The Marvel Cinematic Universe keeps pumping out hit after hit to entertain both lifelong comic book fans and newcomers to the genre. No one has captured hearts and sparked imagination in the past decade better than the creators of the MCU. Every movie installment has added a new piece to the story and provided plenty of reasons to get excited for the next one.
Although the MCU has enjoyed incredible success, the movies have had a few bloopers and blunders along the way. What else would you expect when you’re dealing with so much epic content? It’s always fun when you catch the mishaps. Let’s take a look at some of the MCU’s “best” mistakes!
Cap’s Unmoving Hair – The Avengers
For normal people, when the wind blows, your hair flaps around and may even smack you in the face for good measure, especially if you drive with the windows down or ride a motorcycle. Apparently, Captain America’s hair is just as indestructible as his shield. As the Avengers go their separate ways at the end of the first team movie, Cap drives off on his motorcycle — without a helmet, of course.
That’s not great for kids to see, but considering all the physical trauma he faces on a regular basis, a little motorcycle wreck isn’t likely to hurt him. The blooper? You would expect his hair to whip in the wind, but it stays perfectly styled.
Black Widow’s Fighting Hair – The Avengers
Black Widow’s character is tough, and she definitely knows how to take out an enemy or two — or 20. She was introduced at maximum capacity at the beginning of The Avengers, but there was a slight miscalculation.
As she is taking out the Russian thugs she is interrogating, they are dropping like flies around her. She even knocks out a guy behind her, but how? Her head never actually touched that particular guy. He wasn’t quite close enough for her head to reach, so her hair must have jumped in and saved the day.
Somebody Get a Map – Avengers: Endgame
The Avengers have had a connection to Tonsberg, Norway, ever since Captain America: The First Avenger, so it’s not surprising that this would be the location of the New Asgard. The location is actually Scotland, and other filming was done in the state of Georgia.
This wouldn’t be a big deal if someone had paid more attention to details. When Hulk and Rocket hitch a ride on a truck to get to Thor, the tag had a UK number. Additionally, Thor’s pizza had a British phone number on it.
Self-Cleaning Shield – Age of Ultron
Everyone can agree that Captain America’s shield is awesome. It’s incredibly strong and looks great. Apparently, it also has another characteristic that no one knew about — it somehow cleans itself. At least, that’s how it seems in Avengers: Age of Ultron.
While fighting in Sokovia, Cap tries to take on Ultron alone, and his shield gets a bit messy and banged up during the fight. Somehow, though, when the Avengers gang up on the bully a short time later, the trusty shield is clean and buffed like Steve just unpackaged it.
Politically Incorrect – Captain America: Civil War
Sokovia is the home of Scarlet Witch and her brother, and it’s the site of the epic Ultron battle. It makes sense that when legal requirements were established to regulate “enhanced individuals” after the Ultron incident that they would be named after Sokovia.
However, international law states that accords are to be named after the country in which the negotiations took place. According to Secretary Ross, the participants convened in Vienna. Therefore, they should actually be named the Vienna Accords, as opposed to the Sokovia Accords. Maybe they made an exception?
Medical Mishaps – Doctor Strange
Doctor Stephen Strange is an excellent Sorcerer Supreme. In his movie, he was even an excellent, albeit cocky, surgeon. In real life, though, he never would have made it through med school. His character committed a couple of big no-nos when he was getting ready to perform brain surgery on a patient.
To prevent contamination — obviously not a good thing when someone’s head is open — doctors put on their masks prior to washing their hands. Doctor Strange, however, washed his hands and then put on his mask.
Married Before His Time – Captain America: Civil War
Everyone noticed the chemistry between Tony Stark and Pepper Potts from the beginning, and it was easy to see that she is a definite positive in his life. Tony knew that too, but it sure took a long time for him to make anything official.
