The Marvel Cinematic Universe is one of the most ambiguous, and for the most part, successful franchise projects in the history of cinema. While the superhero genre had struggled to maintain a consistent level of quality for many years, Kevin Feige was able to headline Marvel Studios’ creative team, leading to an exciting series of crossover events. While hiring good filmmakers was a major reason why the studio was able to release so many good superhero films, the MCU had a level of logical consistency that signified that the creators truly cared about the output.

“Superhero fatigue” is by no means a new term, and Marvel Studios has certainly come under fire in recent years due to complaints about a dip in quality within the “Multiverse Saga” of the franchise. However, it can really rub viewers the wrong way when characters make illogical decisions purely for the sake of advancing the plot. Here are the ten biggest mistakes made in the Marvel Cinematic Universe so far.

15 Drax Calls Ronan the Accuser

'Guardians of the Galaxy' (2014)

Guardians of the Galaxy had the unprecedented challenge of introducing viewers to an entire set of new characters who hadn’t appeared in The Avengers or any of the previous films. Drax (Dave Bautista) instantly proved to be a fan favorite, as his mission to get revenge on Ronan the Accuser (Lee Pace) for the death of his family was a relatable one. That being said, Drax makes a huge blunder when he calls attention to himself in order to fight Ronan.

Drax’s insistence on getting revenge causes a split within the Guardians themselves, as both Peter Quill (Chris Pratt) and Gamora (Zoe Saldana) recognize that he cannot be trusted to be responsible when put in emotionally compromising situations that remind him of his family. Subsequently, Drax had to prove himself as a strategic thinker in order to be accepted as a true member of the Guardians team.

14 Tony Stark Creates Ultron

'Avengers: Age of Ultron' (2015)

Avengers: Age of Ultron proved to be an odd film in the MCU, as the end of the first Avengers film had already hinted that Thanos (Josh Brolin) would be the overarching villain of the entire first phase. While the creation of a new villain, Ultron (James Spader), was necessary for the story, Avengers: Age of Ultron implied that Tony Stark (Robert Donwey Jr.) created one of the Avengers’ greatest villains out of fear.

It was a strange and illogical decision that remains one of Tony’s low points in the entire franchise. Ultron wreaks considerable havoc on Sokovia, and his army even claims the life of the Avengers’ new ally, Pietro Maximoff (Aaron Taylor-Johnson). While it is arguably Tony’s biggest blunder, it did inspire him to think more critically about collateral damage in the subsequent entries in the series.

13 Natasha Romanoff Signs the Sokovian Accords

'Captain America: Civil War' (2016)

Captain America: Civil War was the first film to imply that there was a serious split within the ideology of the Avengers themselves. While Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) believes that “the safest hands are still our own,” Tony agrees to sign the Sokovia Accords, which allow for more governmental control of superhero activity. Although she initially sees the logic in Tony's argument, Natasha Romanoff (Scarlett Johansson) ultimately sees that the Sokovia Accords will not end up making the world any safer.

Natasha decides to change sides at the end of Captain America: Civil War out of guilt for signing in the first place. While T’Challa (Chadwick Boseman) wants to pursue Rogers and Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan), Natasha paralyzes him before he can launch his own secret mission. This leads to an intense encounter with Tony, where he accuses her of being a traitor.

12 Peter Quill Doesn't Kill Thanos

'Avengers: Infinity War' (2018)

Avengers: Infinity War finally united the characters from the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise with the other MCU heroes as they joined forces in the battle against Thanos. Although Gamora’s connection to Thanos gives her emotional power over her abusive father, he ultimately sacrifices her in order to attain the last Infinity Stone. However, Peter Quill passes up on the opportunity to kill Thanos because he is so blindsided by heartbreak.

It’s a difficult situation, as Peter is coping with the presumed death of someone that he cared about more than anything. That being said, his refusal to be a cold-blooded killer allowed Thanos to enact his evil plan, thus setting up the path for the narrative of Avengers: Endgame to exist. A lot of pain, heartbreak, and time travel shenanigans could have been avoided if Peter had been a little bit more ruthless.

11 Thor Doesn't Aim For the Head

'Avengers: Infinity War' (2018)

Peter wasn’t the only character in Avengers: Infinity War that nearly had the opportunity to kill Thanos, as Thor (Chris Hemsworth) also passes up on the chance to take out the team’s greatest villain when he arrives with Rocket Racoon (Bradley Cooper) and Groot (Vin Diesel) in Wakanda. Thor famously “doesn’t aim for the head,” allowing Thanos to snap his fingers and erase half of the life in the universe.

