As we continue the build-up to having more major studio film releases in 2021, including multiple entries into the Marvel Cinematic Univers (MCU) we thought it would be fun to end the debate once and for all (Hahahahaha!) on a ranking of all the current MCU movies from worst to best. So, let’s have a bit of fun and put together the list.
First a few caveats. Remember, these are official MCU movies, which removes a number of films featuring Marvel superheroes that predate the official creation of MCU content. For example, you won’t see Ang Lee’s The Hulk from 2003, any of the Sam Raimi Spider-Man trilogy from 2002-2007 on this list. Although just to confuse the issue, we know there are at least rumors that all of the actors who have played Spider-Man in films since 2002 (Toby Maguire, Andrew Garfield, and Tom Holland) may end up appearing together in a story where the Spider-Verse is explored. You also won’t see Venom, the X-men movies, or Deadpool on this list, although those characters are likely to be wrapped into the MCU in various upcoming films. Confusing enough?
So, below find our utterly subjective and debatable list, ranking the 23 MCU movies to date from worst to best. One more thing. We actually enjoyed all of these movies on some level, even the ‘worst’ ones. Once we get to the middle of the list, they were really all enjoyable, so it starts to get really tricky to pick one over the other. Once we got to the top 10 it got really hard. So, feel free to pick this list apart and disagree on just about any ranking.
23 – The Incredible Hulk
Well, it was better than the Hulk movie from 2003, but that’s not saying a lot. It had its moments, but overall, pretty meh.
22 – Thor: Dark World
I feel like they still hadn’t quite figured out the best way to write dialog for Thor at this point. When it shows up on TV or cable, I never find any particular reason to tune in again.
21 – Thor
Several of the original character intro movies show up higher on this list, but Thor was mostly a miss for me. But, it’s nice to know they would get Thor figured out eventually, even if it took a few movies.
20 – Iron Man 3
Some people think this was the best of the Iron Man movies, but for me it was the worst. Not a terrible movie and I enjoyed parts of it, but the whole fake Mandarin thing just never grabbed me.
19 – Iron Man 2
And the second Iron Man was a bit lacking as well. Possibly because it followed the best of the intro movies, this one felt like a letdown.
18 – Ant-Man and the Wasp
This was actually a pretty fun movie, but we’re already getting to a point where movies I enjoyed are showing up on the list and I just enjoyed some others more. It was still a nice follow up to the Ant Man origin movie.
17 – Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2
Such a tough act to follow with the first Guardians movie. Part 2 was still funny, but just not quite as good as the first.
16 – Avengers: Age of Ultron
I loved the first Avengers, but this follow-up was just OK for me.
15 – Doctor Strange
Some people thought this was one of the absolute best MCU movies. I liked it, but it felt a bit reminiscent of Inception.
14 – Captain Marvel
Some fans would put this one lower, but I enjoyed the 80s nostalgia and in general liked the story and character intro.
13 – Ant-Man
I had limited expectations for this one, but enjoy Paul Rudd, so figured it would be at least OK. For me it ended up better than OK. A nice mix of humor and superhero movie.
12 – Spider-Man: Far From Home
A fun mix of superhero movie with a teen film. A fun villain and some cool settings. It’s not an all-time classic, but still a really enjoyable movie.
11 – Black Panther
An excellent movie, which is where we get at number 11, which says a lot about the quality of the MCU movies in general. Great acting, a powerful cast, and a key development for all the upcoming Avengers movies, with the full introduction of Wakanda.
10 – Captain America: The Winter Soldier
Extremely fun movie, with a bit of government espionage thrown in for good measure. Some people rank this one even higher.
9 – Captain America: Civil War
Almost an Avengers movies really. A real highlight was bringing Spider-Man into the Avengers ensemble for the first time. A lot of fun, even if the villain was a bit underwhelming to me.
8 – Spider-Man: Homecoming
I actually enjoyed the most recent Andrew Garfield led Spider-Man movies, but with the most recent inception feel like the found their best embodiment yet in Tom Holland.
7 – Captain America: The First Avenger
Not everyone ranks this one so high, but I remember being really surprised how much I enjoyed this one when I saw it in the theater. The Avengers hadn’t come out yet, so this was really the beginning of seeing how the team could come together.
6 – Iron Man
In some ways, this is my favorite. It’s the first real MCU movie and set the foundation for the franchise with Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark. Who else could have played that role as well?
5 – Thor: Ragnarök
It took a couple of at bats before a director could figure out the right approach to a Thor movie, but this one absolutely nailed it. Funny, entertaining, and a key plot mover for the overall Infinity War story.
4 – Avengers: Endgame
It was a great ending to the Infinity War saga and a wrap to Phase 3 of the MCU movies, but I can’t put it at number one. Still, a great conclusion to a story spanning 22 movies at that point. An amazing achievement in filmmaking.
3 – Guardians of the Galaxy
The most unexpectedly awesome movie I can remember in recent years. I thought Marvel had totally jumped the shark when I heard this one was coming out. A talking squirrel and tree? Seriously? But, wow was I wrong. Such a fun, funny, and entertaining movie.
2 – The Avengers
The movie that brought our heroes together for the first time was spot on. Great villain, an enjoyable (even if predictable) coming together story for the team, strong dialog… what else can you ask for?
1 – Avengers: Infinity War
And here we are at #1. I’m going with Infinity War, because it was such a massive movie, bringing together all the plot-lines from the past 201 movies and ending on a crushing cliff-hanger. Handling so many characters and a complex story and bringing it to an unsatisfying end, while making fans eager for the conclusion. That’s hard to top.