For that reason, it’s surprising to see Tony wearing a wedding ring in some shots in Captain America: Civil War. He and Pepper definitely weren’t married yet, so we can only assume that the lovable Robert Downey Jr. forgot to take off his actual wedding ring. Aww…
A Sneaky Escape – Avengers: Infinity War
In Avengers: Infinity War, Spider-Man — a.k.a. Peter Parker — is on his way with his classmates to enjoy a field trip. When he looks out the bus window and sees the invasion, he immediately sneaks off the bus. It was daring, brave — and impossible for someone not to notice his maneuver.
The emergency exit windows on a bus set off an alarm when opened. You can even see the warning sticker on Peter’s bus. As awesome as it looked on screen, there is no way Peter could have gotten out that window so quietly.
Flag on the Play – Captain America: The First Avenger
In Captain America: The First Avenger, we are introduced to Tony Stark’s dad — as a much younger man, of course. We also get a peek at Stark’s World Expo. As the name suggests, it’s an international event, so it makes sense to have flags from around the world flying in the breeze.
Sadly, someone did not know their history. Most of Captain America was set in the 1940s, but the flag of the Bahamas is one of the flags flying at the expo. The problem with that is the Bahamas weren’t founded as a country until July 10, 1973.
Some Serious Multitasking – Avengers: Endgame
At one point, experts suggested that multitasking was the way to be more productive, and people embraced the concept. More recently, they started saying that multitasking divides your attention too much, so you should avoid it. Multitasking seems to work just fine for Scott Lang — a.k.a. Ant-Man — though.
In the last battle of Avengers: Endgame, Ant-Man is trying to get the Quantum Tunnel in his van to open to help his comrades. Somehow, he effectively manages to be right beside his buds, fighting the battle at the same moment.
Inconceivable Timelines – Spider-Man: Homecoming
MCU fans really want to follow the characters’ stories and keep up with the storylines, but that becomes a lot harder when the movies confuse their own timelines. Spider-Man: Homecoming is one of the most confusing examples. It opens with Adrian Toomes — before he became the villainous Vulture — cleaning up the mess that the first Avengers’ battle made.
That battle supposedly happened in 2012, but Homecoming claimed to be set eight years later, which would have been 2020. At that point, our favorite web-blasting, wall-crawling hero wouldn’t have even been alive, thanks to Thanos.
Someone’s Been Studying – Iron Man
The introduction of the Iron Man character was quite exciting. Watching Tony Stark go from a playboy to an almost-responsible adult while taking out the bad guys was pretty fun. One of the best parts was watching Tony learn to use the suit he designed and the many mishaps that came with it.
Because it took the technology’s creator quite a while to master his own suit, it’s a little hard to explain how Obadiah Stane was able to control his suit almost immediately. He couldn’t have been practicing because he needed Tony’s arc reactor to power it. Hmm…
Maybe Not the Strongest Metal – Captain America: The First Avenger
Captain America’s shield is made from vibranium, which is one of the world’s strongest materials in the MCU, yet it’s incredibly light. These characteristics make it the perfect weapon for Cap to throw at enemies with ease while still being capable of deflecting something as strong as Thor’s hammer.
So, why didn’t his shield hold up without a blemish against a mostly regular guy? When Steve fought Georges Batroc on board the pirate ship, the guy punched the shield and knocked Cap backwards. How did that punch not break Batroc’s bones?
Psychics on the Hydra Payroll – Captain America: Winter Soldier
In Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Steve finds out about the helicarriers watching and targeting anyone who might be a threat to Hydra. Among the names of those considered “threats,” you may have noticed one that didn’t belong: Stephen Strange.
There doesn’t seem to be a definitive answer for what year Doctor Strange was set. However, using what the writers themselves have said and the way the MCU movies work together, Doctor Strange was still a surgeon at the time, not yet aware of the mystical arts. How could Hydra have known he would be a threat?
Indestructible Without Suits – Avengers: Age of Ultron
We all know that the suits Tony Stark creates can be put through the wringer and still come out on top. Tony and his best friend Rhodey are pretty spectacular using those suits to take out whatever enemies they face. Without them, however, they are completely human — well, minus Tony’s arc reactor.
