This weekend marks the release of a true cinematic epic that’s been a decade in the making. This weekend, Marvel Studios will unleash the latest installment in their worldwide behemoth of a franchise, the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Since it first started back in 2008, Marvel Studios have very much proven themselves to be the kings of the superhero genre by producing an endless array of great superhero films that are bolstered by their layered protagonists, incredible action sequences, and a terrific sense of humor that has produced some of the best moments to come from the world of film in recent years. And now, the heroes of the Marvel Cinematic Universe find themselves facing their most powerful foe yet, Thanos the Mad Titan, in Avengers: Infinity War. As a long-time fan of the franchise, I couldn’t be more excited for this film, especially considering that it is directed by brothers Joe and Anthony Russo, who have already given us two great MCU films these past few years and are also directing the fourth Avengers film that’s set to come out next year. Because of this, I’m confident that they’ll give us yet another iconic superhero epic that will truly cement the MCU’s status as one of the most legendary franchises in all of pop culture. With all that said, today on Rhode Island Movie Corner I’ll be providing you folks with a long-awaited update to a list that I had done a few years back in April 2015 before the release of the previous Avengers film, Avengers: Age of Ultron. Yes, the time has come once again for my personal rankings list of every film in the MCU.
Now, of course, the main reason why I’m doing this post again is quite simple. Since that previous post’s publication back near the tail-end of Phase 2, there have been a lot more MCU films that have come out since then, with Phase 3 arguably being the franchise’s greatest stretch of films yet due in part to the disbanding of the studio’s controversial creative committee. But the other reason why is because like someone’s list of their favorite films of all-time, this set of rankings will never officially be set in stone, and sure enough, my thoughts on these films have very much changed over the years. However, one opinion of mine that still stands today is that I still argue that Marvel Studios has yet to make a ‘bad’ superhero film. Now, for the record, I’m not saying that they’ve been completely ‘flawless’ when it comes to their cinematic output, as there have been some legitimately ‘weak’ MCU films over the years. Plus, not all their TV spin-offs have fared well with critics and audiences (e.g. Iron Fist and Inhumans), so it’s not like I can say that there hasn’t been a ‘bad’ MCU project overall. However, I’d still watch any of these films over something like Fan4stic or Justice League. Because of this, let me make one thing clear; I do not consider any of the following 18 films to be ‘terrible’. With that in mind, if a certain film ends up on the lower half of this list, this is by no means a ‘slight’ against it as it all comes down to personal preferences. And so, let’s not waste any more time and go through my current rankings of the Marvel Cinematic Universe films as of April 25th, 2018.
18. THE INCREDIBLE HULK
Part of me legitimately hates to have to put this film at the bottom of this list. Back before the MCU truly became the ever-expanding franchise that it is today, this was always a personal favorite of mine even if it was the overlooked superhero film from a year that gave us Iron Man and The Dark Knight. For one thing, because I didn’t stick around to see the big ‘Avengers Initiative’ post-credits scene in Iron Man (solely because the franchise’s trademark post-credits scenes weren’t common knowledge just yet), it was this film where I first learned about Marvel Studios’ plans for an Avengers film. However, in the years since its release, this film has become quite disconnected to the rest of the franchise, hence why it ultimately is where it is on this list. This is specifically due to the recasting of the role of Bruce Banner, with Mark Ruffalo taking over for Edward Norton after the latter had creative conflicts with the studio over the decision to cut down on the film’s dialogue-heavy sequences in favor of a more action-oriented narrative. And while this does give the film an advantage over Ang Lee’s rather infamous adaptation of the character from 2003 (which I do still like, for the record), it is a shame that we’ll probably never get to see Norton and director Louis Leterrier’s original cut of the film. For what it’s worth, though, Norton does do a good job as Bruce Banner in a film that pays a lot of nice tributes to the classic Incredible Hulk TV series from the 70’s starring Bill Bixby and Lou Ferrigno (e.g. the implementation of its iconic theme, ‘The Lonely Man’, in the film’s score). Still, as much as I hate to say it, if you’re binge-watching all these films and find yourself in a situation where you must skip one of them due to a lack of time, then this is probably the best one to skip because of its growing dissonance with the rest of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
