Marvel Movies Ranked

With Black Widow just now hitting theaters after multiple delays, and the MCTU (Marvel Cinematic Television Universe?) into stage 3 with Loki’s season finale, it’s a good time to see where things stand with movie Phases 1-3. Eventually, I’ll slot in Black Widow and the shows at some point in the future. I think you need a good six months and a couple of viewings before ranking. Here is my subjective and 100% accurate ranking.

1. Avengers: Infinity War

From a technical standpoint, that highwire act that Marvel pulled off just to get to the point of making this movie almost justifies it’s existence in the top spot. But on top of that, it’s really good. I’ve heard the complaints. It’s bloated and frenetic, some characters get lost, too much action, not enough character arcs (Thanos, Gamora and Thor would like a word), etc.  In reality they juggled dozens of “main” characters (and 7 film franchises!) while still giving everyone multiple moments to shine. In the end, it’s incredibly satisfying to see so many threads from so many other movies pay off and to watch the various character pairings and personality clashes (give me more Stark, Spider-man and Strange; more Thor, Rocket and Groot). And, speaking of those three, if you don’t get legitimate chills in the moment Thor, Rocket and Groot land in the middle of the Wakanda battle, then the problem is you.

2. Captain America: Civil War

AKA Avengers 2.5, Civil War serves as a warm up to the multiple-character juggling act of Infinity War. Sure, Zemo’s plan is a little too convoluted and benefits from incredible serendipity in so many ways. But the movie is propulsive in moving the action forward to its inevitable conclusion and the airport scene alone is worth the price of admission. It’s a comic book reader’s splash page dream come to life on the screen. All that and it gives Spider-man and Black Panther worthy introductions. And it brings real, brutal emotional stakes with the final fight between Iron Man and Cap. “He’s my friend.” “So was I.”  So good.

3. Captain America: The Winter Soldier

It’s amazing to me now looking back that two of my top three are “Captain America” movies considering I could barely get through his first movie and his character was least interesting part of the first two Avengers movies. Winter Soldier was a major course correction and nearly perfect movie. The slow build conspiracy vibe supported by so many great action scenes it’s hard to pick one – Nick Fury’s assault on main street, the entire street battle with the Winter Soldier and, of course, the elevator scene. The ending with the helicarriers is a little much, but by then the movie has already more than justified it’s legendary status.

4. Thor Ragnarok

Weird. Hilarious. Epic. Fantastic. I’ve always liked Thor and, though I don’t think his first two movies are as bad as most do, there is no denying that this is the greatest of the three. Chris Hemsworth has evolved into an MCU MVP and one of the better comedic actors. Valkyrie is a great addition, Hela is one of the better cinematic villains. Loki is at his best and Hulk gets his most extended screen time and it pays off. The quick, dismissive end to the Warriors Three is possibly the one minor negative. Lastly, the tragic-in-retrospect ending even gives it a little extra emotional heft (or, for some, renders the big finale where they save the Asgardians hollow.) It also has some of the best lines in any Marvel movie.

5. The Avengers

This was the proof of concept. The MCU had crafted four solid movies and it was time to bring the team together. If this had failed, who knows where this arguably most successful of all interconnected movie universes would be right now. Not only did it succeed, but the sum was greater than the parts that came before it as intended. Joss Whedon brought his A-game to the scripting (though he admittedly brings a “TV at the movies” directorial style in some scenes) and it helped shape everything that followed. A complete success that leveled-up the entire MCU. Plus, it really let Loki establish himself as the best villain in the series.

6. Guardians of the Galaxy

This had no business succeeding. Bringing together this c-list (or possibly d-list) comic title with little to no general audience name recognition that had a raccoon and talking tree as featured players. A director/creative force known more for his twisted sensibilities who seemed an odd fit for big-budget filmmaking. I was not alone in thinking this would be the first MCU flop. Instead it essentially proved that they could do no wrong (well, mostly). The unexpected weapon in this movie’s arsenal is its heart. Well, that and Rocket’s grand prison escape plan.

