him fulfill his arc on the big screen. Given Hiddleston’s casting in Avengers: Doomsday, it also appears that fans will have to watch Loki on Disney+ to avoid any confusion about the character’s new role. If Loki’s story in the show was important enough to land him a part in the MCU’s next big film event, it should at least partially transpire in movie format.

All of the MCU’s TV shows are available to stream on Disney+.