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The Marvel Movies From Worst to Best—and Where to Stream Them

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In May 2008, the recently formed Marvel Studios released its first movie—and changed the face of modern cinema. Iron Man wasn’t even the highest-grossing superhero film of the year (Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight took that crown), but it was a kernel that has exploded into an all-consuming entertainment juggernaut. Fifteen years later, the Marvel Cinematic Universe is a sprawling, interconnected web of character-based movies and crossovers that has pulled in billions at the box office.

But which Marvel movies are the best, and worst, of the bunch? Is Iron Man 3 better than Iron Man 2 ? How bad was The Incredible Hulk ? How does  Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 hold up against its predecessors? Where does The Marvels , the MCU’s latest offering, fit into it all? We’ve spent hours arguing about the relative merits of Doctor Strange and Black Widow , and at the end of it, we’ve got some irreparably damaged working relationships and the definitive ranking of every movie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Related note: It takes nearly three days to watch all 33 Marvel movies back to back. Most of them are now available on Disney+, and you can read our guide to the best films on Disney+ to see what else is worth watching when you’re done—until Deadpool makes his official MCU debut in 2024 .

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Eternals faced an uphill battle, as it was one of the first movies to get caught up in Covid-19 delays. While it originally completed shooting in February 2020, the bulk of its post-production was handled remotely and reshoots had to be done nearly 10 months later. Add several delays due to movie theater closures, and fans ended up waiting about three years to see it. But rather than an easy slide into this new world of the Eternals—an alien race of immortal superheroes who have been living in secrecy for thousands of years—audiences got a full-on, Avengers -style epic they weren’t quite ready for. While the film garnered praise for its sumptuous visuals and innovative direction by Chloé Zhao, and for bringing a whole new philosophical bent to the MCU, it ultimately felt like a futile exercise.

This largely forgotten Marvel movie followed closely on the heels of Iron Man ’s success, but relative to the other films in the series, it was a critical and commercial flop. Edward Norton did a perfectly fine job as Bruce Banner, but the story goes that he wanted more creative control than a tightly related web of movies would allow and so was replaced by Mark Ruffalo before The Avengers (aka Avengers Assemble ) four years later. (Ruffalo, it turns out, had actually been The Incredible Hulk director Louis Leterrier’s first choice for the smashing green superhero.) The film feels very dark and gloomy compared to the brightness of Marvel’s later efforts, and the CGI has not aged well. But most importantly, recasting with such a different actor meant that the events of this film have largely been ignored ever since—a number of seeds were planted that never bore fruit, and Banner’s emotional backstory and relationship with Betty Ross (played by Liv Tyler) were never mentioned again, which seemed to suit some fans just fine—until now. In March 2023, it was announced that Tyler would reprise her role in the upcoming  Captain America: New World Order , which is set to be released on July 26, 2024.

It’s tough for any sequel to match—let alone surpass—the success of its cinematic predecessor, and Iron Man 2 was certainly not up to the task. Robert Downey Jr. reprises his role as the eponymous superhero, going head-to-head with the US government, which is worried about what could happen if Tony Stark’s tech falls into the wrong hands. Officials spend so much time pestering Stark that a new threat escapes their notice—in the form of Ivan Vanko, aka Whiplash, a Russian physicist who’s got a bone to pick with Stark. Mickey Rourke, fresh off his Oscar-nominated role in The Wrestler , has spent the past decade-plus trashing the movie and the MCU’s “ crap acting ,” which hasn’t helped the film’s legacy.

One of the things you realize when you sit down and actually rank all 33 MCU films is how few duds there are. Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige and his colleagues have done a remarkable job of turning out some pretty solid pictures, and there are few genuinely bad entries in the series. Unfortunately, this is one of them. The Dark World was beset by problems from the start, including extensive rewrites and even director changes. Despite all that work put into making the best picture possible, the plot—which features Dark Elves, frost monsters, and a malicious substance called the Aether—feels a bit distant. Fortunately, Thor managed to rebound with 2017’s Thor: Ragnarok .

If Downey’s final solo outing as Iron Man marked the end of an era, it would best be summed up as an era of mediocre movies starring a massive talent, making the end of them far less sad for filmgoers. The plot of the third film revolves around Tony Stark’s PTSD in the wake of the Battle of New York as he takes on The Mandarin, a mysterious figure who turns out to be a debauched actor in a television studio, played with all the respect that plot twist deserves by Oscar winner Ben Kingsley.

The Avengers’ second group outing is a joyous jumble of a movie in which the superheroes start to really click as a team. Stark’s mad-scientist-playing-God routine spirals out of control (in a good way) when he blends Asgardian heirlooms with AI and advanced robotics. The Avengers end up having to battle Ultron, a Terminator-esque abomination with some unsurprising designs on the future of humankind (read: extinction). That Ultron has a couple of rogue superheroes doing his bidding provides extra fun. After the monster bot is obliterated and the rogues are won over to the other side, a glimpse of Thanos’ purple mug reminds us that this was likely all part of a wider plot. Then again, isn’t everything in the MCU part of a wider plot?

Not even Taika Waititi could live up to the incredibly high standard he set with the universally beloved Thor: Ragnarok . While Waititi’s comic tendencies are on full display, Love and Thunder —much like Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 before it—feels a little too familiar to its predecessor to fully stand out on its own. Still, Chris Hemsworth is utterly charming as the flawed and vulnerable God of Thunder, who is forced out of retirement in order to stop a new enemy, Gorr the God Butcher (Christian Bale), from doing exactly what his name implies. Together with his King Valkyrie (Tessa Thompson), Korg (Waititi), and his newly superhero-empowered ex Jane Foster (Natalie Portman), Thor sets about stopping Gorr, and uncovering the reason behind his hatred of the gods in the first place.

Twenty years after first bringing Spider-Man to the big screen in a pre-MCU world, Sam Raimi officially crashed the Marvel party with this Doctor Strange sequel starring Benedict Cumberbatch and Elizabeth Olsen and Benedict Cumberbatch and Elizabeth Olsen and Benedict Cumberbatch and Elizabeth Olsen. Basically, there are a lot of versions of their characters, Dr. Stephen Strange and Wanda Maximoff, some of whom are up to no good. Like the first Strange film, this one feels like it exists just outside of the MCU—or more to provide connective tissue between other segments of the superhero universe than as a full-fledged solo effort. The movie does, however, feature some of the franchise’s most notable talents (count the Oscar nominations) and the sequel brings Raimi back to his Evil Dead roots, making this a movie for superhero aficionados and horror movie fans alike.

As one of Hollywood’s most likable actors, Paul Rudd was a stellar choice for the petty criminal turned tiny superhero Scott Lang/Ant-Man. He’s also a worthy successor to serve as the face of the MCU’s Phase Five (this is the film that kicked it off), much in the same way that Robert Downey Jr. did for Phase One. While Rudd is as charming as ever, this solo outing is decidedly darker than its predecessors, as Ant-Man and the Wasp (Evangeline Lilly) are swept up into the Quantum Realm, where they’re forced to face off against baddie Kang the Conqueror, a scientist from the 31st century who has stumbled upon the Multiverse.

Chris Hemsworth’s Thor serves as a valuable source of comic relief in many of the more recent MCU movies, but his first outing—in this Kenneth Branagh–helmed film—had a much more serious vibe. At the start of the film, Thor is exiled on Earth and deemed unworthy to wield his hammer, which has crashed into the desert in New Mexico. He strikes up a romance with astrophysicist Dr. Jane Foster (Natalie Portman), who has come to investigate the matter. As usual, it’s Tom Hiddleston as Loki—Thor’s brother—who steals the show, but it’s all a little too serious to find itself in the top half of this list.

Preeminent New York City neurosurgeon Dr. Stephen Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) is as pompous as he is talented, which makes it impossible for him to accept that his career is over when a car crash leaves him unable to use his hands. In an attempt to reclaim his professional standing, Strange travels to a monastery in Kathmandu, where resident mystics are rumored to have mastered sorcery. After meeting the monastery’s chief warlock, the Ancient One (Tilda Swinton), Strange forgets all about his injured hands as he becomes absorbed in ancient books, exploring the astral plane, and shooting green beams from his fingers. The appearance of a transcendental baddie hell-bent on destroying the magical shields protecting Earth from inter-dimensional villains triggers wizardry battles galore. The visually ingenious film gets points for introducing Cumberbatch to the MCU; unfortunately, that’s not enough to save it from a low ranking.

The second outing of Star-Lord, Gamora, Groot, and company is a perfectly enjoyable film. It just feels like a fairly by-the-numbers retread of the first one, which connected with audiences through its unexpected comedy and the chemistry between its quirky characters, including a wisecracking raccoon and a talking tree. While the sequel attempted to recapture some of that magic, it just couldn’t stick the landing. Or the middle bit, really. The Vol. 2 mixtape has been credited as one of the forces behind the cassette tape’s comeback, which is something to be thankful for.

While the idea of adapting Marvel’s Shang-Chi comic for the big screen was first broached in the early 2000s, it took nearly two decades for the film to get there. Simu Liu made history in the role of Shang-Chi, the MCU’s first Asian superhero, who led a predominantly Asian cast. In the present day, Shang-Chi works as a parking valet—an occupation that helps him mask his past as a highly trained martial arts expert who carried out an assassination when he was just 14 years old. But as Shang-Chi is dragged back into the world of a mysterious group known as the Ten Rings, his past comes bubbling back up to the surface, which proves to be both a blessing and a curse. A sequel is currently in development.

The First Avenger is a sepia-toned love story that follows Steve Rogers’ (Chris Evans) transformation from scrawny patriot to super soldier with the help of a special serum. The film’s historical setting means it’s different in tone from many of the other entries in the series, but that may be a good thing; critics praised its depiction of the 1940s. Of all the films in the series, Captain America perhaps feels the most coherent as a stand-alone flick.

If this were a ranking of Most Depressing Marvel Movies, this one would definitely rank within the top five. That isn’t a knock on the movie—just a fact, as well as a surprising turn of events from James Gunn, who brought some much-needed playfulness to the MCU with the original  Guardians of the Galaxy (which helped to wipe away the stink of  Iron Man 3  and  Thor: The Dark World ). Nearly a decade later, the Guardians are still delivering that same quippy energy that makes the movies seem like a Western one moment and a screwball comedy the next, yet there’s an underlying sadness here. Plot-wise, that’s because it tackles Rocket Raccoon’s backstory, which should come with an #AdoptDontShop hashtag. It’s also one of the first movies to truly examine the emotional toll “The Snap” took on our favorite superheroes. But it’s also hard to imagine that knowing this would be Gunn’s Marvel swan song, and the last time this ragtag team of filmmakers would be working together to create a story about this ragtag team of superheroes, wouldn't bleed into the script. Sure, there are some mawkish moments. But overall, it’s a fittingly moving sendoff for Gunn and the forgotten comic book characters he turned into cinematic icons.

The success of 2015’s Ant-Man sparked an unexpected sequel that takes the series even deeper into the quantum realm. The title character’s ability to shrink and grow on demand makes for some visually arresting fight scenes, and it brings the same humor and levity that made the first film a hit along with it. But the actual plot, if you really think about it, is deeply silly. Then again, maybe that’s what we all needed after the Snap. Although Ant-Man and the Wasp came out after Infinity War , most of the action takes place beforehand, with the exception of a stunning post-credits scene.

Now that Tony Stark’s storyline is (presumably) finished, the MCU needs a new MVP—and Brie Larson’s Carol Danvers just might be it. The universe’s newest film serves as a sequel to 2019’s billion-dollar-grossing Captain Marvel and a continuation of the 2022 Disney+ series Ms. Marvel . Like Black Widow before it, The Marvels puts the spotlight on Marvel’s female superheroes, with Larson’s Captain Marvel partnering with Monica Rambeau (Teyonah Parris) and Kamala Khan/Ms. Marvel (Iman Vellani) to manipulate space and time to save the world. You know the drill. Except this time, there are cats (yes, that’s a huge plus). And thanks to director Nia DaCosta (who also cowrote the script), there’s a very welcome wackiness to the proceedings that is reminiscent of Thor: Ragnarok . Also welcome: The movie’s 105-minute running time, which is the shortest of any Marvel film.

It’s possible no Marvel movie will ever top Black Panther (as evidenced by its ranking on this list). But if you think of Wakanda Forever as a movie that both honors the legacy of Chadwick Boseman, who played T’Challa in several Marvel films and tragically died in 2020, and continues the story of the nation of Wakanda, then this is a worthy sequel. Director Ryan Coogler not only introduced the world to a new Black Panther, he also brought along Riri Williams (aka Ironheart) and Namor, too. It’s as gut-wrenching as it is action-packed.

Although Civil War is officially a solo Captain America outing, it plays out more like an ensemble Avengers story, with a huge cast of characters split into rival factions by the Sokovia Accords—a legal agreement that puts tighter controls on superheroes and was introduced after Tony Stark’s rogue AI dropped an entire city in Age of Ultron . Stark, cowed by his role in creating Ultron, is allied with the government and has Black Widow, Black Panther, Vision, and Spider-Man on his side. Meanwhile, Steve Rogers and his team—which includes Ant-Man, Hawkeye, and Wanda Maximoff, who are probably not the favorites on paper—go rogue to track down Hydra’s Helmut Zemo and bring in Bucky Barnes.

Given that Scarlett Johansson has been an integral part of the MCU since 2010’s Iron Man 2 , her 2021 debut solo feature seemed long overdue. But the wait may have been worth it, as Black Widow feels much more like a stand-alone movie than probably any other solo outing in the MCU and introduces a solid new cast of characters, including Florence Pugh as Yelena Belova, a fellow Black Widow and sister-like figure to Johansson. It largely follows the Marvel formula of action, action, and more action and plays out more like a Bond film in that way—which isn’t a bad thing—but it also contends with the very specific issues of female independence and the effects of surviving trauma. While it allowed longtime fans to dive deeper into the past of Johansson’s notoriously mysterious Natasha Romanoff (aka Black Widow), it also—finally!—gave audiences the chance to see a slightly different and more vulnerable side of the Avenger. It’s just too bad it took Marvel more than a decade to finally give fans that moment.

Thanks to the MCU, crossovers have become such a common occurrence at the theater that it’s easy to forget the impact of first seeing Iron Man, Thor, Captain America, the Hulk, and more combine forces. The Avengers —or Avengers Assemble , as it’s known in the UK—delivers some great moments during the Battle of New York, which becomes a key plot point in the next phase of the story, and in many of the spin-off television series. The film wouldn’t work without the strength of the supporting characters, but it’s Mark Ruffalo’s quieter, more measured take on the Hulk that stands out.

The Winter Soldier felt vital when it was released in 2014, but it tends to merge into a general blur of close-quarters combat and severed limbs. It follows Captain America’s attempts to track down the Winter Soldier, a mysterious and powerful assassin who turns out to be his close personal friend Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan). Like Cap, the Winter Soldier was also kept on ice for most of the 70 years after World War II; unlike Cap, he was brainwashed by the evil Hydra. A rehabilitated Winter Soldier appears in both Infinity War and Endgame , and Stan has a few films left in his contract, so it might be worth rewatching this one for future reference.

The first film of Marvel’s Phase Four follows Peter Parker (Tom Holland) as he attempts to live some semblance of a normal teenage life after the traumatic events of Avengers: Endgame . But a class trip to Europe and a chance to share his true feelings with MJ (Zendaya) go awry when Earth is besieged by Elementals—beings of pure fire, earth, air, and water—and Spider-Man is forced to team up with the enigmatic Mysterio (Jake Gyllenhaal) to protect his classmates, not to mention various European landmarks.

Marvel’s biggest mistake in the entire MCU canon (so far) was not commissioning Captain Marvel sooner. The film, which is set in the past, sees the rise of Marvel (Brie Larson) as she discovers her origin story and develops her powers. The only real flaw in the movie is that it doesn’t convincingly explain what happened to Marvel between the end of the title and what comes years later in Endgame .

A decade of careful breadcrumbs planted across dozens of movies culminated in a jaw-dropping finale that was remarkable in terms of its ambition and execution. Infinity War brought together pretty much every major character that had been seen on screen in the previous 10 years to take on Thanos and stop his plan to wipe out half of all life in the universe. The pitched battle between the forces of Earth and an alien army was stunning cinema, and the shocking cliffhanger ending was one of the biggest cultural moments of the year, if not the decade. Snap!

Who doesn’t love a heist movie? Rudd’s MCU debut acted as something of a palate cleanser after the heavy and (literally) Earth-shattering events of Age of Ultron . Rudd plays Scott Lang, a reformed criminal who teams up with Hank Pym (Michael Douglas) and his daughter (Evangeline Lily) to keep Pym’s shrinking technology from falling into the wrong hands. The film’s depiction of quantum physics wouldn’t hold much water at CERN, but it’s terrific fun—thanks in large part to Michael Peña’s star turn as Lang’s former cellmate Luis.

Spider-Man: Homecoming marked the third attempt in just 15 years to bring a new take on Spider-Man to screens. While the resulting effort could easily have felt a bit been there, done that, director Jon Watts and lead actor Tom Holland managed to breathe new life into the superhero, making Spidey feel modern, fresh, and really quite charming. The introduction of Downey’s Iron Man as a key character in the plot situates the film nicely in the broader Marvel Cinematic Universe without feeling heavy-handed. And the balance of Spider-Man’s action-packed adventuring with Parker’s everyday high school drama makes for a character that is more relatable than previous iterations. There’s plenty of cool web-slinging and day-saving, but it’s the humanity of the film that propels it to a top spot on our list.

There’s a moment in Endgame —the event movie to end all event movies—when you realize that what writers Stephen McFeely and Christopher Markus have done is to go full Harry Potter and the Cursed Child all over the MCU. If your mind could throw up a little bit in its mouth, it would. Once you learn to accept this, you can settle in. And once you get past the glum first 45 minutes, you can open your heart for the good stuff: wise Stark, Professor Hulk, the (controversial) Lebowski Thor, Doctor Strange holding up one finger, Black Widow and Captain Marvel kicking ass (both emotionally and physically), and almost every character you’ve ever met having a moment. It’s a messy but epic baton pass in the form of an angsty, portal-powered mega-battle. And we’re not going to lie: We’ve watched those audience reaction videos and they, too, are a thing of joy.

From its opening sequence, where Chris Pratt’s Star-Lord dances through an abandoned alien vault on a distant planet to “Come and Get Your Love,” it was clear that Guardians of the Galaxy would bring something truly otherworldly to the MCU. It was not a well-known comic storyline, but the film provided a much-needed shot of humor for a series in danger of becoming a little too serious after the events of The Winter Soldier . With a soundtrack of ’70 and ’80s hits, and Pratt at the helm of a band of entertaining misfits, it became an instant fan favorite.

In Spider-Man: No Way Home , the unthinkable happens: Spider-Man’s identity is revealed to the world, putting both the superhero and the people he loves in danger of being targeted by his enemies. So Spidey does the only thing he can think to do: call in Dr. Strange to help the world forget what they’ve learned about him. While the film maintains the sense of wonderment and fun we’ve seen in previous Spider-Man tales, it also plays with the fact that we have seen a lot of web-slingers come and go, and it goes so far as to bring Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield back into the fold as Strange tries to help Peter Parker with his identity crisis.

The first MCU title is still one of the best. Released way back in 2008, Iron Man debuted just a year after the first iPhone was introduced. At the time, Thanos was just a tiny thought in the bigger MCU world. Still, Iron Man has aged well. Stark’s trademark stubbornness and arrogance are peppered throughout the film and only increase when he breaks free from his kidnappers and creates the first metallic suit. From there, Stark’s legacy is assured—and the MCU’s first official superhero is born.

Taika Waititi’s Thor —as it shall forever be known in cinephile circles—came close to the top spot because it is, quite simply, a masterpiece. A spacey, Day-Glo masterpiece. Switching up the sometimes-grating Marvel sass and the not-quite-working Thor formula for something much more awkward and genuinely odd, Ragnarok is postmodern (but not in a pretentious way) and by far the funniest Marvel movie to date. Cate Blanchett’s villain Hela doesn’t get the zingers, sure, but Tessa Thompson’s Valkyrie is a drunken delight, and then there’s Jeff Goldblum. Every detail of the story of Thor and Hulk’s side mission and the defense of Asgard has been meticulously put together in the manner of a trippy indie film—which is all the more impressive when you consider this is a huge Disney flick.

With Black Panther , director Ryan Coogler broke the superhero film mold in many respects, elevating the genre in such a way that it managed to please both fans and critics—to the extent that, in 2019, it became the first superhero film to be nominated for a Best Picture Oscar. Basically, everything about this film is fantastic: the casting, the costumes, the plot, the performances. The setting of the secretly technologically advanced nation of Wakanda is a true cinematic treat, and Chadwick Boseman’s T’Challa is matched by an unusually three-dimensional villain in the form of Michael B. Jordan’s Killmonger, whose backstory gives pause for thought beyond a simple good-versus-evil narrative. Add in multiple female characters who each have more substance than most superhero films’ entire casts put together, and Black Panther is the perfect example of how good a Marvel film can be.

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All 34 Marvel Movies, Ranked

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[Editor’s note: This list was published in May 2023. It has since been updated with “Deadpool and Wolverine.”]

Love it or hate it, nobody who wants to participate in pop culture can ignore the Marvel Cinematic Universe. As the internet and the streaming boom continue to divide the entertainment industry into smaller niche fragments, superhero tentpole movies are the closest thing we still have to a monoculture. That cultural dominance has allowed Marvel Studios to rope an increasingly large percentage of Hollywood’s A-list actors (and quite a few of its best directors) into its  ever-expanding universe.

Years of billion dollar box office receipts and  endless discourse  about its stranglehold on the film industry make it easy to forget what a risky proposition the MCU was when it launched with “Iron Man” in 2008. Superhero movies without Batman, Superman, or Spider-Man were considered box office gambles at the time, and many entertainment industry observers doubted that audiences would continue to show up for so many interlocking films without getting fatigued. On top of all that, the entire project was launched with an action movie directed by the guy from “Swingers” whose leading man had suffered quite a bit of damage to his reputation.

But you know how the rest of the story goes. Even if Marvel’s  cultural relevance has declined  ever-so-slightly from the days of the biggest “Avengers” movies, Kevin Feige and his team have built a machine that’s constantly refueling with new stars and characters. The fact that we can take Marvel’s consistent profits for granted is a testament to its success — the company has completed its transition from a rebellious outsider to an established institutional player.

Ranking all of the movies in the MCU is a daunting task. Not only are there a ton of them — and we’re not even going to try to wade into the Disney+ shows — the interconnected story that they tell can make it difficult to compare them as standalone films. Still, the cream tends to rise to the top. From massive crossover events like “Avengers: Endgame” to “smaller” (an extremely relative term in this context) works from elite directors like Ryan Coogler and James Gunn, there are definitely some great Marvel movies that stand out from the crowd. Keep reading for our updating ranking of the best films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, including the latest “Deadpool and Wolverine.”

With editorial contributions by Alison Foreman and Kate Erbland. 

33. “Eternals” (2021)

Who fights who (and for what): The Eternals, ultra-powerful beings who have apparently lived on Earth this whole time and condoned all kinds of suffering, decide to surface and fight the Deviants, their ancient enemies.

Good to watch if you liked: Trailers for this exact movie — if that.

Worth revisiting for: Brian Tyree Henry

Read IndieWire’s complete review by David Ehrlich

32. “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania” (2023)

Who fights who (and for what): Scott, Hope, Janet, and Hank join the creatures of the Quantum Realm in the fight against Kang the Conquerer (Jonathan Majors).

Good to watch if you liked: Only the CGI parts of the MCU.

Worth revisiting for: Watch this space? “Quantumania” is recent (and bad) enough that its larger purpose has yet to be revealed…if it exists.

Read IndieWire’s complete review by Kate Erbland

32. ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ (2024)

Who fights who (and for what): Deadpool fights…corporate mergers? Some caveats with this one: ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ belongs more, plot-wise, to the 20th Century Fox ‘X-Men’ franchise, serving as a sequel to the ‘Deadpool’ series of films. Still, it’s the first X-Men movie made by Marvel Studios after 20th Century Fox was acquired by Disney, making it an MCU project internally, and the meta fourth-wall-breaking hero at the center is constantly cracking jokes about the death of the X-Men series. Indeed, the plot brings in characters from the ‘Loki’ series as the main antagonists, following Deadpool as he teams up with a sad sack version of Wolverine from another reality (featuring Hugh Jackman back in his most iconic role) to prevent his timeline from getting destroyed so that the MCU can thrive. If it’s mildly anti-MCU message sounds interesting, it really isn’t in practice; ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ is an utter mess of a movie, overburdened with stale jokes and bits to distract from an utterly hollow story at the center and a main plot that never manages to find a pulse.

Good to watch if you liked: All of the films it references with endless cameos, supporting cast member Matthew MacFadyen’s performance as Tom Wambsgans in ‘Succession’ that he more or less shamelessly repeats, and all the gay sex jokes your most obnoxious classmate made in middle school. 

Worth revisiting for: The final end credits montage celebrating the 20th Century Fox films with behind-the-scenes footage is a cute closure for that era of superhero films, and is the only time the film succeeds at its meta goal of bidding adieu to the old ‘X-Men’ franchise. 

31. “The Incredible Hulk” (2008)

Who fights who (and for what): On the run from the government after being transformed into the Hulk, Bruce Banner faces off against Russian operative Emil Blonsky, who undergoes an experimental procedure to match the monster within Banner.

Good to watch if you liked: “Halloween” sequels that have been rewritten as non-canon, Edward Norton, and Tim Roth’s appearances in “She-Hulk: Attorney at Law.”

Worth revisiting for: Comparing Norton’s somber portrayal of Banner to the dorkier performance from Mark Ruffalo, appreciating its attempts to add a bit more grit to the MCU, and recognizing that the franchise’s black sheep is perfectly okay compared to some of the latter, more canon installments.

30. “The Marvels” (2023)

Who fights who (and for what):  Carol Danvers, Monica Rambeau, and Kamala Khan team up to battle Dar-Benn: a Kree warrior attempting to steal resources from other planets in an effort to restore her homeland of Hala. 

Good to watch if you liked:  The least satisfying parts of “Captain Marvel,” “Ms. Marvel,” and “WandaVision” 

Worth revisiting for:  An inexplicable musical number and the return of Goose the Flerken. 

29. “Thor: The Dark World” (2013)

Who fights who (and for what): The Asgardians fight the Dark Elves, who want to attack the Nine Realms with the Aether (the Reality Stone) — which happens to have entered the body of one Dr. Jane Foster (Natalie Portman).

Good to watch if you liked: Only the Asgard parts of “Thor.” 

Worth revisiting for: The unexpected “Endgame” resonance, the Chris O’Dowd cameo, Darcy (Kat Dennings) calling Mjolnir “Mew-mew.” 

28. “Doctor Strange” (2016)

Who fights who (and for what): After injuring his hand in a car crash, conceited doctor Stephen Strange winds up in the tutelage of the powerful wizard the Ancient One, becoming the only person capable of preventing the rise of Dark Dimension entity Dormammu.  

Good to watch if you liked: Rachel McAdams (don’t expect her to do much though), “Constantine,” and Benedict Cumberbatch’s “Sherlock” series. 

Worth revisiting for: The gravity spinning special effects, Benedict Wong’s first appearance as one of the MCU’s most beloved recurring players, and Cumberbatch’s double act by playing both Strange and Dormammu. 

27. “Avengers: Age of Ultron” (2015)

Who fights who (and for what): The gang is back together, this time fighting Ultron (James Spader), Tony’s AI which learns too quickly and decides to destroy humanity.

Good to watch if you liked: The first Avengers, any movie in which robots try to outsmart humans.

Worth revisiting for: The party scene first and foremost (maybe without the “Prima nocta” joke), and surprisingly a lot of groundwork for the Infinity Stones’ arc.

26. “Thor: Love and Thunder” (2022)

Who fights who (and for what): Thor, Valkyrie, and Jane (now also Thor) must stop Gorr (Christian Bale) who wants to kill all gods.

Good to watch if you liked: “Ragnarok,” but thought it was too sharp and focused.

Worth revisiting for: Hemsworth’s daughter India joining the MCU, Russell Crowe having an absolute ball, and more Korg.

25. “Ant-Man and the Wasp” (2018)

Who fights who (and for what): Ghost a.k.a. Ava Starr seeks revenge on Hank Pym for an experiment that killed her parents and left her in a life-threatening state.

Good to watch if you liked: The secrets hinted at in “Ant-Man,” anything with Michelle Pfeiffer, and revenge plots.

Worth revisiting for: Pfeiffer and Walton Goggins, plus Hope Van Dyne’s ponytail.

Read IndieWire’s complete review by Eric Kohn

24. “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness” (2022)

Who fights who (and for what): Doctor Strange and his fellow sorcerers try to stop Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen) as she tears through space and time to hunt America Chavez (Xochitl Gomez) and ultimately find her long-lost children.

Good to watch if you liked: Sam Raimi’s artistry, albeit a watered-down, Disneyfied version — and the villainous underbelly hinted at in “WandaVision.”

Worth revisiting for: The wild cameos (and how they end), plus Olsen untethered.

23. “Iron Man 2” (2010)

Who fights who (and for what): Russian scientist Ivan Vanko (Mickey Rourke) has a bone to pick with the Stark family, so he designs his own competing metal suit to face off with a physically deteriorating Tony.

Good to watch if you liked: The Monaco Grand Prix, disquieting celebrity cameos, villains that feel like diet versions of other villains.

Worth revisiting for: Ivan saying “not my bird.”

22. “Black Widow” (2021)

Who fights who (and for what): In a maddeningly overdue standalone adventure for Black Widow, the eponymous KGB killer-turned-Avenger reunites with her adopted family of assassins (David Harbour, Rachel Weisz, and Florence Pugh) and is forced to confront the darkness in her past referenced but rarely seen in past MCU outings.

Good to watch if you liked: David Harbour in “Violent Night,” the sisterly bond between Gamora and Nebula in the “Guardians” series, and the “Bourne” franchise. 

Worth revisiting for: Scarlett Johansson getting her victory lap with a crackling supporting cast particularly well-suited to comedy.

21. “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” (2022)

Who fights who (and for what): Still reeling from the death of her beloved brother T’Challa, princess Shuri is forced to protect Wakanda from the mysterious threat of Namor and the underwater nation of Talokan. 

Good to watch if you liked: The original “Black Panther,” seeing Lupita Nyong’o actually starring in films,  and Rihanna.    

Worth revisiting for: Angela Bassett’s Oscar-nominated performance as the grieving Queen Ramonda, Tenoch Huerta Mejía’s star-making turn as the alluring and dangerous Namor, and the incredibly touching tribute to the late Chadwick Boseman. 

20. “Iron Man 3” (2013)

Who fights who (and for what): After the events of “The Avengers,” Tony Stark struggles with PTSD as he goes up against a mysterious terrorist known as “The Mandarin.”  

Good to watch if you liked: Shane Black and Robert Downey Jr.’s previous collaboration “Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, the previous two “Iron Man” movies, and Christmas.   

Worth revisiting for: The incredibly funny script, the controversial but daring third-act twist, and Pepper’s first real moment of badassery.   

19. “Spider-Man: No Way Home” (2021)

Who fights who (and for what): A lot of Peter Parkers and a Doctor Strange face down previous Spider-Man villains to save them from dying in their respective universes. But ultimately this movie is about a kid trying to get into college and taking things too far.

Good to watch if you liked: Sam Raimi and Marc Webb’s Spider-Man movies, particularly Andrew Garfield’s Peter Parker and Willem Dafoe’s Green Goblin. 

Worth revisiting for: Two-decades worth of on-screen Spidey nostalgia.

18. “Ant-Man” (2015)

Who fights who (and for what): It’s Ant-Man’s movie, but the central conflict is driven by Hank Pym (Michael Douglas), executing a longstanding plan to avenge his research and save the precious Pym particle from sociopath protégé Darren Cross (Corey Stoll). 

Good to watch if you liked: “Ant-Man” is one of those MCU movies that excels because it’s actually only pretending to be a superhero movie; at its core it’s a heist, and a delightful one at that. Scott’s crew evokes the efficiency and humor of Steven Soderberg’s Ocean’s films, bolstered by spy-movie tech shenanigans. So watch if you loved “Spy Kids.”

Worth revisiting for: A tight, compelling, hilarious origin story — and under two hours, which now feels unthinkable.

17. “Captain Marvel” (2019)

Who fights who (and for what): A space warrior with amnesia (Brie Larson) crash lands on Earth and uncovers her identity as U.S. Air Force pilot Carol Danvers/Captain Marvel in a nonlinear battle between two alien races — Kree and Skrulls — with the help of a much younger Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson), pre-eye patch. 

Good to watch if you liked: “Power Rangers,” other shiny ’90s sci-fi.

Worth revisiting for: Jackson and Larson’s undeniable buddy cop chemistry, and Goose the Flerken coughing up the Tesseract.

16. “Captain America: Civil War” (2016)

Who fights who (and for what): Following a public relations disaster, the Avengers devolve into conflict over international oversight of their operations, while terrorist Zemo plots behind the scenes. 

Good to watch if you liked: The original “Avengers,” since this is basically the third film in that series, the Russo’s other films, “Godzilla vs. Kong” and other big versus crossovers.    

Worth revisiting for: Chadwick Boseman’s incredible first impression as Prince T’Challa, The big airport clash, and Daniel Bruhl as one of the franchise’s most memorable villains.  

15. “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2” (2017)

Who fights who (and for what): Following their first adventure, the Guardians of the Galaxy help leader Peter Quill track down his parentage, leading them to Ego — a living planet with a hidden agenda. 

Good to watch if you liked: Kurt Russell’s ‘80s film work, the first “Guardians,”  and movies and TV shows about daddy issues.  

Worth revisiting for: Karen Gillan and Zoe Saldana’s beautifully complicated performances as sisters/enemies Nebula and Gamora, the brilliant comedic duo of Dave Bautista and Pom Klementieff as Drax and Mantis, and a surprisingly emotional storyline about family and fatherhood.   

14. “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3” (2023)

Who fights who (and for what): After a strange, himbo-like god-man (Will Poulter as the long-teased Adam Warlock) wrecks havoc on the Guardians and their new homebase of Knowhere, Rocket Raccoon is grievously injured. As the rest of his found family attempt to save him, they’re forced to reckon with his horrifying history and heartbreaking backstory, all leading up to a major battles – for hearts, for minds, for souls – with the super-evil High Evolutionary (MCU newbie Chukwudi Iwuji). 

Good to watch if you liked: The film closes out the “Guardians of the Galaxy” trilogy, so it’s definitely one for Marvel completists, but its plot – which doesn’t involve any of the other Avengers and doesn’t require extensive MCU knowledge – is also a good one for fans who really only like the Guardians, James Gunn, and their special brand of intergalactic weirdo. Also: animal rights activists.

Worth revisiting for: The rarest of Marvel elements: actual closure.

13. “Spider-Man: Far From Home” (2019)

Who fights who (and for what): On the surface, Spider-Man (Tom Holland) teams up with Mysterio (Jake Gyllenhaal) to fight Elementals from the multiverse. But in reality, Mysterio is former Stark Industries employee Quentin Beck, using Peter to gain control of the late Tony Stark’s Robert Downey Jr.) empire and technology.

Good to watch if you liked: “Far From Home” delights in its setting, like any self-respecting action movie shot even partially in Europe should. If you loved the adolescent romance of “Homecoming,” this movie only amplifies it, and if you like Weird Jake Gyllenhaal (“Okja,” “The Sack Lunch Bunch”), he reigns free.

Worth revisiting for: Tom Holland and Zendaya being adorable, knowing the truth about Nick Fury, and the growing picture of the multiverse.

12. “Avengers: Infinity War”

Who fights who (and for what):  Earth’s mightiest heroes band together again to stop Thanos (“Who?”) as he aims to collect all the Infinity Stones and use them to half the population of the entire universe — except for Ant-Man and Captain Marvel, but stay tuned…

Good to watch if you liked: Fun and new Avenger combinations, Carrie Coon in crazy makeup, Thanos’s chin (which definitely doesn’t resemble anything else ), and despair.

Worth revisiting for: Even though it’s half of a whole, “Infinity War” is expertly paced, with sky-high stakes and plenty of laugh-out-loud moments. Rewatching this film will always recall that immense theatrical hype and shock, and now you don’t have to wait a year to see what happens next.

11. “Guardians of the Galaxy” (2014)

Who fights who (and for what): A ragtag group of criminals in the faraway Andromeda Galaxy are forced to band together after obtaining a relic sought by the Kree warlord Ronan the Accuser, and form a dysfunctional found family in the process.

Good to watch if you liked: Weirdo space opera classic “Farscape,” Chris Pratt’s performance in “Parks and Recreation,” and the music of the late ‘60s and early ‘70s.   

Worth revisiting for: Dave Bautista’s hilarious and committed performance as Drax, the banging soundtrack (“Hooked on a feeling! I’m high on believing”), and the tear-jerking “We are Groot” scene.  

10. “Iron Man” (2008)

Who fights who (and for what): Tony Stark takes on his own kidnappers when the American weapons dealer/smart-mouthed playboy builds a robot suit to escape a compound in Afghanistan, and unwittingly sets the Avengers Initiative in motion.

Good to watch if you liked: “Batman Begins,” “Transformers,” and the entertainment landscape forever changing as we knew it. 

Worth revisiting for: Robert Downey Jr.’s impeccable snark — aged to perfection — and the nostalgia factor.

9. “Thor” (2011)

Who fights who (and for what): After proving himself unworthy of his power, Asgardian prince Thor is stripped of his goldy gifts and banished to Earth, where he must grow into the hero needed to take on his scheming brother Loki.  

Good to watch if you liked: Norse mythology, John Carpenter’s “Starman,” and fantasy politics.

Worth revisiting for: The chemistry between Chris Hemsworth and Natalie Portman, Tom Hiddleston’s devilish performance, and enjoyable fish-out-of-water antics. 

8. “The Avengers” (2012)

Who fights who (and for what): In the big conclusion to Phase 1 of the MCU, Iron Man, Thor, Captain America, Hulk, Black Widow, and Hawkeye come together to face an alien invasion brought on by Thor’s brother Loki 

Good to watch if you liked: Joss Whedon’s TV shows (thorny territory, we know), the original “Avengers” comic books, and shawarma.  