7. Avengers: Endgame

By the time we get here, both the MCU and the Russos can pretty much do whatever they want. After Infinity Wars’ sort of cliffhanger ending (of course we all new that they were going to bring back all of the snapped characters), the box office was guaranteed. So kudos to them for going slow burn and almost anticlimactic at the start. With therapy sessions, emancipated Iron Man, characters scattered about and sulking and a quickly dismissed Thanos, the first third is deliberate table setting quite at odds with Infinity Wars’ hit the ground running pace. But then the time travel kicks in and we get old scenes from new perspectives and a walking tour through the MCU’s greatest hits (and Thor: The Dark World). You also get Nebula continuing her role as any MCU movie’s stealth MVP. Sure, the movie is not without its flaws (mostly in the final act), but at heart it’s a crowd-pleasing spectacle and the chill-inducing moments for anyone who has made the journey to this point hit as they should. The Avengers finally assemble and it was both a fitting finale and new beginning.

8. Spider-Man Homecoming

It’s the best of the Spider-man “origin” movies precisely because they thankfully glossed over the origin story entirely (yeah, we know radioactive spider, yadda yadda, etc.). Tom Holland nails Spidey both in the suit and out. And Michael Keaton is equal parts intimidating and empathetic as another in a late series string of solid villains (something it took the MCU a while to get right, Loki aside). It’s a fun “teen” movie and a great first step in the Spider-Man cinematic character reclamation project.

9. Ant-Man

Here’s another one where it seemed Marvel would finally falter. A hero that is in and of itself easy to dismiss as more punchline than hero (see also, Aquaman) and the fabled “troubled production.” But then again, they had Paul Rudd, a fun low -stakes set up, clever executions of the Pym technology, solid comedy, an emotional center with his daughter and a fantastic supporting cast, especially Luis who is the best story recapper in cinematic history.

10. Spider-Man: Far From Home

Though it doesn’t quite reach the heights of the first movie, there is a lot to like in this one. Mysterio has always been one of my favorite Spider-Man foes and their take on him was clever and well executed by Jake Gyllenhaal. There were some small gripes about taking the Friendly Neighborhood Spider-man out of his neighborhood and larger ones about the Iron Man-ification of the character, but I think both of those developments are fine. It’s a fun movie that still feels appropriately high school and the extended Mysterio hallucination sequence is really well done.

11. Doctor Strange

I don’t have much knowledge of Doctor Strange from the comics, so I came into this with more of a blank slate than most Marvel movies. I found it an enjoyable origin story with inventive visuals and a compelling story. Mads Mikkelsen’s Kaecilius add another worthy (though likely one-off) villain to the roster and sets up Chiwetel Ejiofor’s Mordo for future conflict as a promising grey-zone threat.

12. Black Panther

Speaking of complicated villains, Killmonger is a great, tragic character anchoring a story that offers real growth to Chadwick Boseman’s flawless characterization as T’Challa reckons with his complicated family legacy, his predecessors’ missteps and what it means to lead. Okay, fine, there are some wonky CGI moments in the final third, but that’s a minor issue when the story itself delivers as it does. The deep cultural impact cannot be ignored as well and just the joy of seeing Wakanda and it’s deep traditions brought to life on screen. Plus, Black Panther himself is just plain cool.

13. Thor

Thor is a good, if admittedly slight, movie. It was a great introduction for both Thor and Loki and established their fun, complicated, tragic dynamic. It brings humor and some great action sequences. I’ve heard knocks that its “small” stakes are ultimately inconsequential for such a larger-than-life character, but not every movie has to have a world leveling threat (and accompanying sky beam, of course). The Shakespearean family dysfunction makes this one enjoyable from start to finish.

14. Iron Man 3

I’m in the rare camp that likes this movie. It’s admittedly an odd entry in the MCU and very much an “Iron Man falls into a Shane Black movie” featuring all of Black’s usual tropes (Christmas setting? Check. Hero taken hostage making threats too captors? Check). Killian as the primary villain isn’t that great, but I do like the Mandarin twist and I have no issue with the final “Battle of a thousand Iron Man suits.” (The other big knock is that Stark gives up his suits at the end only to reverse that a movie later, but, well of course, he changes his mind.)

