All MCU Movies Ranked (Including Thor: Ragnarok)
It's insane to think that the Marvel Cinematic Universe, birthed in 2008 with the smash success of Iron Man, is now 17 films deep and charging full speed ahead towards the Infinity War. With the recent release of Thor: Ragnarok, it's time to rank all 17 movies that the MCU has given us.
17. Thor (2011): This may not be as conventional of a last pick as some other people, but personally, I had a problem with Thor. While it was ambitious in the sense that it was beginning to expand the realm of the cosmos in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the conflicting tones took me out of the film immediately. People often don't remember that Tom HIddleston's Loki did not come into his own in this film, and launching him along with the Destroyer as the film's villains fell flat. It felt like an overdramatic, simplified performance, versus the complex character we got in The Avengers. And transitioning from this epic Asgard adventure, which I thought was enjoyable (but also overdramatic) to Earth, where Thor is making comedy by being hit by cars did not settle right with me. The movie also had a very dull color palette, making it dreary to look at, what with Jotunheim and Earth being very monotone. Chris Hemsworth, who has now completely come into his own as the god of thunder, was still adjusting and finding his place in all of this mystical nonsense, and it shows - while not a terrible movie by any stretch of the imagination, Thor ultimately was a disappointment to me.
16. The Incredible Hulk (2008): What sets apart The Incredible Hulk from other movies in the MCU is that there is very little to enjoy in this movie. Even Thor had redeeming moments in it, albeit the worse aspects of the film outweighed them heavily. But The Incredible Hulk was just a "blah" film. With mediocre action and character development, as well as some truly monotonous and boring exposition with set up for characters that never pay off, Edward Norton's Bruce Banner fails to carry a film that, while not attempting to be an epic film in grandeur, still failed to be at the very least, entertaining.
15. Iron Man 2 (2010): Iron Man 2 is a very interesting film. In complete opposition to the previous MCU film, it is by no means boring. That is not to say that it is good. The good scenes pop out you and scream "I belong in a different movie". For example, the race track scene in Monaco - directed very well with great visuals and high stakes. But the jarring parts of the film ("I want my bird!") completely take you out of the film and make you wonder what Jon Favreau was doing. The film had too many conflicting storylines (as another film higher on the list did as well, to a lesser extent): Tony's alcoholism, the Iron Man suit as a government tool, Whiplash, Tony's father, SHIELD, Nick Fury, Black Widow. The storylines all convened at one point in the end that made little sense and culminated in a weak film that merely served as a launching pad to The Avengers.
14. Thor: The Dark World (2013): Thor: The Dark World suffers many of the same troubles that plagued Thor. Conflicting tone, underdeveloped characters, and a weak villain. However, what Thor: The Dark World got right was the character GROWTH in characters that we have come to love and admire. In actuality, the beginning third of the film was very enjoyable, listening the backstory of the Dark Elves with Bor and Odin, and setting up an epic tale. This is also the film where Loki steps into the spotlight for good as Tom HIddlsteon grabs hold of the character and doesn't let go. Hemsworth also shines as Thor, learning the nuances and subtleties of his character. And yet, something felt missing: perhaps is was the entire Jane Foster arc that could have been omitted, perhaps it was Darcy and her intent (what?), or perhaps it was Malekith. But in the end, Thor: The Dark World, while admittedly enjoyable, falls flat in the end.
13. Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015): Avengers: Age of Ultron was a film that I had such high expectations for. And to be quite honest, the first couple times I saw this film, I thought I loved it. I truly tricked myself into believing that I loved this film. And this film isn't bad, believe me. From here on out, I would classify the rest of the movies as at least decent/good films. But the more times I saw it, the more I began to see inherent flaws in the storylines and the characters. It was very apparent that Joss Whedon had ideas that he wanted to implement, but had no real way of connecting them, which is where Marvel Studios stepped in. It feels very much like a movie made by committee with a script written by Joss Whedon but a storyline contrived by the studios. "All the characters are back together inexplicably, Iron Man fights the Hulk, Ultron has a huge final battle, we introduce Vision because we need to, and all the characters end up here." That was essentially this movie. However, there is a lot to love about Age of Ultron The Hulkbuster fight is some spectacular cinema, using great general and visual effects. For what it's worth, and many may disagree with me, I enjoyed what they did with Hawkeye. Did it belong in this film? Perhaps no, but I still think that the development they gave him was well earned. And the introduction of the new characters, Klaw, Ulttron, Vision, Quiksilver, and Scarlet Witch worked very well as they all (well, most) continue to be huge parts of the MCU moving forward.
