With 23 films and 10 years of films under its belt, the Marvel Cinematic Universe is one of the most impactful and prolific franchises in cinema history. Dominating the box office year after year since 2008’s game changing Iron Man; Marvel Studios has fundamentally changed the way that superhero films are received by mainstream audiences and how we view cinematic storytelling, with story threads and arcs often unfolding through multiple films and franchises. With the release of Black Widow delayed we are looking at one of the longest breaks between MCU films since the series began, so we thought it was the perfect time to reflect and rank all 23 films (spoilers included). Not every placement is going to make you cheer like the finale of Endgame but we think we’ve got everything just about where it should be. Yes that includes Captain Marvel. Go on. Try and fight us on it. We can do this all day.
23. Captain Marvel
Marvel really needed a win with Captain Marvel. As the studio’s first female-led superhero film and direct response to DC’s massive hit Wonder Woman, it had a lot riding on its shoulders. Add to that the almost insurmountable pressure of being the direct lead-in to the franchise’s culmination in Avengers: Endgame and you understand the ridiculous amount of pressure on the film to succeed. Not only does it not come close to meeting those challenges, it’s also the worst thing that Marvel has put to film; a stale retread of all the origin story cliche’s that the series as a whole has left in the dust. Brie Larson as the titular hero does nothing to excite, delivering a bland, one-note performance without even the slightest speck of emotion or fun. The odd quips here and there land with a thud and it becomes frustratingly hard to buy into the emotional portion of her story as she just refuses to react to the constant stream of revelations about her past with anything more than a slight, almost imperceptible widening of the eyes. The film’s cardinal sin, however, may just be the complete and utter waste it makes of the phenomenal Jude Law, whose villain is barely given any characterisation or direction other than to dart his eyes side to side when no one is looking, so that when the ‘shock’ reveal of his betrayal comes to light the directors can say that they had alluded to it in a subtle way. With the franchise in desperate need of a course correction similar to Thor after The Dark World, here’s hoping Larson and co. can find their Taika Waititi.
22. Thor: The Dark World
Thor: The Dark World is about as basic and boring as Marvel gets sequel-wise: a generic villain whose only motive is to rule the universe attempts to gain access to some sort of inexplicably powerful item and must be stopped by our hero. There’s really nothing more to it than that and it’s a perfectly serviceable film for introducing another infinity stone to audiences, even if it does nothing to further the overall story or character of Thor. Chris Hemsworth does fine work as the God of Thunder as he battles the evil Dark Elf Malekith (Christopher Eccleston), but going back to his earlier work post-Ragnarok is a bizarre experience, as the earlier films made Thor a much more straight-laced, royal character instead of the wise cracking, off-kilter hero he is in the more recent films. It’s not necessarily a bad thing, but (as covered later) Ragnarok has only served to highlight just how poorly utilised and underdeveloped Thor initially was in a franchise that wasn’t taking the chances then that it is now. The bright spot here (and in every film he’s in) is Tom Hiddleston as Loki, who completely steals every scene he’s in, bringing bursts of life to an otherwise fairly dull proceeding. The fact that one of the infinity stones, the Aether, is at play here, means that The Dark World is almost required viewing prior to Infinity War and Endgame, which ultimately only draws more attention and disdain towards this otherwise lacklustre but watchable adventure.
21. The Incredible Hulk
Admit it. You forgot this one existed didn’t you? Produced by Universal Studios before Disney had control of Marvel and featuring Edward Norton as the green meanie instead Mark Ruffalo, who is now synonymous with the role, The Incredible Hulk isn’t as bad as you might remember or think. A surprisingly dark outing for the MCU before it had mastered its “equal-parts jokes and action” tone, Edward Norton is solid as Bruce Banner as he attempts to outrun his girlfriend’s father General Ross (William Hurt) who is intent on dissecting him, hoping to reveal the secret to a new line of super soldiers. It’s a silly plot but the fact that everyone really commits and leans into the seriousness somehow actually makes it work. The action hits where it needs to, transitioning from an almost Bourne-like chase scene through a Brazilian Favela to all out destructive mayhem in the final act, reminiscent of Godzilla and other monster movies, with an epic showdown between the Hulk and his comic arch-nemesis Emil Blonsky, later known as The Abomination – played to creepy perfection by the criminally underrated Tim Roth. Whilst actors like Norton and Roth aren’t who most audiences would associate with huge powerhouse superheroes today, they work as these characters remarkably well, mainly due to the fact that they can worry less about the largely CGI action scenes and focus on their character moments, giving both Blonsky and Banner well rounded arcs which culminate in and give surprising emotional weight to their final smackdown. Despite its solid craftsmanship and performances, however, The Incredible Hulk really doesn’t have any wider significance in the overall MCU apart from a recurring appearance from Hurt and the action pails in comparison to the sheer spectacle of later films.
