{"id":53234,"date":"2025-08-01T19:28:17","date_gmt":"2025-08-01T19:28:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/53234\/"},"modified":"2025-08-01T19:28:17","modified_gmt":"2025-08-01T19:28:17","slug":"marvel-studios-movies-and-shows-ranked-from-worst-to-best","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/53234\/","title":{"rendered":"Marvel Studios Movies and Shows Ranked, From Worst to Best"},"content":{"rendered":"

\n\tSPOILER ALERT: This list references major plot developments for basically every project in the MCU, which is available to stream on Disney+.<\/p>\n

\n\tSince 2008, Marvel Studios has released 37 feature films, 15 streaming series and two TV specials, all of it knitted together within the unprecedented narrative tapestry known as the Marvel Cinematic Universe. With its latest movie, \u201cThe Fantastic Four: First Steps,\u201d the company has gone back to its roots, bringing the inaugural creation of Stan Lee and Jack Kirby into the MCU. So it seemed fitting to look back at the entirety of this history-making creative endeavor and rank every title from worst to best. (Marvel comics adaptations that weren\u2019t produced by Marvel Studios \u2014 like Netflix\u2019s \u201cJessica Jones,\u201d ABC\u2019s \u201cAgents of S.H.I.E.L.D.,\u201d 20th Century Fox\u2019s \u201cX-Men: Days of Future Past\u201d and Sony Pictures\u2019 \u201cSpider-Verse\u201d movies \u2014 aren\u2019t eligible.)<\/p>\n

\n\tMoving forward, Marvel Studios chief Kevin Feige has said its TV efforts won\u2019t be as entwined with its movies as they have been, but it all still resides inside the same gargantuan sandbox, part of the most ambitious storytelling project in Hollywood history. At their best, each entry within the MCU delights and thrills and provokes and surprises, and even its lesser titles still have so much to enjoy about them. Some of these rankings felt like no-brainers, others inspired fierce debate among the team that assembled this list\u00a0\u2014\u00a0and likely in the comments section below. We\u2019ll keep updating this list for as long as the MCU lasts, or until the inevitable reboot.<\/p>\n

\tSecret Invasion (2023)<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\"secret-invasion\"
\n\t\t\t\t\tImage Credit: Disney\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\n\tCreated by: Kyle Bradstreet\u00a0
\u00a0
A twisty spy thriller centered around Samuel L. Jackson\u2019s Nick Fury should be a slam dunk, especially one boasting such an embarrassment of talent, including Olivia Colman, Don Cheadle, Ben Mendelsohn, Emilia Clarke and Kingsley Ben-Adir. Instead, \u201cSecret Invasion\u201d was just embarrassing, with a tedious, convoluted plot involving a cabal of shape-shifting Skrulls attempting to take over the planet. Director Ali Selim, who helmed every episode, stranded his actors in grey, listless scenes that went nowhere, with a ludicrous ending in which Clarke\u2019s character inexplicably became the most powerful being in the MCU and Cheadle\u2019s Rhodey had secretly been a Skrull since (as Selim told Variety<\/a>) the events of 2016\u2019s \u201cCaptain America: Civil War.\u201d At the very least, \u201cSecret Invasion\u201d presaged Disney\u2019s decision to rethink Marvel\u2019s aggressive expansion into streaming television, but this show remains the absolute nadir of the MCU.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\tThor: The Dark World (2013)\u00a0<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\""Thor:\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\n\tDirected by: Alan Taylor\u00a0
Written by: Christopher L. Yost, Christopher Markus, Stephen McFeely\u00a0
\u00a0
\u201cThe Dark World\u201d was hamstrung from the start by creative challenges, including a seemingly unfinished script, which led Patty Jenkins to bow out of directing. Marvel then enlisted Taylor, who\u2019d helmed several episodes of \u201cGame of Thrones,\u201d to execute their more grounded vision for the sequel, which sees Thor (Chris Hemsworth) racing to stop the Dark Elves and their leader Malekith (Christopher Eccleston) from unleashing a powerful weapon called the Aether and plunging the Nine Realms (including Earth) into darkness. (Does\u202fany\u202fof this sound familiar? No?) All the fun of the first film\u2019s god-among-Earthlings plot line gets drained out of the story, much as the Aether drains Jane Foster (Natalie Portman) of life for a good chunk of the film. Also, one of the film\u2019s central plot points \u2014 Thor and Loki (Tom Hiddleston) forming an uneasy alliance \u2014 doesn\u2019t quite work. Perhaps it\u2019s because the brothers\u2019 tension is the thing that keeps audiences coming back for more (in addition to their luscious locks) or it\u2019s because Loki is a more formidable foe \u2014\u202fand compelling character \u2014 than the dreary villain they\u2019re facing.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\tAnt-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (2023)\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\"ANT-MAN
\n\t\t\t\t\tImage Credit: \u00a9Walt Disney Co.\/Courtesy Everett Collection\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\n\tDirected by: Peyton Reed\u00a0
Written by: Jeff Loveness\u00a0
\u00a0
In every dimension, \u201cQuantumania\u201d is a mess. The Quantum Realm is a CGI slop-fest. The story \u2014 involving Kang (Jonathan Majors) and something called a \u201cmultiversal power core\u201d\u202f\u2014\u202fis incoherent. Michelle Pfeiffer\u2019s Janet Van Dyne gets far more screentime than the previous film, and yet her character makes even less sense. Worst of all, the movie loses the humor and Paul Rudd-ian joy of the previous two \u201cAnt-Man\u201d movies. Actually, no, the worst thing of all is M.O.D.O.K. (Corey Stoll) and everything about him. Who decided to put that crime against humanity on film? Our condolences to the Ant-Family; you deserved to end on a higher note.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\tMoon Knight (2022)<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\"Moon-Knight\"
\n\t\t\t\t\tImage Credit: Disney Plus\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\n\tCreated by: Jeremy Slater\u00a0
\u00a0
As a man with dissociative identity disorder, Oscar Isaac plays Steven Grant and Marc Spector and Moon Knight and Mr. Knight and Jake Lockley \u2014 and, well, they\u2019re all weird, and all too rarely in a fun way. Despite the whiplash from constant body swaps, Isaac is the best part of an otherwise muddled and confusing series that keeps shifting tones and plotlines without much by way of coherence. There\u2019s ambition here, to be sure, but it\u2019s a lot of big swings without much connection.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\tThor: Love and Thunder (2022)\u00a0<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\"THOR:
\n\t\t\t\t\tImage Credit: \u00a9Walt Disney Co.\/Courtesy Everett Collection\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\n\tDirected by: Taika Waititi\u00a0
Written by: Taika Waititi, Jennifer Kaytin Robinson\u00a0
\u00a0
After the success of \u201cThor: Ragnarok,\u201d Marvel and Waititi seem to have learned all the wrong lessons, larding this sequel with tiresome free-associative silliness, like Thor\u2019s first-act holiday with the Guardians of the Galaxy, or Russell Crowe\u2019s frivolous Zeus lording over an overly-CGI\u2019d Omnipotence City. All of it drowns out what should be one of the franchise\u2019s most heartbreaking storylines: Jane Foster temporarily escaping her terminal cancer diagnosis by transforming into the Mighty Thor. Instead, it feels like an afterthought.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