17. IRON MAN 2
As embarrassing as it probably is to admit, when I first saw this film in 2010, I found that I liked it more than the first Iron Man (I’ll explain why when I get to that film…). And while this mindset of mine has changed since then, I don’t consider Iron Man 2 to be the ‘disastrous train wreck’ that the internet always regards it as. With that said, though, that doesn’t mean that this film isn’t devoid of any major issues. During my most recent re-watch of it with my friends Matthew Goudreau and Alex McDevitt, the three of us theorized the possibility that this film was originally meant to be a Phase 2 release until the success of the first Iron Man resulted in the sequel getting fast-tracked so that it could come out not too long after its predecessor. Regardless of what really happened, though, Jon Favreau and his team were clearly rushed when it came to getting this film finished in time for its May 2010 release date. Unlike the first film, the set-up for future entries in the MCU is a lot more pervasive this time around. And sadly, this means that the main plot itself is quite lackluster despite a potentially compelling main antagonist that shares a strong personal connection to Tony Stark, the plotline of his best friend Colonel James Rhodes becoming the character War Machine, and a few nods to one of the character’s most famous storylines, ‘Demon in a Bottle’. It really is saying something when the main villain Whiplash (played by an underutilized Mickey Rourke, who’s been quite public about his dissatisfaction with how the film turned out) is ultimately overshadowed by the secondary villain Justin Hammer, played by the always delightful Sam Rockwell. While Robert Downey Jr. is still just as great as he’s always been as Tony Stark, the film itself does suffer from some sluggish pacing. And while it did serve as the introduction of Scarlett Johansson as Black Widow along with Don Cheadle taking over the role of ‘Rhodey’ from Terrence Howard, the two wouldn’t really get comfortable in their respective roles until future MCU films. Thus, Iron Man 2, while not outright horrible, is clearly one of the MCU’s most ‘Creative Committee’-influenced installments. But when it comes to the franchise’s most infamous example of that…
16. THOR: THE DARK WORLD
Yes, the second installment of the Thor trilogy is quite arguably the one MCU film that ended up getting the most creative interference from the studio’s Creative Committee, with director Alan Taylor being extremely vocal about the troubles that he faced during the film’s production. And yet, like Iron Man 2, this film is far from being the ‘godawful piece of crap’ that the internet views it as. With that said, though, this is arguably the most ‘uneventful’ installment of the entire MCU. Aside from the big twist near the end of the film in which it’s revealed that Loki has managed to take over as the ruler of Asgard, Thor: The Dark World is quite lacking in terms of world-building, especially when compared to the next MCU film that came after it (more on that one later…). And yes, the film’s main antagonist Malekith is quite arguably the worst MCU villain to date, with Christopher Eccleston being severely restricted both figuratively and literally as an underdeveloped antagonist who’s defeated quite easily by Thor and company. With that said, why then do I prefer this one over Iron Man 2? Well, while it does share a few of the same pacing issues that plagued that film, I do feel that Thor: The Dark World has a more ‘cohesive’ narrative (though only slightly…). And while it does start off on a rather slow note, things noticeably improve once Thor breaks Loki out of prison to form an uneasy alliance. Simply put, Chris Hemsworth and Tom Hiddleston are what ultimately keep this film from being a complete disaster. Plus, to its credit, the film does do a few things better than its predecessor, including stronger action sequences and visuals and more time spent on Asgard even though it still tries to balance its time between Earth and the rest of the Nine Realms. In short, while I do agree that this is one of the weaker MCU films, it’s honestly not ‘that bad’.