20. Thor
Of all the earlier Marvel films, Kenneth Branagh’s ambitious fantasy epic Thor is easily the most dated. It’s a shame too, given that this was Marvel’s biggest gamble to date at the time; a visually breathtaking world brought to life with a rich Norse mythology to draw from. Unfortunately, the visuals are about as good as it gets looking back on the first step in Chris Hemsworth’s MCU journey. He shows remarkable chops, having been plucked from relative obscurity to star as the God of Thunder, ably filling the larger than life shoes of Thor and bringing a physicality and arrogance that was almost as close to mirroring the comic as Robert Downey Jr. was as Iron Man. Yet as we mentioned above for The Dark World, the star here is Tom Hiddleston’s Loki, who doesn’t come quite as close to owning the role as he does in later films but brings a whole lot to the character’s tragic backstory and the effect its revelation has on him. He is easily the most well rounded and fleshed out villain that Marvel has put to screen and a lot of that development comes to play here, as we see Loki struggle between his desire to rule and his genuine love for his family. The royal conflict between Thor and Loki is an interesting enough arc on its own to carry a film, however the choice is made to set majority of the film on Earth as Thor interacts with scientists Jane Foster (Natalie Portman), Erik Selvig (Stellan Skarsgard) and Darcy (Kat Dennings). Portman is fine in the role as is Skarsgard who gets more to play with in his recurring roles in the franchise. Even Dennings as the wise-cracking audience surrogate Darcy isn’t as grating as you may remember. No, what grinds the films pace to a halt is the fish-out-of-water storyline as Thor acclimatises to Earth, forcing a number of awkward, unfunny jokes and references that fall flat and seem misplaced given the earlier somewhat violent fight scenes in the film.
19. Ant-Man and the Wasp
The Ant-Man films are a curious beast within the MCU. Often overlooked, given their almost complete lack of significance to the larger universe other than Endgame, they are still enjoyable distractions from the larger, heavier events of the mainline Marvel saga. Paul Rudd is perfectly cast here as Scott Lang, the smallest Avenger and the sequel introduces his partner in crime-fighting in the Wasp, played by Evangeline Lily. Her banter with Rudd was one of the highlights of the first film and that is taken a step further by having Scott on the outs with Hope Van Dyne and her father Hank Pym (Michael Douglas) due to his involvement in Captain America: Civil War. This creates an interesting dynamic, having Scott tagging on to Hope and Hank’s mission as an unwanted presence, creating some great comedic moments through their bickering and inability to agree on the approach to a fight. The action scenes here go a step further than the first film as well, by introducing the Wasp and her more advanced shrinking suit. That same element of having fun with what is being shrunk is still there and adds to the light tone that make these films such fun, as does the return of Michael Peña as Luis, Scott’s fast talking, event-recapping friend. Unfortunately, while the main story here around finding Hank’s wife Janet (Michelle Pfeiffer) is compelling enough, the inclusion of the villain Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen) slows the movie to a crawl as there just isn’t any substance to her character, who we spend far too much time with. At the end of the day, the Ant-Man films have only been what makes them so fun: enjoyable breathers from the overarching Marvel storyline. Ant-Man and the Wasp certainly didn’t have an easy task following Infinity War, but when that fun is ground to a halt because of a villain that brings nothing to the table, then what is the point?
18. Iron Man 2
Look, Iron Man 2 gets far more hate than it deserves, hear me out. Often described as the worst of the MCU due to it’s ridiculously over-the-top villain and inclusion of a dancing Sam Rockwell, I’d argue that it all just adds to its charm. Yes, the adaptation of one of the character’s finest comic book arc’s “Demon in a Bottle” essentially boils down to Tony Stark lashing out and just generally being a terrible person to everyone around him, but just as it was so fun to watch Downey Jr. bring this character to life, it’s almost as entertaining to watch him almost bring him crumbling down. Whilst this isn’t the deep examination of Stark’s psyche that the comic was – nor should it be given this is only the second film in the franchise – it does add an extra layer of depth to Tony as we delve into his purpose for being Iron Man and in life in general. It’s a messy road to not much of a conclusion – he solves his mental struggle by building a non-toxic Arc Reactor – and the world-building is nothing like the polished Marvel method of later films; introducing the Avengers initiative as some kind of a reverse psychology bait to get Tony back in the fight. The introduction of Scarlett Johansson as Black Widow, however is handled in a suitably deceptive way, as she infiltrates Stark’s company before eventually having to bust out the suit and take on some goons. It’s a fittingly badass way to bring Widow into the fold and a sign of things to come. Now look, is Mickey Rourke absolutely ridiculous as the Russian stereotype Whiplash, complete with two giant electric whips? Yes, of course he is. Is it the same type of campy fun as Ivan Drago in Rocky IV? You betcha. Does Sam Rockwell chew every scene he’s in as the wildly incompetent Justin Hammer? Oh boy does he. Does he really dance? Why yes, yes he does. Is it amazing to watch? Hell yes it is. Give Iron Man 2 another chance. You won’t regret it.