\tThe Incredible Hulk (2008)\u00a0<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\"Incredible
\n\t\t\t\t\tImage Credit: Courtesy of Marvel\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\n\tDirected by: Louis Leterrier\u00a0
Written by: Zak Penn\u00a0
\u00a0
The second ever entry in the MCU \u2014\u202fit came out in June 2008, five-and-a-half weeks after the release of \u201cIron Man\u201d \u2014\u202fis a turgid, joyless, paint-by-numbers origin story for Bruce Banner (Edward Norton). If you can picture how Mark Ruffalo plays Bruce\/the Hulk in the \u201cAvengers\u201d movies \u2014\u202fwith a wink that\u2019s only slightly concealed by his sad eyes \u2014 Norton, so often a wonderful actor, would not have been able to fit into that crowd. Nor did he even get a chance to, since Ruffalo was hired as Norton\u2019s replacement<\/a> in July 2010 so he could appear alongside the cast of \u201cThe Avengers\u201d at San Diego Comic-Con. Norton reportedly fought with Marvel about the script and the final cut, and after casting Ruffalo, Feige released a pointed statement, in which he said the decision to recast was \u201crooted in the need for an actor who embodies the creativity and collaborative spirit of our other talented cast members. \u2018The Avengers\u2019 demands players who thrive working as part of an ensemble.\u201d Norton would later tell the New York Times<\/a> that he found Feige\u2019s statement to be \u201ccheap\u201d and an example of \u201cbrand defensiveness.\u201d All of which is to say, if only the fun messiness of these behind-the-scenes arguments had made their way into \u201cThe Incredible Hulk.\u201d Instead, it\u2019s just boring.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

\tIron Man 2 (2010)\u00a0<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\"IRON
\n\t\t\t\t\tImage Credit: Paramount \/ Courtesy Everett Collection\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\n\tDirected by: Jon Favreau\u00a0
Written by: Justin Theroux\u00a0
\u00a0
This film\u2019s box office success proved the MCU had staying power \u2014\u202fwhich we\u2019re not complaining about. There\u2019s just not much about this movie that is worth revisiting. Mickey Rourke\u2019s Whiplash is one of Marvel\u2019s weakest villains, and the plot about Tony Stark\u2019s quest to find a new power core for the arc reactor in his chest is a snooze. But hey, the movie did at least give us Scarlett Johansson as Black Widow and Don Cheadle as War Machine.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\tEcho (2024)<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\"Alaqua
\n\t\t\t\t\tImage Credit: Chuck Zlotnick \/ Marvel Studios\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\n\tHead writer: Marion Dayre\u00a0
\u00a0
\u201cEcho\u201d made history as the first live-action superhero adaptation about a Native American character and a deaf character, Alaqua Cox\u2019s Maya Lopez, introduced as an antagonist in 2021\u2019s \u201cHawkeye.\u201d Cox is a magnetic presence, but the show that surrounds her tries to cram way too much into only five episodes, from Maya\u2019s complicated relationship with her estranged family in Oklahoma, to her even more complicated relationship with crime boss Wilson Fisk (Vincent D\u2019Onofrio), to the mystical abilities embedded in Maya\u2019s Choctaw heritage. There\u2019s a solid show somewhere in here, but \u201cEcho\u201d tries to be so many things at once \u2014\u202fa crime thriller, a family drama, a redemption story \u2014 that it winds up shortchanging all of them.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\tEternals (2021)\u202f\u00a0<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\"Eternals\"
\n\t\t\t\t\tImage Credit: Courtesy of Marvel Studios\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\n\tDirected by: Chlo\u00e9 Zhao\u202f\u00a0
Written by: Chlo\u00e9 Zhao, Patrick Burleigh, Ryan Firpo, Kaz Firpo
\u00a0
Fresh off her Oscar wins for \u201cNomadland,\u201d Chlo\u00e9 Zhao fashions a highbrow superhero movie that introduces a new roster of A-listers to the MCU and a cosmic mythology to human civilization, but it lacks the fun and sense of levity fans have come to expect from the MCU. There\u2019s just too much exposition, too much philosophy, and too many new characters. It\u2019s an admirable attempt to do something radically different \u2014 both for Zhao and for Marvel \u2014 with some stunning, elevated production design and the most inclusive cast Marvel has yet assembled. But \u201cEternals\u201d ultimately feels unable to reconcile Zhao\u2019s enigmatic artistic instincts and the need to deliver a big budget studio entertainment.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\tCaptain America: Brave New World (2025)\u00a0<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\"Captain
\n\t\t\t\t\tImage Credit: Disney\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\n\tDirected by: Julius Onah\u00a0
Written by: Rob Edwards, Malcolm Spellman, Dalan Musson, Julius Onah, Peter Glanz\u00a0
\u00a0
It\u2019s hard to begrudge Marvel for casting Harrison Ford as President Thaddeus Ross, after the actor who originated the role, William Hurt, died in 2022. But Ford is such a Mount Rushmore-level star that he throws the balance all off in what should be a story about Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie) navigating his early days as the new Captain America. Instead, Mackie\u2019s tremendous charisma is smothered in a lumbering, Frankensteined-together story that calls back to \u201cThe Incredible Hulk\u201d from (checks watch) 17 years earlier \u2014 a movie that has nothing to do with Wilson. You wind up just waiting for Ford to become Red Hulk in the final act,\u202fwhich is unmistakably cool, but barely worth the experience.\u00a0
\u00a0<\/p>\n

\tThe Falcon and the Winter Soldier (2021)\u00a0<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\"The
\n\t\t\t\t\tImage Credit: Julie Vrabelov\u00e1 \/ Marvel Studios\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\n\tCreated by: Malcolm Spellman\u00a0
\u00a0
Before Anthony Mackie could upgrade himself to full Captain America status, he had to complete his Disney+ TV show basic training, where he was joined by fellow Cap sidekick, Sebastian Stan\u2019s Bucky Barnes. Their chemistry was the only thing that could keep this warmed-up Captain America frozen dinner alive. The show\u2019s initial exploration of what it means for a Black man to become Captain America got bogged down by the faceless Flag Smashers, an interlude in Madripoor, a random Wakandan fight scene, and COVID delays, with the one semi-bright spot being Wyatt Russell\u2019s debut as U.S. Agent. It\u2019s a good thing \u201cWandaVision\u201d leapfrogged this show and kicked off the MCU\u2019s streaming enterprise, otherwise the MCU would\u2019ve had a frosty welcome on Disney+.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\tWhat If\u2026? (2021-2024)\u00a0<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\"Marvel
\n\t\t\t\t\tImage Credit: Courtesy of Disney Plus\/Marvel Studios\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\n\tCreated by: A.C. Bradley\u00a0<\/p>\n

\n\tIt\u2019s an intriguing premise \u2014\u202fuse the multiverse to ponder alternate storylines for dozens of Marvel characters \u2014 that supplied three seasons of animated TV that were often diverting, sometimes depressing, and rarely all that interesting. It\u2019s telling that the show\u2019s best episode is also its second ever: Chadwick Boseman\u2019s final performance as Star-Lord T\u2019Challa, whose innate decency is so powerful that, after he joins the Ravagers in place of Peter Quill, he convinces Thanos (Josh Brolin) to give up erasing half of all life in the universe.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\tAvengers: Age of Ultron (2015)\u00a0<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\"AVENGERS:
\n\t\t\t\t\tImage Credit: Marvel Studios \/ Courtesy Everett Collection\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\n\tWritten and directed by: Joss Whedon\u00a0
\u00a0
How do some of the most consequential Avengers plotlines (The Sokovia Incident! Wakandan Vibranium! Thanos and the Infinity Stones!) make for the most frustrating Avengers movie? Let\u2019s start with the creation of Ultron: two brilliant scientists take a shortcut to finish their defense program by utilizing a sketchy A.I. program they discovered in a supernatural scepter; then that program becomes sentient and intent on destroying humankind. And we\u2019re supposed to believe Bruce Banner and Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) didn\u2019t see that coming?! There\u2019s just way too much happening here at once, between the introduction of Elizabeth Olsen and Aaron Taylor-Johnson as the Maximoff twins and Paul Bettany as Vision to the soft launch of a romance between Bruce and Natasha (Scarlett Johansson) that never meets its full potential. There are some redeeming qualities, like James Spader\u2019s bone-chilling performance as Ultron and the chance to meet the family of Clint Barton (Jeremy Renner). But overall, \u201cAge of Ultron\u201d feels like trudging through the required reading to get to the better-told stories ahead.\u202f\u00a0<\/p>\n

