Marvelous master list
Ranking Marvel Cinematic Universe movies
I don’t hate any of the Marvel movies. • I know, I know, if you’re a cardcarrying movie critic, you’re supposed to have some sort of superhero fatigue at this point, and I doubtless do. I can wait happily to see how the whole “Avengers: Infinity War” drama plays out. And with this summer’s release of “Ant-Man and the Wasp” bringing the total number of movies to 20, it is kind of exhausting.
Still, in the moment, I’m usually pleased. All of these movies have a little something to recommend them. But some have a lot more than others.
In truth, when you look at all of the MCU movies lined up, it’s both impressive and frustrating how neatly things eventually tie together. Impressive because, well, it does tie a lot together. Frustrating because if you note
that “Avengers: Infinity War” doesn’t have a lot of backstory, it allows a fanboy to respond, with a straight face, “The first 18 films were the backstory.”
That’s a heavy slog. So’s the list. But here goes:
20 ‘Thor: The Dark World’ (2013)
And I’m a Thor fan! This is the one in which they bring back Natalie Portman and stick her down a wormhole and knock her out and leave her unconscious for a bunch of the movie. She’s probably not that sorry. Points for including Tom Hiddleston as Loki (my favorite character in the whole universe) negated for including the Convergence and the Dark Elves. Wha?
19 ‘Avengers: Age of Ultron’ (2015)
So ... loud. And busy. Up to this point, it seemed as if Joss Whedon could do no wrong. Turns out maybe he could. As with any of these movies, there are some nice moments, but this movie took one for the team in terms of awkwardly trying to start tying things together.
18 ‘Iron Man 2’ (2010)
“Iron Man” was such a blast, such a wake-up call to the genre, such a great beginning that gave us ... this. And I say this knowing that my favorite living actor, Sam Rockwell, is one of the stars. Then again, so is Mickey Rourke, who saw his comeback thwarted somewhat after this misfire, in which Tony Stark is coming to terms with his new gig. (Rourke is a Russian villain.) Wan smile upon remembering that the late, great Garry Shandling appears as a senator.
17 ‘The Incredible Hulk’ (2008)
Here’s an unpopular opinion. I really liked Edward Norton as Bruce Banner, because I think he’s a terrific actor and I enjoy watching him in anything he’s in. (Then again, I didn’t see “Collateral Beauty.”) His one stint as the big green smash man was enjoyable enough, but certainly underwhelming after the fun of “Iron Man.” There wasn’t any indication things would go this far, certainly.
16 ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2’ (2017)
This would have been a great movie ... if there hadn’t been a Vol. 1. But there was, and this felt like more of the same, only less. Kurt Russell sports the ego to play a man who is actually a living planet, but as fun as some bits were, it’s another step on the long trudge to “Infinity War.”
15 ‘Iron Man 3’ (2013)
Of which it can truly be said: It’s better than the second one. The premise is intriguing — Tony Stark has to spend a lot of the movie without his Iron Man get-up. But seriously, do you remember much of anything about this film, other than Stark as a fish out of water in some small town? Bonus points if you remember the villain. Oh, OK: It was Ben Kingsley as Mandarin, until it wasn’t (hello, Guy Pearce). And yes, I had to look it up.
14 ‘Thor’ (2011)
Full-of-himself Thor gets banished to our humble little planet and creates quite a stir. Remember, this was early on in the whole thing, so the movie — directed by Kenneth Branagh, no less — didn’t feel the need to be about much more than just being a Thor origin story. It did that in a fun way. And it introduced us to Loki.
13Avenger’ ‘Captain America: The First (2011)
By now you’ve got your funny Marvel movies (the ones with Paul Rudd as AntMan) and your serious ones (the ones with Chris Evans as Captain America). (Yes, once in a great while one will include both. Work with me here.) This is the origin story of the heart of the Avengers, no matter what Tony Stark might think. (No slight intended, given that Stark actually built his own heart.) Not that you’d guess he’d be leading every Marvel hero you’ve ever heard of and some you haven’t a few years and movies later. But this set the tone with Steve Rogers as the all-American good guy.
12 ‘Ant-Man’(2015)
OK, here’s one of the goofy Paul Rudd entries. It’s funny, and he’s goofy, and Michael Peña is hilarious, and Evangeline Lilly is bad-ass. Which, in a different context, could be elements of any other Marvel movie. But here a lot more is played for laughs, which, given how funny Rudd and Peña are, isn’t a bad thing. Infamous for starting out as an Edgar Wright movie, by the way, leaving everyone who wonders about such things to wonder what it might have turned into.
11 ‘Ant-Man and the Wasp’ (2018)
More goofy fun, but Evangeline Lilly gets a bigger, more-heroic role and Rudd plays the equivalent of a ditzy blonde from a ‘50s B-movie. There’s a plot, a bit of it kind of poignant, but really all you need to know is they can get small and big really fast, and that leads to all kinds of silly laughs.