Worth revisiting for: Seeing all of the OG Marvel heroes bounce off of each other, Mark Ruffalo’s adorable Bruce Banner, and the satisfying 30-minute finale.  

7. “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings” (2021)

Who fights who (and for what): Shang-Chi (Simu Liu) teams up with the rest of his family against father Wenwu (Tony Leung) who wants to unlock the Dark Gate to find his lost love — but it is actually a trap set by the Dweller in Darkness, whom the villagers of spirit city Ta Lo fear and fight.

Good to watch if you liked: MCU movies with more combat action than CGI — but the final battle doubles down on VFX.

Worth revisiting for: All the fight scenes, family drama (especially between Shang-Chi and his sister), and Trevor Slattery (Ben Kingsley).

6. “Spider-Man: Homecoming” (2017)

Who fights who (and for what): Teenage Peter Parker balances school, family, and friends with his duties as New York City’s Spider-Man, putting him in the crosshairs of career criminal Adrian Toomes, or the Vulture.   

Good to watch if you liked: Teen superhero shows like “Smallville,” coming-of-age classics like “Pretty in Pink,”  and your high school trip to Washington D.C. 

Worth revisiting for: The lighthearted adolescent comedy, Tom Holland’s effortless charm as Peter, and the nail-biting tense car ride scene between him and Michael Keaton. 

5. “Thor: Ragnarok” (2017)

Who fights who (and for what): After getting trapped as a gladiator in the garbage planet of the Grandmaster, Thor must escape in time to prevent his sister Hela from initiating Ragnarok and destroying his home of Asgard. 

Good to watch if you liked: Taika Waititi’s indie movies, Mark Ruffalo’s Hulk in prior MCU films, and ‘80s sci-fi fantasy flicks.     

Worth revisiting for: Seeing Chris Hemsworth get to flex his comedy chops, Tessa Thompson’s badass Valkyrie, and Cate Blanchett chewing the scenery as Hela.  

4. “Captain America: The Winter Soldier” (2014)

Who fights who (and for what): Steve Rogers uncovers a conspiracy within the spy agency S.H.I.E.L.D, but is forced to fight his long-lost best friend Bucky Barnes in the process. 

Good to watch if you liked: 1970s political thrillers, the “Bourne” films, and every film Anthony and Joe Russo have directed since.    

Worth revisiting for: Great action scenes, Scarlett Johansson’s supporting turn as Black Widow, and Robert Redford as one of the main villains. 

3. “Avengers: Endgame” (2019)

Who fights who (and for what): Following the devastating ending of “Infinity War,” what remains of the Avengers band together to fight Thanos and reverse the damage done by the Titan warlord.  

Good to watch if you liked: The 21 MCU films that came before it, time travel storylines, and epic crossover events.   

Worth revisiting for: The satisfying ending to multiple character arcs, a slew of enjoyable call-backs/nostalgic shenanigans, and one truly epic finale.

2. “Captain America: The First Avenger” (2011)

Who fights who (and for what): Kind-hearted but scrawny Steve Rogers enlists in the army during World War II. Following the injection of an experimental super serum, he leads the campaign against the Nazis to the doorstep of the Red Skull. 

Good to watch if you liked: Chris Evans as Johnny Storm in the “Fantastic Four” films, rousing World War II flicks, and director Joe Johnston’s ‘90s classic “The Rocketeer.” 

Worth revisiting for: Evans’ pitch-perfect portrayal of the heroic captain, great supporting turns from Hayley Atwell and Sebastian Stan, and the original song from Alan Menken.

1. “Black Panther” (2018)

Who fights who (and for what): Wakandan Prince T’Challa assumes the throne of his extraordinary and technologically advanced African kingdom following the death of his father, but must fight to keep it when his long-lost cousin Killmonger plots a return to power.  

Good to watch if you liked: Ryan Coogler’s “Creed,” jet-setting political thrillers, and the late great Chadwick Boseman’s terrific acting talents.   

Worth revisiting for: The wonderful supporting cast, the Kendrick Lamar-curated original soundtrack, and the Oscar-winning production and costume design. 

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The best Marvel movies: every MCU film ranked from worst to best

Curious to see what the best Marvel movies are, based on what TechRadar's staff thinks? Read on

• Five to one

It's been a long time since we updated our best Marvel movies guide. But, with Deadpool and Wolverine finally out in theaters (as of July 26), there isn't a better time to re-evaluate our ranking of all 34 MCU films.

Below, you'll find a full list of them ranked from worst to best. Of course, determining what the best superhero movies are in the MCU is subjective – indeed, one person's idea of a great Marvel movie is a poor man's flick in another person's eyes. That's why we've based our list on what every TechRadar staffer (including our entertainment experts) thinks, thereby allowing us to rank them from a wider pool of opinions.

There are many more new movies in the works for Marvel Phase 5 and Marvel Phase 6 , too, so we'll be continually updating this article for years to come. For now, though, these are the best Marvel movies in our teams' view. ( NB: mild spoilers follow).

Best Marvel movies: 34 to 31

34. the marvels (2023).

Oh dear, where do we start with The Marvels ? Yes, it's one of the breezier Marvel films in the post- Avengers: Endgame era but, as an overall package, it's really, really not that good.

The chemistry between its three leads – Captain Marvel, WandaVision 's Monica Rambeau, and Ms Marvel – is pleasing, as are its occasionally fun and creative action sequences – that Flerken kitten scene is really well made – and its post-credits scenes, which set up some fascinating narratives to come.

All of that's dragged down by its largely forgettable villain, brisk and undercooked plot, underwhelming themes, and the distinct lack of using its greatest asset (the lead trio's snappy and snarky dynamic) to the full. A thoroughly disappointing entry that doesn't deserve to feature any higher on our list.

33. Thor: The Dark World (2013)

Thor: The Dark World is, like The Marvels , as poor as it gets. It’s a shame, really, as Chris Hemsworth’s turn as the God of Thunder was a funny, charming, and much-needed part of 2012's The Avengers . Here, though, the whole cast are stifled by a half-baked plot with a villainous non-event, aka Christopher Eccleston's Malekith. Indeed, the film's story doesn’t really go anywhere, aside from featuring a moderately interesting invasion of Asgard. 

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There are a couple more standout moments, like Thor hanging Mjolnir on a coat rack peg and traveling on the London Underground, plus the revival of the Thor-Loki buddy-cop pairing. Generally speaking, however, it's not much fun to re-watch. In retrospect, Thor's second solo outing was a blessing in disguise, showing the character needed a massive rethink and, thankfully, it proved to be Thor’s making with his third solo flick.

32. The Incredible Hulk (2008)

This MCU movie is one of the the weakest around. In fact, it's so boring it's a surprise it didn't derail the entire enterprise out of the starting gate.

The Incredible Hulk features Edward Norton (since replaced by Mark Ruffalo) as Bruce Banner in a dreary feature that oddly feels like a sort-of sequel to Ang Lee's 2003 film Hulk . Despite several important connections to future movies, including a Tony Stark cameo, not to mention a decent set piece where the green giant is fighting the army, it's just a bit of a speed bump on a re-watch. Thankfully, the MCU would rarely (the aforementioned duo aside) be this dull again. 

31. Eternals (2021)

The standard of Marvel's back catalog is so incredibly high (or, rather, used to be) that it seems harsh to place Eternals at number 31, but that's where we find it. With nine new superheroes to introduce, the film had lots of heavy-lifting to do and, frankly, that doesn't make for a fun flick. 

Director Chloé Zhao created some stunning visuals for it and Eternals does feel like a novel entry in the MCU, thanks to its twists and history-laced throwbacks. Even so, in such a crowded field, Eternals isn't innovative enough to stand out. With its exciting post-credits scenes – check out our Eternals ending and post-credits scenes explained article for more – the future could eventually be bright for this supergroup, if a sequel is ever announced.

Best Marvel movies: 30 to 26

30. ant-man and the wasp: quantumania (2023).

It's not a good look when a movie set to truly kickstart the Marvel Multiverse Saga is the fifth-worst one, but there's where Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania deserves to be.

Like Eternals , it's not a complete car crash. In fact, it has some pleasing elements, including Kang the Conqueror , who's a suitably terrifying and imposing multiversal villain (if you can overlook him being overpowered by giant ants...) who may not even return after Jonathan Majors' Marvel firing in late 2023 . There are some rich themes surrounding family, how we utilize our time, and legacy in it, too, as well as some inventive set-pieces.

That said, Ant-Man 3 falls flat in just as many areas. It's primarily treated as a stepping stone for Marvel's multiversal plans to come, choosing instead to set up plot lines to come rather than focusing on its own story. It's visually irksome, too, with The Volume's use being particularly jarring. Throw in another under-baked story and humor that doesn't land, and Quantumania isn't worth seeing again.

29. Thor: Love and Thunder (2022)

When Marvel rehired Taika Waititi, the man who wowed everyone with Thor: Ragnarok , to direct an unprecedented fourth standalone movie, we got very excited. 

Sadly, Thor: Love and Thunder isn't a patch on its reinventive predecessor. It's charming and occasionally funny, but the tale of Thor being forced from retirement to take on Christian Bale's Gorr the God Butcher who, as you can tell by his name, wants to kill the Marvel universe's version of gods, didn't deliver on the hype. It doesn't make good use of its two-hour runtime or complex villain, instead choosing to shine a humorous light on cancer (never a good look) and make full use of those really annoying CGI goats. At least Natalie Portman's return as Jane was satisfying, while some aspects of Thor 4 's visuals were truly spectacular.

28. Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018)

Another bang average superhero movie, Ant-Man and the Wasp doesn’t offer anything that the first film didn’t, and certainly feels like a filler flick set between the shocking events of the third and fourth Avengers films.

Again, there are a couple of genuinely funny moments to enjoy and it acts as a light-hearted palate cleanser to Avengers: Infinity War ’s finale. Otherwise, there’s nothing noteworthy about this sequel, which is one of the many MCU films to have that seemingly quintessential boring villain problem. Definitely not one of the best Marvel movies around, but there are, thankfully for this 2018 movie, worse ones than it.

27. Iron Man 2 (2010)

A generally uneven sequel to its 2008 predecessor, Iron Man 2 fails to shed much more light on the Tony Stark character and instead comes off as a bit aimless. Featuring a weaker villain in Mickey Rourke's rough grandma-looking Whiplash, alongside Sam Rockwell's irritating fast-talking Stark rival Justin Hammer, it doesn't hit the heights of Iron Man .

Like The Incredible Hulk , this film maintains a few vital connections to future MCU movies, though it also commits the crime of making Scarlett Johansson's Natasha Romanoff seem extremely boring – something that would be rectified in her future MCU outings. The first real stumble for Marvel Studios on its way to becoming a titan of the entertainment industry, but not its worst project by a long stretch.

26. Thor (2010)

The Thor movies are a strange bunch: almost everyone agrees The Dark World was the nadir of the quadrilogy, but the original Thor never gets that much love, either. That's in spite of the fantasy-based film being one of the funnier early movies and successfully bringing a more outlandish element into the MCU without actually breaking it. 

The blend of Asgardian fantasical elements and Earth-bound superheroics is reasonably effective, even if Thor's journey in this film to earn Mjolnir is slightly too predictable. Still, it introduced us to arguably the best Marvel villain in Loki. Well, until Thanos finally got off his throne and did some work, and Loki became one of the MCU's most well-rounded and strangely heroic characters in the god of mischief's hugely popular Disney Plus show.

Best Marvel movies: 25 to 21

25. avengers: age of ultron (2015).

By far the weakest of the Avengers movies, Avengers: Age of Ultron sees Tony Stark – fresh from his PTSD episodes in Iron Man 3 – wanting to build a suit of armor to protect Earth against other cosmic entities. True to form, his plan goes awry, and the Avengers find themselves battling Ultron, a genocidal artificial intelligence, and his lieutenants Quicksilver and Wanda Maximoff/Scarlet Switch.

Age of Ultron had a lot to live up to given its 2012 predecessor’s success. While it has its moments, it feels weighed down by those expectations, its overstuffed plot, and introducing key Marvel characters, such as Wanda Maximoff, for future films. 

24. Doctor Strange (2016)

For a character who has proven to be instrumental in the MCU, Doctor Strange was a deeply average introduction for the former Sorcerer Supreme. 

The Benedict Cumberbatch-led flick about the surgeon-turned-magician is trippy and humorous in places, but it lags behind its counterparts in many aspects, including its villains and set pieces. It's trying a little too hard to be the MCU’s version of Christopher Nolan’s Inception , managing to do relatively little with a terrific cast. Doctor Strange is a somewhat forgettable movie, and we'd argue the character leaves far more of an impact in the third and fourth Avengers movies than his MCU debut and sequel. Speaking of which...

23. Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022)

Coming after the universal adoration for Spider-Man: No Way Home , Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness represented a comedown for the MCU. Its box office taking would suggest otherwise but, like Thor: Love and Thunde r didn't fully live up to fans' expectations – even with those wild Doctor Strange 2 cameo appearances.

It is a big, expansive, and complex adventure – one that shows just how bold and adventurous the MCU can be, especially from a horror perspective (director Sam Raimi's dread-inducing, campy filming style is evident throughout). However, it feels rushed, cramped, and the pacing is slightly off, so it can't be considered one of the best Marvel movies.

22. Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)

Captain America: The First Avenger often gets a bad rap. Despite its decent critical reception at the time, it's weirdly among the lowest-scoring Marvel films on IMDb. 

Still, it's definitely not bad – Steve Rogers is perhaps the easiest of the original MCU heroes to cheer for, because he was selected for the Super Soldier program based on his moral compass and spirit. As a World War 2 period piece, The First Avenger still works great and Hugo Weaving's Red Skull is a pretty memorable villain. Steve's relationship with Peggy Carter is genuinely well-handled, too, with a heart-breaking and head-spinning finale that leads into 2012's Avengers .

21. Black Widow (2020)

Though its setting placed it before the events of Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame , Black Widow acts a fine send-off for Scarlett Johansson's years in the MCU, as well as offering up some exciting options for the future. 

We follow Johansson's Natasha Romanoff as she hunted down over her past, revives broken family connections, and saves a generation of women from ending up as Widows, elite assassins who do the bidding of some very unpleasant and very powerful men. While it was thrilling watch, though, it was also pretty average from action, comedy, and story perspectives. Still, it introduced us to Florence Pugh's lovable Yelena Belova, who has had a big role to play in the MCU since. Well, in Hawkeye 's TV show anyway – she'll also be part of 2025's Thunderbolts movie.

Best Marvel movies: 20 to 16

20. captain marvel (2019).

Contoversially placed maybe, but Brie Larson's full-length debut is a largely delightful flick with a banging 90s soundtrack full of big tunes. In Captain Marvel , Larson stars as Carol Danvers, an elite fighter pilot who discovers her past is much more complicated than first appeared. 

A fizzy, quickfire, and very fun MCU entry, it leans heavily on Larson's charm and charisma to power it. Fortunately, she's both in spades, even if a fair few Marvel fans didn't really enjoy her first solo outing (or subsequent MCU appearances). Still, we think it's a fun watch that deserves far more credit than it earned. Not one of the best Marvel movies, but grander and enjoyable than many of its forebears.

19. Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021)

A bright, sparky, and adventurous new adventure for Marvel, director Destin Daniel Cretton's Shang-Chi was a bold step forward for the MCU and, in our view, is criminally underrated by many.

It follows Simu Liu's titular character, who is quietly slumming it in San Francisco when he's suddenly forced to confront his past by his father Wenwu, the leader of the Ten Rings organization, who needs to hunt down a mysterious village and unimaginable power. A light-touch adventure that eventually goes a bit bat-crap crazy in its final act, it's a hugely enjoyable film, but it's still up against tough competition, hence its placement here.

18. Ant-Man (2015)

A movie almost a decade in the making, Ant-Man ’s eventual arrival on the big screen is an enjoyable heist-infused superhero flick with plenty of laugh out loud moments. 

Paul Rudd’s comedic turn as thief-turned-superhero Scott Lang, and Ant-Man’s size shifting abilities, are used to great effect throughout. Again, this movie lacks a good villain – Corey Stoll's Yellowjacket is just a jerk who you have no reason to care about. But, it does feature a great final set piece around a toy train set and Michael Peña's Luis is arguably the star of the show. A terrific time all round.

17. Iron Man 3 (2013)

Shane Black's Iron Man 3 was the perfect Avengers palate cleanser. As Tony Stark deals with PTSD from the Battle of New York – which, to be honest, only manifests as him being short of breath a couple of times – a terrible figure called The Mandarin (Ben Kingsley) targets the genius billionaire playboy philanthropist. 

Or does he? While plot-wise this is not an essential movie to watch multiple times over, it's one of the funnier MCU films (depending on who you ask) that showcases Black's skillset in this department. Iron Man 3 also ends with a great final set piece, bringing a 'house party' of Iron Man suits together on-screen to beat some dudes up. 

16. Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019)

As the final film in the MCU’s Phase 3 arc, Far From Home had a few things to live up to. It was the first post- Endgame movie, which meant the MCU's second Spider-Man flicl had to deal with the fallout from that movie’s climax, while also telling a story with high enough stakes that the audience would still care. 

Far From Home has a captivating villain in Jake Gyllenhaal’s Mysterio and memorable scenes like Peter Parker's captivating heart-to-heart with Jon Favreau’s Happy Hogan – not to mention a shocking post-credits sequence that teased what was to come in Spider-Man: No Way Home . All that said, Far From Home is a middle-of-the-road romp that really only showcases how charming Tom Holland's Spidey is, which is why it doesn't feature higher on our list.

Best Marvel movies: 15 to 11

15. guardians of the galaxy vol. 2 (2017).

Despite looking as incredible as its first entry and featuring a payload of solid one-liners, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 meanders when it comes to telling a good story. 

Peter Quill finally meets his long-lost dad, Ego the living planet and, in the most obvious twist of all time, he's not all he seems. This movie's main problem is that it struggles to say anything new about its characters – particularly when it repeats plot beats with Gamora and Nebula already covered by the first movie. 

If anything, we'd argue Infinity War is a better Guardians movie than their second flick. It gives Gamora a lot more to do, brings out new sides of Peter Quill, and perfectly positions Rocket and Groot alongside a very depressed Thor. Still, this movie definitely has its moments, as well as much-loved merchandise icon Baby Groot.

14. Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)

Tom Holland arguably stole the show with his turn as Spider-Man in Captain America: Civil War (more on this shortly), so much so that expectations for his first solo venture were pretty high. 

Thankfully, Spider-Man: Homecoming was a breezy, colorful, and highly enjoyable John Hughes-style MCU debut for the wall crawler. Ably supported by the likes of Michael Keaton, whose intimidating turn as the Vulture is one of the MCU’s best villains to date, Holland is on top form as he navigates the perils of high school and being a burgeoning superhero.

13. Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)

The Russo brothers entered the frame with this confident Captain America sequel, which once again pits Steve Rogers up against Nazi offshoot HYDRA – which has become deeply embedded within SHIELD. Facing off against the film's mysterious assassin called (unsurprisingly) the Winter Solder, Cap's sequel movie sees Steve has to dismantle his former employer to stop AI-powered helicarriers from murdering everyone.

This terrific movie has a superficial layer of All The President's Men -style conspiracy thriller, enough to make it feel like it has real substance. At the same time, it surefootedly introduces Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie) to the MCU, sparking another of Steve's winning bromances – and there's arguably no more fan-coveted relationship in the MCU than Bucky and Steve's friendship, which is picked apart perfectly.

12. Captain America: Civil War (2016)

A mini- Avengers installment in all-but-name, Captain America: Civil War is a fraught and emotionally engaging Marvel movie that destroyed Earth's Mightiest Heroes from within and paved the way for the supergroup's defeat in Avengers: Infinity War .

With the idealistic Steve Rogers and unwavering Tony Stark – the latter installed in a complex antagonistic role to sparkling effect here – sat on different sides of the divide where the Sokovia Accords are concerned, the MCU's various superheroes duke it out in heart-wrenching fashion. With newcomers in Holland's Spider-Man and the late Chadwick Boseman's Black Panther also introduced, Civil War is an absolute blast from start to finish, and a rare Marvel movie that did its comic series' namesake proud.

11. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (2023)

James Gunn and the Guardians' crew go all-out to deliver a bittersweet, poignant, hilarious, action-packed, and tear-jerking potentially final entry in the superteam's mini-film franchise.

Guardians of the Galaxy 3 delivers everything you'd want from an MCU movie, but what sets it apart is how much darker, tension-fuelled, heart-breaking, and (with all of that said) paradoxically joyous it is. From Rocket's tragic backstory and Chukwudi Iwuji's terrifying villain, to the gloriously eye-popping space rock opera visuals and Gunn's penchant for shouty humor (including the MCU's first official F-bomb), Guardians Volume 3 is one of Marvel's better post-Infinity Saga efforts.

Best Marvel movies: 10 to 6

8. black panther: wakanda forever (2022).

How do you go about following one of the best Marvel movies ever – 2018's Black Panther – with a worthy sequel? When you're Black Panther: Wakanda Forever , the script is already written for you. 

Chadwick Boseman's shock passing in August 2020, following a four-year battle with cancer, hit us like a freight train – and yet the cast and crew of Marvel's first Black superhero-led film had to pick up the pieces. Not only did they have to give their all again without Boseman to lead them, they also had to tell a profoundly moving tale that honored his life and legacy.

Black Panther 2 does all of that and more. It's an emotionally powerful, thrilling, and thematically dense flick that doesn't pull its punches. Its intricate and poignant narrative, introduction of key Marvel characters in Namor and Ironheart , celebration of Mesoamerican culture, and rich exploration of grief is packaged together in such expert fashion that few MCU movies can claim to be better.

9. Deadpool and Wolverine

The Merc With a Mouth finally made his MCU debut in the most meta, gloriously gory, hilarious, and surprisingly earnest fashion possible in mid-2024 – and he even brought his new best bub in Wolverine ( Hugh Jackman coming out of superhero retirement for it ) along for the ride.

Deadpool and Wolverine is Marvel's perfectly self-aware riposte to its recent naysayers, with the titular pair embarking on a Marvel multiversal road trip that pokes fun at everything from Marvel President Kevin Feige to the comic giant's flagging cinematic juggernaut itself. It's also a wonderful celebration of 20th Century Fox's defunct Marvel film franchise, albeit one where long-standing MCU issues (namely, plot pacing and lightweight villains) rear their ugly head. Look past those problems, though, and you'll have an absolute blast with the funniest comic book film ever made.

8. Iron Man (2008)

The movie that started it all. Before the arrival of cosmic beings – and multiple villains born out of Tony Stark’s previous weapons manufacturing business – Iron Man offered a grounded but refreshingly energetic flick to kick the MCU into gear. 

Robert Downey Jr. captured Stark’s cocky personality perfectly, while the supporting cast set a high bar for future films to match. Despite ending with a so-so final battle, Iron Man was the strongest standalone MCU Phase 1 movie. It's just a pity that his other solo adventures couldn't live up to how stellar this wonderful movie was.

7. The Avengers (2012)

If Iron Man set the MCU’s wheels in motion, The Avengers shifted gears, put the proverbial pedal to the floor, and chartered a new path for superhero movies. 

Marvel’s first attempt at a superhero team-up brought all of our heroes together – some more reluctantly than others – to halt Loki’s invasion of New York. It was funny, action-packed, at-times heartfelt, and revealed where Marvel wanted to take its expanding series of films. Equally, The Avengers laid the foundations for the MCU’s future otherworldly events, all the while proving you could have multiple heroes in the same place, give them all plenty of screen time, and tie different story threads together to make one all-conquering movie. 

6. Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021)

With a casual $1.8 billion box office haul – an impressive figure, given it was achieved in late 2021 when *that* worldwide health event was still in motion – people have really taken Tom Holland's Peter Parker to their hearts. And so they should. 

Spider-Man: No Way Home 's plot is a fairly convoluted one. Desperate to have his anonymity back, Parker asks new superhero buddy Doctor Strange to use magic to make his identity as Spider-Man a secret again. When the spell goes wrong, the multiverse is broken open, which allows visitors from alternate realities to enter Parker's universe, including Holland's web-slinging predecessors.

It could easily been a sprawling mess, but it isn't. It's a suitably charming, scintillating, poignant, and nostalgia-fuelled rollercoaster ride that deserves its high-ranking spot. Now, about that fourth Spidey MCU movie, Marvel and Sony ...

Best Marvel movies: 5 to 1

5. thor: ragnarok (2017).

The third Thor movie is the only entry everyone can agree is actually great. Taika Waititi injects the series with his trademark offbeat humor, and sends the God of Thunder to fight the Hulk after he gets his ass kicked by Cate Blanchett's Hela. 

This was the kind of tonally distinctive approach the Thor movies desperately needed, and it's one of the easiest films on this list to put on repeat. You'll laugh, you might cry, and you'll certainly nod your head in unison that this is more than deserving of a top five place on our best Marvel movies list. An instant classic that does more for its characters than the other three Thor flicks combined – and that says a lot.

4. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 1 (2014)

Marvel's first big swing at an obscure set of characters was a triumph. Bringing together a ragtag group of criminals and oddballs, The Guardians of the Galaxy 's first adventure is essentially a superhero team film about outsiders – set against the gorgeous, previously unseen backdrop of Marvel's Jack Kirby-infused cosmos.

James Gunn supercharges these no-name characters with real personalities out of the gate, even performing the magical feat of turning a talking tree into a pop culture icon. It's tons of fun, manages to make you invested in a whole bunch of different comic book characters you'd never heard of before, and even circumvents the increasingly vexing climactic CGI showdown between heroes and villain with a comedy-infused endgame that'll have you guffawing.

3. Avengers: Endgame (2019)

We'd argue that Infinity War is a stronger film than Endgame , and that's probably because it's got less to accomplish. 

Endgame is arguably three films merged together – a story about the grim aftermath of the Blip (aka Thanos' universe-shattering fingersnap) as well as a time-traveling heist movie and a massive war film. Subsequently, it's not quite as elegantly told as the story of Thanos' initial victory in Infinity War , yet it features countless all-time great MCU moments and a final battle that's the ultimate piece of Marvel fan service. 

Will theatrical movies ever feel this big again? Not until Avengers 5 arrives in May 2026 ( No Way Home and Deadpool 3 run it close, though!). Even then, Endgame might be unmatched – save for its predecessor and Black Panther – as a movie that defined the cultural zeitgeist of superhero movies. Well, from a fan service-y perspective, anyway.

2. Black Panther (2018)

Black Panther is one of the undeniable jewels in the MCU’s crown, and it’s easy to see why it grossed over $1.3 billion worldwide upon release. It's a solo Marvel movie with extremely high ambition – revealing the secret nation of Wakanda and telling an epic story of a king T'Challa (the late Chadwick Boseman), contending with the sins of his father. 

This is a thematically weighty film that was rightly hailed as ground-breaking for its primarily Black cast, behind-the-scenes talent, and celebration of African traditions and heritage. Yet it has everything that makes the MCU great, too: humor, terrific action scenes (aside from its slightly lackluster finale), and a whole host of characters you can't wait to meet again in future movies. Why can't all MCU solo films be this good?

1. Avengers: Infinity War (2018)

Avengers: Infinity War is, perhaps unsurprisingly, our number one Marvel movie. After lurking in the shadows for so long, Thanos finally makes his play to acquire the Infinity Stones and wipe out half of all life in the universe. 

Naturally, the Avengers’ growing ranks stand in his way, and what plays out is a tightly-knit, action-packed, and deeply shocking film that delivers the best, spine-tingling ending in MCU (and perhaps cinematic) history . The Russo brothers’ ability to juggle Infinity War ’s ensemble cast alongside its thrilling and emotional plot delivered a brilliant blockbuster film that future Avengers movies – arguably Endgame aside – will have a hard time beating. Easily one of the best Marvel movies and one that'll have you saying "I was there when..." to your grandkids in decades to come.

For more Marvel-based coverage, find out how to watch the Marvel movies in order . Alternatively, get the scoop on Agatha All Along and The Fantastic Four .

As TechRadar's senior entertainment reporter, Tom covers all of the latest movies, TV shows, and streaming service news that you need to know about. You'll regularly find him writing about the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Star Wars, Netflix, Prime Video, Disney Plus, and many other topics of interest.

An NCTJ-accredited journalist, Tom also writes reviews, analytical articles, opinion pieces, and interview-led features on the biggest franchises, actors, directors and other industry leaders. You may see his quotes pop up in the odd official Marvel Studios video, too, such as this Moon Knight TV spot .

Away from work, Tom can be found checking out the latest video games, immersing himself in his favorite sporting pastime of football, reading the many unread books on his shelf, staying fit at the gym, and petting every dog he comes across. Got a scoop, interesting story, or an intriguing angle on the latest news in entertainment? Feel free to drop him a line.

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Best Marvel movies: Every MCU film, ranked

Check out our ranking of the best Marvel movies in the MCU...

Ranking the best Marvel movies is no easy task. There are just so many films that make up the MCU (34, now that Marvel Phase 5 is well underway). And let’s be honest, while there is a lot to love about this cinematic universe, some flicks are better left off any rewatch list. So, we at Total Film and GamesRadar+ have got together to help make your life easier come movie night. Below is our definitive Marvel ranking, from Iron Man all the way to Deadpool & Wolverine . To be clear, though, these are the films released by Marvel Studios that are part of the main Marvel timeline . That discounts the Sam Raimi Spider-Man movies and the likes of the X-Men films and Blade. Also, this is just the movies, so you won't find any shows here. If reading our ranking has you in the mood for a Marvel marathon, you can stream the majority of the films on Disney Plus right now – read our guide on how to watch the Marvel movies in order for more information on that. Now, with that out the way, let’s get to what you are all here for! Here is our list of the best Marvel movies of all time, ranking every MCU outing in order from worst to best.

34. Thor: The Dark World (2013)

A cape-wearing, long-haired god who talks like Shakespeare was always going to be a bit of a hard sell for modern-day cinema-goers. While Thor: Ragnarok knows how to have fun with the ridiculousness that is the God of Thunder, Thor: The Dark World (much like its predecessor) suffers from being a bit too superhero-y. 

In a cinematic universe where we have intergalactic space opera shenanigans, WW2-era war films, and size-altering heist movies, a handsome man in a cape fighting a villain who comes across as Generic Evil Guy (Christopher Eccleston, wasted as Dark Elf Malekith) doesn't stand much chance. Something has to be lowest on this list, and most would agree it's The Dark World; you can read our Thor: The Dark World review if you're still on the fence. 

But we can all agree that we're far from the best of the best Marvel movies here...

33. Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (2023)

Hoo boy. Every criticism that can be thrown at Marvel Studios can pretty much be found in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. Ropey CGI? Check. Tonal mismatch? Check. Wasted potential? Check. In retrospect, our three-star Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania review was very kind, wasn't it?

After the Ant-Family are dragged into the Quantum Realm (again), Paul Rudd's Ant-Man must battle his way out in a mini-universe ruled by Jonathan Majors' Kang the Conqueror. While the multiversal villain makes a good first impression, the post-credits reveal leaves Marvel's big new saga already in danger of feeling simultaneously rushed and bloated. Only Paul Rudd's magnetic charm stops this from sinking to the bottom of our list.

32. The Incredible Hulk (2008)

The Incredible Hulk feels like the black sheep of the MCU family with its retroactively-replaced lead. Because of that, it's hard to remember Louis Letterier's film – itself a reboot of Ang Lee's inventive-but-flawed 2003 take on the Hulk – with much fondness. 

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Norton is decent enough as the troubled, perpetually tense Bruce Banner, but he's nowhere near as much fun as the jokier Mark Ruffalo, who made the role his own from The Avengers onwards. The Incredible Hulk is a sort-of origin tale that skips past Banner's gamma-ray-induced accident – that well-known story plays out as part of the opening credits sequence – and picks up with him months later in hiding, trying to find a cure. 

It's reasonably fun and hits all the key points for a successful superhero movie, but it still suffers from an uninspiring love interest and a forgettable baddie in Tim Roth's Emil “The Abomination” Blonsky. Check out our Incredible Hulk review for more details.

Read more: The turbulent history behind the Hulk's transition to the big screen

31. Iron Man 2 (2010)

Listen, there is a reason we only gave this flick two-stars in our Iron Man 2 review . This sequel lacks the fun and freshness of the first movie, and it's certainly the weakest of all the Shellhead films. It's nothing more than an acceptable follow-up whose main claim to fame is that it features Mickey Rourke wielding electric whips. 

This is where we see Tony Stark's fall from grace, as he faces personal demons relating to his love life and alcohol – Iron Man 2 riffs heavily on the classic "Demon in a Bottle" storyline from the comics. It's also the film where we first meet Black Widow, and Rhodey (Don Cheadle replacing Terrence Howard) makes good on his "Next time, baby" promise from the first movie by donning the War Machine armor, expanding on a friendship that will become a mainstay of the MCU. The main conflict storyline is pretty forgettable, and ultimately, everything feels subservient to setting up The Avengers. 

30. Eternals (2021)

You can probably guess, based on the fact that our Eternals review was one of the few positive rewrite-ups on the internet, that this title is among Marvel's most divisive movies. Directed by Oscar-winner Chloé Zhao, the film follows a group of ancient heroes who've been on Earth for millennia but cannot interfere unless their foes, the Deviants, are involved. That naturally raises a ton of questions, like could they really not help out with Thanos? 

Despite having a stacked cast, starring Angelina Jolie, Salma Hayek, Richard Madden, and many more, the film is ultimately a little too muddled and just not quite engaging enough to be a hit. It probably doesn't help that it took a step back from the MCU's overarching, interconnected storytelling, either. But, it still has its fans, who praise its cosmic scope, the ensemble cast of characters, and Zhao's trademark, stunning visuals. 

29. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017)

As we mentioned in our Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.2 review , this film is a good but not great time. It takes the formula laid out by the original, straps boosters to it, cranks up the stereo to full, and goes full throttle for over two hours. Unfortunately, though, where the original Guardians of the Galaxy was a surprise hit – a Marvel movie so different and refreshing –  that set the bar impossibly high for the sequel. 

The jokes aren't quite as fresh the second time around. You also feel like you've seen the new worlds before, and the individual character arcs feel repetitive. None of the character beats work quite as well, and Chris Pratt's Star-Lord lacks a certain something this time around.

28. The Marvels (2023)

A musical number, a flurry of floating Flerkens, and Iman Vellani's impossibly charming Kamala Khan; there's a ton to love about The Marvels. It's cute and kind of fun (though we'd argue it should've been more so, given its zany premise). Ultimately, it's inconsequential, which is why it's towards the lower end of our ranking and why our The Marvels review has such a low score. 

Candyman's Nia DaCosta allows time for each of the titular heroes – Khan's Ms. Marvel, Monica Rambeau's Photon, and Carol Danvers' Captain Marvel – to have decent-enough arcs, but considering there's a multiverse mess bubbling, the stakes just feel too low for the movie to really pack a punch. And the less said about Zawe Ashton's villain, the better...

The most memorable moment in The Marvels is its post-credits scene, which marks the X-Men's official introduction to the MCU – suck it, Deadpool and Wolverine! –  and well, that's not really a good sign, is it?

27. Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018)

The very first Marvel movie to give a female superhero billing in the title, Ant-Man sequel Ant-Man and the Wasp , marks a significant moment in MCU history, but it's so much more than that, too. Picking up after the events of Captain America: Civil War and set parallel to Avengers: Infinity War (but released a few months after it), Ant-Man and the Wasp is the perfect palate cleanser following Thanos's snap. 

Like its predecessor, the Ant-Man sequel has a simple and effective storyline that allows the characters to shine, and it's very much about Scott Lang and Hope Van Dyne's partnership. So why is it only number 19 on our list of the best Marvel movies? Ant-Man and the Wasp lacks the freshness of the original, with much of the fun of changing size being diminished by the seen-it-all-before factor – especially when even Captain America: Civil War had stolen Lang's Giant-Man thunder. 

26. Thor (2011)

While Chris Hemsworth does a decent job of playing the God of Thunder, the character is tricky to make work with his old time-y speech and period drama-like clothes. Remember, this is some years before Hemsworth revealed an uncanny knack for comedy and Thor became one of the MCU's MVPs. 

Thor does enough to set up the character for his future appearances, though, as well as establishing the family relationships that become important later on. In fact, Tom Hiddleston's Loki is one of the highlights of the film and makes his older half-brother much more interesting, which is probably why Loki has appeared alongside Thor in pretty much every Marvel movie he's in, but the first Thor movie has more heart than its sequel. 

Funny, sweet, and with plenty of ridiculous action sequences, in our Thor review , we do point out that this flick is fun. Unfortunately, that's all it is. 

25. Black Widow (2021)

Black Widow is a prequel, slotting in between Civil War and Infinity War, and reveals more of Natasha Romanoff's shadowy past. The film sees the titular former assassin reluctantly reconnect with her secret family – David Harbour's Red Guardian , Rachel Weisz's Melina Vostokoff, and Florence Pugh's Yelena Belova – to take on the Red Room , the facility that turns young girls into Black Widows. 

The action sequences in this film are slick and brutal, and Pugh's Yelena is a delight, fast becoming a fan favorite. It's maybe too little, too late for Natasha, though (especially as there's only so much a prequel in such an interconnected universe can do), and the entire plot turns into another CGI-fuelled battle in the third act, a formula that might be getting tired. For more details, read our Black Widow review !

24. Thor: Love and Thunder (2022)

Taika Waititi unfortunately proved lightning couldn't strike twice with Thor: Love and Thunder after Thor: Ragnarok's undoubted success. The Thor-quel may feature the electrifying debut of Natalie Portman's Jane Foster as the Mighty Thor , but it's a messy, loose affair all-round. 

Christian Bale's Gorr the God Butcher has decided all gods must die, and it's up to our heroes to stop him, but it's a pantomime performance that's at odds with Jane's own cancer storyline. In truth, two iconic comic runs are butchered here, and the movie never really recovers from its meandering second act.

In our Thor: Love and Thunder review we praised all of the action, adventure, and heart here – but Waititi's trademark zingy humor and colorful visuals only carry it so far this time around.

23. Doctor Strange (2016)

Marvel's first foray into the mystical world could have been better. Benedict Cumberbatch's Stephen Strange is a Tony Stark clone but has none of the charm to overcome the arrogance. And that accent ... this movie could have been saved by simply making the character, like the actor playing him, English. 