15. THOR
Despite what I just mentioned about how Thor: The Dark World boasts stronger action sequences compared to its predecessor, I do still prefer the first Thor film by a slight margin. On a personal level, this was the first ‘great’ film that I saw in 2011… despite the mistake that I made of seeing it in 3-D while having to sit in the front section of the theater. But even with that setback, along with the fact that it’s now near the bottom of this list, I still thoroughly enjoy the first Thor film. Admittedly, some might take issue with the narrative decision to have Thor be banished from his home, which means that most of the film is set on Earth instead of Asgard. However, I do think that Thor’s arc in the film is well-handled, as his time on Earth allows him to learn humility and to care about others instead of stroking his own ego. And while I do understand why some aren’t too keen on some of the goofier bits of humor that occur during the scenes set on Earth (which many have argued was an even bigger problem in The Dark World), I’ll admit that I didn’t mind a lot of the humor in this film. For the record, though, I’m mainly referring to the jokes revolving around Thor’s attempts at trying to adapt to life on Earth with hilariously disastrous results (e.g. him smashing a cup on the floor after drinking coffee (“This drink, I like it! ANOTHER!”)). Thor himself proves to be a solid lead thanks in large part to Chris Hemsworth’s breakout performance in the role. And while I personally feel that he didn’t fully stand out in the role until his appearance in The Avengers, Tom Hiddleston also makes a stellar debut as Loki. But perhaps the most important thing to note here is that under the direction of Kenneth Branagh, Thor, arguably Marvel Studios’ first ‘risky’ project, managed to avoid becoming the laughable mess that some people thought it might have been. While he may not be the ‘best’ action director, Branagh’s experience with adapting the works of Shakespeare helps to give this story of the gods of Norse mythology the kind of emotional poignancy that’s become one of the most vital staples of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
14. ANT-MAN
Calling Ant-Man one of the most infamous productions of the MCU would be an understatement. Fanboy derision became quite high when, in May 2014, the film’s original writer/director backed out of the project due to creative differences with the studio. But while directorial shake-ups are common in the film industry, the fact that this director was fan favorite Edgar Wright (who had been working on it for nearly a decade way before the MCU even started) cast a dark shadow over the film that is still there today even though it’s been years since it came out. I mean, sure, it’s legitimately quite sad that we’ll never get to see Edgar Wright’s take on Marvel’s shrinking superhero. However, Wright’s replacement, Peyton Reed, does manage to produce an entertaining heist-themed superhero film that may not be the MCU’s best outing but is still just as enjoyable as the rest of the films in the franchise. This is namely due to the film’s fantastic handling of Ant-Man’s powers, resulting in plenty of fun action sequences highlighted by the film’s big finale. But instead of taking place in the middle of a crowded city like the Avengers films, this finale takes place in the bedroom of the main protagonist’s young daughter, which sees the hero and villain use everything from a Thomas the Tank Engine train set to building blocks to try and defeat each other. Speaking of the main protagonist, Paul Rudd proves to be an excellent fit in the role of current Ant-Man Scott Lang, a sympathetic guy who’s just looking to get his life back in order after a stint in jail so that he can reunite with his daughter. He’s joined by an equally excellent supporting cast that includes the likes of Michael Douglas as former Ant-Man/creator of the suit’s technology Hank Pym, Evangeline Lilly as Hank’s daughter Hope (who will soon become the Wasp in this film’s sequel later this summer), and Michael Pena as Scott’s hilarious best friend Luis. In short, Ant-Man is perhaps the prime example of why Marvel Studios shouldn’t be taken for granted, as they more than managed to rebound from Edgar Wright’s departure to produce yet another great installment of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
13. DOCTOR STRANGE
Now admittedly, some may argue that the solo film debut of Marvel’s Sorcerer Supreme is a tad bit on the predictable side. Specifically, Doctor Strange’s origin story shares quite a bit in common with Iron Man’s origin story, with both starting out as egotistical rich guys who learn to let go of their egos when they suffer devastating injuries, which then lead to them becoming superheroes. But whereas Iron Man was the story of a billionaire who constantly works to atone for his mistakes, Doctor Strange is more about how its title character, Stephen Strange, overcomes all the pain in his life to find his purpose, even if it means having to leave his past life behind despite his intent to return to it. With that in mind, writer/director Scott Derrickson and co-writer C. Robert Cargill very much succeed at giving Doctor Strange a well-written origin story to the point where those similarities to Iron Man ultimately aren’t that much of an issue. But, of course, the biggest selling point of Doctor Strange is its visual effects. While the MCU films have always done a nice job in this department, Doctor Strange outshines them all through the ways in which it shows off the mystic side of the MCU, leading to a whole bunch of visually stunning (and, in many cases, psychedelic) action sequences. And with that in mind, this film also serves as an excellent introduction to the franchise’s mystical world without it ever becoming way too disconnected to what we’ve already seen from the MCU. Top it all off with an excellent performance from Benedict Cumberbatch in the title role, along with an equally superb supporting cast that includes Tilda Swinton (whitewashing controversy aside…) as the Ancient One and Mads Mikkelsen as one of the MCU’s better villains, Kaecilius (Mikkelsen was thankfully spared from having to play Malekith in The Dark World due to scheduling conflicts), and you have yet another entertaining entry in this great franchise.
