Warning! This post contains SPOILERS for Captain America: Brave New WorldThere’s a good handful of real-life landmarks that have been destroyed by theAvengers. Since the origins of theMCUin 2008, collateral damage has always been an occupational hazard for saving the world. As such, some well-known monuments and real-life locations have often paid the price.
Serving as a big reason why theSokovia Accords were signed by the United Nations, a collection of superpowered encounters in the MCU have resulted in some pretty significant collateral damage. While many of these battles have taken place in fictitious locations and buildings like Stark/Avengers Tower, there have been plenty of real-life sites that have been damaged over the last 17 years as well.Keeping that in mind, here are some of the biggest real-life landmarks and locations that have been destroyed or damaged in the MCU.
8Grand Central Station
The Avengers
2012’sAvengersfeatures one of the biggest MCU battles with the most collateral damage. Ultimately, the newly assembled Avengers did their best to keep theBattle of New Yorkand the invading Chitauri forces centralized around Stark Tower.However, there is a moment where Thor and Hulk take down one of the monstrous alien leviathans and send it crashing down into the neighboring Grand Central Station.
7The Potomac River
Captain America: The Winter Soldier
Coming from underwater bays in the Potomac river next to the fictitious former SHIELD headquarters known as the Triskelion, three brand-new helicarriers were sent up to eliminate all of Hydra’s enemies in 2014’sCaptain America: The Winter Soldier. Thanks to Steve Rogers and his allies, all three helicarriers were instead made to fire on each other.The wreckage from all three crafts crashed down to litter the Potomac below, and footage of the damage was used duringCaptain America: Civil War, supporting calls for the Sokovia Accords and greater oversight over enhanced individuals like the Avengers.
6Vienna International Centre
Captain America: Civil War
During the meeting of various world leaders tosign and ratify the Sokovia Accords inCaptain America: Civil War,Helmet Zemo bombed the Vienna International Centre in Austria as a means of framing Bucky Barnes. As such, the resulting explosion in the MCU killed 12 people in the building, including King T’Chaka of Wakanda. In real life, the VIC and its impressive architecture is indeed used by the United Nations for various summits and gatherings.
5Washington Monument
Spider-Man: Homecoming/Captain America: Brave New World
During a field trip with his decathlon team in 2017’sSpider-Man: Homecoming,an unstable Chitauri core Ned Leeds was holding for Peter Parker exploded during a tour at the Washington Monument, resulting in major cracks at the top of the structure’s exterior and its elevator. Thankfully, Spider-Man was able to climb to the top and save his classmates before the elevator completely broke. Likewise, 2025’sCaptain America: Brave New WorldsawThunderbolts Ross' Red Hulkdamaging the top of the monument yet again while chasing Sam Wison’s Captain America from the White House. Apparently, the iconic structure just can’t catch a break in the MCU.
4Tower Bridge in London
Spider-Man: Far From Home
In 2019’sSpider-Man: Far From Home,Peter Parker’s final confrontation with Mysterio takes place at the Tower Bridge in London. Not to be confused with the London Bridge, the Tower Bridge was where Mysterio intended to fully cement himself as an Avenger-level hero, using his legions of drones and illusion tech to make it seem like he was fighting a massive elemental monster. That said, the real-life London landmark still sustained significant damage during the resulting battle with Spider-Man.
3Statue of Liberty
Spider-Man: No Way Home
Spider-Man definitely holds the record for having caused the most damage to landmarks in the MCU. In 2021’sSpider-Man: No Way Home,Tom Holland’s Spider-Man and his fellow variants played by Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield had their final confrontation with all their villains at the Statue of Liberty. Covered with scaffolding as New York City had intended to replace Lady Liberty’s torch with her own Captain America shield, the resulting battle saw the scaffolding and shield being knocked off.
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Additionally, there is a shot of the cosmic beingGalactus standing next to the Statue of Liberty in the first trailer forFantastic Four: First Steps. While just conjecture, perhaps the gigantic World Devourer may destroy this alternate reality’s version of Lady Liberty when the movie releases later this year in 2025.
2White House
Captain America: Brave New World
In 2025’sCaptain America: Brave New World,President Ross transforms into the Red Hulk for the first time outside the White House. This was the result of secret gamma radiation in the bloodstream thanks to the manipulations ofSamuel Sterns aka The Leader. As such, The White House becomes the first casualty in the Red Hulk’s rampage as Sam Wilson’s Captain America tries to keep the monstrous red rage monster away from civilians.
1Hains Point Park
Leading the Red Hulk away from the White House inBrave New World,Sam Wilson brings Ross to Hains Point past the Washington Monument, hoping that the cherry blossoms will help Ross calm downand remind him of the man he wants to be, calling back to the past when he would walk through this park with his daughter Betty. In real life, the cherry blossoms were a gift to the US from Japan in 1912, and as such it’s rather unfortunate to see so many of them destroyed as a result ofCaptain America and Red Hulk’s showdown in the MCU.
Captain America: Brave New Worldis now playing in theaters from Marvel Studios.
