Where will your favourite Marvel movie land on this comprehensive ranking?
It's Marvel Month here at JG Review in honour of Avengers: Infinity War's imminent theatrical release. It's time, then, to finally rank all of the Marvel films. Considering there are 18 films within the MCU to date, this is bound to provoke disagreement, so let me know what you would change in the comments below! This is just...my...opinion.
Reminder: I'll only be ranking the films that take place within the Avengers universe (or MCU [Marvel Cinematic Universe]). Fox's X-Men franchise doesn't come under this bracket.
Okay, let's do this...
I wont lie to you, I haven't even seen this one. It's irrelevant, it's CGI is low-key ugly and it's not Mark Ruffalo behind the monster. The Incredible Hulk is perfectly passable.
17. Iron Man 2 (2010)
While Iron Man 2 introduced Black Widow to movie-goers, it wasn't exactly a good film. A terrible pair of villains and a plethora of awkwardly shot action sequences land this sequel pretty far down on this list.
16. Thor: The Dark World (2013)
Talking of bad villains...meet Malekith the Dark Elf wizard Lord man thing. This film didn't understand Thor as a character nor did it harness Chris Hemsworth's comedic talent. Ultimately, it was far too dark and moody to be enjoyable. It did, though, introduce us to the Reality Stone a.k.a the Aether, which you can learn more about here...
15. Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015)
It's at this part of the list that we get to genuinely enjoyable films. Age of Ultron was a good movie with hugely exciting action sequences and some phenomenal character arcs too. It even redeemed Hawkeye who, while not quite as beloved as Black Widow, was upgraded to a status at least as cool as hers. Despite this, some clunky CGI, a sloppy S.H.I.E.L.D resurgence and an awkward romance between Hulk and Natasha made this film a little bit of a mess.
14. Thor (2011)
Thor was another good film. That's about it though. It did what it needed to do, and it did it well, but it wasn't anything exceptional. Frustratingly, Marvel only managed to nail Thor in his final trilogy installment, but more on that film later...
13. Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)
Captain America's first outing is sorely underrated, but it isn't, granted, a masterpiece either. Introducing us to the phenomenal Agent Carter (played by Hayley Atwell), this slow burn of a movie presents the only love story with actual chemistry in the Marvel Universe save, perhaps, Pepper and Tony in the Iron Man trilogy.
While Carter and Cap undeniably steal the show, this film also sets up the dynamic between Cap and Bucky, a queer-baiting bromance that practically underpins the current emotional complex of Marvel's cinematic world. It is a bit boring in parts but if you give it a chance this film really packs a punch, especially after that emotional finale...
12. Iron Man 3 (2013)
I don't feel like Iron Man 3 deserves all of the slander it receives online. I genuinely loved this film after my first viewing, and while it has very large and very obvious setbacks (including a disappointing villain), I feel like it's here that Downey Jr. shines most as the sarcastic and cutting Tony Stark.
11. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017)
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 is no where near as impressive as the original Guardians flick. Sure, a lot of this has to do with the first film being such a phenomenal surprise, but it does at times feel like Vol. 2 tries to repeat certain moments and jokes from the original which make it feel even more derivative than it ever needed to be. Despite this, the film is packed with genuinely hysterical jokes, larger than life characters, a shockingly moving finale and visuals unlike anything I've seen on screen. Pure cinematic spectacle, this space romp is marvel-lous despite its obvious flaws.
10. Ant-Man (2015)
Considering Ant-Man could have been the dumbest, most absurd Marvel entry to date, what Disney managed to achieve with this fantastic comedy is a cinematic feat. Ant-Man felt original, fresh and was so, so funny. It's CGI was flooring and its action sequences took advantage of the, ahem, aspect ratio in order to keep the audience on the edge of their seats. Combine this with the genuinely interesting Wasp story line and a fantastic cameo from Anthony Mackie's Falcon and you have yourself a great Marvel movie.
Despite this, though, I just can't forgive the film for how it treated Evangeline Lilly's Hope Van Dyne - at least she gets to wear a super suit in this year's Ant-Man and the Wasp...
9. Doctor Strange (2016)
Doctor Strange was another really solid film. I loved the characters it introduced (Tilda Swinton's Chosen One and Rachel McAdam's Christine Palmer) and thought that the visuals were fantastically beautiful and trippy, as if ripped straight from a Jack Kirby comic book. There were also a lot of clever, exciting action sequences within the film - the Hospital fight in particular offered an inventive and thrilling take on the conventional Marvel fight scene.
8. Iron Man (2008)
It's true what they say - the original is often the best. Iron Man was fresh, funny and original, exploring complex themes of morality and self-worth all while set against the backdrop of a real and relevant set of political circumstances. Without Iron Man's success, none of this would have been possible. It's a classic.
