Marvel maniacs wince at the mere mention of the franchise’s most brutal moments

via Marvel Studios

The Marvel Cinematic Universe may have been a staunchly PG-13 operation since its inception 14 years ago, but the franchise has been known to push the boundaries of what you can get away with while still appealing to a broad, family-driven audience.

While the roster of Netflix shows reveled in the brutality afforded to them by a TV-MA rating, the mainline MCU hasn’t exactly been shying away from gruesome and grisly moments. Redditors have been digging deep through the back catalogue to put themselves through the emotional wringer once again, with those of a stronger disposition naming what they believe to be the most hardcore moments to emerge from Kevin Feige’s mythology to date.

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Naturally, Scarlet Witch tearing Charles Xavier’s head off and imploding Black Bolt’s head from the inside out in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness don’t take too long to come along and dominate the discourse, while Thanos mercilessly squeezing the life out of Loki at the very beginning of Infinity War is also near the top of the list for many fans.

It may not be violent, but Hulk dabbing in Endgame has proven to be particularly offensive (and therefore brutal) among certain supporters, and John Walker going berserk to cave some poor Flag Smasher’s head in with his iconic shield live on television is deservedly up there, too.

The deeper you dive in, the more apparent it becomes that the MCU has regularly belied its uniformly PG-13 approach to sneak in more than its fair share of wince-inducing deaths, and not to sound too morbid, but long may it continue.