\tWerewolf by Night (2022)\u00a0<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\"Werewolf\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\n\tDirected by: Michael Giacchino\u00a0
Written by: Heather Quinn, Peter Cameron\u00a0
\u00a0
From the hallowed halls of Bloodstone Manor comes the Werewolf by Night: a furry Gael Garcia Bernal who looks like a knock-off Wolf Man performer at Universal Studios Hollywood. There\u2019s also the CGI creature Man-Thing (no, not DC\u2019s cooler Swamp Thing) and a handful of forgettable monster hunters who meet their PG-13 demise in this mostly unremarkable special, other than its admittedly fun black-and-white cinematography.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\tThor (2011)\u00a0<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\"THOR,
\n\t\t\t\t\tImage Credit: Paramount \/ Courtesy Everett Collection\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\n\tDirected by: Kenneth Branagh\u00a0
Written by: Ashley E. Miller, Zack Stentz, Don Payne\u00a0
\u00a0
In a recurring theme for Marvel in its earliest days,\u202fthe company found the perfect actor to play an Asgardian warrior-god who wields a magical hammer named Mj\u00f8lnir. Chris Hemsworth has the harlequin romance-novel good looks to pull off the sci-fi, rom-com aspects of the story (aided by solid chemistry with Natalie Portman\u2019s brilliant astrophysicist Jane Foster), but he crucially can also access the vulnerability of someone grappling with their inadequacies \u2014 critical to Thor\u2019s emotional arc when he\u2019s banished from Asgard to Earth. Plus, Hemsworth\u2019s sense of comedic timing is top notch. Overall, Branagh had the proper sensibilities to make the Shakespearean dynamics between the gods work \u2014 especially the fraught fraternal relationship between Thor and Loki, including their respective daddy issues. (Casting Anthony Hopkins as their father, Odin, king of Asgard, is particularly inspired.) It\u2019s a strong start in terms of character development and the world-building of Asgard, but given its artificial-looking visual effects, the film ultimately pales in comparison to the movies to come.\u202f\u00a0<\/p>\n

\tShe-Hulk: Attorney at Law (2022)\u00a0<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\"She-Hulk\"\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\n\tCreated by: Jessica Gao\u00a0
\u00a0
Let\u2019s get this criticism out of the way: \u201cShe-Hulk: Attorney at Law\u201d looked terrible, and cheap as hell \u2014 and that\u2019s what most people are likely to remember about it. When she would Hulk out, Tatiana Maslany\u2019s Jennifer Walters was difficult to look at \u2014\u202flike, it was actually mortifying. The show could also have used less of its dated hashtag-Girlboss ethos and simply relied on Maslany\u2019s many charms. Because when it did, MCU\u2019s first official comedy was a blast. Jen\u2019s banter with her cousin Bruce (a totally game Mark Ruffalo), her attempts to navigate her career as a lawyer when she\u2019s also a Hulk, the reintroduction of Matt Murdock as Daredevil, and the finale\u2019s fourth-wall-breaking<\/a> ending featuring a robot overseeing Marvel named the Knowledge Enhanced Visual Interconnectivity Nexus (i.e, K.E.V.I.N.) \u2014\u202fso fun! Marvel is ambitious, but it\u2019s rarely experimental; \u201cShe-Hulk\u201d really tried new things (and yes, not all of them worked). But this is one Marvel series we\u2019d have liked to have seen continue, if they could only figure out how to de-cringe its title character\u2019s appearance.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\tAnt-Man and the Wasp (2018)\u00a0<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\"Ant-Man
\n\t\t\t\t\tImage Credit: Courtesy of Disney\/Everett Collection\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\n\tDirected by: Peyton Reed\u00a0
Written by: Chris McKenna, Erik Sommers, Paul Rudd, Andrew Barrer, Gabriel Ferrari\u00a0
\u00a0
What\u2019s better than one superhero who can get teensy? Four of them! (Sort of?) At less than two hours, \u201cAnt-Man and the Wasp\u201d and its tale of quantum entanglements is a relatively short romp in the MCU. It\u2019s refreshing watching the women in this franchise \u2014 Hope van Dyne a.k.a. the Wasp (Evangeline Lilly) and the villainous Ava Starr\/Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen) \u2014 at the center of the plot and kicking ass along the way. But this movie is as inconsequential as its characters are microscopic,\u202fwhich is especially odd given how vital the Quantum Realm becomes in later storylines. The levity is also a little disorienting following the heartbreaking intensity of \u201cAvengers: Infinity War,\u201d and the points this movie gets for casting Michelle Pfeiffer as Hope\u2019s mother Janet van Dyne get taken away for how criminally rare Pfeiffer appears on screen.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\tThe Fantastic Four: First Steps (2025)\u00a0<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\"(L-R):
\n\t\t\t\t\tImage Credit: MARVEL STUDIOS\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\n\tDirected by: Matt Shakman\u00a0
Written by: Josh Friedman, Eric Pearson, Jeff Kaplan, Ian Springer, Kat Wood\u00a0
\u00a0
The return of Marvel\u2019s First Family to the MCU is a huge improvement from the three previous \u201cFantastic Four\u201d movies (especially the 2015 disaster), but the film isn\u2019t the unqualified triumph it so clearly aims to be, either. Shakman treats these characters with an earnestness that Marvel rarely embraces \u2014\u202fno one quips about the giant horned helmet on Galactus (Ralph Ineson), for example \u2014\u202fand the cast all give performances rooted in making their superhuman characters feel like real people. But the film\u2019s wow factor rests heavily on Kasra Farahani\u2019s impeccable retro-future production design and Michael Giacchino\u2019s soaring score, while much of the plot and action unfold in rushed montages. It\u2019s just painfully evident that several storylines, especially Ben Grimm\u2019s (Ebon Moss-Bachrach), have been cut to the bone, and only Vanessa Kirby\u2019s Sue Storm really comes through as a fully realized presence. As an introduction, \u201cFirst Steps\u201d lives up to its subtitle; no more, no less.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\tBlack Widow (2021)\u202f\u00a0<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\"Black
\n\t\t\t\t\tImage Credit: Courtesy of Disney\/Everett Collection\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\n\tDirected by: Cate Shortland\u202f\u00a0
Written by: Eric Pearson\u202f\u00a0
\u00a0
So much about \u201cBlack Widow\u201d feels just a little off. It finally furnishes a compelling solo movie \u2014 and origin story \u2014 for Scarlett Johansson\u2019s title Avenger, but two years after her character died in \u201cAvengers: Endgame.\u201d It was meant to launch the MCU into its post-\u201cEndgame\u201d era, but the pandemic forced Marvel to release the film on Disney+. And although the movie is supposed to be about Natasha Romanoff, the introduction of her adopted Russian father and sister \u2014 David Harbour\u2019s Red Guardian and Florence Pugh\u2019s Yelena\u202f\u2014\u202fwinds up stealing the show. (If Marvel had stuck to the film\u2019s original, heartbreaking ending<\/a>, we would\u2019ve ranked this even higher.)\u00a0<\/p>\n

