Marvel StudiosDread it, run from it; our ranking of every Marvel movie in the MCU has arrived (including Fantastic Four).
In the late 2000s, there was an idea: to bring together a group of not-so-remarkable heroes to see if they could become something more. The resulting cataclysm was the MCU, a big-screen empire that revolutionized Hollywood with unprecedented serialized storytelling and eye-watering box office returns.
Its achievement is undeniable, but it’s also the blanket covering the harsh truth: some Marvel movies have been pretty naff — dreadful, even, especially without the rose-tinting hype of Thanos and his finger-snapping oblivion that brought pop culture to its knees.
Yet, for those lows — and god, they are low — the highs have been extraordinary, responsible for some of the most euphoric moments in movie theater history. So, with that in mind, we’ve been through every superhero movie in Marvel’s big screen canon to bring you a defintive ranking of MCU films. Oh, and if you want to know what we made of the Marvel shows well you’ll have to read that separate list.
37. Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (2023)
Marvel Studios- Release date: February 17, 2023
- Director: Peyton Reed
- Cast: Paul Rudd, Evangeline Lilly, Michael Douglas, Michelle Pfeiffer, Kathryn Newton, Jonathan Majors
- Runtime: 2 hours 5 minutes
What it’s about: Scott Lang aka Ant-Man, Hope van Dyne aka the Wasp, and his daughter Cassie end up stuck in the Quantum Realm, and they need to broker a deal with a mysterious figure to get back home: Kang.
What we think: A strong contender for one of the most aggravatingly and embarrassingly bad big-budget movies of the 2020s to date. It’s a total misfire; an eye-meltingly ugly sludge-fest that misplaces one of the MCU’s best heroes in an environment that removes any of his novelty.
Jonathan Majors’ Kang was a formidable threat… from the outset, instead rendered a puny footnote alongside the franchise’s most baffling villain: MODOK, brought to life with all the grace of a blurry, unfunny PNG. It’s appalling; don’t trust its defenders.
36. Thor: The Dark World (2013)
Marvel Studios- Release date: November 8, 2013
- Director: Alan Taylor
- Cast: Chris Hemsworth, Tom Hiddleston, Natalie Portman, Anthony Hopkins, Christopher Eccleston
- Runtime: 1 hour 52 minutes
What it’s about: In the aftermath of The Avengers, Thor fights to restore order across the cosmos, but an ancient race led by the vengeful Malekith returns to plunge the universe back into darkness.
What we think: What is there to say about Thor: The Dark World? Very little, considering it’s still a struggle to recall much of the plot — which is a considerable death knell, given the MCU’s pride in its interconnected storytelling. Worse yet, a film this forgettable is (apparently) essential to the Infinity Stone lore; just watch a recap on YouTube.
In truth, it’s only worth watching in a post-Endgame and Loki context… or you could just watch one of the better Thor films.
35. The Incredible Hulk (2008)
Marvel Studios- Release date: June 13, 2008
- Director: Louis Leterrier
- Cast: Edward Norton, Liv Tyler, William Hurt, Tim Roth, Tim Blake Nelson
- Runtime: 1 hour 52 minutes
What it’s about: Scientist Bruce Banner desperately hunts for a cure to the gamma radiation that poisoned his cells and unleashes the Hulk, all while avoiding General Thunderbolt Ross and fending off the military machinery that wants to exploit his power.
What we think: The Incredible Hulk is the MCU’s biggest oddity: a post-Ang Lee (underrated, by the way) and pre-Avengers paranoid monster thriller with Ed Norton’s one-and-done turn as Bruce Banner at its gamma-hued core.
It’s not as terrible as some would have you believe; the CGI is grotesque to its detriment, and its action is loud and bombastic (again, to a fault), but it’s also lean and largely unshackled to anything but itself (except Captain America: Brave New World, bafflingly). If only Marvel allowed itself to have a little “Hulk, smash!” fun now and again.
34. Thor: Love and Thunder (2022)
Marvel Studios- Release date: July 8, 2022
- Director: Taika Waititi
- Cast: Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman, Christian Bale, Tessa Thompson
- Runtime: 1 hour 59 minutes
What it’s about: As Thor tries to discover who he really is, he learns about a grave threat to the universe: a galactic killer known as Gorr the God Butcher, who seeks the extinction of the gods. To combat the threat, Thor enlists the help of King Valkyrie, Korg, and ex-girlfriend Jane Foster, who now wields Mjolnir.
