I think it's safe to say that no one has had quite an impact on the film industry at the moment like Marvel studios. Since 2008, they've now released twenty movies in their shared universe, typically releasing three movies every year, with each film building off the the events of the last to make a shared cinematic universe that everyone is trying to copy now. They're films are some of the highest grossing movies of all time, and they're single-handedly keeping superheroes as the most popular genre at the moment.
Everyone has seen their movies and eagerly wait for their next entries to see where they'll take their dramatic, funny and always entertaining movies next. So now that Marvel studios has released exactly twenty of their own movies, I feel now is a good time to look back and countdown all of them from their worst to their best.
Keep in mind that I'll only be looking at the entries in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, not every movie Marvel had a part in. Which means no X-Men movies, Spider-Man movies with Tobey Maguire or Andrew Garfield, and unfortunately no Deadpool films. With that said, these are how I would rank all of the MCU movies.
Number 20 - "Iron Man 2"
As a direct sequel to the first film in this cinematic universe, "Iron Man 2" takes everything that made the first film likable and charming and makes it obnoxious. This film is loud, irritating, makes the least amount of sense of any Marvel film and has the worst pacing of any film in this series. It doesn't really have a lot going for it, especially when the lasting image of this film are the annoying conversations between Downey Jr. and Paltrow talking over each other. Easily the worst film in the series.
Number 19 - "Thor: The Dark World"
Not as annoying or irritating as "Iron Man 2," but this films' crime is that it's so boring. The characters are dull, the plot is forgettable, the way it uses the other nine realms of Asgard is lame, and it feels like nothing is accomplished. The only saving grace of this film is Tom Hiddleston's always great performance as Loki and how he's given a chance to do way more than he did in "Thor." Speaking of which...
Number 18 - "Thor"
Like "The Dark World," this one is just forgettable. It is better due to the heroic character arc of its lead, and many of the scenes with Thor learning to live on Earth are funny in that "fish out of water" style. Beyond that, there is nothing worthy to be seen in "Thor."
Number 17 - "The Incredible Hulk"
This one now feels like the black sheep of the cinematic universe and is often forgotten among the many other super heroes. It also didn't help that Ang Lee's "Hulk" was always on people's minds and that Edward Norton didn't want to keep playing the Hulk after this movie. For the time, this film had great special effects and it made good use of the Hulk's size and scope. But there was really nothing else going for it.
Number 16 - "Doctor Strange"
In the grand scheme of this universe, "Doctor Strange" doesn't really have much going for it outside of its stunning visuals and the odd journey its title character goes through. It is impressive at times, but other moments are just so bland and predictable that it makes for an average blockbuster.
When the best character in your film is a piece of clothe, you know you goofed on a few things.
Number 15 - "Iron Man 3"
Some people really hate this one because of how it mistreats the comic origins of its villain. I always overlook that and instead remember "Iron Man 3" for making me laugh so hard. For a long time, it had the best sense of humor of any Marvel film and loving most of the film as a result - it basically sent the standard for how comedy in Marvel would be handled in the future. But beyond this, the plot is nonsensical and full of holes, and the climax leaves a lot to be desired. Not the strongest Iron Man tale, but far from the worst.
Number 14 - "Ant-Man"
Now we've reached that films that are just...fine. Perfectly serviceable summer blockbusters that were a lot of fun while I was watching them, but had no reason to watch them again after my initial viewing. "Ant-Man" did everything right, especially in scale and storytelling, but didn't leave much of an impact on me. The film did it's job and gave us a unique superhero with a very similar personality to many of the other Marvel leads. It wouldn't be until his next film that we would get a better taste of his personality.
Number 13 - "Avengers: Age of Ultron"
The best way I can describe "Age of Ultron" is that it is a sequel to an experience. Rather than being it's own thing, it tries to replicate something that cannot be topped and captured again. Even though "Age of Ultron" is, in many ways, an improvement over "The Avengers" in terms of storytelling, tension, dialogue and character dynamics, everything it does tries to be "The Avengers" all over again. It just doesn't feel as genuine this time around.
Number 12 - "Captain America: The First Avenger"
Now we move onto the ones that I thoroughly enjoy, starting with quite possibly the best superhero origin tale. Right from the beginning, our lead shows us his charm, compassion and likability that would become his defining characteristics, with some of the best scenes being little moments to prove that he's not trying to be a great soldier, but a good man. This whole movie is like if Captain America made a movie, cutting out the nitty-gritty and leaving only that which the filmmakers feel is important. Certainly one of the more underrated Marvel films.
Number 11 - "Ant-Man and the Wasp"
We come to the most recent Marvel film, one that won me over with its charm and likability. I appreciate the smaller-scale character driven piece, especially since it was a palette cleanser after "Infinity War." I ended up loving every character in this film, which is a testament to the writing and acting throughout.
Number 10 - "Iron Man"
For a long time, this was my favorite. It was the one to start it all and introduced us to Robert Downey Jr.'s unparalleled acting abilities. But then time passed and we got better made superhero movies. Tales that had better character arcs, and much better climaxes. It showed that "Iron Man," while still a solid entry in the shared universe with great acting and writing, is weaker compared to films will see later on this countdown.
