I didn’t quite realize how much I missed going to the movies until one Monday night in July, when my friend and I visited our local AMC for the first time in over a year and a half.
Why? To see the much-delayed premiere of Marvel’s Black Widow, of course.
Black Widow was funny, action-packed, and charged with the same emotional depth we have come to expect from MCU films. Well worth the wait. So, in celebration of the gradual return of big-screen releases, I decided it would be fun to come up with my own definitive ranking of every single Marvel movie up to this point. What I didn’t realize was that it would take me more than two months to finish. (Oops.)
Here’s how this works: for the sake of simplicity, I chose not to include any of the MCU television series in my list. (Even though they’re amazing in their own right.) Instead, I’ve ranked all 23 MCU feature films prior to Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021). (Separate review for that one coming soon!). I excluded The Incredible Hulk (2008) because it stars Edward Norton instead of Mark Ruffalo, the canonical Bruce Banner. All 23 movies are ranked worst to best, and each entry is followed by justifications of varying length. Feel free to roast me for my opinions if you wish.
Let’s begin, shall we? (You might want to sit down if you’re not already. This is a long one.)
22. Thor: The Dark World (2013)
I don’t love Rotten Tomatoes, but we agree on this one thing. Thor: The Dark World boasts both the lowest Rotten Tomatoes score of all the MCU films and last place in my personal ranking. Natalie Portman’s Jane Foster continues to serve as Thor’s bland, hapless love interest. The movie is angsty, the conflict centers around one of the MCU’s most forgettable villains, and the film’s emotional moments can’t quite buoy a plot bogged down in exposition.
That’s not to say that The Dark World doesn’t have its moments. Thor and Loki content is always iconic, for example. It also says something about the overall quality of the MCU films that the worst one weighs in at a 66% on Rotten Tomatoes. Overall, The Dark World isn’t THAT bad. But in a universe of out-of-this-world spectacles, it’s nothing special either.
21. Thor (2011)
Thor just… wasn’t that interesting of a movie. I watched it once, I absorbed all the universe-building information it had to offer, and I don’t feel particularly inclined to ever watch it again.
Why? I’ve always found Jane to be a singularly unappealing love interest, first of all. But more importantly, the Thor we get in this movie isn’t nearly as vibrant and interesting as his later incarnations. Although he retains his characteristic humor, Chris Hemsworth’s delivery feels stiff and performative in this movie. This reflects comments Hemsworth made in interviews tied to Thor’s appearances in several early MCU films. He couldn’t quite connect with director Kenneth Branagh’s (quite honestly boring) vision for the character, and it shows.
20. Captain Marvel (2019)
In theory, this was the perfect superhero blockbuster. Strong female protagonist, 90’s setting, shape-shifting aliens and secret government agencies… But in reality? Well, as Thanos so aptly points out, “reality is often disappointing.” (Can’t stop won’t stop with the random Thanos quotes. They’re too great NOT to use.)
Brie Larson isn’t my favorite actress ever. She excels at playing badass female characters, but they tend to lack emotional depth.
I also found the first portion of the movie disorienting. The plot immediately dumps audiences in the middle of an unfamiliar galactic genocide. And when the film’s scope narrows, it centers around a woman with severe memory loss. As you can imagine, viewers are left to stew in their confusion for an excessively long time.
What this movie did get right was its feminist message, the relationship between Carol and Maria, and the inclusion of young Nick Fury, Chewie the cat, and a generous dusting of 90’s nostalgia. (Captain Marvel initially crash lands on Earth in the middle of a Los Angeles Blockbuster.)
19. Ant-Man (2015)
Weirdly, this was actually the first MCU film I ever watched. I was never super into comics or superhero movies growing up, so blockbusters like Iron Man and The Avengers weren’t on my radar for a long time. I only saw Ant-Man because my swim team was in Clovis, California (aka: the hottest pits of hell) for Summer Senior Champs. It was 106 degrees one afternoon and no one qualified for finals. So my coach probably figured, what better way to entertain 20 overheated high school kids for 3 hours in an air-conditioned space than with a Marvel movie?
