The Marvel movies are some of the most quotable films in popular culture. As well as being carefully crafted by expert writers, almost everyone has seen them, so people just get the extra layers of meaning that come along when you utter the words.
Need to brush up on your Marvel quotes? You’ll find 50 of the best Marvel quotes below (plus an explanation about their context).
There are short quotes, funny quotes, inspirational quotes, quotes about love, and quotes that just stole the scene (and maybe even the film).
Warning! There are plenty of spoilers in the text below if you haven’t seen all the films.
Funny Marvel Quotes
1. “I told you; I don’t want to join your super-secret boy band.” – Tony Stark, Iron Man 2
In Iron Man 2, Tony Stark seems to be convinced that he can save the world on his own, and he has no interest in joining Nick Fury at S.H.I.E.L.D. as part of a team of heroes.
When Nick Fury, with the help of Natasha Romanoff (Black Widow), continues to pursue him, he reminds them that he is not interested with this classic line.
2. “I don’t know if you’ve been in a fight before, but there’s usually not this much talking.” – Sam Wilson, Captain America: Civil War
Peter Parker first joins the Avengers when they are battling one another over the Sokovia accords.
He is recruited by Tony Stark, and finds himself battling against Sam Wilson, the Falcon, who has sided with Captain America. Spiderman is known for his banter during a fight, and Wilson points out this is not normal.
3. “You shouldn’t have killed my mom and squished my Walkman.” – Peter Quill, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2
When Peter Quill, Star Lord, finally meets his father, the planetary god Ego, he is very excited. But he soon learns that Ego exploited his mother to try and create offspring for his own nefarious purposes.
Not wanting to deal with her, Ego plants cancer in her head and kills her.
This is a sad and serious revelation, but when Quill finally confronts his father, his emotional response gains a laugh since he complains that his father not only killed his mother but also smashed his Walkman, one of the last things he had to remember her.
4. “We know each other. He’s a friend from work.” – Thor, Thor: Ragnarok
When Thor is trying to get home to save Asgard from Hela, he accidentally finds himself on Sakaar, where he is forced to fight as a gladiator.
Put in the ring for the first time, he is pleasantly surprised when his opponent is none other than his fellow Avenger, the Hulk.
He is assuming that they can team up and escape, but the Hulk has other things in mind. This line was actually suggested by a child who was visiting the set!
5. “You look great Cap. As far as I’m concerned, that’s America’s ass.” – Scott Lang, Avengers: Endgame
Traveling back in time gave Tony Stark an opportunity to make a disparaging comment about how Captain America’s ass looked in his old super-suit.
But Scott Lang, Ant Man, disagreed. He reassured Cap that his ass looked great. When Cap had the opportunity to see for himself, he agreed with Lang.
6. “I’m made of rocks, as you can see, but don’t let that intimidate you. You don’t need to be afraid, unless you’re made of scissors! Just a little rock-paper-scissors joke for you.” – Korg, Thor: Ragnarok
One of the best new characters introduced in Thor: Ragnarok is Korg. Made from rocks, he is a leader among the gladiators of Sakaar.
He takes it upon himself to introduce Thor and make him feel welcome and is usually planning a petition or a demonstration (there’s one in every office). His character is enhanced by the Kiwi accent provided by Taika Waititi.
7. “Are you seriously telling me that your plan to save the universe is based on “Back to the Future”?” – Tony Stark, Avengers: Endgame
We all got excited when Ant Man came up with a plan to potentially restore the 50% of people disappeared by the snap. And time travel is always a fun trope!
But we soon learn that everything Scott Lang thinks he knows about time travel is based on Back to the Future. But is that not true for most people?
Short Quotes
8. “Avengers, assemble.” – Steve Rogers, Avengers: Endgame
One of the alternative names for the first Avengers film is Avenger: Assemble, reflecting the fact that the individual heroes are coming together.
In the final Avengers film, we get to see that everything has come full circle when Captain America uses the iconic two words to point out that they are all in this fight together.
9. “Hulk smash!” – Bruce Banner, The Incredible Hulk
The Hulk has a much more limited vocabulary than his alter-ego Bruce Banner. So, when the Hulk is in the mood to smash things, he will often just say these two words and get on with things.