What we think: Thor: Love and Thunder is Too Much of a Good Thing: The Movie. Taika Waititi’s overbearing, irreverent idiosyncrasy threatens to turn the whole thing into a try-hard skit, leaving it feeling rather slight and often grating.
There are some neat visual ideas, like Natalie Portman’s superb return as Mighty Thor and inspired casting with Christian Bale as Gorr the God Butcher — but we don’t even see him butcher any gods! That’s enough to make you scream like one of those giant goats.
33. Black Widow (2021)
Marvel Studios- Release date: July 9, 2021
- Director: Cate Shortland
- Cast: Scarlett Johansson, David Harbour, Florence Pugh, O-T Fagbenle, Rachel Weisz
- Runtime: 2 hours 13 minutes
What it’s about: Natasha Romanoff confronts her dark past when a dangerous conspiracy arises – not to mention a formidable foe, Taskmaster. This forces her to reunite with her sister, Yelena, and the rest of her family.
What we think: Black Widow is a prequel… that also takes place after Captain America: Civil War… that comes before Infinity War and Scarlett Johansson’s Soul Stone freefall in Endgame… that kind of acts as an epilogue before the story’s even over.
Its incongruous, surely unplanned story placement and dodgy CGI aside, the cast is terrific, particularly Florence Pugh’s Yelena and David Harbour’s Red Guardian (both of whom, funnily enough, return in Thunderbolts).
32. Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness (2022)
Marvel Studios- Release date: May 6, 2022
- Director: Sam Raimi
- Cast: Benedict Cumberbatch, Elizabeth Olsen, Benedict Wong, Rachel McAdams, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Xochitl Gomez
- Runtime: 2 hours 6 minutes
What it’s about: Doctor Strange teams up with a mysterious teenage girl from his dreams who can travel across multiverses, and they’re forced to face off against an unlikely adversary: the Scarlet Witch.
What we think: We were promised multiversal madness. Instead, we got a smattering of somewhat wacky New York Cities, wish-fulfillment cameos, and a villainous turn shallows the impressive, still-unmatched depth of WandaVision.
Thank goodness for Sam Raimi, then, who galvanizes a messy script with his knack for lively, rollicking horror. Alas, for all of its spaghettification and undead fun, there’s still a tedious sense of it needing to slot comfortably into the Marvel machine.
31. Iron Man 2 (2010)
Marvel Studios- Release date: May 7, 2010
- Director: Jon Favreau
- Cast: Robert Downey Jr., Gwyneth Paltrow, Don Cheadle, Mickey Rourke, Sam Rockwell, Scarlett Johansson
- Runtime: 2 hours 4 minutes
What it’s about: With the world now aware that he is Iron Man, Tony Stark faces pressure from all sides to share his technology with the military. With Pepper Potts and Rhodey by his side, Tony must forge new alliances and confront a powerful new enemy.
What we think: Without Iron Man 2, “Next time, baby” wouldn’t be half as funny as it is. Nevertheless, despite its rock-em-sock-em spectacle and pivotal introductions of Johannson’s super spy and Don Cheadle’s recast Rhodey, not to mention Sam Rockwell’s scene-stealing turn as Justin Hammer, there’s an emptiness to this sequel that’s hard to shake; almost like it’s nothing more than a retread of Tony Stark’s initial arc and set-up for The Avengers.
30. The Marvels (2023)
Marvel Studios- Release date: November 10, 2023
- Director: Nia DaCosta
- Cast: Brie Larson, Teyonah Parris, Iman Vellani, Zawe Ashton, Samuel L. Jackson
- Runtime: 1 hour 45 minutes
What it’s about: Carol Danvers becomes entangled with Kamala Khan, aka Ms. Marvel, and Carol’s estranged niece, Captain Monica Rambeau, and they team up to save the universe from a new threat.
What we think: The Marvels is not bad. It’s almost entirely harmless, strengthened by Brie Larson’s charisma and Iman Vellani’s irresistibly charming big-screen debut as Ms Marvel and slick direction by Nia DaCosta.
So, what’s the problem? How about the paper-thin villain, the super-speed plotting, and two pre/post-credits teases that should have been exciting but earned little more than a shrug? Enjoyable, much like ice cream with sprinkles — but certainly not rich.
29. Ant-Man and the Wasp (2019)
Marvel Studios- Release date: November 10, 2023
- Director: Nia DaCosta
- Cast: Brie Larson, Teyonah Parris, Iman Vellani, Zawe Ashton, Samuel L. Jackson
- Runtime: 1 hour 45 minutes
What it’s about: Carol Danvers becomes entangled with Kamala Khan, aka Ms. Marvel, and Carol’s estranged niece, Captain Monica Rambeau, and they team up to save the universe from a new threat.
