By Brandon T. McClure (@btmcclure @fakenerdpodcast)

The MCU, specifically the Infinity Saga (2008-2019) has meant a great deal to me, as I am sure it has for many people. What first started as a book pitch is now a series of essays of mine that will be (hopefully) published every week. The goal is to pick a specific moment within The Infinity Saga and share with you why I believe it’s a defining moment. To revisit previous posts, visit our site HERE.

Enjoy the ride as we count down from 50 of the most defining moments and share your thoughts in the comments. 

• THE SECRET AVENGERS •

MOMENT# 43

MOVIE: Avengers: Infinity War

DIRECTORS: Joe & Anthony Russo

WRITERS: Christopher Marcus & Stephen McFeely

Some defining moments are insightful and speak to the metatextual way the Marvel Cinematic Universe has informed the audience's relationship with it. Others are just plain cool. At the end of Captain America: Civil War, a rift formed between the Avengers. The heroes who fought with Captain America were labeled fugitives from the law, and while some took a deal to be with their families, others did not. Going into Avengers: Infinity War, the MCU was in a very different place, one that made audiences eager to see how they’ll come together to face the greatest threat they’ve ever known. 

During one of Vision and Wanda’s secret rendezvous, they were attacked by Proxima Midnight and Corvus Glaive, with the goal of retrieving the Mind Stone in Vision’s head. Normally, Vision and Wanda are two of the most powerful Avengers, but this attack put them on the back foot and they found it difficult to recover. When it looked like all was lost, a figure emerged from the shadows to help turn the battle. A now bearded Steve Rogers, with the help of Sam Wilson and Natasha Romanoff, was able to fight the invaders back. The Secret Avengers had turned the tide. In fairness they’re not called that in the film, but it’s fairly clear they’re meant to be a loose adaptation of the group from the comics. 

One thing that became difficult to discern over the years was whether or not these characters had done anything between the events of the films. Very often it felt like the characters of the MCU were stuck in stasis until their next appearance and rarely did it feel like they had lives or adventures between them. Seeing Captain America, The Falcon and Black Widow work so well as a team of three, helped audiences feel like they had been going around the world, being the heroes we knew they had to be. After all, Steve Rogers isn’t the kind of man who would let the government stop him from doing the right thing. 

There’s another reason that makes this moment important: It’s really cool! Avengers: Infinity War had audiences cheering many times over the course of its runtime, but seeing Captain America come out of the shadows with that gorgeous beard and Alan Silvestri’s Avengers theme playing in the background was just one of those special moments people would be talking about for years to come. Even though audiences often gravitated towards the MCU because of their characters, oftentimes we get rewarded with some epic comic book action. Something that makes the MCU very special is how it doesn’t shy away from comic book elements. They always looked for ways to make what seemed impossible to translate from the page, possible. 

Sometimes moments are important, not because of what they imply for a character or a story, but because of how they make you feel. Watching Captain (bearded) America walk out of those shadows certainly was a feeling. More than that, by the time Avengers: Infinity War rolled into theaters, the Marvel Cinematic Universe had begun to feel like a living world. So surely, there had to be adventures in between the major events, right? Luckily everything about the Secret Avengers’ appearance in the film hints at further escapades, from how they fight together, to their clothes and that glorious beard. After this moment, we finally got a sense that they had lives outside the events of the films.