12. Captain America: The First Avenger (2011): Unlike Chris Hemsworth's Thor, who took a couple movies to really hit his stride, Chris Evans was Steve Rogers from the very beginning. From his beginnings as a scrawny, small Brooklyn kid trying to serve his country, to the titular Captain America, Chris Evans knew exactly what this character was and played him almost perfectly from the beginning. I think that this film, while not as flashy or overly creative as some of the other origin stories in the MCU, is one the best told. From the beginning to about the hour and a half mark, this film was looking to be one of the very best. And then the World War II montage began. While not awful, it felt like its as part of a completely different movie and took me out for awhile as I watched Steve punch Nazis with his Howling Commandos. People often don't give Hugo Weaving's Red Skull much credit, but I think that he was a superior villain to any that we had previously seen, followed closely by Obadiah State. Overall, this film does an amazing job at setting up what would become one of the best heroes in the Avengers - yet it lost its footing about 2/3 of the way through and could never recover.
11. Ant-Man (2015): Ant-Man came out of left field - nobody saw the success of this movie coming. In fact, it has a higher Rotten Tomatoes score the Avengers: Age of Ultron which came out that very same year. While it may seem like it's low on the list, Ant-Man is one of the most enjoyable MCU films to date. The only reason that it's not higher is because the other films have a little more "oomph" factor where they hit you harder with either visuals, laughs, or stakes, and because the villain of the film was wholly lackluster. Yellowjacket is the scapegoat that many would point to when saying that Marvel has terrible villains. Even most other villains in the MCU deemed not worthy had great performances - to this day, I'm still not quite sure what Corey Stoll was trying to do. Regardless, this film knew where it lay with the stakes, and ran with the characters that they had. All the actors came to play in this movie - Paul Rudd, Evangeline Lilly, and of course, Michael Pena. Michael Douglas makes a great Hank Pym that surprisingly fits very seamlessly into the mix, making for a highly entertaining film.
10. Guardians of the Galaxy: Volume 2 (2017): After the smash success of Guardians of the Galaxy (more on that later), the sequel had a lot to live up to. And things were looking excellent as the marketing had promised yet another hilarious romp through space with our favorite band of misfits. And while the laughs kept coming, and coming, and coming, and coming... and kept coming the story got lost beneath it. The characters we loved are all back and we continue to love them because of the way that James Gunn handles them so beautifully. The introduction of new Guardians Mantis and Nebula are also great as they add an extra layer to our current roster. And yet, while the whole idea behind Peter's father was a good thought, the film had no idea where it wanted to go and what it wanted to be. It lacked the depth and heart that other films had, and what saved it from being lower on the list was the sheer amount of laughs and the final scene with Yondu and Peter. But it was not a bad film at all - lots of hilarious jokes, great acting, quippy dialogue, and some great action scenes.
9. Iron Man 3 (2013): To be honest, with you, I've had a love-hate relationship with this movie. Iron Man 3 was very "eh" when I first saw it back in 2013, and when I saw it again, continued to be very "eh", if not transcending even lower on the scale. And yet, when I saw it again for the third time, things started to click with me, and I began to see just how brilliant this film actually was. The action in this film is incredible, with the superb visual effects. And probs to Tyler Bates for making one of the first, truly memorable scores in the MCU (I haven't forgotten about you Alan Silverstri). The cinematic feel of the action scenes really adds another level to this film that almost none of the other MCU had had up to that point. And the humor had such a unique, Shane Black feel which I really enjoyed. As for the Mandarin, was I disappointed at first? Absolutely. In the trailers, I was promised a threatening terrorist who was set to rock Tony's world. And while I was disappointed that we had not gotten this, I've learned to come to grips wit it and laugh every time I see the Mandarin twist. So props off to Marvel and Shane black for trying to something new - it worked, just not as well as it could have.
8. Doctor Strange (2016): The more I think about Doctor Strange, the more I love this film. Benedict Cumberbatch shines and makes this role his own as the neuroscientist Stephen Strange. What sets this apart from other MCU movies is its willingness to explore other corners of the MCU. The cast is great, with Tilda Swinton, Mads Mikkelsen, and chwetel Ejiofor. And while Kaecillius may not have been the greatest villain of all time, he did his part and lead the way for one of the best third acts in a Marvel film. The action in this film is absolutely incredible as Scott Derrickson utilizes visual effects masterfully. Overall, as we watch the progression of Stephen Strange, we become invested into everything that he is doing - and the takes for a great origin story.
7. Iron Man (2008): One of the first, and one of the best. Iron Man proved to the world that Marvel could do it right, and they could do it right with actors that people had forgotten about. In 2008, seldom anyone was talking about Robert Downey Jr., Jeff Bridges, or Gweneth Paltrow. Nobody was talking about Jon Favreau either, and certainly no one cared a lick about Marvel. Yet, somehow, Favreau brought all these talented, amazing actors together and created a film so special, that in some ways it cannot be rivaled. Yes, the third act is messy and ends with two robots punching each other, which has lost its nuance over the years. But seeing the Iron Man suit take off and fly for the first time was something that is unparalleled. Seeing Tony suit up for the very first time gives you the sense of awe and wonder that had never been seen before - and for that, Iron Man will always be remembered.