Even knowing absolutely nothing about the MCU, I thought the movie was fine. While I found the concept of a size-changing, insect-themed hero a little strange, the film stood on its own well enough to provide constant entertainment. The banter was funny, and Paul Rudd offered a fantastic performance as the film’s title character. Incessant enthusing of my high school friends notwithstanding, Ant-Man proved appealing enough to fuel my previously-mentioned finals week foray into the MCU’s big kahuna films six months later.
18. Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)
I was really, REALLY skeptical about this movie. I mean, a human, a raccoon, a tree, and a few alien criminals reluctantly tag-teaming to save the universe? Sounds bizarre at best and chaotically unappealing at worst.
But as it turned out, this seemingly ridiculous premise proved as entertaining as it was unusual. After all, it’s a rare movie that culminates in a dance battle that’s both plausible and charged with the same high stakes as a violent confrontation. Beyond that, Guardians of the Galaxy sports amazing visual effects, a soundtrack crammed with 1970’s hits, and constant hilarity. What’s not to like?
17. Iron Man 2 (2010)
I still enjoyed this movie, but Iron Man 2 is a textbook example of a sequel that doesn’t quite live up to the original.
The good: compelling and believable character development for Tony. This comes through particularly strongly during scenes that dwell on the consequences of Tony’s many flaws and Tony’s postmortem reconciliation with his dad. We also got a Nick Fury/SHIELD teaser and our first introduction to Scarlett Johansson as Natasha Romanov and Don Cheadle as Colonel Rhodes.
The less-great: Whiplash was a pretty boring caricature of a comic book villain, and Justin Hammer (the real antagonist) came across as little more than a Tony Stark who didn’t care about morals or intellectual property laws.
16. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017)
While just as whimsical and irreverent as the first installment, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 managed to strike a slightly better balance of humor and emotional drama. Families both chosen and biological drive the plot of this movie, which involves two estranged siblings and one lethally deceitful parent. (I just want to say that I LOVE Yondu’s redemption arc, but I won’t spoil it.)
The main issue here was the film’s slow first half, useless plot fluff, and some seriously flat jokes.
15. Doctor Strange (2016)
Benedict Cumberbatch and Mads Mikkelsen are always great, and the cinematography of this movie’s first ten minutes alone is stunning enough to steal your breath away. But Doctor Strange just doesn’t pack the same punch as the first 14 movies on this list.
While the movie won Marvel Studios an Oscar for Best Visual Effects and introduced a vital character for the events of Infinity War and Endgame, it didn’t really bring anything new to the table. Steven Strange follows the heroic origin story paradigm to the letter. He loses his livelihood and identity in a tragic accident, discovers a new ability, and sets out to reinvent himself while defeating evil. Bottom line: this movie is masterfully done, but ultimately unoriginal.
(Although this scene is fantastic!)
14. Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015)
What would you be willing to sacrifice to guarantee the safety of the people you love?
After flying a nuclear missile through a wormhole and confronting the reality of hostile alien races in the first Avengers movie, Tony Stark answers that question by doing what he does best: building a robotic defense system. Predictably, this doesn’t end well. Although if you’ve seen Infinity War, you can argue that Tony’s fears were far from unfounded.
The freedom vs security debate doesn’t end with Ultron’s end credits. Instead, Age of Ultron sets the stage for the central conflict of Captain America: Civil War. If you’re paying any attention at all, you’ll notice the first signs of serious tension developing between Steve and Tony. But that’s material for the next entry on this list.
Avengers: Age of Ultron does just as good of a job as the original movie at balancing the Avengers’ diverse, charismatic personalities. It even manages to introduce several new characters relatively seamlessly. And while Ultron is hardly the best villain in the MCU, the idea of Tony Stark empowering his own demons fits well with… well, everything we know about him, really.
Plus, everybody loves the hammer scene, right?
13. Captain America: Civil War (2016)
I love Cap, but I’m Team Iron Man all the way on this one. That’s the main reason why this movie isn’t higher on the list: it’s hard to watch. For years, Steve and Tony were the heart of the MCU, and watching them at each other’s throats breaks mine a little bit.