But we get to hear Captain America say them as well in Avengers as they are hatching their plan to save the world.
10. “We have a Hulk.” – Tony Stark, Avengers
Tony Stark finds himself in his home with Loki and has engaged him in conversation as a distraction.
Loki is busy bragging about the fact that he has an intergalactic army, but Stark is having none of it. The Avengers also have their own secret weapon.
11. “Puny god.” – Hulk, Avengers
It is hard to count the number of times that Loki reminds everyone that he is a god in the first Avengers film.
So, when Hulk finally deals with him with ease, this little line points out that his godly status doesn’t seem to have helped him.
12. “I am Groot.” – Groot, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 1
Groot is from the species Flora Colossus. His native language is pretty much impossible for others to understand.
It sounds to everyone else like they are just saying, “I am Groot”. This is fun as we get to infer what the character is saying based on the reactions of the people around him.
13. “Teach Me.” – Stephen Strange, Doctor Strange
Stephen Strange has an enormous ego and doesn’t believe in powers he can’t see and touch until his eyes are opened by the Ancient One.
He immediately becomes hungry for this power and demands that she share it with him. This is a moment of transformation in the film. Almost as good as this line is her simple response, “no”.
14. “I can do this all day.” – Steve Rogers, Captain America: The First Avenger
When Captain America can see that his opponents think they have him on the ropes, he likes to point out that things aren’t even close to over.
He says this in the first Captain America film, and in most of the other films in which he appears.
When he encounters his past self in Avengers: Endgame, even he is frustrated by how often he says this.
15. “Language.” – Steve Rogers, Avengers: Age of Ultron
An old-fashioned man with old fashion values, Captain America doesn’t like profanity.
When Iron Man uses a little while the Avengers are heading into battle, Cap can’t help but reprimand him, immediately regretting it since he won’t be hearing the end of this from the rest of the team.
16. “That’s my secret, Captain. I’m always angry.” – Bruce Banner, Avengers: Endgame
For much of the first Avengers movie, Tony Stark and the others are trying to figure out just how the Hulk ticks, while Bruce Banner warns them that they don’t want to see the Hulk in action.
Everyone assumes that rage fuels the Hulk and that Banner must have a secret to keep it under control. But Banner reveals to Cap that the reality is quite different.
17. “I have nothing to prove to you.” – Carol Danvers, Captain Marvel
Yon-Rogg was Danvers’ mentor for many years, but he was exploiting her for the power that she had absorbed.
He tries to get the upper hand by using this relationship dynamic to influence her.
While this may have worked at the beginning of the movie, she has grown a lot, and Captain Marvel realizes that she no longer needs to prove herself to this man or anyone else.
18. “I didn’t do it for him.” – Loki, Thor: The Dark World
It looks like Loki has sacrificed himself to save Asgard and the universe, and Thor is touched by this action.
He promises Loki that he will tell their father Odin about this deed to help mend the rift between them posthumously.
But Loki reveals that his actions had nothing to do with wanting to win his father’s support. The moment is touching, but a little less so when we later discover that Loki faked his own death.
19. “You have no idea how reasonable I’ve been.” – Wanda, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness
It was a shocking turn for many when Wanda Maximoff, the Scarlet Witch, turned out to be the villain of the multiverse.
Broken by the loss of Vision and her loneliness, she is willing to do whatever it takes to get the life that she deserves.
She is accused of being a villain, but she points out that she has sacrificed a lot and that she has walked lightly up to this point.
20. “Such a poser.” – Yelena, Black Widow
When Natasha and Yelena, who pretended to be sisters when they were child agents, are finally reunited, Yelena has been watching her big sister on TV.
She noticed that as an Avenger, Natasha is often striking heroic fighting poses. Naturally, she must be teased!
21. “I am inevitable.” – Thanos, Avengers: Endgame
In Avengers: Endgame, Thanos knows that he has already succeeded with his plan once, thanks to the time-traveling Avengers, and believes he will succeed again.
As he is about to perform the snap again, he says what he believes.
Inspirational Quotes
22. “Don’t waste it. Don’t waste your life.” – Ho Yinsen, Iron Man
Scientist Ho Yinsen helps Tony Stark make his first iron suit and then sacrifices himself to buy Tony the time he needs to escape.