Doctor Strange is a classic origin tale, but that's all it really is. And while at times it looks amazing thanks to its Inception -style city-bending antics, it lacks the action and interest of other MCU movies. It may have an all-star cast, but many of them are given little to do (Rachel McAdams, in particular, is criminally wasted), and the final fight, while definitely unique, is rather flat. 

Doctor Strange is just meant to introduce the character and set him up for future appearances in the MCU, and it does just that – it's good, just not that good. You can read our Doctor Starnge review if you need more Marvel magic portals in your life.

22. Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015)

The Avengers was the movie that propelled the MCU into the stratosphere, yet Avengers: Age of Ultron doesn't come close in terms of storytelling – and that's despite the return of most of the cast and Joss Whedon behind the camera. The malevolent AI Ultron is yet another generic villain from the Marvel movie stable. 

Meanwhile, the banter between the leading superheroes is nowhere near as fun this time around – which may have something to do with the movie being as concerned with setting up Phase 3 of the MCU as it is with saving the world. That said, in our Avengers: Age of Ultron review we pointed out that there's lots to like about a movie that's arguably better than its reputation. 

That opening sequence ( "Language!" )? Hawkeye's secret backstory? The new Avengers? Black Widow and the Hulk's budding romance? That action-packed and emotional finale? All great. It’s just below average for Marvel, which really says a lot about the overall quality of the MCU.

21. Iron Man 3 (2013)

The MCU upped the ante with Iron Man 3, which is far from a typical Marvel movie. In fact, it’s the movie that made it very clear that, from 2013 onwards, there was no longer going to be a typical Marvel movie formula. 

Lethal Weapon writer Shane Black directs Iron Man 3, a movie that's part superhero story, part existential angst-comedy. Black’s involvement is far more significant than his '80s action track record as his barnstormingly clever, postmodern film noir comedy, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, was fundamental in relaunching Robert Downey Jr’s career, post-rehab. 

As such, we gave the film a much-desevered four stars in our  Iron-Man 3 review . It's a solid collaboration to round off the character’s initial trilogy – a well-written, insightful piece of character-driven filmmaking that just happens to have a bunch of flying robot suits thrown in for good measure and a bait-and-switch villain that may lessen the movie in the eyes of some. With a script tailored to his deeper talents, Robert Downey Jr. really earns his (huge) paycheck here. 

20. Captain Marvel (2019)

Arriving nearly two years after Wonder Woman, Captain Marvel was somewhat overdue when it landed. Luckily, Carol Danvers made an impact straight away, taking her place as the most powerful hero the MCU has ever seen – even Thor would think twice about a scrap with Captain Marvel. 

Oscar-winner Brie Larson instantly makes the role her own, bringing a perfect blend of humanity and detachment fighter pilot recruited by the Kree after gaining her powers in mysterious circumstances. Despite an impressive supporting cast (Jude Law, Annette Bening, Ben Mendelsohn), the debut of classic shapeshifting villains the Skrulls, some clever twists, and action beats that make you punch the air in triumph, this is run-of-the-mill origin fare. Not one of the best Marvel movies, perhaps, but it’s certainly one of the most important – especially if you like cats. Check out our Captain Marvel review for more information!

19. Ant-Man (2015)

Ant-Man is Marvel's take on the crime caper. Everything about the story is classic heist; the slow-burn, getting-the-team-together characterization; the single, focused goal; the planning and practice montages. Ant-Man knows all of the genre's clichés, and it makes every one of them absolutely sing. 

Fundamental to that success is its drastically smaller scale – literally and figuratively. There’s no incoming apocalypse here. No grand, villainous plan to change life as we know it. Just an old grudge, a corporate asshole, and a strong focus on the character comedy pushing the whole story forward. And that's why it works! 

Paul Rudd – an actor previously known more for his comedy chops more than his action attributes – is perfect in the title role. As we mention in our Ant-Man review , this flick is a breath of fresh air among Marvel's other movies. 

18. Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness

Following the magnificent cameos in Spider-Man: No Way Home was always going to be a challenge. And while the Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness does have plenty of famous faces littered throughout its runtime, the story itself is only just held together by a charming Benedict Cumberbatch in the lead role, and the introduction of newcomer America Chavez, played by Xochitl Gomez. 

Having Wanda become the villain following her turn in WandaVision was a complicated move from Marvel, but Elizabeth Olsen still impresses, and seeing multiple versions of Wanda and Strange is a treat. 

Perhaps the real highlight, though, is Sam Raimi's directorial flair, bringing his Evil Dead and Spider-Man know-how to this MCU flick. Unfortunately, with just a few too many characters to juggle, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is mid-tier. In short, it makes for a decent watch, but it doesn't deserve a place alongside the best Marvel movies.

17. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022)

Marvel and director Ryan Coogler were dealt an impossible hand with the untimely death of T'Challa actor Chadwick Boseman. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever makes the best of bad circumstances, paying tribute to the departed actor with a grief-tinged sequel to Black Panther that, while overly long, does at least take the MCU in a more mature direction. 

Unlike most comic book adventures, death is a permanent fixture in Wakanda Forever – and it stings. It also allows Letitia Wright's Shuri to step up in fine fashion, while also introducing Dominique Thorne's Ironheart to the world. Throw in a political powder keg with Namor and his Talokan people, and it almost amounts to a Marvel classic. 

However, it's hoisted back by its own ambition: the bloat starts to show during the middle act, while Wakanda Forever is guilty of attempting too much. The inclusion of Martin Freeman's Everett Ross is proof enough that far too many plates needed spinning, even if the touching ending is among Marvel's best. You truly want to add this one to your watchlist so head over to our Black Panther: Wakanda Forever review if you need more information. 

16. Deadpool & Wolverine (2024)

Directed by Shawn Levy, Deadpool & Wolverine came at a time when, let’s face it, the multiverse was at a low point. Marvel was struggling to give fans that adrenaline-filled and joyous feeling we’re used to. However, as we mentioned in our Deadpool & Wolverine review , this threequel made us hopeful for the future as it's packed with humor, R-rated action, and some of the best cameos we’ve seen in the MCU, period.   In the movie, we see Ryan Reynolds’ Merc with a Mouth meet the TVA . After hearing that his timeline is dying, he sets out on a universe-jumping adventure to recruit a Wolverine variant to help save his world. The unlikely duo crack constant one-liners, have a tendency towards killing, and are just a joy to watch. Although its plot could have had more substance, few Marvel movies have been as fun as this one, and when fans needed it the most, Deadpool & Wolverine reminded us how enjoyable the MCU truly is.  

15. Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019)

Just to prove the versatility of the MCU, the follow-up to the epic Avengers: Endgame is its polar opposite. Where the superhero team-up to end all superhero team-ups was a film of vast, universe-shattering consequences, Far From Home is simply a fun romp around Europe with your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man. 

The shadow of Thanos's finger snap (known as " the blip ") still lingers, of course, as half the world comes to terms with returning after five years away, and Peter Parker struggles to live up to the legend of his mentor, Tony Stark. In his fifth movie as Spidey, Tom Holland secures his position as the best-ever screen Wallcrawler, equally adept at comedy as he is handling giant monsters with a penchant for destroying famous landmarks. 

While the threat ultimately proves a tad convoluted and ridiculous (even for a Marvel movie), returning Spider-Man: Homecoming director Jon Watts has a light enough touch to let the chemistry between his young stars do the heavy-lifting. Check out our Spider-Man: Far From Home review for more details.

14. Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)

Captain America: The First Avenger is the beginning of everything we love about the heroic Cap – the bedrock on which one of the MCU's major characters is built. Chris Evans is superb as the young skinny kid from Brooklyn who becomes a beefcake overnight thanks to experimental Super Soldier serum and fights the Nazis. Hugo Weaving's Red Skull is one of the MCU's stronger villainous efforts. 

The more languid period piece also helps repeat viewings, with Evans' Steve Rogers and Hayley Atwell's Peggy Carter beginning their fledgling romance here. Of course, Agent Carter is so unmissable she bagged herself a spin-off TV show and is one of the few MCU love interests who's actually interesting. 

13. Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021)

Spider-Man: No Way Home is a big movie. Not only does Spider-Man deal with the fallout of his identity being revealed to the world, he then has to content with multiple villains from throughout his cinematic history. And we're not just talking evil-doers from Holland's time as the hero, but the multiverse being ripped apart and Doc Ock, Green Goblin, and Electro all coming into the MCU to cause trouble. 

The highs are extremely high in the conclusion of the Homecoming trilogy, though the plot somewhat suffers under its own weight. Still, it's a Spider-Man fan's webbed dream seeing these older characters back, and Jon Watt's direction keeps things from falling apart.

12. Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021)

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings is Marvel Phase 4's first origin story, and it introduces its titular hero with a bang. Simu Liu's Shang-Chi is a totally normal guy... apart from the fact his mother hails from a mystical village, and his father is an ageless crime lord. 

This film really feels like something different, with breathtaking martial arts action sequences and a compelling villain – Tony Leung's Wenwu is one of the MCU's best big bads, and the film is focused entirely on his relationship with his children. Throw in Awkwafina's hilarious Katy and the return of Ben Kingsley's Trevor Slattery, and you've got one great Marvel movie. 

11. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (2023)

Director James Gunn signs off for superhero pastures new (at DC, no less) with a real return to form for the Guardians gang.

With Rocket's life hanging in the balance, Star-Lord and his intergalactic team jet off to uncover the secret to saving everyone's favorite trash panda. In the process, they discover his tragic origins and come face to face with the god-like High Evolutionary (Chukwudi Iwuji).

Packed with personality, charm, and genuine high-stakes, Guardians of the Galaxy 3 is the perfect antidote to what has been a flagging post-Endgame era for the MCU. It's not just a case of playing the greatest hits, either: new characters Cosmo, Lyla, Floor, and Teefs round out a stellar cast, while Iwuji's performance was so formidable that we wouldn't be surprised to see him make a return down the line. Only a couple of mean-spirited jokes and an uncomfortably dark tone stops this from cracking the top 10.

10. Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)

Well, here they are... our top 10 best Marvel movies...

Once upon a time, we never thought we'd see a Spider-Man MCU movie – Marvel sold the rights a long time before the MCU existed – but thanks to a team-up between Marvel Studios and Sony , Spidey got his homecoming, and what a welcome home it was. Much of the success of Spider-Man: Homecoming hinges on the fact that, a) it's not another Spider-Man origin story, and b) Tom Holland is perfectly cast as a teenage Peter Parker. 

Despite not seeing Peter get bitten by that all-important spider, Homecoming is still a fairly traditional superhero movie, albeit one that owes nearly as much to classic high school movies as it does the works of Stan Lee and Steve Ditko. Throw in an injection of Tony Stark charm, a killer Spidey suit, and a perfectly delivered final act twist/reveal, and you've got yourself one hell of an MCU movie. If you need more convincing, just check out our five-star Spider-Man: Homecoming review !

9. Black Panther (2018)

The MCU was already a massive deal when Black Panther roared into cinemas in early 2018, but no Marvel film before had a bigger cultural impact. Only Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Avengers: Endgame, and Avatar had made more money at the US box office at the time. Fronted by royalty in the form of King T'Challa, the ensemble is one of the best Marvel movies in the MCU so far. 

Another star is the country of Wakanda itself – a stunning, vibrant, and oh-so-alive world that feels both futuristic and steeped in culture and tradition. Everything about it, from the palace, to the mountain home of M’Baku and the Jabari tribe, is utterly unique and brilliantly realised. 

The plot of the movie is tightly woven around Wakanda, dealing with both the internal and external conflicts the country is going through. And then there's Michael B. Jordan's villain, Erik Killmonger, who is terrifying, sympathetic, and relatable in equal measure. It's been a long time coming, but like we said in our Black Panther review , this movie is a strong, bold, and thrilling solo film.

8. The Avengers (2012)

It's hard to remember now, given what Marvel has achieved since, but when The Avengers movie arrived it was a revelation, especially as a lot of people thought there was no way the studio could pull something like this off. 

A crossover movie with multiple main characters and a storyline spanning various franchises? It felt like a crazy plan that could never work, but, thanks to the foundations laid by the previous Marvel movies and the skilled hands of writer/director Joss Whedon, The Avengers became Marvel's first movie to gross over a billion dollars. 

Not only did it work – it's a fantastic film in its own right, and undeniably one of the best Marvel movies so far. With superheroes galore, action-packed blockbuster battles, and enough balance in the storyline to actually get to care about each character, the Avengers has gone down in cinematic history.

7. Captain America: Civil War (2016)

Released in the same year as Batman v Superman, Captain America's third film – Civil War – didn't need to try too hard to beat its DCEU rival. Despite being thought of as Avengers 2.5 by fans thanks to the sheer volume of other MCU heroes who show up, Civil War is really Cap v. Iron Man, with the two characters squaring up against each other. 

After many world-ending missions, Civil War is a smaller, smarter story, about clashing ideologies, but it never gets bogged down with windy introspection – and because we know all the characters so well, we care deeply about their motivations and viewpoints. On top of that, there are the wonderful introductions of Spider-Man and Black Panther, that bit with Ant-Man, and Vision wearing a delightful range of knitwear. Villain-wise? It works, as the Big Bad turns out to be Captain America and/or Iron Man, depending on your point of view. Epic stuff.

6. Thor: Ragnarok (2017)

To be the wackiest, most whimsical MCU movie released in 2017 (the same year as Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 and Spider-Man: Homecoming) is impressive. For that movie to be a Thor movie ? It's practically god-like. 

But are we really that surprised when Taiki Waititi is the man behind the camera? The What We Do in the Shadows director does away with all the Shakespearean theatrics and instead goes full retro-futurism for the threequel, with a healthy sprinkling of full-blown surrealism thrown in. The result is a comedy that happens to be a superhero movie at the same time. 

As we pointed out in our Thor: Ragnarok review , it's the freshest MCU flick since that time they introduced a talking tree. Jeff Goldblum's Grandmaster, Waititi's rock warrior Korg, and Bruce Banner/Hulk all have their moments of comedy gold, but Chris Hemsworth's Thor turns out to be the funniest of them all. Who saw that coming?

5. Iron Man (2008)

This is where it all started. While Iron Man isn't the best Marvel movie (read our Iron Man review for more details on that big statement), it definitely deserves a certain amount of kudos. After all, without Iron Man we might never have had the MCU . Indeed, it’s easy to forget what a risk it was at the time, considering it starred an actor with a troubled past making a comeback playing a B-list superhero. 

Marvel’s gamble paid off spectacularly as Iron Man became a hit, and over a decade later, it's still one of the best superhero movies around. If you want to know how to do an origin story right, rewatch Iron Man because it barely puts a foot wrong. Robert Downey Jr was the perfect person to bring the arrogant Tony Stark to life, and his technologically advanced suit was a breath of fresh air next to the cape and tights we were used to seeing superheroes wear previously. Over a decade on, Iron Man remains one of the best Marvel movies.

4. Avengers: Endgame (2019)

Avengers: Endgame is the ultimate vindication of Marvel’s brave vision for a shared universe; the culmination of dozens of story arcs across 22 movies, and the perfect finale for the first stage of MCU overlord Kevin Feige’s grand plan. The storytelling choices are bold – that time jump, the character deaths, the nods to earlier movies – but they all make perfect sense in the context of the saga. 

With its heroes at rock bottom after the events of Infinity War, Endgame has its fair share of bleakness (poor Thor), but also plenty of laughs and moments of triumph . The final act is a masterclass in direction, as the Russo brothers marshal one of the most complicated action set-pieces in cinema history. Come the end and the Marvel Cinematic Universe is changed forever. An epic every bit as bold as Thanos's crazy scheme, Endgame is blockbuster filmmaking at its finest. You can read all about this masterpiece in our Avengers: Endgame review .

3. Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)

Guardians of the Galaxy is a wonderful, funny, and warm sci-fi scramble through some of the most exotic locations in the MCU – and it's also the movie with the loosest connections to Iron Man, Captain America and the rest. Seriously, it's wholly deserving of the four-star rating in our Guardians of the Galaxy review .

Arguably the best thing to happen to big screen space opera since Star Wars (Star-Lord, Gamora and Groot could be this generation's Han, Leia and Chewie), it's got a fresh, lively lightness of touch that simultaneously feels like it's rebelling against the Marvel formula, while remaining 100 per cent part of the MCU. 

Everything is held together by a generous streak of fun, while the "Awesome Mix" cassette soundtrack perfectly suits the mood. The least-Marvel of the Marvel movies, then, but also one of the best.

2. Avengers: Infinity War (2018)

The "I am your father" revelation from The Empire Strikes Back is perhaps the most memorable, downbeat, and talked about blockbuster cliffhanger of all time. The end of Avengers: Infinity War runs it pretty close, however, by giving antagonist-in-chief Thanos the upper hand, and leaving half of the MCU's heroes literally turned to dust. Okay, you could argue that without Avengers: Endgame to conclude the story, it feels kind of unfinished – though you could also level that accusation at The Empire Strikes Back – but viewed as the first act of a larger story, it's a remarkable piece of work. 

Infinity War manages to be emotionally powerful and incredibly funny (often in the same scene), its scale and scope are mind-bogglingly vast, and the crossover character interactions are unexpected and fun. Perhaps, most importantly, Marvel solves its villain problem in spectacular style, with Josh Brolin’s Thanos being both the driving force of the movie and a plausible bad guy – his grand plan is clearly deranged, but there's a weird, twisted logic to it. And without Infinity War, there could be no Endgame. Check out our five-star Avengers: Infinity War review for more details.

1. Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)

Here it is: the best of the best Marvel movies. The Winter Soldier set a new precedent for the MCU. The Captain America sequel is a totally different take on the universe – a ’70s Cold War thriller that doesn't put a foot wrong. 

Hell, The Winter Soldier should be named one of the best Marvel movies of all time for the elevator scene alone; a moment so memorable it was homaged in Avengers: Endgame. The movie also has far-reaching implications for the rest of the Marvel universe – such as that SHIELD reveal – and establishes the resurrected Bucky Barnes as a major piece in the puzzle for years to come. It’s also the most balanced of the Marvel movies in terms of action and pace, with directors the Russo brothers really setting a high level of quality for future films to match. No wonder Marvel Studios put them in charge of Infinity War and Endgame.

For more on superheroes, be sure to check out all the upcoming superhero movies heading to cinemas and streaming soon.

Jack Shepherd is the former Senior Entertainment Editor of GamesRadar. Jack used to work at The Independent as a general culture writer before specializing in TV and film for the likes of GR+, Total Film, SFX, and others. You can now find Jack working as a freelance journalist and editor.

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Every Marvel Cinematic Universe movie ranked from worst to best

It took a superheroic effort, but here’s our deeply opinionated ranking of all the Marvel movies to date

For over a decade, it often seemed like the only movies being made were Marvel movies. Beginning in 2008 with the introduction of Robert Downey Jr’s Iron Man , new offshoots, franchises and ensemble pictures arrived with the sun, each raking in more cash than the last – a testament to both the comic monolith’s meticulous world-building and, of course, its marketing budget.

Things have changed recently, however. Ever since peaking with Avengers: Endgame , the MCU has been on a downward trajectory, commercially and creatively – and it’s not just the Martin Scorseses of the world saying so. In truth, though, even in its glory days, not all Marvel movies were created equal. For every box-office-dominating event picture, the studio would churn out a few inessential space-fillers. So while we wait to see if upcoming entries Deadpool & Wolverine , Captain America: Brave New World and Thunderbolts manage to pull the franchise out of its doldrums, we decided to see what’s worked best and what has fallen flat by ranking all 33 official MCU flicks released so far. As the list demonstrates, the glory days are still where the gold/vibranium lies.

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Been there, done that? Think again, my friend.

All Marvel movies ranked

1.  black panther (2018).

• Action and adventure

Handsomely mounted by Creed ’s Ryan Coogler and starring an enviable slate of black actors that makes cameoing comics godhead Stan Lee almost seem lost, Marvel’s best movie, pound for pound, is provocative and satisfying in ways that are long overdue—like its ornate, culturally dense production design and the deeper subtexts of honor, compassion and destiny.

2.  Avengers: Endgame (2019)

Arriving with the momentum that only 21 previous global blockbusters can provide, here's the multiplex-rattling and curiously emotional culmination of the MCU—at least until the next chapter. Endgame often pays tribute to itself, which makes it as fascinating as it is self-serious. It taps into a live wire of doomy tragedy and phoenix-like rebirth that comics do so well.

3.  Thor: Ragnarok (2017)

If the irreverent Ragnarok is the funniest Marvel movie to date—topping even  Guardians of the Galaxy —it’s not without frustrations. The standard third act CGI-fest feels leaden and there’s one too many superpowered MacGuffins (we’d have quickly misplaced the Flame of Thingamajig). But in a world of portentous blockbusters, it’s a joy to see one throwing on the disco lights.

4.  Iron Man (2008)

Paced swiftly by Swingers star-turned-director Jon Favreau, the film that started it all is blessed by motormouthed Robert Downey Jr. as billionaire tech genius Tony Stark, an apolitical man with stripper poles on his private plane. Much was made of this “risky” casting, but it pays off beautifully.

5.  Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)

Goofy banter had been part of the MCU ever since Joss Whedon got to write a script for it, but the inaugural voyage of Star-Lord and friends is a whole other ball of quips. Legitimately funny and fast-paced, featuring a lesser-known group of heroes, it felt genuinely subversive, and made its cast of misfits into true franchise-carrying stars.

6.  Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)

This installment delivers a heavy and welcome dose of political paranoia (courtesy of Robert Redford, playing against lefty type as an ominous high-ranking government official). Chris Evans’s superhero remains an enjoyable square peg in the round hole of the sleek Marvel universe.

7.  Doctor Strange (2016)

The Marvel-verse has never shied away from a bit of groovy psychedelia, from the prog-rock cityscapes of Thor to Ant-Man ’s voyage into cosmic inner space. But they’ve never gone full down-the-rabbit-hole acid freak-out—until now. There are sequences here that could burn the top layer off your eyeballs.

8.  Captain America: Civil War (2016)

A war over tactics and goals is waged between Chris Evans’s squarely patriotic Captain and Robert Downey Jr.’s Iron Man, but the unexpected emotional heft left pretenders like Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice in the dust. This is a film about the violent end of a friendship and the moral questions that come with free will.

9.  Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021)

What’s better than one Spider-Man? How about three? Ripping open the door to the multiverse for the first time, Marvel delivered fan service on the most giddy level possible – see the YouTube clips of packed theaters exploding with wild applause with each surprise appearance. Also, props to whoever put together the soundtrack for getting De La Soul, Liquid Liquid and Talking Heads’ ‘I Zimbra’ into the MCU.

10.  The Avengers (2012)

It’s hard to remember now, but back in 2012, the idea of Iron Man, Captain America, the Incredible Hulk etc all sharing the same screen was a mind-blowing concept several years and many origin stories in the making. If it had tanked, all your Endgame s and adventures in the Spider-Verse may never have happened. Thankfully, Joss Whedon more than met the high expectations of the Marvel faithful, delivering the MCU’s first true ‘event’ movie that’s at once big and loud, funny and fun, frivolous but not at all dumb. 

11.  Black Widow (2021)

Phase 4 of the MCU will be built on the talents of indie stalwarts like Chloé Zhao, Destin Daniel Cretton and  Somersault 's Cate Shortland – and on the evidence of this slick fusion of big action and needlepoint-precise character beats, it's a good move. Scarlett Johansson manages to locate new depths to Natasha Romanoff in a Bourne -like actioner that pairs her with Florence Pugh to excellent effect. David Harbour's beefy and hugely enjoyable Russian super-buffoon Red Guardian compensates for the generic villainy on offer.

12.  Iron Man 3 (2013)

The Iron Man sub-saga undergoes the kind of freshening up it needed after a brief flirtation with Mickey Rourke. Take Stark to an unlikely place (rural Tennessee), have the magical suit totally fail him, have him attract a curious wiseass of a preteen sidekick—all of these things happen in a snappy course correction.

13.  Avengers: Infinity War (2018)

An overstuffed sausage of summer entertainment, this is the Ocean’s Thirteen of spandexed heroism—if you can imagine a version of that movie with two times as many Brad Pitts and no poker dealers. The result is endless in-fighting for alpha-dog dominance, everyone trying to make what amounts to a cameo stick.

14.  Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021)

Marvel’s 1970s run of kung fu comics were racially stereotyped and often tiresome, but they gave us this fast, fun adaptation so that’s some kind of redemption. An almost entirely Asian cast create an origin story that pays tribute to classic kung fu, wuxia and Hong Kong action but never at the expense of having fun. Simu Liu makes an immensely engaging hero – and it’s about time the MCU went to karaoke.

15.  Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017)

After the sugar rush of the first film, recapturing the magic was always going to be an uphill battle. But for all its wit, speed and Kurt Russell playing a swaggering dad with secrets, this second instalment feels like a disappointment. Until well past halfway through, it doesn’t even have a plot, just a bunch of amusing scenes.

16.  Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)

Homecoming isn’t strictly an origin story: There’s no radioactive spider bite, no wow-I-can-lift-a-car-now moment. This is about a young man figuring out what to do with the power he’s already acquired, while also navigating the pitfalls of everyday teenagerhood. It’s light and breezy and a little throwaway.

17.  Thor: Love and Thunder (2022)

While falling some way short of Ragnarok ’s laser-focused anarchy, Taika Waititi’s two-hour romp of Norse action is packed with gags and boasts one of the MCU’s strongest villains to date in Christian Bale’s Gorr the God Butcher. But that (relatively) short running length leaves the reintroduction of Jane Foster as the Mighty Thor feeling rushed, contributing to a shapelessly-plotted Phase 4 entry that’s often as frustrating as it is fun.

18.  Ant-Man (2015)

Just when it seemed like the MCU was getting so big that the whole superhero-movie bubble might burst, along comes an adventure with an action sequence set in a bathtub. Ant-Man is ultimately too flat to leave much of an impression, but it's a much-needed reminder that there are real people underneath all that armor.

19.  Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3 (2023)

James Gunn and his band of quippy, loveable space rascals bid farewell with a busily-plotted but oddly grumpy trilogy closer. A subplot involving Rocket’s younger years being experimented on by the High Evolutionary (Chukwudi Iwuji) doesn’t help  Vol. 3 crack a smile; instead, it’s left to Drax (Dave Bautista, fast becoming the MCU’s MVP) and Pom Klementieff’s Mantis to bring the irreverence and fun. Props, too, to Gunn for going where even Sam Raimi came up short and delivering some properly gnarly body horror to the Marvelverse

20.  Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)

Given that Captain America may be one of the least tortured Marvel heroes around, the fact that Chris Evans plays him primarily as a walking, talking glass of skim milk doesn't seem out of character. But call upon him to, say, mourn fallen comrades or actually emote, and the movie hits a pothole. His series gets better.

21.  Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015)

While there’s a definite mid-season feel to this, it’s still a Joss Whedon film, packed with all the snappy action sequences and pomposity-puncturing one-liners we expect (a running gag about Thor’s hammer is almost worth the ticket price alone). But with Marvel’s eyes on Infinity War , viewers got shortchanged.

22.  Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019)

Tom Holland proves, once again, what a great pick he is to play Spidey (and ditto for  Marisa Tomei ​ as Aunt May)​  in ​ this ​ ​ ​fun but throwaway  post- Endgame palette cleanser ​. Far From Home ​ is   ​ most fun when it’s a ​high-school  road-trip caper ​ around Europe – Dude, Where's My Web Shooters ? – but much less effective when Jake ​ Gyllenhaal 's ill-designed​  Mysterio ​ ​ gets involved .

23.  Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022)

The MCU’s return to Wakanda nails its toughest assignment – paying fitting tribute to Chadwick Boseman and setting up his Black Panther heir – but the story is a fudge, setting up western imperialism as the big bad, only to veer away, seemingly to avoid unsettling its target audience. And despite the gifted Letitia Wright’s best efforts as the grieving Shuri, there’s still a T’Challa-shaped hole in the middle of it all.

24.  Captain Marvel (2019)

The Marvel Cinematic Universe’s first female-led installment meant a lot symbolically, especially to young girls who resonated with Gal Gadot’s confident portrayal of Wonder Woman. But you can’t help but wish the watershed moment arrived with a more richly imagined central character. While Room 's Brie Larson is certainly capable, she’s a bit stranded in the rubber suit, playing a role that gives her scant opportunity to be human.

25.  Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022)

Maybe in another universe there’s a script that can uplift this fun but emotionless sequel. Doctor Strange ’s multiversal McGuffin pursuit demands MCU literacy (both TV and film) for its cameos to pay off, yet penalises  WandaVision  watchers by abruptly corrupting that show’s careful character progression. Though the reanimated corpse –  literally –  of some Sam Raimi-isms occasionally summons horror-adjacent madness, it more often falls short of satisfying schlock in favour of studio-packaged cheese.

26.  Thor (2011)

Dutifully, with a hint of fatigue,  Thor accomplishes its essential goal and little else, which is to introduce the mighty warrior to the Marvel onscreen universe, in addition to the hunk who'll be playing him: Australian actor Chris Hemsworth. He definitely looks the part, not so much a slab of beefcake as an entire herd of cattle.

27.  The Marvels (2023)

There’s a really promising idea at the centre of Nia DaCosta’s Marvel mash-up. Captain Marvel, Ms Marvel and Monica Rambeau keep switching places any time they use their powers, suggesting we’re in for something like a superhero body-swap. Sadly, it’s confusingly set up and doesn’t come to much. There are weird, fun moments here, but it’s never fully allowed to take flight, repeatedly getting dragged back to setting up the next Marvel movie or TV show. At this point, the sprawling Marvel narrative is feeling like a burden, not a benefit.

28.  Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018)

The first Ant-Man movie succeeded largely because of its less-is-more approach: a livewire heist caper stuffed with Honey-I-Shrunk-the-Avenger-style visual gags. Diminishing returns bite, though, in a sequel that strains hard to be effortlessly fun but lacks the same helter-skelter irreverence.

29.  Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (2023)

• Science fiction

The first two Ant-Man movies succeeded modestly by playing to the character’s silly power and keeping the tone brisk and light. This third movie fails by trying to up the scale and stakes too far. The result is that its simple hero gets lost in a mishmash of soulless CGI and over-serious plotting, which gives Paul Rudd little opportunity to be the charming everyman. It’s just not much fun. It gets points for a decent introduction to Kang, the big villain of Phase Five. A multi-dimensional being, he’s played with sinister subtlety by Jonathan Majors. Right villain, wrong movie. 

30.  Eternals (2021)

Coming shortly after the massive commercial peak of Avengers: Endgame , Marvel’s next attempt at a big ensemble picture was almost destined to disappoint, and well, that it did. You can’t fault director Chloé Zhao’s ambition in attempting to bring emotional intimacy and broad concepts about the universe and history – not to mention sex scenes – to the MCU. But the result, while visually awe-inspiring in spots, was overlong and plodding, and not even the otherworldly presence of Angelina Jolie could lift it above ‘mid’ status. 

31.  The Incredible Hulk (2008)

Fare thee well, Edward Norton—we hardly knew ye. He only appeared once in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, before stepping out of the big green guy’s shadow (Mark Ruffalo took over). Nothing about this tentative franchise builder suggests there was any love lost; the movie has little on Ang Lee’s inspired 2003 take.

32.  Iron Man 2 (2010)

Robert Downey Jr. achieves full obnoxiousness. His first turn as Tony Stark, a weapons manufacturer with guilt, was the smartest of a series of smart comeback choices. But with this depressingly bland sequel (scripted by snark specialist Justin Theroux), he’s stranded in lightweight arrogance.

33.  Thor: The Dark World (2013)

A stultifying hodgepodge of Mythology 101 midterm answers, generically LOTR -ish battle scenes and Anthony Hopkins bellowing in his best Shakespearean baritone, this is a superhero movie that feels like it might have been made by anyone and no one. It’s simply space-filler before the next big team-up.

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Marvel Cinematic Universe films ranked by IMDb rating

1. Avengers: Infinity War

2. Avengers: Endgame

3. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3

4. Spider-Man: No Way Home

5. The Avengers

6. Guardians of the Galaxy

7. Iron Man

8. Thor: Ragnarok

9. Captain America: The Winter Soldier

10. Captain America: Civil War

11. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2

12. Doctor Strange

13. Spider-Man: Homecoming

14. Spider-Man: Far from Home

15. Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings

16. Avengers: Age of Ultron

17. Ant-Man

18. Black Panther

19. Iron Man 3

21. Ant-Man and the Wasp

22. Iron Man 2

23. Captain America: The First Avenger

24. Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness

25. Thor: The Dark World

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Marvel Movies Ranked: All MCU Movies from Worst to Best

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The Big Picture

• Iron Man 2 lacks focus, with too many plotlines crammed in without a clear priority.
• Thor: The Dark World finds energy and humor in Thor and Loki's relationship, saving the film.
• The Incredible Hulk struggles to fit tonally within the MCU, feeling disconnected from the universe.

Taken as a whole, the Marvel Cinematic Universe is an undeniable achievement in cinema. It began with a simple idea, thrown in after the credits of the first, risky movie: “You've become part of a bigger universe. You just don't know it yet.” That idea blossomed into movies that crossed over with each other, sometimes with incredible results and other times with diminishing returns.

We decided to look back at the films in the universe and rank them from worst to best. You will likely disagree with our rankings.

34 Iron Man 2 (2010)

Directed by jon favreau.

If Nick Fury’s words to Tony Stark at the end of Iron Man were a confident declaration about the intentions to create the “Avengers Initiative”, then Iron Man 2 is tripping over your shoelaces and faceplanting.

Iron Man 2 suffers from trying to do too much in the span of one movie, and no one seems to agree on what needs to take priority. Yes, there needs to be some time given to setting up The Avengers , but Iron Man 2 does it awkwardly by introducing Black Widow ( Scarlett Johansson ) but forgetting to give her a character. It tacks on the Coulson stuff, which is still a little stiff, but Clark Gregg does his best to make it work even though his dialogue may as well read: “Thor: Coming Next Summer!”

The Avengers stuff could be forgiven if the A-plot worked a little better, but like just about every Marvel movie, it suffers from a weak villain with lousy motivation. While Mickey Rourke definitely had some clout coming off The Wrestler , director Jon Favreau just got a campy performance out of the actor, who clearly thinks the material is beneath him, as opposed to Darren Aronofsky , who got the best performance of Rourke’s career.

This is to say nothing about Tony’s palladium poisoning and how it just so happens that his dad invented the one thing that could save his son’s life, built it decades before his son miniaturized it, and then hid the plans in a table. It makes you wonder if Howard Stark put any other revolutionary ideas in furniture.

The one consistently great aspect of Iron Man 2 is Sam Rockwell ’s Justin Hammer, and it makes sense considering he’s pretty much freed from the sinking ship of everything else going around him. He’s not caught up in Avengers business, he’s pretty much making fun of Rourke’s lackadaisical performance, and he gets to look good doing everything. But when an actor who doesn’t even get top billing is the one who steals the movie, something has gone amiss. — Matt Goldberg

With the world now aware of his identity as Iron Man, Tony Stark must contend with both his declining health and a vengeful mad man with ties to his father's legacy.

Watch on Disney+

33 Thor: The Dark World (2013)

Directed by alan taylor.

You can pinpoint the exact moment when Thor: The Dark World goes from being a slog to being a good movie. The entire movie picks up at Freya’s funeral (killing off a female character to give your male heroes motivation is a tired trope, but it’s a deeply flawed film), but it takes a while for the film to get there. First, you have to go through Sad Thor cleaning up the Nine Realms, unceremoniously ditching Hogun for some reason, Jane meandering around Earth, Loki trapped in a cell, and yet another dull Marvel villain who suffers from a dearth of personality.

But after Freya’s funeral and Loki getting sprung from captivity, the film takes off and finds its energy. Between Thor and Thor: The Dark World , it’s not enough to have just Thor or even Thor and Jane. You have to have the relationship between Thor and Loki because that’s where these movies get their power. Even after Loki “dies”, his presence is still felt as a driving force for Thor and the movie keeps up the energy it found in their relationship.

It’s also clear that what Thor movies need more than anything is a sense of humor. The first half is pretty remote and dour, but the second half finds a pulse and throws in plenty of jokes and memorable little moments that give the movie a personality. Yes, it can be a little slapstick in some regards, but Thor shouldn’t take itself so seriously. When the stakes are interdimensional, that’s about all the seriousness these movies can handle, and it’s better to let the God of Thunder just have some fun. — Matt Goldberg

Thor: The Dark World

When the Dark Elves attempt to plunge the universe into darkness, Thor must embark on a perilous and personal journey that will reunite him with doctor Jane Foster.

32 The Incredible Hulk (2008)

Directed by louis leterrier.

It’s almost unfair to include The Incredible Hulk on a list of MCU movies since it was clearly added to the Universe after the fact. There are a few second unit shots and additions to make it feel like it’s part of something bigger (like a quick glimpse of the “Stark Industries” logo), but it’s so clearly meant to stand on its own, and there’s nothing necessarily wrong with that. I’m not of the opinion that just because these movies are part of a shared universe they’re somehow lesser because they’re not actively sharing all the time.

The problem with Incredible Hulk is that it’s tonally so dissonant from the other movies, and it’s actually a bit of a downer. It’s a film that, when paired with Ang Lee ’s 2003 Hulk , makes you wonder if the character can carry his own movie or if he needs to be paired with other superheroes to work to his full extent. Left to his own devices, you have a character who rejects his own superpower and feels ambivalent about it at best. You need other characters to draw it out as a force for good and to give the loner Bruce Banner a sense of belonging.

The Incredible Hulk is too early in the MCU to take advantage of this kind of dynamic, so it’s adrift, and as a result lacks the proper tone, voice, and attitude to quality as a proper Marvel Cinematic Universe movie. Until William Hurt pops up in Civil War , it's the only movie where its actors don’t appear in other Marvel movies. Edward Norton is acceptable as Banner, but Mark Ruffalo is so much better in a well-rounded version of the character. It seems like Marvel didn’t know what they had yet with Hulk, so everything is just slightly off-center.

That doesn’t make The Incredible Hulk a “bad” movie as much as it’s a painfully mediocre one that’s constantly trying to reconcile its tone and its lead character, and while it has yet to figure out the former, we’ve at least come to a good place with the latter. — Matt Goldberg

The Incredible Hulk

Bruce Banner, a scientist on the run from the U.S. Government, must find a cure for the monster he turns into whenever he loses his temper.

31 Doctor Strange (2016)

Directed by scott derrickson.