The film itself—from its script, to its action sequences, to its underlying messages—is fantastic. The Russo brothers perfectly capture the growing fissures between the Avengers in the aftermath of Age of Ultron as they struggle to reconcile warring ideals of freedom and security. Equally well-crafted were the seeds of discord sewn by Bucky and Zemo’s acts of terrorism and Cap’s loyalty to his oldest friend over his newfound family. With its massive cast and the introduction of important new characters like Spiderman, Captain America: Civil War comes across as more of an ensemble film than a single character-focused story and continues the MCU’s escalation to the events of Infinity War.
12. Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)
While cheesy, Captain America: The First Avenger is irrefutably a cornerstone of the MCU’s development. After all, this movie is where we meet Steve Rogers (duh), Bucky, the future Winter Soldier, and Peggy, the eventual founder of SHIELD. Even the villain and supporting cast influence events beyond the scope of this WWII-era story. Anthony Stark charms audiences with the same suave, daring genius as his son Tony, and Red Skull makes a surprise reappearance in Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame. The First Avenger tells a classic good vs. evil story with dynamic characters that make it hard to resist.
11. Iron Man 3 (2013)
As I’m writing this, I’m realizing how OLD some of these movies are. This is one of those movies. I was still in middle school when this came out, and it’s the last solo movie Marvel made about Iron Man. Wow.
Anyway, ranking this movie just outside my top ten is definitely a hot take. It has its share of issues, starting with white-washing “the Mandarin” and ending with a cheesy plot. But in my opinion, RDJ’s portrayal of the realities of PTSD and the movie’s dedication to exploring what made Tony a hero without his suit combined to create something special.
The film also foreshadows several key developments in the MCU. For instance, Tony’s interactions with Harley portend his later relationships with Peter Parker and his own daughter, and Pepper’s armor-clad heroics foretell her own future role.
Plus, everybody loves a good Christmas movie. (And I think this might be Marvel’s only one.)
10. Spiderman: Homecoming (2017)
I’m grateful Marvel didn’t try to reinvent the wheel with this one. It would have been so easy for writers to cast this film as the seven thousandth rendition of the Spiderman origin story. Instead, introducing Tom Holland’s incarnation of the character during Civil War allowed this movie to focus on his development, avoiding rehashing a narrative we’ve already seen. Repeatedly.
I know a lot of people love Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield’s Spiderman movies. After all, they’re fun, nostalgic, and lack the MCU’s abject insanity. But Homecoming gives us an impossibly endearing version of our friendly neighborhood superhero, nerd culture that’s believable, and more fantastic high school content than I have time to list here. (To start with, the morning announcements scenes are artfully awkward, and it’s hard to envision a more relatable villain than your prom date’s judgmental father.)
And finally, Peter’s mentor/father relationship with Tony Stark is one of my favorite parts of Phase 3. But that’s covered plenty elsewhere.
9. Black Widow (2021)
I’ve heard people complain that this movie was a half-assed character introduction wrapped in the guise of the long-awaited Black Widow backstory. Seriously, how long have we been dying to know exactly what happened that time in Budapest?
But I have to disagree with the majority of the negative discourse on this one. I loved Florence Pugh’s performance as Natasha’s sister, Yelena. She added humor, heartbreak, and additional emotional complexity to an action-packed plot. The fact that Natasha died in Endgame lent a beautifully bittersweet cast to the entire film, and I’m excited to see how Yelena carries on her legacy in Marvel features to come. In fact, I would argue that the MCU masterminds couldn’t have timed the release of this movie better.
Overall, Black Widow’s brief dip back in time provided the perfect big-screen reintroduction to the MCU after a long, COVID-induced break. Yelena’s post-credit scene made a lot more sense than it would have if we hadn’t already met The Contessa in the Falcon and the Winter Soldier TV series released earlier in the year.
8. Avengers: Infinity War (2018)
I’m about to talk about how the original Avengers movie set the bar high for future Marvel ensemble films. Well, if The Avengers provided an introduction, then Infinity War put on a masterclass. Despite being perhaps the most ambitious blockbuster of all time, Infinity War remains “perfectly balanced, as all things should be.”