Naturally, Stark is devastated, but Yinsen has already lost his family.
He has also seen something in Stark and believes that he can help make the world a better place. He tells him that to use the gift that he has received wisely.
23. “No amount of money ever bought a second of time.” – Tony Stark, Avengers: Endgame
When Captain America comes to Tony Stark with the idea of time travel to save the universe, Stark is unconvinced.
He believes that you don’t get do-overs and that you need to look forward rather than focus on “what if”.
24. “But a thing isn’t beautiful because it lasts. It’s a privilege to be among them.” – Vision, Avengers: Age of Ultron
Ultron decides that human beings are a bit of a plague and that they should be destroyed.
But Vision, who has a much deeper understanding of humanity, tells Ultron that he thinks they have misjudged things.
He agrees that mankind will probably destroy themselves, but that does not mean that they are not a thing of beauty and value.
25. “What would be the point of all the pain and sacrifice if I wasn’t willing to stand up and keep fighting?” – Sam Wilson, Falcon and the Winter Soldier
Very often, heroes are given the option to take the easy way out, save themselves, and give up the responsibility that they have taken on.
But most heroes are forged in pain and suffering. What was that all for if they just turned their back on their calling?
26. “I would rather be a good man than a great king.” – Thor, Thor: The Dark World
In the first Thor movie, Thor is desperate to take up the mantle of king of Asgard. But his experiences on Earth make him realize that he is not ready and that he might not be able to make the required sacrifices.
He tells his father that he doesn’t want it anymore. Or at least that is what he thinks.
Odin is actually Loki in disguise, who is happy to hold onto power in Asgard for himself.
27. “You wanna get to him, you go through us! Or more accurately… we go through you!” – Rocket Raccoon, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 1
Rocket Racoon may seem like a ruthless mercenary and thief, but we soon realize that he has a heart.
He takes Quill under his wing in prison and tells the other prisoners that Quill is under his protection.
This is a moment of opportunism, but a genuine bond is formed over the course of the film.
28. “This is your chance. To earn that look in your daughter’s eyes. To become the hero that she already thinks you are. It’s not about saving our world, it’s about saving theirs.” – Hank Pym, Ant Man
Scott Lang is an adventurer, but he is not sure if he has what it takes to become a hero.
Hank Pym helps him find it by pointing out that you don’t risk your life for yourself, you do it for the people who matter most to you.
29. “It’s not about how much we lost. It’s about how much we have left.” – Tony Stark, Avengers: Endgame
In Avengers: Endgame, Tony Stark feels like the only Avenger who has resigned himself to living in a world after the snap and who isn’t willing to try and sacrifice everything to change the past.
While this quote might seem like he has given up, it is also a true statement that we have to move forward in life.
30. “Part of the journey is the end.” – Tony Stark, Avengers: Endgame
In Avengers: Endgame, Stark knows that they are putting everything on the line and that the chances of survival are relatively slim.
He pre-records a message for his loved ones. He knows that all things come to an end.
This is a throwback to the first Avengers movie when Captain America tells Tony that he thinks he can always outwit situations, but sometimes you have to make the ultimate sacrifice.
Stark isn’t willing to accept that at the time, but now he is.
Advice Quotes
31. “The hardest choices require the strongest wills.” – Thanos, Avengers: Infinity War
Thanos doesn’t exactly seem like a font of good advice, but he’s not wrong that making hard decisions sometimes requires some emotional detachment and sticking to your belief in what is best, even when others are telling you that you are wrong.
32. “We never lose our demons, Mordo. We only learn to live above them.” – The Ancient One, Doctor Strange
Mordo is scarred by the loss of his family, and he is willing to destroy the world to spend eternity with them.
The Ancient One acknowledges the depth of his wound, but not that it is a justification for his actions.
She doesn’t agree that things get easier with time but that we learn to live with our pain.
33. “I cannot control your fear, I can only control mine.” – Wanda, Captain America: Civil War
In this film, Vision tries to keep Wanda sheltered as he worries that the common people will fear her due to her power.
At first, Wanda understands this, as she is herself afraid of her power and the destruction that it has caused.