What we think: The Marvels is not bad. It’s almost entirely harmless, strengthened by Brie Larson’s charisma and Iman Vellani’s irresistibly charming big-screen debut as Ms Marvel and slick direction by Nia DaCosta.
So, what’s the problem? How about the paper-thin villain, the super-speed plotting, and two pre/post-credits teases that should have been exciting but earned little more than a shrug? Enjoyable, much like ice cream with sprinkles — but certainly not rich.
28. Captain America: New World Order (2025)
Marvel Studios- Release date: February 14, 2025
- Director: Julius Onah
- Cast: Anthony Mackie, Danny Ramirez, Giancarlo Esposito, Tim Blake Nelson, Harrison Ford
- Runtime: 1 hour 58 minutes
What it’s about: Five months after Thaddeus Ross is elected president, Sam Wilson – the newly inducted Captain America – is called into the White House for a special assignment: rebuilding the Avengers. However, things become tense after an incident almost kills Ross and threatens a treaty concerning the remains of Tiamut (the big, abandoned Celestial from Eternals) and its adamantium.
What we think: Captain America: Brave New World isn’t a return to the MCU’s halcyon days, nor a step into bold, uncharted franchise territory. Instead, it’s a profoundly mid, muddled actioner that’s just entertaining enough; something that can’t be said about its predecessors.
It’s pretty exhilarating to see a Hulk (even if it’s not the Hulk) be a terrifying threat again. If only the rest of the film felt as exciting and creatively coherent as those scenes.
27. Thor (2011)
Marvel Studios- Release date: May 6, 2011
- Director: Kenneth Branagh
- Cast: Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman, Tom Hiddleston, Anthony Hopkins, Idris Elba
- Runtime: 1 hour 55 minutes
What it’s about: As the son of Odin, king of the Norse gods, Thor will soon inherit the throne of Asgard. However, Thor ends up being banished to Earth without his powers, leaving his brother Loki to plot mischief at home.
What we think: The fish-out-of-water hijinks are amusing (“Another!”), Kenneth Branagh’s direction is grand and otherworldly (something too easily lost in other sights of Asgard), and Chris Hemsworth’s nascent performance as Thor showed potential.
However, if we try to ignore all the boring Earthbound stuff (which we can’t), the first movie in the trilogy has to be hailed for one reason above all else: giving us Tom Hiddleston’s Loki, the MCU’s greatest character. “For you, for all of us.”
26. Captain Marvel (2019)
Marvel Studios- Release date: March 8, 2019
- Director: Anna Boden & Ryan Fleck
- Cast: Brie Larson, Samuel L. Jackson, Ben Mendelsohn, Lashana Lynch, Jude Law
- Runtime: 2 hours 5 minutes
What it’s about: Set in the 1990s, Captain Marvel follows the journey of Carol Danvers as she becomes one of the universe’s most powerful heroes. While a galactic war between two alien races reaches Earth, Danvers finds herself and a small cadre of allies at the center of the maelstrom.
What we think: Earth, or as Captain Marvel‘s galactic characters call it, “C-53”, is a “real sh*thole”. How else can you explain how it took 11 years for the franchise to deliver a female-led solo superhero movie? Brie Larson is perfectly cast as Carol Danvers, but it ended up being a distinctly Phase One pre-Endgame appetizer: progressive, thematically powerful, but missing a little wonder.
25. Shang-Chi and the Legend of the 10 Rings (2021)
Marvel Studios- Release date: September 3, 2021
- Director: Destin Daniel Cretton
- Cast: Simu Liu, Awkwafina, Tony Leung, Michelle Yeoh
- Runtime: 2 hours 12 minutes
What it’s about: Shang-Chi must confront the past he thought he left behind when he’s drawn into the web of the mysterious Ten Rings organization.
What we think: How did the MCU manage to bag Tony Leung as The Mandarin? How did Destin Daniel Cretton shoot that bruising, terrific bus fight, with Simu Liu displaying serious martial arts gusto?
How did the movie weave enchanting spectacle and folklore — particularly that Crouching Tiger-inspired ‘dance’ in the Bamboo Forrest — while being mindful of the MCU’s future? And why did it descend into a grey, bland finale after so much promise? These are all valid questions.
24. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022)
Disney/Marvel- Release date: November 11, 2022
- Director: Ryan Coogler
- Cast: Letitia Wright, Lupita Nyong’o, Danai Gurira, Winston Duke, Tenoch Huerta Mejía, Angela Bassett
- Runtime: 2 hours 41 minutes
What it’s about: As the people of Wakanda mourn the death of King T’Challa, they’re forced to protect their nation from intervening world powers and find a new path for their beloved kingdom.
