When Iron Man came out back in ’08, you could see greatness, but few could have predicted that it would spawn the longest and most successful series of movies ever made.
Whether or not you like the spot the Marvel Cinematic Universe is currently in, it’s hard to deny that Marvel’s film output was so consistently awesome for so long that it might never be beaten by any other big studio.
Let’s look at the best movies in the MCU.
15. Iron Man 3
Despite being one of its highest-grossing films, Iron Man 3 is one of the most divisive movies in the history of the MCU. The movie falters for a lack of scenes where Iron Man is in action but makes up for it with a lot of Tony Stark-focused drama, action and some of the best comedy in the series. This is less Iron Man 3 and more Tony Stark: The Movie, and that’s great, considering who’s playing the character.
Don’t sleep on this one if you want to see a big blockbuster that’s not afraid of taking all sorts of wacky narrative risks.
14. Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3
GOTG Vol.3 strikes a good balance between the first film’s more Star Wars-type action and the second one’s more personal elements. Though it’s substantial, it never reaches the highest highs of the two previous films in the trilogy. It feels more like a greatest hits compilation, which can make sense thematically but might leave you wanting more. The change in focus from Starlord as the main character to Rocket is jarring, and even more so when Rocket is out of the movie for a long time.
James Gunn used to talk about how one of the keys to the series’ success was tunes that you wouldn’t expect to see in the film. This man says no to predictable hits and begins Vol. 3 with Creep by Radiohead, the most overplayed song in the history of movies and movie trailers. It’s still a bop, but come on.
13. The Avengers
If Iron Man walked, then The Avengers flew. While the direction of some action sequences felt a bit uninspired, and we spent way too long with Hawkeye and Black Widow, this was easily the best superhero ensemble movie since X-Men 2 and paved the way for even greater things.
Avengers solidified the notion introduced by Iron Man that comedy is the glue that holds these films together and sets the standard for the MCU’s ensemble movies from then on. Avengers also proved that The Hulk deserves his own movie, but we’re still waiting on that.
12. Spider-Man: Far From Home
This movie has one of the most difficult jobs in the history of the MCU, that of passing the torch from Robert Downey Jr.’s Tony Stark to someone else. On top of that, Far From Home continues the MCU’s tradition of making things hard for Spider-Man by not having tall buildings for him to swing on, but the movie never fails to create fun and wildly original action sequences. In fact, Far From Home is one of the most inventive films in the history of the MCU, courtesy of how well the team’s work came together to bring Jake Gyllenhaal’s excellent Mysterio to life.
The only thing preventing Far From Home from becoming one of the MCU’s top 5 is how it continues to avoid more dramatic personal moments that the first two non-MCU Spider-Man films nailed so well. This one definitely isn’t far from a home run.
11. Captain America: Civil War
Everybody wanted to see Cap and Iron Man duking it out for a very long time, and boy, did everyone get exactly what they wanted. Civil War picks up on some of the spy thriller threads left from Winter Soldier and works both as a Captain America movie and an Avengers movie.
This is also where the MCU introduced Black Panther and Spider-Man, two characters people were either very excited or very worried about. Civil War successfully planted the seed of greatness that we’d later see in other movies, delivering one of the most personal, emotive, and subdued third acts in the history of the MCU.
10. Iron Man
If you were there in ’08 when Iron Man debuted, you were there to witness the birth of the true golden age of comic book movies. Did you know that most of the original Iron Man was shot without an actual script? Yes, all of the great comedy, chemistry, and never-before-seen action sequences of a man in a jet-powered suit are almost a literal miracle.
Iron Man not only succeeded, but it also provided the blueprint for the MCU’s success. Rewatch it today, and you’ll likely have just as much time as you did the first time.
9. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.2 is a peculiar sequel because it tones down the scope of the first one a bit instead of going all out on an even more explosive adventure. The result, however, is great. The shift was made to introduce the character of Star-Lord’s father and to give more space to see the crazy dynamics between this cast of characters evolve.
The result is a surprisingly emotional adventure that features some of the most beautiful visuals and somehow still features some of the funniest moments in the series.
8. Captain America: The Winter Soldier
On top of being a stellar superhero flick, Winter Soldier doubles as a genuinely tense and gripping spy thriller with some of the best fight scenes in the series. Though its bigger set pieces feature a lot of CGI, every scene where Cap and the titular Winter Soldier have at it displays some of the best and most gripping choreographed action ever put to film.