Doctor Strange is a weird beast. It feels cobbled together in a way that it goes by the familiar beats of previous Marvel movies--notably Iron Man and Guardians of the Galaxy --but it also feels rote and uninteresting despite the trappings of putting its protagonist into a magical world. It seems like Marvel stuck close to a familiar playbook because they knew they were making a bit of a leap with "magic", but when it came time to make that magic, it was fairly uninteresting.

I understand the difficulty Strange presents with magic because magic needs rules or else everything falls apart. That being said, the film leans far too heavily on the "cocky guy becomes a nicer guy" story Marvel has done before, and does so in a largely uninteresting way. Benedict Cumberbatch is fine in the title role, but there's always a feeling of "been there, done that" with the movie even its eye-popping action scenes that feel either ripped from Jack Kirby or Inception on steroids.

The film's greatest strength is in its thematic subtext where Strange's arc is learning that he has to be okay with being broken. Although I think the film could have leaned a little more heavily into this, I still like that the climax of the movie is Strange--a man who has spent his life fighting death--embracing death in order to save mankind. Yes, the willingness to sacrifice one's life is a standard part of MCU heroics, but Strange does it on overdrive, and it actually means something to the character's arc.

But overall, Doctor Strange is largely disappointing. It wastes a terrific cast, features mostly uninteresting characters, and struggles to find the sense of whimsy of humor found in most other Marvel movies. Walking out of Doctor Strange was the first time I felt with a Marvel movie, "Yeah, I'm okay if we don't get a sequel to this." — Matt Goldberg

Doctor Strange

While on a journey of physical and spiritual healing, a brilliant neurosurgeon is drawn into the world of the mystic arts.

30 Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022)

Directed by sam raimi.

As far as visuals go, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is exciting and spooky, employing the skills of Sam Raimi and leaning into the horror of the premise did a lot for this movie. Adding to that Danny Elfman 's strong soundtrack, and a great performance from Elisabeth Olsen as Wanda/Scarlet Witch, it seems like Multiverse of Madness was poised to be another hit following up No Way Home . Unfortunately, the problem with this sequel to Doctor Strange is that it feels very much like a vehicle toward the future of the MCU , rather than something that is embracing the moment that it is in. Jammed full of cameos, one of the scenes that they teased early on was the presence of an alternate universe Charles Xavier ( Patrick Stewart ), but the scene involving Professor X also brings with it the most cameo-heavy scene of the film. But instead of using these characters in any meaningful capacity, they are shown for the applause and excitement of the audience and then quickly and brutally killed off. Was that the one and only time we'll see John Krasinski as Reed Richards? Probably.

Cameos aside the show narratively picks up after the events of both No Way Home but also of Wandavision . As one of the most thoughtful shows from Disney+, Wandavision was a deep exploration of grief and love and overcoming grief without losing that love. It gave us an incredibly nuanced performance not only from Olsen but also from Paul Bettany as Vision. The conclusion of the season was sad but felt like closure. Unfortunately, everything gets walked back in Multiverse of Madness . With her hands on the Darkhold, Wanda has fully become corrupted by it. She is willing to kill anyone, even children, in order to find a universe where her sons are alive and she can take them (even if it means taking them from another version of herself). It takes a fully dimensional character and flattens her into a villain. Given how well Marvel has treated villains who lean more into being an anti-hero, like Loki ( Tom Hiddleston ), it's puzzling why Wanda lost that opportunity. There is no real redemption for her at the end of all of this. She dies, the ultimate penalty for her crimes, even if it is freed from the darkhold's possession.

On top of all of this, Stephen Strange ( Benedict Cumberbatch ) is all snark and sarcasm, and while this might have played well early in the MCU, after meeting so many snarky characters, Strange comes off more as an asshole than anything else. He doesn't inspire heroics and instead it's more up to his supporting characters like Wong ( Benedict Wong ) and America Chavez ( Xochitl Gomez ) to pick up the slack. For what it's worth, both Wong and Gomez are enjoyable and we appreciate the introduction of Bruce Campbell as Pizza Poppa. — Therese Lacson

Doctor Strange: In the Multiverse of Madness

Doctor Strange teams up with a mysterious teenage girl from his dreams who can travel across multiverses, to battle multiple threats, including other-universe versions of himself, which threaten to wipe out millions across the multiverse. They seek help from Wanda the Scarlet Witch, Wong and others.

29 Ant-Man (2015)

Directed by peyton reed.

When you consider that it had a rough pre-production, Ant-Man turned out far better than it could have. That being said, it still feels like a film that’s caught between two visions, and the vision it settled on is the less exciting of the two. That’s not trying to show favoritism towards Edgar Wright , and I’m eager to see what director Peyton Reed will do when he has full run of the show on Ant-Man and the Wasp , but his version of Ant-Man feels like it’s been stripped down to My First Heist Film.

It meets the genre requirements, but it meets them in such a simplistic way that it feels like the greatest achievement is so that Kevin Feige can point to Ant-Man as an example of saying “We don’t make superhero movies; we make heist movies,” and then compares Captain America: The Winter Soldier to a 70s political thriller even though it’s only like those movies in the loosest sense of the genre possible. It’s fairer to say that Ant-Man is a superhero movie through the lens of the heist genre, and once you’ve checked your expectations, it’s fairly enjoyable.

And yet (no pun intended), there’s a feeling that Ant-Man should go bigger. It has terrific stakes—a father wanting to earn his way back into his daughter’s life—and it’s a nice palette cleanser after the “Something big is going to drop from the sky” climaxes of the previous four MCU movies. And yet it doesn’t give us a particularly complex character with Scott Lang ( Paul Rudd ), Darren Cross ( Corey Stoll ) is a nothing villain, and the Quantum Realm could have been a really exciting, psychedelic place, but instead it’s just a pretty kaleidoscope.

Thankfully, the movie ultimately hints at something grander just around the bend, and while the first Ant-Man may not achieve everything it wanted to, it succeeds as a minor Marvel film that still manages to charm despite some glaring shortcomings. — Matt Goldberg

Armed with a super-suit with the astonishing ability to shrink in scale but increase in strength, cat burglar Scott Lang must embrace his inner hero and help his mentor, Dr. Hank Pym, pull off a plan that will save the world.

28 Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018)

Ant-Man and the Wasp is pretty much like the first Ant-Man in that it’s perfect for background viewing. It doesn’t really demand your full attention because it’s just a silly, goofy romp, and sometimes that’s more than okay. We don’t always need the world-ending stakes of an Avengers movie, and for its part, Ant-Man and the Wasp doesn’t even really have antagonists for the most part. It’s a caper movie where the MacGuffin is a building, and then you have Paul Rudd and Evangeline Lilly bouncing off each other.

The flip side is that there's nothing particularly memorable about the movie. Peyton Reed does a good job playing with the relative size of the characters and objects, and it's a nice story about a family trying to reunite after 30 years apart. And yet for all the emotional stakes, it's a film that also takes nothing, including itself, seriously. It's like Thor: Ragnarok minus the impressive visuals--always going for the gag at the expense of everything else. There’s nothing really bad about the movie, and goofball comedies have their place, so this is one I won’t mind revisiting even if it will start disappearing from my memory the moment the credits roll. — Matt Goldberg

Ant-Man and the Wasp

As Scott Lang balances being both a superhero and a father, Hope van Dyne and Dr. Hank Pym present an urgent new mission that finds the Ant-Man fighting alongside The Wasp to uncover secrets from their past.

27 Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (2023)

Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania is only slightly better than the other Ant-Man films on this list because of how it improves on concepts that the first two films only occasionally played around with. Director Peyton Reed's third adventure with Scott Lang focuses far more on the relationship between Scott and his daughter Cassie ( Kathryn Newton ) than the previous films, and plays more with the size-changing craziness than we've ever seen before. For quite a bit of Quantumania , it seems like this might be the realization of this concept's true insanity, especially when the entire cast shrinks down and becomes trapped in the Quantum Realm. Previous Ant-Man films doled out the weirdness, but Quantumania looked like it might be the first film to completely give in to it.

Well, that is until Jonathan Majors comes along and completely steals the film, introducing the MCU to Kang the Conquerer, the next big bad for the foreseeable future of the MCU. Majors is excellent in Quantumania , and it's hard to not get excited about what his involvement in this universe could mean for the next few phases. Yet Scott Lang's adventure and Kang the Conquerer's introduction both feel like they're from two different films, crammed together for the sake of setting up future films. There's a lovely story about a father and daughter finally ending up on common ground, it's just a shame it comes in a film that has to do a ton of other setup as well. — Ross Bonaime

Ant-Man & the Wasp: Quantumania

Scott Lang and Hope Van Dyne are dragged into the Quantum Realm, along with Hope's parents and Scott's daughter Cassie. Together they must find a way to escape, but what secrets is Hope's mother hiding? And who is the mysterious Kang?

26 The Marvels (2023)

Directed by nia dacosta.

In recent years, it's been easy to get bogged down in superhero fatigue. Every movie and TV show seems to exist to set up five other projects, and with so much history to these characters, it can often feel like a distant memory when these worlds were enjoyable. And while The Marvels could've easily suffocated under the weight of how much there is to remember about this trio of heroes, director Nia DaCosta focuses on the fun of galaxy-hopping adventures with three actresses that have great comedic timing. The Marvels doesn't have the best villain, as Zawe Ashton 's Kree warrior Dar-Benn, gets lost on this journey, but that gives Captain Marvel ( Brie Larson ), Monica Rambeau ( Teyonah Parris ) and Ms. Marvel ( Iman Vellani ) the opportunity to let loose and have a ball together.

It's been a while since the MCU has been as straightforward and fun as this, from this group swapping whenever they use their powers, to visiting a planet where the primary language is sung, The Marvels isn't the deepest MCU film, but it's okay to just have some fun sometimes. — Ross Bonaime

The Marvels

Carol Danvers gets her powers entangled with those of Kamala Khan and Monica Rambeau, forcing them to work together to save the universe.

25 Black Widow (2021)

Directed by cate shortland.

I really wish this one was better. We waited so long for Black Widow to get her own movie, and it was too little, too late. The central problem is that because the movie arrived so late in the MCU that Natasha had already died in Avengers: Endgame , so a prequel story was already drained of stakes. To revisit Natasha's family life felt like ceding ground rather than illuminating anything new about the character. If anything, it felt like Black Widow was kind of a backdoor pilot of sorts to introduce Yelena ( Florence Pugh ) rather than do justice to Natasha.

The saving grace here is that Pugh is so good as Yelena. The plot of Black Widow is whatever (the concept of liberating other women should feel more immediate, but within Black Widow it almost plays like an afterthought to everything else going on with the clumsy family dynamic the film is trying to manage), but when you've got Yelena bouncing off other character or kind of poking fun at the very concept of superheroes and the Avengers, you've got a strong new character to play in the MCU, and you're excited to see where she goes from here.

But while Black Widow may be a good launchpad for Yelena, it's sadly an off-key swan song for Natasha. It's also confusing why Marvel, if they were so intent on doing a Black Widow prequel, didn't make the movie about her defection to S.H.I.E.L.D. and friendship with Barton rather than this weird bridge chapter between Civil War and Infinity War . Of course, the answer is that this story needs to be told for Yelena's sake, not Natasha's, and it leaves a bitter taste to see a longtime character, particularly a woman, discarded so casually. — Matt Goldberg

Black Widow

Natasha Romanoff confronts the darker parts of her ledger when a dangerous conspiracy with ties to her past arises.

24 Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021)

Directed by destin daniel cretton.

There’s a lot that Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings does right. It’s a huge step forward for Asian representation in films. It’s awesome that the film’s prologue is basically all subtitled. The action is easily among the best in the MCU. On a basic level, Shang-Chi accomplishes what most Marvel movies accomplish: it’s fun, funny, and pretty entertaining. However, the biggest hurdle for an origin story like Shang-Chi is making you care about its title character, and that’s where this film struggles. Its plot is fairly uninteresting, and constantly jumping between the present and the backstories of Shang-Chi, his sister, and his father saps the film of momentum.

My biggest qualm with Shang-Chi is a similar one I had to Doctor Strange : I didn’t feel compelled to see more stories about this character. That’s not to say that future movies won’t make him more interesting (just look at how much more fun Strange was in his supporting turn in Avengers: Infinity War ), but in his first movie, it’s tough to discern what Shang-Chi’s character arc even is beyond reconciling the legacy of a perfect mother and deeply imperfect father. There’s also a nice story about not being held prisoner by the past and grief, but that falls a little flat when the film constantly throws you flashbacks.

Shang-Chi has an edge over other lower-tier MCU movies simply because of the strides it makes in representation, and the action is masterful, but storytelling and character need to be the core virtues of these movies, especially as the MCU begins in a new chapter in Phase 4. We obviously haven’t seen the last of Shang-Chi, but hopefully, we’ll see him in a stronger story for his next outing. — Matt Goldberg

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings

Shang-Chi, the master of weaponry-based Kung Fu, is forced to confront his past after being drawn into the Ten Rings organization.

23 Eternals (2021)

Directed by chloé zhao.

As of March 2022, Eternals has the lowest Rotten Tomatoes rating of any Marvel movie, which feels undeserved. I suppose the question you have to consider is whether you want bland competency that delivers a modest success or would you rather have something more audacious that simply bites off more than it can chew. Eternals may not have the light charm of the Ant-Man movies or the basic origin story structure of Shang-Chi and Doctor Strange , but at least director Chloé Zhao was trying to break the Marvel formula a bit. The problem is that the Marvel formula fought back.

Eternals ' biggest problem is that there's simply too much of it. The cast is huge for an origin story (ten characters), the story spans millennia, and it has cosmic ramifications about whether these characters can turn their backs on their faith to protect humanity. It's a movie where the superheroes literally oppose the will of their god to save the world, and that's super interesting, but Marvel reduces it down to standard superhero fare. The film can't go anywhere truly interesting because it has to adhere to the superhero genre. Marvel producers and filmmakers can talk a big game about how the studio can play in different genres, but they're always superhero movies first, and Eternals shows the limitations of that thinking.

And yet I'm glad that Eternals at least tried to do something more than your typical Marvel fare. It doesn't always work and the story desperately needs more time to breathe, but it's a Marvel film that at least stayed in my mind after watching it rather than quickly evaporating. If Marvel is going to be the biggest kid on the blockbuster block, then it should take chances like this one even if the end result is deeply flawed. — Matt Goldberg

The saga of the Eternals, a race of immortal beings who lived on Earth and shaped its history and civilizations.

22 Thor (2011)

Directed by kenneth branagh.

Thor seems fairly counterintuitive: Here’s a Norse god. He has awesome powers. Now let’s strip him of those powers for the majority of this movie and stick him in New Mexico.

Thor’s lesson of humility in the Land of Enchantment is at least tempered by the fact that director Kenneth Branagh , despite having the incredibly poor idea to constantly use canted angles when filming, was dead on when it came to casting, especially Chris Hemsworth and Tom Hiddleston . So much of the MCU’s greater success rests on these two actors that if you messed up this part, other films would suffer. The same could be said of casting on other movies, but Branagh basically found two unknowns and trusted that they could serve as bridges between the lofty realm of Asgard to the most mundane places on Earth. He absolutely succeeded, and when Hemsworth grins, you don’t care that the film has taken away his superpowers. When Hiddleston seethes, you love being wrapped up in the grandiose family dispute in Asgard.

Sadly, the rest of the film isn’t as strong as its two lead characters (I consider Loki as much of a lead as Thor, which is one of the reasons the character succeeds as a villain; Marvel should really take note of how they did this character right and apply it to their other antagonists). While Branagh succeeds at bringing Asgard to life, which is an impressive task, everything on Earth feels fairly limp.

Additionally, as time has gone on, we’ve seen that Thor’s willingness to sacrifice himself isn’t a unique trait as much as it’s something that Marvel superheroes are just willing to do at the climax of every movie. If that’s all it takes to wield Mjolnir, then more than just Thor, Vision, and Captain America should be able to pick up the hammer. — Matt Goldberg

The powerful but arrogant god Thor is cast out of Asgard to live amongst humans in Midgard (Earth), where he soon becomes one of their finest defenders.

21 Captain Marvel (2019)

Directed by anna boden & ryan fleck.

Captain Marvel is pretty much on par with Thor with maybe a slight edge because it’s got a good buddy comedy thing going between Captain Marvel ( Brie Larson ) and Nick Fury ( Samuel L. Jackson ). But overall, you have a character who’s much better than her debut movie. Nothing surrounding her, from the direction to the script, is really on par with what Larson brings to the character and how she makes Carol Danvers come to life. And that’s important! Imagine not getting Robert Downey Jr. as Iron Man or Chris Evans as Captain America or Chris Hemsworth as Thor. Sure, there might have been another actor out there who could do the job, but these guys were perfect for their respective roles and so is Larson.

I just wish that the film she was in was better. Directors Anna Boden & Ryan Fleck don’t bring the flair and imagination the movie needs, especially given its cosmic settings. Directors like James Gunn and Taika Waititi were able to make the cosmic side of the Marvel Cinematic Universe feel weird and trippy, but there’s none of that boldness here and the world, whether it’s 1995 Earth or the cosmos feels depressingly mundane. You also have the issue that despite Captain Marvel’s dazzling powers, most of the set pieces are pretty bland and fail to make her skills all that impressive.

The script also suffers from trying to obscure the origin story, and while it’s understandable that they wanted to mix things up a bit in terms of structure, the screenwriters’ decisions ultimately deprive Captain Marvel of an arc. She goes from someone who doesn’t really remember her past and doesn’t have full use of her powers to someone who remembers her past and has full use of her powers. That’s not particularly satisfying, and the only reason it even remotely works is because we’re rooting for Captain Marvel as a character even if the story kind of lets her down. — Matt Goldberg

Captain Marvel

Carol Danvers becomes one of the universe's most powerful heroes when Earth is caught in the middle of a galactic war between two alien races.

20 Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019)

Directed by jon watts.

While not quite as strong as Spider-Man: Homecoming , Spider-Man: Far From Home does what these MCU Spider-Man movies do best, which is to provide a look at the world of the MCU from the eyes of non-superheroes. While Spider-Man ( Tom Holland ) may be at the center of the action, he’s surrounded by normal people who are reacting to massive events surrounding them whether it’s something the audience forgot like the BARF technology from Captain America: Civil War , or something vital like the Thanos’ snap. Giving these characters time makes the MCU feel real and inclusive, not just a world belonging to superheroes that happens to have normal people in it.

Far From Home also shines by making sure that the villainy, like the villain in Homecoming , has a real relation to our world. It does need to be overtly political, but it comes as close as it can with the observation that people will believe anything, and that a “post-truth” world serves powerful bad guys far more than it serves regular people. While some Marvel movies are about themes like family or responsibility, Far From Home doesn’t shy away from an inherently political subtext.

Where the film struggles is in its pacing and giving him killer drones. By taking Peter and his pals on a European vacation that then becomes a spy thriller of sorts, it loses the tightness and focus of Homecoming , a movie that knew its touchstones (John Hughes movies) and had a true North in showing Peter Parker as a high schooler. That’s been lost somewhat here, and while it still takes Spider-Man to some interesting places, the film occasionally loses sight of the personal stakes that makes this such a rich adaptation of the character. — Matt Goldberg

Spider-Man: Far from Home

Following the events of Avengers: Endgame (2019), Spider-Man must step up to take on new threats in a world that has changed forever.

19 Avengers: Infinity War (2018)

Directed by anthony and joe russo.

On the one hand, Avengers: Infinity War is loads of fun, and it’s staggering in its ambition to bring together almost every Marvel superhero into a single film. There’s also a delightful payoff to mixing and matching characters, so you get to see Thor hanging out with Rocket and Groot or Hulk and War Machine coming to Wakanda. The vastness of the Marvel Cinematic Universe is on display here, and it’s easy to get swept up into it.

But the film’s greatest strength—putting most of its characters into one movie—also ends up being its greatest weakness. Because it’s trying to get around to everyone, it ends up getting around to no one. Everyone is pretty much the same character they were at the start of the movie. There’s been no catharsis, no realization, no growth. It’s fun to watch the characters bounce off each other, but unlike other Marvel movies, Infinity War isn’t really about anything. There’s no character arc or even a thematic arc beyond questioning how we value life.

Thankfully, there’s a strong villain with Thanos, whose motives may be weak (his solution to overpopulation is to just cut the population in half), but who gets a sympathetic, weary performance from Josh Brolin . The film wisely decides to move away from the character’s sadism and instead opts for someone who believes he has the will to do what must be done even if he’s not enthusiastic about doing it. The Avengers may have the title, but the film really belongs to Thanos. — Matt Goldberg

Avengers: Infinity War

The Avengers and their allies must be willing to sacrifice all in an attempt to defeat the powerful Thanos before his blitz of devastation and ruin puts an end to the universe.

18 Thor: Love and Thunder (2022)

Directed by taika waititi.

While it's not perfect, Thor: Love and Thunder proves that the god of thunder and his stories are the most sustainable and entertaining stories in the MCU. It's clear that Taika Waititi had a mammoth task ahead of him when creating Love and Thunder . He had to offer something new while also trying to recapture the lightning in the bottle success of Thor: Ragnarok . The very complaints that Matt mentions in his section about Ragnarok are addressed here in Love and Thunder but if you try to satisfy everyone you end up satisfying no one. Waititi brings back Natalie Portman as Jane Foster, this time giving her a hammer and turning her into the Mighty Thor. Her romance with Thor ( Chris Hemsworth ) is on full display, complete with flashbacks to simpler times and a bittersweet farewell as Jane dies but goes to Valhalla. The film similarly leans farther into mythology, into fantasy. We have soaring Viking ships through space, we meet a whole pantheon of gods, we suffer/enjoy the presence of mythologically-accurate goats!

But the problem when you have so many boxes you want to check is that sometimes things that warrant more exploration fall to the wayside. While the humor for me was perfect, it's understandable that that isn't everyone's cup of tea (especially those who do not like Waititi's brand of brash humor). The film underutilizes Christian Bale 's Gorr, who is aptly terrifying but deserves more to work with. Both Bale and Portman offer amazing performances, able to achieve the dramatic highs of playing villain and hero, respectively, while also able to achieve subtlety in presenting their characters. The parallels between the two characters is not explored as fully as it should be.

However, criticisms aside, after slogging through Multiverse of Madness and being bombarded with cameos in both that and No Way Home , it was fun to finally get back to just the heroes that we have now. Investing in Thor, a character we've known for so long and seen through so many phases of his life, feels like a worthy choice for the MCU. He's good as the prince of Asgard, as a visitor on Earth, as the defender of his people, as a space adventurer, and yes, also as a dad god to the adorable Love. It doesn't hurt at all that the aesthetics for the movie are top-notch — lightning effects always look amazing — and that the needle drops are catnip for anyone who loves Guns N' Roses. — Therese Lacson

Thor: Love and Thunder

Thor's quest for inner peace is interrupted by the arrival of Gorr the God Butcher, a vengeful enemy targeting deities across the cosmos. Teaming up with King Valkyrie, Korg, and his former love Jane Foster, who now possesses the power of Thor, they must confront this formidable threat.

17 Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017)

Directed by james gunn.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 is probably going to be a divisive film among MCU fans because, like Iron Man 3 , it seems largely unconcerned with the plots of the other movies or even with its own plot. If you're someone who thinks that the MCU's greatest strength is in how it's basically a gigantic TV show, and that to eschew universe building is to avoid what makes the MCU unique, then GOTG 2 will probably be a letdown. But if you believe that it's great when Marvel lets filmmakers tell their own story without worrying about setting up the pieces to future movies, then Guardians 2 is a rousing success. I fall into the latter camp.

It's not that I mind movies that build connections to sequels, and the first Guardians does a nice job of balancing its own personality with links to future Marvel movies. But given the choice between leaning heavily on plot or heavily on character, I like that James Gunn's sequel choose the latter. Vol. 2 isn't in a hurry to get anywhere. It splits up the team and focuses largely on the characters. There's no MacGuffin to obtain and the movie's true villain isn't even revealed until about halfway through the picture.

Instead, Vol. 2 is focused on characters and tone, and it works wonderfully. While some have leveled the criticism that the movie is "bloated", I think that's an unfair accusation. If anything, its plot is shockingly thin because it's mostly interested in just meandering with its characters. It knows that you like these people, so it just hangs out with them. It's Everybody Wants Some!! but in space and with Kurt Russell instead of Wyatt Russell.

And despite being a largely plot-free picture, it never loses sight of its thematic core, which is to further the theme of family, specifically how we're raised, which was introduced in the first movie. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 is really the full package; the question comes down to whether or not this is a package MCU fans want. — Matt Goldberg

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2

The Guardians struggle to keep together as a team while dealing with their personal family issues, notably Star-Lord's encounter with his father, the ambitious celestial being Ego.

16 Iron Man 3 (2013)

Directed by shane black.

Iron Man 3 is a fascinating and incredibly divisive film in the MCU. It’s a film that should carry the entire burden of The Avengers on its back, and instead just shrugs it off, and shrugs off the responsibility of being part of a shared universe to just go off and do its own thing. It’s kind of a “Fuck you” to people who have expectations, not just in terms of the MCU, but also with the Mandarin Twist, and yet that irreverence is also part of the film’s charm.

Shane Black is a filmmaker who likes messing with conventions, so in that sense, perhaps he wasn’t the best choice to tackle the first post- Avengers film. And yet if you support filmmaker-driven cinema, he’s one of Marvel’s most inspired choices, and he gives Iron Man 3 a personality that’s completely unique to the MCU rather than having a film that could have just as easily blended in and faded away. Iron Man 3 is a terrific litmus test even if its plot is a bit scattershot and overstuffed.

That’s the complication of Iron Man 3 : Do you view it as a standalone feature, as a sequel to two Iron Man movies, a sequel to The Avengers , or a continuation of the MCU? It doesn’t seem like Marvel was entirely sure how to approach a post- Avengers world, and yet given the choice between a movie that can work on its own merits and one that’s constantly trying to do housekeeping for the larger franchise, I’m going to side with the former, warts and all. Iron Man 3 is a bold film that doesn’t always work , but I love its enthusiasm and attitude. — Matt Goldberg

When Tony Stark's world is torn apart by a formidable terrorist called the Mandarin, he starts an odyssey of rebuilding and retribution.

15 Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015)

Directed by joss whedon.

Avengers: Age of Ultron is far from perfect, but I have an admiration for it because of how imperfect it is. It’s a film whose greatest sin is in trying to do too much, but it does so much of it well that I don’t begrudge the picture in the same way I do other movies that are larger just for the sake of being larger. AoU is bigger by the studio and audience demands of sequels being bigger, but it also carries bigger ideas with it too.

Where Age of Ultron could really stand to be stronger and where it needs its spine is in making Ultron a better character. James Spader does what he can, but ultimately, we never get to know more of Ultron and the gap between what Joss Whedon wants his antagonist to be and how he actually comes across is a bridge too far. There’s not enough menace, not enough sadness, not enough humanity in his detached robot, and while he hates The Avengers, it feels like he hates them because they’re the protagonists rather than any ideological difference. In hindsight, Ultron is a character that probably should have been birthed out of Iron Man 3 or at least the inklings of the character (this is if the studio leaned hard on a cohesive vision; Iron Man 3 , as I said, is torn between being part of the MCU and an independent vision).

And yet there’s so much of Age of Ultron that goes right. The Hulkbuster fight is everything you could want from a set piece. The relationship between Hulk and Black Widow is thoughtful and inspired. AoU gets flack for not playing into audience expectations, but those expectations overlook everything that Whedon was doing right rather than judging the movie on its own merits. If he comes up short on his own attempt, its fine to call him on it (like trying to wedge in the Thor subplot), but don’t try to call Whedon out on your pre-conceived notions.

Perhaps more than any other MCU movie, Age of Ultron demands a second or third viewing , one that’s freed from expectations and where you can see the film’s strengths and weaknesses with the benefit of time. — Matt Goldberg

Avengers: Age of Ultron

When Tony Stark and Bruce Banner try to jump-start a dormant peacekeeping program called Ultron, things go horribly wrong and it's up to Earth's mightiest heroes to stop the villainous Ultron from enacting his terrible plan.

• Movie Features

Every Marvel Cinematic Universe Movie, Ranked from Worst to Best

See where Deadpool & Wolverine fits into our lineup of the MCU’s 34(!) films.

Every product was carefully curated by an Esquire editor. We may earn a commission from these links.

Remember the golden days of The Avengers ? It may seem silly to look back nostalgically on a film that was released in 2012, but it was truly a time when superhero stories felt limitless. That said, since the peak of Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame , the Marvel Cinematic Universe has hit a bit of a snag. Adding television shows to the mix has had mixed results for the studio—and some of the MCU’s recent big-screen efforts (we’re looking at you, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania ) lacked creativity. Now a little movie called Deadpool & Wolverine has something to say about that. The film is finally in theaters—and it just might be the shot in the arm that Marvel needs.

Following Deadpool’s grand debut in Kevin Feige’s superhero sandbox, there have been, count ’em, 34 MCU movies since Iron Man arrived in 2008. Upcoming films such as Fantastic Four and Blade , as well as the return of the X-Men, may keep Deadpool & Wolverine ’s momentum going . Nothing preaches the need to evolve more than the X-Men, right?

Until then, read on to see where your favorite hero lands in our ranking of every film Marvel has put on the big screen.

34) Thor: The Dark World (2013)

When even Chris Hemsworth’s biceps aren’t enough to make a movie watchable, you know you’ve messed up horribly.

33) The Incredible Hulk (2008)

Remember when Edward Norton was the Hulk and then very suddenly not? Yeah, I still don’t know what happened there. Was that ever explained? Is Norton okay?

32) Iron Man 2 (2010)

At one point Mickey Rourke, who is some sort of trashy Russian hacker, attacks a car race. Not that far-fetched, I guess, but also not that enjoyable, either.

31) Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015)

Years later, I still couldn’t tell you who Ultron is or what his age was. If there was any semblance of plot in this movie, memory of it has been pushed out of my brain in favor of about 30 billion superheroes hitting each other until I felt like I’d just gotten off a mildly dangerous carnival ride.

30) The Marvels (2023)

It’s a bit of a bummer that you can’t just walk into a Marvel movie anymore without doing your homework, because the action and on-screen chemistry in The Marvels is incredibly fun. Acting as a quasi-sequel to Captain Marvel, Ms. Marvel , and WandaVision , this promising all-female superhero team-up spends so much time wrapping up and teasing other story arcs that it can barely focus on its own.

29) The Eternals (2021)

The Eternals is decidedly a non-Marvel Marvel movie. It’s at times moody, triumphant, funny, and burdened with existential crises. You have to commend the great Chloé Zhao for managing to break through the happy-go-luckiness of the Marvel formula. Unfortunately, the end result is a bit unwieldy, with too many characters—and an astoundingly large amount of superhero space jargon—to let us truly fall in love with its story.

28) Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (2023)

Giving Ant-Man the keys to Pandora’s box is a big lift for such a tiny hero —and most of this trilogy-ending entry just breezes through the action, like hurdles in a race to the obvious finish. The ant family is charming, but we barely spend any quality, non-chaotic time with them in the Star Wars -like Quantum Realm.

27) Iron Man 3 (2013)

The best thing to say about Iron Man 3 is that it was a little bit better than Iron Man 2.

26) Thor (2011)

A superhero movie posing as a cheap Lord of the Rings knockoff, Thor ended with a team of LARPers fighting an empty CGI suit of armor.

25) Doctor Strange (2016)

Don’t worry if you were too stoned to follow Doctor Strange. The movie looks good enough to make up for its indecipherable plot.

24) Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017)

Sadly, what started as the best saga in the Marvel Universe was quickly ruined by trying too hard to make the sequel bigger and better. What a very Marvel thing to do.

23) Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022)

We knew the Marvel singularity would come eventually—the moment when all the callbacks, cameos, teases, and interconnected superheroing would simply sink an MCU entry. Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is it. Despite a brilliant, Sam Raimified third act, the overwhelming majority of Multiverse of Madness dumbs down its main players (save for one great America Chavez) to action-figure level, bickering in an empty-feeling CGI landscape.

22) Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018)

I hope you like hearing the term “quantum.” Ant-Man’s second entry has so much nonsensical technobabble that it makes Star Trek sound like Steinbeck. Compared to Avengers: Infinity War , which came out a month earlier, Ant-Man and the Wasp is a breezy, inconsequential entry in the MCU, though a refreshing comedic detour.

21) Captain Marvel (2019)

Brie Larson’s Captain Marvel deserved a better movie . Although it managed to rewrite 50 years of comic-book history to give the character the place she deserved, Captain Marvel is too focused on finding its footing amid the films before and after it to really shine as a stand-alone movie.

20) Black Widow (2021)

Even though the pandemic zapped some of the hype from Black Widow , the espionage thriller is a more than fitting send-off to Scarlett Johansson’s Natasha Romanoff. Plus, we want Florence Pugh’s Yelena Belova in every single Marvel property going forward, please and thank you.

19) Thor: Love and Thunder (2022)

Taika Waititi gets it. He just does! Few MCU directors have understood the assignment quite like the Ragnarok and Love and Thunder helmer, who knows that superhero movies should be fun . Case in point: Love and Thunder managing to wring Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman, and even Waititi (as our favorite rock humanoid, Korg) for every hilarious bit they’re worth. Sure, fans weren’t as goo-goo for this as they were for Ragnarok . But somewhere along the way, Love and Thunder will smack you with an emotional blow you might not see coming. But you’ll be happy it did.

18) Ant-Man (2015)

In one scene, Ant-Man shrinks down to a microscopic level and then Neil deGrasse Tyson ruins the movie magic by explaining how that’s not actually possible in reality. If you close your eyes for that scene, it’s a fun heist film about a guy who is the size of a bug.

17) Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)

It’s sad that the idea of Captain America punching a Nazi would probably be controversial if this movie were released today. At least it harks back to a time when good and evil seemed clear.

16) Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021)

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings is the ultimate movie-theater movie. The action is especially sweat inducing—which is saying a lot in the MCU. Simu Liu is an instant star. It doesn’t hurt to have the always-great Awkwafina in the mix, either. In Wenwu, Tony Leung brings to life a terrifying yet somehow also big-hearted villain who stands among the greatest antagonists we’ve ever seen in a comic-book film.

15) Deadpool & Wolverine

Sorry, but I have to kick it to Taylor Swift for this one because she got it right: Deadpool & Wolverine is a “ joy portal .” Sure, Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman’s grand arrival in the MCU is a little lacking in the story department. But the film’s sharp jokes, big-hearted performances, and cameos (!!!) more than make up for it. Deadpool & Wolverine is the ultimate crowd-pleaser—and there’s nothing wrong with that. Cheers to director Shawn Levy for making a damn hit.

In theaters

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All 83 movies based on Marvel comics, ranked according to critics

• There have been 83 theatrically released movies based on a Marvel comic property to date.
• From "Howard the Duck" to "Deadpool & Wolverine," the quality has ebbed and flowed.
• Here's how all the Marvel movies — so far — compare.

It's been 38 years since audiences saw their very first theatrical movie based on a Marvel comic — would you believe that 1986's "Howard the Duck" was the first major motion picture based on a character from Marvel?

Since that inauspicious start, Marvel has become one of the most recognizable and successful brands in the movie business. The Marvel Cinematic Universe alone has grossed over $30 billion worldwide , and that's not including mega-hits like "X-Men," "Men in Black," or the "Spider-Verse" films.

While most of these movies made significant chunks of change at the box office, not all were beloved by critics. Here's how each film was received by critics, from worst to best, according to Rotten Tomatoes.

The worst-reviewed film ever based on a Marvel comic is the 2015 reboot of "Fantastic Four," which has a measly 9% score on Rotten Tomatoes.

Rotten Tomatoes score:   9%

"Fantastic Four" is the second on-screen iteration of the famed Marvel family consisting of Reed Richards/Mister Fantastic (Miles Teller), his love interest Sue Storm/Invisible Woman (Kate Mara), her brother Johnny Storm/Human Torch (Michael B. Jordan), and their friend Ben Grimm/The Thing (Jamie Bell).

After they travel to a different dimension and acquire fantastic, if gruesome, powers, they face off against Doctor Doom, played by Toby Kebbell, a former friend turned homicidal maniac.

"A poorly constructed, ineptly executed, flatfooted piece of Branded Product that plays as though it were written by a piece of software fed every superhero movie script to date and instructed to synthesize them," wrote Flavorwire's Jason Bailey.

In second-to-last place is the 2005 "Daredevil" spin-off, "Elektra."

Rotten Tomatoes score: 11%

After dying at the end of "Daredevil," Elektra, played by Jennifer Garner, is revived by her mentor Stick to become a force for good. Eventually, she abandons this lifestyle and becomes a contract killer until an evil organization known as The Hand attempts to kill her.

Tim Robey of The Telegraph called the film "Studio dross of the lowest grade."

The first Marvel movie of 2024 was "Madame Web" — we were off to a rough start.

The first Marvel film of 2024 (though not part of the MCU) is "Madame Web," which stars Dakota Johnson as Cassandra Webb, a paramedic living in New York City who somehow gains clairvoyance. She teams up with three young women — Julia (Sydney Sweeney), Anya (Isabela Merced), and Mattie (Celeste O'Connor) — who each have spider-powers in their future to take down a mysterious foe, Ezekiel Sims (Tahar Rahim).

"Even Johnson has her limits, and 'Madame Web' blows so far past them that you can practically guess which scenes were shot last based on the degree to which its star has given up," wrote Allison Wilmore for Vulture .

The very first Marvel film was 1986's "Howard the Duck," which was poorly received.

Rotten Tomatoes score: 13%

As you might've guessed from the title, Howard is a duck. Specifically, a resident of the planet Duckworld, which is like Earth, but inhabited by ducks. When Howard finds himself on Earth in the state of Ohio, he must team up with a woman, Beverly Switzler (Lea Thompson) to try and get home.

"Sound the horns, light the speakers, and cue the marching band, because 'Howard the Duck' is here ... and bad movie historians could not ask for a more mallard-droit venture than this," wrote Michael Burkett of the Orange County Register.

After years of delays, "Morbius" was released in 2022 to negative reviews.

Rotten Tomatoes score:   15%

In "Morbius," Jared Leto stars as Dr. Michael Morbius, a highly intelligent doctor dying from a rare blood disease. In his quest to find a cure, he accidentally turns himself into a "living vampire," a being with enhanced strength, sonar capabilities, a psychic connection with bats ... and the unending desire to drink blood.