17. Ant-Man
My word did the first Ant-Man film have a rocky road to the screen. Starting life out as the amazing Edgar Wright’s introduction to the MCU, a long and difficult creative process saw him exit the project and the late hiring of Peyton Reed to helm the smallest Avenger’s debut. We’ll never know just how different Wright’s film would have been but Paul Rudd’s first foray as Ant-Man is just delightful. He brings his uniquely comedic sensibilities here to a traditionally stoic and righteous superhero character to hilarious results. There’s an off-kilter charm to Rudd that makes the audience root for him from the outset no matter his shady past, and his quest to establish himself as an upstanding member of the community for his daughter is the emotional core that carries the film and Scott Lang’s arc throughout all his appearances in the franchise. The shrinking action is an interesting twist on the standard hand-to-hand combat of prior films, but the wonder and joy of seeing everyday items shrunk or enlarged to ridiculous proportions wears off quick. Corey Stoll plays a fairly lacklustre villain here, looking to profit from the mass production of the shrinking particles developed by Scott’s mentor Hank Pym (Michael Douglas). What makes it slightly more memorable than the sequel’s villain is the personal connection between Stoll’s character and Douglas’; a mentor-mentee relationship gone sour. By far the best thing about the film, however, has to be an absolutely scene stealing performance by Michael Peña as Scott’s former prison-mate turned roommate Luis, whose hilariously dopey recaps of events prior and general goofy presence allows Rudd some terrific moments to play off as the straight man and adds that extra comedic element to give this franchise its own identity and set it apart from other origin stories in the MCU.
16. Spider-Man: Far From Home
If Homecoming revealed anything about what audiences want from a Spider-Man movie, it was apparently that we couldn’t get enough of Peter Parker’s adventures through school, particularly his troubled love life. And that’s the approach returning director Jon Watts and co have taken to the sequel, placing far more importance on Peter’s struggle to balance his Spider-Man duties with having a normal life. It certainly is one of the more defining and fun aspects of the MCU interpretation of Spider-Man but Far From Home gets a little too bogged down in retreading Peter’s angst and general adolescent confusion; constantly presenting him with essentially the same choice of picking MJ (Zendaya) and his friends as they travel across Europe or helping Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) as Spider-Man. Almost always, the choice ends up being the wrong one and while you still feel the weight of Peter’s failures and their effect on him, he doesn’t really actually learn from his mistakes until the plot and runtime dictate the finale is approaching. The scenes between Peter and Happy Hogan (Jon Favreau) are incredibly emotional and uplifting as Peter comes to terms with his mentor Tony Stark’s death and his place in a post Iron-Man world, but it just takes a little too long to arrive at this conclusion, and it feels like a lot of what came before was just filler to get us there. The supporting cast around Peter: Tony Revolori, Jacob Batalon, Martin Starr and Zendaya are all phenomenal and stop the film from getting too heavy with Peter’s emotional distress by filling almost every scene without Spidey with jokes, a lot of them firing on all cylinders. However filling the run-time with these side characters and Peter storylines unfortunately detracts from the actual Spider-Man narrative; essentially a rehashing of Iron Man 3_s twist, having Jake Gylenhaal’s (admittedly very charismatic) Quentin Beck, AKA Mysterio, turn out to be a villain masquerading as a hero and confidant to Peter. There’s not really much for a talent of Gylenhaal’s calibre to do here and he has fun with the role in the best possible way, going full on cartoon villain towards the end. Whilst Far From Home does set up our hero for a much more interesting sequel with its post-credits scene, this particular adventure falls just short of the standard set by Homecoming.
15. Black Panther
Black Panther just might be Marvel’s most culturally relevant film to date, sparking a huge response from audience and critical bodies alike, garnering the studio’s first Oscar nomination for best picture. In what might be a somewhat controversial opinion, I believe that the impact of Black Panther itself has surpassed the actual quality of the film. Don’t get me wrong, it’s good. Chadwick Boseman builds upon his already great performance in Civil War to tackle an intensely personal battle for T’Challa as he struggles to fill his father’s shoes as King of Wakanda as well as finding himself embroiled in his first challenge for the throne against his cousin Erik Kilmonger (Michael B. Jordan). Put simply, Jordan is great, too far gone down a vengeful path but still internally conflicted about finding his place in the world, having been raised alone in America and never having known his homeland of Wakanda. The soundtrack, curated by none other than the great Kendrick Lamar, is also excellent, with hard hitting beats and lyrics that complement the action perfectly. However, the problems in Black Panther arise when you look at its story; a fairly straight-forward narrative that is almost a carbon copy of another Disney property: The Lion King. That’s not to say it isn’t powerful, but it just isn’t all that original and the praise for it being a revolutionary piece of cinema may be misplaced when you consider that it is almost a beat for beat re-fabrication in a superhero film skin. Add to that the downright abysmal special effects, particularly in the final fight scene which looks like two rag dolls fighting in its worst moments, devoid of all notion of physics, and you have a solid, entertaining and powerful film that may not be the king it thinks it is. The cultural impact is undeniable, but its place within the MCU isn’t as integral as other origin stories of its ilk.
14. Iron Man 3
I, like many others, hated Iron Man 3 when I first saw it. With a burning passion. The surprise twist infuriated me and made my blood boil. How could they do that to Iron Man’s arch nemesis from the comic books, his fiercest enemy? In the intervening seven years, however, I’ve come around on Tony Stark’s last solo outing. I can’t put my finger on what exactly makes this film so damn re-watchable. It could be the snappy zingers woven everywhere through the dialogue of writer-director Shane Black. It could be the surprisingly impactful relationship Tony develops with his young companion Harley (Ty Simpkins) or the awesome finale filled with different Iron Man suits that makes your inner child and Disney merchandising executives cheer in unison. Hell it could just be that despite its flaws, and there are many, Iron Man 3 is just a whole mess of fun. Guy Pierce is underdeveloped and wasted as a villain and despite its title, Tony Stark isn’t actually in the Iron Man suit for majority of the film. Even the Mandarin (Ben Kingsley) reveal gets more bearable with repeat viewings and even though it isn’t what audiences expected, that doesn’t diminish Kingsley’s stellar performance. Let’s also not forget that the film tried to do a hell of a lot with Tony’s character and psyche and largely succeeds, steering toward him towards his “suit of armour around the world” vision that makes up majority of the character’s arc right up until Endgame. Yes it’s sloppy in many ways and challenges your expectations, but could it be that challenging your expectations is a good thing? I offer you a challenge: leave your expectations at the door and give Iron Man 3 another go. You might just be glad that you did… or you might think I’m an idiot in which case go and watch Sam Rockwell dance again to calm down.
