UPDATE: When I originally posted these rankings, we were in the middle of the pandemic. Since then, we have had six new Marvel films and several Marvel TV shows. This ranking is based off the movies only, now updated to include the six latest MCU films. (For posterity’s sake, I have kept the original blog text from when I wrote this post in 2020. To skip ahead to my full rankings, please scroll below).
(Original post intro:)
Here in the state of Virginia, the Stay At Home order has been in place since mid-March. This means no visits to bars, movie theaters, baseball games, or restaurants. It also means that, if I were a smarter man, I would have invested heavily in stocks with companies that provide streaming services. Just like I am tempted to heavily invest in fitness centers once this pandemic is over. (You think the week after Christmas is packed with people going to the gym?? Wait til you see what it’s like after almost two months of quarantine!)
Naturally, I wanted to spend my extended spare time at home catching up on lots of movies and TV shows I’ve missed, or haven’t seen in a while. Not knowing when the pandemic would end, I knew I wanted to watch something that was going to take quiet some time to get through. I considered the James Bond movie marathon, but in the end I had to go with the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Granted, lists ranking the MCU movies in order from worst to best has been done ad nauseam. But how many people compiled those lists after binge watching them all in a short period of time? It’s easier to get a truer sense of which movies actually were better than the others when you watch them back to back to back over the span of a month and a half. Everything stays fresh in your mind. Now that I’ve finished this mighty marathon of movies, let’s see how they stack up against each other. Broken down into six categories. The more Infinity Stones, the better the film.
There are a LOT of films, so I’ll try to keep the reviews brief.
One Infinity Stone
29. Hulk
Mark Ruffalo made a much better Bruce Banner. I was surprised Ed Norton was in this, but not surprised that he left the franchise. Unless you’re Wes Anderson, you can count on Norton being that guy on set who thinks he’s smarter than everyone else, including the director. The plot was meh, and I still wonder why a guy who needs to keep his heart rate down would choose to live in one of the most stressful places on Earth.
28. Thor: The Dark World
The first Thor movie was incredible (as you’ll see later), but this second film was severely lacking. Again, the story line was pretty weak, it didn’t hold my interest, and it felt like it struggled to find some kind of identity. Pretty forgettable overall.
27. Iron Man 2
Like Thor: The Dark World, this was another sequel that failed to even get close to the high bar set by its predecessor. Mickey Rourke’s character wasn’t all that scary, and it was incredibly predictable. The only thing keeping this movie above The Dark World is Sam Rockwell’s character. (Man I wish I could dance like that).
26. Eternals
The single largest criticism I have of the phase 4 Marvel universe is the massive oversaturation of characters. Now that Marvel is all under one umbrella and Disney can start making plans to bring in the X-Men, Fantastic Four, and Venom, they have instead decided to introduce as many comic book characters as they can squeeze in. Instead of getting films from timeless superheroes that most people have heard of, they have been flooding us with heroes that only die hard comic readers are even vaguely familiar with. Enter the Eternals. To me, this movie symbolizes everything that is wrong with the direction Marvel is headed. A blockbuster production that introduces WAY too many characters that no one has ever really cared about. Both post-credit scenes feature even more character introductions. With the first three phases of Marvel we connected not only with the main heroes of Captain America, Thor, Iron Man, Black Widow, Hulk, etc., but also their story arcs and the ties to a much bigger story line with Thanos. The Eternals go in the opposite direction. It’s a beautifully shot film, and the effects are brilliant, but I felt zero connection to any of the characters whatsoever, or the story line. Sad that Marvel wanted to go all in on this one.
Two Infinity Stones
25. Iron Man 3
Marvel’s Phase 2 just didn’t get off on the right foot. This was the first MCU film after Avengers, so turning the focus back to one character was going to be difficult. For the comic book fans, a lot of people were disappointed that The Mandarin, Iron Man’s most notorious nemesis, was someone completely different. While I did like the attention to the struggles Tony Stark was dealing with personally, the film as a whole was not all that memorable.