What we think: Chadwick Boseman is Black Panther, and while his passing rightly shook the world, it’s hard to imagine how Ryan Coogler honed and overcame his grief to create not just a watchable blockbuster but — at its best — a moving, spectacular elegy that honors a pop culture icon.
Its bloated ambition is worthy of criticism — did we really need another death? — as are its murkier deep-sea visuals, made worse when compared to Avatar: The Way of Water, but even if it doesn’t invite much desire for a rewatch, it feels like its own miracle
23. Eternals (2021)
Marvel Studios- Release date: November 5, 2021
- Director: Chloé Zhao
- Cast: Gemma Chan, Richard Madden, Kumail Nanjiani, Brian Tyree Henry, Lauren Ridloff, Barry Keoghan, Don Lee, Kit Harington, Salma Hayek, Angelina Jolie
- Runtime: 2 hours 36 minutes
What it’s about: After the events of Avengers: Endgame, ancient aliens who have been living on Earth in secret for thousands of years emerge from the shadows to reunite against mankind’s most ancient enemy, the Deviants.
What we think: So, there’s a movie where Angelina Jolie slices and dices lava rocks falling from the sky, and people think it’s bad? They’re fools because Eternals is actually one of the most underrated movies in the Marvel Cinematic Universe: epic, intimate, and flawed in ways that make it feel singular, reckoning with cosmic forces more thoughtfully than anything before or since. Also, it has the best-ever portrayal of super-speed in live-action.
22. Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015)
Marvel Studios- Release date: May 1, 2015
- Director: Joss Whedon
- Cast: Robert Downey Jr., Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner, Don Cheadle, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Elizabeth Olsen, Paul Bettany, Cobie Smulders, James Spader, and Samuel L. Jackson
- Runtime: 2 hours 21 minutes
What it’s about: When Tony Stark tries to jumpstart a dormant peacekeeping program, things go awry and Earth’s mightiest heroes are put to the ultimate test. As the villainous Ultron emerges, it is up to the Avengers to stop him from enacting his terrible plans.
What we think: Age of Ultron is muddled and overstuffed; an exercise in planting seeds that do pay off, eventually, at a dramatic cost in the present (and that Black Widow “monster” line… woof).
But, here’s the thing: it is a helluva good time at the movies, filled with laughs (“Language!”), thrills, some exceptionally giddy teases (in hindsight, Cap shifting Mjolnir), and the SPADER-9000 delivering an ultra-menacing turn as a rogue, homicidal AI.
21. Deadpool & Wolverine (2024)
Marvel Studios- Release date: July 26, 2024
- Director: Shawn Levy
- Cast: Ryan Reynolds, Hugh Jackman, Emma Corrin, Matthew Macfadyen
- Runtime: 2 hours 8 minutes
What it’s about: Wade Wilson is ripped from his reality and wakes up in the Time Variance Authority, where a high-ranking agent has a radical plan to give Deadpool the one thing he craves: purpose. This involves a team-up with Wolverine… and a face-off against Cassandra Nova.
What we think: Deadpool & Wolverine is more of a novelty than a movie; an excuse to hack, slash, and curse up a storm in Marvel’s expanded playground for two hours, while honoring the bygone Fox universe.
That isn’t a bad thing: this is an R-rated sugar rush unlike anything the MCU has ever produced, and that makes it a must-see experience. Its issues (ugly visuals, irritating jokes, flimsy story) play second fiddle to nostalgia and shameless joy; in other words, let’s f**king go.
20. Iron Man 3 (2013)
Marvel Studios- Release date: May 3, 2013
- Director: Shane Black
- Cast: Robert Downey Jr., Gwyneth Paltrow, Don Cheadle, Guy Pearce
- Runtime: 2 hours 10 minutes
What it’s about: When Tony Stark finds his personal world destroyed at his enemy’s hands, he embarks on a harrowing quest to find those responsible, left to survive by his own devices, relying on his ingenuity and instincts to protect those closest to him.
What we think: Iron Man 3 is, bafflingly, one of the most divisive movies in the MCU — when it’s easily in the higher tiers. Admittedly, it had to follow the box-office-blazing exploits of The Avengers, but this isn’t an insignificant entry: it dealt with the mental consequences of Tony Stark’s wormhole heroics, boasted a standout “barrel of monkeys” set-piece, and featured a notorious (and hilarious) twist.
