MCU Ranked (Including Ant-Man and the Wasp)
A new Marvel film has arrived with this year's Ant-Man and the Wasp. How does it stack to the rest of the MCU? Let's see where I would put the 20th film in the MCU. Note that this is simply my ranking and is completely subjective; it is not necessarily based on the quality of the film, though in some cases it will be, but rather the kind of experience I have watching the film, whether it was in theaters or on rewatches.
20. Thor
I don't like Thor. While I don't believe that this is the worst MCU film in terms of quality and performance, something about this film does not appeal to me in the slightest. When watching the film, the character of Thor doesn't come off as relatable, but rather annoying and bratty, which was perhaps the intention, but the execution wasn't so great. Loki wasn't quite hitting his stride and wasn't really the main villain, which made the villain not all that focused. When making this list, I judged these films based on whether or not I'd want to watch this movie right at the moment, and Thor, as per usual, comes at the bottom.
19. The Incredible Hulk
This movie gets a lot of hate. Is it deserved? Not particularly. For all the hate that it gets (for all intents and purposes, this is the runt of the MCU, the forgotten child), this film is fine. It is structurally sound, has mediocre at best visual effects, decent performances, and a couple average (by MCU standards) villains. So why is it so low on my list? Because it's boring. I talked about this a lot in my rewind review, but this film is absolutely boring. You don't care at all about Edward Norton's Bruce Banner; it's nothing that he did specifically, it's simply the way his character was written. Mark Ruffalo's Banner has a type of charisma that Norton is lacking. Liv Tyler and William Hurt are fine; the villain is a CGI hunk of nonsenses. But other than that, this film is exceedingly boring; there is nothing that stands out about the film except for the "Hulk Smash"; and it was done a lot better in The Avengers.
18. Iron Man 2
On a completely opposite note from The Incredible Hulk, we have Iron Man 2. Iron Man 2 is almost the complete opposite of The Incredible Hulk because there is so much fundamentally and intrinsically wrong with the film, yet somehow, Robert Downey, Jr., somehow manages to carry the film to being somewhat entertaining. Getting the bad out of the way, Mickey Rourke is absolutely atrocious as the villain. While some other villains may be bland and cookie-cutter thin, whenever I see Iron Man 2, I question what was going on in Feige and Favreau's heads when they watched the footage back. His performance is next-level bad. The plot is a complete mess; there is nearly nothing coherent, and the party scene with Tony is one of the worst in the MCU. These alone should have dumped this film right down to number 20, as well as numerous other things. BUT, for some reason, whenever Tony Stark, Pepper Potts, and company are interacting on screen, it makes it watchable. Whatever they're doing, you feel invested simply because Tony is just such a compelling character. So, Iron Man 2 lands on the number 18 spot.
17. Thor: The Dark World
This film is another MCU film that gets a bad rap, and I can see why. But regardless of what everyone else says, this isn't the worst way to spend a couple hours. Granted, that's not the quote that anyone wants for their movie on the back of the Blu-Ray, but this film isn't really the worst way to spend your time. It's not nearly the best, hence why it's so low, but it's a "fine, blah" movie. The villain is awful, but not atrocious. The humor is very hit and miss. Loki is the saving grace of the movie; around this time was when everyone started to love the character. I argue that Thor was also very good, just given bad dialogue. I understand why Hemsworth was getting tired of the character, but he was finally starting to find a nice little niche that he expanded on in Thor: Ragnarok. Jane Foster and Darcy Lewis are nothing character and the B-plot with Selvig is ridiculous. Like I said, just a very "blah" movie.
16. Iron Man 3
Iron Man 3 gets a lot of hate. You either love it or you hate it. And I am one of those who don't have either opinion about the film. I think it's fine. There are some sequences that are absolutely brilliant; for example, the Mark 42 is my favorite suit out of all of them. Tat being said, there are some sequences that I think are atrocious, such as the Mandarin twist. Unlike most people, I don't think the twist ruins the entire film, but I do think that it's one of the weirdest, worst sequences in the MCU. The villains are weak, and at a certain point in the movie, I was only watching because of Tony and his tech, not the actual story. The scenes with the kid, Harley, weren't that great either and there was really no point for Tony to be hanging out with him. Overall, there are some good laughs and entertainment, especially in the first thirty to forty minutes, but after that, it goes downhill.