How do these two flesh-and-bone guys survive without their suits when they are thrown around like ragdolls? Tony hits concrete stairs with enough force to crack his skull and Rhodey is thrown through glass — yet they are still alive and kicking.
The Last Survivor – Avengers: Infinity War
Gamora is Thanos’ adopted daughter, and she is supposedly the last of her people — but how did that happen? When she was a child, Thanos went to her planet to decimate the population, as he was already on his annihilation kick.
However, he was true to form, and he only wiped out half the planet. What happened to the rest of Gamora’s people? They could have died off in another way, but it wasn’t at Thanos’ hand as many stories suggest. Or maybe the movie mistake was that she isn’t the last of her people after all.
Musical Mixup – Guardians of the Galaxy
The mixtape belonging to Peter Quill — a.k.a. Star Lord — is an interesting and fun part of his story. It’s a tape his mother gave him with her favorite songs from the ’70s. In 1988, Quill was abducted from Earth right after his mother died of cancer.
The question, however, is if he was abducted in 1988, how did his mother give him a collection of songs on a tape that wasn’t made until 1993? Obviously, cassette tapes existed long before that, but not this particular type of TDK tape. Perhaps the producers weren’t paying attention, or maybe they thought no one would not notice such a tiny detail.
Self-Cleaning Laundry – Thor
When Thor was exiled and sent to Earth, he found his hammer in the mud. After a great deal of time and several tries, he wasn’t able to lift it off the ground. He did, however, get mud all over his clothes while he tried.
A few minutes later, S.H.I.E.L.D. agents take him into custody — minus the mud-encrusted clothing. Did he have an extra identical outfit in his dirty pants pocket? Maybe his clothes have their own superpower — to completely clean themselves when Thor doesn’t have time to hit the laundromat.
Bucky’s Mysterious Age – Captain America: The Winter Soldier
After Captain America thaws out from his 70-year ice bath, he finds out that all his former friends are very old or dead, including his best friend Bucky Barnes. In an attempt to mourn the loss and understand what happened, Steve visits a museum with a memorial for his friend.
However, there seems to be some confusion over when Bucky was born. One part of the memorial states that he was born in 1916, while the bottom of it says 1917-1944. His dossier in The Avengers says 1922. Does anyone know when Bucky was actually born?
S.H.I.E.L.D. Is Really Hidden – Captain America: The Winter Soldier
Visiting the locations of your favorite movie scenes or historical events is nothing new. When the coordinates for the Triskelion S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters popped up on the screen of Captain America: The Winter Soldier, you can bet that plenty of MCU fans took down those numbers so they could make plans to visit.
Before you pack up and head out, you should know that doing so is a waste of time. The coordinates are in North and South, which is not how they work. So, either S.H.I.E.L.D. really wants to stay hidden, or even the producers can’t find it.
Self-Filling Weapons – The Avengers
Hawkeye may be an expert marksman and an awesome Avenger, but no one told us he was also magical with an arrow quiver that consistently replenishes itself. That’s exactly what seems to be happening in The Avengers.
From the moment Hawkeye is on the top of that building yelling out shots to the rest of the team to when he jumps off and eventually meets up with the rest of them, he never seems to run out of arrows. This is even more strange when you realize you saw the arrows already, and he only started with a handful.
Missing Bulletproof Windows – Iron Man 3
In Iron Man 3, bad guy Aldrich Killian sends someone to take Rhodey’s place as the Iron Patriot on Air Force One. When Killian’s thug attacks, a series of events lead to death and destruction, including a bullet shooting out windows. The scene ends with Iron Man swooping in to save everyone who fell out of the plane.
It’s an action-packed scene — but a purely unrealistic one. Air Force One happens to be an extremely fortified plane with bulletproof windows. The gunman couldn’t have broken the windows, and the plan would not have gone down like it did in the movie.
Time for Lunch – The Avengers
After the Avengers defeated Loki’s army and restarted Iron Man’s heart, Tony starts jabbering about shawarmas in true Tony Stark fashion. In the next scene, the Avengers are taking Loki into custody. After the credits roll, we see the team silently eating shawarmas.