24. Avengers: Age of Ultron
There were so many things wrong with this film. Turning Black Widow into a sap and a “monster” for not being able to bear children? Why was it called an “age” when it only lasted a few days? Where did Wanda’s accent go? Why did Ultron use such a complex plan with a high risk of failure when he could have literally done a million other things? How many movies have to feature an all-out attack by robots? This film turned Joss Whedon from Firefly genius to Bruckheimer-light. Too much emphasis on explosions and effects, and little on a good story. Ultron was super annoying, too.
23. Thor: Love and Thunder
Mjonjir is back? Christian Bale as Gorr the Godhunter? Directed by Taika Waititi? This film should have had it all…but fell flat. Perhaps it was the oversaturation of MCU characters that was finally setting in, but I expected something much bigger and a storyline that would have a massive influence on the MCU going forward. I had even thought that this was the film where the mighty Thor would be done and pass the hammer to the next Thor. Instead, it just felt like a cash grab that overemphasized comedy in lieu of a more profound story. Also, the film had basically no impact on the overall MCU. It was…a standard Marvel movie. Nothing more, nothing less. Felt like Bale was completely underused.
Three Infinity Stones
22. Captain Marvel
Great soundtrack, great effects, great superhero that will hopefully lead Phase Five of the MCU. But the story was slow, and it dragged on too long in places. I loved the context and the back stories, but I felt like it could have spent less time on developing the back stories and more on the situations right in front of them. Brie Larson as Carol Danvers was an amazing choice.
21. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2
I was pretty happy when I found out that Ego was going to be in this. Kurt Russell was his usual self and was a cool villain. I also loved Rocket’s booby traps in the forest. I know the movie wanted to emphasize the dynamics of “family” and that families don’t always get along. But it felt like it was 90% family in-fighting and 10% coming together, and then only in the face of danger. It was also pretty depressing in a lot of places. The Yondu escape scene is one of the best scenes in the entire MCU.
20. Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings
This was a nice, new take on what Marvel can do with new characters. I loved the originality, and the message that superheroes aren’t just limited to one or two continents. While Shang-Chi was someone I knew nothing about going in, I did like how the story seemed to connect to something much bigger with the ten rings. I also loved the post credit scene and how it connected the film to the larger MCU with Captain Marvel, Wong, and Bruce Banner (in a cast???). Something is definitely important about those rings and the beacon it’s sending out. But to whom?
19. Dr. Strange
This was a hard one to place. Slow at first, but once it set in, it was fantastic. I liked the mystical nature of this film, and loved seeing how the time stone worked. Benedict Cumberbatch is gold in pretty much anything. Now that he has grown into his role as Dr. Strange, I feel that 2022’s Multiverse of Madness could be one of the best overall MCU films. This movie is this far down the list not because it was bad, but because I enjoyed the others more.
18. Spider Man: Far From Home
Life without Tony Stark really takes its toll on Peter, but it also shapes him into who he was meant to be. I also liked seeing Happy as a more likable character. No big surprises with Mysterio, as anyone who knows anything about Spider Man knew could attest. I also worry that the post-credit scene was written without any thought of how it could be resolved.
Four Infinity Stones
17. Ant Man
Of all the MCU heroes, I do believe that Ant Man’s abilities are the ones I want the most. This “good but not great” film did an incredible job at showing what the world looks like when you’re the size of an ant. Paul Rudd was perfect, and I loved the fight scene with the toy train. It was a bit predictable and the villain felt like your run of the mill bad guy.
16. Avengers
When this came out, it was the first movie I had been crazy excited about in a long time. Iron Man, Thor, Captain America, and Hulk, all built up to what looked to be a film for the ages. Loki as the main antagonist, the complexities of trying to put a team of superheroes together, and the introduction of Thanos made this a film everyone expected it would be. Now that Phase Four of the MCU is complete, this film has fallen down the list a bit. Not because it was bad, but other films were better.