But she is learning to live with this and realizes that she can’t let what other people think of her hold her back.
34. “Compromise where you can. Where you can’t, don’t. Even if everyone is telling you that something wrong is something right.” – Sharon Carter, Captain America: Civil War
After the events of Sokovia, Captain America and the other Avengers are under a lot of pressure to submit to government monitoring.
But Cap’s experience with government oversight from the likes of H.Y.D.R.A. has made him unwilling to let these agencies make the big decisions on his behalf.
He is thinking of giving in for the sake of peace until he hears these words attributed to Peggy Carter by her niece at her funeral.
35. “No man can win every battle, but no man should fall without a struggle.” – Peter Parker, Spider-Man: Homecoming
Villains love telling heroes that they can’t win and should just give up.
With this line, Spiderman recognizes that while he may not win, he can’t stop fighting because that would mean abandoning hope, and then everything really would be lost.
36. “I choose to run towards my problems, and not away from them. Because that’s what heroes do.” – Thor, Thor: Ragnarok
When Thor encounters Valkyrie in Sakaar, he wants her to come to Asgard with him and help him defeat Hela.
But she lost everything to Hela and prefers to hide and try and forget; she suggests that Thor do the same.
But our hero can’t do this, he has to follow his heart and do what is right, even when it seems hopeless.
37. “Everyone fails at who they are supposed to be Thor. The measure of a person, of a hero… is how well they succeed at being who they are.” – Frigga, Avengers: Endgame
Thor lost his mother in Thor: The Dark World, but time traveling in Avenger: Endgame lets him see her again.
He is able to confide in her that he has not lived up to the hero that he was meant to be.
But she reassures him that he is exactly who he is meant to be and that he just needs to embrace that.
38. “It’s not enough to be against something, you can be for something better.” – Tony Stark, Captain America: Civil War
Captain America doesn’t understand why Iron Man is willing to sign up for government oversight.
He tries to explain that he is trying to make the world safer and more just, proactively supporting something rather than just reacting to bad things when they happen.
39. “Even when you had two eyes, you’d see only half the picture.” – Odin, Thor: Ragnarok
When Thor is deep in battle with Hela and has lost an eye, he sees a vision of his father Odin.
He tells him that he can’t win, but Odin tells him that his vision is limited and he still has options. Asgard is not a place, it’s a people.
40. “I think we must learn from our mistakes and do better. You must not give up hope.” – Karun, Eternals
This is such a simple line, but says so much. Everyone makes mistakes, that is not a crime.
The true crime is not to learn from them and grow.
41. “Vengeance has consumed you. It’s consuming them. I’m done letting it consume me.” – T’Challa, Captain America: Civil War
Civil War is a lot about vengeance. T’Challa, Black Panther, wants vengeance on the Winter Solider (Bucky Barnes), assuming that he killed his father.
While this turns out not to be true, Barnes did kill Tony Stark’s parents under H.Y.D.R.A. manipulation, and Iron Man’s heart turns to vengeance as well.
This drives a wedge between Stark and Captain America, who defends his friends. But T’Challa realizes that vengeance achieves nothing and only consumes that person who can’t let go.
Love Quotes
42. “He may be your father, boy, but he wasn’t your daddy.” – Yondu, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2
Peter Quill’s Star Lord was excited to meet his father and finally have a family, but Ego turned out to be more than a disappointment.
But he realizes that he never was alone, and he always had people around him that cared about him.
43. “I love you 3000.” – Tony Stark, Avengers: Endgame
As a game, Tony Stark and his daughter Morgan like to assign values to their love, so he can jokingly tell his wife Pepper that Morgan loves him more.
3000 is their maximum number. When he records his pre-death message, he remembers to use his daughter’s own words to tell her how much he loves her.
44. “I love you in every universe.” – Stephen Strange, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness
Stephen Strange’s enormous ego means that he often struggles to tell Christine how he feels about her.
He finally manages to at the end of the film, pointing out that while other things might change in the multiverse, his feelings for her don’t.
45. “Because I have something worth fighting for.” – Thor, Thor, Love, and Thunder
When Gorr takes on Thor, he realizes that he is not selfish like the many other gods he has battled and killed.
Thor tells him that this is because he does not fight for himself but for the people he cares about.