It was a humorous ending, no doubt, but it does leave us with some questions. This was before Thor returned to Asgard, so where exactly is Loki while the team is having lunch? Furthermore, why is this restaurant open after the alien battle that just went down outside — which took out chunks of the city?
Don’t Turn Out the Lights – The Avengers
That arc reactor in Tony Stark’s chest has always shone brightly through his clothes, especially in the earliest MCU movies when they paid more attention to it. As an ever-present reminder that he could die at any second, it takes some effort to cover up the bright light.
So, when Tony is speaking to Loki in Stark Tower, why is there nothing shining through his shirt? It was shining through that same Black Sabbath shirt earlier in the movie. What happened? Was there a glitch in the technology, or were the batteries dying on the humorous genius? Nope, it’s just a movie blooper.
Fast Drying Clothes – Captain America: The First Avenger
Captain America gained some incredible strength among other things, but did you know that he and his clothes are also apparently water-resistant? In the Cap’s debut movie, he chases Heinz Kruger, one of Hydra’s agents, all the way off the Brooklyn Pier.
Kruger thought he could get away in a submarine, but Steve put a stop to that quickly by diving in the water to pull him out. When they reached the dock, their clothes should have been soaking wet and dripping everywhere. Somehow, though, Steve is barely wet in the scene.
Grammar Police Are Cringing – Iron Man
The beginning of the first Iron Man movie shows a room full of people gathered to celebrate Tony Stark’s accomplishments. During the presentation, a magazine cover pops up on screen that says Tony has taken the “reigns” of Stark Enterprises, his family’s business. Unfortunately, this is the incorrect spelling of the word for this usage. It should have read “reins.”
No one seemed to notice, though. Perhaps if Tony, the billionaire genius, had been in the room instead of jetting around the world gambling, he could have pointed the mistake out to his colleagues. Homonyms — they’ll get you every time.
Cap Needs Driving Lessons – Captain America: The Winter Soldier
Sure, Steve Rogers was frozen for 70 years, which means he missed all the adaptations made to cars over the years. Still, he is often seen on a motorcycle, so that it leads us to believe that he adapted to driving modern vehicles, but that seems not to be the case in this movie.
When he and Black Widow are heading to Sam Wilson’s house in Winter Soldier, Steve is behind the wheel of a truck. He looks like he’s driving just fine — until you notice that the truck is still in “Park.” So, who’s driving that thing?
Justin Hammer Is Stronger Than He Looks – Iron Man 2
When you think of villains in Iron Man 2, Ivan Vanko is probably who pops in your mind. He was the one who came out swinging electric whips, after all. He wasn’t the only bad guy, however. Remember Justin Hammer, the guy backing Vanko?
He looks like he never hit the gym a day in his life, yet he had no trouble slinging guns around when he was showing them off. A real M134 is said to weigh about 100 pounds, so Hammer certainly shouldn’t have been able to lift it like it was a toy.
Capital or Capitol, That Is the Question – Iron Man 2
In Iron Man 2, Tony Stark has to testify before the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee, and Senator Stern demands that Tony hand over the Iron Man tech to the U.S. government. Of course, Tony refuses, and it wasn’t much longer before he discovered that his tech was being sold to America’s enemies.
After the hearing, he watches a recording of the hearing that is titled “Stark Industries CEO Tony Stark on Capital Hill.” The correct spelling is actually Capitol Hill. The MCU could really use some editors — or at least a few more grammar school lessons.
Falcon Forgets Basic Math – Captain America: Civil War
Sam Wilson — a.k.a. Falcon — makes a good addition to the team. While the rest of the Avengers are handling the ground battle, Falcon can help out in the sky. He can let the rest of the team know what’s going on since he has a bird’s eye view.
Of course, to be effective, he needs to remember how to count correctly — unlike he did during the battle in Nigeria. He tells the team there are seven hostiles left. He takes out three, and then says there are five hostiles left. The math just doesn’t add up, Falcon.
