The Marvel Rankings
An exhaustive critique of every single MCU film.
From 2008’s Iron Man to this weekend’s Captain Marvel, Marvel’s pictures have been a central part of the movie-going culture for well over a decade. None have been terrible, but few have arguably been great. For the most part, these movies span from being fun-entertainment or downright forgettable, which makes creating a list like this an exercise in what entries have the most fascinating ideas, iconic performances, and memorable moments.
*This list has been updated following the release of Avengers: End Game
22. THOR: THE DARK WORLD
I hardly remember a thing about this movie…I think they’re elves?
21. THE INCREDIBLE HULK
A more straightforward approach to the angry green giant than Ang Lee’s fascinating, but flawed, film from 2003, the MCU Hulk film still one of that pictures fundamental problems; the Hulk looks like a weightless videogame character, out of place in the live-action world. But, truthfully, this is about as forgettable a picture as Thor: The Dark World. Well, except for one thing…
EDWARD
F#*%ING
NORTON
You get the feeling he did this movie just for fun or maybe to make a downpayment on a house, either way, it’s bizarre to see him here. When Marvel came knocking to see if he’d come back, you know what he said? Pass. PASS! What a flex!
20. THOR
There’s an argument to be made that this is a secret favorite among a specific demographic of movie-goers, mainly since a large part of the plot revolves around Natalie Portman trying to get the sexy space-god (Thor) back to his home world. It’s like reverse Splash!… I think….When did I last see Splash?
Still, there’s a certain awkwardness to this movie, as though it’s trying to hide its inherent campiness. The first Thor film is also one of the cheaper looking pictures in the MCU, with a New Mexico setting that feels pulled from the backlot of some long forgotten CW series.
19. IRON MAN 2
Topping the previous three pictures for Robert Downey Jr. alone, Iron Man 2 largely winds up a gigantic mess, with enough material crammed in to fill at least three other movies.
Let’s see…
- Part Avengers set-up
- Relationship problems with Pepper Pots
- The government wanting control over the Iron Man suit
- An evil Russian scientist wanting revenge against Tony Stark
- Holy shit! Is that Sam Rockwell? Okay, evil Sam Rockwell teams up with the Russian guy
- Something about that thing on Tony Stark’s chest giving him cancer
18. AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON
And speaking of messes…
Few films in the MCU franchise were as hotly anticipated as Joss Whedon’s follow-up Avengers flick, which would inevitably find itself crushed by the requirements of shared universe world building.
Ironically, Whedon was given more freedom in the writing process than the previous Avengers film, allowing him to infuse more of his signature quips and pick a perhaps lesser known comic arc as the basis for the sequel. However, the movie finds itself bogged down with needing to tie in every Marvel film since the previous Avengers, while also setting up the next crop of pictures, creating a movie that at times feels overstuffed and hard to follow.
17. DOCTOR STRANGE
Arguably one of the MCU’s most visually exciting movies, Doctor Strange might also be one its most cookie cutter installments in terms of story, which is a shame, because Doc. Strange might be one of the wildest, weirdest characters in the Marvel universe. However, his movie only captures a fraction of that weirdness. Instead, we’re stuck in the same boring origin-story beats seen in 1,000 other comic-book films, as well boiling a character of infinite cosmic potential down to time-travel bro.
Also, let’s talk accents. Now, I don’t want to be the accent police, because who wants that, but we need to have a moment to at least digest whatever it is Benedict Cumberbatch is doing with his voice here. Is it growling? A Dr. House impersonation?
16. CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE FIRST AVENGER
With its WWII setting and Saturday-morning-serial approach, Captain America’s first appearance at least feels different than many of the MCU’s other offerings. However, it also lacks an awareness of the material, typically found in the best Marvel pictures.
Much of that has to deal with Captain America as a character, whose straight-arrowed earnestness is reflected by the movie at large. Which, is a shame. Captain America works best when he’s pushing up against either opposite personalities or ideologies. Here, he’s merely punching Nazis, which is all fine in today’s world but only scratches the surface of what a comic-book story can be.
15. CAPTAIN MARVEL
After ten plus years, 21 films, we’ve reached a point where a Marvel movie is going to be at least a base level of quality. There’s a competent understanding on how to make one of these movies, how to introduce characters and how to provide suitably entertaining set-pieces. Worst case seems they’re fine; an enjoyable way to spend two hours but nothing transcendent. What you hope for is the chance for someone to bring a little weirdness or their spin on the material.