46. “You seek love. It’s all any of us wants.” – Thor, Thor, Love, and Thunder
While Gorr has committed atrocities on his crusade to avenge himself against the gods, Thor recognizes that his actions actually come from a place of love for the daughter that he has lost.
47. “What did it cost? Everything.” – Gamora and Thanos, Avengers: Infinity War
Thanos is portrayed as heartless and ruthless, and he is ruthless enough to sacrifice Gamora to obtain the Soul Infinity Stone.
But with this simple response to Gamora’s question, he shows just how much he cares about her. Otherwise, the sacrifice would not bear fruit.
48. “Let me go. It’s okay.” – Black Widow, Avengers: Endgame
Both Black Widow and Hawkeye are willing to sacrifice themselves to get the Soul Infinity Stone and save the world. But this sacrifice is to save each other.
This line shows how willing Natasha is to sacrifice herself for the people she cares about.
49. “It’s alright, you could never hurt me. I just feel you.” – Vision, Avengers: Infinity War
In order to prevent Thanos from getting the Mind Stone that is part of Vision, it must be destroyed, which will kill Vision.
Only his love, Wanda, has the power to do it. Naturally, she does not want to, but he reassures her that this is the best way.
He won’t feel pain, just her love.
50. “Love is a dagger. It’s a weapon to be wielded far away or up close. You can see yourself in it. It’s beautiful until it makes you bleed.” – Loki, Loki
Loki is basically telling us that love is pain, because to care for someone is to make yourself vulnerable, to let them hurt you, and to feel their pain as your own.
But despite the pain, we reach for it anyway.
Bonus Scene Stealing Quotes
Tony Stark, Avengers
“There’s no throne, there is no version of this where you come out on top. Maybe your army comes and maybe it’s too much for us, but it’s all on you. Because if we can’t protect the Earth, you can be damned well sure we’ll avenge it.“
During the final confrontation, Tony Stark points out to Loki that while the Earth might lose, that doesn’t mean that Loki will win.
Steve Rogers, Captain America: The First Avenger
“I’m going to need a rain check on that dance.“
When Steve Rogers says this to Peggy, we realize that he knows that he is going to die, and he is telling her that. It is a heart-wrenching moment.
Steve Rogers, Captain America: Civil War
“We try to save as many people as we can. Sometimes that doesn’t mean everybody, but if we can’t find a way to live with that, next time maybe nobody gets saved.“
Wanda is devastated when she accidentally kills innocent people while trying to stop bad guys.
Captain America tells her that perfection doesn’t exist and that they just have to do the best that they can.
Steve Rogers, Captain America: The Winter Soldier
“The price of freedom is high, it always has been. And it’s a price I’m willing to pay. And if I’m the only one, then so be it. But I’m willing to bet I’m not.“
Alone in S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters and surrounded by H.Y.D.R.A. agents, Captain America speaks on the loudspeaker and appeals to everyone in the building who is not H.Y.D.R.A. to help him.
Peter Quill, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 1
“You think life takes more than it gives, but not today. It’s giving us something. It’s giving us a chance.“
At this point in the film, the Guardians feel like they have been ground down by life because they have lost so much.
But they still have a chance to make a difference in the world, even if it costs them the only thing they have left.
Tony Stark, Spider-Man: Homecoming
“If you’re nothing without this suit, then you shouldn’t have it.“
After Peter Parker defies Iron Man’s orders and takes his super-suit and almost gets a bunch of people killed, Stark demands the suit back.
Peter says that he is nothing without the suit. Stark’s harsh response is to help him realize that is not true.
Stephen Strange, Avengers: Infinity War
“We’re in the endgame now.“
We were all shocked in Infinity War when Doctor Strange willingly have Thanos the Time Stone. But he had seen various potential outcomes, and this was a step along the way to one of the only positive ones.
He can’t tell Iron Man this, as this will change the outcome of events. But he nods to it by referencing the name of the next film.
Peter Parker, Avengers: Infinity War
“I don’t want to go.“
50% of all living creatures were wiped out in the snap, it was devastating to see so many of the characters that we care about disappear.
Perhaps the hardest was Spiderman, whose Spidey-senses alerted him that something was happening.