The MCU - Ranked Worst to Best (IMO)
Check out my list of what order I personally rank the huge roster of MCU titles, from worst (23rd) to best. Please respect other people's opinions, everyone has their likes and dislikes, and don't feel afraid to share yours! Enjoy!
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23 titles
- DirectorJoss WhedonStarsRobert Downey Jr.Chris EvansScarlett JohanssonEarth's mightiest heroes must come together and learn to fight as a team if they are going to stop the mischievous Loki and his alien army from enslaving humanity.My god is this movie good. For the time, it was a game changer, and Joss Whedon crafts a masterpiece of humour, emotion and action in this hugely entertaining story that I can watch time and time again.
- DirectorAnthony RussoJoe RussoStarsRobert Downey Jr.Chris EvansMark RuffaloAfter the devastating events of Avengers: Infinity War (2018), the universe is in ruins. With the help of remaining allies, the Avengers assemble once more in order to reverse Thanos' actions and restore balance to the universe.This movie gave me such a range of emotions whilst watching, that you might think I was bi-polar. I can officially say that this was the first movie I cried at. Finding Nemo, The Shawshank Redemption, Up, nothing ever broke me until Endgame. I'm not going to say why, of course, but this movie made me cry, made my jaw drop and made me laugh. Fantastic movie, and an amazing end to the Infinity Saga. I am so privileged to have grown up with the MCU, and I don't think I'll ever find a movie franchise that will be such a big part of my life again.
- DirectorAnthony RussoJoe RussoStarsChris EvansSamuel L. JacksonScarlett JohanssonAs Steve Rogers struggles to embrace his role in the modern world, he teams up with a fellow Avenger and S.H.I.E.L.D agent, Black Widow, to battle a new threat from history: an assassin known as the Winter Soldier.By far one of the best action movies around right now. Flawless action, a score that doesn't fade into the background, and a great mix of sub-genres that people never expected from the MCU.
- DirectorTaika WaititiStarsChris HemsworthTom HiddlestonCate BlanchettImprisoned on the planet Sakaar, Thor must race against time to return to Asgard and stop Ragnarök, the destruction of his world, at the hands of the powerful and ruthless villain Hela.Some people really hate this movie. I am not one of those people. After seeing Thor: Ragnarok in cinemas, I wasn't blown away, more confused by how anyone convinced Marvel Studios to let a director make a movie so detached from the rest of the Thor franchise. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed the hell out of it at the cinema, but having watched it again I am simply in love with this movie. Chris Hemsworth has perfect comedic timing, the story still holds emotional weight, and Taika Waititi should just make Thor movies for the next 10 years.
- DirectorAnthony RussoJoe RussoStarsRobert Downey Jr.Chris HemsworthMark RuffaloThe 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.Pfft. Well...my mind is blown. You can barely consider this a movie. It is more of an event of such huge scale and importance that I still can't really bring myself to critically analyse this. I am just too amazed at how awesome and heartbreaking this movie was. I'll get there one day...hopefully.
- DirectorJon FavreauStarsRobert Downey Jr.Gwyneth PaltrowTerrence HowardAfter being held captive in an Afghan cave, billionaire engineer Tony Stark creates a unique weaponized suit of armor to fight evil.The movie that started it all. That has almost certainly been quoted five hundred times already. A movie that was originally a complete underdog, but ended up sparking a new movement in cinema. Whether the MCU comes as a good or bad change to cinema is up to you, but boy does this movie still hold up even after 10 years of the MCU.
- DirectorJames GunnStarsChris PrattVin DieselBradley CooperA group of intergalactic criminals must pull together to stop a fanatical warrior with plans to purge the universe.A huge step away from what came before, GotG literally took some of Marvels most D-list heroes and forged them into favourites. Credit to the cast, each very unique and memorable (especially Dave Bautista as Drax) in their characters. James Gunn does a great job here, despite some claims that this was an accidental success.
- DirectorJon WattsStarsTom HollandMichael KeatonRobert Downey Jr.Peter Parker balances his life as an ordinary high school student in Queens with his superhero alter-ego Spider-Man, and finds himself on the trail of a new menace prowling the skies of New York City.Man was I expecting this movie to be sub-par. I was already placing it near the bottom of my MCU rankings list when I saw the final trailer for this movie. It felt like the whole plot was spelt out, but there was so much more to be uncovered. Spider-Man Homecoming surprised me more than any other Marvel film, and is hilarious, heartfelt and holds a killer twist which I did not see coming.
- DirectorJon WattsStarsTom HollandSamuel L. JacksonJake GyllenhaalFollowing the events of Avengers: Endgame (2019), Spider-Man must step up to take on new threats in a world that has changed forever.