"'Morbius,' at best, will be remembered as the latest effort on Sony's part to make its nascent Sinister Six franchise happen. And, like 'fetch,' it's hard to see that happening," wrote Liz Shannon Miller of Consequence.

"Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance," the 2011 sequel to "Ghost Rider," was marginally worse than its predecessor.

Rotten Tomatoes score:   19%

Nicolas Cage returns as stuntman-turned-flaming-skeleton Johnny Blaze, who has been in hiding since the events of the first film. When he finds out that the devil himself has fathered a child and is planning to raise him, he rides again as the demonic Ghost Rider in exchange for getting his soul back.

"Cage appears to find his role as this second-tier Marvel Comics antihero alternately silly, tremendously fun, and the means to a decent paycheck for not all that much work," wrote the Austin Chronicle's Marc Savlov.

"Dark Phoenix" (2019) was most likely the last X-Men movie we're going to get with this cast. Too bad it was such a bummer.

Rotten Tomatoes score:   22%

Sophie Turner plays Jean Grey, who begins to lose control of her psychic abilities, unleashing what's called the "Phoenix Force." The rest of her mutant teammates and some enemies assemble to try to help Jean control her powers, leading to tragedy.

"Outgunned on the action front by box-office rivals and too nervous to tell a more intimate story, 'Dark Phoenix' leaves the franchise running on empty," wrote Michael Hale of Sight & Sound.

The most recent "Men in Black" film, 2019's "Men in Black: International," was unable to recapture the magic of the original.

Rotten Tomatoes score:   23%

Yes, the "Men in Black" franchise is based on the Malibu Comics run of the same name. Malibu was then acquired by Marvel in 1994.

The 2019 stand-alone sequel sees Chris Hemsworth and Tessa Thompson take over for Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones, playing two new agents, Agent H and Agent M, who are paired up in London to uncover a mole within the agency.

"For all its oddball aliens and fantastical technology, the most unbelievable thing about 'Men in Black: International' is just how thoroughly it wastes Tessa Thompson and Chris Hemsworth," wrote Mashable's Angie Han.

The final "Blade" film (for now), 2004's "Blade: Trinity," is also the worst "Blade" film.

Rotten Tomatoes score:   24%

Until Mahershala Ali's "Blade" film is released, Wesley Snipes will be the only big-screen version of Blade, a human-vampire hybrid who has dedicated himself to hunting vampires. In the last film of the trilogy, Blade, played by Wesley Snipes, teams up with two new vampire hunters (Ryan Reynolds' Hannibal King and Jessica Biel's Abigail Whistler) to defeat Dracula.

"This has all the appeal of reheated, congealed blood," wrote Time Out's Nigel Floyd.

Dolph Lundgren played Frank Castle in 1989's "The Punisher."

Rotten Tomatoes score: 25%

Not long after "Howard the Duck," the next Marvel movie was released: "The Punisher." In it, Lundgren plays Frank Castle, a presumed-dead former detective whose family was blown up by a car bomb placed by the Mafia. However, Castle survived the bombing and has now dedicated his life to getting revenge on everyone involved.

This film never got a theatrical release in the US, but it was released internationally, thus qualifying it for this list.

Time Out's Suzi Feay called the film "destructive, reprehensible, and marvelous fun."

The first "Ghost Rider" film, released in 2007, introduced audiences to Nicolas Cage's take on a superhero.

Rotten Tomatoes score:   27%

In "Ghost Rider," viewers watch as Cage's Johnny Blaze descends into hell as the literal devil's bounty hunter, a power he received after trading his soul to spare his father's life. Now, when he's around an evil spirit, he becomes the Ghost Rider, a flaming skull demon who rides a motorcycle. He gets into a race against the son of a demon to prevent him from unleashing hell on Earth.

"Nic Cage seems comfortable in the role of the flaming-skulled biker, but the plot holes are too deep even for his Herbie-like arachnid motorcycle to negotiate," wrote David Jenkins for Time Out.

The first "Fantastic Four" film, released in 2005, wasn't much better than the 2015 reboot.

Rotten Tomatoes score: 28%

Years before he became Captain America, Chris Evans took on the role of Johnny Storm, better known as the Human Torch, in "Fantastic Four." He was joined by Jessica Alba as Sue Storm/Invisible Woman, Ioan Gruffudd as Reed Richards/Mister Fantastic, and Michael Chiklis as Ben Grimm/The Thing.

Instead of traveling to a parallel dimension, this version of the Fantastic Four's origin story sees them interact with a cosmic cloud in space, giving them their powers. But, like in the reboot, their primary nemesis is Doctor Doom, this time a former classmate of Reed and Sue's, played by Julian McMahon.

On the AV Club , Keith Phipps simply called the movie "A garish mediocrity."

In 2004's "The Punisher," viewers saw another take on the ruthless vigilante Frank Castle, aka the Punisher.

Rotten Tomatoes score:   29%

"The Punisher" stars Thomas Jane as Frank Castle, a former FBI agent whose entire family is murdered after his cover is blown by the vengeful Saint crime family, the head of which is played by John Travolta. Frank then dedicates his entire existence to getting revenge on those who were involved in the death of his wife and children.

"A comic-book action movie with an unpleasant edge," wrote Nev Pierce for the BBC.

Its 2008 reboot "Punisher: War Zone" didn't fare any better with critics.

"War Zone" saw its titular role re-cast with Ray Stevenson, whose version of Frank is now five years into his career as the vigilante the Punisher. This time, Frank goes up against one of his most famous adversaries in the comics, Jigsaw (played by Dominic West), while evading the police, who have created a "Punisher Task Force" dedicated to bringing him in.

"You couldn't call it shoddy, exactly, and the actors take it painfully seriously; it's just dispiriting to see all this endeavor in the service of something so humorless and disgusting," wrote Andrew Pulver of The Guardian.

"Venom" might've been a hit with audiences when it was released in 2018, but critics didn't feel the same way.

Rotten Tomatoes score: 30%

In "Venom," Tom Hardy plays journalist Eddie Brock, who loses his job, his fiancée (played by Michelle Williams), and his reputation after he steals confidential documents and confronts a powerful CEO played by Riz Ahmed. Simultaneously, he is exposed to an alien symbiote who calls itself Venom, and the two bond together to protect the Earth.

"Not since 'Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance' has a Marvel Comics adaptation centered on such a splendidly weird lead performance," wrote the Chicago Reader's Ben Sachs.

"Kick-Ass 2," the 2013 sequel to "Kick-Ass," wasn't as big of a hit as the original.

Rotten Tomatoes score:   32%

"Kick-Ass" and its sequel are based on the series of the same name, which was initially published by the Marvel imprint Icon Comics. It has since moved to Image Comics, the third-largest comics brand behind Marvel and DC.

Specifically, "Kick-Ass 2" reunites viewers with the vigilante duo of Aaron Taylor-Johnson as Dave Lizewski/Kick-Ass and Chloë Grace Moretz as Mindy Macready/Hit-Girl as they once again face off against Christopher Mintz-Plasse's Chris D'Amico, who has an NSFW alter ego.

"Although the film has the cheap veneer of female empowerment that comes from having a girl assassin, it is rotten with misogyny," Jenny McCartney for The Telegraph.

"The New Mutants" was finally released in 2020, and was the 13th and final installment in the "X-Men" franchise at Fox.

Rotten Tomatoes score:   36%

Now that Disney officially owns Fox, the next X-Men movie we get will likely be an entirely different continuity. For a franchise with high highs and low lows, it's just unfortunate that this  was the last hurrah.

"New Mutants" stars Maisie Williams, Anya Taylor-Joy, Charlie Heaton, Blu Hunt, Henry Zaga, and Adam Beach as a group of teenage mutants living in a hospital. They were all sent there after causing horrible accidents (or even deaths) with their powers, only to discover that things at the hospital are not what they seem.

"The concept behind 'The New Mutants' is a solid, intriguing one that could've reinvigorated the familiar origin superhero story. Instead, Boone opts for genericism, ending the 'X-Men' franchise with an angsty-teen whimper," wrote Meagan Navarro for Bloody Disgusting.

The 2007 "Fantastic Four" sequel, "Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer," was a slight improvement on its predecessor.

Rotten Tomatoes score:   38%

The cast from the first film all returns, joined by Doug Jones and Laurence Fishburne, who provide the physical form and voice, respectively, of the Silver Surfer, a herald from outer space who serves to warn a planet of its incoming destruction at the hands of the planet-killing Galactus.

"An off-brand superhero movie, the cinematic equivalent of one of those generic breakfast cereals with a badly drawn squirrel for a mascot," wrote Slate's Dana Stevens.

The 2002 sequel "Men in Black II" wasn't as critically beloved as the first film.

After the events of the first film, Agent K (Tommy Lee Jones) has retired and subsequently had his memory wiped of all things alien, but Agent J (Will Smith) drags him back into duty to confront their biggest threat yet.

"This is effective button-pushing sci-fi entertainment, but you won't need to be neuralized to forget it," wrote Andy Jacobs for the BBC.

With a name like "X-Men Origins: Wolverine," you can assume that the 2009 prequel was supposed to start a whole new series of prequels. They never materialized.

Rotten Tomatoes score: 38%

The 2009 film focuses on Logan, or Wolverine, as played by Hugh Jackman, and what his life was like before he became the X-Man that we knew and loved in the three previous movies. It follows him from the Civil War to the 1970s.

"'Wolverine' starts with a roar before sliding into a chaotic, preachy mess," wrote The Irish Times' Donald Clarke.

"The King's Man" is the 2021 prequel to the "Kingsman" franchise.

Rotten Tomatoes score:   41%

"The King's Man" is based on the Icon Comics series "Kingsman" (originally titled "The Secret Service"), telling the story of the very first members of the Kingsman, including Ralph Fiennes' Orlando Oxford, his son Conrad (played by Harris Dickinson), a maid/spy Polly (played by Gemma Arterton), a butler/spy Shola (played by Djimon Honsou), and more as they go up against Russian sorcerer Rasputin, as played by Rhys Ifans.

"It is downright diabolical for Vaughn to make audiences even imagine a sequel to this unnecessary prequel simply to see if can be as outlandish as promised," wrote the Los Angeles Times' Mark Olsen.

Ben Affleck took his first turn at the vigilante lifestyle in 2003's "Daredevil."

Rotten Tomatoes score:   43%

Affleck plays Matt Murdock, a blind lawyer with preternaturally sensitive senses and a healthy helping of Catholic guilt who decides to save Hell's Kitchen by becoming Daredevil, the Man Without Fear.

He's joined by Jennifer Garner as Elektra, an assassin with a heart, and Jon Favreau as Foggy Nelson, his best friend and fellow lawyer. They go up against the crime boss Wilson Fisk, aka Kingpin, played by Michael Clarke Duncan, and the unstable assassin Bullseye, played by Colin Farrell.

Joe Morganstern of the Wall Street Journal wrote , "It isn't a great film, or even a greatly original one. Still, it has many grace notes, and interesting oddities."

2023's "Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania" has the distinction of being the lowest-rated film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Rotten Tomatoes score: 46%

It's been a tough time for the MCU over the last couple of years, and "Quantumania" seems to be a nadir for the long-running franchise.

In this film, Ant-Man (or Scott Lang), played by Paul Rudd, travels to the microscopic Quantum Realm to save his daughter Cassie (Kathryn Newton), who was sucked in there by a mysterious device. Along for the ride are his girlfriend Hope/The Wasp (Evangeline Lilly), her mom Janet (Michelle Pfeiffer), her dad Hank (Michael Douglas), and various other citizens of this new plane of existence.

Kyle Smith of The Wall Street Journal called it "another lackluster blockbuster."

"X-Men: Apocalypse" was released in 2016 and stars an unrecognizable Oscar Isaac as an ancient mutant bent on destroying the world.

Rotten Tomatoes score:   47%

"Apocalypse" is the ninth "X-Men" film overall, and the third installment in the prequel trilogy that stars James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Jennifer Lawrence, and Nicholas Hoult as younger versions of mutants from the original three films.

In "Apocalypse," the team must unite to defeat the world's first mutant, En Sabah Nur, or Apocalypse, as he tries to remake the world when he is awoken after thousands of years.

"This is one of the big dangers for the extended franchise model of filmmaking, that characters and series will be kept alive not because there's a story to tell, but because the franchise must be kept alive," wrote Peter Suderman for Vox.

2021's "Eternals" introduced a whole new team of heroes to the MCU — and yes, that is Harry Styles.

"Eternals," directed by Oscar winner Chloé Zhao, attempted to introduce an entirely new team of superheroes, an alien race called the Eternals, to the MCU and followed them from prehistoric times through the present day. Your mileage may vary on how successful she was, but "Eternals" did  introduce Harry Styles to the MCU, so there's that.

"Zhao ultimately robs the artist's comic of its sweep by constantly turning a space opera into a repetitive character drama," wrote Ed Gonzalez for Slant Magazine.

The first "Kingsman" sequel, "Kingsman: The Golden Circle," was released in 2017.

Rotten Tomatoes score: 50%

"The Golden Circle" stars Taron Egerton once again as Eggsy, a newly minted member of the secret spy organization the Kingsman. After many of its members are wiped out, Eggsy and his colleague Merlin (Mark Strong), travel to the US and meet their American equivalents, the Statesman.

David Edelstein simply wrote, "What a mess it is" in his review for Vulture.

"The Amazing Spider-Man 2" (2014) is the worst Spider-Man movie to date, according to critics.

Rotten Tomatoes score:   51%

Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone reunite as Peter Parker, aka Spider-Man, and his doomed girlfriend Gwen Stacy in this over-stuffed sequel that sees Peter going up against Jamie Foxx's Electro, Dane DeHaan's Green Goblin,  and Paul Giamatti's Rhino.

"Over-stuffed with plot and consequently struggles to invest the audience in any of it, since there's so much to get through and so many future films and spin-offs to set up," wrote The Atlantic's David Sims.

"X-Men: The Last Stand," released in 2006, was imagined as a potential final film for the X-Men.

Rotten Tomatoes score:   57%

"The Last Stand" is another interpretation of the "Dark Phoenix Saga," this time focusing on Famke Janssen's version of Jean Grey after she's resurrected following her death in "X2." Like the 2019 version of the story, Jean is unable to control her powers and kills people that she cares about until she is ultimately taken out by Logan.

"'The Last Stand' pretty much looks and plays like the first films, though perhaps with more noise and babe action and a little less glum," wrote Manohla Dargis for The New York Times.

Although "Blade II" wasn't critically acclaimed when it was released in 2002, it has since become a cult film.

"Blade II" might be a little tough to watch in the year 2024, as its plot focuses on a pandemic that turns vampires into Reapers, aka rabid vampires, but the additions of Ron Perlman and a young Norman Reedus are worth the watch. Plus, it was directed by horror visionary Guillermo del Toro, which means, at the  very  least, that it's never boring.

As the AV Club's  Nathan Rabin wrote, "The world can always use another entertainingly trashy B-movie, and 'Blade II' fits the bill."

"Venom: Let There Be Carnage" took everything we liked about the 2018 original and enhanced it when it was released in 2021.

"Venom: Let There Be Carnage" is a lean, mean, killing machine. Ostensibly, the movie is about Venom and Eddie working together to defeat the serial killer Cletus Kasady, played by a dialed-in Woody Harrelson ... but, in actuality, it's a romantic comedy between Venom and Eddie trying to figure out how to live together in one body.

"A love story written in blood, sweat, and the slime of half-eaten brains," wrote The Independent's Clarisse Loughrey.

"Blade" (1998) has been ruled the best "Blade" film by critics.

Rotten Tomatoes score :  58%

Wesley Snipes makes his debut as Blade, a vampire-human hybrid who has dedicated his life to hunting down vampires in the seedy underworld of his home city, using his unique advantages, like the ability to walk in the daylight.

"'Blade's' stomach-turning special effects, bone-crunching martial arts and cynical humor will more than satisfy any action-film addict's need for a fix of eye-popping escapist adrenaline," wrote the Washington Post's Michael O'Sullivan.

In 2023, Captain Marvel returned in "The Marvels," alongside some new friends.

Rotten Tomatoes score : 62%

After saving the universe, Carol Danvers (Brie Larson) has once again left Earth to continue saving the rest of the galaxy — but when her powers get entangled with her best friend's daughter, Monica (Teyonah Parris), and a Captain Marvel superfan who has nicknamed herself Ms. Marvel (Iman Vellani), she must return to her home planet to see what exactly is going on, and confront the mistakes of her past.

"It's silly and makes little sense, but it's such a fun time at the movies. And isn't that why we go to see movies in the first place?" wrote Kristen Lopez for The Wrap.

The first big-screen adaptation of Bruce Banner's green transformation, the 2003 film "Hulk," received mixed-to-positive reviews.

Rotten Tomatoes score:   63%

Eric Bana took on the role of Marvel's not-so-jolly green giant in Ang Lee's version of "Hulk" in one of the most faithful comic-book movies, at least aesthetically speaking, even if the character's origin wasn't exactly  the same as on the page. A supporting cast of Jennifer Connelly, Sam Elliott, and Nick Nolte also elevates this movie.

"Where so many comic-book movies feel as disposable as Kleenex, the passionate, un-cynical 'Hulk' stamps itself into your memory. Lee's movies are built to last," wrote Newsweek's David Ansen.

"Spider-Man 3," released in 2007, capped off the original "Spider-Man" trilogy, and is considered the weakest of the three.

"Spider-Man 3" made the mistake of trying to cram too many villains into one film, a mistake that "The Amazing Spider-Man 2" replicated a few years later. In the film, Peter, as played by Tobey Maguire, faces off against his best friend Harry Osborn (James Franco) as the new Green Goblin, Flint Marko/Sandman (Thomas Haden Church), and Eddie Brock (this time played by Topher Grace), aka Venom.

He also infamously dances down the streets of New York City with the most emo haircut of all time, which is later referenced in " Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse " a decade later.

"Too many villains, too many pale plot strands, too many romantic misunderstandings, too many conversations, too many street crowds looking high into the air and shouting 'oooh!' this way, then swiveling and shouting aaah!' that way," wrote Roger Ebert.

"Thor: Love and Thunder" became the lowest-rated "Thor" movie upon its release in 2022 ...

The follow-up to smash hit "Thor: Ragnarok" and the first-ever fourth solo film for an MCU hero didn't live up to expectations, at least according to critics. But we did get to see Natalie Portman return to the MCU as her version of the Mighty Thor, a couple of screaming goats, and  a jaw-dropping post-credits cameo.

"Though Chris Hemsworth, as usual, has a lot of fun in the title role, the film around him too often strains to provide excitement and laughs," wrote Wall Street Journal's Kyle Smith.

... which is impressive because "Thor: The Dark World," released in 2013, was the lowest-rated movie in the MCU until "Eternals."

Rotten Tomatoes score:   67%

"Thor: The Dark World," the 2013 sequel to the 2011 film, stars Chris Hemsworth as the titular Norse god, Tom Hiddleston as his mischievous brother Loki, and Natalie Portman as Thor's Earth-bound love interest Jane Foster. It wasn't as well-received as its predecessor, but it has its defenders.

"This feels like a really, really, expensive episode of 'Doctor Who.' In a good way," wrote Larushka Ivan-Zadeh for Metro.

"The Incredible Hulk," the MCU's reboot of Hulk, was released in 2008.

Edward Norton took over for Eric Bana in "The Incredible Hulk," which was plagued with rumors of behind-the-scenes drama, including that Norton rewrote much of the movie while it was shooting, and that there were many clashes between Norton, director Louis Leterrier, and Marvel Studios.

Those dueling visions led to a moderately received comic-book film.

"The climax is a bit of a yawn, but most of what precedes it is vigorous and sharp," wrote Tom Charity of CNN.

The third "Men in Black" film seemed to recapture some of the original's magic when it was released in 2012.

A decade after we last saw Agents J and K, viewers were once again treated to the comedic duo of Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones, but with a twist.

The film focuses on an alien who travels back in time to kill a young Agent K (Jones) in the 1960s, leading Agent J (Smith) to also  travel back and team up with the young Agent K, played by Josh Brolin, to fix the future.

"The movie represents at least a partial return to form, not as inventive as the first, but surely better than the recycled materials that made up the second," wrote The Atlantic's Christopher Orr.

2013's standalone sequel "The Wolverine" proved why Logan/Wolverine has remained the most beloved member of the X-Men, cinematically speaking.

Rotten Tomatoes score:   71%

"The Wolverine" separates Hugh Jackman's Wolverine from the rest of the X-Men for his own little side-quest in Japan where he wrestles with the consequences of his actions (aka killing Jean Grey in "X-Men: The Last Stand") and with his "curse" of immortality.

"Director James Mangold's film features some breathtakingly suspenseful action sequences, exquisite production and costume design and colorful characters, some of whom register more powerfully than others," wrote Christy Lemire for RogerEbert.com.

Andrew Garfield's first turn at playing Spider-Man, 2012's "The Amazing Spider-Man," is a solid origin story.

Released just five years after Tobey Maguire hung up his spider-suit in 2007, "The Amazing Spider-Man" had its work cut out for it. And, largely, the movie succeeds at introducing a new take on our friendly neighborhood Spider-Man and his second-most iconic love interest Gwen Stacy (played by a luminous Emma Stone), while attempting to introduce new lore regarding Peter's parents' disappearance.

"The casting is just right. As if moving back in time, Andrew Garfield is the Spidey Sean Connery, as opposed to Tobey Maguire's Roger Moore," wrote The Guardian's Peter Bradshaw.

"Iron Man 2" is the 2010 follow-up to the smash success "Iron Man."

Rotten Tomatoes score:   72%

In retrospect, "Iron Man 2" had an impossible job: to build upon what is still regarded as one of the finest superhero films of all time.

Perhaps that's why critics weren't too kind to "Iron Man 2," which focused on Tony Stark, aka Iron Man, being rude to everyone around him while covering up his impending death. Oh, and Mickey Rourke is there playing Whiplash, a Russian villain who loves his bird.

"Casting the likes of Downey and Rourke and then imprisoning them in jointed refrigerators is resource-squandering of the highest order," wrote Dana Stevens for Slate.

The 2022 film "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness" is filled with cameos from across the larger Marvel universe.

Rotten Tomatoes score:   74%

After the events of the Disney+ miniseries "WandaVision," Elizabeth Olsen's Wanda Maximoff has been taken over by the dark forces of the Scarlet Witch, putting her on a collision course with Benedict Cumberbatch's Doctor Stephen Strange as he works to protect a new teenage friend, America Chavez (played by Xochitl Gomez), from Wanda's plans.

"It might be Marvel's multiverse, but 'Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness' is [director Sam] Raimi's plaything. And we wouldn't want it any other way," wrote Kristy Puchko for Mashable.

The original "Kingsman" movie, "Kingsman: The Secret Service," was released in 2014.

Rotten Tomatoes score:   75%

"Kingsman," which is based on the Icon Comics run of the same name, is a far bloodier and funnier movie than anything viewers had seen from a comic-book movie in some time. Taron Egerton stars as Eggsy, a petty criminal and Royal Marines dropout who is turned into a super-spy with the help of his mentor, Harry, played by Colin Firth.

"On Day One of filming, they must have thrown away the moral compass and taken a group vow to splatter our sensibilities with stylish, gratuitous violence and one 'Wait, what?!' moment after another," wrote Richard Roeper for the Chicago Sun-Times.

The sequel to "Marvel's The Avengers," 2015's "Avengers: Age of Ultron," was a mixed bag.

Rotten Tomatoes score:   76%

The Avengers team up once again in "Age of Ultron" to take down the nihilistic AI known as Ultron, designed as a "suit of armor around the world" by Tony Stark and Bruce Banner, aka Iron Man and the Hulk, who is hell-bent on destroying the planet at all costs.

"The sharp, interpersonal dramedy that made the first movie such a delight is again present in flashes, but not infrequently it is drowned out by the noisy, inevitable need to Save the World," wrote Christopher Orr for The Atlantic.

We wouldn't have ultra-violent, ultra-profane shows and movies like "Deadpool," "The Boys," "Kingsman," and "Invincible" without 2010's "Kick-Ass."

Rotten Tomatoes score: 77%

Of course, some of those characters predate the Icon Comics character, but without the on-screen success of "Kick-Ass," it's hard to tell when those adaptations would've come to pass.

"Kick-Ass" stars Aaron Taylor-Johnson — who is currently suiting up for his third  comic-book movie as Kraven the Hunter — as Dave Lizewski, a normal teenager and comics super-fan who decides to become a vigilante called Kick-Ass. He inspires a movement, and teams up with other vigilantes like Hit-Girl (Chloë Grace Moretz) and Big Daddy (Nicolas Cage) to take down organized crime.

"Everything you've likely heard about 'Kick-Ass' is true, providing you've heard it's profane, outlandish, ultra-violent, shocking, funny and wildly entertaining," wrote Tom Long of The Detroit News.

Chris Hemsworth made his debut as Thor in the 2011 film of the same name.

Chris Hemsworth and Tom Hiddleston were both essentially unknowns when they were cast as Norse gods Thor and Loki (as evidenced by their casting announcement in Deadline ), and this movie catapulted them both to the A-list almost immediately.

Both Hemsworth and Hiddleston still have a future with the MCU in 2024 — Hemsworth's Thor got a fourth solo film (a first for the MCU) that had an open-ended conclusion and Hiddleston's Loki got a second season of his Disney+ series (also a first for the MCU), which also left the door wide open for more Loki in the future. Seeing their chemistry as brothers in this first film explains why.

"The new Marvel Comics movie 'Thor,' directed by Kenneth Branagh, is equal parts trippy, tacky, and monumental, the blend surprisingly agreeable, a happy change from all those aggressively down-to-earth superhero flicks like 'Iron Man,'" wrote David Edelstein for Vulture.

The final solo film for Robert Downey Jr.'s Tony Stark, "Iron Man 3," was released in 2013.

Rotten Tomatoes score:   79%

"Iron Man 3" focuses on Tony Stark dealing with his PTSD after the events of "Avengers," like his near-death experience flying a nuclear bomb through a wormhole in space. But the big twist of this movie, the bait-and-switch identity of the Mandarin, played by Ben Kingsley, remains this movie's biggest legacy.

"A thrilling film and a somewhat satisfying conclusion to the 'Iron Man' trilogy," wrote Nicolás Delgadillo for Discussing Film.

"Captain Marvel," the first film in the MCU to focus on a female superhero, is tied with "Iron Man 3." It was released in 2019.

Rotten Tomatoes score: 79%

Brie Larson stars as Carol Danvers, a former US Air Force pilot who is exposed to a blast of cosmic energy in the '90s, experiences memory loss, and is taken in by an alien race called the Kree. As Carol tries to remember her past, she's introduced to a young(er) S.H.I.E.L.D. agent, a digitally de-aged Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury.

"The main strength is a core of female friendship: Carol Danvers is the only Marvel hero you could imagine getting hammered and belting out songs by No Doubt," wrote The Observer's Wendy Ide.

The second female-focused MCU movie, 2021's "Black Widow," also has a 79%.

Set between the events of "Captain America: Civil War" and "Avengers: Infinity War," and exactly a decade after her introduction as Natasha Romanoff in "Iron Man 2," Scarlett Johansson finally stars in her own solo film with "Black Widow." The film also introduced actors Florence Pugh, David Harbour, and Rachel Weisz to the MCU, all three of whom we'd love to see again in the future.

"In all the ways that matter to an MCU fan, 'Black Widow' the film meets or exceeds all expectations. It is a killer action flick, and a unique viewing experience... in that I loved it, and the fact that I loved it also makes me livid," wrote Salon's Melanie McFarland.

"Deadpool & Wolverine" is the lowest-rated "Deadpool" film, but it's blowing its predecessors out of the water in terms of box-office numbers.

"Deadpool & Wolverine" was released on July 26. Eleven days later, it had made $852 million worldwide, out-grossing the $782 million of the first film and the $785 million of the second film, according to Box Office Mojo.

Besides being a team-up between Deadpool, the Merc with a Mouth, and Wolverine, the best-known X-Man by a mile, "Deadpool & Wolverine" is a love letter to the 20th Century Fox era of superhero films, with cameos from Jennifer Garner, Wesley Snipes, Chris Evans (as Johnny Storm!), Dafne Keen, and more.

"Dotted in among the quips and Easter eggs is the superhero equivalent of 'Toy Story 2,' a mournful goodbye to the things we once held dear, even if some of those things weren't that great to begin with," wrote Slate's Sam Adams.

"Captain America: The First Avenger" was also released in 2011, and took viewers back in time to the 1940s.

Rotten Tomatoes score: 80%

Simply put, Steve Rogers, aka Captain America, is the role that Chris Evans was born to play. Audiences see Evans first as a digitally altered scrawny kid from Brooklyn who, against all odds, is chosen to receive a "super soldier serum" and become Captain America due to his pure heart. With anyone else, it'd be unbearably cheesy, but Evans sells it.

"No clever messages here, just bang-on romance and action, with another fresh twist on 20th-century history woven in for the kids to dive into after the credits have rolled," wrote Ed Gibbs for The Sydney Morning Herald.

Arguably one of, if not the first modern Marvel movie, 2000's "X-Men" set the stage for movies in the 21st century.

Rotten Tomatoes score:   82%

"X-Men" gave us Hugh Jackman as Wolverine, Patrick Stewart as Professor X, Ian McKellan as Magneto, Halle Berry as Storm, Famke Janssen as Jean Grey, James Marsden as Cyclops, Anna Paquin as Rogue, Rebecca Romijn as Mystique ... the list goes on.

While the film is a pretty straightforward origin story/team-up film, the action set the template for what the next 20-plus years of movies would look like.

"The 'X-Men' comic books have spawned a cottage industry of mutant characters, and the movie helps make sense of these legions while offering the established fan base something new to cheer," wrote Jami Bernard for the New York Daily News.

"Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3," released in 2023, was a fitting conclusion to the "Guardians" franchise.

Rotten Tomatoes score: 82%

After the galaxy-saving stakes of the first two "Guardians" films, it was refreshing to watch our favorite rag-tag group of heroes come together to just save one of their friends, Rocket (Bradley Cooper), after he was gravely injured by a new threat, Adam Warlock (Will Poulter).

Of course, the film also deals with Peter/Star-Lord's (Chris Pratt) trauma of having to see a new version of his dead ex-girlfriend Gamora (Zoe Saldaña) — a sentence that only makes sense if you've seen "Infinity War" and "Endgame" — but if this is the last we see of our nice space friends, it was a great run.

"Now that nearly every other cinematic release reads like a holding pattern until they finally get around to mutants, 'Guardians Vol. 3' is the first sign in a while that Marvel might actually have some genuine enjoyment left in the tank," wrote Jackson Weaver for CBC News.

Paul Rudd joined the MCU in 2015's "Ant-Man."

Rotten Tomatoes score:   83%

Rudd plays Scott Lang, a white-collar criminal who is enlisted to take on the mantle of Ant-Man, a shrinking superhero who used to be Michael Douglas' Hank Pym.

But, as Pym is too old to suit up, he and his daughter Hope van Dyne (Evangeline Lilly) teach Lang how to control ants, shrink and grow at will, and later break into Pym's lab to take down Darren Cross (Corey Stoll).

"Paul Rudd stars in a formulaic but consistently entertaining and likable Marvel summer blockbuster," wrote NME's Nick Levine.

Ryan Reynolds returned as the merc with a mouth in 2018's "Deadpool 2."

Rotten Tomatoes score:   84%

"Deadpool 2" expanded the universe of Wade Wilson, aka Deadpool, a mutant mercenary who has a tendency to break the fourth wall. In addition to bringing back Teenage Negasonic Warhead (Brianna Hildebrand), Colossus (Stefan Kapičić), and Vanessa (Morena Baccarin), "Deadpool 2" adds Josh Brolin as Cable and Zazie Beetz as Domino, two welcome additions.

In "Deadpool 2," Deadpool teams up with an X-Force (of sorts) to find young Russell Collins, a mutant with fire capabilities, who is the target of the time-traveling assassin Cable, who wants to kill Russell as a teen before he becomes a serial killer in the future.

"'Deadpool 2' goes bigger than the first, but the shockingly touching family theme pulls all of the new characters and big set pieces together well. Another wild, hilarious ride for the character with just enough honesty and heart," said Perri Nemiroff in a Collider video review.

"Black Panther: Wakanda Forever" was equal parts tragic and joyful.

Rotten Tomatoes score :  84%

After the tragic (and unexpected) death of Chadwick Boseman in 2020, the highly anticipated "Black Panther" sequel was rewritten to be a story of grief and mourning, while also setting up the future of Wakanda in the MCU for years to come.

Angela Bassett, Lupita Nyong'o, Letitia Wright, and Winston Duke all put in stellar performances, while Tenoch Huerta introduced viewers to the underwater king Namor with a bang.

"A thoughtful and mature exploration of communal grief in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, 'Black Panther: Wakanda Forever' is a fitting tribute to the legacy of Chadwick Boseman," wrote Chicago Reader's Sheri Flanders.

"X2: X-Men United" was released three years after its predecessor, in 2003.

Rotten Tomatoes score:   85%

The whole gang reunited in 2003 for "X2," which sees the X-Men go up against Brian Cox's William Stryker, an anti-mutant military scientist who is planning to commit genocide against all mutants.

"'X2' is pretty much all that you'd ever want out of a comic book movie. It's smart, it's breathlessly paced, the characters have at least 2 1/2 dimensions, and the action sequences are jaw-droppers, even on the small screen," wrote The Advocate's Alonso Duralde.

Ryan Reynolds brought Wade Wilson to life (technically for the second time) in 2016's "Deadpool."

After playing Deadpool in the 2009 "X-Men" spin-off "X-Men Origins: Wolverine," Reynolds was determined to do the character justice in his own film with a completely redesigned version of him.

Seven years later, Reynolds starred in "Deadpool," which tells the story of mercenary Wade Wilson who embarks on a journey to cure himself of terminal cancer with some unintended consequences, like when he becomes immortal and scarred across his entire body.

"'Deadpool' is obnoxious and puerile and infantile and has an irritating meta tone so snide that it's constantly in danger of nullifying the entire movie, and I still got a pretty big kick out of it," wrote Will Leitch in The New Republic.

"Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2," released in 2017, also has an 85% on Rotten Tomatoes.

"GOTG Vol. 2" delves into the true parentage of Peter Quill, aka Star-Lord, as played by Chris Pratt. In addition to the rest of the stellar returning cast, Kurt Russell was added to play Peter's biological father, Ego the Living Planet, and Pom Klementieff joined the team as the empathic alien, Mantis.

"In Marvel lingo, 'Guardians 2' feels like a great six-issue arc, the kind of storytelling that used to be the backbone of superhero comics," wrote The Atlantic's David Sims.

2018's "Avengers: Infinity War" also has an 85%.

"Avengers: Infinity War" is the first part of the culmination of the first 10 years of the MCU, which concluded one year later in "Avengers: Endgame."

"Infinity War" follows Thanos, an alien who is dedicated to erasing half of the universe's population, as he scours space for the six Infinity Stones. Meanwhile, the Avengers stop at nothing to prevent him from getting all six with disastrous consequences.

"The conclusion of 'Infinity War' is so shocking because it doesn't feel like a cliffhanger, more like a drastic wiping clean of the slate before the whole cycle starts again, with whatever reversal of fortune or comprehensive reboot it may be," wrote Film Comment Magazine's Jonathan Romney.

"X-Men: First Class" (2011) was a soft reboot of the "X-Men" franchise, introducing younger versions of some of our favorite characters.

Rotten Tomatoes score:   86%

"First Class" will go down in history as the film that introduced audiences to young Professor X and Magneto, played by James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender, respectively.

The film takes place in the '60s, as a young Magneto tracks down the Nazi scientist who killed his mother, and a young Professor X has yet to be confined to his wheelchair.

"For reasons arising from the way the 'X-Men' film franchise has developed, this is the first Marvel movie set in the period when the characters were created, and thus able to embrace the Rat Pack cool that was part of their original charm," wrote Kim Newman of Sight & Sound.

The 2018 "Ant-Man" sequel, "Ant-Man and the Wasp," was ruled an improvement upon the original.

Rotten Tomatoes score:   87%

By adding the Wasp to the title of the film, Evangeline Lilly is the  true  first woman to play a titular superhero in the MCU, though she still shares top-billing with Paul Rudd as Ant-Man.

In "Ant-Man and the Wasp," the two insect-themed heroes reunite to rescue Hope's mom, played by the radiant Michelle Pfeiffer, from the mysterious quantum realm after an accident decades prior.

"Its intent is limited to amusing and diverting for a couple of hours of high-summer fun. That it does," wrote Matthew Norman of the London Evening Standard.

Benedict Cumberbatch's 2016 entry into the MCU, "Doctor Strange" has dazzling visuals meant to be seen on the big screen.

Rotten Tomatoes score:   89%

Cumberbatch joined the MCU to play Dr. Stephen Strange, a hot-shot surgeon who loses the use of his hands after a brutal car accident and seeks out sorcerers who can help him regain his strength.

As Richard Bailey wrote in The New Yorker, the film "lives up to its title, in mostly good ways."

"Spider-Man" was released in 2002, shattering all expectations of what a comic-book movie could be.

Rotten Tomatoes score:   90%

For a generation of movie fans, Tobey Maguire will forever be  their  Spider-Man, and director Sam Raimi's trilogy, beginning with 2002's "Spider-Man," will always be the best on-screen representation of the most famous wall-crawler in movie history.

"Spider-Man" stars, as stated, Maguire as Peter Parker, and he's supported by an all-star cast of Kirsten Dunst, Willem Dafoe, Cliff Robertson, Rosemary Harris, and more. The story watches Peter go from a gawky teenager to the super-powered, spandex-clad Spider-Man as he faces off against the Green Goblin (Dafoe), who is determined to take away everything that matters to Peter.

"At its best, 'Spider-Man' takes the adolescent yearning at the heart of most superhero sagas and gives it a lovely swing. The script, by David Koepp, isn't inspired, but it keeps the emotional beats clean, and director Sam Raimi treats his hero tenderly: He gives him space to watch and think as well as act," wrote Slate's David Edelstein.

"Captain America: The Winter Soldier" (2014) is tied with "Spider-Man" at 90%.

Rotten Tomatoes score: 90%

If "Captain America: The First Avenger" was Marvel's take on a WWII drama, "Winter Soldier" is the MCU's version of a tense, political thriller as Cap uncovers multiple layers of conspiracy within the US government, and must go on the run from his presumed-dead best friend Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan), now brain-washed into the murderous assassin the Winter Soldier.

