2021 has been a adult twelvemonth for the   Marvel Cinematic Universe - and here are all the big and best winding and reveal over the course of the class . The coronavirus pandemic meant even Marvel Studios sat out 2022 , but they come to 2021 in mode . There ’s a sense in which this was the year theMCU evolved into a transmedia multiverse- withWandaVisionleading to a spate of popular Disney+ idiot box shows that officially tie in directly into the movies themselves .

For all that ’s the example , though , 2021 has n’t really been a class of massive surprisal . Several of those Disney+ TV shows count on villains twists , but in general they were telegraphed well in advance ; the Sharon Carter / Power Broker expose inThe Falcon & the Winter Soldierwas rather too obvious , for model , while the Kingpin ’s appearance inHawkeyewas foreshadowed from the first instalment . Still , even some more obvious reveals have landed in a really satisfying mode - most notably a delicious winding inSpider - Man : No style Home- while there have been some other reveals that took audience by surprisal .

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Given that ’s the case , here are the best reveals of 2021 - the character debut , the plot twists , and the hound turns that will be most memorable . Phase 4 ’s transmedia advance means some of these will be related to the small screen rather than the big screen , and some of them have been celebrate rather more than others .

The Surprise Introduction Of Blade In Eternals

Eternals ' post - credit scene saw Kit Harington’sDane Whitman claim the Ebony Blade , set him up to be transformed into the MCU ’s Black Knight . This was hardly unexpected - as soon as Marvel revealed the name of the quality he was play , it was clear they ’d be take him down that route sooner rather than later . But Dane was interrupted before he could pick up the Ebony Blade , by a mysterious voice warning him he may not be quick for it . This was the surprise MCU voice debut of Mahershala Ali as Blade , an unexpected delight for devotee who ’d been wait forward to learn how the vampire hunter would enter the MCU . What ’s more , Marvel has foretell this was n’t just a random cameo .   " The Ebony Blade , the characteristics of the Ebony Blade are not dissimilar to some level of vampirism , " manufacturer Nate Moore explained , " and we think that ’s an interesting form of thing to play with . So we kind of roll in the hay that was on the board . " It seems the MCU’sBlade and Black Knight will be intimately link , making this of import setup .

The Eternals Learn Earth’s True Fate

The Eternals had believe themselves grinder , champions of humans who had protected Earth from the terror of the Deviants for millennium . ButEternalsrevealed they had been misled ; in the true they were simply pawn of the Celestials , who used them to ensure life-time flourished on worlds that contained a heavenly germ in their nitty-gritty . The seed grew over the millennia , until the nascent Celestial sustenance in the heart of the planet draw off upon the abundant aliveness energy and emerged through the world ’s impudence , destroying it - and committing an act of genocide . This revelation was a shameful one , and it forced the various members of the Eternals to choose a side - would they save humanity by rebelling against their Celestial creators , or would they continue toserve the Celestialsand thus doom the worldly concern ?

Black Widow’s Identity Switch Twist

Black Widow ’s identity swap was one of the most effective bend in the MCU ’s latest undercover agent thriller . Natasha Romanoff ’s mother figure Melina apparently betrayed her surrogate family , devote them over to the Red Room , and the interest grew as the motion picture went on . Then , in a superb wrench , it wrick out both Natasha and Melina were using old SHIELD camouflage masks of the case seen inCaptain America : The Winter Soldier . The Red Room had unwittingly put away Melina , a scientist with the knowledge to get out of their cells , while Natasha Romanoff was confronting the leader of the Red Room itself . It was a tremendously effective twist , one that redefined the third act and localise up the moving picture ’s resolution .

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Xialing’s Heel Turn In Shang-Chi

Marvel typically use their post - credits scene to set up future movies , butShang - Chi & the Legend of the Ten Rings ' post - credits include one of the most efficacious to date - twisting the entire story around by revealingShang - Chi ’s sister Xialingwas a villain all along . Shang - Chi believed she had travel to   Hunan responsibility to shut down their father ’s Ten Rings terrorist organisation , but in reality she ’d taken them over . This remind viewers to look back through the film and recognize elusive guidepost that repoint to the heel turn throughout , include a Red Skull Easter egg at her Golden Daggers agitate club .

Matt Murdock in Spider-Man: No Way Home

For month there had been rumors Charlie Cox would be reprising the role of Matt Murdock , the blind attorney who on the Q.T. suit up as Daredevil , inSpider - Man : No Way Home . These rumor prove correct , with Murdock hired as Peter Parker ’s attorney - and even demonstrating his superhuman ability in one memorable scene . It was only a brief cameo , but it worked - in magnanimous part because of careful timing ,   because Daredevil ’s nemesis Kingpin had made the jump from Marvel Netflix into the mainstream MCU just 24-hour interval earlier beforeNo Way Home ’s release , inHawkeyeepisode 5 . Marvel seemed to deliberately avoid any obvious indication as to whether these are the same lineament from Marvel Netflix , or whether they ’ve been boot , butdetails in the Kingpin designsuggest the former .

WandaVision’s “It Was Agatha All Along”

Most viewers had figured out Kathryn Hahn ’s Agnes was a villain inWandaVision , and indeed many had even speculated she was secretly sorceress Agatha Harkness , a powerful beldam in the funnies . But when Marvel finally revealed the truth , they did so in a wonderful montage that play with the stylus of the entire series - and featured an unforgettable Sung dynasty , " It Was Agatha All Along . " This showed how the persona had charm some of the most bizarre second inWandaVision , and built to a orgasm in which she delightedly told viewers , " And I defeat Sparky too . " This was well one of the MCU ’s most fashionable reveals in 2021 , and the birdcall acquire anEmmy for Outstanding Original Music .

The Introduction Of He Who Remains In Loki

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Spider-Man: No Way Home’s Spider-Men

But first place has to go toSpider - Man : No Way Home ’s thrilling use of the multiverse - bringing together three adaptation of Spider - Man , with Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield reprising their theatrical role alongsideTom Holland . Maguire and Garfield ’s bearing in the pic was one of the worst - kept secrets in the history of Hollywood , but it was manage utterly , with the script lay the three Spider - Men as dissimilar visions of the hero sandwich - Tom Holland as the rookie , Andrew Garfield as the hero who ’s make up a fearful price , and Tobey Maguire as the seasoned superhero .   Even more remarkable , Spider - Man : No Way Homedidn’t just utilize Maguire and Garfield for devotee - service , but rather made them essential characters , even give them their own arc . It was easily the most satisfying reveal in the MCU in 2021 .

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In a dusty landscape Finn stares out into the distance in Star Wars: The Force Awakens

Josh Hartnett looking shocked in Fight or Flight

Marvel Reveals 2021 Spider-Man Agatha Harkness Xialing

blade actor mahershala ali and eternals black knight kit harington

Sersi stands on the beach in Eternals

Rachel Weisz as Melina Vostokoff in Black Widow.

Xialing as the Ten Rings new leader in Shang-Chi’s post-credit scene

Charlie Cox as Matt Murdock and Daredevil

Agatha with a potted plant in agatha all along song

He Who Remains tossing apple in Loki

Spider-Man No Way Home Tom Holland Tobey Maguire Andrew Garfield SR