Seriously though, even Thanos gets a character arc in this one. In fact, we spend most of the film delving into his background and motivations, a laudable tactical decision on the part of the writers that adds texture to Thanos’s otherwise bland desire for universe domination. The whole thing works, even where it shouldn’t.
A lot of people die in this film. (Exactly half the universe, to be exact.) But in this case, shock value and sheer numbers don’t undermine the emotional impact of each death. The hush that fell over the theater after the snap was like nothing I’ve experienced at a Marvel screening before. We watched Tony lose Peter, Wanda lose Vision, Thor lose Loki. So many heroes turned to dust in the wind with a suddenness that made it seem all the more real. All the more devastating. The ending rendered Thanos that much more terrifying as a villain, because if the Avengers couldn’t stop him, who could?
7. Marvel’s The Avengers (2012)
Name a more iconic ensemble film. I’ll wait…
You couldn’t do it, could you?
Really, Marvel started the ensemble movie trend on May 4th, 2012 and never looked back. Whereas Marvel has managed to create a complex, uniquely appealing archetype capable of bringing in billions of box office dollars with each release, arguably no other studio has proven able to reproduce its success. (That’s right, I’m looking at you, DC Comics.)
Anyway, beyond the fact that when it was released The Avengers was unlike anything the world had ever seen, the things that make it great include:
- Artful stage-sharing between all the characters.
- Plenty of heart. (After all, the Avengers only really unite in the emotional fallout of Agent Coulson’s brutal “death”)
- Hilarious banter/dialogue
- The entire battle of New York
6. Thor: Ragnarok (2017)
Why is the third Thor movie ranked a full 14 spots above the first two?
Two words: Taika Waititi. As writer and director, Waititi took a stagnant, lusterless franchise with a relatively uncompelling cast of characters (save for maybe Loki) and miraculously transformed them into a third installment worth watching, and rewatching, and rewatching.
The movie’s character development shines through, and its portrayal of family dynamics couldn’t be much more spot-on. In particular, Thor and Loki’s sibling interactions lend an undercurrent of authenticity to a narrative populated with extraterrestrial locations and outlandish characters. (For example: Loki pretending not to know Thor during the gladiatorial combat scene, the “get help” ploy, the snake story, and even Loki’s simple “I’m here” at the end of the film.) I could generate a laundry list of scenes from this movie that I regard as some of the MCU’s best.
5. Spiderman: Far From Home (2019)
This movie successfully reopened every emotional wound I suffered during Endgame. The whole movie centers around Peter’s struggle to reconcile grief, PTSD, Tony Stark’s monumental legacy, and more responsibility than any 17-year-old should ever bear. Some personal favorite moments of misery? Probably Peter’s Mysterio-influenced hallucinations, or his reunion with Happy in the tulip field.
But Far From Home provides plenty of humor to balance the heartbreak. Exhibit A: Peter’s awkward attempts at romance and that time he almost accidentally ordered a drone strike on his own school bus. Ned’s character also provides constant hilarity, as do the teachers’ increasingly despairing attempts to chaperone the most insane Europe trip of all time.
Otherwise, Tom Holland and Zendaya continue to flaunt their on-screen chemistry. (Which maybe extends into real life?) The film does a decent job of exploring the social ramifications of having half of your high school class disappear for five years. Lastly, the final battle is visually stunning and provides the emotional closure we all needed.
4. Black Panther (2018)
Shortly after this movie came out, I watched a YouTube video where a kid gives an entire presentation on Wakanda in history class. The fact that his teacher completely fails to recognize the student is talking about a fictional country says a lot about the quality of Black Panther’s worldbuilding. By constructing Wakanda as a both a thriving technological superpower and a nation steeped in tradition, Black Panther presents audiences with an African people both deeply reverent toward their ancestral past and driven by a hunger for future progress.
Sociopolitically, Black Panther doesn’t shy away from addressing the dark consequences of colonial expansion, exploitation, and racial oppression. After all, these issues could hardly be avoided in a movie whose titular comic character emerged during the 1960’s civil rights movement. But it’s more sophisticated than that.