13. Guardians of the Galaxy
Prior to the Guardians of the Galaxy films, when you looked at Marvel you thought of Iron Man and Spider-Man, not a talking racoon and an anthropomorphic tree. The fact that Rocket Racoon (Bradley Cooper) and Groot (Vin Diesel) are such cultural icons is a testament to the fine work done by Marvel and director James Gunn, who creates a super-hero team to rival the Avengers (although not quite as epic) in a galaxy far removed from Earth, allowing the adventures to include all sorts of whacky and far-fetched ideas and items. Grounding the story within this first outing in that world is the lovable group of rag-tag heroes including Chris Pratt’s Star-Lord, Gamora (Zoe Saldana) and Drax (Dave Bautista), alongside Rocket and Groot. The Guardians films are different from a lot of the other MCU films due to the influence of series director Gunn. You can feel his sensibilities and humour all over this franchise, which in turn leaves you with some of the most human, heart-breaking and hilarious stories about finding and belonging to a family. Where this particular outing falls short is in its story and villain. Sure it sets up the key characters brilliantly, giving everyone their own unique personalities and arcs which would follow them across all their appearances in the MCU, but that’s about all it does. Ronan the Accuser (Lee Pace) is so woefully underused as a villain, with a motivation for his deeds boiling down to “genocide is good”. It gives the Guardians an inherently evil villain to go up against, but the problem is you just don’t give a damn. Same thing goes with the story too, which is all about keeping one of the Infinity Stones away from Ronan. Useful in the long run of the MCU but not particularly interesting or engaging on its own. No, the success of Guardians of the Galaxy rests solely on its chief team of misfits, who keep you smiling the entire time, even if some of the humour doesn’t hit as hard as the movie thinks it does. Gunn laid down the bones of a great franchise here, which he improved on the second instalment (coming up closer than you think) in almost every way.
12. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2
Surprise! Just edging out the original is Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol 2, a film which carries forward the hilarious and endearing character relationships from the first – spinning its team off in interesting groupings to unexpected results – and which greatly improves on its previous story woes by narrowing it’s focus on Chris Pratt’s Star-Lord and the relationship with his newly found father Ego (Kurt Russell). Now that we as an audience are comfortable and familiar with these characters, James Gunn chooses to give us more of the same and also not to, by splitting up the team on their own individual journeys, to all pretty stellar results. Rocket and Groot accompany longtime frenemy Yondu (Michael Rooker) as he tackles the difficulties of his loyalty and love for Star-Lord, who he had raised from a child before his eventual betrayal. It is definitely the B-storyline here and the funnier one, as we get to spend time with the ridiculously cute Baby Groot, one of Disney’s best marketing achievements in decades. Every scene with him is hilarious and the constant berating he receives from Rocket, who treats him as an adult, only heightens the laughs. Likewise the banter between Yondu and Rocket sizzles, leaving you constantly begging for more. Over on the main front is Star-Lord and the rest of the gang, joined by newcomer Mantis (Pom Klementieff), who explore Ego’s home planet and uncover terrifying secrets whist Quill (Star-Lord) bonds with his father. Quill’s relationship with his father forms the emotional core of the film and brings the audience along on an ultimately heart-breaking journey as we see Quill’s hopes of a family reunion dashed after learning that Ego in fact murdered Quill’s mother, sending Yondu to pick up the child so he could be raised by his father. At the centre of this is Quill’s internal struggle about fatherhood and who raised him, with his ultimate revelation that Yondu was more of a father to him than Ego ever was coming all too late and hitting harder than almost any other emotional beat in the MCU. Oh and did we mention Baby Groot?
11. Doctor Strange
If Guardians of the Galaxy opened the MCU up to space and the technologically advanced, then 2015’s Doctor Strange opened it up to the mystical, as Benedict Cumberbatch’s titular sorcerer Stephen Strange discovers a world of magic and demons, finding himself smack bang in the centre of a decades-old conflict and the only hope to defend the world against the demon Dormammu. What makes this particular origin story stand out within the MCU is the visuals. They’re breathtaking to look at, with bright colours and psychedelic patterns abounding as Strange is given his first glimpse at the wider world of different dimensions and planes of existence. Then there’s the world manipulation. Sure, it might be a bit of a rip-off from Inception with buildings and streets contorting and folding in over each other as Strange and mentor Mordo (Chiwetel Ejiofor) give chase to dark sorcerer Kaecilius (Mads Mikkelsen), but it’s done so well and on such a larger scale that it still feels different. Where Inception used the world manipulation sparingly – only really to show it could be done – Doctor Strange embraces it and makes the world itself almost a character of its own. You never know where things are going to appear from and what is real, and it gives the otherwise fairly basic action scenes a new lease on life. Similarly the fight between Strange and one of Kaecilius’ goons could be a cliched filler fight, but is turned on its head with the fight taking place in a spirit plane, with Strange and his enemy duking it out as metaphysical beings outside of their physical bodies. It’s bold and inventive twists like that that keep the story afloat, elevating what would otherwise be a fairly tame and boring story of stopping the enemy from unleashing an even more powerful force. Whilst the ending bout with Dormammu fails to live up to the previous action, it does get points for its inventiveness, and by subverting genre tropes of having to have a huge spectacle battle to close things out. It makes sense that Strange would fight this particular battle with his mind and gives the character some much needed depth other than being “the guy with magic”.