10 ‘Spider-Man: Homecoming’ (2017)
No, not one of the movies with Tobey Maguire. Or one of the ones with Andrew Garfield. Those belong to some alternate Marvel universe it would take too much time to explain. And who cares? Tom Holland was a breath of fresh air as Peter Parker. And you get Michael Keaton as a scheming bad guy at no extra charge. What’s not to like?
9 ‘Captain America: Civil War’ (2016)
By this point, the stakes have gotten serious. What is the role of a superhero in society? Iron Man and Captain America disagree, eventually violently. The Avengers have to take sides, and the ramifications will echo from now on, evidently (they even work their way into “Ant-Man and the Wasp”). It’s a big giant loud movie and the gang’s all here. But it’s also thoughtful, in its head-banging way.
8 ‘Avengers: Infinity War’ (2018)
This is where it was all leading (although I’d bet 10 fat bucks no one was thinking about that when “Iron Man” came out). Feelings are still a little bruised after that whole Civil War thing, but everyone has to band together to fight off Thanos, who’s a little more formidable than previously considered. I won’t ruin the Big Giant Surprise at the end, but if you’re a fan of these films, it pretty much guarantees that you’ll be buying a ticket to the second half next summer.
7 ‘Doctor Strange’ (2016)
Going to have to acknowledge up front that it’s ranked this high because I like Benedict Cumberbatch so much. He’s the cocky Dr. Stephen Strange, who goes from arrogant surgeon to master of the mystic arts. Certainly the trippiest of the Marvel movies (it’s a category of one). It’s just a weird movie, in a way I enjoyed. And Doctor Strange will play a key role in how “Infinity War” turns out. And Cumberbatch is great in “Sherlock!” Oh, sorry.
6 ‘Iron Man’ (2008)
There’s just no way anyone saw this coming. Remember how it seemed like a radical notion to cast Robert Downey Jr. in a superhero movie? But from the opening frames, in which director Jon Favreau blasted AC/DC’s “Back in Black” as a line of Army vehicles barreled through an Afghan desert, this movie announced that it was something different. It’s really fun, the stakes were a little lower, and the last scene, in which Tony Stark acknowledges his identity, is fantastic.
5 ‘Captain America: The Winter Soldier’ (2014)
The sequel to “Captain America: The First Avenger” finds Steve Rogers trying to figure out his place in the modern world. Anthony and Joe Russo (in addition to this and “Civil War, they’d also direct “Infinity War” and its sequel) brought a lot of smarts to the movie, exploring things like the overreach of government agencies. These would pay off, ostensibly, in “Civil War,” but they have more impact here. It’s a smart movie with a lot of action, not an action movie with a lot of smarts.
4 ‘Thor: Ragnarok’ (2017)
In which we take a small break from the whole “Civil War”/”Infinity War” seriousness to have a blast, courtesy of director Taika Waititi (free pass for life for directing “What We Do in the Shadows”). Thor and Loki get stranded on a world weird enough that Jeff Goldblum is its ruler. They have to rely on an old friend, or frenemy, in Loki’s case, to get back to their home on Asgard. Tessa Thompson is a great addition as the booze-swilling Valkyrie, and Cate Blanchett has fun slumming as the goddess of death. And how come no one ever thought to use Led Zeppelin’s “Immigrant Song” in a Thor movie before?
3 ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ (2014)
Such a blast. Fueled by ‘60s and ‘70s hits and a lot of goofy humor, James Gunn’s film also had a lot of heart. Peter Quill — that’s Star-Lord to anyone he can convince to call him that — leads a ragtag bunch trying to stop the usual destruction of the universe. Don’t get bogged down in that. Instead, weep openly when Quill plays the tape from his mom and it’s “I Want You Back” by the Jackson 5 and that’s the song you used to sing with your kids and ... um, anyway. It’s a lot of fun.
2 ‘The Avengers’ (2012)
This seemed like a disaster, at least in theory. Were they really going to try to get all the heroes together in one movie? Wouldn’t that mean not enough story for each character? No, that was “Infinity War.” In this movie, it worked much better. Joss Whedon brought the exact right touch to the film — big villains, big stakes, plenty of humor. Like most all of these movies, you have to sit through a gigantic incoherent battle, but it’s worth it.
1 ‘Black Panther’ (2018)
Such a brilliant, singular vision. Ryan Coogler didn’t ignore the greater Marvel Cinematic Universe in this, the best of all the Marvel movies. He just let it play out beyond the borders of Wakanda, the idyllic home of T’Challa, who moonlights as Black Panther when the need arises. And it does arise. This is a movie about inclusion and teamwork and trust and finding your true role in life. It’s brilliant.