\tIron Man 3 (2013)\u202f\u00a0<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\"IRON
\n\t\t\t\t\tImage Credit: Marvel Studios \/ Courtesy Everett Collection\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\n\tDirected by: Shane Black\u202f\u00a0
Written by: Drew Pearce, Shane Black\u202f\u00a0
\u00a0
\u201cIron Man 3\u201d inspired some of the most spirited debate among our team. Tony Stark is separated from his Iron Man suit for long stretches of the movie, as he grapples with PTSD from the Battle for New York in \u201cThe Avengers,\u201d mentors a sassy kid (Ty Simpkins) and fiercely protects Happy (Jon Favreau) and Pepper (Gwyneth Paltrow). But it\u2019s how this movie treats its villains \u2014 Guy Pearce\u2019s Aldrich Killian and Ben Kingsley\u2019s the Mandarin, aka out-of-work actor Trevor Slattery\u202f\u2014 that truly divides audiences. You either think the twist is a fabulous joke that tweaks terrorist fear-mongering, or a really, really lame fake-out that just about ruins the movie. So we split the difference and placed it at the top of the bottom tier \u2014 or the bottom of the middle tier, depending on how you look at it. (At least we can all agree the explosive finale features a great kick-ass moment with Pepper, right?)\u00a0<\/p>\n

\tCaptain Marvel (2019)\u202f\u00a0<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\"Captain
\n\t\t\t\t\tImage Credit: Courtesy of Marvel Studios\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\n\tDirected by: Anna Boden, Ryan Fleck\u202f\u00a0
Written by: Anna Boden, Ryan Fleck, Geneva RobertsonDworet\u202f\u00a0
\u00a0
While the origin story for Brie Larson\u2019s Carol Danvers made history as the first female-led superhero film to cross $1 billion in box office grosses worldwide, it\u2019s also arguably the weakest of the trio of Marvel(s) titles. For most of the movie, Carol doesn\u2019t know who she actually is, let alone what she\u2019s capable of, which is deeply frustrating for her \u2014 and for the audience. Still, the \u201990s callbacks are fun, Jude Law turns in an enjoyably sleazy performance as the villain, and it\u2019s interesting to see a younger Nick Fury with both eyes and hair. Also, any movie that casts Annette Bening as a malevolent artificial intelligence is doing something right.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\tThe Marvels (2023)\u00a0<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\"THE
\n\t\t\t\t\tImage Credit: \u00a9Walt Disney Co.\/Courtesy Everett Collection\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\n\tDirected by: Nia DaCosta\u00a0
Written by: Nia DaCosta, Megan McDonnell, Elissa Karasik\u00a0
\u00a0
For her all-female team-up movie \u2014 with Captain Marvel joining Monica Rambeau (Teyonah Parris) and Kamala Khan, a.k.a. Ms. Marvel (Iman Vellani) \u2014 DaCosta set out to center fun, and she (mostly) delivered. On top of finding a propulsive way illustrate the physical entanglement of the superheroines\u2019 light-based powers, DaCosta\u2019s film doesn\u2019t overdo the sisterhood trope. Instead, she creates space for the characters work through their complicated dynamics \u2014 i.e. Kamala learns to manage her Captain Marvel superfandom, while Monica and Carol grapple with complex feelings of resentment and abandonment \u2014 which makes it all the more rewarding when they eventually join forces. The film suffers from obvious reshoots, a forgettable villain and the homework-y callbacks to the TV shows \u201cWandaVision\u201d and \u201cMs. Marvel.\u201d But if you can\u2019t laugh at the \u201cLet the Flerkens eat you\u201d gag \u2014 a scene which sees alien cats swallowing the crew of a spaceship in order to evacuate them more easily, set to \u201cMemory\u201d from the Broadway musical \u201cCats\u201d \u2014 what are we even doing here?\u00a0<\/p>\n

\tMs. Marvel (2022)\u00a0<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\"Ms
\n\t\t\t\t\tImage Credit: Disney+\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\n\tCreated by: Bisha K. Ali\u00a0
\u00a0
This show would rank as the best of the Marvel(s) trilogy thanks alone to Iman Vellani\u2019s outrageously charismatic performance as Kamala Khan \u2014 there\u2019s a reason Kevin Feige recently proclaimed her to be<\/a> \u201cone of the greatest bits of casting we\u2019ve ever done.\u201d But \u201cMs. Marvel\u201d also has some big ideas on its mind, about assimilation vs. authenticity and the generational trauma of the partition of India and Pakistan in 1942. And then the show abandons all that to cram in the Department of Damage Control as a clumsy metaphor for Homeland Security. Throughout, Vellani commands your full attention, and we\u2019re more than happy to give it to her.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\tAnt-Man (2015)\u202f\u00a0<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\"Ant-Man\"
\n\t\t\t\t\tImage Credit: Courtesy of Marvel\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\n\tDirected by: Peyton Reed\u202f\u00a0
Written by: Edgar Wright, Joe Cornish, Adam McKay, Paul Rudd\u202f\u00a0
\u00a0
There isn\u2019t a MCU character more endearing than Paul Rudd\u2019s Scott Lang \u2014 his only real competition might be his fast-talking, chatty scene-partner, Michael Pe\u00f1a as Lang\u2019s ex-cellmate. This film had one of the more tortured journeys to the big screen (Edgar Wright famously dropped out of directing just months before shooting), and yet it\u2019s easily the best, most satisfying film in the franchise. Some movies can just be for giggles, and this one delivers big laughs about a guy getting small.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\tIronheart (2025)\u00a0<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\"Ironheart\"
\n\t\t\t\t\tImage Credit: Courtesy of Disney+\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\n\tCreated by: Chinaka Hodge\u00a0
\u00a0
From the moment that teen tech genius Riri Williams (Dominique Thorne) crash lands onto the streets of Chicago after getting kicked out of M.I.T., it was clear that this show would mimic its lead character\u2019s ingenuity, scrappiness and sense of humor. But its most standout element was the deftness with which the show addressed Riri\u2019s deep-set grief over the loss of her best friend and her stepfather, with the story illuminating the idea that her desire to create a suit of armor was about protecting her own heart as much as it was the bodies of those she loves. Produced by \u201cBlack Panther\u201d steward Ryan Coogler, this series sat on the shelf longer than planned, but its multilayered story stayed fresh thanks to strong performances from its lead cast and a science versus magic plotline that had plenty of spark. Bonus points awarded for setting a major fight sequence at a White Castle. Harold and Kumar are looking on somewhere, proudly.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\tDoctor Strange (2016)\u00a0<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\"Doctor
\n\t\t\t\t\tImage Credit: Courtesy of Disney\/Marvel\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\n\tDirected by: Scott Derrickson\u00a0
Written by: Jon Spaihts, Scott Derrickson, C. Robert Cargill\u00a0
\u00a0
Benedict Cumberbatch is the rare actor who can exude intelligence and wit in the silliest of circumstances, which is what you need in a movie about a wizard in a flying cape who casts spells by waving his hands around at eccentric angles. Cumberbatch\u2019s utter commitment to Stephen Strange, matched with Derrickson\u2019s mind-bending visuals, make for a solid origin story with a climax that, for once, relies on its hero\u2019s mind over his might.\u00a0
\u00a0<\/p>\n