12. SPIDER-MAN: HOMECOMING
Despite being the title character’s second reboot in half a decade, along with it being distributed by Sony instead of Disney, the influence of Marvel Studios not only makes Spider-Man: Homecoming a part of the MCU, but also the character’s best solo outing in years. And while it’s only at the #12 spot on this list, I do consider this film to be one of the MCU’s best ‘character-driven’ installments. This film does a phenomenal job in setting up the MCU’s rendition of Peter Parker, who instead of being a ‘fresh out of high school’ adult like in previous onscreen incarnations is just a kid from Queens who wants to join the Avengers but soon learns that he might be in over his head when it comes to those desires. This helps to give the film a more grounded nature compared to the rest of the MCU films without sacrificing the grand scale of its action sequences, and Tom Holland does a phenomenal job in the title role. This is backed further by the pitch-perfect use of Tony Stark as Peter’s mentor (with Robert Downey Jr. serving more of a cameo role instead of the usual leading role that he’s had in other MCU films so that he doesn’t overshadow Holland) to the point where Peter even goes through the same arc that Tony went through in Iron Man 3 about how their suits do not define who they are. And, of course, you also have some great supporting roles as well, including Michael Keaton as another one of the MCU’s better villains, Vulture, who’s tied to one of the franchise’s best twists in which it’s revealed that he’s the father of Peter’s crush, Liz Allan. In short, director Jon Watts very much succeeds at giving this film the ‘John Hughes teen comedy’ aesthetic that he was going for while still maintaining all the great elements of an MCU film.
11. IRON MAN
Sometimes it is quite surreal knowing that it has now been a decade since the original Iron Man first hit theaters back in 2008. Since then, a lot of other franchises have attempted to establish their own cinematic universes though not exactly to the same level of critical and commercial success that Marvel Studios has achieved. And really, this film still stands as the prime example as to why the MCU was able to succeed in the ways that it did... and that’s because setting up the universe wasn’t its primary focus. Sure, it introduces S.H.I.E.L.D. and there’s the big Nick Fury cameo during the post-credits scene, but that’s seriously it when it comes to world building. Instead, Iron Man… is about Iron Man. It never loses focus on the transformation of Tony Stark from a self-obsessed playboy into a noble superhero after he gets kidnapped by terrorists who have been using his company’s weapons in ways he hadn’t intended. This ties into what I feel is the main reason why some cinematic universes haven’t been able to get off the ground when compared to the MCU, as they often tend to focus more on the world-building than whatever story they’re currently trying to tell. And as you might have guessed, this is basically the one thing that hurt Iron Man 2; it did the exact opposite of what its predecessor did. Ultimately, though, while the MCU has certainly come a long way since then, the first Iron Man still manages to hold up quite well amongst the competition thanks to the great direction from Jon Favreau, solid pacing and humor, and a bunch of great action set-pieces. And of course, it’s all bolstered by Robert Downey Jr. in the title role of Tony Stark. Simply put, he was perfectly cast as everyone’s favorite ‘genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist’, and it’s easy to see why he is still considered as the headlining figure of the entire franchise.
Oh yeah, and I should probably discuss what I mentioned earlier about how there was a time where I liked Iron Man 2 more than the first film. Well, the main reason why is because you may be surprised to know that I wasn’t that big on this film the first time I saw it, and admittedly I find that it’s kind of hard to explain why this was the case just because it’s been such a long time since I saw the first Iron Man in theaters. The only thing that I can think of as to why this was the case for me is that this was at a time where I was just starting to go see PG-13 rated films in theaters. And to put it bluntly, the first Iron Man has a bit more of an edge to it compared to other MCU films, mostly due to the intensity of the scenes where Tony is a prisoner of the terrorist group known as the Ten Rings. Now, granted, the action sequences in this film don’t get overly graphic or anything. Every MCU film to date (and yes, this counts for both the pre-Disney and Disney era MCU films) has successfully managed to maintain a family-friendly vibe while still having enough of an edge to them to appeal to older audiences, and this one is no exception. But I guess you could say that this was just a case where 13-year-old me was a little overwhelmed by what was happening on-screen. Obviously, though, things have changed since then. In fact, I can assure you that I immediately warmed up to the film once I saw it a second time which, if I’m right, was not long after I first saw Iron Man 2 in theaters.
10. CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE FIRST AVENGER
While the first Iron Man is obviously the biggest MCU solo film from Phase 1, Captain America: The First Avenger is my personal favorite non-Avengers MCU film to come out of that era of the franchise. The First Avenger is a highly entertaining WWII-era superhero film that showcases director Joe Johnston’s strengths when it comes to directing period pieces (just look at the film that he directed back in 1991, The Rocketeer, which feels quite similar in terms of narrative and tone). Ultimately, though, the main thing that makes this film work as well as it does is Chris Evans’ fantastic turn in the title role. Now, of course, when Evans was first cast in the role, there was some skepticism from those who weren’t sure that he was a good choice for the part as, at the time, he was known more for playing snarky jock types, including his previous Marvel role as the Human Torch in the early 2000’s era Fantastic Four films. However, as we all know, Evans very much proved his critics wrong by perfectly conveying all of Steve Rogers’ best characteristics, most notably his nobility and ability to persevere through hardships. Because of this, Steve immediately establishes himself as an endearing protagonist when he starts off as a skinny kid from Brooklyn (the visual effects to make Evans look scrawny are still impressive even to this day) while still maintaining that spirit once he becomes Captain America. This helps to make the finale, in which Steve sacrifices himself by flying a bomb-loaded plane into the Arctic only to be reawakened several decades later in the present, one of the most genuinely heartbreaking moments in the entire MCU. And yes, that’s even if you went into it already aware of what’s going to happen to Steve given his backstory in the comics. Simply put, Cap’s final line before the credits says it all (“I had a date…”). On that note, Evans is backed by one of the best ensemble casts to ever come out of the franchise. There’s Hayley Atwell as future MCU fan-favorite Peggy Carter, Stanley Tucci as the noble scientist Dr. Erskine who coordinates the experiment to turn Steve into Captain America, Sebastian Stan as Steve’s loyal best friend Bucky, and Hugo Weaving as the film’s imposing antagonist, Red Skull. Because of all this, Captain America: The First Avenger is a delightfully old-school summer blockbuster that perfectly blends its retro setting with the MCU’s visual aesthetic. In fact, I’d say that it’s even a bit underrated given how it tends to get overshadowed by its two primary follow-ups, thus making the Captain America trilogy arguably the best trilogy to come out of the MCU.
9. BLACK PANTHER
I should preface this section by saying that the only reason why Black Panther currently isn’t any higher on this list despite me gushing about it in my review of it a few months back is simply that, at the time that I’m writing this, I’ve only seen it once. Usually, I don’t add new MCU films to this list until after seeing them at least twice, but because I planned to do this list again before seeing Infinity War, I figured that I could possibly come up with an idea of where it’d end up. And because these rankings aren’t set in stone, I have the feeling that this film will soon climb up to a higher spot in the future. And that is because Black Panther is very much a milestone entry in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. While the MCU films have always been known for their strong emotional poignancy, this aspect of the franchise is quite arguably the most important element of Black Panther as it drives both the plot and its character development. Whether it’s through Chadwick Boseman’s excellent portrayal of the title character or Michael B. Jordan as arguably the MCU’s greatest antagonist, Erik Killmonger, or the strong spiritual vibes that are directly tied to its setting of the nation of Wakanda, this film will certainly leave quite an impact on you on an emotional level. And thanks to the strong direction from Ryan Coogler along with a terrific ensemble cast that includes the phenomenal trio of female leads in Lupita Nyong’o as T’Challa’s love interest Nakia, Letitia Wright as his genius sister Shuri, and Danai Gurira as the badass warrior Okoye, it’s easy to see why Black Panther has become the cultural phenomenon that it is. What else more is there to say except…
8. THE AVENGERS
Now I’ll openly admit that if you really start to analyze the first Avengers film, you’re bound to notice a few things off about it. For one thing, it has a rather basic narrative that’s really nothing more than the heroes banding together to stop an invading enemy threat. Plus, as I’ve mentioned quite a few times over the years, the film does start off on a rather slow note. However, none of this has ever remotely hindered my enjoyment of this film. I still consider the first Avengers film as a landmark entry in the superhero genre, especially because of what it accomplished for the franchise. It proved that multiple superheroes could work together on-screen thanks in large part to all the time that we’ve already spent with them in previous films. This, in turn, keeps the film from being bogged down by the necessity for setting up these characters; and yes, that’s still the case even when considering that this was Mark Ruffalo’s first appearance as Bruce Banner. Another key factor to this film’s success is, of course, director Joss Whedon, whose snappy dialogue makes The Avengers one of the most quotable films in recent memory. “I understood that reference”, “Shakespeare in the Park”, “That man is playing Galaga”, “I’m always angry”, “He’s adopted”, “Puny God”, seriously folks, to quote Cap himself from other MCU films, “I can do this all day”. And that is why this film has continued to maintain a spot in my personal Top 10 favorite MCU films. Sure, it’s not the first MCU film that I’d recommend for its plot and character development, but when everything else around it is so terrifically handled, it ends up being not that big of a deal. In other words, despite what I’ve said about this film’s shortcomings, I still consider it as one of the superhero genre’s greatest masterpieces.