- DirectorPeyton ReedStarsPaul RuddMichael DouglasCorey StollArmed 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.My personal underdog of the MCU is Ant-Man. I mean come on, it's Paul Rudd how can you not love it? Yes, Edgar Wright's version probably would have been incredible, but this movie never ceases to make me have a stupid grin on my face. So much so that when Ant-Man did NOT appear in Infinity War, I almost felt a little sad. Well I mean that movie definitely made me sad, but that's spoiler territory. I think Ant-Man is hilariously creative with both its exposition and action, and I cannot wait for the upcoming sequel - even if the UK gets the movie A MONTH AFTER THE US.
- DirectorAnthony RussoJoe RussoStarsChris EvansRobert Downey Jr.Scarlett JohanssonPolitical involvement in the Avengers' affairs causes a rift between Captain America and Iron Man.Civil War places a little lower on my list that on others. Personally, I feel the movie lacks a lot of the stakes I wanted it to, and the much-beloved airport scene, whilst hugely entertaining, still annoys me. Quips, quips and more quips. Ant-Man turning into Giant-Man was spectacular, however, and Tom Holland's opening appearance as Spider-Man was fantastic. The final battle scene is much heavier on the emotion and places well above the airport sequence for me. Some of the CGI is questionable as well, as well as some of the rapidly cut fight scenes, which strayed away from what made Winter Soldier's action so breathtaking. The movie is still great though, adding even more depth to Cap, as well as Vision and Scarlet Witch. It also introduces Black Panther, and he ironically has more depth in this movie than in his own solo movie.
- DirectorAnna BodenRyan FleckStarsBrie LarsonSamuel L. JacksonBen MendelsohnCarol 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.Possibly the biggest draw to this movie, for me, is the new way it tells the origin story of the titular character. Throughout the first two acts we are unsure of how Carol got where she is now, and various flashbacks are done in a way so we learn about her past at the same time she does. It feels fresh, even if Captain Marvel does feel a bit too overpowered at times. The de-ageing technology is something that is once again done brilliantly with Fury, and the twists and turns we discover throughout the movie are very well done.
- DirectorRyan CooglerStarsChadwick BosemanMichael B. JordanLupita Nyong'oT'Challa, heir to the hidden but advanced kingdom of Wakanda, must step forward to lead his people into a new future and must confront a challenger from his country's past.A huge box office success, Black Panther is an incredibly important movie, and succeeds in many key weakness that the MCU is known for. The main flaw of the MCU is with it's forgettable villains; outside of Loki and The Winter Soldier, are there really any villains which aren't forgotten about 2 hours after the movie ends? Looking at you Malekith. However, Killmonger is an exceptional villain, with completely reasonable reasoning behind his actions, as well as a deep emotional arc that is normally non-existent with other antagonists of the franchise. The movie is not perfect however; the CGI is terrible, the third act gets a little too generic at times and some character motivations are unexplained. Apart from these things, Black Panther is aesthetically unique, and is a solid entry in the MCU.
- DirectorKenneth BranaghStarsChris HemsworthAnthony HopkinsNatalie PortmanThe 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.The Thor franchise was regarded as the least favourable up until the release of Ragnarok, and the first and second entries usually get sent to the bottom of the rankings when compared with the rest of MCU. I really enjoy Thor, however; the movie introduced fantasy science fiction into the MCU, and the costume and production design in the movie is exceptional. Some stellar acting is on show here, especially in scenes between Chris Hemsworth, Tom Hiddlestone and Anthony Hopkins. Speaking of Hiddlestone, this movie introduces the MCU's favourite villain, Loki, to great success. Flaws present mainly reside with some dodgy CGI, far too many dutch tilts (dammit Kenneth), and some of the tone shifts can be stark - mainly when the movie fleets between Asgard and Earth in the first and second acts.
- DirectorScott DerricksonStarsBenedict CumberbatchChiwetel EjioforRachel McAdamsWhile on a journey of physical and spiritual healing, a brilliant neurosurgeon is drawn into the world of the mystic arts.Everybody compares this movie to Inception, which is fair enough, but oh my are they different. If you thought Inception had some cool visuals you, sir or madame, are blissfully ignorant of the mind-blowing special effects of Doctor Strange. This movie has some really trippy visuals, and brings the MCU into the mystical realm of the comics. Benedict Cumberbatch shines in a great piece of casting, even if the character is pretty much Iron Man but he's a wizard. The movie does suffer from another dull villain, which is a shame considering how talented Mads Mikkelsen is, and whilst Tilda Swinton is good in the movie, the casting decision there was a weird one.
