Every Marvel Cinematic Universe Movie, Ranked from Worst to Best
Remember the golden days of The Avengers? It may seem silly to look back nostalgically on a film that was only 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, Marvel's latest effort, Captain America: Brave New World, has something to say about that. The Anthony Mackie-starring film is finally in cinemas—and it hopes to be the shot in the arm that Marvel needs.
There have been, count ’em, thirty-five MCU movies since Iron Man arrived in 2008. Upcoming films such as Fantastic Four and Thunderbolts*, as well as the return of the X-Men, hope to build momentum for Robert Downey Jr.'s return to Marvel in Avengers: Doomsday. Until then, read on to see where your favourite hero lands in our ranking of every film Marvel has put on the big screen.
35) 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.
34) 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?
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33) 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.
32) 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 favour of about 30 billion superheroes hitting each other until I felt like I’d just gotten off a mildly dangerous carnival ride.
31) 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.
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30) 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.
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29) 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.
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28) 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.
27) 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.
26) 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.
25) 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.
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24) 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.
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23) 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.
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) 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.
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20) Captain America: Brave New World
Nearly all of Marvel's post-Endgame efforts have a lot of pressure to perform, but Captain America: Brave New World has a lot riding on it. Cement Anthony Mackie as the new Captain America! Kick off a new phase of the MCU! Make Harrison Ford believable as a Hulk! Unfortunately, Brave New World doesn't quite meet the moment. Mackie and Ford are characteristically exceptional, but the film's rotating cast of villains, weak conspiratorial plot, and occasionally poor CGI bring Brave New World down to the middle tier of the MCU canon.
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19) 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.
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18) 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.
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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.
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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.
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14) Spider-Man: Far from Home (2019)
After the character was impressively rebooted (again!) with Homecoming, Far from Home establishes Spider-Man as a worthy successor to Tony Stark and a capable new anchor for the franchise after the conclusion of the Iron Man and Captain America storylines. With an impressive cast headed by Tom Holland and Zendaya, Spider-Man’s future in the MCU is bright. And he’s only in high school!
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13) Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022)
Though a bit bloated, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever was able to figure out how to pay homage to the late Chadwick Boseman and preserve his legacy in the franchise moving forward. Namor (Tenoch Huerta) is one of the MCU’s coolest villains yet, and it doesn’t get much more exciting in the Marvel universe than a Black Panther film. Wakanda Forever? We certainly hope so.
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12) Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (2023)
Just as in the second act of a superhero movie itself, all hope felt lost. Following Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania and a run of mediocre Disney+ shows, Marvel fatigue burrowed deep into our capes and costume-weary brains. Now, I won’t say Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 saved the day, but it did arrive just when we needed a reminder of how fun these movies can be. In James Gunn’s last bow before heading to DC full-time, he served up a fittingly rock ’n’ roll final entry for the intergalactic team that surprised us all back in 2014. (Or at least one version of this crew. By now you know better than to leave before the credits wrap.)
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11) Captain America: Civil War (2016)
While previous entries felt overwhelming, stuffed to the brim, and just plain messy, Marvel finally found a good balance in the superheroes-to-story ratio. Even with appearances by literally everyone—and an introduction to the new Spider-Man—Civil War still somehow feels like a Captain America movie.
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10) Avengers: Infinity War (2018)
While the penultimate film with the Avengers title doesn’t continue with the progress seen in other 2017 and 2018 Marvel movies, it does much better in balancing the dozens of moving parts than its predecessor did. If only the greatest heroes in the universe were better at protecting these stupid stones. Maybe Thanos deserves to win...
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9) The Avengers (2012)
The idea seemed doomed. How could Marvel put so many stars, so many heroes into one film? How could it find the proper balance for an interconnected universe with half a dozen blockbusters? Though The Avengers is a touch uneven and a bit dizzying, Marvel pulled off one of the most impressive, ambitious feats in the big-movie business.
8) Spider-Man: No Way Home (2022)
Even though, leading up to its release, Spider-Man: No Way Home felt at times like it couldn’t match its own hype, director Jon Watts and Tom Holland, with all the grace and heart of Peter Parker himself, managed to do it. No Way Home is a celebration of Spider-Man, even if the MCU of it all slightly muddles the character’s coming-of-age story. We’ll remember the feelings we had when we watched this for a long, long time.
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7) Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)
In a refreshing change of pace, Marvel turns a Spider-Man movie into a funny teen drama that gives the supporting characters a chance to feel alive. The biggest accomplishment here, though, is making the sixth Spider-Man film (with the third actor to play Peter Parker) in 15 years somehow one of the character’s greatest big-screen outings.
6) Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)
Even though it falls into the familiar Marvel trap of a big, stupid ending, about two-thirds of Winter Soldier is a riskier and smarter entry in the MCU than most.
5) Avengers: Endgame (2019)
Though the stakes remain low in the Marvel Cinematic Universe—particularly because of lazy plot devices—Endgame does its best to create emotional conclusions for some of the most iconic heroes of the past decade. It might be much of what fans expected, but the film brilliantly wraps up ten years of movies and takes the time to actually focus on its characters.
4) Thor: Ragnarok (2017)
After two very bad Thor movies, director Taika Waititi somehow managed to not only save the franchise but to provide a promising formula for the next generation of Marvel films. Thor: Ragnarok is a hilarious, exciting, and unexpected outing that stands apart from every other entry in the MCU.
3) Iron Man (2008)
It’s the movie that started it all. Iron Man changed not only the superhero genre but the film industry as a whole. Plus, this was the movie that brought Robert Downey Jr. back, as well as the only Iron Man film in which Tony Stark is a lovable asshole rather than just an asshole.
2) Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)
Guardians has everything a Marvel movie should have: an awesome soundtrack, a hilarious script, a unique visual style, its own attitude, an ensemble of fully developed characters, a talking tree, and the rare ability to stand alone among the rest of the films in the universe. Guardians is at once part of the MCU and literally its own galaxy, yet it still provides the backbone for how all these worlds are connected.
1) Black Panther (2018)
Black Panther is unlike any other Marvel movie, one that says something about our world in ways the rest of the Marvel Cinematic Universe doesn’t (despite its best intentions). Featuring a phenomenal collection of actors playing some of the most complex characters found in a superhero movie, Black Panther pairs Chadwick Boseman and Michael B. Jordan as bitter rivals and creates a nuanced thematic conflict that puts most Marvel plotlines to shame. Most importantly: It’s fun as hell, visually dazzling, and a refreshing addition to a film series that desperately needed a boost to keep it from becoming stale.
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