7. THOR: RAGNAROK
Despite being a vital member of the Avengers, Thor’s solo outings haven’t exactly been the MCU’s most critically acclaimed outings. That all changed, though, with Thor: Ragnarok, which is easily the character’s best solo film. For one thing, it benefits from having Chris Hemsworth’s best performance yet in the role as it allows him the chance to fully show off his strong comedic talents. And this, of course, ties into the best aspect about this film in that it’s one of the best comedic entries in the MCU. Obviously, humor has been a vital part of the MCU since the beginning, but here it is at its arguable best with an endless array of great lines and hilarious sight gags. However, this has led to some backlash towards the film from fans who were disappointed at it being more comedic compared to the serious nature of the Ragnarok story arc from the comics that it’s directly influenced by. But as I’ve said before, this is an argument that I’ve just never understood because Thor: Ragnarok is much more than just a comedy. It has its genuinely effective emotional moments, treats the threat of Hela the Goddess of Death seriously (while still giving Cate Blanchett the opportunity to work with some of the film’s humor), and even ends with the main protagonists intentionally (yes, intentionally!) causing Asgard’s destruction when they realize it’s the only way to stop Hela. Simply put, director Taika Waititi deserves a lot of credit for taking so many risks that ended up paying off in the long run while also giving the film its own unique style complete with all kinds of awesome aesthetical touches. Because of this, Thor: Ragnarok is hands down one of the most entertaining installments of a franchise that’s practically well-known at this point for making entertaining blockbusters.
6. AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON
Controversial MCU Opinion #1; not only do I consider Age of Ultron to be better than the first Avengers, but it’s also one of the most underrated MCU films to date. Clearly, the heightened expectations set up by the success of the first Avengers ultimately had a negative impact on the sequel. However, while the first Avengers is still very much a landmark entry in the genre, the one major advantage that its sequel has is that it boasts a stronger narrative that is defined primarily by the main villain Ultron being the creation of Tony Stark and how the latter works to atone for his mistake. Ultron himself is a highly enjoyable villain thanks in large part to James Spader’s charismatic turn in the role. However, not everyone was satisfied with how the character was ultimately portrayed more as a humorous villain compared to the sinister threat that was promoted in the trailer via the darker rendition of ‘No Strings on Me’ from Pinocchio. Still, Spader perfectly encapsulates the role as Joss Whedon wrote it. Speaking of Whedon’s work on this film, another big controversy surrounding it stemmed from its characterization of Black Widow, primarily due to her budding romance with Bruce Banner. However, I’ve always found this backlash towards this relationship to be extremely overblown, as their interactions in the first Avengers film at least keep this development from being completely out of left field. But the one argument against this film that always baffles me is that apparently, some thought that the film had lackluster action sequences. And yet, as evident from the big opening attack on a HYDRA base to the fight between Iron Man in the Hulkbuster and an enraged Hulk to the finale in Sokovia as it’s lifted into the air, that isn’t even remotely the case. Plus, with fun new characters introduced like Scarlet Witch and the Vision along with the same great tone that perfectly mixes humor with effective bits of character development, Age of Ultron is just as epic as its predecessor if not more so, which I’m certain will be the same case with Infinity War.