15. Spider Man: Homecoming
When I was a kid, Spider Man was my favorite Marvel hero. He was a dorky kid just like me, and always wanted to do the right thing. Tobey Maguire was OK as Spider Man (can we forget about Spider Man 3?), and Andrew Garfield, while a talented actor, just could not come across as the shy, nerdy type. Tom Holland was far better than either of them and the story fit perfectly with Spider Man’s personality. Instead of him being a “super hero,” he was just trying to be your friendly neighborhood Spider Man. I also liked it didn’t give a backstory, which had already been done twice. Michael Keaton was a great bad guy (insert Birdman jokes here), and I loved the big reveal halfway through the movie. Marisa Tomei as Aunt Mae was awesome.
14. Ant Man and the Wasp
When I began this marathon, I forgot how good some of these movies really were. This was the first time I watched this film since it was in the theaters. There was so much curiosity that carried over after Infinity War‘s ending, and this was the movie that came out next. Would there be any hints in Ant Man and the Wasp of what would happen in Endgame? Is Ant Man the key to it all? Having re-watched it without those expectations, I found that this was a much better film than it’s given credit for. Great effects, super cool villains, touching moments, funny moments, and a better understanding of the Quantum Realm.
13. Avengers: Endgame
I’m not going to lie, had it not been for the most kick-ass fight scene I’ve ever seen in a movie, Endgame might be further down the list. It struck me as a film where the writers said “oh-oh, we wrote ourselves into a corner with the end of Infinity War. How the hell do we get out?” Why does time travel have to, once again, be the deus ex machina? Why couldn’t it involve a plot to take back the stones from Thanos in a more creative way? Also, it all came down to pure coincidence that a rat just happened to step on the right buttons in the van to bring back Scott Lang. To me, it felt like the writers put in something just for the sake of moving the story along instead of using any creativity. Still, there were moments I loved, including the opening scene, and Captain America wielding Mjolnir.
Five Infinity Stones
12. Thor
I knew very little about this comic book hero other than what I learned in Norse mythology, and this film was great about incorporating a lot of that mythology into it. I absolutely loved the backstory, and Thor’s transformation from entitled warrior to true hero. A nice balance of dark moments and humorous moments. Mjolnir is the most bad-ass weapon in the MCU in my opinion. A nice setup movie for The Avengers.
11. Black Widow
I wasn’t sure how I was going to like this, considering they waited so long to make it. Not to mention the fact that her character was now dead. But it worked and worked well. It had a very James Bond feel to it more than a Marvel feel. The family dynamic was incredible and so well cast. And while I do like me some Black Widow, Yelena really stole the show. The post credit scene helped set up for Hawkeye, which is probably my second favorite Marvel tv show (right behind Loki), and set Yelena up for (hopefully) more in the future.
10. Dr. Strange and the Multiverse of Madness
I had been counting down the days when I first heard this film was going into production. A Sam Raimi directed sequel to Dr. Strange (who may be my favorite MCU hero)? yes, please! Add the bad assness of a grieving Scarlet Witch in a sequel to WandaVision, and it’s pure awesomeness. Rumor has it that this film was going to be rated R for the violence and suspense. I wouldn’t be surprised if a Director’s Cut was released at some point. While I love Dr. Strange, I felt Wanda made this movie really stand out. Finally we get to see what the Scarlet Witch is capable of. The fight scene with the Illuminata…probably one of the best, and most disturbing, in all of the MCU. (RIP Jim Halpert!).
9. Guardians of the Galaxy
When the first trailer came out, and that rockin’ music from the childhood of Gen Xers started playing, a lot of us knew this was going to be a good film. And it didn’t disappoint. It really stood out as something different than all of the other Marvel movies. None of the Guardians really wanted to be heroes, but this movie showed how events can bring people of different backgrounds together. Rocket Raccoon is one of my favorite characters in all the MCU. Great soundtrack, great story, great direction, and it even gave us a glimpse of Howard the Duck…as he should be!
8. Captain America
Not going to lie, it warmed my heart to see a scrawny kid who just wanted to do some good end up being our country’s biggest hero. I was never a fan of Captain America comics as I thought they were too rah rah USA. But when I saw Captain America, I was definitely rah rah USA after Chris Evans’ performance. The scene where he falls on the dud grenade still gives me goosebumps each time. As an historian, I appreciate the historical nods to technology, propaganda, and the war effort. Captain America introduced us to the Starks, Hydra, the tesseract, and the lovely Peggy Carter. This movie made me excited for more MCU films.