19. Doctor Strange (2016)
Marvel Studios- Release date: November 4, 2016
- Director: Scott Derrick
- Cast: Benedict Cumberbatch, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Rachel McAdams, Benedict Wong, Mads Mikkelsen, and Tilda Swinton
- Runtime: 1 hour 55 minutes
What it’s about: Dr. Stephen Strange’s life changes forever after a horrific car accident robs him of the use of his hands. When traditional medicine fails him, he is forced to look for healing in a mysterious enclave known as Kamar-Taj. Soon, he’s armed with magical powers – and the possibility of becoming the Sorcerer Supreme.
What we think: The implications of Doctor Strange’s entry into the MCU were tremendously exciting: magic, multiple dimensions, and a war between sorcerers. That, and the movie was pretty great (barring the criminal underuse of Rachel McAdams), with Benedict Cumberbatch a loathsome-until-he’s-likable hero and inventive, Inception-y action making immersive use of CGI.
18. Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019)
Marvel Studios- Release date: July 2, 2019
- Director: Jon Watts
- Cast: Tom Holland, Zendaya, Samuel L. Jackson, Cobie Smulders, Jon Favreau, Jake Gyllenhaal
- Runtime: 2 hours 10 minutes
What it’s about: After Tony Stark’s death, Peter Parker tries to take a break from his Spider-Man duties and embark on a school trip to Europe. However, Nick Fury arrives and recruits him for a mission, and he meets a new ally: Mysterio.
What we think: Spider-Man’s rogues gallery is famously wacky and wonderful. So, it’s rather fitting in a post-Thanos world — and, importantly, post-Tony Stark — that the perfect character to help explore the vulnerability and future of our favorite web-slinger is a fish-bowl-wearing, cape-donning eccentric with a knack for VFX.
17. Ant-Man (2015)
Marvel Studios- Release date: July 17, 2015
- Director: Peyton Reed
- Cast: Paul Rudd, Michael Douglas, Evangeline Lilly, Michael Peña, Corey Stoll
- Runtime: 1 hour 57 minutes
What it’s about: After he’s forced out of his own company, Dr. Hank Pym recruits Scott Lang, a master thief, who learns how to use the Ant-Man suit as they figure out a plan to protect his secrets and pull off a heist that will save the world.
What we think: Who knows what Edgar Wright’s Ant-Man movie would have looked like — but Peyton Reed’s first effort ensured we wouldn’t spend our time pining for the film that never happened. Not only is it a zippy, highly watchable superhero movie with well-constructed, visually nifty set pieces, but it’s also genuinely funny, thanks to Paul Rudd’s innate charisma (and Michael Peña’s “But I got the van!” deserves a nod too).
16. Thunderbolts*
Disney- Release date: May 2, 2025
- Director: Jake Schreier
- Cast: Florence Pugh, Sebastian Stan, Wyatt Russell, Olga Kurylenko, Lewis Pullman, Geraldine Viswanathan, David Harbour, Hannah John-Kamen, Julia Louis-Dreyfus
- Runtime: 2 hours 6 minutes
What it’s about: Val is in deep political trouble. So, she assembles a ragtag squad – John Walker, Yelena Belova, Ghost, and Taskmaster – to clean up the mess she’s made, and alongside Bucky and Red Guardian, they team up to stop The Sentry… also known as The Void.
What we think: Thunderbolts doesn’t reinvent the wheel, but it doesn’t have to. It’s a character-driven, thematically rich, often hilarious team-up movie that proves Marvel can still deliver when it focuses on the fundamentals: heart, humor, and heroes worth rooting for – even if they’re more villain than Avenger.
15. Thor: Ragnarok (2017)
Marvel Studios- Release date: November 3, 2017
- Director: Taika Waititi
- Cast: Chris Hemsworth, Tom Hiddleston, Cate Blanchett, Jeff Goldblum, Tessa Thompson, Mark Ruffalo
- Runtime: 2 hours 10 minutes
What it’s about: Thor finds himself imprisoned on the other side of the universe without his mighty hammer, and ends up in a race against time to get back to Asgard to stop Hela, the Goddess of Death, and Ragnarok.
What we think: If the Thor entries once felt like the franchise’s weak links, that changed in 2017 with Ragnarok. It’s a colorful, delightfully raucous breath of fresh air with riotous belly laughs, epic set pieces, and the last truly great version of the Hulk, and it quickly cemented itself as one of the greatest and most outrageous entries in the series.
14. Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)
Marvel Studios- Release date: July 22, 2011
- Director: Joe Johnston
- Cast: Chris Evans, Haley Atwell, Sebastian Stan, Hugo Weaving, Tommy Lee Jones
- Runtime: 2 hours 4 minutes
What it’s about: In 1941, Steve Rogers joins the army and gets selected for an experimental military program that turns him into a super soldier. Taking on the mantle of Captain America, he fights alongside the troops and takes on a terrifying villain, the Red Skull.
What we think: Now we’re into the crème de la crème of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Joe Johnston’s star-spangled origin story has an unbelievable supporting cast – Haley Atwell! Stanley Tucci! Tommy Lee Jones! Hugo Weaving! — and it’s earnest and entertaining in ways that the franchise seems to have forgotten.
There’s an older-school verve to the story… until it bracingly, brilliantly enters the present. Chris Evans was the perfect Human Torch, but he was born to play Captain America.
13. Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)
Marvel Studios- Release date: July 7, 2017
- Director: Jon Watts
- Cast: Tom Holland, Robert Downey Jr., Zendaya, Jacob Batalon, Marisa Tomei, Michael Keaton
- Runtime: 2 hours 13 minutes
What it’s about: As Peter Parker navigates his newfound identity as Spider-Man, he tries to fall back into his normal daily routine – but when the Vulture emerges as a new villain, everything he holds most important will be threatened.
What we think: After his “underoos!” debut in Civil War, Tom Holland was fully introduced to the MCU in Spider-Man: Homecoming, an incredibly charming, low-stakes adventure sharing more DNA with John Hughes’ high school comedies than Spidey movies of yesteryear. It also boasts an all-time nail-biter of an MCU scene: Michael Keaton’s Vulture realizing Peter Parker’s wall-crawling pastime. “Good ol’ Spider-Man.”
12. Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021)
Marvel Studios- Release date: December 17, 2021
- Director: Jon Watts
- Cast: Tom Holland, Andrew Garfield, Tobey Maguire, Zendaya, Jacob Batalon, Alfred Molina, Willem Dafoe, Jamie Foxx, Benedict Cumberbatch
- Runtime: 2 hours 28 minutes
What it’s about: After the world discovers Peter Parker is Spider-Man, he asks Doctor Strange to make the world forget his secret identity. The spell goes wrong, inadvertently spawning villains (and heroes) from other universes.
What we think: No Way Home is, often, an ugly film (even for a pandemic production), one that depends on borrowed nostalgia and the dramatic, emotional weight of its superior predecessors.
So, why is it one place from the top 10? It’s quite simple: for someone who grew up with all three Spider-Men, it was one of the most euphoric cinema experiences of all time — that’s what people will remember, not its shortcomings.
11. The Fantastic Four: First Steps
Marvel Studios- Release date: July 25, 2025
- Director: Matt Shakman
- Cast: Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, Joseph Quinn
- Runtime: 1 hour 55 minutes
What it’s about: Four years after returning from space with extraordinary abilities and becoming world-famous superheroes, the Fantastic Four face their gravest threat yet: Galactus, a planet-devouring, cosmic giant with his eyes set on Earth.
What we think: Marvel’s first family has been let down (and even betrayed) by the big screen for decades, but The Fantastic Four: First Steps is the first movie worthy of their legendary stature.
In short, it’s fantastic, and as the franchise barrels towards its biggest event since Endgame, this is a movie that has a genuine artistic vision that doesn’t compromise itself to fit the mold. It’ll leave you excited for Doomsday, but more importantly, you might just believe in the MCU again. Excelsior!
10. Black Panther (2018)
Marvel Studios- Release date: February 16, 2018
- Director: Ryan Coogler
- Cast: Chadwick Boseman, Michael B. Jordan, Lupita Nyong’o, Danai Gurira, Martin Freeman, Daniel Kaluuya, Letitia Wright, Winston Duke, Angela Bassett, Forest Whitaker, Andy Serkis
- Runtime: 2 hours 15 minutes
What it’s about: After the death of his father, T’Challa returns home to Wakanda to take his rightful place as king. When a powerful enemy suddenly reappears, T’Challa’s position as king is contested.
What we think: Black Panther is arguably the most culturally enriching movie in the MCU; second only to the enterprise itself. It’s a heady, almost-pure expression of a directing voice; sauve, intricately Afrofuturistic, and transcending any prescribed constraints of franchise filmmaking, a perfect marriage of director, story, and star power with Chadwick Boseman and Michael B. Jordan’s iconic Killmonger. All hail the king.
9. Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)
Marvel Studios- Release date: April 4, 2014
- Director: Joe and Anthony Russo
- Cast: Chris Evans, Sebastian Stan, Anthony Mackie, Scarlett Johansson, Samuel L. Jackson, Robert Redford
- Runtime: 2 hours 16 minutes
What it’s about: Captain America teams up with Black Widow after he uncovers a web of intrigue and conspiracy within SHIELD, forced to fend off professional assassins and an unexpected enemy with a personal connection to Steve: the Winter Soldier.
What we think: Captain America: The Winter Soldier has it all: it’s a high-octane, paranoid actioner that smartly, boldly inverts SHIELD as a clandestine umbrella for Hydra, with crunching fights — the elevator fight, and that little flip Bucky does with the knife — and grown-up tone that feels both contemporary and indebted to the spy thrillers of the ‘70s. And this is an important part: it’s a great movie, not just a big event.
8. Iron Man (2008)
Marvel Studios- Release date: May 2, 2008
- Director: Jon Favreau
- Cast: Robert Downey Jr., Terrence Howard, Jeff Bridges, Gwyneth Paltrow, Jon Favreau
- Runtime: 2 hours 6 minutes
What we think: Not just the world’s introduction to Robert Downey Jr.’s inimitable genius, billionaire, playboy philanthropist, but the launch of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
The star’s megawatt performance, right up to his emphatic “I am… Iron Man” declaration, literally transformed his career (and superhero movie casting forever), but it’s more than that: it’s a blockbuster with tangible, slick style and clarity of vision from the get-go. Essential and still tremendous.
7. Captain America: Civil War
Marvel Studios- Release date: May 6, 2016
- Director: Joe and Anthony Russo
- Cast: Chris Evans, Robert Downey Jr., Scarlett Johansson, Sebastian Stan, Anthony Mackie, Don Cheadle, Jeremy Renner, Chadwick Boseman, Paul Bettany, Elizabeth Olsen, Paul Rudd, Tom Holland, Frank Grillo, Daniel Brühl
- Runtime: 2 hours 27 minutes
What it’s about: In the wake of Age of Ultron, the US government demands that the Avengers sign the Sokovia Accords, thereby placing them in a system of oversight and accountability. Tony Stark thinks it makes sense, but Steve Rogers believes they need to be free to defend Earth without any interference – and it splits the team.
What we think: Civil War — aka Avengers 2.5 — isn’t just the best Captain America movie: it’s the magnificent, stirring pinnacle of what the MCU can accomplish when it wants to interrogate something seriously, with a centerpiece whoop-worthy battle royale between Earth’s mightiest heroes. “Divided we fall,” was the tagline, and watching Iron Man and Cap’s rift widen and darken was riveting — until it became heartbreaking.
6. Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)
Marvel Studios- Release date: August 1, 2014
- Director: James Gunn
- Cast: Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldaña, Dave Bautista, Vin Diesel, Bradley Cooper
- Runtime: 2 hours 2 minutes
What it’s about: Peter Quill – better known, at least in his opinion, as Star-Lord – steals an orb coveted by Ronan, a villain with ambitions that threaten the universe. With the galaxy’s fate in the balance, he’s forced into an uneasy truce with a quartet of misfits: Rocket, Groot, and Gamora.
What we think: Lower your Quad Blasters – all of the Guardians of the Galaxy movies are amazing, and the first entry established the trilogy’s offbeat, loveable heroes with undeniable style and heart. Vol 1 remains an extraordinary feat: James Gunn transformed a Z-list team into household names — and Awesome Mix Vol 1 may be the most influential jukebox soundtrack of the 21st century to date. In other words, ooga ooga ooga chaka!
5. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2 (2017)
Marvel Studios- Release date: May 5, 2017
- Director: James Gunn
- Cast: Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldaña, Dave Bautista, Vin Diesel, Bradley Cooper, Michael Rooker, Karen Gillan, Pom Klementieff, Kurt Russell
- Runtime: 2 hours 16 minutes
What it’s about: As the Guardians traverse the outer reaches of the cosmos and annoy vengeful aliens, they encounter Ego, a god-like figure who claims to be Peter’s father.
What we think: Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 has aged beautifully since its release; a poignant, contained spectacle with heart-rending emotional depth. The visuals are spectacular, the soundtrack — dare we say it — may be the best out of the three, and while it overdoes certain elements from the first (the humor doesn’t connect quite as consistently), the ending is an absolute whopper. “He may have been your father, boy, but he wasn’t your daddy.”