\tThunderbolts* (2024)\u00a0<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\"THUNDERBOLTS*,
\n\t\t\t\t\tImage Credit: \u00a9Walt Disney Co.\/Courtesy Evere\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\n\tDirected by: Jake Schreier\u00a0
Written by: Eric Pearson, Joanna Calo\u00a0
\u00a0
This movie shouldn\u2019t work. It heavily references \u201cThe Falcon and the Winter Soldier,\u201d \u201cBlack Widow\u201d and \u201cAnt-Man and the Wasp,\u201d projects firmly in Marvel\u2019s minor leagues, with a cast of disreputable characters who have heretofore loitered around the periphery of the MCU. And yet, thanks to Schreier\u2019s steady, assured direction, these broken Marvel toys convey a potent story about, of all things, overcoming suicidal depression that still works as a rip-roaring good time. Lewis Pullman\u2019s diffident performance as Bob, aka Sentry, aka Void \u2014 a profoundly ordinary, damaged man who stumbles into becoming one of the most powerful people in the MCU \u2014\u202fstrikes a chord that Marvel hasn\u2019t really ever played before. We\u2019re eager to hear more.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\tDaredevil: Born Again (2025)\u00a0<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\"Daredevil
\n\t\t\t\t\tImage Credit: Marvel\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\n\tCreated by: Dario Scardapane, Matt Corman, Chris Ord\u00a0
\u00a0
After being relegated to Netflix\u2019s Marvel-verse and teased in brief cameos in \u201cSpider-Man: No Way Home\u201d and \u201cEcho,\u201d Charlie Cox\u2019s Daredevil gets the red-carpet treatment in his grand MCU homecoming. The brutality and maturity of the Netflix show make the jump to Disney+, as does Jon Bernthal\u2019s trigger-happy Punisher, the rest of Daredevil\u2019s lawyer pals, and Vincent D\u2019Onofrio\u2019s corrupt Kingpin as he becomes the mayor of New York City \u2014 about as timely a storyline as Marvel\u2019s ever had. There\u2019s also a one-shot action scene in the series premiere that will get your heart racing loud enough for Daredevil\u2019s heightened senses to hear.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\tYour Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man (2025)\u00a0<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\"Peter
\n\t\t\t\t\tImage Credit: Courtesy of Disney+\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\n\tCreated by: Jeff Trammell\u00a0
\u00a0
Spidey (Hudson Thames) and his friends get reimagined in what\u2019s basically a \u201cWhat If\u2026?\u201d episode \u2014\u202fwhat if Norman Osborn was Peter Parker\u2019s mentor instead of Tony Stark? \u2014 turned into an appealing, series-long reinterpretation of the web-slinger\u2019s origins. Along with Osborn (voiced by an equally warm and chilling Colman Domingo), the supporting cast eschews MJ Watson and Gwen Stacy in favor of Nico Minoru (Grace Song) and Lonnie Lincoln, aka Tombstone (Eugene Byrd) \u2014 there\u2019s plenty of new material here to love. The comic-inspired animation style may not be for everyone, but even longtime Spider-Man fans will find something in the show to appreciate.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\tDoctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022)\u202f\u00a0<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\"(L-R):
\n\t\t\t\t\tImage Credit: Courtesy of Marvel Studios\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\n\tDirected by: Sam Raimi\u202f\u00a0
Written by: Michael Waldron\u202f\u00a0
\u00a0
How many Benedict Cumberbatches is too many Benedict Cumberbatches? \u201cMultiverse of Madness\u201d tests the limit, as the ever-expanding multiverse tosses multiple versions of the (sometimes former) Sorcerer Supreme into chaos. Marvel\u2019s self-declared first horror film \u2014\u202fhelmed by \u201cEvil Dead\u201d auteur and original \u201cSpider-Man\u201d director Raimi \u2014 follows a traumatized, Darkhold-pilled Wanda on a take-no-prisoners mission to use the multiverse to get back to her two sons. Raimi deploys plenty of trippy visual effects, a crash course in multiversal law, plus a handful of introductions (Xochitl Gomez as America Chavez), fan casting (John Krasinski as Reed Richards), and reprises from other universes (Patrick Stewart as Professor X).\u202fIt\u2019s a lot to take in, and a helluva lot of fun to watch.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\tGuardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (2023)\u00a0<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\"Rocket
\n\t\t\t\t\tImage Credit: Courtesy of Marvel Studios\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\n\tWritten and directed by: James Gunn\u00a0
\u00a0
For this motley crew\u2019s final space adventure, Gunn focuses on the Guardians\u2019 desperate fight to save the life of the irascible Rocket (voiced by Bradley Cooper, performed on set by Sean Gunn), and finally reveals how a baby raccoon became a foul-mouthed, anthropomorphized weapons genius. If you\u2019re not moved by his heartbreaking backstory \u2014 featuring a group of fellow furry friends\/prisoners who suffer an even more tragic fate \u2014 you might be more wooden than Groot (Vin Diesel). As Gunn\u2019s swan song at Marvel, \u201cVol. 3\u201d makes an epic final track in his intergalactic mixtape. The dog days might be over, but thankfully the OG Guardians had each other to get through them.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\tThe Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special\u202f(2022)\u00a0<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\"Guardians
\n\t\t\t\t\tImage Credit: Marvel\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\n\tWritten and directed by: James Gunn\u00a0
\u00a0
Where else can you find Christmas cheer and Drax the Destroyer kidnapping Kevin Bacon other than Gunn\u2019s chaotic corner of the MCU? The \u201cGuardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special\u201d is 42 minutes of so-weird-that-it-works yuletide merriment and superhero fun, and it finally gives Pom Klementieff room to show off her comedic chops as Mantis. Gunn\u2019s special delivers more enjoyment than many feature-length films; it will be a great present to keep unwrapping every holiday season.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\tSpider-Man: Far From Home (2019)\u202f\u00a0<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\"SPIDER-MAN:
\n\t\t\t\t\tImage Credit: \u00a9Columbia Pictures\/courtesy Everett Co \/ Everett Collection\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\n\tDirected by: Jon Watts\u202f\u00a0
Written by: Chris McKenna, Erik Sommers\u202f\u00a0
\u00a0
The world is finally recovering in the first post-Blip film, sending Peter Parker (Tom Holland) and his classmates to Europe for some much-needed R&R. But vacation gets complicated when elemental monsters start attacking, forcing Peter to choose between his crush on MJ and living up to Tony Stark\u2019s legacy. The film shines through Peter\u2019s dynamic duos \u2014 whether it\u2019s a charming bromance (and eventual betrayal) with Jake Gyllenhaal\u2019s disgruntled ex-Stark employee in a fishbowl helmet, or a sweet moment of truth with Zendaya\u2019s MJ. Packed with high school charm and international backdrops, it\u2019s a young, fresh start to the MCU\u2019s next chapter.\u202f\u00a0<\/p>\n