15. Guardians of the Galaxy: Volume 2
This is a film that you can watch once, enjoy for what it is, and forget about it. It's not as good as the first movie in my opinion, simply because it suffers from the same thing as Ant-Man and the Wasp does, which is lack of a sense of urgency. There isn't this impending doom or rising stakes, no matter how low, that are coming upon the film. Even though it is a more personal story between Peter and Ego, I do think that the over reliance on jokes does begin to show itself eventually. I do think this is the point on the list where I can classify these films as "good"; I don't quite consider the previous films to be "good", just enjoyable. I think what saves this movie is the ending scene with Yondu and Peter, as both actors (Pratt and Rooker) really do sell the emotion.
14. Ant-Man
The first Ant-Man was a revelation. Much like Guardians of the Galaxy, this brought forth a new corner of the MCU. It showed us that we could have small-time heroes in their own little part of the universe. I think what really sells this movie is Paul Rudd; he has such an absolute charisma about him that completely relates you to him even before any of his character is revealed. He is the epitome of the "good, average Joe". I think that he carries this film. Additionally, having Michael Douglas and Evangeline Lily, as well as the wonderful Michael Pena make a great supporting cast. But the first time I saw this film, what stood out the most was the shrinking technology that was utilized; when we saw it for the first time used in such creative ways, it was so great to see. So Ant-Man settles in on the number 14 spot in the list.
13. Captain America: The First Avenger
While the second and third Captain America films usually get all the love, this film deserves a lot of credit. It sets up the true mascot, the true icon, heart and soul of the MCU. Steve Rogers is the true epitome of a hero and a good person, and this film shows what he's made of. While it may seem low at number 13, that's simply a testament to how good Marvel has been. This is a really good movie. There are parts where it slows down considerably, and yes the action isn't the best. But other than that, there's nothing else that is really wrong with the film. Red Skull is a great villain and is underrated in my opinion. A quality film, if I do say so myself.
12. Ant-Man and the Wasp
The 20th film in the MCU slots in very nicely at number 12. I believe that this is a better film than the first one, just by a little bit. It improves on the first villain considerably with the Ghost character. I won't say much about the film that I haven't said in the review, posted on the blog, but I'll quick touch upon a few things. The humor is wonderful, the pacing is a little slow, but the dynamics between the characters are awesome as usual. Michael Pena steals the show again and Michelle Pfeiffer is a welcome addition to the MCU. It's one of the rare films in the MCU that isn't connected to anything and I believe that truly benefits it as it tells a truly self-contained story.
11. Guardians of the Galaxy
I didn't like Guardians of the Galaxy as much as I thought I would when I rewatched it. The villain, Ronan the Accuser, is rather weak, and the third act was slightly messy and convoluted. I honestly felt after watching the movie that it was all a set up just to introduce the power stone, but in the middle of it, was a story. But more than the story were the characters, and what truly set this film apart was that it managed to set five characters that all had their own individual personalities and arcs and give them a compelling reason to be part of the same group. Oh, and did I mention that one of them is a talking tree and raccoon?
10. Avengers: Age of Ultron
I think that this is the most underrated film in the MCU. I think that it gets more hate than it deserves. I used to think that Captain America: The First Avenger was the most underrated, but then I rewatched Age of Ultron. It definitely has its flaws. At certain points throughout the film the stakes overtake the feasibility. I think that there are too many quips for the film's own good. That being said, I was utterly shocked at how purely entertaining I found the film. There's so much enjoyment to be had; yes, the B-plot with Vision and Thor isn't the best. But the characters on their own, as well as interacting with each other are wonderful. The Hulk and Iron Man fight in the middle is superb, although it does feel like Whedon just wanted an excuse to see that on the big screen. Ultron was a much better villain than I remember him being, although he still isn't the best, but overall, this makes for a seriously fun ride, and nothing more than that.
9. Black Panther
Black Panther seemed to get too much hype for its own good. I think that the film is great; I think that what it does so well is send deep, controversial, yet important messages in a way that's subtle and open to the audience. On top of that, Chadwick Boseman gives an awesome performance, as well as supporting players Danai Gurrira and Letitia Wright. Michael B. Jordan gives one of the best performances of his career as Erik Killmonger, and the pure Wakandan aspects of the film show that you can build a world in one movie. The world of Wakanda is so truly vibrant and alive, and that's one of the things that I love most about it. Oh, and the Vibraniuim technology is awesome.
8. Iron Man
The film that started it all about ten years ago, the first Iron Man holds up so incredibly well. Yes, Jeff Bridges goes a little nuts at the end of the movie and it turns into a CGI robot slugfest. But the first hour and a half, hour and forty minutes are nearly flawless. There is drive, there is purpose, and there is motivation behind almost every single scene. Robert Downey Jr. gives the resurgence performance of a lifetime. His chemistry with Gwyneth Paltrow makes the film what it is. And seeing the original Iron Man suits in action are some of the best sequences in the entire MCU. Seeing the Mark III suit up for the first time was something that I wish I could see for the first time over and over again. There's some kind of lightning in a bottle that Favreau captured, which makes this the film that it is.