4. Avengers: Endgame (2019)
Marvel Studios- Release date: April 26, 2019
- Director: Joe and Anthony Russo
- Cast: Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner, Don Cheadle, Paul Rudd, Brie Larson, Karen Gillan, Danai Gurira, Benedict Wong, Jon Favreau, Bradley Cooper, Gwyneth Paltrow, Josh Brolin
- Runtime: 3 hours 1 minute
What it’s about: After Thanos wipes out half of all living creatures across the universe, the remaining Avengers come up with a plan to reverse the snap and stop the Great Titan for good.
What we think: How do you follow one of the most devastating cliffhangers of all time? After two hours of somber heartache and timey-wimey superheroics, the Russo Brothers deliver an unbelievable, fist-pumping extravaganza of geeky delights; the hitherto undreamt euphoria of seeing Cap finally wield Mjolnir may be the theatrical moment of the 21st century. A pitch-perfect conclusion; Avengers dismissed.
3. The Avengers (2012)
Marvel Studios- Release date: May 4, 2012
- Director: Joss Whedon
- Cast: Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner, Tom Hiddleston, Samuel L. Jackson
- Runtime: 2 hours 23 minutes
What it’s about: When Loki arrives on Earth and steals the Tesseract, Nick Fury assembles the Avengers to stop him and save the world.
What we think: The Avengers had to work; four years of carefully plotted, interconnected movies led to this moment — and the gamble paid off big time. It is truly a marvel: hilarious, rousing, sprawlingly but immaculately envisioned, and enough to enter Alan Silvestri’s cue into the echelon of spine-tingling themes.
We cannot allow this to feel like a lesser work compared to the multiverse-hopping, ginormous toybox movies on the horizon — if this was as good as it got, we’d be incredibly lucky.
2. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3 (2023)
Marvel Studios- Release date: May 5, 2023
- Director: James Gunn
- Cast: Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldaña, Dave Bautista, Karen Gillan, Pom Klementieff, Vin Diesel, Bradley Cooper, Will Poulter, Sean Gunn, Chukwudi Iwuji
- Runtime: 2 hours 30 minutes
What it’s about: After Endgame, Peter spends his days drowning his sorrows, still mourning the loss of Gamora (who’s still alive, but it’s not the woman he loved). Suddenly, Knowhere is attacked by Adam Warlock, an “effigy” of the Sovereign, ordered to recover him for the High Evolutionary.
What we think: Vol 3 is the best of the Guardians of the Galaxy movies. It has everything: heart, soul, laughs, tears, a banging soundtrack, thrills, stunning visuals, and actual stakes; in a time when MCU movies were feeling increasingly hollow, there’s nothing empty here. This felt like a glorious, soulful ember burning above the cinders of a cinematic universe – we’re still hooked on the feeling, and this is as good as it gets.
1. Avengers: Infinity War (2018)
Marvel Studios- Release date: April 27, 2018
- Director: Joe and Anthony Russo
- Cast: Robert Downey Jr., Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Benedict Cumberbatch, Don Cheadle, Tom Holland, Chadwick Boseman, Paul Bettany, Elizabeth Olsen, Anthony Mackie, Sebastian Stan, Danai Gurira, Letitia Wright, Dave Bautista, Zoe Saldaña, Josh Brolin, Chris Pratt
- Runtime: 2 hours 29 minutes
What it’s about: If Thanos gets his gold-gauntlet fingers on all of the Infinity Stones, he’s vowed to “balance the universe” — in other words, he’ll snap away half of all life in existence. Whether they’re on Earth or lightyears away in the cosmos, the Avengers team up with the Guardians of the Galaxy to stop the titan and (hopefully) save the world.
What we think: The blood-draining, ‘no-no-NO!’ feeling of watching Spider-Man tremble frightfully into an ashy goodnight… some may have moved on from that gut-punch of an ending, but not us.
Infinity War remains a gargantuan experience and the peak of the MCU: an exhilarating, lightspeed culmination of a decade’s worth of superhero stories and an unforgettable introduction to Thanos, the baddie to beat all baddies. It’s a film that allows your heart to soar with soul-powering action, your belly to feel the pangs of laughter, and your heart to be sucked dry. “Did we just lose?” It may not have felt like it, but the answer was a definite no.
Fantastic Four hits cinemas on July 25. Make sure you know where to get the Fantastic Four popcorn buckets, its box office projections, and why Franklin Richards is so important.
For more Marvel coverage, find out what to expect from Avengers: Doomsday, Avengers: Secret Wars, and Spider-Man 4. You can also read our breakdown of every upcoming MCU project and how to watch the Marvel movies in order.