\tHawkeye (2021)\u00a0<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\"Jeremy
\n\t\t\t\t\tImage Credit: Mary Cybulski\/Courtesy of Marvel Studios\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\n\tCreated by: Jonathan Igla\u00a0
\u00a0
\u201cHawkeye,\u201d\u202fwhich premiered the day before Thanksgiving in 2021, is perfect holiday viewing, as it\u2019s set in New York City during Christmastime, and shows the city in its fullest, cozy-feeling yuletide splendor. (Though it was partly shot in Atlanta \u2014 because Marvel \u2014 \u201cHawkeye\u201d is among the MCU\u2019s Disney+ offerings that has an actual sense of place.) As one of the Avengers, Jeremy Renner\u2019s Clint Barton\/Hawkeye character has pretty much been an also-ran, so the fact that he\u2019s so charming here was a hugely fun surprise. Beyond the paternal chemistry between Clint and Kate Bishop (Hailee Steinfeld) \u2014\u202fwho witnessed Hawkeye\u2019s heroics during the Battle of New York as a kid, and was inspired by him to become an expert archer \u2014 the six-episode \u201cHawkeye\u201d has so much going for it. Florence Pugh explodes with personality as Yelena Belova. Vincent D\u2019Onofrio makes his menacing return as Kingpin. Linda Cardellini as Clint\u2019s wife, Laura, actually gets to do cool stuff. There\u2019s a Broadway musical number about Captain America. And of course, there\u2019s Lucky the Pizza Dog, the one-eyed stray that Clint ends up adopting. Do yourselves a favor around Thanksgiving this year: Watch \u201cHawkeye.\u201d It\u2019s cozy AF! (Note: The person who wrote this entry feels it should be higher in the ranking, since it\u2019s one of the only Marvel shows for Disney+ that doesn\u2019t fall apart in its final few episodes, but she was overruled by an evil, Thanos-like villain.)\u00a0<\/p>\n

\tBlack Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022)\u00a0<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\"Black
\n\t\t\t\t\tImage Credit: Marvel\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\n\tDirected by: Ryan Coogler\u00a0
Written by: Ryan Coogler, Joe Robert Cole\u00a0
\u00a0
Originally, Coogler planned to build his follow-up to \u201cBlack Panther\u201d around Wakanda\u2019s confrontation with the underwater kingdom of Talokan, a South American civilization that escaped to the ocean during the age of European colonization, as led by the vengeful, god-like Namor (Tenoch Huerta Mej\u00eda). But when the original film\u2019s soul-stirring star, Chadwick Boseman, died unexpectedly in 2020, Coogler and Marvel decided they could only move forward if Boseman\u2019s iconic character, T\u2019Challa, died too. To the enormous credit of the cast and filmmakers, they channel their own unfathomable grief into a giant studio production, earning Angela Bassett Marvel\u2019s first acting Oscar nomination in the process. The result is also, at times, ungainly, forcing Letitia Wright\u2019s Shuri to awkwardly pivot from the first film\u2019s effervescent sidekick to the sequel\u2019s mournful center. But when so many wannabe blockbusters feel hollow and cynical, \u201cWakanda Forever\u201d taps into deep wells of grief and fury, with a gentle ending that still packs a wallop.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\tCaptain America: The First Avenger (2011)\u00a0<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\"CAPTAIN
\n\t\t\t\t\tImage Credit: \u00a9Paramount\/Courtesy Everett Collection\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\n\tDirected by: Joe Johnston\u00a0
Written by: Christopher Markus, Stephen McFeely\u00a0
\u00a0
Whether he\u2019s a skinny twerp or a hunky adonis, Chris Evans\u2019 superpower is his ability to make Steve Rogers\u2019 uncomplicated decency genuinely thrilling to witness \u2014 a quality that Johnston extends into just about every frame of this movie. Upon rewatch, it\u2019s easy to understand why Steve is so devoted to Bucky in the years to come, and why he falls so hard for Hayley Atwell\u2019s captivating Peggy Carter. At the time it opened, however, the first \u201cCaptain America\u201d movie was seen as kinda square: an aw-shucks WWII picture starring the guy who already played a Marvel hero (i.e. the rakish Johnny Storm) in the aughts. Today, it\u2019s clear that this film is the beating heart of the early MCU.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\tShang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021)\u00a0<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\"Shang-Chi\"
\n\t\t\t\t\tImage Credit: Courtesy of Marvel Studios\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\n\tDirected by: Destin Daniel Cretton\u00a0
Written by: Dave Callaham, Destin Daniel Cretton, Andrew Lanham\u00a0
\u00a0
Not only did \u201cShang-Chi\u201d give Marvel a sorely missed Asian lead character and some killer frenetic kung-fu fight scenes, it had an emotional father-son story and breakout role for Simu Liu. He plays a relatable, reluctant hero moving on from his dark past in a corner of the MCU that hadn\u2019t been explored before \u2014 from fighting on a busy San Francisco bus to riding a mythical Chinese dragon. Perhaps most impressively, it redeemed the Mandarin with Tony Leung\u2019s top-tier performance as one of the MCU\u2019s best villains.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\tDeadpool & Wolverine (2024)\u00a0<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\"Ryan
\n\t\t\t\t\tImage Credit: Walt Disney Co.\/Courtesy Everett Collection\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\n\tDirected by: Shawn Levy\u00a0
Written by: Ryan Reynolds, Rhett Reese, Paul Wernick, Zeb Wells, Shawn Levy\u00a0
\u00a0
The MCU has never experienced so many f-bombs, sex jokes or X-Men until Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman bulldozed the fourth wall down in this third \u201cDeadpool\u201d film (after the first two were released by the pre-Disneyfied 20th Century Fox). Reynolds fires off 1,000 jokes per minute about his new corporate boss, comic book lore, various euphemisms for cocaine and sex acts, Ryan Reynolds \u2014 and much, much more. Meanwhile, Jackman\u2019s resurrected Wolverine scowls and slashes throats in the MCU\u2019s first gloriously gory R-rated movie. Sure, there is some questionable time travel and probably too\u202fmany pop-culture references, but \u201cDeadpool & Wolverine\u201d (cue Channing Tatum\u2019s Gambit drawl) sure makes a name for itself.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\tAgatha All Along (2024)\u00a0<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\"(L-R):
\n\t\t\t\t\tImage Credit: Chuck Zlotnick\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\n\tCreated by: Jac Schaeffer\u00a0
\u00a0
Kathryn Hahn was such a gas as scheming witch Agatha Harkness on \u201cWandaVision\u201d that Marvel built a spin-off series around her, and Schaeffer, who also created \u201cWandaVision,\u201d makes the absolute most of the opportunity. Deftly drawn equally from comic book lore and the writers\u2019 own fertile imaginations, \u201cAgatha All Along\u201d spins an enchanting (sorry) tale, as Agatha gathers a highly reluctant coven of witches \u2014\u202fincluding Joe Locke\u2019s Billy Maximoff, Patti LuPone\u2019s Lilia Calderu and Sasheer Zamata\u2019s Jennifer Kale \u2014 to walk the legendary Witches\u2019 Road and reclaim their power. As the show slowly peels back Agatha\u2019s origin story, it also puckishly explores the ways pop-culture has commodified witchery as a metaphor for so-called \u201cdifficult women.\u201d Also, Aubrey Plaza plays Agatha\u2019s ex, Death \u2014\u202fwhich, yes, makes this show the gayest thing Marvel\u2019s done by a country mile, and about damn time, too!\u00a0<\/p>\n