Although it's a strange blunder by one of the franchise’s most well-developed characters, Thor’s mistake ends up triggering one of the MCU’s most important and surprising character arcs in both Avengers: Endgame and the subsequent sequel Thor: Love and Thunder. Thor has to wrestle with his past mistakes as he becomes severely depressed, and ultimately recenters himself in order to be the hero that Asgard needs in its future.

Watch on Disney+

10 Clint Barton Becomes The Ronin

'Avengers: Endgame' (2019)

Avengers: Endgame examined the dark choices that many of the original Avengers faced in the aftermath of “the snap,” which essentially turned the Marvel Cinematic Universe into a post-apocalyptic nightmare. While Clint Barton (Jeremy Renner) has always been one of the most level-headed members of the Avengers, he is so heartbroken by the disappearance of his family that he becomes the vengeful warrior known as “The Ronin.”

While he ultimately decides to leave his violent ways behind him, Clint’s actions as “The Ronin” continue to haunt him as he remembers the horrific crimes that he committed during the post-snap era. Clint’s reckoning with the past became a serious plot point in the Disney+ spinoff series Hawkeye, in which it's revealed that he hid the existence of “The Ronin” from many of the people that he cared about most, including his family.

9 Peter Parker Trusts Quentin Beck

'Spider-Man: Far From Home' (2019)

Spider-Man: Far From Home was the first adventure that Peter Parker (Tom Holland) went on in the aftermath of Tony’s death in Avengers: Endgame, so it's understandable why he is so emotionally vulnerable. However, Peter’s desire to find a new mentor after Tony leads him to give dangerous technology to a supervillain. Although Quentin Beck (Jake Gyllenhaal) claims to be a superhero from another dimension who is there to help Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) take down a supernatural entity, he is revealed to be a vengeful former employee of Stark Industries who wants to claim power for himself.

Peter’s quick decision regarding Beck speaks to his ignorance as a character, which isn’t that surprising considering his age. Peter is still relatively young and confused, but his decision to trust someone that he barely knows with powerful secrets ends up creating one of the MCU’s scariest moments.

8 Sam Wilson Turns Down the Shield

'The Falcon and the Winter Soldier' (2021)

The Falcon and the Winter Soldier examined the aftermath of Avengers: Endgame, in which society had to move on from a world where Steve was no longer Captain America. Although Steve had passed his shield to Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie) at the end of Avengers: Endgame, it's revealed in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier that he turned down the opportunity. Unfortunately, Sam’s refusal to accept the responsibility had dire consequences, as the U.S. Government decided to name Agent Walker (Wyatt Russell) as the new Captain America.

Sam’s anxiety about the role is understandable, as he was unsure whether the country would be able to accept a black man as its most famous superhero. However, Sam ultimately did suppress his fears and don the costume himself, building up to the events of the upcoming MCU film Captain America: Brave New World, which is set to hit theaters in February of 2025.

Watch on Disney+

7 Peter Parker Tries to Turn Back Time

'Spider-Man: No Way Home' (2021)

Spider-Man: No Way Home was able to become one of the MCU's biggest hits because it tied together the events of the previous two MCU Spider-Man films with the characters from Sam Raimi’s original Spider-Man trilogy and Marc Webb’s The Amazing Spider-Man duology. Peter makes the mistake of trying to erase people’s memories while Steven Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) is performing a critical spell. This ends up unleashing the villains The Lizard (Rhys Ifans), Electro (Jamie Foxx), Green Goblin (Willem Dafoe), the Sandman (Thomas Hayden Church), and Doctor Otto Octavian (Alfred Molina) back into the core timeline.

Peter is one of the most sympathetic MCU characters because he makes the type of realistic mistakes that any teenager would make if placed in the same situation. While Spider-Man: No Way Home is arguably one of the best installments of the series thanks to its crossover events, a lot of hardship could have been spared if Peter had been a little more patient.

6 Scott Lang Opens the Quantum Realm

'Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania' (2023)

Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania may have been one of the most critically reviled films in the series thus far, but originally it was set to be the big introduction of the new villain Kang the Conqueror (Jonathan Majors), who presumably would have been the primary antagonist of the upcoming set of Avengers films. While a more timid character like Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) didn’t seem like the type of hero who would have to face off with such a ruthless villain, Kang’s existence is discovered when the Lang family decides to venture into the Quantum Realm.