10. Avengers: Age of Ultron
One of the most underrated films in the MCU, Joss Whedon’s follow-up to his groundbreaking first Avengers film is the rare film that was insanely hyped prior to its release and then seemingly dropped from the collective consciousness of movie-goers overnight. It’s unfair to a film that is extremely ambitious in all that it hopes to achieve, with Whedon largely pulling off everything he hopes to. Looking back on it, sure, Ultron (James Spader) might not be the big bad that everyone was hoping for, and is largely pretty one-note in his motivation for taking on the Avengers, but in terms of the character building within the team itself and the numerous additions it makes to the roster and larger world, Whedon knocks it out of the park. Robert Downey Jr. and Chris Evans really stand out here, as Whedon sprinkles the seeds which eventually blossom into the full-on confrontation that is Civil War. They both give wonderfully layered performances as they work together to take on Ultron, but in two fundamentally opposed ways. The strange father/son relationship that Stark is thrust into with Ultron is an interesting concept, that – whilst losing steam halfway through the film – aims to show you just how much of an impact Downey has had on the franchise. This carries over to the introduction of the three new Avengers in Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen), Vision (Paul Bettany) and Quicksilver (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) who Stark has all had a direct hand in creating, sometimes through less than reputable means (like bombing a country). It pivots so wonderfully into the overprotective stance he takes during Civil War that just goes to show how perfectly overlord producer Kevin Feige has mapped out the franchise and the interweaving tapestries of each character’s stories. It also seems like people seem to be forgetting about the insanely awesome Hulk v Hulkbuster fight scene as well as the literal war against robots that, whilst not as good as the Chitauri invasion from the first Avengers, includes some jaw-dropping choreography that gives everyone their own moments and showcases this original team working together for the last real time.
9. Captain America: The First Avenger
Cap’s first solo outing is undoubtedly the sleeper hit of the MCU, a fun, emotionally charged and action heavy romp through Steve Rogers’ early years from digitally altered pipsqueak to boulder sized, shield toting badass and perpetual nice guy Chris Evans against the backdrop of World War II. Evans is tasked with the most out of the original Avengers lineup, having to imbue such a stoic and iconic character with a broad spectrum of emotions that don’t necessarily always get a chance to shine through in flashy ways. There’s no hint of frustration as he struggles through basic training in the army, yet you sense it there and his constant fight to never let it show. Likewise Evans doesn’t get a big showy emotional outcry as he realises he will never see Peggy again, but instead is given a quiet lingering moment, against the backdrop of mayhem he is embroiled in, in which he takes his (seemingly) last look at a photo of the woman he loves. It’s a powerful performance and one that instantly gets you on board for more adventures starring the star spangled hero. The supporting cast is also phenomenal and doesn’t get enough love within the MCU, particularly Sebastian Stan as Steve’s long-time frenemy Bucky Barnes and Hayley Atwell as the aforementioned Peggy Carter. Peggy’s character also gets shortchanged in that she is the MCU’s true first hero, constantly fighting for her place to fight for her country in the army and having to prove herself against both the German enemy and the sexism within her own ranks. It’s handled with much more subtlety and nuance than Captain Marvel’s blundering obviousness and establishes Peggy’s character in a way so that we understand her more from a supporting role than we do Brie Larson’s Carol Danvers from an entire lead performance. Last but not least is Hugo Weaving’s incredibly menacing performance as Red Skull, one of the best villains the MCU has seen, up there with Loki and Thanos. It’s a shame that we’re unlikely to get to see Weaving back in the role, given his absence in the role from the last two Avengers films, but the character’s return would be a welcome shot of excitement to Phase 4 of the MCU.