\tThe Avengers (2012)\u00a0<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\"THE
\n\t\t\t\t\tImage Credit: \u00a9Walt Disney Co.\/Courtesy Everett Collection\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\n\tDirected by: Joss Whedon\u00a0
Written by: Joss Whedon, Zak Penn\u00a0
\u00a0
\u201cThe Avengers\u201d is the all-star film that was \u2014 ambitiously, perhaps even fecklessly! \u2014 promised by the first-ever MCU post-credits scenes in its first-ever movie, 2008\u2019s \u201cIron Man.\u201d In retrospect, the plot of \u201cThe Avengers\u201d is a bit of a mess, and after what we\u2019ve learned about Loki since, feels almost too low stakes to be the story of thee first \u201cAvengers\u201d movie: Loki steals the Tesseract, and the Avengers who\u2019d been introduced during Marvel\u2019s Phase One have to, uh, assemble in order to prevent the alien race the Chitauri Loki has conscripted to conquer Earth. But what truly sets \u201cThe Avengers\u201d apart is the Battle of New York, the 30-minute, non-stop action sequence the movie builds to, in the shadow of Stark Tower, as the Chitauri attack. Few sequences would become as important to the overall Avengers\u2019 arc as this canonical battle, with its fallout lasting (in a realistic touch) through \u201cEndgame\u201d and beyond (see: \u201cHawkeye\u201d). And when Whedon\u2019s camera circles the Hulk, Hawkeye, Thor, Black Widow and Captain America \u2014 with Iron Man landing in the middle of the group \u2014 that chills-inducing moment became immediately iconic.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\t\u202fSpider-Man: Homecoming (2017)\u00a0<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\"Tom
\n\t\t\t\t\tImage Credit: Chuck Zlotnick\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\n\tDirected by: Jon Watts\u00a0
Written by: Jonathan Goldstein, John Francis Daley, Jon Watts, Christopher Ford, Chris McKenna, Erik Sommers\u00a0
\u00a0
After his winsome introduction in \u201cCivil War,\u201d Tom Holland swings into the MCU with a flurry of awkward teen energy and an MVP assist from Robert Downey Jr. The supporting cast, like Marisa Tomei as a doting Aunt May, Zendaya as a sardonic MJ, Michael Keaton as the sinister Vulture and Jacob Batalon as Peter\u2019s best bud Ned, elevate this not-quite-an-origin story into a stellar coming-of-age tale worthy of comparison to the John Hughes classics that inspired Watts. Peter walking into his homecoming date\u2019s house, only to realize her dad\u202fis\u202fthe Vulture, remains one of the MCU\u2019s very best twists.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\tCaptain America: Civil War (2016)\u00a0<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\"Captain
\n\t\t\t\t\tImage Credit: Courtesy of Film Frame\/Marvel\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\n\tDirected by: Anthony Russo, Joe Russo\u00a0
Written by: Christopher Markus, Stephen McFeely\u00a0
\u00a0
They say no one wins when the family feuds, but Marvel fans certainly got a treat in the form of this massive team-up movie. The clash of the Avengers \u2014 divided by a debate over superheroes\u2019 civil liberties with one faction led by Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) and the other by Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) \u2014 is full of high-flying action (the spectacular airport fracas) that is grounded by great character moments, including the introductions of Chadwick Boseman\u2019s T\u2019Challa and Tom Holland\u2019s Peter Parker. A prime example of the tonal swings the Russo brothers manage to make a meal of: Holland\u2019s Spidey entering the fray amid the Falcon (Anthony Mackie) and the Winter Soldier\u2019s (Sebastian Stan) soon-to-be trademarked bickering. For all \u201cCivil War\u2019s\u201d lightness, though, its core story of brotherhood and betrayal is what stands apart \u2014 ultimately culminating in a sorrowful final battle between Iron Man, Bucky and Cap that alters their dynamics forever.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\tAvengers: Infinity War (2018)\u202f\u00a0<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\"AVENGERS:
\n\t\t\t\t\tImage Credit: Marvel Studios \/ courtesy Everett Collection\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\n\tDirected by: Anthony Russo, Joe Russo\u202f\u00a0
Written by: Christopher Markus, Stephen McFeely\u202f\u00a0
\u00a0
Oh snap, the gang\u2019s all here! Thanos, collecting the universe\u2019s deadliest rock collection, brings a decade\u2019s worth of characters together in an epic, intergalactic showdown. Again and again, we watch our heroes fail but never give up in the face of Thanos\u2019 relentless campaign, in a series of expertly staged action sequences that push everyone to their limits \u2014 only for half of them to disintegrate in one of the boldest, most gut-wrenching cliffhangers in cinema history. If only Thor had gone for the head\u2026\u00a0<\/p>\n

\tGuardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017)\u00a0<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\"Marvel's
\n\t\t\t\t\tImage Credit: Courtesy of Marvel Studios\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\n\tWritten and directed by: James Gunn\u00a0
\u00a0
For his second go \u2019round with his band of space misfits, Gunn went deeper and weirder, securing his stature as one of the rare auteurs to flourish within the Marvel system. Peter Quill (Chris Pratt) reunites with his biological father, Ego the Living Planet (a perfectly cast Kurt Russell), the screwed up sisterhood between Gamora (Zoe Salda\u00f1a) and Nebula (Karen Gillan) reaches a major turning point, and Rocket, Groot and Yondu (Michael Rooker) have some icky fun with a random eyeball. It\u2019s a shaggier movie than the first, leading to what may be the MCU\u2019s most gut-wrenching one-two-three punch, when Quill learns the true fate of his mother and then has to watch his father die \u2014 twice. Just thinking about the final tableau, with the Guardians watching a Ravager funeral as Cat Stevens\u2019 \u201cFather and Son\u201d plays on Quill\u2019s new Zune, is enough to bring us to tears.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\tLoki (2021\u20132023)\u00a0<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\"Loki
\n\t\t\t\t\tImage Credit: Courtesy of Marvel Studios\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\n\tCreated by: Michael Waldron\u00a0
\u00a0
From \u201cThor\u201d to \u201cEndgame,\u201d Loki became just about everyone\u2019s favorite Marvel bad guy, a delightful rapscallion whose trickster machinations were always doomed to fail. But over its two narratively trippy, visually arresting seasons, \u201cLoki\u201d allowed its title character to reshape himself into something much greater. As Loki navigated the timeline monitoring bureaucracy of the Time Variance Authority, Tom Hiddleston deepened his performance by expertly dissecting his character\u2019s toxic narcissism. In a universe devoted to heroism, this was one of the MCU\u2019s most stirring stories ever.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\tThor: Ragnarok (2017)\u00a0<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\"Thor:\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\n\tDirected by: Taika Waititi\u00a0
Written by: Eric Pearson, Craig Kyle, Christopher L. Yost\u00a0
\u00a0
The \u201cThor\u201d films were some of the weakest in the MCU \u2014 until \u201cThor: Ragnarok\u201d came around. Chris Hemsworth finally got a haircut, but more importantly, he got to be weird \u2014 and made \u201cThor\u201d fun again, as director Taika Waititi gave the franchise the offbeat, stylish jolt it badly needed. Between a foxy Jeff Goldblum as the conniving Grandmaster, a fierce Tessa Thompson as the disillusioned warrior Valkyrie, and a ferocious Cate Blanchett as Thor and Loki\u2019s forsaken sister Hela, \u201cRagnarok\u201d is Marvel at its most quotable (\u201cHe\u2019s a friend from work!\u201d) and rewatchable.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\tIron Man (2008)\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\"IRON
\n\t\t\t\t\tImage Credit: Paramount \/ Courtesy Everett Collection\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\n\tDirected by: Jon Favreau\u00a0
Written by: Mark Fergus, Hawk Ostby, Art Marcum, Matt Holloway\u00a0
\u00a0
With four words \u2014 \u201cI am Iron Man\u201d \u2014 a universe was forged. Christopher Nolan has said that casting Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark was one of the most consequential decisions in cinema history, and we couldn\u2019t agree more. By making the first Marvel Studios film a study of how a genius-billionaire-playboy-philanthropist turns into a hero, Downey and director Jon Favreau developed the formula for an entire cinematic universe: scrappy good humor, a ton of heart, and an instinct for avoiding anything approaching self-importance.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