5. IRON MAN 3
And here’s where I REALLY get controversial, placing arguably the most polarizing MCU film to date in my personal Top 5. When I last did this list, I put it at #6, and after a few more MCU films came out, it got overtaken by a few of them to the point where, for a while, it was in the lower half of my Top 10. However, upon my most recent re-watch of this film with Matt and Alex, I realized something; by putting it at that spot, I was lowballing it just as much as the internet was despite how much I loved it. Thus, I will say it here and now; Iron Man 3 IS the most under-appreciated MCU film to date. Of course, the main reason why this film was so polarizing was due to the big bait-and-switch revolving around the supposed main antagonist, the Mandarin. Instead of it being Ben Kingsley’s character, it was revealed that Guy Pearce’s Aldrich Killian was the main antagonist of the film whereas Kingsley was playing a drunken British actor named Trevor Slattery who was roped into Killian’s plan. I’ve talked about this twist several times in the past and, simply put, the internet seriously needs to get over it as it does work from a narrative perspective in a story that draws parallels to recent developments in the War on Terror. Killian’s a terrific antagonist, one of Marvel’s best, and Kingsley is fantastic in his ‘dual role’ as Slattery and his ‘portrayal’ of the Mandarin. Aside from that, the film itself also benefits from having its own unique style, which is good considering that this was around the time when the franchise was starting to get a lot of flak for its films being ‘too similar’. In other words, director Shane Black makes a ‘Shane Black MCU film’, and the results are spectacular. Plus, it also boasts one of Robert Downey Jr.’s best performances as Tony Stark, who grapples with the traumatic events that he went through in the first Avengers film in a brilliant arc that allows him to realize that Iron Man is not his definitive identity. Thus, while Iron Man 3 is unfortunately remembered primarily for the backlash towards its infamous twist, hopefully, it will one day be recognized for having one of the most layered narratives of any MCU film.
For further analysis as to why this film is one of the MCU’s best, here’s an editorial by my friend Matthew Goudreau on why Aldrich Killian is, in his opinion, the best MCU villain to date.
4. CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE WINTER SOLDIER
If Iron Man 3’s polarizing nature was any indication, 2013 was a bit of a rough year for Marvel Studios. While neither of their two theatrical releases that year were commercial flops, both attracted a mixed response from critics and audiences. Thankfully, the studio’s fortunes changed the following year beginning with Captain America: The Winter Soldier, which served as the Russo brothers’ sterling franchise debut as directors. And for their first franchise endeavor, they proceeded to give us another one of the MCU’s most well-layered plots that feels like it came out of a 70’s political thriller. In doing so, it allows for some great new character development for Cap as he must now adapt to living in the present day, where his old-fashioned WWII-era ideals do not gel well with the morally grey aspects of modern day sensibilities. This then ties in nicely to the film’s big bombshell that reveals that HYDRA had infiltrated SHIELD along with the plotline that sees Cap’s friend Bucky Barnes return from his supposed death in The First Avenger as HYDRA’s brainwashed operative, the Winter Soldier. Add in some amazing action sequences and some of the best performances from Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, and Samuel L. Jackson as Cap, Black Widow, and Nick Fury, respectively, and it’s easy to see why this film still stands as one of the most popular MCU films to date. And while it may not be my #1 favorite film of the franchise, I do very much appreciate it for managing to revitalize the Marvel Cinematic Universe at a time where it seemed like things were starting to get a little rocky.
3. CAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL WAR
While it may only be at the #3 spot on this list, I do not have any major issues with the Russo brothers’ second MCU film. Captain America: Civil War simply hits all the right notes, which is saying something considering that it’s inspired by one of Marvel’s most infamous recent storylines from the comics. And yet, instead of being a direct adaptation of writer Mark Millar’s miniseries of the same name, the film instead repurposes the storyline’s conflict of having the Avengers on opposite sides of a superhero-restricting government act into a story that ties in nicely to everything that’s happened so far in the MCU. Simply put, the film shows how, despite the Avengers’ good intentions, they’ve created their own demons amidst all those that they’ve saved, hence why the film’s main antagonist, Zemo, is not a sentient AI or warmongering alien. Instead, he’s just a normal guy who enacts revenge on the Avengers after losing his family in the Battle of Sokovia from Age of Ultron, and while he is taken into custody at the end of the film, he basically succeeded in his efforts to tear them apart, thereby making him one of the more ‘successful’ MCU villains. On that note, the conflict between the Avengers is much more balanced in the film compared to the comics. Both sides have legit points to stand behind and the film thankfully avoids turning Iron Man into an antagonist like he was in the comics. Thus, it results in the film having some of the best emotional depth of the entire franchise, all headlined by the devastating finale that’s based around the dark secret of Bucky killing Tony’s parents even though it was when he was under HYDRA’s control. Pair this with some of the best action sequences to come out of the MCU in recent years, including the big airport battle between Cap and Iron Man’s factions of Avengers, and you have one hell of a superhero epic that kicked off Phase 3 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe in the best way possible.
2. GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY
Upon its release in 2014, Guardians of the Galaxy was easily Marvel Studios’ riskiest venture at the time, as they had to make a compelling superhero film based on a group of characters who, at the time, were such an obscure team that even hardcore comic fans probably didn’t know who they were. Flash forward to today… and the Guardians aren’t a C-list superhero squad anymore. This is, of course, thanks in large part to writer/director James Gunn’s finely tuned screenplay that’s so steeped in emotional poignancy that you do come to care about a cocky, dance-loving thief, a stone-cold assassin, an equally stone-cold warrior who doesn’t understand metaphors, a tree creature who only says three words, and a hot-headed, gun-toting, talking raccoon. These five characters are excellently portrayed by Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, Vin Diesel, and Bradley Cooper, respectively. They are then joined by an equally excellent supporting cast that includes the likes of Michael Rooker as Yondu, Karen Gillan as Nebula (even though she’s a bit underused here), and Lee Pace as the film’s main villain Ronan, who I’d argue is rather underrated as far as MCU villains go. But at the end of the day, the main reason why this film works as well as it does is because of its main protagonists… that and a gorgeous visual style, a kick-ass 70’s/80’s soundtrack, and one of the best MCU screenplays in terms of humor. Thus, for quite a few years, this stood as my #1 favorite Marvel Cinematic Universe film, only to be topped by another adventure with everyone’s favorite intergalactic ‘bunch of a-holes’.
1. GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL. 2
Like Iron Man 3 and Avengers: Age of Ultron, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 is an MCU sequel that hasn’t been as well-received compared to its predecessor. While the reviews weren’t bad for the 2017 follow-up to Marvel Studios’ big 2014 hit, several critics (and I do mean ‘several’) argued that the film ‘wasn’t as fresh’ as its predecessor. But in this case, it’s the complete opposite scenario; Guardians 2 IS better than the first film, and considering how great the first one was, that’s saying a lot. However, James Gunn does manage to craft a story that’s even more emotionally powerful through its exploration of themes like fatherhood, represented by the main plot of Peter Quill reuniting with his long-lost Celestial father, and sisterhood, represented through the continuing conflict between sisters Gamora and Nebula. This is then strengthened further by the decision to have the Guardians be split up into pairs of two (and in one case, three). Sure, it means that they’re separate from each other for most of the run-time, but these pairs are perfectly set up, from the roguish trio of Rocket, Groot, and Yondu to kindred spirits Drax and Mantis. This, in turn, makes their eventual reunion that more impactful. And it all concludes with one of the most emotional finales of any MCU film, as Peter’s ‘true’ father figure Yondu sacrifices himself to save ‘his boy’ and is then given a proper send-off by his fellow Ravagers. Pair that with some of the best MCU visuals to date and an even stronger soundtrack (e.g. the use of Fleetwood Mac’s ‘The Chain’ and Cat Stevens’ ‘Father and Son’, just to name a few) and you have yet another first-rate installment of this legendary franchise.
And that concludes my rankings list for all currently released Marvel Cinematic Universe films as of April 2018. Thanks for following along and be sure to sound off in the comments below with your own personal rankings lists for these 18 films. Plus, you can expect a review of the next MCU epic, Avengers: Infinity War, sometime in the next few days; after all, the thought that this legendary experience is soon going to be upon us 'does put a smile on my face'.
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