8. Iron Man
The one that started it all, Robert Downey Jr’s first introduction as Tony Stark, AKA Iron Man, is still a rip roaring good time which serves as proof of just how special it is when you fill a role with the perfect character. It is almost impossible to imagine anyone else inhabiting the role of the playboy weapons dealer turned superhero at this point and for good reason. Downey brings the perfect blend of charm and arrogance to the role, with emphasis on the charm. There is no doubt that Stark is something of a despicable character to start with, profiteering off the sale of weapons which are bringing death and destruction to hundreds of thousands of people, yet it is his character’s (perhaps intentional) obliviousness to this and cocksure, party boy behaviour that endears him. You are drawn to him because despite his off-putting outgoing appearance there is a heart of gold and genuine intelligence underneath. Part of what makes this first outing so enjoyable is following that initial arc of Stark realising his worth and importance to the world not just as an innovator in the military space but as a protector for everyone. This applies to his personal life too, where Tony realises his importance to those around him: assistant/love interest Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow), bodyguard Happy Hogan (Jon Favreau – who also directs) and best friend James Rhodes (a later recast Terrence Howard). The relationship between Downey and Paltrow is so satisfying to watch, their chemistry electric as they light up the screen together with their back and forth exchanges. You believe that she is truly the most important person to Tony and the groundwork laid in this film helps to strengthen that relationship and its importance in later sequels. Despite all the things it does right, villain Obadiah Stane’s (Jeff Bridges) motivations to betray his mentor’s son and genuine friend are tenuous at best, motivated from a place of greed and jealousy that while plausible seems lazy at times, especially in the ease in which he finds the terrorist cell that imprisoned Stark halfway around the world. Nevertheless Bridges gives a great performance and the action scenes between himself and Downey, whilst surpassed later on in the franchise, were incredible to watch at the time and featured some truly spectacular effects.
7. The Avengers
It’s easy to take Joss Whedon’s The Avengers for granted in today’s superhero movie landscape, but its importance to the genre and the MCU cannot be understated. This was the first giant leap that Kevin Feige and co. took in changing the way audiences view franchise cinema; a huge risk that could have derailed all that had come before and was to come. Luckily Whedon pulls it off almost perfectly, crafting a team-up film for the ages, which balances strong character development for almost all its key players with action on a scale previously not seen by audiences, complete with plenty of cheer-out-loud moments as Earth’s mightiest heroes take on Loki (Tom Hiddleston). Whilst Hiddleston may not get as much to do here as he does in the original Thor outing, the background the audience has gained from viewing that film goes a long way to pre-defining his goals and motivation, therefore allowing us to spend more time with the titular team, but not feel cheated by a villain with no depth. Seeing the team interact for the first time is spectacular, with Whedon’s carefully crafted dialogue allowing each of the Avengers to bounce off each other and have their individual character moments. Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.) and Captain America (Chris Evans) bump heads over the style of leadership for the team, Thor (Chris Hemsworth) has no patience for the politics of S.H.I.E.L.D. and wishes to bring the action, Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) grows frustrated with the boys bickering and newcomer Mark Ruffalo makes one hell of a statement as Bruce Banner, timid scientist who is “always angry”, battling with his internal demons and better instinct to stay out of the fight. It’s a performance that both stands out but also doesn’t overshadow any other member of the team and Ruffalo all but erases audience’s memories of Edward Norton in the role. Just about every scene in The Avengers crackles with electricity and an element of fun, as we see fights and team-ups that comic book fans had only dreamt about before, and which lay the groundwork for bigger and better things to come.
6. Avengers: Endgame
Speaking of ‘bigger’, it doesn’t get much more than the final scene of Avengers: Endgame. The culmination of 10 years of MCU films delivers in every sense of the word, tying together almost all of the main original Avengers arcs in immensely satisfying and cathartic ways, even if the road to get there is slightly uneven. Right off the bat the film fires on all cylinders following Thanos’ (Josh Brolin) snap of the fingers as the remaining Avengers fly off to confront the Mad Titan and reverse the effects of the Infinity Stones. It’s an electric start that gets you completely pumped and excited for what is to come… and then it ends. This is Avengers: Endgame’s chief (and really only) issue: the pacing. The film almost resets after this opening scene, as the Avengers each struggle to come to terms with the reality of having lost it all, having to dig deep to find that spark to get going and risk it all “one last time” on a time-travelling treasure hunt to gather the Infinity Stones. Despite the fact that time travel is something of a cop-out here, the quality and, again, pacing of the individual teams’ hunts for the respective Stones vary. Iron Man and Captain America’s journey through the events of the original Avengers film and back further to Stark’s father’s research facility is by far the highlight, giving both characters a final send-off and something of an epilogue to their arcs as Tony begins to understand the tenuous relationship he always had with his father and Steve realises the opportunity afforded to him by the time travel to trade in his crime fighting future for a life with Peggy. It’s a beautiful finale to Cap’s arc that ends on the perfect note with the final shot of him dancing with his beloved. On the other side of this is Thor and Rocket’s (Bradley Cooper) adventure back through the events of Thor: The Dark World which just don’t hold as much weight. The emotionally charged conversation he has with his mother (Rene Russo) just doesn’t have the weight it should, owed partially to the ridiculous “Fat Thor” gimmick, which provides a few laughs at first but wears thin fast. At the end of it all is easily the finest piece of action put to film in the MCU, perhaps in all of superhero cinema as the entire expanded Avengers roster squares off against Thanos’ army. The “Portals” musical theme is goosebumps inducing, hitting all the right rousing notes as Captain America summons his team and charges into battle for the last time. The end of an era that will not soon be forgotten, Avengers: Endgame sets the bar almost impossibly high for what is yet to come in the MCU but if they pulled this off, I believe they can pull off anything.