Number 9 - "Spider-Man: Homecoming"
The most realistic and authentic of the Marvel films, "Homecoming" was more of a treat than I initially gave it credit for. The comedy felt genuine, the dialogue was fresh and witty without being over-the-top, and Tom Holland plays the best Spider-Man to date, perfectly balancing the line between the comedy and drama of being Spider-Man while still learning how to be the best hero possible. It is as refreshing and honest as we've gotten from Marvel.
Number 8 - "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2"
While I initially thought of this one as little more than a funny summer blockbuster that was another sequel to an experience, I thought more about "Guardians Vol. 2" and how it blurred the line between really funny scenes throughout with very intense and emotional moments. This thread is forever connected because of the theme of family and how each character has a different interpretation of it. This is far more than a funny summer blockbuster and it deserves all the credit it gets.
Number 7 - "Black Panther"
I know this one is special for a lot of people, and for very good reason. It is a game-changer in terms of what it is saying and what it represents, while still remaining as thought-provoking as a superhero film can get. For me, watching "Black Panther" was like a gateway to vast and diverse culture that I wanted to see even more of. I respect this film for what it accomplished and what it was trying to say, while still being a whole lot of fun.
Number 6 - "Thor: Ragnarok"
Speaking of fun, here is the most balls-to-the-wall insane entertainment of any Marvel movie. It is uproarious, thrilling, charming and so crazy that it's hard not to crack a smile just thinking about it. The whole film never takes itself too seriously, unlike the previous Thor films, and just has as much fun with Asgard as it possibly can, leading to some of the coolest sequences of any superhero movie.
Number 5 - "Avengers: Infinity War"
The most ambitious and epic movie out of this universe. Everything about this film felt big without sacrificing the smaller character driven moments. The pacing is stellar and everything about it felt satisfying while keeping the fun-loving Marvel style. This film is what ten years of development leads to, and it did not disappoint.
Number 4 - "The Avengers"
When I think of Marvel movies and what they're capable of doing, "The Avengers" is typically the first thing that comes to mind. It was an event when it came out and felt like more than just a normal film-going experience. No body have ever made a movie quite like "The Avengers" at the time, and it still hasn't been topped by anyone except by Marvel. This has become the standard for summer blockbusters now with it walks that tight rope between tense character-driven drama and witty comedy. It may seem small now compared to "Civil War" and "Infinity War," but "The Avengers" is still just as mind-blowing today as was in 2012.
Number 3 - "Captain America: The Winter Soldier"
Now we get the truly great Marvel movies, the ones that transcend being just summer blockbusters. I wish I could say all three of these last ones are a tie for number one, but instead I'll place "The Winter Soldier" here because it not only works as a wonderful political thriller, with some of the best action sequences in the entire cinematic universe, especially the highway fight scene, but because of struggle to find the difference between right and wrong in a world that is constantly evolving. The fact that it's Captain America that undergoes this struggle makes it even more interesting as we watch him personally struggle with his beliefs against the rest of the world. A simple yet highly effective movie.
Number 2 - "Captain America: Civil War"
Now take what "The Winter Soldier" said about the difference between right and wrong in an ever evolving world and add in a personal yet passionate conflict between its leads, and you have the most human portrayal of superheroes I've seen in a long time. It is amazing how well this film works on so many levels and never stops being entertaining for even a moment. The acting, the writing, the pacing and tension is solid throughout, but the relationships are the star of this film, especially with how brutally real they feel. It's one of the few Marvel films that made me think about what these heroes were fighting for and what they were doing to the world at large, all while still being thoroughly entertaining.
Number 1 - "Guardians of the Galaxy"
This may come as a surprise to some, since I wrote off "Guardians of the Galaxy" as little more than a dumb popcorn flick in my initial review. But the more I thought about how different this film is from every other Marvel film, and as they released more superhero tales, the more I looked back on this film and realized how smart, witty, emotional and stunning this film can be. On paper, this film should not work - every one of these characters are assholes, while four of the five main cast members aren't human, one of which can only say three words. Yet through clever writing, unbelievably captivating performances, an unparalleled soundtrack and the best world building of any Marvel film, we get a gem amongst some already awe-inspiring movies.
But the main reason "Guardians of the Galaxy" is my number one is because it was a risk. Marvel had no idea if this film was going to win people over. Unlike their other products with heroes that everyone knows about and could turn a profit even if they made a bad movie, only die-hard comic book fans knew who Star Lord, Rocket and Groot were. Marvel took a huge chance by doing a story that, not only didn't contain any previously established characters, but was filled with characters that were far from heroes. Hell, two of it's characters were a CGI raccoon and living tree! But despite all of the odds, this is the most memorable, fun and heartwarming film that Marvel has ever released.
With Marvel dominating the film industry at the moment, as well as how many companies conduct their business, it's safe to say that their movies aren't going anywhere, especially since "Black Panther" and "Infinity War" are in the top ten highest grossing films of all time while still being critically praised. These films keep finding new ways to tell fascinating and surprisingly complex stories that seem to keep getting better over time. As long as people enjoy people becoming more than what they are, Marvel will always have a special place in our hearts.
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