Homecoming is a practically perfect film, I really have no complaints. It captured the John Hughes-style high school movie atmosphere excellently and beautifully blends the coming-of-age genre with the superhero one. It's packed with great jokes, vibrant action sequences and some genuinely shocking twists. Add a sprinkling of Iron Man cameos and you have yourself a decidedly great Marvel entry.
6. Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)
This is where we start to get to the MCU movies that prove hard to pull apart. Guardians of the Galaxy had the task of not only introducing a bunch of new, obscure characters to a mainstream audience, but it also had to advance the Marvel world into space as we ventured for the first time into the 'cosmic' - thankfully for us, the film succeeded magnificently. Guardians is also responsible for Chris Pratt's transformation which is in itself a breathtaking contribution to the history of cinema. Come to think of it, it's actually pretty crucial viewing in regards to the plot of Infinity War, so if you haven't seen it what the hell is keeping you?
5. Thor: Ragnarok (2017)
I guess objectively, Thor: Ragnarok is the epitome of an excellent Marvel film. The film's villain Hela (Cate Blanchett) excels in both characterisation and costume design, as does Thor, who's character is finally nailed under this film's comedic style. The film is the most colourful and bonkers entry since Guardians 1, and its score is also phenomenally well produced. To top it off, the film stars fan favourite characters like Mark Ruffalo's Bruce Banner, Hulk, Loki, Doctor Strange, Heimdall and introduces us to Valkyrie - a fantastic, female warrior set to join the Avengers in Infinity War. The end of this film leads directly into Avengers 3, so make sure you're all caught up.
4. Black Panther (2018)
You've seen it, your teacher has seen it, hell, your grandma has probably seen it too. Black Panther isn't just the highest grossing solo superhero film in American history, it's also a fabulous display of black talent, both behind of and in front of the camera lens. Mixing phenomenal storytelling with surprisingly intense socio-political overtones, Black Panther is essential cinematic viewing full stop, regardless of its relevance to the MCU at large. Oh, and the Kendrick Lamar produced soundtrack is insanely good - go listen. You can read my review of Black Panther here.
3. Marvel's The Avengers (2012)
The Avengers (or Avengers: Assemble as it's called in some western countries) was the culmination of years and years of work. Considering that the shared cinematic universe is normalised in today's movie-going culture, it is easy to forget just how satisfying and thrilling it was to see our six original team members finally share the silver screen. The plot was fantastic, the writing was well-done, the CGI looked impressive and the score has become iconic. Not since has a Marvel team up felt to clean and classic. Well, not until...
2. Captain America: Civil War (2016)
Captain America: Civil War. In a lot of ways this film is utter ecstasy. It has the best group superhero fights I have ever witnessed on screen (the Airport bonanza and the final showdown between Cap, Bucky and Tony for example), and for the first time some genuinely real stakes were present for the many characters involved within the plot.
The way that the Russo Brothers managed to balance all of this story while making the film enjoyable and gritty is a testament to their talent. It's only let down by a slightly underwhelming main villain and the fact that you have to have seen all of the previous Marvel films to truly understand what's going on.
1. Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)
Sure, Civil War was more epic than The Winter Soldier, but this political thriller is utter magic to behold. The Russo Brothers offered the film a grittier tone that served to amp up the sheer power of the mysterious Winter Soldier. While we know him now as Bucky, back then the myserious Russian spy was genuinely threatening and his awesome character design perfectly complimented the impressive villain's on-screen presence. Black Widow (above, right) shone in this film through the display of her genuinely impressive super-spy skill-set, and Anthony Mackie's Falcon was an instant fan favourite.
The film was a landmark in the overall plot of the wider Marvel universe - Nick Fury died twice, Agent Carter grappled with dementia, Black Widow escaped arrest for international war crimes, The Winter Soldier turned out to be Cap's tortured best friend (who isn't actually dead by the way) and, oh yeah, S.H.I.E.L.D was actually run by a surviving World War 2 Nazi organisation this entire time. None of this heavy plot bogs down the enjoyment of the film, though, as brutally enjoyable action scenes simmer alongside Marvel's familiar humour in a delicious cinematic soup sure to please audiences.
Branded by NeoGAF as the "Best Spy Film of the Decade" and by TOI as "one of the finest of the superhero genre", Captain America: The Winter Soldier is more than just a hugely memorable Marvel movie. It's the best.
So, what did you guys think of my ranking? Do you agree with me, or have I ranked your favourite Marvel film so low down the list that you're already writing me hate mail? Let me know in the comments below, and check out my other Marvel posts here.
Written by James Green
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