15. Avengers: Age of Ultron

So we have now arrived at the “not bad movies, but a little disappointing due to wasted potential/ high expectations” portion of the list that really applies to numbers 15 through 19. Ultron is not as bad as it’s reputation suggests but definitely suffers in comparison to The Avengers. All the parts are there, but it somehow lands at less than the sum. That said, it does bring in Vision and Wanda and that alone makes this a worthwhile watch.

16. Ant-Man and the Wasp

Another small (yeah, sure, pun intended) entry that brings less than world altering stakes but delivers. Like Ultron I’m not sure really what is missing so it may just be that it hits a lot of the same beats in the original more so than it forages new ground. The big-to-small-to-giant visuals still bring some fun moments and I like Ghost’s tragic character arc. (Though in terms of story, the less you think about how Janet actually survived for 30 or so years in the quantum realm, the better.) Great to see the Wasp in action and it gave us Jimmy Woo, so how can you be too disappointed.

17. Captain Marvel

Again, not bad (and does get better with each rewatch) but still just sort of disappointing. I agree with the criticism that Brie Larson’s Captain Marvel is a little flat at times, but you could argue that it is in line with her experiences. I deduct some points for the constant reminders of “hey, it’s the 90s!” and uninspired needle drops, but the ending when she finally unleashes her full potential is justifiably impactful. I feel like this is similar to Iron Man, Captain America and Thor where I more look forward to what they do with the character next time now that they’ve gotten the mechanics of the origin story out of the way.

18. Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol. 2

Aside from some high spots (Mantis, Drax, Nebula, the Mary Poppins moment) this one is just kind of there. My biggest issue may be scattering the cast when the best moments are how they interact with each other. The fighting that tears them apart feels a little contrived (and yes, I know bickering is part of their DNA, but it feels more like forced plot mechanics working to separate them rather being really character or story driven). The middle part drags as they slowly come to the realization that Ego is evil, but the beginning and ending are solid.

19. Iron Man

I know this is way too low for most and putting it below IM3 may be seen as pure sacrilege (or just a complete lack of taste) but hear me out. I think this is one of the absolute best Marvel movies…for the first half. It’s a great introduction to the both the character and the MCU overall and was a big gamble that paid off. To me the line from “great to somewhat tedious” is clearly when he squares off against the fighter jets after his first live test of the suit. I can turn off the movie there and feel satisfied, but the boring second half face off with Stane just drags for me.

20. Thor: The Dark World

It’s not as bad as people say though the reasons people knock it are valid. Christopher Eccleston is wasted as Malekith, the story is unnecessarily convoluted, it doesn’t do Thor justice as a character, the visuals are muddy, and so on. On a rewatch I found a little more to like than I initially remembered (Loki delivers once again) and the biggest knock is probably that it just suffers in comparison to every other movie on this list (for me the drop off from #19 to #20 is steep.) I don’t every seek this one out but when I do watch it, I always think “it’s not as bad as I remember” but then pretty much forget about it again once it’s done.

21. Iron Man 2

This was the first sequel and it comes off like pure filler in the overall MCU (you could arguably say the same for The Dark World, though its pivotal role in Endgame makes that a less valid argument in hindsight). It goes with the double-up sequel theory – double the heroes, double the villains – with half the stakes or care in scripting. Uninspired seems to define everything from the foes to the action to the final battle – it’s all just kind of there. The debuts of both Black Widow and War Machine are welcome (though I think BW’s first scene in The Avengers does as much to effectively establish her character as anything in this movie.) It”s not terrible, but it’s also not essential.

22. Captain America: The First Avenger

I know I’m relatively alone in this being at the bottom of an MCU list, and I can admit that it’s not a bad movie, but it’s the last one I will intentionally watch. It’s fine for what it is and I get why it is loved by many, but it just doesn’t land for me. I am glad that it gave us the excellent Agent Carter character. Ultimately, it’s just kind of boring.

23. The Incredible Hulk

Some say that there are no truly bad Marvel movies, just different degrees of good to great. I can only assume those people have never seen The Incredible Hulk. It’s a boring slog that devolves into an uninspired CGI punch fest. Even the MCU has understandably kind of disowned it (for good reason) but it still exists and is technically part of the overall package. Skip.