"'Captain America: The Winter Soldier' delivers the superhero movie goods, but it does so with a grin and a wink, and that seems more and more like the right way to approach these things," wrote Jason Bailey for Flavorwire.

"X-Men: Days of Future Past" was also released in 2014, and also has a 90% critics score.

"Days of Future Past" reunites the original "X-Men" cast from the first three movies with the younger versions of themselves introduced in "First Class" by taking Hugh Jackman's Wolverine and sending him back in time to prevent a great tragedy in the present day.

"A pleasingly coherent, plot-driven action movie, positively streamlined by the standards of today's superhero blockbusters," wrote The Independent's Laurence Phelan.

Those weren't the only 2014 comic-book movies that received a 90%: Disney's "Big Hero 6" also fits that bill.

Yes, "Big Hero 6" is based on the Marvel team of the same name, which began in the late '90s. When Disney purchased Marvel in 2009, it was only a matter of time before the House of Mouse merged their two powerhouses, animation and Marvel.

And, with the success of "Big Hero 6," there's a strong argument for more Disney Animation comic-book movies. This one focuses on Hiro Hamada, a teenage robotics prodigy living in San Fransokyo.

After the death of his older brother Tadashi, Hiro connects with Tadashi's invention, a healthcare robot named Baymax, to save the city, along with Tadashi's friends Fred, Go Go, Wasabi, and Honey Lemon.

"An origins story ripe with innocence and loss, this anime-inflected treat harks back to Disney's big-hearted heritage even as it looks forward towards new worlds of innovation," wrote The Observer's Mark Kermode.

Yet another Marvel movie with a 90% score is 2016's "Captain America: Civil War."

Essentially an "Avengers" movie, "Captain America: Civil War" sees Captain America team up with his friends Falcon (Anthony Mackie), Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner), Wanda Maximoff (Elizabeth Olsen), and Ant-Man (Paul Rudd) to save his friend Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan) from getting wrongfully convicted for a bombing at the United Nations.

Cap goes up against Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.), Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson), Vision (Paul Bettany), and War Machine (Don Cheadle) to save his friend.

Of course, this movie is also famous for introducing Chadwick Boseman as T'Challa, aka Black Panther, and Tom Holland as the MCU's version of Peter Parker, aka Spider-Man.

"It is one of the best movies to ever come out of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, balancing engaging action set pieces and witty dialogue with intelligent character studies and ethical debates," wrote Salon's Matthew Rozsa.

The first "Men in Black," released in 1997, set the bar high for the rest of the franchise.

Rotten Tomatoes score: 91%

"Men in Black" follows Will Smith as James Edwards, an NYPD officer who becomes convinced that aliens are real, leading him to join the Men in Black, a secret government organization dedicated to monitoring and protecting alien refugees that live on Earth. He's partnered with Agent K, played by Tommy Lee Jones.

It's a loose adaptation of the Malibu comic series of the same name.

"'Men in Black' is the wryest, sharpest, most entertaining special effects film in recent memory, a simultaneous participant and mocking parody of the more-bang-for-your-buck behemoth genre," wrote CNN's Paul Tatara.

"The Avengers," released in 2012, proved that Marvel was doing something that no other franchise could compete with (for the first time).

After four years of teasing out the six main Avengers (Iron Man, Captain America, Black Widow, Thor, Hawkeye, and Hulk), they all met up on the big screen for the first time in "The Avengers."

Under the watchful eye of Samuel L. Jackson's Nick Fury, viewers saw Earth's mightiest heroes team up for the first time to take out Thor's brother Loki as he attempted to conquer the world on behalf of a mysterious purple alien.

"A mega-budget action extravaganza that succeeds on just about every level, and it's one you should certainly go and see as soon as possible," wrote Luke Holland for NME.

"Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings" introduced the MCU's first Asian superhero when it was released in 2021.

Simu Liu tweeted Marvel back in 2018 asking if they were "gonna talk or what #ShangChi." Three years later, Liu debuted as Shang-Chi in "Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings."

In it, Shang-Chi comes to accept his past as a member of his father's (played by the always wonderful Tony Leung) criminal organization, the Ten Rings, while protecting his mother's village from the attacks of a demon known as the Dweller-in-Darkness.

"It's a good movie. It's got a plausibly fearsome villain by way of Leung, a nice ensemble of heroic personalities, and a dose of actually-poignant family drama undergirding all the rest," wrote K. Austin Collins for Rolling Stone.

And the final Marvel film to share a 91% score is 2019's "Spider-Man: Far From Home."

Rotten Tomatoes score:   91%

Picking up a few months after the events of "Avengers: Endgame," Peter Parker/Spider-Man must figure out how to balance his life as a web-slinging superhero and a simple teenager with a crush on his friend MJ, played by a delightful Zendaya.

Add in a truly unhinged Jake Gyllenhaal performance as Quentin Beck/Mysterio, and you have the makings of a solid Spidey film.

"The stakes this time turn out to be considerably lower, and your friendly neighborhood Spider-Teen is arguably just the guy to bring things down to Earth and reestablish a human scale," said NPR's Bob Mondello.

2014's "Guardians of the Galaxy" has a 92%.

Rotten Tomatoes score: 92%

At the time, it was a  huge  swing for Marvel to entrust writer/director James Gunn with bringing one of the lesser-known superhero teams into the MCU. But, as we know, it was one of the smartest gambles Marvel ever made.

"Guardians," led by the ever-charming Chris Pratt as Peter Quill, combines hilarious jokes with a genuinely sweet story about found family: In this case, Peter finds Gamora (Zoe Saldaña), Drax (Dave Bautista), Groot (Vin Diesel), and Rocket the Raccoon (Bradley Cooper).

"Blessed with a loose, anarchic B-picture soul that encourages you to enjoy yourself even when you're not quite sure what's going on, the scruffy 'Guardians' is irreverent in a way that can bring the first 'Star Wars' to mind," wrote Kenneth Turan of the Los Angeles Times.

Tom Holland's first solo movie, 2017's "Spider-Man: Homecoming," also has a 92%.

"Spider-Man: Homecoming" was the third reboot of Spider-Man in 15 years, but somehow, once again, the powers that be managed to find a third actor who was just as qualified as his predecessors Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield to bring Spidey to life.

After his introduction in "Civil War," "Homecoming" focuses on Peter Parker's sweet bond with Tony Stark/Iron Man, and his realization that being a hero is about more than a cool suit.

"The youthful vibe of this character reset, with its sense of humor and its light touch, makes 'Spider-Man: Homecoming' one of the most enjoyable Marvel movies in years," wrote Chesapeake Family Magazine's Roxana Hadadi.

"Spider-Man 2" remains a high point for Marvel movies 20 years after its release.

Rotten Tomatoes score:   93%

For many years, "Spider-Man 2" was considered, at least by critics, to be the best Spider-Man movie. From the iconic subway fight against Alfred Molina's Doc Ock to the tear-jerking hero speech by Aunt May to an almost exact replication of one of Spider-Man's most iconic comic panels, "Spider-Man 2" remains genuinely enjoyable, even 20 years later.

"It's unusual and gratifying to find a multimillion dollar movie that's been put together with some thoughtfulness, that doesn't neglect subtlety in between delivering the smash-bang-wallop," wrote Anthony Quinn of The Independent.

"Thor: Ragnarok" (2017) breathed new life into the "Thor" franchise.

Rotten Tomatoes score: 93%

"Ragnarok" was one of the most impressive feats in MCU history. After all, two "Thor" movies are among some of the lowest-rated MCU movies, while "Ragnarok" is in the top 10 of all Marvel movies, period.

This comes down to director Taika Waititi, who was able to infuse his signature style and tone into the MCU in this cosmic adventure that's also a straight-up comedy, following Thor on his journey to prevent the destruction of his home world, Asgard.

"Beautifully filmed with serious kinetic energy by director Taika Waititi, with a crackling script, 'Thor: Ragnarok' is a heap of fun. Cue 'Immigrant Song,'" wrote Kristen Lopez for Culturess.

Hugh Jackman's would-be swan song as Wolverine, 2017's "Logan," is the best of the "X-Men" franchise. It was even nominated for an Academy Award for its screenplay, a first for a superhero movie.

At this point, you've probably heard that "Logan" is more of a Western than a traditional superhero movie, which is correct.

"Logan" follows a beaten-down Logan whose powers are leaving him, all his friends are dead or dying, and he's living in secret as a limo driver. But when a mysterious young mutant with powers like his shows up, he musters his strength one last time to help her escape.

This was supposed to be Hugh Jackman's last hurrah as Wolverine, but you might have heard of a little movie called " Deadpool & Wolverine " which made Jackman change his tune.

"Make no mistake, 'Logan' earns its tears. If Jackman and Stewart are serious about this being their mutual 'X-Men' swan song, they could not have crafted a more heartfelt valedictory," wrote Rolling Stone's Peter Travers.

The most recent live-action Spider-Man film, 2021's "Spider-Man: No Way Home," was the biggest movie of the year, box-office-wise.

"Spider-Man: No Way Home" now has the distinction of sharing the third-best Spider-Man movie crown with "Spider-Man 2" (more on the top Spidey films later). But "No Way Home's" charms are impossible to deny, even if the plot has more holes than Swiss cheese.

For Marvel movie fans, it's hard to imagine something more satisfying than seeing Tom Holland, Andrew Garfield, and Tobey Maguire together on screen, discussing their rogues' galleries, Tobey's weird web situation, or how with great power comes great responsibility.

"Throughout all of it, the weird and complex history of Spider-Man as a cinematic icon isn't a hindrance to the story; instead, it's an enhancement, using the quirks of the character's legacy as a source of illumination into why he has endured so long," wrote Liz Shannon Miller of Consequence.

For much of the last two decades, the first entry into the MCU, 2008's "Iron Man," was the best-reviewed Marvel movie.

Rotten Tomatoes score:   94%

The reason that pop culture is what it is today can be boiled down to the mega-success of this movie, which set up an entire cinematic universe, revived Robert Downey Jr.'s career, and boosted director Jon Favreau's status so high that he's now basically one of the auteurs of the entire "Star Wars" universe.

But this film is simple: Billionaire weapons manufacturer Tony Stark (Downey) is kidnapped by a group of terrorists, which leads him to discover his weapons are landing in the wrong hands. So, he builds a suit of armor and becomes a superhero.

"Led by Downey's career-resurrecting performance as billionaire weapons peddler Tony Stark, it proves just as indispensable to the movie's giddy escapist appeal as the seamless CGI effects and eye-popping pyrotechnics," wrote Craig Outhier of the Orange County Register.

"Avengers: Endgame," released in 2019, is tied with "Iron Man."

"Endgame," as a movie, is a magic trick. Somehow, this movie crams in 11 years of MCU storytelling and every major character from all of the films, and travels back in time to essentially walk through the universe's greatest hits, has real stakes, and makes a three-hour movie fly by.

When the Avengers decide to try to undo Thanos' universe-shattering snap, the original crew from the 2012 movie (with a few notable additions like Karen Gillan's Nebula, Paul Rudd's Ant-Man, and Don Cheadle's War Machine), travel through Marvel history to find the Infinity Stones.

"Eleven years of Universe building, and this is the crescendo. It really pays off, I've never seen anything quite like it," said James Luxford on the BBC.

"Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse" was an eye-popping visual feast, even if the 2023 sequel didn't fully live up to the original.

Rotten Tomatoes score:   95%

"Across the Spider-Verse," the sequel to "Into the Spider-Verse," takes the story of Miles Morales (Shameik Moore) and levels it up in every way.

Now, Miles is up against not just an extra-dimensional villain known as the Spot (voiced hilariously by Jason Schwartzman), but also an entire society of spider-people, including his old friends Peter B. Parker (Jake Johnson) and Spider-Gwen (Hailee Steinfeld), as they are told by Spider-Man 2099 (Oscar Isaac) that Miles isn't even meant to exist.

"'Across The Spider-Verse' truly explodes the idea of what a comic book movie can be. This is thanks to the boundlessly exuberant and adventurous way it both constructs and captures its world(s) during this jaunt through the multiverse," wrote Uproxx's Jason Tabrys.

However, the best MCU movie remains 2018's "Black Panther."

Rotten Tomatoes score:   96%

After Chadwick Boseman, who died in 2020, was introduced in "Captain America: Civil War" as Black Panther, fans were waiting with bated breath for his solo film, and they weren't disappointed.

"Black Panther" is a riveting story in which the "villain" (a supremely cast Michael B. Jordan as Killmonger) has a compelling point and even gets the hero, T'Challa, to change his mind.

Supported by all-stars like Angela Bassett, Forest Whitaker, Daniel Kaluuya, Lupita Nyong'o, Danai Gurira, and Sterling K. Brown, along with newer finds like Letitia Wright and Winston Duke, "Black Panther" is special.

To date, it's the only Marvel movie to be nominated for best picture at the Academy Awards.

"'Black Panther' is a revelation, the first film from the Marvel Cinematic Universe that truly feels like an of-the-moment masterwork that also happens to be a comic-book movie," wrote Roxana Hadadi of Chesapeake Family Magazine.

But, the reigning No. 1 Marvel movie of all time is the animated "Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse," released in 2018.

Rotten Tomatoes score: 97%

"Into the Spider-Verse," which took home best animated feature at the 2019 Oscars, is a movie that has to be seen to be believed. Spider-Men (and -Women!) travel from all over the multiverse to help teenager Miles Morales (Shameik Moore) grow into his own as his universe's new Spider-Man.

It proves you don't have to be Peter Parker to be Spider-Man, anyone can wear the mask, as Miles says. The upcoming two-part sequel has a lot of hype to live up to, but we'll always have the greatness of "Into the Spider-Verse" to fall back on.

"Maintaining a breathless pace, the filmmakers pile up sci-fi conceits, one-liners, and a melange of animation styles; as opposed to lots of other comic book adaptations, this actually captures the sensation of getting absorbed in a comic book," wrote the Chicago Reader's Ben Sachs.

• Main content

Marvel movies, ranked worst to best

Find out where your favorite superhero sits on our list of the Marvel movies, ranked worst to best.

Asking MCU fans to agree on the best Marvel movies is the quickest way to start a fight in a cinema. Trust us, we’ve spent hours ranking all the MCU movies from worst to best and it gets harder every time Marvel Studios releases a new film. 

Sure there are some easy wins (Black Panther good, Thor: The Dark World bad… very, very bad), but once you get past that point, and you’ve been discussing the virtues of Iron Man 3 vs Doctor Strange for hours, you start to lose the run of yourself. Don’t believe us? Try it for yourself and see how long before you’re pulling your hair out. Or better yet, don’t, and just let us do the hard work for you…

That’s right, we’ve battled against sleepless nights and interoffice fighting to create the ultimate list of the Marvel movies, ranked worst to best, so you don’t have to have that awkward conversation about why you bashed Uncle Larry round the head at Christmas for saying Age of Ultron was actually pretty good.

Read on to find every Marvel movie, ranked and see how the latest release, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, measures up against the rest. Just beware of spoilers if you haven’t seen it yet. Will you agree with our order completely? Of course not, but please don’t @ us, we’re happy to agree to disagree. After all, we can all agree we love the MCU, right? Which is why you won’t find Morbius or Venom anywhere on this list. 

If you want to watch the best Marvel movies, check out our Marvel streaming guide (spoiler: you mostly just need a Disney+ subscription) and if that’s still not enough, why not challenge yourself to watch all the Marvel movies in chronological order as well? 

Oh, and beware spoilers ahead for these movies. You've been warned...

32. Thor: The Dark World

• Release date: October 30, 2013
• Cast: Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman, Tom Hiddleston

If you need to skip a few Marvel movies during your marathon (and let’s be honest, if you ever want to sleep again, you’ll need to), then start with Thor: The Dark World. The colourful sense of humour of Ragnarok was still a long way off when this film came out and this too serious version of the cape-wearing superhero didn’t land quite right. Throw in the most unforgettable and bland baddie cinema has ever seen as you’ve got one of Marvel's worst movies ever made. 

Even the first cinematic appearance of the Reality Stone can’t save this sequel and only the most extreme completists will insist you watch it before you can say you’ve finished the Infinity Saga. The rest of us will let you off.

31. Eternals

• Release date: November 5, 2021
• Cast: Gemma Chan, Richard Madden, Salma Hayek

Eternals suffers from all the problems everyone thought The Avengers would have when Marvel first announced it was going to make a superhero team-up movie. Too many characters, too many plotlines and too many inconsistencies. Whereas Marvel took the time to establish The Avengers as individual characters in its other movies before bringing them all together, they dove right in with the Eternals who arguably have much more complex stories to weave together. 

The end result is that there’s just not enough time to get to know or care about the Eternals before it falls apart leaving the climax less than satisfying. Even the appearance of Harry Styles as Thanos’ brother Eros at the end only elicits the slightest of reactions. 

30. The Incredible Hulk 

• Release date: June 13, 2008
• Cast: Edward Norton, Liv Tyler, Tim Roth

It feels a bit mean to bad-mouth The Incredible Hulk. After all, it was one of the first Marvel movies back when the MCU was just a dream. But even if we make allowances for its juniority, the film can’t stand up to most Marvel movies, then and now. Edward Norton is great as the scientist turned superhero, but the absence of much of a storyline besides General Ross trying to kill him leaves the film falling flat. 

Liv Tyler phones in her performance (granted, she isn’t given much of a choice) and once again, the villain, aka, Emil Blonsky/Abomination, is lacking any real depth. Yes, it introduces William Hurt as General Thaddeus E. "Thunderbolt" Ross who’ll go on to make a significant impact on the MCU, but the finale is forgettable and Norton calls it quits soon after. 

29. Captain America: The First Avenger

• Release date: July 22, 2011
• Cast: Chris Evans, Hugo Weaving, Hayley Atwell

I know, I know, another Phase 1 film down near the bottom. As much as the first Captain America film holds a place in Marvel movie history, you have to admit, it’s not a great film. Most of it involves Cap being a mascot for the American army until right at the end when he decides to join the war. And although Hayley Atwell as Peggy Carter is definitely one of the highlights, even she can’t save it from the same weak villainy issues as a lot of Marvel movies. 

This is one Marvel movie that’s been made better by the sequels and spin-offs born from it, but if you take it as a standalone film, it’s pretty weak. 

28. Thor 

• Release date: April 27, 2011

Speaking of phase 1 origin films that can’t compete with their sequels, let’s take a look at the first Thor film. A cape-wearing and overly dramatic god who can control the weather was always going to be a bit of a hard sell for audiences, but whereas the sequels have lent into the ridiculousness of Thor’s character to great effect, the first film tried to take him seriously and boy, did it not work. 

Once again, there’s not much of a plot, he’s basically just lost on Earth, and although the villain, Tom Hiddleston’s Loki, is better, the fact that he’s more interesting than the main character says it all really. 

27. Iron Man 2

• Release date: April 30, 2010
• Cast: Robert Downey Jr., Mickey Rourke, Gwyneth Paltrow

Ah the tricky second film... Like a lot of movies, Iron Man struggled with its sequel and although it’s still a decent-ish superhero film, it’s definitely down the bottom end on our best Marvel movie list. Mickey Rourke’s villain is more laughable than menacing and Tony Stark’s descent into pure assholerly in the face of his impending death goes way beyond the likeable antihero character that made the first film so enjoyable to watch. 

Yes, Iron Man 2 does introduce Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow to the MCU, but let’s be honest, she serves as little more than eye candy here. Taken at its best, Iron Man 2 is fine, but that’s it.

26. Avengers: Age of Ultron

• Release date: April 23, 2015
• Cast: Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, James Spader

Speaking of sequels that didn’t quite live up to the first film, Avengers: Age of Ultron is probably everyone’s least favourite Avengers movie. After the success of the first major MCU team-up saw Iron Man, Cap, Thor, Hulk, Black Widow and Hawkeye get together, they reunited to once again avenge the world. The only problem is that they’re trying to defeat a villain of their own making. Well, Tony and Bruce’s anyway. 

One of the major issues with Age of Ultron is, well… Ultron. Once you’ve seen one evil AI who thinks he’s saving humanity by enslaving them, you’ve seen them all. And let’s not even mention the Maximoffs twins’ dodgy accents. *wince*

25. Doctor Strange

• Release date: October 25, 2016
• Cast: Benedict Cumberbatch, Mads Mikkelsen, Tilda Swinton

You might be surprised to see Doctor Strange so far down this list, so let me refresh your memory; Benedict Cumberbatch’s over the top American accent, the criminally underused Rachel McAdams, the most boring final battle of all time… is it all coming back to you now? 

Despite the love Doctor Strange gets now, his first film just wasn’t that good. While the magical effects were something new and interesting and Wong has gone on to become an iconic MCU character, that’s not enough to make this one of the best Marvel movies ever made.  

24. Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania

• Release date: February 17, 2023
• Cast: Paul Rudd, Kathryn Newton, Jonathan Majors

Ant-Man and Ant-Man and the Wasp are some of the best Marvel movies (just keep reading to find out why), so how did the third film end up this low down on our list? Well, like a lot of the more recent MCU outings, Quantumania feels more like a stepping stone to the next big Infinity Stone-like saga in the MCU, rather than a decent film in its own right. 

While it’s fun to explore the Quantum Realm more and Kathryn Newton adds some much needed energy as the grown up Cassie, it’s so clearly all about setting up Kang and whatever is coming next that watching the film feels more like a box ticking exercise than anything else.

23. Black Widow

• Release date: July 7, 2021
• Cast: Scarlett Johansson, Florence Pugh, David Harbour

We’re starting to hit the mediocre Marvel movies at this point. You know, the ones that aren’t technically bad, they’re just not that good either. And Black Widow is probably the definition of a so-so Marvel action movie. It’s great to see the much-loved character finally get a solo film, but you know what would have been better? Seeing it happen years ago when there was actually a character left to develop and grow. 

While Florence Pugh/Yelena Belova is a fantastic new addition to the MCU even she can’t make up for the fact we’re delving into the backstory of a character we already know is dead. 

22. Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness

• Release date: May 5, 2022
• Cast: Benedict Cumberbatch, Elizabeth Olsen, Xochitl Gomez

It took a long time for Doctor Strange to get a sequel and when he finally did, he ended up having to share it with Scarlet Witch. Although Multiverse of Madness is not the first Marvel horror film as early promotion led us to believe, it does feel different enough to keep you interested throughout. 

Elizabeth Olsen makes a brilliant villain as the grief crazed but very powerful Wanda (despite it feeling a little like a step backwards for the character after the events of Wandavision), but the real highlight is Xochitl Gomez as America Chavez.

21. Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings

• Release date: September 3, 2021
• Cast: Simu Liu, Awkwafina, Tony Chiu-Wai Leung

Shang-Chi might not have been the most well-known superhero up until now, but his MCU debut was unforgettable. Simu Liu kicks ass as the runaway son of a crime lord turned hero, and Awkwafina, who plays his BFF Katy, is the perfect accompaniment to his serious demeanour. There’s so much to love about this origin story, from the action (that bus fight scene!) to the retconned Mandarin storyline (Ben Kingsley’s cameo is pure gold). 

Yeah, the finale involves a huge CGI dragon, which can be hard to swallow for even the most devoted fans, but the beating heart of this film isn’t the magic, it's the emotional storyline.

20. Thor: Love and Thunder

• Release date: July 7, 2022
• Cast: Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman, Christian Bale

Taika Waititi returns to direct Thor’s fourth film and continues to lean into the loveable goof angle that made Ragnarok so fun. But arguably the best thing about Love and Thunder is Natalie Portman’s return as Jane Foster who adopts the mantle of Thor in God's absence. It’s incredibly enjoyable watching female Thor make her MCU debut and Jane’s character get some much-needed (albeit heart-breaking) resolution. 

Although the transition between funny and serious moments can feel a little jarring at times, Love and Thunder has all the best bits of Thor’s other films, plus, a new emotional depth the others were missing.

19. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2

• Release date: April 28, 2017
• Cast: Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Kurt Russell

After one of the most successful MCU debuts of all time, the Guardians of the Galaxy return for another round of questionable heroics. Admittedly, the sequel isn’t as good as the first film (when are they ever?), but Vol. 2 still manages to bring enough laughs, great music and beautiful hearts-to-hearts to secure a decent spot on this list. 

Although, once again, the villain is a little lacklustre, the highlight has to be the climax of Yondu’s emotional storyline. Not to mention the introduction of a new Guardian in the form of Mantis, played by Pom Klementieff. 

18. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 

• Release date: May 3, 2023
• Cast: Chris Pratt, Chukwudi Iwuji, Bradley Cooper

The Guardians return for one more gut-retching movie and boy, does it pack a punch. The third and possibly final film takes the Guardians’ emotional heart and turns it up to a hundred as we delve into Rocket’s backstory with tear-jerking consequences. All of the Guardians have their moment to shine as we witness these beloved characters grow and move on to not always bigger, but definitely better things by the end of the film. But it’s Rocket’s character, along with baddie, The High Evolutionary, that really makes this film one of the best Marvel movies. 

Yes, it’s a little over-stuffed as director, James Gunn, tries to tie all the loose ends up and at times the tonal shift between horrifying and humorous is difficult to navigate, but these short-comings are easily overlooked in favor of one of the best villains ever to come out of the MCU and another banging soundtrack. 

17. Iron Man 3 

• Release date: April 25, 2013
• Cast: Robert Downey Jr., Guy Pearce, Gwyneth Paltrow

There’s much debate over the quality of the Iron Man sequels. Whereas the first Iron Man film set the standards for the rest of the MCU, its sequels couldn’t always reach that high bar. Fans go back and forth on whether Iron Man 2 or Iron Man 3 is better but, for us, Iron Man 3 wins out because this is where we see a truly vulnerable Tony Stark for the first time. 

Suffering from PTSD after the events of The Avengers, Tony is consumed with keeping his loved ones safe at any cost, which leads him to make some questionable choices. Ok, the Mandarin storyline is awful, no doubt, but if you can put that aside then what you’re left with is a sequel which shows real inner turmoil and growth for its superhero. 

16. Captain Marvel 

• Release date: March 8, 2019
• Cast: Brie Larson, Samuel L. Jackson, Ben Mendelsohn

The first female-led MCU movie was a looooooooong time coming but fans finally got what they wanted in 2019 when Brie Larson burst onto the big screen as the all powerful Captain Marvel. Set in the ‘90s, Captain Marvel is packed full of empowering female characters, some impressive CGI skills and more nostalgic nods than you can shake a Flerken at. 

So why isn’t it higher on our list of the best Marvel movies? Simply because you never quite forget you're watching a superhero film. For all its good points - and there are a lot - Captain Marvel falls short of the realism that makes most MCU films special. The jokes and one-liners don’t always land right, the jeopardy feels abstract and is that really how Fury loses his eye?! 

15. Spider-Man: Far From Home

• Release date: July 2, 2019
• Cast: Tom Holland, Jake Gyllenhaal, Zendaya

The MCU version of Spider-Man returns for his sequel, Far From Home, and it’s another must-watch outing for the web-slinger. The second movie sees Peter struggle to hide his secret identity while on a school trip to Europe, but what makes this film one of the best Marvel movies is… the villain! I know, right?! I can’t believe I’m saying this, but Marvel finally got it right in the form of Jake Gyllenhaal’s Mysterio. Not only is he given real time to develop as a character in his own right, but he isn’t one dimensionally evil either. What a treat. 

14. Ant-Man and the Wasp 

• Release date: July 6, 2018
• Cast: Paul Rudd, Michael Douglas, Evangeline Lilly

If you thought the first Ant-Man film was good, then you’ll love the sequel. Honestly, we went back and forth on whether to put Ant-Man and the Wasp higher up than it’s original on this list. While it has everything that made the first film so special (the jokes, the miniature tech, Luis’s monologues…), Ant-Man and the Wasp goes one better and not just because it finally gives Evangeline Lilly’s Wasp the name check in the title she deserves. 

Following on from the events of Civil War, our hero is under house arrest and on the outs with the Pyms, when a chance to save Hope’s Mum brings them back together. The familial story at the center of this sequel - for both the hero, and the villain, Ghost - really pulls on your heartstrings making for a memorable Marvel movie. 

13. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever

• Release date: November 11, 2022
• Cast: Letitia Wright, Angela Bassett, Tenoch Huerta Mejía 

After the sad passing of Chadwick Boseman it was hard to see a way forward for Black Panther, but director Ryan Coogler manages to not only carve a path for the character, but turn in another fantastic film to boot. Wakanda Forever is full of heart as T-Challa’s loved ones try to come to terms with his death while facing enemies on all sides, and the introduction of Talokan provides another exciting civilization to explore. 

Letitia Wright does an admirable job taking the lead and is surrounded by great performances on all sides, including an Oscar-nominated turn from Angela Bassett as Queen Ramonda.

12. The Avengers

• Release date: May 4, 2012
• Cast: Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson

No one thought it could be done, which sounds pretty ridiculous now we’ve seen Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame, but it’s true. When Marvel Studios announced it was going to make a superhero movie bringing together six different superheroes, only four of which had had their own solo movies at that point, everyone thought it would be a mess. 

And yet, The Avengers is an almost perfect superhero film. The groundwork which had already been laid in previous Marvel movies definitely helped pave the way for the cinematic collaboration, allowing audiences to dive straight into the action without having to wonder who everyone was. Add to that the quippy one-liners the MCU was becoming known for and a heartfelt human story at its center, and The Avengers is definitely one of the best Marvel movies everyone should watch.

11. Ant-Man

• Release date: July 17, 2015

Ant-Man just narrowly misses out on the top 10 best Marvel movies of all time and it’s a shame because it really is a great film. Introducing this miniature hero to the MCU for the first time, Ant-Man has all the style and humor that made the first Iron Man film such a hit. Paul Rudd stars as an ex-con who barely gets to see his daughter and is struggling to make ends meet when Michael Douglas recruits him to help stop his former protégé from using Ant-Man technology for evil. 

Ant-Man is essentially a heist movie, which is one of the reasons why it works so well, and Rudd is perfectly cast as the immature but loveable hero at the center of it all. With jokes a plenty and a unique miniature final fight, Ant-Man deserves its spot on the list of best Marvel movies. 

10. Thor: Ragnarok

• Release date: November 3, 2017
• Cast: Chris Hemsworth, Tom Hiddleston, Cate Blanchett

Up until Ragnarok, Thor’s cinematic journey had been somewhat… crap. While the first Thor movie isn’t awful, it certainly isn’t great, and need we even mention Thor: The Dark World? There’s just something about the theatrical superhero who looks more at home in a Shakespeare play than the modern world that Marvel struggled with at first. But third time’s the charm, as they say. 

With Ragnarok, director Taika Waititi took the genius move to lean into the comedy of the character rather than try and ignore it, which allowed for one of the funniest films in the MCU. Plus, Hulk came along for the ride, given he wasn’t allowed another solo film, as well as Loki and a whole host of awesome new characters (Valkyrie, Grandmaster, Korg, etc.) were introduced to the MCU. And who can forget one of the best villains in the MCU? The wicked and wonderful Hela.

9. Spider-Man: Homecoming

• Release date: July 7, 2017
• Cast: Tom Holland, Michael Keaton, Robert Downey Jr.

By the time the MCU teamed up with Sony to do its take on Spider-Man, fans already felt like they’d had one too many versions of the web-slinging superhero. But boy were they glad that Marvel went ahead and introduced Spider-Man in Captain America: Civil War anyway. Much of the success of the character is down to the perfect casting of Tom Holland and after a standout performance in Civil War, Homecoming was his first individual adventure. 

While Peter Parker was dreaming about becoming an Avenger, director Jon Watts kept the superhero on track with a quintessential neighborhood conflict with villain the Vulture. Combined with a high school experience which could have been plucked from the mind of John Hughes and Homecoming is the MCU at its best; a painfully human story that just happens to involve superheroes.

8. Iron Man

• Release date: May 2, 2008
• Cast: Robert Downey Jr., Jeff Bridges, Gwyneth Paltrow

It’s hard not to treat the first Iron Man film with a sense of overwhelming reverence given it was the very first MCU movie ever made. But trust us, it isn’t on our list of the top 11 best Marvel movies ever just because it was the first... it’s also a masterclass in superhero origin story filmmaking. It has everything you want; a charismatic but flawed hero at the center of a story about doing the right thing – and tons of gadgets. 

Let’s not forget that one of the best things about Iron Man is the equipment! The Iron Man suit was and is one of the most badass weapons in the MCU and it was made all the better thanks to the brash but lovable man behind the wheel, Tony Stark. While the conflict between Iron Man and Iron Monger is pretty lowkey by today’s MCU standards, it fits the journey the superhero was on to become one of the biggest names in superhero cinema.

7. Captain America: Civil War

• Release date: May 6, 2016
• Cast: Chris Evans, Robert Downey Jr., Scarlett Johansson

Captain America: Civil War, also known as The Avengers 2.5, saw everyone’s favorite superhero team split up over a disagreement about their own autonomy. On one side, you have Team Cap and on the other, you have Team Iron Man, and when the two teams collide, you get one hell of a superhero film. Civil War is one of the best Marvel movies because it took the conflict between Cap and Iron Man, which had been bubbling under the surface for a while, to a devastating new level – we saw the superhero family we’d come to know and love torn apart. 

Much more entertaining than any fight with a common enemy, Civil War cut fans deep and would have long-running consequences for the future of the MCU. Plus, it introduced Black Panther who’s definitely one the best new superheroes in the MCU.

6. Black Panther

• Release date: February 13, 2018
• Cast: Chadwick Boseman, Michael B. Jordan, Lupita Nyong'o

Speaking of Black Panther, his movie is definitely one of the best Marvel movies ever made too. The rich and colorful world of Wakanda makes a dazzling backdrop for the superhero’s solo outing as he returns home after the events of Civil War (and the death of his father) to become king. As you might expect, not everything goes to plan and one of the reasons Black Panther is one the best Marvel movies is because it has one of the best Marvel villains; Killmonger. 

The fight for the throne is an action-packed and emotional story, which left fans desperate for more and cemented Black Panther’s position as one of the best new superheroes on the MCU scene.

5. Captain America: The Winter Soldier

• Release date: April 4, 2014
• Cast: Chris Evans, Sebastian Stan, Scarlett Johansson

It’s often been said that the reason MCU movies are so good is because they’re great comedy/action/thriller movies first, and superhero movies second. If that’s true, then Captain America: The Winter Soldier is definitely one the best spy movies ever made. Fresh off the back of defrosting and saving the world in The Avengers, Steve Rogers is continuing to adjust to the contemporary world when The Winter Soldier comes into his life. 

The deadly assassin is more myth than man, but he starts a chain reaction that will lead to Cap’s entire world being turned upside down. Not only a pivotal movie in the MCU timeline, The Winter Soldier is also packed full of the most perfect action sequence you’ll ever see – that elevator scene! *chills*  

4. Spider-Man: No Way Home

• Release date: December 15, 2021
• Cast: Tom Holland, Zendaya, Benedict Cumberbatch

By the time Marvel Studios teamed up with Sony for its take on Spider-Man fans already felt like they’d had one too many versions of the web-slinging superhero, but thanks to the perfect casting of Tom Holland and Jon Watts’ directorial vision, the Spidey trilogy has become one of the strongest in the MCU. And the best Marvel movie in that trilogy is without a doubt the most recent; Spider-Man: No Way Home. 

Picking up directly after the events of Far From Home, Spider-Man is struggling with the fallout from Mysterio revealing his true identity. He tries to enlist the help of Doctor Strange to make everyone forget, but the spell goes wrong and causes the multiverses to collide. Bad news for them, but great news for fans as this means we get to see Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield’s Spider-Mans visit the MCU, as well as some of the best villains from their films. With plenty of laughs between the three Spideys, but also some heartbreak as well, No Way Home isn’t just a great MCU film, it also makes the previous Sony Spider-Man films better too, which is why it’s one of the best Marvel movies of all time. 

3. Avengers: Infinity War

• Release date: April 27, 2018
• Cast: Robert Downey Jr., Chris Hemsworth, Chris Evans

Imagine The Avengers, but like… a 1,000% times bigger, and you’ve got Avengers: Infinity War. By this point in the MCU, there’s a whole host of new superheroes who put in an appearance in Infinity War to try and save everyone from Thanos and his deadly desire to bring balance to the universe. 

To say this film could have been a mess is an understatement given how many characters, worlds, and weapons were involved but somehow the Russo brothers managed to bring it all together into a film which not only makes sense, but is actually one of the best Marvel movies out there. With equal parts action and heart, Infinity War raises the bar for the MCU and sets Endgame up to push it even further.

2. Guardians of the Galaxy

• Release date: August 1, 2014
• Cast: Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Lee Pace

A raccoon, a tree, Thanos’ daughter, a grief-stricken murderer, and a wise-cracking manchild might not seem like the best combination for a superhero team, but the Guardians of the Galaxy could give The Avengers a run for their money. While the concept for the first Guardians film didn’t exactly win non-comic book fans over at first (did I mention the raccoon?), it’s now widely considered one the best Marvel movies ever made. And that’s due in no small part to its ridiculous sense of humor and phenomenal soundtrack. 

The Guardians aren’t afraid to have fun whilst saving the day – usually because they’re a bit iffy on whether they’re the heroes or villains depending on how they’re feeling at the time – and that’s why we love them. They might fight and snark at each other on a daily basis, but they’re a family. A highly dysfunctional and dangerous family. We can't wait to see what they get up to in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 .

1. Avengers: Endgame

• Release date: April 26, 2019

So, what do we think is the best Marvel movie ever ? Avengers: Endgame, of course. It might seem like somewhat of a predictable top pick given it’s the ultimate finale to the Infinity Saga, but there’s more to it than that. Putting aside the individual moments which make Endgame great (Cap wielding Mjölnir, that badass female superhero scene, finally hearing Cap say “Avengers, assemble”), it also introduces time travel to the MCU. Not only is this pretty mind-blowing in terms of what it means for future films, but it also meant we got to relive some of the key moments in the MCU before we said a tearful farewell. 

And tearful it was, because we lost not one but three of the original Avengers in Endgame. While Cap got his happily ever after and Tony and Natasha died literally saving the world, none of the goodbyes were easy for fans, but they were perfect for those characters. Who’d have thought over 10 years after we first heard “I am Iron Man” in cinemas, that the MCU would be where it was when Tony uttered those iconic words for the last time? 