7. Doctor Strange
I didn't remember liking Doctor Strange that much the first time I saw it. But then when I saw it again, I loved it. This is the part of the list where I truly love all the films from here on out. Doctor Strange benefits from some of the best performances in the MCU with brilliant actors Benedict Cumberbath, Rachel McAdams, Tilda Swinton, and Mads Mikkelsen. Now, granted, Kaecillius isn't the best villain, and Dormammu isn't the greatest either, but the fact of the matter is that they're not quite consequential to eh story, at least not as much as other films. This is truly a story about Doctor Stephen Strange finding his way through the mystic arts, and you really get to connect with all the characters. And the action is some of the best in the MCU besides Civil War and Winter Soldier.
6. Avengers
If Iron Man was lightning in a bottle, then this first Avengers film was something else. There is no replicating watching this film for the first time. The first fifteen to twenty minutes are a little shaky, but once it picks up, it really gets going. Seeing this group of characters that were built up before in the previous phase, and seeing how they would interact was something that was unprecedented. The fight scenes are surreal, and above all, the villain, Loki, is phenomenal. Next to Thanos, who dethroned him this year in Infinity War, Loki is the most compelling, scary, and cunning villains in the MCU.
5. Thor: Ragnarok
While I think that the first Avengers is a monumental movie, I think nothing beats the pure entertainment value of the third film in the Thor franchise. This film is a blast from beginning to end, nothing else to it. Yes, there's not much emotional depth in the movie, but there is not a single sequence in the entire movie that bored me. The fight with Hulk and Thor was awesome, as well as any scene with the Grandmaster. Loki, Thor, and Valkyrie make such a great team, and although Hela isn't the best, in the end it doesn't matter that much because this movie is so much fun.
4. Captain America: The Winter Soldier
This was the first movie that I saw in the MCU that I truly realized how brilliant the MCU was. This film is nearly perfect; there are just a few things that are missing. The main villains, Winter Soldier and Pierce, aren't the best, though they do do the trick. The color palette is very dark and grey. And the fake death of Nick Fury we all saw coming. THAT BEING SAID, there are so many awesome things about this movie; the action is absolutely incredible, as well as the acting from Evans, Johansson, and Mackie. There are some compelling, emotional scenes and throughlines, especially with Steve and Bucky. This film is the darkest, grittiest MCU film in my opinion, and it deserves the number four spot.
3. Spider-Man: Homecoming
The third incarnation of Spider-Man, and they got it right. Not only that, they got it nearly perfect. This film is almost COMPLETELY perfect. There isn't anything particularly emotionally deep about the film, but to be quite honest, this movie might jump over Civil War as the number two MCU film. The villain is awesome, Michael Keaton does an amazing job as Vulture, and watching Peter in high school being a normal kid was such a blast to watch. The humor works great, and I think this is almost the complete package. The ONE leg up Civil War and Infinity War have over this film is the action (coincidentally, my top three films all have Holland's Parker), but other than that, this film is awesome.
2. Captain America: Civil War
The film that was my number one MCU film since 2016, Captain America: Civil War had nearly everything. It had heart, depth, political intrigue, friendships torn, great action, wonderful humor. There wasn't much the Russos didn't do with this film, and on top of actually doing these things, they did them spectacularly. The airport battle scene is head and shoulders above any action scene in the MCU thus far. Tony Stark is a great supporting player and antagonist but this is Steve's movie. This is a movie about Steve coming to terms with the ideals of loyalty and friendship and where his true loyalties lie. The ONE thing this film lacks is a strong antagonist, and I believe if they had cut out the Zemo character, good as he may be, then the film would be nearly perfect. But the Zemo character was a typically weak villain from the MCU, which is why the number one film has a leg up on this one. And the number one is...
1. Avengers: Infinity War
Many have criticized Avengers: Infinity War for not being a complete film; it was merely a compilation of events that were put together. And maybe they're right; they probably are. But the fact of the matter is that at the end of the day, the film that I want to watch the most out of these twenty film is this one. This was such a satisfying compilation of all these different narratives coming together in an unprecedented way. The interactions between the characters were priceless, and the action was superb. I think that, yes, at times you can definitely feel the weight of the film, but it picks right back up. Besides, you're never bored watching any part; every single scene has some value and some weight and purpose, which makes this the perfect "MCU" film.