Kang nearly brings his threat to the surface due to the battle he wages about the Langs, which ultimately ends with his defeat. Although Hank Pym (Michael Douglas) ultimately survived the attack, Scott risked the livelihood of both his family and the universe as a result of his curiosity about the Quantum Realm.

5 Tony Doesn't Monitor Stark Industries

'Iron Man' (2008)

Iron Man was the perfect way to kick off the MCU, as the film centered on the journey that Tony goes through to become a genuinely better person. Although he is largely defined by his independence, Tony realizes in the inaugural entry in the saga that the weapons manufactured as part of Stark Industries have been used to commit war crimes overseas.

Tony accepts responsibility for his mistake, but the ramifications of these weapons have a significant impact on the rest of the universe; in addition to orphaning the Maximoff siblings, Wanda (Elizabeth Olsen) and Pietro (Aaron Taylor-Johnson), the shady history of Stark Industries earns Tony a lot of enemies within different ranks of the United States government. In many ways, Tony’s willingness to rectify this era in his past justifies why he is so keen to sign the Sokovia Accords in Captain America: Civil War, as he is susceptible to hasty decisions in order to earn himself a shot at redemption.

4 Tony Lures The Mandarin

'Iron Man 3' (2013)

Iron Man 3 is one of the more character-driven installments in the MCU, as it deals with the ways in which Tony struggles with his mental health after nearly perishing in the Battle of New York City. Despite being more open with his feelings when talking to Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow), Tony makes the mistake of openly threatening the mysterious terrorist known as “The Mandarin” (Ben Kinglsey) on live television.

Tony’s open threat results in devastating consequences, as his mansion is attacked by missiles, forcing him to flee. The film inevitably reveals that this was all part of an elaborate trap that Tony fell for; the man he knew as “The Mandarin” is in fact an actor named Trevor, as it is actually the malicious inventor Aldrich Killian (Guy Pearce) who is responsible for staging the personal attack on Tony’s home.

3 Rocket Steals the Batteries

'Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2' (2017)

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 is a very important film for all of its characters, as Rocket Racoon (Bradley Cooper) reveals to be a far more vulnerable hero than anyone on his team realized. Although he is eventually revealed to have suffered a very traumatic past, Rocket is also constantly in a competition with Peter to prove himself as the most reckless member of the Guardians. Rocket decides to steal batteries from the Sovereigns, which results in the High Priestess Ayesha (Elizabeth Debicki) sending her forces to take them back.

Rocket’s mistake costs the team dearly, as they are all separated and forced to go on individual paths of self-discovery. It is very easy to see the Guardians as one messy, dysfunctional family, but Rocket’s arrogance is responsible for a significant amount of chaos that could have easily been avoided.

2 Tony Snubs Aldrich Killian

‘Iron Man 3’ (2013)

Tony’s past comes back to haunt him in Iron Man 3, as he realizes that his inability to take time out of his active party lifestyle to meet with Killian inspired one of the franchise’s greatest villains. Tony may not have been thinking about Killian at all, as he is guilty of being ignorant and wealthy, but not necessarily malicious. However, Killian grows embittered by the experience, and spends over a decade ensuring that he can find a way to get his revenge.

Ironically, Tony and Killian are quite similar, as they are both brilliant innovators of technology that feel isolated because of their genius. The difference between them is that Tony is willing to hold himself accountable for the people that he has mistreated; comparatively, Killian only wants to blame other people, proving that the ends do not justify the means.

1 Loki Gathers The Avengers

'The Avengers' (2012)

The Avengers was perhaps the most important entry in the MCU, as it combined six different heroes for the first team up adventure in the franchise. There needed to be a significant threat that forced these very different characters to form an alliance with one another, as Loki (Tom Hiddelston) plans to open a portal in New York City that will release the Chitaturi army.

Loki plans to gather the Avengers in hopes of getting them to turn on each other, allowing him to move forward with his plan. What Loki does not account for is that Agent Phil Coulson (Clark Gregg) would end up sacrificing himself, allowing the Avengers to unite in their grief. The actions that Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) took in order to achieve his goal may have been shady, but he was ultimately successful in uniting the “World’s Greatest Heroes.”

NEXT: All MCU Movies from Worst to Best