7. Captain America: Civil war
Not sure why this was referred to as a “Captain America” film, as it was really “Avengers 2.5.” The interesting thing about this film is that the antagonist really wasn’t all that prominent. He didn’t have any super powers, no ideas of world domination, and no secret pans to create an army of killing robots. Instead, he just wanted to expose some dirty secrets and watch the Avengers collapse from within. And that they did. I was definitely more a “Team Iron Man” as Cap’s dedication to Bucky Barnes was pushing it a bit. Wonderfully written film about how high the price can be in an attempt to do the right thing. The fight scene at the airport is my second favorite fight scene in all the MCU.
6. Black Panther
The hype for this movie was incredible. Everyone knew after Civil War that there would be a Black Panther film. It most certainly lived up to the hype. Black Panther gave us a new kind of superhero, and one that could be looked up to by different people. I loved the history of Wakanda at the beginning, and the way it was stereotyped by people who didn’t understand it. (it’s a third world country in Africa!). A movie that shows that actions in the past, even if made with good intentions, can have serious consequences for the future. Also, a great soundtrack. WAKANDA FOREVER!!
The Full Infinity Gauntlet
5. Spiderman: No Way Home
All three of the Spiderman movies have been incredible, but this one really takes the cake as the best of them all. What an exciting way to connect all the Spidermen together from past films, as well as the villains. I would say that I cared more about Doc Oc in this one that I ever did before. I also loved, for lack of a better phrase, the heartfelt insanity that was the Green Goblin. The cheering in the theater when Andrew Garfield took off his mask, and when Green Goblin could not resist his evil nature…it was priceless. The sadness that Peter had to endure at the end so he could save his friends and the rest of the world showed how far he had come. Definitely on of the top five of all the MCU films.
4. Captain America: Winter Soldier
Phase 2 of the MCU started off in 2013 with Iron Man 3 (meh), and Thor: The Dark World (super meh), so expectations were a bit low for a second Captain America movie. It was, without a doubt, the best sequel of the MCU. Mystery and intrigue abound as out titular hero struggles with what really is the right thing to do. Winter Soldier would go on to have a major impact on the MCU from there on out. Of all the movies, this one was the one that surprised me the most by how good it was.
3. Iron Man
Ladies and gentlemen, say hello to the MCU! No one could have played cocky, billionaire tech genius Tony Stark better than Robert Downey, Jr. A film that shows us how a superhero is born, how science works, and how envious we all are that we don’t have a a brain like Tony. Interesting seeing The Dude as the main antagonist, but it totally worked. This movie gets better every time I see it. Best final three words of any film.
2. Thor: Ragnarok
Ladies and gentleman, Taika Waititi! Holy dog shit was this movie amazing. The trailer really got my attention with Led Zeppelin’s “Immigrant Song” blasting away with the cool late-70s graphics. Who knew Thor could be so humorous while at the same time heroic? Jeff Goldblum as the Grand Master was priceless. Hela was so good, I would have loved to have seen her return in a future film. Cate Blanchett out there showing how much of a bad ass she can be. For all the fun this movie was, that post-credit scene sure did bring on a downer!
1. Infinity War
My favorite of them all, and one of those movies I can watch over and over again with the soundbar cranked up. When I first saw this, with the ominous music playing right at the beginning along with a distress call from Thor’s ship, you had a feeling things were not going to end well. When Thanos kicked Thor’s ass and curb-stomped the Hulk, you knew things were not going to end well. Thanos, for all his malevolence, was shown that he had purpose; that what he wanted to do was not evil, but benevolent and merciful to save the universe. “Sometimes the hardest choices require the strongest wills.” Sometimes, the bad guys win. You could hear the collective gasps in theaters around the country when “the snap” happened, followed by the silence of disbelief. Wonderfully written, was able to get all the Avengers ample screen time, and immediately made millions of people on edge until Endgame.
Take Me Out to the Holosuite 