5. “Don’t Be A D*ck.”
Ant-Man And The Wasp: Quantumania (2023)
2023 saw a number of cringe-worthy MCU moments, and Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania certainly offered up its fair share. After finding themselves trapped in the Quantum Realm, Scott and Cassie Lang, Hank Pym, and Janet and Hope Van Dyne are all forced to contend with Kang the Conqueror, who seeks to escape his imprisonment there. They also encounter MODOK, who for the MCU was rewritten as a deformed version of Darren Cross who was sent to the Quantum Realm by his malfunctioning Yellowjacket suit. Having spent much of the movie acting as a secondary antagonist, he comes face to face with Cassie Lang in the film’s final act.
After a brief scuffle, Darren and Cassie have a heart to heart, resulting in Ant-Man’s daughter imparting some unique wisdom on the villain. In an attempt to help him reform himself, Cassie suggests to Darren: “don’t be a d*ck.” The moment comes off as remarkably childish, and is made even sillier when the villain takes it seriously and uses the advice as a transformative piece of guidance. It’s every bit as groan-inducing as it sounds.