- DirectorShane BlackStarsRobert Downey Jr.Guy PearceGwyneth PaltrowWhen Tony Stark's world is torn apart by a formidable terrorist called the Mandarin, he starts an odyssey of rebuilding and retribution.Okay so the twist in this movie was one of the most divisive aspects of the MCU when Iron Man 3 released. Personally I hated it the first few times, but then I came to appreciate how Ben Kingsley is downright brilliant in the movie. No saying any spoilers, but once you see the movie, you will understand the power of the "toast of Croydon". As for the rest of the movie (something which is normally cast aside in favour of debating the twist), there are some incredibly inventive action sequences, RDJ shines as usual, and the movie does a good job of answering Cap's question from the year prior - "Big man in a suit of armour. Take that off, what are you?".
- DirectorPeyton ReedStarsPaul RuddEvangeline LillyMichael PeñaAs 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.In fairness, it had been a while since I saw this movie. I only watched it once at the cinema, and haven't seen it since. Whilst this movie does a lot of good, I feel like the main reason I went to see it was for the post-credits scene (which linked to Infinity War). It is a very fun movie, with some action that is incredibly inventive, and Paul Rudd provides multitudes of charm. Having seen Endgame, I feel that this movie will grab my attention more, however, and I hope I come to care about Ant-Man and the Wasp more than I previously did.
- DirectorJoss WhedonStarsRobert Downey Jr.Chris EvansMark RuffaloWhen 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.By far the biggest let down in the MCU, Avengers: Age of Ultron was the movie that sparked a few big questions of Marvel's future: Is every movie going to have this many quips? Does this movie prove that too many heroes will be a problem for Infinity War? This movie indeed did suffer from too many characters, and some didn't get proper arcs that were either not fulfilled or just ended up making the movie the clutter I feel it ends up being. The movie is still worth a watch, but don't expect it to be anywhere near to the standards of its predecessor.
- DirectorJames GunnStarsChris PrattZoe SaldanaDave BautistaThe 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.Don't get me wrong this movie is pretty good, but seeing as this is a personal ranking I'm putting it here. I don't know what exactly it is about this movie, whether its the large amount of jokes that fall flat, or the over abundance of baby groot, or how the middle of the movie is actually kind of slow and boring, but man is this movie forgettable to me. I enjoyed it at the cinema don't get me wrong, but I'd honestly forgotten about it an hour afterwards. I'm hoping that the confirmed third instalment is more memorable; although after Infinity War, I'm curious to see how that is going to work...
- DirectorJoe JohnstonStarsChris EvansHugo WeavingSamuel L. JacksonSteve Rogers, a rejected military soldier, transforms into Captain America after taking a dose of a "Super-Soldier serum". But being Captain America comes at a price as he attempts to take down a warmonger and a terrorist organization.Cheesy, with bad action and too little explanation of what Steve Rogers can do, Captain America: The First Avenger feels very...meh (much like the rest of the list below). Chris Evans is well cast, plays the character well and goes on to forge and morally divided fan favourite later on in the MCU, but here it feels purely set-up for the Avengers movie which came the year after. The end-credits scene was literally a trailer for the Avengers.
- DirectorAlan TaylorStarsChris HemsworthNatalie PortmanTom HiddlestonWhen 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.The movie that is at the bottom of a lot of people's rankings, and it is not hard to see why. Once again, the casting is great (mainly with the returning characters), the production design is stellar, favouring on bigger sets than the first movie in the franchise (at least on Asgard anyway), and the main musical theme isn't as forgettable to me as some of the others. However, the film hosts the worst MCU villain (what a waste of Christopher Ecclestone by the way), has an extremely generic plot, and feels very bland...like the steamed chicken Chris Hemsworth eats everyday to get in shape.
- DirectorJon FavreauStarsRobert Downey Jr.Mickey RourkeGwyneth PaltrowWith 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.My main problem with this movie was how much it tried to be Iron man 1. RDJ is still great, Scarlet Johansson has a great debut in this movie, and Sam Rockwell is actually quite charming here as secondary villain Justin hammer. The action (with the exception of the briefcase scene) is mainly generic, and ends up resorting to the villain fighting Iron Man in another big grey suit. War Machine is introduced, and Don Cheadle does well to keep the character charming and likeable as Terrence Howard's portrayal in the first movie. A lot of the movie feels improvised, but not in a good way, which is unusual seeing as RDJ normally does a great job with this. The music is also pretty forgettable, and too much time is spent on more Avengers set-up.
- DirectorLouis LeterrierStarsEdward NortonLiv TylerTim RothBruce 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.Generic script, generic characters, generic and unbelievable bad guy (sorry Tim Roth) and bad CGI make this movie the MCU's lowest point. It is no wonder that they re-cast Bruce Banner...again.