And the best thing about Endgame isn’t even the goodbyes, but the future it sets up as well. Cap passing the shield onto Falcon, Thor joining the Guardians, not to mention whatever Morgan Stark is going to grow up to do! Endgame is the perfect... well, ending to the Infinity Saga. And the perfect beginning to what comes next for the MCU. And that’s why it’s the best Marvel movie.

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Lauren is a sci-fi and fantasy geek through and through. She's passionate about the Marvel cinematic universe (MCU), but there's few sci-fi or fantasy worlds she hasn't visited whether that's through books (Dune), TV shows (Game of Thrones) or movies (Star Wars). 

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All 34 Marvel Cinematic Universe movies, ranked from worst to best

Which MCU outing comes out on top?

What's the best movie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU)? And the worst?

With Deadpool & Wolverine delivering a record-breaking opening in cinemas, we are 34 movies deep into the MCU right now. That has given us enough time to go back over all of them, from Iron Man to the recently released Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3 , and attempt the ridiculous task of ranking all of the MCU movies so far.

You won't agree with the ranking. Even we still don't 100% agree and reserve the right to change our mind. But for now, here's all 34 Marvel Cinematic Universe movies ranked from worst to best.

(If you want to refresh your MCU memory, most of the movies are available to watch right now on Disney+ .)

Thor: The Dark World (2013)

Chris Hemsworth is good value as Thor and there's a great set piece at the end, but that's about it.

Thor: The Dark World suffers from a rubbish baddie in Malekith and a so-so plot.

Read our review of Thor: The Dark World .

Watch now: Prime Video | iTunes | Disney+

Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania (2023)

Phase 5 got off to the worst possible start with Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania .

It promised so much and delivered so little, getting lost in setting up the rest of The Multiverse Saga with Kang and forgetting that we actually like Ant-Man and wanted more for him.

Read our review of Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania .

Iron Man 2 (2010)

Robert Downey Jr's sparkling charisma carries Iron Man 2 which also introduces Scarlett Johansson's Natasha Romanoff, aka Black Widow (and replaces Terrence Howard with Don Cheadle as Rhodey).

However, the villains were a bit of a let-down and the film couldn't live up to the freshness of the first one.

Read our review of Iron Man 2 .

The Incredible Hulk (2008)

It's not that The Incredible Hulk is especially awful, it just doesn't feel like it's a part of the MCU any more (although Captain America 4 seems set to change that).

Edward Norton plays the angry green guy, going head to head with Tim Roth's Abomination. He also had a girlfriend – Liv Tyler's Betty Ross. Remember what happened to her? No, neither does he.

Read our review of The Incredible Hulk .

Thor: Love and Thunder (2022)

Taika Waititi back doing a Thor movie after the huge success of Thor: Ragnarok felt right, but the reality was disappointing.

Thor: Love and Thunder doubled down on that movie's wackiness and had Natalie Portman finally back as Jane Foster, now Mighty Thor, yet the special sauce that made Ragnarok work just wasn't there. Fun screaming goats though.

Read our review of Thor: Love and Thunder .

Eternals (2021)

Eternals certainly tried to do something different to other MCU output, but ultimately was weighed down by having too much to do.

It had to introduce a whole new team of superheroes and explain their origins, rather than just having an engaging story to tell. We've seen many origin stories and Eternals just wasn't memorable enough.

Read our review of Eternals .

Black Widow (2021)

We had to wait more than a decade for Scarlett Johansson's Natasha Romanoff to get a deserved solo movie and when Black Widow did arrive, it was… fine.

It just felt so inconsequential following her Avengers: Endgame demise, but it did bring Florence Pugh's Yelena Belova into the MCU and for that, we can't fully hate it.

Read our review of Black Widow .

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022)

Sam Raimi being back in the superhero game for Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness promised so much, but didn't quite deliver.

The sequel is certainly fun and surprisingly dark for the MCU, yet having Scarlet Witch as the villain just never seemed to match with her WandaVision journey, despite Elizabeth Olsen's best efforts.

Read our review of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness .

Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015)

Hyperintelligent sentient AI Ultron is a great baddie in Avengers: Age of Ultron and the movie plays enjoyably with horror tropes.

Here we meet new characters Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver and witness the beginning of the end of the relationship between Tony and Cap, though at times it feels a bit messy with too many characters and plot threads.

Read our review of Avengers: Age of Ultron .

Watch now : Prime Video | iTunes | Disney+

Captain Marvel (2019)

The MCU finally got its first female-led solo movie with Captain Marvel as Brie Larson made her debut as Carol Danvers. Whether it's a good or bad thing, it's very much the classic MCU origin movie.

Larson more than holds her own against Samuel L Jackson's Nick Fury, in his biggest role in some time. It's consistently fun, but compared to Black Panther , doesn't feel like enough of an event.

Read our review of Captain Marvel .

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022)

Given that the sequel had to deal with the tragic loss of Chadwick Boseman, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever was a decent sequel to the first movie, albeit a step down in quality.

Its exploration of loss and grief was stronger than the more MCU-esque elements, including a CG-tastic finale, and it didn't quite get the balance right.

Read our review of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever .

Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019)

Spider-Man: Far From Home had a lot to deal with being the final movie of Phase 3 and the first since Avengers: Endgame changed the MCU as we know it.

That it still manages to be an entertaining Spider-Man adventure is to be applauded. And it also manages to deliver one of the best MCU credits scenes .

Read our review of Spider-Man: Far From Home .

Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)

The first half of Captain America: The First Avenger where a scrawny, sickly Steve Rogers bonds with Bucky and Peggy and is rejected from the military is great.

However, his super-soldier second half doesn't quite live up to the start. Ace supporting cast, though.

Read our review of Captain America: The First Avenger .

Doctor Strange (2016)

Boasting Inception -style visuals and a top-notch cast including Benedict Cumberbatch, Tilda Swinton, Mads Mikkelsen and Chiwetel Ejiofor, Doctor Strange is an impressive addition to the MCU.

Strange himself isn't all that likeable however, and Rachel McAdams as his former love interest has bugger all to do.

Read our review of Doctor Strange .

Thor (2011)

Chris Hemsworth made a wonderful God of Thunder in Thor which also introduced us to Tom Hiddleston as Loki, one of the very best villains in the whole of the MCU.

Shame his indestructible automaton Destroyer was a bit rubbish, then. Still, Kenneth Branagh was a great choice to direct and the movie is packed with belly laughs as well as some actual pathos.

Deadpool & Wolverine (2024)

Six years after Deadpool 2 and five years after Disney bought Fox , Deadpool & Wolverine proved that Deadpool hasn't lost its edge. With Hugh Jackman's Wolverine back again, this third instalment felt like a treat for Marvel fans.

It is terrific entertainment, two hours of fan service wrapped up as a summer blockbuster. Packed with hilarious gags at the expense of the MCU (and more), Deadpool 3 has surprising cameos and stunning action.

Read our review of Deadpool & Wolverine .

Watch now : Out in cinmeas

Ant-Man and The Wasp (2018)

The MCU's 20th movie (and the first to name a female superhero in its title), Ant-Man and The Wasp came as the perfect antidote to the grim business of Avengers: Infinity War .

Building on the first film, it firmly cemented the Ant-Man film's unique tone in the MCU. While not the weightiest Marvel entry, its humour and heart make it one of the most consistent and likeable.

The Marvels (2023)

Formerly known as Captain Marvel 2 , The Marvels unexpectedly become a glorious team-up between Carol Danvers (aka Captain Marvel), Monica Rambeau and Kamala Khan (aka Ms Marvel).

Despite its very disappointing opening weekend, which set a new box-office low for the MCU, The Marvels is full of action, fun and cats.

Also, its ending , and particularly The Marvels ' post-credit scene , includes some game-changing moments for the franchise.

Read our review of The Marvels .

Iron Man 3 (2013)

Iron Man 3 has the biggest bait-and-switch in the MCU – the one surrounding villain The Mandarin, played by Ben Kingsley – which delighted some and infuriated others.

Even though he didn't turn out to be the supervillain we expected, the movie still has some ace set pieces, plays with big themes and even gives Gwyneth Paltrow's Pepper a bit more to do than be exasperated with Tony.

Read our review of Iron Man 3 .

Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)

Spider-Man: Homecoming ended up being a super good-natured high-school comedy boasting an excellent villain in Michael Keaton's The Vulture.

Even though this was the third Spider-Man this century, it really worked. Tom Holland is the youngest Avenger and he brought a much-needed freshness to the franchise, plus we love the relationship with his bestie, Jacob Batalon's Ned.

Read our review of Spider-Man: Homecoming .

Watch now : Prime Video | iTunes

Movies Editor, Digital Spy  Ian has more than 10 years of movies journalism experience as a writer and editor.  Starting out as an intern at trade bible Screen International, he was promoted to report and analyse UK box-office results, as well as carving his own niche with horror movies , attending genre festivals around the world.   After moving to Digital Spy , initially as a TV writer, he was nominated for New Digital Talent of the Year at the PPA Digital Awards. He became Movies Editor in 2019, in which role he has interviewed 100s of stars, including Chris Hemsworth, Florence Pugh, Keanu Reeves, Idris Elba and Olivia Colman, become a human encyclopedia for Marvel and appeared as an expert guest on BBC News and on-stage at MCM Comic-Con. Where he can, he continues to push his horror agenda – whether his editor likes it or not.  

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The Best-Reviewed Marvel Movies, According to Rotten Tomatoes

I n Hollywood, a film’s reception and its box office performance don’t always line up. But the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is an entirely different animal. Avengers: Endgame , which broke multiple box office records in its opening weekend, has earned high praise from critics, making it one of the two best reviewed MCU films of all time.

Though critics don’t always cheer for superheroes, Marvel movies on the whole aren’t poorly-rated by any means. Each of the 23 films released in the MCU thus far is rated above 65 percent on Rotten Tomatoes , an aggregator for TV and movie criticism which scales out of 100 percent. As many as 21 of the 23 MCU movies are actually “certified fresh,” a ranking for which requirements include a steady score of around 75 percent or higher.

With this year’s groundbreaking Oscar nomination of Black Panther for Best Picture, critical reception of MCU movies could only be growing from here. As Disney prepares its next phase of Marvel films , how the Black Widow origin story and other new movies will fare with critics is something to watch.

In the meantime, here are the best-reviewed and highest-rated Marvel movies in the MCU, according to Rotten Tomatoes.

23. Thor: The Dark World (2013)

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 66%

The worst-ranking Marvel film of all time is the second installment of Thor . But for MCU films, the “worst” never seems to be that bad: The film did earn a fresh rating, after all. Directed by Alan Taylor, who directed episodes of The Sopranos and Games of Thrones, among dozens of other acclaimed TV series, The Dark World also earned the worst reviews of the Thor series. Late film critic Richard Corliss wrote in his review of the film that there is just way too much going on. “The clutter makes your head feel like it’s about to explode — and not in a good way,” he said.

22. The Incredible Hulk (2008)

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 67%

Fans who haven’t been following the MCU since its inception may not know that Mark Ruffalo didn’t join the squad as Bruce Banner/Hulk in the character’s original solo story. Scientist-turned-green-monster Bruce Banner was introduced to the MCU by Edward Norton in the 2008 film. In his review of the movie, late critic Richard Schickel commented on the way director Louis Leterrier deal with the vast amount of details that go into a film like The Incredible Hulk, one of the first films of its kind. But Schickel’s review came with a scathing critique: “That thought, however, is nearly always followed by this question: Why do they bother?”

21. Iron Man 2 (2010)

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 73%

Following the extreme success of 2008’s Iron Man, the sequel has held a spot towards the bottom of this list for years with only 73 percent, making it the worst-reviewed movie of the three in the Iron Man franchise. Corliss wrote for TIME that Robert Downey Jr.’s performance as a more complex Tony Stark is what gives the film some vulnerability interest. “The rest is a cluttered, clattering toy story,” he said.

20. Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015)

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 75%

Reviews for Avengers: Age of Ultron, the second installment of the group films, really favored the movie’s writer and director, Joss Whedon. “If anything, Whedon’s writing is almost too sharp,” Lev Grossman wrote in his review for TIME. But still, critical consensus pointed to the film’s abundance of characters and plot diversions as its downfall.

19. Thor (2011)

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 77%

The original Thor introduces Chris Hemsworth’s mythical god of a superhero and his world of Asgard, as well as his evil brother, Loki (Tom Hiddleston). Introducing the existence of another universe to this cinematic universe could have been tricky, but on the whole, critics agreed that it worked. “At its best moments,” Corliss wrote , “Thor weaves a spot of magic from the complex science of $150-million fantasy-film technology.”

18. Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 80%

Captain America brings the 1940s to the present with Chris Evans’ Steve Rogers/Captain America, a hero whose newfound powers make him the greatest force against World War II-era enemies. Critics liked Captain America’s introduction, but Corliss criticized the film’s lack of creativity . “The only problem is that we’ve been there — been nearly everywhere Captain America goes — in countless previous movies,” he wrote.

17. Iron Man 3 (2013)

In Iron Man 3, things are different for Tony Stark. He finally has a heart, Corliss wrote in his review , and he comes to terms with issues we’d seen him struggle with in previous movies. But other critics of the movie felt its villain fell flat and its certain plot points lacking.

16. Captain Marvel (2019)

Captain Marvel was highly anticipated for its lead female character (Brie Larson) and for its importance in the storyline of the MCU. With a “certified fresh” rating of 80 percent , it definitely didn’t disappoint. Still, film critics like TIME’s Stephanie Zacharek weren’t so impressed with character Carol Danvers’ origin story . Larson’s acting was great, Zacharek said: but the film, directed by Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck, provided too few moments for it to shine, leaving room instead for the superhero magic and effects that characterize the Marvel franchise. “Larson does get a few opportunities in Captain Marvel to be that regular, flawed-but-strong human—there just aren’t enough of them, and they’re hardly the focus of the movie,” Zacharek wrote in her review.

15. Ant-Man (2015)

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 82%

For a movie with a less than heroic-sounding title flying into new territory, 2015’s Ant-Man fared decently with critics , leveling above 80 percent. Critics were fond of Rudd’s wit and charm in the titular role, despite the lesser-known subject matter. John Anderson called the movie “one of the more entertainingly human fantasies” in his review for TIME .

14. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017)

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 84%

Like its prequel, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 is a comedy with a Grammy-nominated soundtrack, but reviews were a bit less favorable . The movie “feels not so much crafted as squirted from a tube,” Zacharek wrote . Despite this, critics also highlighted that like other Marvel films, despite its apparent flaws, fans of the first Guardians of the Galaxy movie would love this one all the same.

13. Avengers: Infinity War (2018)

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 85%

Considering how high Avengers: Infinity War’s ranks as the fifth-highest grossing film worldwide , it might be surprising to find it here on the latter half of the list, seven percentage points lower than 2012’s original Avengers. But bringing all the Avengers together with multiple villains and the Guardians of the Galaxy crew made for a megahit that some critics didn’t take to, critics said . “It’s all sensation and no pulse,” Zacharek wrote .

12. Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018)

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 88%

The first MCU film to name a female character in its title makes the top eleven best-reviewed movies. Ant-Man and the Wasp earned an 88 percent — six percentage points higher than its prequel — largely in part thanks the duo of Paul Rudd and Evangeline Lilly reprising their Ant-Man roles as Ant-Man and the Wasp, respectively. The movie is “hard to actively dislike,” Zacharek wrote at the time.

11. Doctor Strange (2015)

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 89%

Benedict Cumberbatch’s first introduction to the MCU as Doctor Strange didn’t earn such favorable reviews as the Iron Man and Guardians original solo movies, but it did make the top ten. Cumberbatch’s wit is something that undoubtedly worked in the film, though, and Zacharek said he “knows how to get a big laugh from nothing more than an arched eyebrow” in her review of the film . But the studio’s choice to cast Tilda Swinton as an ancient Eastern sorcerer was met with heavy controversy, as many critics and viewers accused the film of whitewashing for placing a white woman in an Asian role.

10. Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 90%

With realistic drama and political controversy, The Winter Soldier, directed by Anthony and Joe Russo, reveals the discovery of a decades-old conspiracy that threatens the sanctity of the United States government. Corliss wrote that the movie’s focus on internal threats still “fulfills all the expectations of a Marvel movie” while raising the stakes of its action. Critics commented on how the juxtaposition of Captain America, having fought in World War II, in the modern world, gave the film’s lens a deeper layer.

9. Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019)

Even though Spider-Man: Far From Home received plenty of warm reviews as the first film in the franchise released post- Endgame, it certainly didn’t fare as well as Spider-Man: Homecoming, the first MCU film to focus on Tom Holland’s rendition of the beloved character. With co-stars Zendaya and Jacob Batalon , Far From Home mostly gets this portrayal of teen antics right, Zacharek wrote in her review. But still, “a huge chunk of the movie’s last third” could have been left out, she said.

8. Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 91%

Director James Gunn took the lighthearted route with Guardians of the Galaxy, starring Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Bradley Cooper and Vin Diesel (with fun cameos from John. C Reilly and Glenn Close). Ultimately the critical consensus on Rotten Tomatoes reviews the movie favorably, mostly for its humor and joy. The movie’s soundtrack got a lot of attention, too, and was nominated for a Grammy award.

7. Captain America: Civil War (2016)

Captain America battles Iron Man as the Avengers are pitted against each other after a political disagreement. The hefty baggage came garnered plenty of praise from critics who appreciated the humanlike aspects of the film. (The movie’s main villain has no superhuman abilities. He’s just a bad guy.) “It’s that rare superhero movie that doesn’t grind you down with nonstop action or, worse yet, the usual tiresome cavalcade of smart-ass wisecracks,” Zacharek wrote .

6. The Avengers (2012)

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 92%

2012’s The Avengers proved that a movie featuring all of the MCU’s heroes could actually succeed—in the box office and with critics . Written and directed by Whedon in his MCU debut, the movie introduces the original six Avengers — Iron Man, Thor, Black Widow/Natasha Romanoff (Scarlett Johansson), Captain America, Hulk and Clint Barton/Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner) — as a team of superheroes backed by the world’s most iconic spy, Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson). Corliss wrote that the film “guarantees fast-paced fun without forcing anyone to think about what it all means, which is nothing.” Corliss and other reviewers noted that the film was a dream for fans of Stan Lee and Jack Kirby’s work on “Marvel’s The Avengers” comic books, after years of anticipating a film adaptation that brought all of these heroes together at last.

5. Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)

The third man to play Spider-Man in less than two decades earned the best reviews of all. Critics and moviegoers alike lauded Holland’s portrayal of the teenaged New Yorker, and the film’s sequel, Spider-Man: Far From Home , was met with similar reception. “It’s a relief to see a superhero engaged in deeply human activities,” Zacharek wrote in TIME’s review. This time around, Spidey delivered a “colorful, fun adventure,” Rotten Tomatoes’ critical consensus says.

4. Thor: Ragnarok (2017)

In the first two Thor films, as well as his appearances in the first two Avengers movies, Chris Hemsworth’s Thor — all hair and muscle and sternness — took his role as a demigod seriously. But director Taika Waititi rewrote the titular character’s personality in Thor’s third installment to step into a sillier side. The movie is a comedy, often breaking the third wall while Hemsworth’s character isn’t afraid to poke fun of himself and it’s refreshing. Many critics were pleased with the looser vibe, helping it to become the third best-reviewed movie in the MCU.

3. Iron Man (2008)

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 93%

2008’s Iron Man was the MCU’s catalyst, offering the origin story for the character who would one day be the leader of the Avengers squad. Critics responded well to Robert Downey Jr.’s portrayal of Tony Stark, the cocky billionaire who is equal parts genius and comedian. Corliss wrote that Tony’s complications gave a new layer to the typically simple superhero characters of old. “The real treat is for grownups, who get a beguiling character study behind and above the special effects,” he wrote.

2. Avengers: Endgame (2019)

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 96%

It’s no surprise that Endgame , which serves as an end piece to the decade-long era of the MCU, provided the kind of satisfying conclusion that viewers and critics hoped for. With a 96 percent Rotten Tomatoes rating, it’s the second-best reviewed of the 22 films. Critics who rated the film commented on its success as both a dramatic final act and a joyful, entertaining three hours of cinema. In her review of the film for TIME, Zacharek highlighted that it was the quiet moments between characters we’ve grown to love, rather than “gargantuan” fight scenes, that made this film special. “The tenderness between [characters] is lush and quiet, underscoring what’s most valuable about Endgame ,” she wrote.

1. Black Panther (2018)

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 97%

It’s no surprise that Black Panther tops the list with a 97 percent rating. Not only is it the first superhero movie nominated for the Best Picture Oscar award , but it also took home the top award for Cast in a Motion Picture at the Screen Actors Guild Awards this year. From the movie’s cast, sets, costumes and music, the widespread critical acclaim for Ryan Coogler’s epic is bridging a film industry gap in a way that people hadn’t seen before.

Zacharek wrote that the film is “a picture for everyone that stresses the necessary meaning of the word everyone” in her review of the film last year.

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The ultimate Marvel Cinematic Universe binge guide

From 'Iron Man' to 'Eternals.' 

MCU Binge Guide

With Phase 4 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe in full swing, EW revisits the first 26 movies. Here's what you need to remember about each film.

For more information on all of the MCU movies, check out EW's Marvel Movie Club here .

Iron Man (2008)

Director: Jon Favreau

Cast: Robert Downey Jr . (Tony Stark/Iron Man), Gwyneth Paltrow (Pepper Potts), Terrence Howard (Col. James "Rhodey" Rhodes), Jeff Bridges (Obadiah Stane), Happy Hogan (Favreau)

The Story: While in the Middle East, billionaire playboy and weapons manufacturer Tony Stark is kidnapped by terrorists and held captive in a cave. His heart is severely damaged in the ambush, so Tony uses the technology he has at hand — which mostly consists of Stark Industries weapons the terrorists acquired — to create a powerful miniature arc reactor. Installed in his chest, the reactor not only fixes his heart but also powers a suit of armor that helps him escape. Upon returning home, Tony decides to leave the arms business and focus all his energy on perfecting his armor. Unfortunately, his business partner, Obadiah Stane, who was selling weapons to both the U.S. government and terrorists, has other plans for Tony's new tech, and the two of them come to blows in their dueling suits of armor.

Key Moment: In the wake of the end battle, Tony holds a press conference where he reveals that he is indeed Iron Man.

Effect on the MCU: Introduces S.H.I.E.L.D. , Agent Phil Coulson ( Clark Gregg ), and leader Nick Fury ( Samuel L. Jackson ), who invites Tony to join the Avengers Initiative. (For more, check out our Marvel Movie Club entry on here )

EW Grade for Iron Man : B+

The Incredible Hulk (2008)

Director: Louis Leterrier

Cast: Edward Norton (Bruce Banner/Hulk), Liv Tyler (Betty Ross), William Hurt (Gen. Thaddeus E. "Thunderbolt" Ross), Tim Roth (Emil Blonsky/Abomination)

The Story: In an attempt to replicate the Super Soldier Serum from World War II that created Captain America, scientist Bruce Banner accidentally poisons himself with gamma radiation. The accident creates the Hulk, a destructive monster who's unleashed whenever Bruce gets angry. As Bruce searches for a cure for his ailment, he must also evade capture from General Ross, who wants to exploit the Hulk's powers. Banner reconnects with the love of his life, Betty (the general's daughter), and in New York he comes face-to-face with the commando Blonsky, who transforms into the powerful Abomination.

Key Moment: At the end of the movie, Bruce learns how to control the Hulk.

Effect on the MCU: Barely any. Save an offhand reference in The Avengers about destroying Harlem, the events of this movie are never mentioned again. A short film released after Thor retcons this film's end-credits scene in which Tony approaches General Ross about the Avengers Initiative. However, Ross does appear in Captain America: Civil War (For more, check out the Marvel Movie Club entry on The Incredible Hulk here ).

EW Grade for The Incredible Hulk (2008) : C-

Iron Man 2 (2010)

Director: Favreau

Cast: Downey, Paltrow, Don Cheadle (Rhodey/War Machine), Mickey Rourke (Whiplash), Sam Rockwell (Justin Hammer)

The Story: Unsurprisingly, becoming Iron Man has made Tony's life way more complicated and dangerous. The U.S. government is breathing down his neck because it wants his technology, but more important, the arc reactor in his chest is killing him, meaning he inches closer and closer to death each time he suits up. Naturally, Tony starts spinning out of control and pushes Pepper and Rhodey away in the process. Nick Fury intervenes and gives Tony scientific research from his father, Howard Stark, which helps Tony develop a new, nonlethal arc reactor. With his health crisis settled, Tony teams up with Rhodey (as War Machine) to take down rival manufacturer Justin Hammer, who's joined forces with the vengeful Whiplash to destroy Tony.

Key Moment : Nick Fury informs Tony that he is unsuited for the Avengers Initiative.

Effect on the MCU: Despite a poor critical reception, Iron Man 2 sets up several important elements: It fleshes out S.H.I.E.L.D., introduces Scarlett Johansson as Black Widow, and ends with Thor's hammer crash-landing in New Mexico (For more, check out the Marvel Movie Club entry on Iron Man 2 here ).

EW Grade for Iron Man 2 : C+

Thor (2011)

Director: Kenneth Branagh

Cast: Chris Hemsworth (Thor), Natalie Portman (Jane Foster), Tom Hiddleston (Loki), Anthony Hopkins (Odin), Stellan Skarsgård (Erik Selvig)

The Story: After Thor breaks a long-standing truce by impulsively invading the land of the Frost Giants, his father Odin, King of Asgard, strips him of his title and power and banishes him to Earth, where the former God of Thunder meets astro-physicist Jane Foster and her team. While Thor slums it in New Mexico and tries to reclaim his hammer, Mjolnir (which was confiscated by S.H.I.E.L.D.), his brother Loki ascends to the throne of Asgard as Odin falls ill. In order to secure his rule, the jealous Loki sends the Destroyer to kill his brother, but Thor survives and returns to Asgard in time to stop Loki from annihilating the land of the Frost Giants. Unfortunately, Loki and Thor's battle severs the path to Earth.

Key Moment: Thor is deemed worthy of wielding Mjolnir again after sacrificing himself to save a small New Mexico town in his fight against the Destroyer.

Effect on the MCU: The film takes action to the cosmos and establishes that magic in the MCU is science we don't understand. In addition to introducing Hiddleston's Loki, Thor marks Jeremy Renner' s debut as Hawkeye and gives us our first look at the Tesseract, one of the Infinity Stones (For more, check out the Marvel Movie Club entry on Thor here ).

EW Grade for Thor : A-

Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)

Director: Joe Johnston

Cast: Chris Evans (Steve Rogers/Captain America), Hayley Atwell (Agent Peggy Carter), Hugo Weaving (Red Skull), Sebastian Stan (James Buchanan "Bucky" Barnes)

The Story: It's 1942, and scrawny Steve Rogers is desperate to join the war effort after the military rejects him. However, he's picked for the Super Soldier program, which gives him enhanced strength and durability. Meanwhile, the Red Skull, head of the Nazis' science division Hydra, acquires the dangerous/mysterious Tesseract. Cap, after attacking key Hydra facilities with the help of Peggy, the Howling Commandos, and his best friend, Bucky (who seems to die during a mission), faces off with Red Skull, who plans to hit the U.S. with a plane of Tesseract-powered bombs. Unable to land the plane without detonating the bombs, Steve crashes it in the Arctic. Almost 70 years later, Steve wakes up in present-day New York after scientists find his preserved body in ice.

Key Moment: Peggy touching Steve's pec after he's injected with the Super Soldier Serum, which was completely improvised by Atwell.

Effect on the MCU: Howard Stark ( Dominic Cooper ) finds the Tesseract at the bottom of the ocean, explaining how it ends up in S.H.I.E.L.D.'s hands. Bucky's return is foreshadowed (For more information, check out the Marvel Movie Club entry on Captain America here ).

EW Grade for Captain America: The First Avenger : B

The Avengers (2012)

Director: Joss Whedon

Cast: Evans, Downey, Hemsworth, Johansson, Renner, Hiddleston, Jackson, Mark Ruffalo (Bruce Banner/Hulk)

The Story: After Loki attacks S.H.I.E.L.D. and absconds with the Tesseract, Fury activates the Avengers Initiative, which assembles Captain America, Iron Man, Thor, Hulk, Hawkeye, and Black Widow. Loki uses the Tesseract to open a portal in space that allows the Chitauri, an alien race, to invade New York City, and it's up to the Avengers to defend their planet.

Key Moment: Loki murders Coulson while escaping from S.H.I.E.L.D. custody, galvanizing the Avengers to put aside their differences and work together.

Effect on the MCU: Not only did The Avengers vindicate Marvel 's crazy shared-universe experiment, but it also confirmed that MCU producer Kevin Feige had a long-term plan for this world, as it established Thanos as the MCU's final boss. The mid-credits scene revealed that Loki was working for Thanos, who gave him the scepter containing the Mind Stone. The fallout from the invasion of New York is felt throughout the MCU — from Iron Man 3 and Spider-Man: Homecoming to the first season of Netflix's Marvel's Daredevil. Even though Coulson dies, he is eventually resurrected on Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. on ABC (For more information, check out the Marvel Movie Club entry on The Avengers here).

EW Grade for The Avengers : B+

Iron Man 3 (2013)

Director : Shane Black

Cast: Downey, Paltrow, Cheadle, Guy Pearce (Aldrich Killian), Ben Kingsley (Mandarin), Rebecca Hall (Maya Hansen)

The Story: Tony hasn't been the same since the alien invasion in New York. He's taken to obsessively tinkering with Iron Man armor because he's extremely worried about the next attack, and his PTSD is also causing problems in his relationship with Pepper Potts. Enter: the Mandarin, a terrorist responsible for attacks across America. Tony tries to stay out of the conflict, but he's drawn in when Happy is injured in one of the Mandarin's bombings. Determined to get revenge, Tony declares war on the Mandarin, who responds by blowing Tony's life to smithereens, forcing the genius inventor to depend on his wits to win.

Key Moment: Tony discovers the Mandarin is a hoax . It turns out this America-hating crusader is, in reality, just a drunk British actor that Killian, the leader of a shady think tank, hired to be a scapegoat for the bombings. Killian's new tech is actually responsible for the destruction, which intensifies the War on Terror and creates demand for his weaponry.

Effect on the MCU: Having worked through his PTSD, Tony decides to have surgery to fix his heart; however, his fears about what's out there drive him to create Ultron (For more information, check out the Marvel Movie Club entry on Iron Man 3 here ).

EW Grade for Iron Man 3 : A-

Thor: The Dark World (2013)

Director : Alan Taylor

Cast: Hemsworth, Portman, Hiddleston, Hopkins, Christopher Eccleston (Malekith)

The Story: Following the events in The Avengers , Thor travels the universe restoring order to the Nine Realms while his mischievous brother rots away in an Asgardian prison as punishment for his crimes. Meanwhile, Jane accidentally unearths the Aether, an Infinity Stone, which reawakens Malekith and the Dark Elves, who want to use it to plunge the world back into darkness. After the elves launch a devastating attack on Asgard, Thor teams up with Loki to save the world and free Jane from the Aether's infection.

Key Moment: Although Loki appears to die when he and Thor travel to the Dark Elves' realm, it's revealed at the end of the movie that Loki actually survived that encounter and has taken Odin's place as the king of Asgard.

Effect on the MCU: The Dark World confirms that the Tesseract and the Aether are indeed Infinity Stones and that Thanos isn't the only one searching for them. The Asgardians ask the Collector ( Benicio Del Toro ), who is also gathering the stones, to look after the Aether. Additionally, Thor returns to Earth to be with Jane, which means he'll be available for Avengers: Age of Ultron (For more information, check out the Marvel Movie Club entry on The Dark World here ).

EW Grade for Thor:The Dark World : B-

Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)

Directors: Anthony Russo and Joe Russo

Cast: Evans, Johansson, Jackson, Stan, Anthony Mackie (Sam Wilson/Falcon), Robert Redford (Alexander Pierce), Cobie Smulders (Maria Hill)

The Story: In the two years since The Avengers , Steve has started working for S.H.I.E.L.D.; however, that all changes when the Winter Soldier, a highly skilled Hydra assassin, tries to kill Nick Fury. With Black Widow and former pararescueman Falcon by his side, Steve plunges deeper into a conspiracy while also trying to reconnect with Bucky, who (gasp!) became the Winter Soldier after surviving that fateful fall in WWII and being brainwashed by Hydra.

Key Moment: Steve and Black Widow find out that Hydra has been operating within S.H.I.E.L.D. since the war ended, and that World Security Council member Alexander Pierce is one of its leaders.

Effects on the MCU: After this movie, S.H.I.E.L.D. is basically no longer a factor on the big screen . Black Widow and Steve Rogers become free agents, and Fury, who survived the attempt on his life, fakes his own death. Because Hydra has been running S.H.I.E.L.D., it acquired Loki's scepter, which was responsible for giving twins Scarlet Witch ( Elizabeth Olsen ) and Quicksilver ( Aaron Taylor-Johnson ) powers (For more information, check out the Marvel Movie Club entry here ).

EW Grade for Captain America: The Winter Soldier : B+

Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)

Director: James Gunn

Cast: Chris Pratt (Peter Quill/Star-Lord), Zoe Saldana (Gamora), Dave Bautista (Drax the Destroyer), Vin Diesel (Groot), Bradley Cooper (Rocket), Lee Pace (Ronan the Accuser), Karen Gillan (Nebula)

The Story: A band of banter-happy misfits must set aside their differences to stop one of Thanos' minions from destroying a planet with an Infinity Stone. It's basically the Avengers, except this superteam comprises a half human and four aliens (a green-skinned female assassin, a snarky talking raccoon, a socially inept warrior, and a tree humanoid), the film isn't set on Earth, and instead of Loki and his scepter, we have the power-obsessed alien Kree radical Ronan, who tries to obliterate Xandar with the Power Stone.

Key Moment: After Groot sacrifices himself to save the Guardians, Star-Lord, Gamora, Drax, and Rocket join hands and use the Power Stone — which usually vaporizes anyone who touches it — to kill Ronan.

Effect on the MCU: Gunn's colorful space opera sets up the conflict between Thanos and his adopted daughters, Gamora and Nebula, both of whom hate each other as much as they hate their father. To make sure it's in the right hands, Peter turns the Power Stone over to the Nova Corps, a space police force (For more information, check out the Marvel Movie Club entry here ).

EW Grade for Guardians of the Galaxy : A-

Avengers: Age of Ultron

Director: Whedon

Cast: James Spader (Ultron), Paul Bettany (Vision), Olsen

The Story: When the Avengers launch an assault on the last remaining Hydra base, they recover Loki's scepter, which was responsible for imbuing the Maximoff twins with powers. Worried about Earth's safety, Tony, alongside Bruce, uses the scepter to create Ultron, an artificially intelligent defense program that quickly decides that exterminating humanity is the best way to save the world. You know, everybody's one fear when it comes to artificial intelligence.

Key Moment: Thor interrupts Steve and Tony's incessant squabbling and uses the Mind Stone to upload J.A.R.V.I.S.' consciousness to a body, thereby creating Vision.

Effect on the MCU: Tension between Tony and Steve boils hotter and hotter, Thor has a nightmarish vision in a mystical hot tub that sends him running back to Asgard, and Banner runs away (to space) in order to protect Natasha from himself. Most important, however, Age of Ultron marks the first appearance of black-market arms dealer Ulysses Klaue ( Andy Serkis ), who mentions Black Panther's home country, Wakanda, and Thanos finally decides to get off the sidelines and go after the Infinity Stones himself (For more information, check out the Marvel Movie Club entry here ).

EW Grade for Avengers: Age of Ultron : B-

Ant-Man (2015)

Director: Peyton Reed

Cast: Paul Rudd (Scott Lang/Ant-Man), Evangeline Lily (Hope Van Dyne), Michael Douglas (Hank Pym), Corey Stoll (Darren Cross/Yellowjacket), Michael Peña (Luis)

The Story: Twenty-six years ago, scientist Hank Pym resigned from S.H.I.E.L.D. because they were trying to replicate his shrinking technology. In the present, Pym's concerns return as his former business partner Darren Cross, who forced him out of his company, is close to creating his own shrinking suit. In order to stop Cross, Pym and his daughter, Hope, recruit Scott Lang, an ex-con, to become the new Ant-Man and stage a thrilling heist.

Key Moment: Scott survives a trip to the quantum realm (i.e., where you go if you shrink too much), which gives Hank hope that his wife, Janet (a.k.a. the Wasp), might still be alive after disappearing many years ago.

Effect on the MCU: Scott breaks into the Avengers' new headquarters and has a brief tussle with Falcon, which serves as his unofficial audition to join Team Cap in Civil War. Hank designs a new Wasp suit for Hope, co-lead the Ant-Man sequel, Ant-Man and the Wasp . Finally, the post-credits scene reveals that Steve and Falcon were finally able to track down Bucky.

EW Grade for Ant Man : B

Captain America: Civil War (2016)

Directors: The Russo brothers

Cast: Evans, Downey, Johansson, Stan, Mackie, Cheadle, Renner, Bettany, Olsen, Rudd, Chadwick Boseman (T'Challa/Black Panther), Tom Holland (Peter Parker/Spider-Man), Martin Freeman (Everett K. Ross)

The Story: After several civilians die during an Avengers mission, the United Nations moves forward with the Sokovia Accords, a global legal mandate that would put the superhero team under U.N. supervision. The proposed legislation fractures the superhero community, pitting the pro-government-oversight Tony Stark and his allies against Team Captain America, who value the Avengers' independence. In the end, we all learn that no one ever wins when the family feuds.

Key Moment: The massive Leipzig Airport fight between Team Cap and Team Iron, which marks the first time we see Holland's Spider-Man in action and is one of Marvel's best battle scenes.

Effect on the MCU: Tony and Steve's relationship changes after it's revealed that Winter Soldier assassinated Tony's parents. Nevertheless, Steve promises Tony that he and his friends will be there when the world needs them. T'Challa grants Steve and Bucky asylum, agreeing to help cure the latter of his brainwashing.

EW Grade for Captain America: Civil War : A-

Doctor Strange (2016)

Director: Scott Derrickson

Cast: Benedict Cumberbatch (Stephen Strange), Chiwetel Ejiofor (Karl Mordo), Rachel McAdams (Christine Palmer), Benedict Wong (Wong), Tilda Swinton (Ancient One), Mads Mikkelsen (Kaecilius)

The Story: After his hands are damaged beyond repair in a car accident, arrogant neurosurgeon Stephen Strange scours the world looking for something that could allow him to perform surgery again. His journey takes him to Kamar-Taj, where he meets the Ancient One and Karl Mordo, who agree to train him in the mystical arts. However, Strange abandons his desire to work as a surgeon again when it falls on him to stop Kaecilius, an evil sorcerer, from summoning the interdimensional monster Dormammu to Earth.