5. Spider-Man: Homecoming
Coming off his stellar, yet all-too-short debut in Civil War, Spider-Man: Homecoming cemented Tom Holland as the best to ever put on the suit, finally bringing together the quips and wisecracking personality of Spider-Man (which Andrew Garfield got right in his series) with the nerdy, socially awkward teen in Peter Parker (which Tobey Maguire excelled at). It’s very clear that Holland absolutely adores the character and this comes across in his performance, as every scene he is in crackles with excitement and fun as Spider-Man attempts to stop the evil Vulture (Michael Keaton) from profiteering off weaponry salvaged from the battle in The Avengers whilst juggling his homework and crush on classmate Liz (Laura Harrier). The best thing about Homecoming is really just how well it nails the character, particularly Peter’s attempts to juggle the task of fighting crime and protecting those he loves with trying to have something of a normal high school experience, something that the sequel expands on (to mixed results). Michael Keaton gives a great performance in his return to the superhero genre, chewing the scenery as the cocky, blue collar thug determined to make as much cash as he can as some kind of revenge for losing his business years earlier because of the Avengers’ antics. It’s a simple motivation sure, but it doesn’t need to be overly complex and it more importantly doesn’t draw too much attention away from Spider-Man. You understand the position the Vulture is in and it allows you to just have fun with the story. This is Spider-Man’s grand entrance to the MCU and return to his former glory at the movies and boy does it make you grin from ear to ear. Director John Watts surrounds Holland with a wide cast of young talent including Zendaya as MJ, Peter’s classmate and general weirdo, and Ned (Jacob Batalon), Peter’s best friend and confidant to Spider-Man; which really serve to flesh out the school environment and sell that classic Spider-Man conceit of the ordinary versus the super. Does Peter save a ferry full of civilians from certain doom and miss out on the chance to ask his crush to the prom? It’s fun stuff and a welcome change from the seemingly unending deadly stakes of the previous few films in the franchise. Most importantly, Homecoming signalled a return to form for the web-slinger; a handing of the baton to the younger generation that will become the new team of Avengers.
4. Captain America: Civil War
Civil War not only marked a huge turning point within the MCU and its ongoing storyline in the lead-up to Thanos’ arrival, but it also served as a test for the Russo Brothers, who made their monumental jump to the MCU from popular comedy series Community with Cap’s second outing (more on that later). Rather than focus solely on Cap, as the name might suggest, Kevin Feige and co entrusted the brothers with the keys to the kingdom, drawing on no less than 12 superstar actors and their superhero counterparts to populate the “war” and deliver giant spectacle action on a scale unseen so far. Sure, we had seen the Avengers team up to take down huge swathes of enemies before but this was something else; doubling the hero count and having them square off against each other, providing audiences and comic book fans alike with their dream match-ups that felt like they were children playing with their action figures. What makes Civil War such a success though is that they did all that whilst keeping the story intensely personal to the character of Steve Rogers (Chris Evans), testing his allegiances to his old life in Bucky (Sebastian Stan) and his new one with the Avengers. It is such a difficult position that Steve is put in and Evans pulls off the emotional performance necessary, with small quiet interactions with Black Widow (Scarlett Johannson) and Falcon (Anthony Mackie) fleshing out Steve’s mindset and the struggles that he is going through. Add to this the weight of the death of his former flame Peggy Carter (Hayley Atwell), which sadly doesn’t get enough screen-time outside of a heart-wrenching scene between Steve and Widow, and you have a man pushed to the limits both emotionally and physically and who still manages to rise up above it all for the greater good. Downey, tasked with slightly less here than most Iron Man or Avengers flicks, nevertheless gives a phenomenal performance and perhaps his best, with the scene in which he learns of Bucky’s involvement in his parent’s death played exquisitely as Stark struggles to comprehend not only the enormity of facing his parents murderer but the ultimate betrayal of one of his closest friends covering up the crime. It’s a heavy, game-changing storyline that plays in heavily in future Avengers films, fracturing the team at a time when they need to be united the most. As if all that wasn’t enough Civil War also introduces Black Panther (Chadwick Boseman) and the MCU incarnation of our friendly neighbourhood Spider-Man (Tom Holland). Boseman does a great job in his limited role, giving you to get you invested in the character and down for future adventures, but it’s Holland who steals the show here, as perhaps the best representation of Peter Parker he just owns the role with a mixture of goofiness and charisma. You’re instantly ready to follow him through his own adventures and Civil War marks a stellar debut for what has become one of the MCU’s key characters going forward.
3. Thor: Ragnarok
Oh what a difference a new director can make to a franchise. It’s fair to say that the Thor franchise was in something of a limbo prior to Ragnarok. A middling fantasy series given new life with the arrival of director Taika Waititi; the New Zealand native takes Thor from his royal, uptight origins and uproots him, throwing him into a colourful intergalactic adventure full of kooky characters and jokes. Oh and he fights the Hulk too. It’s awesome. Hemsworth too seems energised by the presence of Waititi, bringing more charisma than ever to the role, relishing the chance to explore his comedic side and deliver some zingers. This newfound attitude and snark from Thor allows for a far more enjoyable adventure through the weird and wonderful planet of Sakaar, as Waititi makes the choice to have Thor simply roll with what he is seeing rather than playing it for another fish out of water story like the previous Earth-set adventures. This allows for some excellent banter between the God of Thunder and newcomers like Tessa Thompson’s Valkyrie and Jeff Goldblum’s planet ruling Grand Master. Goldblum in particular is perfect casting, excelling and feeding off the weirdness of what is happening around him to give a unique performance as the menacing tyrant of the wasteland world who is also constantly creating laugh-out-loud moments. Speaking of humour, you can’t understate the importance of Waititi’s own CGI creation Korg – a giant alien composed entirely out of rocks with a laid back vibe and New Zealand accent – creating constant belly laughs through his simple but effective inability to read situations correctly. Whilst the story itself is fairly basic, as Thor rushes to stop his half-sister Hela (Cate Blanchett) from destroying Asgard, the pacing is so fantastic that you are never bored and the excellent character moments and non-stop jokes keep you going towards the very smooth transition into Infinity War. If there was ever a question about new blood not being enough to reinvigorate an ailing franchise, Thor: Ragnarok proves otherwise; easily the most purely fun movie in the MCU to date.
