Multiverse of Madness: The worst plot holes in MCU movies (in random order)

The Marvel Cinematic Universe continues to expand as the number of movies & TV shows added to the unified canon shows no signs of slowing. With so many connections between the Avengers, Iron Man, and the Guardians of the Galaxy, it’s inevitable some of the details from the increasingly complex world order carry inconsistencies and plot holes.

We’re here to spotlight those inconsistencies like the annoying little nitpickers we are. So here they are – the Marvel movie plot holes assembled to order, sure to infuriate any MCU fanboy / girl.

Extremis’s regeneration technology is a one-time wonder

In Iron Man 3, the Extremis technology can regrow limbs and heal human tissue from nearly any injury. However, it appears Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) must’ve then buried the technology in the archives. (Despite it being one of the most useful tools – it saved Pepper Potts, after all!)

In Age of Ultron, Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner) is treated with an experimental tissue regeneration technology that looks nowhere near as efficient as Extremis’s, while in Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Director Phil Coulson (Clark Gregg) can’t use the technology to regrow his arm.

Seems like Tony could’ve looked into this new breakthrough and used it for the good of all mankind. Maybe order JARVIS to do a deep web scientific search next time, Tony.

The Bifrost Bridge

The climax of Thor involves the destruction of the Bifrost Bridge, which prevents the citizens of Asgard from traveling to other worlds. However, in The Avengers Thor just rocks up from the sky with a momentary mention of “dark energy” to explain his return. So why exactly was the loss of the Bifrost Bridge such a big deal again? Kinda makes the ending of Thor obsolete.

Thanos gives up his Infinity Stone

As we know, Thanos (Josh Brolin) is all about the Infinity Stones – like an addict trying to chase the ultimate high, he needs them to achieve the highest power. So when he requires help nabbing the Tesseract (the Space Stone) from Earth, he gives Loki (Tom Hiddleston) a scepter containing the Mind Stone, which actually ends up embedded in Vision’s forehead.

Why did he do that? Surely he’s just doubled his ballache, having to obtain both the Tesseract and the Mind Stone. For an outerspace supervillain, he’s not the sharpest tool in the shed.

The Infinity Gauntlet

What was supposed to just be a fun Easter Egg turned out to create an annoying plot hole for Marvel: one of the treasures in the first Thor movie in the secret vault opened up by Odin is the Infinity Gauntlet, complete with six Infinity Stones.

However, little did the MCU creators realize that this would play such a major role in the recent Avengers: Infinity War. Marvel bigwig Kevin Feige retconned that tidbit into a claim that there are actually two Infinity Gauntlets – a serious copout of an explanation.

Spider-Man: Homecoming screws up the timeline

Get ready for your mind to boggle. An early scene in Spider-Man: Homecoming takes place directly in order after the destruction of New York following the battle that took place in The Avengers. A title card goes on to explain that the events of the film are set eight years later.

However, The Avengers was supposed to take place in 2012, which means Spider-Man: Homecoming is set in 2020. So Homecoming comes after the 2018-set Avengers: Infinity War? To conclude, the timeline doesn’t make any sense and Marvel has some serious ‘splaining to do in its followups.

Doctor Strange timeline

Speaking of screwed up timelines, a rather strange one unfolds in Doctor Strange. Fans have used the film’s details to date it to 2020 but of course this doesn’t make sense with regards to Captain America: The Winter Soldier.

As Digital Spy rightly questions, “If Doctor Strange takes place even one year after 2014, why is the surgeon named as a person of interest in The Winter Soldier, which is also said to take place in 2014?” Riddle us that, Marvel masters!

Iron Man’s apparel issues

In the first Iron Man film, we see Tony Stark and Dr. Ho Yinsen (Shaun Toub) install an electromagnet in his chest that is powered by a car battery. Tony is quick to replace this with a makeshift ARC fusion reaction, providing far more power than the car battery.

So why exactly is it that in Iron Man 3, Tony resorts to recharging the power with a standard car battery? It seems his design has gone full circle and he goes back to basics despite the update we see earlier on in the Iron Man movies. Why downgrade, Starky?

Gamora’s secret

Remember in Guardians of the Galaxy when Nova Corps says Gamora (Zoe Saldana) is the only surviving being from her species, as Thanos destroyed her home planet? Well, if any of you have seen Avengers: Infinity War, you’ll also remember that Thanos reveals Gamora’s home planet is still going strong as he actually only eradicated half of the population. Huh? You kept that one quiet, Gamora!

Black Panther’s blood spill

In Captain America: Civil War, Wakanda is all about Sokovia Accords – King T’Chaka (John Kani) even states, “Our people’s blood is spilled on foreign soil, not only because of the actions of criminals but the indifference of those who pledged to stop them. Victory at the expense of the innocent is no victory at all.” Pretty clear where the heroes stand with these principles, right?

However, in Black Panther T’Challa (Chadwick Boseman) has a beast of a fight in the casino, which overflows into a huge car chase that without a doubt saw some innocent blood spilled. Still, as Screen Daily pointed out, it “would have been a lot less thrilling if Ryan Coogler had been forced to stick to the rules established in Civil War.”