Key Moment: Strange uses the Eye of Agamotto, which contains the Time Stone, to trap Dormammu in a time loop until the malevolent being gives up on entering our dimension.

Effect on the MCU: Strange becomes the Sorcerer Supreme, which allows him to help Thor find his father, Odin, in Thor: Ragnarok . However, Strange's days as the reigning wizard on Earth may soon come to an end because Mordo vows to end all sorcerers after witnessing both Strange and the Ancient One violate the natural order.

EW Grade for Doctor Strange : B+

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017)

Director: Gunn

Cast: Pratt, Saldana, Bautista, Cooper, Diesel, Gillan, Pom Klementieff (Mantis), Elizabeth Debicki (Ayesha), Kurt Russell (Ego)

The Story: The family drama continues as the Guardians help Peter reconnect with his godlike father, Ego, whose plans for the universe aren't as benign as they initially seem. While spending time with Ego, Peter learns how to use his celestial powers. Meanwhile, Ayesha, queen of the gold-skinned Sovereigns, hires Yondu to capture the Guardians, who stole from her, while Nebula and Gamora continue to work through their sister issues.

Key Moment: Ego, whose true form is a living planet, reveals that he's been traveling the cosmos planting his seed all around the universe in order to remake it in his image and that he purposefully gave Peter's human mother a tumor because she stood in his way.

Effects on the MCU: After making amends with her sister, Nebula embarks on a crusade to kill her adoptive father, Thanos. Elsewhere, Ayesha, still seething over the Guardians decimating most of her fleet, creates a new being called Adam, hinting at the arrival of a major comics character.

EW Grade for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 : B-

Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)

Director: Jon Watts

Cast: Holland, Michael Keaton (Adrian Toomes/Vulture), Zendaya (Michelle "MJ" Jones), Marisa Tomei (May Parker), Jacob Batalon (Ned), Downey

Key Moment: Peter discovers that the Vulture is actually his prom date's father.

Effect on the MCU: Spider-Man: Homecoming , which was co-produced by Sony, the owner of Spider-Man's screen rights, reboots the character and situates his story within the events of the MCU. At the end of the movie, Tony invites Peter to join the Avengers and even offers him a fancy new suit, but Peter declines, choosing to focus on being the friendly neighborhood Spider-Man for just a little bit longer.

EW Grade for Spider-Man: Homecoming : B+

Thor: Ragnarok (2017)

Director: Taika Waititi

Cast: Hemsworth, Hiddleston, Ruffalo, Cate Blanchett (Hela), Jeff Goldblum (Grandmaster), Tessa Thompson (Valkyrie), Idris Elba (Heimdall)

The Story: The destruction of Asgard is at hand as Hela, the Goddess of Death, escapes from her prison after Odin, her father, finally perishes. Thor and Loki try to confront their older sister, who destroys Thor's hammer and sends both of them off into space. The hammerless God of Thunder lands on the trash planet Sakaar, which is ruled by the Grandmaster. In order to save his home world from Hela, Thor must first survive a gladiator match with none other than Hulk, who has been fighting on Sakaar since Age of Ultron.

Key Moment: Thor loses his eye in the climactic battle against Hela on the Bifrost, but in the process he also remembers that he doesn't need Mjolnir to bring the thunder.

Effect on the MCU: After two movies, Thor finally ascends to the throne of Asgard and leads his people away from their dying home to Earth. During the chaos on Asgard, Loki steals the Tesseract once again, which draws Thanos' ship right to the Asgardian refugee vessel .

EW Grade for Thor: Ragnarok : B

Black Panther (2018)

Director: Ryan Coogler

Cast: Boseman, Michael B. Jordan (Erik Killmonger), Lupita Nyong'o (Nakia), Danai Gurira (Okoye), Letitia Wright (Shuri), Winston Duke (M'Baku), Daniel Kaluuya (W'Kabi), Angela Bassett (Ramonda)

The Story: T'Challa returns to Wakanda to succeed his father as king of the isolationist and technologically advanced country. However, his reign is challenged from within, igniting a struggle not only for his life but also for the future of Wakanda.

Key Moment: T'Challa's long-lost cousin Killmonger announces his desire to fight T'Challa in ritual combat for the throne. Killmonger, who was born in America, believes Wakanda's reclusive ways have failed the African diaspora, and he wants to use the country's vibranium-powered weaponry to shatter white supremacy around the world.

Effect on the MCU: Even though Killmonger ultimately dies in the end, he leaves a lasting effect on both T'Challa and Wakanda. The king decides that it's finally time to reveal Wakanda's true nature to the world and share its vast resources with everyone, which puts Wakanda in position to play an important role in Avengers: Infinity War . Furthermore, Shuri, T'Challa's genius little sister, manages to remove the Hydra programming from Bucky's head (For more information, check out the Marvel Movie Club entry here ).

EW Grade for Black Panther : A-

Avengers: Infinity War (2018)

Director: The Russo Brothers

Cast: Josh Brolin (Thanos), Evans, Downey, Hemsworth, Boseman, Johansson, Ruffalo, Bettany, Olsen, Holland, Stan, Mackie, Cheadle, Hiddleston, Gillan, Bautista, Salda, Diesel, Cooper, Gurira, Wright, Pratt

The Story: The heroes mobilize to stop intergalactic despot Thanos from collecting all six Infinity Stones. As Iron Man, Spider-Man, and Doctor Strange travel to Thanos' home-world, Captain American and his allies head to Wakanda to prepare for Thanos' eventual invasion, and the Guardians help Thor on his quest for a new weapon.

Key Moment: After Thanos assembles all of the Infinity Stones, he snaps his fingers while wearing the Infinity Gauntlet, which results in hands of the universe's population fading to dust, including at least 12 of the heroes.

Effect on the MCU: Earth's avenging superhero group has been reduced to the original seven heroes, plus Nebula, Rocket Raccoon, Ant-Man, and Wong. On the upside, they will soon meet Brie Larson's Captain Marvel, whom Nick Fury managed to page for help before being vaporized.

EW Grade for Avengers: Infinity War : B

Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018)

Director: Reed

Cast: Rudd, Lily, Douglas, Peña, Walton Goggins (Sonny Burch), Hannah John-Kamen (Ava Starr/Ghost), Michelle Pfeiffer (Janet van Dyne), Laurence Fishburne (Bill Foster)

The Story: In the wake of Civil War and the Sokovia Accords, Scott finds himself on house arrest and retired from superherodom. Well, that is until Hope and Hank recruit him to help them rescue Janet van Dyne, Hope's mom and Hank's wife, from the Quantum Realm. But before they can do that, they must acquire a part from the greasy black market dealer Sunny, who wants to steal Pym's research, and defeat Ava/Ghost, a woman who needs to absorb the Quantum energy from Janet to survive, which would kill Janet (Drink each time someone says quantum). A few big-small shenanigans later, Sonny is thwarted, Janet is rescued, and Ava's condition is temporarily cured after Janet voluntarily gives her some of the energy.

Key Moment: In the end-credit scene , Scott journey into the Quantum Realm to siphon off more energy for Ava while Hank, Janet, and Hope remain in the physical world to bring him back. However, Thanos snaps while he's in there and Pym and the Van Dyne women vanish, leaving Scott to languish in the Quantum Realm.

Effect on the MCU: It explains why Ant-Man wasn't part of the war against Thanos in Infinity War.

EW Grade for Ant-Man and the Wasp : C+

Captain Marvel (2019)

Directors: Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck

Cast: Brie Larson (Captain Marvel/Carol Danvers), Jackson, Ben Mendelsohn (Talos), Jude Law (Yon-Rogg), Annette Bening (Mar-Vell/Wendy Lawson/Supreme Intelligence), Lashana Lynch (Maria Rambeau), Gemma Chan (Minn-Erva), Gregg

The Story: A member of the Kree Starforce, Carol Danvers has no memory of who she is or how she acquired her powers. Her quest answers ultimately leads her to Earth, where she crash lands and teams up with a young a Nick Fury to unlock the secrets of her past and save the planet from a potential Skrull invasion led by Talos. After reuniting with her best friend Maria, she ends up learning that she gained her powers (photon blasts and more) after she absorbed the energy of an experimental jet that was powered by the Tesseract and built by Dr. Wendy Lawson, a.k.a. Mar-Vell, a Kree scientist who worked for the air-force and was basically Carol's mentor.

Key Moment: Carol spends the entire movie believing that the shape-shifting Skrulls are her enemy; however, Talos informs her that he and his brethren are simply refugees looking for their family members, whom Mar-Vell promised to protect. The real villain of the story is Starforce leader Yon-Rogg, who wants the Tesseract for himself and is a willing participant in this unjust war against the Skrulls.

Effect on the MCU: In the triumphant final act, Carol harnesses all of her powers, which were partially suppressed for most of the film, and goes full Super Saiyan to defeat to Yon-Rogg and the Kree, which establishes her as the MCU's most powerful superhero. Furthermore, Carol's decision to take to the stars and help Talos and the Skrulls find a permanent home explains why she hasn't been around for Earth's other crises.

EW Grade for Captain Marvel : B

Avengers: Endgame (2019)

Directors: Anthony and Joe Russo

Cast: Downey, Evans, Ruffalo, Hemsworth, Johansson, Renner, Cheadle, Rudd, Larson, Gillan, Gurira, Wong, Favreau, Cooper, Paltrow, Brolin.

The Story: In the wake of their massive loss in Infinity War , the remaining Avengers assemble for a time heist to recover the Infinity Stones from various timelines, unite them, and reverse Thanos' snap. Unfortunately, a past version of Thanos catches wind of their plan and travels to the present to take the stones for himself, pitting Iron Man, Captain America, and Thor against the Mad Titan once again.

Key Moment: Portals, baby! Doctor Strange, Spider-Man, and every other hero who faded to dust in Infinity War (plus some people we didn't know disappeared) arrive just in time to help the surviving Avengers take on Thanos and his army. As the battle rages on, Stark manages to wrench the Infinity Gauntlet back from Thanos and snaps his finger, wiping Thanos and his army out of existence and sacrificing his own life in the process.

Effect on the MCU: Tony Stark died; Black Widow died; Thor joined the Guardians; and Steve Rogers passes the Captain America mantle onto Falcon. Furthemore, the film also setup Disney+ 's Loki series because there's now a timeline out there where Hiddleston's trickster god escaped S.H.I.E.L.D. custody after New York.

EW Grade for Avengers: Endgame : B+

Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019)

Director: Watts

Cast: Jake Gyllenhaal (Mysterio/Quentin Beck), Holland, Jackson, Zendaya, Smulders, Favreau, Batalon, Tomei, and Starr.

The Story: Far From Home picks up in the immediate aftermath of Endgame and explores how the world is adjusting to everyone who disappeared in the Snap returning. Peter, who is feeling the pressure of carrying on Tony Stark's legacy, heads out on a school field trip to Europe; however, Nick Fury and Maria Hill recruit him to help Quentin Beck, a supposed visitor from an alternate reality, defeat the destructive Elementals.

Key Moment: It turns out the entire Elemental threat (and multiverse story) was a hoax fabricated by Beck, who is actually just a disgruntled former Stark employee who desperately just wants to be the world's new Iron Man. He believes people need Avengers-level threats to believe in heroes.

Effect on the MCU: Far From Home brought Phase 3 of the MCU to a close with two major twists : First, Beck's final act was outing Peter's secret identity to the entire world. Second, we learn that Talos ( Ben Mendelsohn ) and Soren (Sharon Blynn), the shape-shifting Skrulls from Captain Marvel were impersonating Fury and Hill the entire time, and the real Fury is actually hanging out in space. Doing what? Well, that's a mystery for Phase 5.

EW Grade for Spider-Man: Far From Home : B

Black Widow (2021)

Director: Cate Shortland

Cast: Johansson, David Harbour , Florence Pugh , O-T Fagbenle , Rachel Weisz , Ray Winstone , and Olga Kurylenko .

The Story: Taking place after Captain America: Civil War and before Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame , Johansson's long-awaited solo movie follows Natasha Romanov as she reunites with former Russian spy family — Yelena, Alexei Shostakov, and Melina Vostokoff — to destroy the Red Room once and for all and, hopefully, wipe a bit more blood from her ledger.

Key Moment: After a decade of teasing, viewers finally found out what happened to Natasha and Clint in Bulgaria: To complete her defection to the U.S. and S.H.I.E.L.D., Natasha attempted to assassinate Dreykov, the leader of the Red Room, by bombing his office building. She believed she killed both him and his daughter in the process, but they both survived and Dreykov turned what was left of his daughter into the mindless assassin Taskmaster.

Effect on the MCU: Since Natasha is dead in the present timeline, the movie mostly sets up Pugh's Black Widow to have a bigger part in the universe going forward. In the post-credit scene, Julia Louis-Dreyfus ' Valentina Allegra de Fontaine, who was first seen in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier , approaches Yelena at Natasha's grave and tells her Clint was responsible for her death, thus paving the way for Yelena to appear on Disney+'s Hawkeye .

EW Grade for Black Widow : B+

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021)

Director: Destin Daniel Cretton

Cast: Simu Liu , Awkwafina , Tony Leung , Michelle Yeoh , Fala Chen, Meng'er Zhang, Florian Munteanu, and Ronny Chieng

The Story: Shang-Chi, a skilled fighter, races to beat his father Wenwu, the leader of the Ten Rings organization, to the mystical land of Ta Lo. Tormented by grief, Wenwu believes his deceased wife, who was from Ta Lo, is trapped behind an ancient gate there and is determined to open it, even if that means unleashing the Dweller-in-Darkness on the world. Thus, it's up to his children to stop him.

Key Moment: Shang-Chi's aunt Ying Nan teaches him a new form of fighting, which he employs against his father during the battle of Ta Lo. Not only does Shang-Chi best his father, but he takes control of the Ten Rings, ancient objects that granted Wenwu immense power and immortality, and kills the Dweller-in-Darkness.

Effect on the MCU: Even though this movie was an origin story, it wastes no time in throwing Shang-Chi into the heart of the universe. Shang-Chi and his friend Katy meet Wong, Carol Danvers, and Bruce Banner in the first end-credit scene as the trio examine the Ten Rings and determine that it's some kind of ancient beacon. To what? Who knows! On the more grounded side of things, the film also added a new player to the MCU's web of criminal organizations because Shang-Chi's sister Xialing takes control of the Ten Rings and implements some changes. It'll be interesting to see if and how the Ten Rings will relate to whatever Valentina Allegra de Fontaine has going on.

EW Grade for Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings : B+

Eternals (2021)

Director: Chloé Zhao

Cast: Angelina Jolie , Gemma Chan , Richard Madden , Kumail Nanjiani , Lauren Ridloff , Brian Tyree Henry , Salma Hayek , Lia McHugh, Don Lee, and Kit Harington

The Plot: Millennia ago, the Celestial Arishem sent a team of superpowered aliens called the Eternals to Earth to defeat the Deviants. Once that was accomplished, the Eternals blended into human society and watched from afar. Now in the present, the Deviants have not only returned, but the Eternals discover that fighting them wasn't the actual mission: Their real purpose was to ensure that humanity developed long enough to feed a new Celestial, whose birth on Earth would be an apocalyptic event. Led by Chan's Sersi, the team must decide whether to save humanity or not.

Key Moment: Madden's Icaris, a Superman-like Eternal, reveals he murdered the team's former leader, Ajak, because she started to waiver on the mission and wanted to stop the Emergence. Committed to seeing the birth of the new Celestial, Icaris turns on his team, leading to one of helluva family feud. (Spoiler alert: The rest of the team succeeds in stopping the Emergence, and an ashamed Icaris flies into the sun.)

Effect on the MCU: As of right now, it's unclear how the events of Eternals affect the MCU. Sure, the movie introduces more mythology about the Celestials, who were mentioned in previous installment, but it's hard to say how all of that will figure into the current multiverse shenanigans happening because of WandaVision and Loki . The mid-credits scene introduced Harry Styles as Eros, an Eternal who happens to be Thanos' brother and offers to help Makkari (Ridloff), Thena (Jolie), and Druig (Keoghan) find the rest of the team after Arishem abducts them. Finally, Mahershala Ali makes a voice cameo as Blade in the end-credit scene.

EW Grade for Eternals : B

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The marvels.

• Common Sense Says
• Parents Say 28 Reviews
• Kids Say 24 Reviews

Common Sense Media Review

Teamwork, action violence in fun, woman-centered MCU tale.

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that The Marvels is a Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) movie that brings together the heroes of Captain Marvel , Ms. Marvel , and WandaVision . Carol Danvers (Brie Larson), Kamala Khan (Iman Vellani), and Monica Rambeau (Teyonah Parris) must figure out how…

Why Age 10+?

Several alarming, destructive scenes of the Kree siphoning natural resources fro

A few uses of "s--t," "damn," and "hell."

In one scene, Carol and a prince sing and dance together, and Monica admires the

Lots of off-screen Marvel tie-in products.

Any Positive Content?

Positive messages about the strength and power of teamwork and female friendship

Carol, Monica, and Kamala are strong, brave, and empathetic. They persevere and

Strong female representation both in front of and behind the camera. Carol Danve

Violence & Scariness

Several alarming, destructive scenes of the Kree siphoning natural resources from other planets and leaving the inhabitants to die as their planets crumble. Kree warriors and Marvels battle each other with fists, kicks, and weapons (laser guns, spears, knives, scarves, missiles, etc.). Spaceship dogfights, pursuits, crashes. People are hurt, some presumably killed, and planets are terribly damaged. Characters are stabbed, shot at, and die in supernatural ways. In one disturbing sequence, the heroes can't evacuate an entire population in time and watch as the planet -- and everyone left on it -- is destroyed. The Kree homeworld of Hala is in imminent danger of destruction due to its dying sun and lost resources. Flerken cat monsters use their tentacles to swallow people and objects whole and then spit them out later.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Language in your kid's entertainment guide.

Sex, Romance & Nudity

In one scene, Carol and a prince sing and dance together, and Monica admires the prince's attractiveness.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Sex, Romance & Nudity in your kid's entertainment guide.

Products & Purchases

Positive messages.

Positive messages about the strength and power of teamwork and female friendship. It's important to take responsibility for your actions and to atone if you've done something wrong or in error. Family accepts you no matter what mistakes you've made. Also themes of perseverance, courage, and empathy.

Positive Role Models

Carol, Monica, and Kamala are strong, brave, and empathetic. They persevere and learn to work together as a team when their powers become entangled. The villain is complicated: She's hurting others while trying to save her own people from doom. The Khans are protective but understanding of Kamala's calling to be a superhero. Nick Fury is encouraging and believes in The Marvels.

Diverse Representations

Strong female representation both in front of and behind the camera. Carol Danvers (Brie Larson) was the MCU's first female superhero to get a stand-alone movie. Ms. Marvel is the MCU's first Muslim Pakistani American superhero. Monica Rambeau is a Black female superhero. Antagonist Dar-Benn is a woman and is played by Zawe Ashton, who's of Ugandan and English descent. The filmmakers are mostly women, too, including director Nia DaCosta and co-writers Megan McDonnell and Elissa Karasik. Positive supporting female characters include Monica's mother/Carol's best friend Maria (in flashbacks) and Kamala's loving mother, Mrs. Khan. Cast is racially diverse overall, including actors who are Black, Asian, South Asian. Crowds and background characters are diverse in terms of race and body type.

Did we miss something on diversity? Suggest an update.

Parents need to know that The Marvels is a Marvel Cinematic Universe ( MCU ) movie that brings together the heroes of Captain Marvel , Ms. Marvel , and WandaVision . Carol Danvers ( Brie Larson ), Kamala Khan ( Iman Vellani ), and Monica Rambeau ( Teyonah Parris ) must figure out how their powers have gotten entangled so that they can work together to stop the Kree from destroying other planets. Although there's plenty of action violence and peril, plus a smattering of strong language (mostly "s--t" and "damn"), this movie is less intense and bloodily violent than some other MCU films. Expect lots of fights (with weapons including laser guns, spears, knives, and more) between the three superheroes and the primary villain and her minions. There are also moments of large-scale devastation when planets are stripped of air, water, and more -- sometimes before all of their inhabitants can be evacuated or saved. This woman-centered story offers positive messages about the strength and power of teamwork and female friendship. Plus, the film's behind-the-scenes credits include a female director, co-writers, composer, and more. To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails .

Where to Watch

Videos and photos.

Parent and Kid Reviews

• Parents say (28)
• Kids say (24)

Based on 28 parent reviews

Lots of fun with a lot of action

What's the story.

In THE MARVELS, Kree warrior Dar-Benn (Zawe Ashton) finds an arm bangle that gives her the power to create holes in the space-time continuum. When Carol Danvers ( Brie Larson ), aka Captain Marvel, investigates one such incident, she ends up trading places with Kamala Khan ( Iman Vellani ), aka Ms. Marvel, who in turn switches with Captain Monica Rambeau ( Teyonah Parris ), entangling the three superheroes' powers. Every time they simultaneously use their powers, they magically trade off. Nick Fury ( Samuel L. Jackson ) encourages the trio to work together to solve the mystery of their enmeshed powers and stop the Kree from destroying other planets by siphoning off their resources. As the three women form an alliance, Kamala's family must hang out with Fury and his agents on the SABER space station for their safety.

Is It Any Good?

Thanks to Vellani and Rambeau, this MCU entry embraces the clever and goofy fan in all of us. No, The Marvels isn't the "best" Marvel movie, and the trio does't have the emotional gravitas of the three past and present Peter Parkers in Spider-Man: No Way Home . But that's definitely not the point here. Director Nia DaCosta , working from a script she wrote with Megan McDonnell and Elissa Karasik, explores the joy of Kamala's secret fantasies about collaborating with Captain Marvel actually coming true. On the flip side, Rambeau's fraught past with her "Aunt Carol" provides the heart of the story, as she and Carol are decades overdue for a heart-to-heart conversation. Carol herself is slightly less interesting than her prot ég és, except for when it's discovered that she has unexpected alliances of her own across the universe.

Plot-wise, thanks to the proliferation of the Disney/Marvel properties, the movie is all over the place. It has to provide exposition about characters and developments associated with various TV shows, in addition to previous movies. Planets and civilizations are brought up in one sequence and then never discussed again. And the special effects are a bit lackluster for a Marvel film; they're more on par with what you'd expect from the small screen. On the plus side, the cat-presenting Flerkens are back -- and hilarious . In keeping with the movie's woman-centered story, the Kree villain is also a woman, and Ashton plays her with a grimace-filled zeal. Despite the film's uneven execution, audiences will surely want more of Monica's story, more Ms. Marvel seasons, and more Flerken kitties.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

Families can talk about how the characters in The Marvels demonstrate courage , empathy , and teamwork . Why are those important character strengths ?

Why does representation -- of gender, race, ethnicity, and more -- matter? Why is it important that women have a hand in making big, popular movies? What's the potential consequence when the majority of films come from only one gender?

What do you think about the way superhero movies depict violence ? Is there a difference in the way you react to realistic violence vs. stylized violence? What's the impact of media violence on kids?

Where do you hope the stories for these three superheroes take viewers next? Which of them are you most excited to follow along?

Movie Details

• In theaters : November 10, 2023
• On DVD or streaming : January 16, 2024
• Cast : Brie Larson , Iman Vellani , Teyonah Parris
• Director : Nia DaCosta
• Inclusion Information : Female directors, Black directors, Female actors, Indian/South Asian actors, Black actors, Female writers, Black writers
• Studio : Disney/Marvel
• Genre : Action/Adventure
• Topics : Superheroes , Friendship , Great Girl Role Models
• Character Strengths : Courage , Perseverance , Teamwork
• Run time : 105 minutes
• MPAA rating : PG-13
• MPAA explanation : action/violence and brief language
• Last updated : August 23, 2024

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

Suggest an Update

What to watch next.

Captain Marvel

WandaVision

Marvel Rising: Initiation

Marvel cinematic universe (mcu) movies and tv shows in order, comic book movies, related topics.

• Perseverance
• Superheroes
• Great Girl Role Models

Want suggestions based on your streaming services? Get personalized recommendations

Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

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The Marvels First Reviews: Wacky and Energetic, but Not for Everyone

Critics are largely divided on the latest installment of the mcu, which is alternately a "must-watch" or "meh", but everyone loves iman vellani's kamala khan..

TAGGED AS: First Reviews , Marvel , marvel cinematic universe , movies

Here’s what critics are saying about The Marvels :

Is The Marvels another must-see MCU movie?

“ The Marvels is a triumph.” – Amelia Emberwing, IGN Movies

“ The Marvels is exactly what Marvel Studios does best…a must-watch for any casual or diehard Marvel fan, even those who may not have been impressed with the majority of the studio’s recent releases.” – Molly Freeman, Screen Rant

“It’s difficult not to get caught up in its Marvels. Simply put, it’s a Flerken good time.” – Matt Rodriguez, Shakefire

“When The Marvels is cooking, it really cooks.” – Liz Shannon Miller, Consequence

“A delightfully fun, must-watch MCU movie… The Marvels never loses sight of the fun.” – Mereia Mullor, Digital Spy

“You’re not going to be blown away, but you’ll likely be pleasantly surprised by the good time this offers up.” – Joey Magidson, Awards Radar

“ The Marvels is an exemplary example that Marvel’s blockbuster superhero formula is absolutely still worthwhile, if it is injected with this much heart, brevity, and trust in its audience.” – Jenna Anderson, ComicBook.com

(Photo by Laura Radford/©Marvel Studios)

How does it compare to other Marvel movies?

“ The Marvels is a return to form for the MCU, with all the goofy fun and superhero hijinks of Marvel’s best fare.” – Molly Freeman, Screen Rant

“It’s a much more contained and focused story that feels more reminiscent of the early days of the MCU.” – Matt Rodriguez, Shakefire

“This feels like Phase One of the MCU, which is mostly a compliment.” – Joey Magidson, Awards Radar

“This is actually one of the most kid-friendly Marvel movie releases in a long time.” – Christie Cronan, Raising Whasians

“ The Marvels is a ton of fun, and unlike several of the recent MCU offerings, I’m genuinely looking forward to seeing it again.” – Brent Hankins, The Lamplight Review

“What’s most refreshing here is that where Captain Marvel – despite its merits – felt like a living, breathing ad for military recruitment, The Marvels is the antithesis of that.” – Amelia Emberwing, IGN Movies

“If you thought Eternals and Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania were low points for the limping Marvel Cinematic Universe, strap in for the ride to abject misery that is The Marvels .” – Johnny Oleksinski, New York Post

What makes it stand out?

“It’s the dynamic between the three main characters in The Marvels that raises it above simply good Marvel fare to utterly enjoyable.” – Molly Freeman, Screen Rant

“The chemistry between these three actors is off the charts. It is them, working together but still having fun, that makes The Marvels as good as it is.” – Tessa Smith, Mama’s Geeky

“ The Marvels points out that not every decision made by a spandex-clad superhero is the right decision, and that’s something I’d prefer to see more of.” – Brent Hankins, The Lamplight Review

“ The Marvels is a grounding contribution to a gluttonous and increasingly perplexing Marvel Cinematic Universe.” – Lovia Gyarkye, Hollywood Reporter

“One of the greatest things about the movie is how it doesn’t let itself be dragged down by the many MCU settings it’s working with.” – Mereia Mullor, Digital Spy

“At one hour and 45 minutes, it is the shortest MCU movie ever made.” – Johnny Oleksinski, New York Post

How is the script?

“There’s quite a bit of Marvel-specific science/world-building thrown in throughout The Marvels that can be difficult to follow even for MCU scholars, but it doesn’t take away from the overall experience.” – Molly Freeman, Screen Rant

“You can weave the plot together in your head, but you may have a harder time pretending to know why it matters — not within the metastasizing mythos of the MCU, but simply on its own.” – Owen Gleiberman, Variety

“It’s best described as a poorly-knitted sweater — pull one loose end, and it all unravels. There are choices made that never come together, narratives that feel too easily dropped, and an ending that contains some satisfying beats but also some genuinely confusing plot holes.” – Liz Shannon Miller, Consequence

“As with most MCU offerings, the problem is in the plotting. The Marvels takes on more than it can responsibly handle… which means abrupt endings and discarded threads.” – Lovia Gyarkye, Hollywood Reporter

Is it difficult to follow if you’re not caught up with all the shows?

“It is important to watch Ms. Marvel and WandaVision . Both are fantastic series on their own, but they will give you the background you need to truly understand Kamala and Monica, and their intentions, as well as the decisions they make.” – Tessa Smith, Mama’s Geeky

“ The Marvels , even if you’ve never seen those series, is not a tricky movie to follow.” – Owen Gleiberman, Variety

“ The Marvels requires homework for a basic understanding of its plot… and once you do? Meh.” – Johnny Oleksinski, New York Post

(Photo by ©Marvel Studios)

Does it ever get too silly?

“Its wackiness probably won’t click with every viewer, and that’s okay — DaCosta’s playfulness is admirable.” – Mereia Mullor, Digital Spy

“Goofy moments like these… are precisely the kind of thing comic book movies should attempt more often.” – Brent Hankins, The Lamplight Review

“This film delivers one of the MCU’s most demented, unexpected, and hilarious scenes to date — it’s honestly hard to think of something that tops it. It’s bizarre. It’s magnificent. It’s a reason to see this movie at least twice.” – Liz Shannon Miller, Consequence

“There’s a place in the MCU for wackjob silliness. But in The Marvels , the bits of absurd comedy tend to feel strained, because they clash with the movie’s mostly utilitarian tone.” – Owen Gleiberman, Variety

How is the action?

“The fight scenes are a blast… Having them switch places whenever they use their powers at the same times makes for some interesting battle moves. Things happen very quickly and at a fast pace as they flash and change from person to person, but boy does that make it a lot of fun to watch.” – Tessa Smith, Mama’s Geeky

“The film’s power-swapping premise allows for some of the franchise’s most creative fight choreography yet.” – Jenna Anderson, ComicBook.com

“Every time the protagonist trio switches places while using their powers, the fights end up driven by unexpected, phenomenal choreographies offering a different flavour to your usual Marvel action. It feels different and exciting.” – Mereia Mullor, Digital Spy

“This a nifty plot point that allows DaCosta to flaunt her visual style and choreograph entertaining fight sequences… the helmer experiments with perspective: The camera tracks, flips, swerves and swings in often exciting ways.” – Lovia Gyarkye, Hollywood Reporter

“The action sequences are a bit ordinary.” – Joey Magidson, Awards Radar

Are there any standouts?

“Central to what works about this movie is Iman Vellani… Watching her blast her way across the big screen gives this film such welcome joy and energy.” – Liz Shannon Miller, Consequence

“[Iman] Vellani remains one of the studio’s all-time best casting decisions, and it’s a joy whenever she’s onscreen.” – Brent Hankins, The Lamplight Review

“Vellani, especially, is entertaining as Kamala, bringing plenty of humor and heart to the movie.” – Molly Freeman, Screen Rant

“It’s Vellani who really splashes… The actress indeed does a lot with a role that could easily be one-note, stealing nearly every scene in the process.” – Lovia Gyarkye, Hollywood Reporter

Does it have a villain problem?

“The villain isn’t one of Marvel’s most well-developed characters… but she’s fine as an antagonist to the trio of heroes.” – Molly Freeman, Screen Rant

“As good as Zawe Ashton is, Dar-Benn feels like the generic version of Cate Blanchett’s Hela in Thor: Ragnarok .” – Owen Gleiberman, Variety

“This one is on the forgettable side. While her intentions match that of a villain’s, she feels a bit generic at times. She is hard to relate to, even for those who love a bad guy.” – Tessa Smith, Mama’s Geeky

“The villain is bland.” – Brent Hankins, The Lamplight Review

“The villain is probably one of the most cringe Marvel characters of all time.” – Christie Cronan, Raising Whasians

Does it offer hope for the future of the MCU?

“ The Marvels is proof that maybe the MCU is back on track and isn’t in as much trouble as it would seem.” – Matt Rodriguez, Shakefire

“If Marvel delivers more movies like The Marvels , there’s no reason to believe the future of the MCU is anything but bright.” – Molly Freeman, Screen Rant

“Khan proves herself to be the key… She’s undeniably a badass and, if Disney and Marvel are smart, she’s the future of the franchise.” – Lovia Gyarkye, Hollywood Reporter

“As long as Kamala Khan is in it, The Marvels paints a bright future for the MCU.” – Mereia Mullor, Digital Spy

“We are finally excited for the future of the MCU again.” – Tessa Smith, Mama’s Geeky

On an Apple device? Follow Rotten Tomatoes on Apple News.

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September 4, 2024

Venice Film Festival 2024: Movie Scorecard

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The Marvels

It brings me absolutely no joy to report that “The Marvels” is terrible, and the worst film yet in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

“ Thor: The Dark World ” was merely a forgettable drag. “ Eternals ” was an overlong slog but always gorgeous to watch. “Thor: Love & Thunder” was disjointed tonally but featured a terrifying Christian Bale performance.

Within a pop culture empire that’s become increasingly inconsistent in quality, precisely because of its efforts to remain consistently in front of our eyeballs, “The Marvels” had the potential to offer a much-needed breath of fresh air. Carol Danvers, Monica Rambeau and Kamala Khan have all been hugely enjoyable characters in their respective movies and TV series, so the possibility of a shared adventure for them held promise. Instead, it’s a narrative and visual jumble, and the clearest evidence yet that maybe we don’t need some sort of Marvel product in theaters or on streaming at all times.

What’s especially frustrating is that the actresses playing these comic book roles have each brought something specific and compelling: Brie Larson with her spiky cool throughout the MCU but particularly in “ Captain Marvel ”; Teyonah Parris with her warmth and wisdom on “WandaVision”; Iman Vellani with her infectious teenage enthusiasm on “Ms. Marvel.” Having “Candyman” director Nia DaCosta at the helm felt like an inspired choice, and suggested the kind of perspective we don’t usually see within this male-centric movie universe.

But the script from DaCosta and co-writers Megan McDonnell (“WandaVision”) and Elissa Karasik (“Loki”) is a mess as it tries to cram in all three characters’ stories, plus connect back to other MCU properties while also spinning this behemoth saga forward. You definitely need to be familiar with Carol, Monica and Kamala’s previous movies and/or series, as well as “Secret Invasion” on Disney+ and some other content I won’t mention for fear of spoilers. In trying to juggle all of these elements, it never really finds a groove. The story veers between people standing around explaining things to each other and inscrutable action sequences in which characters go flying across the room in dizzying fashion. It’s short—only about an hour and 45 minutes—so the emotional connections and stakes feel forced and rushed. It’s as if big sections are missing that would have made this make more sense. Instead, Carol, Monica and Kamala are literally thrown together to defeat Zawe Ashton ’s wild-eyed, vengeful Kree villain, Dar-Benn.

From the very start, Ashton’s character is at the center of the film’s spectacularly hideous visual effects. An opening sequence in which Dar-Benn discovers the powerful bangle she’s long sought—a match to the one that gives Kamala her powers—has the chintzy look of an unadorned soundstage. Giant boulders look like chunks of Styrofoam spray-painted gray, and the whole scene is smothered in bright, flat lighting. For the most part, you’d never know that Steve McQueen ’s frequent cinematographer, Sean Bobbitt (“ 12 Years a Slave ,” “Shame,” “ Widows ”) shot this.

Something happens when Dar-Benn seizes this potent piece of jewelry that causes Carol, Monica and Kamala to switch places whenever any of them use their own powers. They’re all inextricably intertwined in ways they keep being spelled out to each other, and to us, but remain confusing. One of them will throw a punch, for example, and wind up where another of them had just been. Among the peripheral figures who get caught up in this chaos are Nick Fury ( Samuel L. Jackson ), who does basically nothing but offer a smart-ass quip or two, and Kamala’s family, who are as adorable as ever in a sitcommy way that’s a reminder of just how scattered everything is here.

Reprising her title role from the “Ms. Marvel” Disney+ series, Vellani brings a likable, sunny presence to her big-screen debut, but is stuck for too long in one-note fangirl mode. But Larson and Parris, while individually charismatic and commanding, can only do so much to convey the heartache of a shared trauma when it’s wedged in between blandly frantic action sequences. Many of these consist of characters soaring like fireballs across the stars to pummel each other or pull things apart or push them back together again. It’s all very wearying.

Still, the three must work as a team and hone their abilities to stop Dar-Benn from intergalactic destruction. Speaking of which, the choice of the Beastie Boys’ “Intergalactic” during an outer space training montage is eye-rollingly obvious. But other musical moments are such a drastic departure from everything else that they’re an unexpected and much-needed delight. They’re SO weird in the best possible way. I won’t ruin them for you, although people are already posting videos of the end credits scene, so apparently nothing is sacred anymore. But two scenes in particular were reminiscent of the irreverent tone of one the best MCU movies, “ Thor: Ragnarok .” They’re big swings and they’ll be divisive, but they’re the only truly hilarious moments of the entire movie, and they’ll make you wish we’d gotten more of such risks throughout.

In theaters Friday, November 10th.

Christy Lemire

Christy Lemire is a longtime film critic who has written for RogerEbert.com since 2013. Before that, she was the film critic for The Associated Press for nearly 15 years and co-hosted the public television series “Ebert Presents At the Movies” opposite Ignatiy Vishnevetsky, with Roger Ebert serving as managing editor. Read her answers to our Movie Love Questionnaire here .

• Brie Larson as Carol Danvers / Captain Marvel
• Teyonah Parris as Monica Rambeau
• Iman Vellani as Kamala Khan / Ms. Marvel
• Zawe Ashton as Dar-Benn
• Park Seo-jun as Prince Yan
• Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury
• Lashana Lynch as Maria Rambeau
• Mohan Kapur as Yusuf Khan
• Zenobia Shroff as Muneeba Khan
• Saagar Shaikh as Aamir Khan
• Daniel Ings as Ty-Rone
• Gary Lewis as Emperor Dro'ge
• Catrin Hedström
• Evan Schiff
• Elissa Karasik
• Megan McDonnell
• Nia DaCosta
• Laura Karpman

Cinematographer

• Sean Bobbitt

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