2. Captain America: The Winter Soldier
Cap’s second solo outing is undoubtedly his best; a pseudo-spy-thriller set against the fall of S.H.I.E.L.D. and the rise of HYDRA; the shadowy organisation from Cap’s past which had been steadily ingratiating themselves within Nick Fury’s (Samuel L. Jackson) group behind his back. Right from the get go we see that Chris Evans is far more comfortable as the American icon, injecting him with a confidence and dry humour that makes him far more likeable than his fairly underplayed role in The Avengers. The Russo Brother’s MCU debut is very nearly their best film here as they demonstrate a clear understanding of what they want to see on the screen and how best to get it, with the combat in particular shot beautifully in a series of long, wide takes and up-close steady shots that really allow you to understand the geography and intensity of the fight and appreciate the choreography on display. What could be a fairly straightforward story of Cap uncovering the extent of HYDRA’s deception is taken a step further with the reintroduction of Steve’s longtime friend, now brainwashed HYDRA agent, Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan), known professionally as the Winter Soldier. Having Barnes involved immediately makes the story more intimate and personal for Cap, creating a conflict within him around whether to forgive his friend and try to turn him back to good or accept that the person he once knew, one of the last remnants from his old life, has been corrupted and put an end to him. Evans shows us this conflict flawlessly, fighting back against the system that, for so long, he had stood by and coming into his own as the confident, assertive leader who is able to make the tough call when necessary. Likewise Sebastian Stan is given more screen time than the first film to flesh out the character of Bucky and the internal struggle as he fights against the programming forcing him against his friend and former ally. Add to that a stellar performance from Scarlett Johansson as Black Widow, the inclusion of one of the all-time greats Robert Redford in a supporting role and a pulse-pounding score from composer Henry Jackman and you have one of the most tightly made and complete packages of start-to-finish greatness. The Winter Soldier proves that standalone hero films aren’t just filler between Avengers stories. In fact it shows that they can surpass almost everything else in the entire franchise if done correctly, and this one is done flawlessly.
1. Avengers: Infinity War
If there’s one thing the MCU gradually increased in as it went on it was spectacle, and it doesn’t get more spectacular than Avengers: Infinity War, the beginning of the culmination of the entire MCU to date and a showcase for almost every hero that had ever been put to screen by the studio. Not only does it deliver solid, fist-pumping moments for all of its key good guy players but it almost primarily serves as a starring vehicle for the biggest, baddest and best villain the MCU has had in Thanos (Josh Brolin). For years, the purple Titan had been hovering menacingly in the background, taunting the Avengers from afar, but here he makes his full debut, and what a debut it is. From the outset you get the sense that Thanos is something different, when he singlehandedly defeats the Hulk (Mark Ruffalo) and takes out everyone’s favourite God of Mischief Loki (Tom Hiddleston) – a bold move that immediately presents Thanos as the greatest threat to date. The best villains are those that have a clear motivation and truly believe what they are doing is right and Infinity War works wonders to take you into the mind of Thanos, a tortured soul who has endured great hardships and who will go to these horrific lengths to ensure that the universe as a whole survives, even if it means using the Infinity Stones to wipe out half of all living things. Brolin is phenomenal in the role, menacing and relatable when he needs to be, you don’t entirely despise the man until he completes his deed; a hard feat to achieve normally and even more so when you consider the man was covered in motion capture equipment and still managed to bring such a level of depth to the performance. Outside of Thanos, it’s all about the different match-ups between heroes. Pairing Thor (Chris Hemsworth) with the Guardians of the Galaxy proved to be a stroke of genius, with some hilarious bickering and banter between the Asgardian and Star Lord (Chris Pratt) and the unlikely buddy comedy duo of Thor and Rocket (Bradley Cooper) which carries over into Endgame. Likewise the combination of Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.) and Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) fires on all cylinders with the pair trading barbs until the Guardians draw their ire and quick wit, leading up to an intense confrontation with Thanos; the fallout of which hits you right in the heartstrings as you realise the bond the pair have formed through this adventure. Oh and I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention bearded Cap. That is all. More than anything else though, Infinity War succeeds in delivering everything that we as fans love about these movies: great action, great character moments, one-liners that hit just right and a villain and storyline that provides legitimate menace and stakes for our heroes to overcome. It isn’t a film that you can really jump into if you haven’t seen a lot of the previous instalments but at this point who hasn’t? Infinity War is a film for the fans made by the fans and given all that it does and the stones it took (see what I did there?) to leave us with the ending it did, priming you perfectly for the next film – a tradition that Marvel has cultivated and made popular through its many post-credit scenes – you can’t look at a more perfect MCU film than Avengers: Infinity War.