Captain Marvel never quite reaches that level, despite attempting to work around the trappings of an origin story by having our protagonist’s memory be a fragmented puzzle. That approach also leads to a certain blankness in the character, giving off the impression that Oscar-winner Brie Larson is given almost nothing to work with.
14. ANT-MAN
13. ANT-MAN & THE WASP
Seeing as both Ant-Man movies are basically interchangeable, I might as well write about them in one blurb. At this moment if I had to choose one over the other, I might pick the sequel, which is far looser and tonally consistent than its predecessor. Also, there’s the fact I can’t watch the first one without thinking about what it would have looked like under the direction of Edgar Wright, who originally developed the project but left due to creative differences. Even still, these movies fit the middle portion of this list by being snackable, light entertainment. As a way to spend two hours, they’re quite fun, just maybe a bit more disposable than the rest of our list.
12. IRON MAN 3
Forget the almost incomprehensible climax of robot destruction. Forget the lava-people and dull villain played by Guy Pierce. Forget the kinda, sorta, not really change that takes place. Or, better yet, forget about all the MCU trappings and focus instead on the Shane Black of it all. Think the glistening Christmas setting, the playful subversion of genre tropes, and Robert Downey Jr. back in Kiss Kiss Bang Bang mode. In all truthfulness, the superhero aspects of this movie aren’t THAT memorable, but the bits where Black gets to bring his brand of action-comedy to the story are among the finest in any MCU outing.
11. AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR
One of the curious aspects of this movie is that it doesn’t feel like a movie at all. If anything, Infinity War feels like the season finale of an MCU television series. It’s ten years of story and characters colliding into over 2 1/2 hours of spectacle. That leads to a lot of fun interactions; from Thor and Rocket Racoon to the quippy trifecta of Starlord, Iron Man, and Doctor Strange. Plus, I must say, in a franchise riddled with terrible villains, Josh Brolin’s Thanos might be its most pleasant surprises.
However, and this is me being nitpicky here, I’m less a fan of the massive crossover Marvel films than I am the more concentrated, one-off stories. Infinity War’s biggest flaw might be that there’s so much story, so many characters, so many balls juggling up in the air, that there is hardly a moment to breathe. It’s not a single story that lets stars showcase their personality through iconic characters, it’s a piece of something larger, where everyone is frantically waiting for a bite at the apple.
10. GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL 2
I’ll give James Gunn this, his second Guardians film is far loonier and more visually dazzling than its predecessor. It’s clear from the success of that first picture that Gunn was given the freedom to dive further into his whacky aesthetic and thank the heavens he did. One of the longtime complaints of these movies has been how visually flat they look, to maintain the same visual consistency. However, Guardian’s vol 2 indulges in all the bright, eye-popping colors that help comics leap off the page.
And, speaking of that visual flatness, we have to move on to…
9. CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE WINTER SOLDIER
8. CAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL WAR
I’m writing these both in one blurb because overall, they have many of the same strengths as well as weaknesses. I get that the Russo brothers were going for the gritty aesthetic of a Bourne film but does everything have to look like a concrete parking lot? For that reason, they’re only #9 and #8 on this list. However, there’s still plenty to admire, with Winter Soldier being a way more interesting Captain America story that the first one and Civil War is a much tighter and effective Avengers sequel than Age of Ultron. Do they evoke the great paranoia thrillers of the 70s, as the Russos suggest? Eh, not really. But, do they feature surprising twists and an expert understanding of their characters? You betcha!
7. THE AVENGERS
A few years ago, I went to an early press screening of Justice League, the premier DC Comics crossover, featuring Batman, Wonder-Woman, Superman, and more, all united on the big screen. The results were shameful, but I couldn’t stop thinking about what wasn’t working that somehow worked in the first Avengers picture. The two are not miles away in terms of story, and both had dialogue punch-up from tv-veteran Joss Whedon. But, Justice League feels rushed, almost in a hurry to get to the next character or next set piece.
It doesn’t matter that there are jokes to lighten up the material. The thing The Avengers has is characters played by charismatic stars, ones who get room to breathe and play into these personas. That’s where the humor and life come in. Whedon may not be the most exciting filmmaker to tackle one of these movies, but I do give him credit for understanding how to play these stars off of each other in a way that made sense, creating a film that feels as much like a dysfunctional family comedy as it does a superhero flick.
6. AVENGERS: END-GAME
How does one talk about a movie whose entire plot is basically spoilers?
Look, for those worried that their experience of the latest Avengers picture will be ruined by reading this, you should probably just move on to #5. No, I’m not going to get into plot specifics because these blurbs are all about the big picture but I have little understanding about what constitutes a spoiler these days, especially with these movies.