\tSpider-Man: No Way Home (2021)\u00a0<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\"Spider-Man:
\n\t\t\t\t\tImage Credit: Courtesy of Sony Pictures\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\n\tDirected by: Jon Watts\u00a0
Written by: Chris McKenna, Erik Sommers\u00a0
\u00a0
Tobey. Andrew. Tom. Three generations of web-slingers finally share the screen in what only seemed possible in Spider-Man fans\u2019 wildest dreams. Thanks to Doctor Strange\u2019s wobbly magical mayhem, \u201cNo Way Home\u201d fully utilizes the multiverse and pulls many of Sony\u2019s most beloved superheroes \u2014 and super-villains \u2014\u202finto the MCU for the first time ever. Arriving in theaters while the world was still emerging from the COVID pandemic, \u201cNo Way Home\u201d provided the same level of fan gasps, cheers and flung popcorn as \u201cEndgame\u201d \u2014 and proved for the first time since lockdown that movies could still conjure that kind of experience.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\t\u202fX-Men \u201997 (2024)\u00a0<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\"(L-R):
\n\t\t\t\t\tImage Credit: Courtesy of Marvel Animation\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\n\tCreated by: Beau DeMayo\u00a0
\u00a0
More than 25 years after \u201cX-Men: The Animated Series\u201d ended, the Saturday morning cartoon staple gets a modern continuation that exceeds all expectations, with surprisingly mature storytelling, richly realized characters, and superlative animation. The highpoint of the first season \u2014 the surprise attack on the mutant nation of Genosha \u2014\u202fis an emotional tour-de-force, at once riveting and deeply political in ways the MCU seldom is. \u201cMost other nations don\u2019t allow a terrorist to be their leader,\u201d someone spits at Magneto early in the episode. Magneto\u2019s devastating reply: \u201cYet so many allow their leaders to be terrorists.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

\tCaptain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)\u00a0<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\"CAPTAIN
\n\t\t\t\t\tImage Credit: Marvel Studios \/ Courtesy Everett Collection\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\n\tDirected by: Joe and Anthony Russo\u00a0
Written by: Christopher Markus, Stephen McFeely\u00a0
\u00a0
Only Marvel could make an homage to the paranoid political thrillers of the 1970s and hire Robert Redford to play the villain. \u201cWinter Soldier\u201d is packed with some of the most badass action set-pieces in the history of the MCU \u2014 Nick Fury\u2019s roadside ambush, Cap\u2019s elevator brawl \u2014 as its story fearlessly rips apart S.H.I.E.L.D. to expose how even our most trusted institutions can be undermined from within. But it\u2019s the saga of Steve Rogers and Bucky Barnes that makes this movie sing. Hot take: When a battered Steve tells Bucky, brainwashed as the Winter Soldier, \u201cI\u2019m with you till the end of the line,\u201d it\u2019s one of the most (platonically?) romantic lines of 21st century cinema.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\tWandaVision (2021)\u00a0<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\"WandaVision\"
\n\t\t\t\t\tImage Credit: Courtesy of Marvel Studios\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\n\tCreated by: Jac Schaeffer\u00a0
\u00a0
Marvel Studios\u2019 first TV series was released amid the pandemic, and the communal (albeit, isolated) experience of watching each week represented the promise of what the MCU\u2019s small screen output could be. At first, \u201cWandaVision\u201d unfolded as a quirky homage to classic sitcoms by way of the domestic life of Elizabeth Olsen\u2019s Wanda Maximoff and Paul Bettany\u2019s Vision. But it soon evolved into a profound exploration of the power of grief \u2014 an emotion the audience was all too familiar with at the time \u2014 leaving a lasting imprint of how comic book stories can speak to our real lives. Bonus points for the deft direction by TV veteran Matt Shakman<\/a> (\u201cGame of Thrones,\u201d \u201cIt\u2019s Always Sunny in Philadelphia\u201d) who seamlessly modulated the MCU\u2019s magic into an array of TV formats through the decades.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\tGuardians of the Galaxy (2014)\u00a0<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\"Guardians\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\n\tDirected by: James Gunn\u00a0
Written by: James Gunn, Nicole Perlman\u00a0
\u00a0
The first \u201cGuardians\u201d movie was a delightful departure for the MCU, based on characters even Marvel comics fans had barely heard of. Gunn infused irreverent humor and deep emotional stakes into the story of how the power of friendship and the love of 1960s and \u201970s bangers can defeat evil. Add in the loyal, full-of-heart, genetically engineered raccoon Rocket; the \u201cwe are Groot\u201d sacrifice by the sentient tree Groot; and Peter\u2019s terrible dancing to \u201cO-o-h Child\u201d to distract big bad Ronan the Accuser (Lee Pace), and you get a thoroughly original film that demonstrates what the MCU could do beyond its core set of superheroes. It\u2019s the first Marvel tearjerker!\u00a0<\/p>\n

\tBlack Panther (2018)\u00a0<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\"front
\n\t\t\t\t\tImage Credit: Marvel Studios \/ courtesy Everett Collection\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\n\tDirected by: Ryan Coogler\u00a0
Written by: Ryan Coogler, Joe Robert Cole\u00a0
\u00a0
Anchored by the late Chadwick Boseman\u2019s career-defining performance as T\u2019Challa, the MCU\u2019s first Black-led superhero movie will be remembered as a towering cultural moment \u2014 symbolized by the battle cry \u201cWakanda Forever\u201d and crossed-armed salute, as well as its $1.3 billion box office gross and historic best picture Oscar nomination. What solidifies the film among the greats is Coogler\u2019s incisive take on the material; when stripped of is superpowered elements, the story\u2019s primary theme \u2014 a newly-installed leader grapples with how to be a good king and a good man \u2014resonates more deeply every year. Case in point: Even as he defeats the coup orchestrated by his malignantly rageful cousin, Erik Killmonger (an electric Michael B. Jordan), T\u2019Challa knows that his enemy\u2019s conviction that Wakanda could do far more for the African diaspora is the right one.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\tAvengers: Endgame (2019)\u00a0<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\"Marvel
\n\t\t\t\t\tImage Credit: Marvel Studios \/ courtesy Everett Collection\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\n\tDirected by: Joe and Anthony Russo\u00a0
Written by: Christopher Markus, Stephen McFeely\u00a0
\u00a0
\u201cEndgame\u201d stands as the culmination of a singular creative achievement: 11 years of interconnected big screen storytelling, writ as large as moviemaking can get. The Russos and their regular screenwriter collaborators Markus and McFeely take full advantage of the history of the MCU with a time heist plotline that has the core six Avengers \u2014 along with assists from Rhodey, Rocket, Ant-Man and Nebula \u2014 hopscotching through several previous Marvel films to reconstruct the Infinity Gauntlet and reverse Thanos\u2019 victory in \u201cInfinity War.\u201d The epic final battle, assembling (almost) every single MCU character to date, delivers a litany of exhilarating, goosebump-inducing narrative payoffs that had audiences across the planet erupting in deafening cheers. We love this 3,000.\u00a0
\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"SPOILER ALERT: This list references major plot developments for basically every project in the MCU, which is available…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":53235,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[33],"tags":[40617,88,12761,4861,9615],"class_list":["post-53234","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-entertainment","tag-avengers-endgame","tag-entertainment","tag-marvel","tag-the-fantastic-four-first-steps","tag-thunderbolts"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/53234","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=53234"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/53234\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/53235"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=53234"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=53234"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=53234"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}