6. Thor: Ragnarok (2017): As evidenced by the poster alone, Thor: Ragnarok is one of the most vibrant and lively films to date in the MCU. The color scheme pops out as you, which perfectly sets the tone in this space adventure, Throughout the Thor films, you see the progression of all the characters as the actors slowly begin to become more comfortable in their roles. Here, you see the culmination of the. Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth, and Tom Hiddleston absolutely own their roles as Hulk/Banner, Thor, and Loki. And above all else, this is such a Taika Waititi film. His fingerprints are all over this movie, in his signature trademark humor to his quirky characters. Thor: Ragnarok, being the 17th MCU movie to date, is miraculously one of the most fresh and so highly entertaining. Almost everything about this movie is perfect - just a couple things that prevented it from being much higher. Cate Blanchett acts so magnificently through this film; yet as is the problem with other MCU films, the character is underused and underdeveloped. And while this film does not lack in laughs, it somewhat lacks and yearns for a heart and soul, which it misses greatly. Yet, Thor: Ragnarok still manages to be one of the greatest MCU films to date, and by FAR the best movie starring the god of thunder.
5. The Avengers (2012): Many will say that this film is their favorite out of the MCU simply because there is nothing in the world that can replicate the awe and wonder the one feels when watching the heroes line up together for the very first tie and do battle. And they are completely right. I think that the Avengers is a testament and a benchmark as to how far Marvel had come throughout Phase one of their films. Each and every character got their moment (minus Hawkeye), and Joss Whedon hit a grand slam when it came to the visuals and the story behind this film. And above all, this film still has the best villain the entirety of the MCU - Loki. This is the film where everyone took notice of him and where he grabbed hold of his role and took the charge in leading the way for villains. And while not many other great ones have arisen, this is still one of the greatest accomplishments in modern cinema.
4. Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014): If Captain America: The First Avenger, led the way with being a great origin story, Captain America: The Winter Soldier takes the character of Steve Rogers, matches him perfectly with characters such as Falcon and Black Widow, and takes everything he knows and tears it apart. This is how to make a great drama - take what your existing characters think they know and turn it on their heads. Steve sees the world as black and white, and the Russo brothers tear that idea apart and explore what that means for him in both this film and the next in the trolly. And speaking of the Russo brothers, who say that coming? They way they masterfully execute action and tell a story in such an engaging way left me breathless when I walked out of the film. This movie did for Steve Rogers what Ragnarok did for Thor - took their character, stripped them of what they thought they knew, and threw them into a vulnerable position where they had to fight to bring back what they thought was right. This film is absolutely incredible.
3. Guardians of the Galaxy (2014): In complete and utter contrast to The Winter Soldier, Guardians of the Galaxy is a masterpiece in its own way. It is essentially The Avengers without five films of set up before hand, and how James Gunn managed to make us care bout a Raccoon and a talking Tree is completely and utterly beyond me. His unique style broke through the seams of a Marvel film, with his off-kilter humor and his signature character moments. The soundtrack of this film also blends so seamlessly with the action, whether it be Hooked on a Feeling, or any other number of songs that Peter Quill and co. listen to. I will admit that the first time I saw this movie, I wasn't nearly as impressed, but when I saw it again, I was blown away at how incredibly funny it was - this is humor and a space opera done right. Oh and also Thanos shows up - finally.
2. Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017): I could not have imagined for a million years that this would be one of the best MCU films. But here we stand, three Spider-Men in, two reboots deep and 16 films caught in the MCU and Tom Holland nailed Spider-Man. Finally. What Jon Watts was able to do with this character was bring him back to his roots. Make him a child again, take what we knew and loved about Spider-Man and bring it all onto the big screen. Many had problems with the amount of technology that he had in his suit, but I thought that only added to the character when it got taken away. Iron Man is in this film a perfect amount, lending the role as a "father figure" perfectly. And finally, we get a villain worth our time - Adrian Toomes aka the Vulture is one of the best villains, closely behind Loki, that we have seen in the MCU. What Spider-Man: Homecoming does is revitalize a character and a franchise that we have all been waiting to love; we just never fully had the chance to.
1. Captain America: Civil War (2016): This movie has everything that anyone would ever want, dream of, or even think of in a superhero movie. Incredible characters, an ensemble cast that melds together so perfectly, incredible action, the introduction of fan-favorite new characters, humor, and most of all, depth. This is how to do a superhero film. The ideologies behind Steve Rogers and Tony Stark are brought to a head as they battle it out. the way the Russo brothers filmed their action scenes and took these characters to places that we had never thought was so truly inspiring and impressive. The introductions of Black Panther and Spider-Man weaved their way so seamlessly into the film that it wasn't jarring at all. This film knew what it wanted to do and what it wanted to be, setting the bar very high - this is the quintessential superhero film.