Gone?
No?
Great! In big-picture terms, this is the one that ties all the films together. After ten plus years, End-Game closes the chapter on at least this specific iteration of the MCU. Characters are lost, things are changed (sort of), but most of all we get a picture that acts as remembrance slide of the franchises’ best moments. It’s intentionally crafted to be not only a series finale but the recap that airs before. That’s a lot to chew on, even for a three-hour picture. And the movie mostly gets there. Even when the mechanisms by which the story unfolds don’t always make sense, End-Game remains highly engaging, thanks to its raised stakes and emotionally poignant moments.
5. SPIDER-MAN: HOMECOMING
One word to describe this movie: Delightful!
In an age of brooding batmen, misunderstood mutants, and angsty aliens from Krypton, you know what often gets lost? Fun. But Spider-Man: Homecoming says no to treating its superhero set-pieces like 9/11 (but worse) or beating us down with how great power comes with great responsibility. Instead, it’s only concerned with having a good time, narrowing its focus to one central idea; what if a teen had superpowers. THAT’S IT! We’re not talking about a moody emo teen or an angsty nerd, just every-day, loveable but awkward, high-schooler. It’s a Marvel movie by way of John Hughs, low-stakes (we’ll low for a Marvel movie) and high reward.
4. THOR: RAGNAROK
The Thor movies might be the most interesting sub-series within the MCU, in part because of the drastic change in both tone and approach with each new entry. The first one largely tried to steer clear of the comic’s more ridiculous aspects by placing the character in a fish-out-of-water story on earth. The second film, from what I barely remember, played into the comic’s fantastical elements but treated them with straightforward seriousness, embracing the tone of a large fantasy epic. Ragnarok, the most successful and entertaining of the three, strips away that seriousness in order to self-knowingly wink at its own absurdity. The result is arguably the MCU’s funniest outing, no doubt thanks to the direction of New Zealand indie-darling Taika Waititi.
The movie’s also a chance for Chris Hemsworth to find a new direction in his performance as Thor. The character had previously been depicted as a stoic god (yes, I understand he literally is one) but Ragnarok lets Hemsworth add an arrogant airheadedness to the character. Not since Kurt Russell in Big Trouble in Little China has a tongue in cheek hero been this fun to watch.
3. IRON MAN
The one that started it all and, more importantly, the one that’s built like a true movie-star vehicle. It’s easy to forget just how much of this picture is focused on Downey out of the suit, just building things. Iron Man doesn’t become a superhero movie, in the traditional sense, until its final climax. For the better part of two hours, you’re just focused on Downey and his magnetic charisma.
The irony has always been that Tony Stark is more vibrant and interesting as a character out of the suit as opposed to when he’s Iron Man. And maybe that’s why I hold onto this movie. For over a decade Downey has played this role, and been good at it too, but I also wish we could have gotten more performances from him outside of this franchise. What will he do after Avengers: Endgame this summer? Who knows. But, my hope is, whatever it is, it’s something that gives him this much room to work his magic.
2. GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY
No one had high expectations for the Marvel space-opera, featuring a talking raccoon and an alien tree-person, back in 2014. These were “D” grade comic characters, from an obscure series that only the most adamant of comic fans seemed familiar with. Yet, with a stellar cast and playful direction by James Gunn, Guardians managed to become one of the MCU’s more pleasant surprises. And, yea, there’s a lot of mumbo-jumbo about infinity stones to set up Infinity War, but the looney-toon antics and sense of fun here is just outright contagious.
1. BLACK PANTHER
Looking back, most movies in the MCU rank from decently fun to just forgettable for me. However, Black Panther represents a unicorn. It’s a fun, popcorn, super-hero picture that checks all the corporate boxes while also tackling complex ideas on globalism vs. isolationism, revolution, black identity, and the ways real-world issues shape the fictional worlds of comics.
Props, of course, to Ryan Coogler, the insanely talented young filmmaker, who now seems on a run (Fruitvale Station, Creed, Black Panther) matched by very few other filmmakers in terms of escalating success and ambition. At a time when not just superhero movies, but franchise filmmaking in general, seems to be the dominant form of entertainment, it’s encouraging to know there are filmmakers out there willing to sneak more meaty material into our blockbuster extravaganzas. So, yes, this was a movie that had dumb rhino fights, not everything can be perfect, but that’s a small price to pay for a film that seemed to capture the imagination of the culture in a way that’s increasingly difficult. It’s not every year you get a movie that’s endlessly rewatchable and capable of inspiring a deep-dive essay.