Winter Soldier is also a historically important movie for the MCU, considering how it showed Marvel the prowess of the Russo Brothers as directors. Their work on this sand Civil War ultimately led to them helming the franchise’s two biggest flicks, Infinity War and Endgame.
7. Black Panther
Black Panther deserves all the love it gets. The late Chadwick Boseman’s T’Challa proved that Marvel has room for superheroes who are serious and even shy at times.
If Winter Soldier doubles as a great American Spy thriller, Black Panther finds some time to double as a 007 movie, complete with Eric Killmonger, one of the best and scariest villains in the history of the series. While the movie has been criticized for rushed and lackluster CGI, the fight scenes are good.
6. Thor: Ragnarok
I don’t know how Disney concluded that making another Thor movie after two incredibly subpar entries was a good idea, but we all came out as winners after it took this huge risk.
When it comes to straight-up fun, Ragnarok is hard to beat. Thor Ragnarok completely ditches the overly serious Thor of the two previous entries and completely reinvents the character to fit the MCU mold. Another great choice made by Ragnarok was bringing The Hulk into the fold, another character that this movie also successfully turned into a great source of laughter. Ragnarok isn’t just a great Thor movie; it’s a great buddy super hero movie that makes me wonder which two unlikely superheroes should team up next.
5. Avengers: Endgame
If you’re into CGI mayhem, Endgame is probably the best movie ever made. Even if you’re already a tad fatigued by the amount of CGI these movies tend to fill the screen with at all times, Endgame is still one hell of a fun time. The idea of mixing a sci-fi war epic and the Ocean’s Eleven series might sound very odd at first, but Endgame more than pulled it off.
Though it might strike some as bloated at some points, Endgame lands a surprisingly complex plot, features many emotionally resonant moments, some great action scenes, and is a damn great send-off for the MCU’s (first?) golden age.
4. Spider-Man: Homecoming
After the awful Amazing Spider-Man 2, pretty much anything Spider-Man-related would’ve worked for me, but this one was special. Jon Watts’ directing isn’t the most artistic or thrilling I’ve ever seen, but the characters and their dynamics are exceptionally well-written and fun. Michael Keaton as the Vulture is one of the most interesting and sympathetic villains in the series, and Tom Holland shines as both Spider-Man and Peter Parker.
Homecoming features some surprisingly original and funny action sequences, but I wouldn’t call it a blast. I’d call it more of a really comfy, fun and surprising adventure that Spider-Man fans certainly deserved to witness.
3. Guardians Of The Galaxy
Let me be very clear: I don’t think anyone outside of the production of this movie believed in this project. I’m pretty sure most people didn’t even know that the Guardians Of The Galaxy even existed. Still, or perhaps due to that, James Gunn got the chance to experiment with the Super Hero formula. The result is the rare Super Hero film that got the chance to introduce the greater public to an effectively fresh batch of heroes.
Though the action is stellar, the greatest strength of this movie relies on the Guardians themselves and the shenanigans they go through to find the strength needed to make their wacky group work together to save the galaxy. Guardians is the most surprising MCU movie and arguably the best Star Wars film to come out in a long while.
2. Spider-Man: No Way Home
If seeing a third entry in a trilogy that outdoes the two films that came before it is a rare event, then seeing a third entry that does that and even serves as a trilogy ender for three different trilogies is a unique one.
No Way Home is a dream come true as it plays less like a regular Spider-Man film and more like a top-notch Avengers movie where all Avengers are Spider-Men, and all villains are Spider-Man foes. No Way Home breathes new life into what we already loved from the best Spider-Man films and also rehabilitates what we didn’t like about the bad ones – and it does all that without it ever feeling just like fan service. There’s a real heart beating inside this one, as there should always be when it comes to Spider-Man.
1. Avengers: Infinity War
It was a tough decision, but when it comes to a full package of action, thrills, comedy and even shock, Infinity War is probably the most balanced movie in the series – as it should be.
Though the movie deals with never-before-seen stakes, it does so at an incredible pace, and manages to do exposure while it does action and without ever feeling rushed. It features the biggest ensemble cast ever seen in the series, and very few characters feel underused.
It’s also one of the most courageous entries in the franchise, as it takes the incredibly bold approach of featuring its villain as the main character. Interestingly, Infinity War ended up so good that its gravitas ended up dwarfing Endgame – the movie it was meant to set up.