With its script, music, casting, and costuming, Black Panther captures the vibrant diversity and enduring strength of black culture. Outstanding performances by Chadwick Boseman and Michael B. Jordan confront the existential conflict between the Pan-African ideal and the realities of marginalization, cultural estrangement, and the righteous fury spawned by slavery and perpetuated by systemic racism. Letitia Wright’s Shuri could give Tony Stark a run for his money, and the Dora Milaje—led by Lupita Nyong’o and Danai Gurira—provide an equally brilliant example of how women of color should be represented by the media.
Overall? Black Panther is amazing and utterly unlike any other Marvel movie to hit the big screen.
3. Iron Man (2008)
I’m a HUGE sucker for origin stories in general, but Tony Stark and this particular movie will always hold a special place in my heart. Iron man was my gateway drug: the hero that got me hooked on the MCU and ultimately never let go.
Storytime: I took my first deep dive into Marvel before winter finals week during my junior year of high school. (Great idea, right?) Watching Marvel movies was (and remains) the cool thing to do. Therefore, for a long time, it sat alongside Instagram and Pretty Little Liars on the list of mainstream things I avoided as a matter of warped teenage rebellion and foundationless pride. That was until I faced the choice between spending a fifth hour studying biology, staring at the ceiling, or watching a superhero flick.
No contest there. I watched all three Iron Man movies and the four Captain America and Avengers movies that existed at the time. Then I came right back and watched Iron Man again.
So, why was Iron Man the movie that tipped the scales?
First and foremost, Tony Stark is a deeply flawed character. The flashy billionaire playboy façade Tony presents to the world belies a relatable tempest of anxieties and insecurities. He’s a superhero whose only powers are his genius and willingness to get knocked down and stand back again. Behind his flying armor and clever sarcasm, Tony is just a human being who makes mistakes trying to do what’s right.
The movie is also packed with explosive action, betrayal, and believable character development. Robert Downey Jr. improvised many of his lines, lending the dialogue an its unique dry humor and an authenticity lacking in most blockbuster films. The most notable example of this? When RDJ ad-libbed the iconic line that started it all: “I am Iron Man.”
2. Captain America and the Winter Soldier (2014)
This is undeniably the most underrated movie in the MCU. Half political thriller and half superhero drama where nobody is quite what they seem, Captain America and the Winter Soldier proves uniquely satisfying from start to finish. Lines blur between good and evil, friend and foe. HYDRA’s infiltration of SHIELD threatens to topple the moral axis of the entire MCU. And the familiar face behind the mask of the tormented, psychologically exploited Winter Soldier drives audiences to question if anyone is truly incorruptible, even Captain America himself.
The movie introduces Sam Wilson, one of my favorite MCU characters of all time. Cap’s iconic elevator fight scene is also a random YouTube binge staple. But the thing that really pushes Captain America and the Winter Soldier to the top of this list is Steve’s relationship with Natasha (Black Widow). I adore them together. And although they return onscreen together for a short snippet in Endgame, their dynamic was criminally underutilized in the rest of the MCU feature films.
1. Avengers: End Game
As Thanos says, “the hardest decisions require the strongest of wills.”
I had a ridiculously hard time ranking the top seven movies on this list, but I did it. And placing Endgame at number one was perhaps as inevitable as the humanoid grape’s destruction of half the universe.
Look, I didn’t like everything that happened in this movie. I’ll never understand why the writers thought Cap’s decision to go back in time to live out his life with Peggy was at all consistent with his repeatedly demonstrated devotion to Bucky, for example. But overall, the Russo brothers knocked this one out of the park. Practically every major figure in the MCU had their moment. The portal scene during the final battle gives me chills, and the fallout from Tony’s sacrifice draws tears every time.
It’s hard not to list a cinematic masterpiece of such scope and emotional impact at the top of my list. In many ways, Endgame was a goodbye. The end of the beginning. But it also presaged a bright and exciting future for the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
*Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018)
Embarrassingly, I have yet to see this movie. That said, I’ve heard it’s even better than the first Ant-Man movie, so let’s assume it would land somewhere in the ballpark of 17th.
If you made it to the end of this list, congratulations. I’m impressed with your dedication/sheer amount of free time to read my ramblings.
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings review coming soon!
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