EVERY MCU Film Ranked (Up To GOTG: Volume 3)

I ranked all of the MCU films about 3 years ago when I first started this blog. I think it’s time for an update – there have been nine more films since then!

Some of my opinions have changed drastically, and I have a thing or two to say about the new entries. Let’s get to some ranking!

Before we begin, you can check out some of my related blog posts below:

Bad

32 – Thor: The Dark World

After three years and nine more films, “Thor: The Dark World” remains the worst of the MCU filmography.

The drab mood and colour palette is the exact opposite of what I wanted from my cinema experience, and the characters – including one of the worst villains of all – are either incredibly annoying or incredibly boring.

31 – The Incredible Hulk

“The Incredible Hulk” is probably the weakest MCU film from an objective standpoint, but I can give them a little credit for experimenting in the early days.

Edward Norton is mis-cast as Bruce Banner, the action (other than the finale) doesn’t do it for me, and it feels wholly out of place in the MCU.

30 – Captain Marvel

I was on the fence when I walked out of the cinema after seeing “Captain Marvel”, but the benefit of hindsight has done this film no favours.

Carol Danvers is an unlikeable protagonist, the villains are all under-utilised and one-note, and the only remotely memorable thing about the film is young Nick Fury – and even he feels out of place!

Meh

29 – Eternals

People were expecting big things from “Eternals” when the trailer dropped, but it did little to justify its own existence.

I personally could never get into this new enormous team of superheroes, and the whole thing felt shallow and forced.

28 – Black Widow

A bland film that came out at the wrong time.

“Black Widow” has some good action and moments here and there, but the whole package felt both formulaic and rushed.

27 – Thor: Love and Thunder

I didn’t hate “Thor: Love and Thunder” as much as most people, but I was certainly disappointed by the huge step down from “Ragnarok”.

The humour doesn’t land this time, the action and special effects felt lacking, and Christian Bale carries the dramatic scenes on his back … but his appearances were always tonally jarring.

26 – Iron Man 2

It’s no secret that Marvel rushed “Iron Man 2” out of the gate after the colossal success of the first film, and you can tell many corners were cut to get this movie released on time.

The story isn’t properly thought through, the villains are fairly lacklustre, and most of the action is by-the-book.

25 – Thor

“Thor” should’ve been a smash-hit – a fantastic cast, a renowned director, and one of the best displays of worldbuilding the MCU have ever done.

It’s a shame, therefore, that the final product ended up being so boring.

OK

24 – Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania

One of the most divisive MCU films of all, “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania” is far from a trainwreck but it’s also far from perfect.

All of the ideas and special effects feel recycled and uninspired, and it’s generic films like this that make me question the superhero film genre these days.

23 – Iron Man 3

The Mandarin twist turned many off of “Iron Man 3” on release, but I didn’t mind it. I also quite liked the PTSD arc that Tony was put through.

Most of the film feels quite tame other than a few stand-out scenes here and there, and the ending where Tony disavows the suit contradicts the remaining MCU films to come.

22 – Ant-Man and the Wasp

One of the most harmless films in the MCU … but that also means “Ant-Man and the Wasp” doesn’t have much of a sting.

It’s generic superhero hijinks at their best, but generic is all it’ll ever be.

Good

21 – Ant-Man

I’m not a huge fan of any of the “Ant-Man” films, but the first was probably the best.

I really like the heist aspect they went down, and apart from a bland villain the story is harmless fun.

20 – Spider-Man: Far From Home

I used to think “Far From Home” was an excellent movie, and even ranked it above “Homecoming” back in 2020. That might have been the recency bias talking …

Some of the plot points don’t make a whole lot of sense, and it isn’t exactly a film that sticks in the memory, but the villain and the action were still oodles of fun.

19 – Avengers: Age of Ultron

People like to rag on “Age of Ultron” as a sub-par MCU film, but that’s only when compared to the other amazing Avengers films.

Ultron is a great baddie, and that final fight is cool, but a lot of it just feels like a shallow re-hash of the first one.

18 – Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness

“Multiverse of Madness” feels like a bit of an over-sell in hindsight. “Limited-verse of Minor Inconvenience”, perhaps?

Jokes aside, Sam Raimi’s direction and the multiverse-bending plotline were really fun to watch in cinema, and I’m just glad the MCU is still taking some risks so far in its run.

Great

17 – Doctor Strange

“Doctor Strange” doesn’t shake up the origin story formula in the slightest, but my god was it a visual treat.

I remember being blown away by the sheer imagination of the storytelling and special effects, and it has one of the most unique final battles I’ve ever seen.

16 – Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings

A lot of the post-Endgame MCU entries have been disappointing to say to least, so “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings” felt like a breath of fresh air.

It’s been an age since we’ve seen an origin story as interesting as this, and the fight choreography was some of the best in the franchise.

15 – Iron Man

The film that started it all, and “Iron Man” still holds up pretty well.

I’m not a big fan of the final battle, and it feels like they’re winging a lot of the story, but the worldbuilding and RDJ’s natural charisma in the leading role made this a smash-hit right out of the gate.

14 – Captain America: The First Avenger

I don’t know whether this is a controversial opinion or not, but “Captain America: The First Avenger” is my favourite MCU origin story – even above the likes of “Iron Man”.

It’s so great seeing Steve Rogers go from pipsqueak to patriot, and the 1940’s setting is perfectly realised. Shame they montaged over World War Two, though …

13 – Black Panther: Wakanda Forever

“Wakanda Forever” had huge shoes to fill after Chadwick Boseman’s tragic passing, but I think the filmmakers accomplished it.

It’s an emotional film with great performances all-round, and the villain is more memorable than usual.

12 – Spider-Man: Homecoming

“Homecoming” used to be my least favourite MCU Spider-Man film, but in hindsight that opinion was a little silly.

The high school clichés don’t do it for me, but otherwise this is a fun re-introduction to the character with one of the MCU’s best villains.

11 – Black Panther

Speaking of opinions that I now regret, I used to think “Black Panther” was the most overrated MCU film … Oof.

This is one of the most ambitious films in the franchise, and if the final battle had been better this could’ve been as phenomenal as everyone claims it is.

10 – Guardians of the Galaxy: Volume 2

All of the Guardians films made my top 10 – that just goes to show how consistently awesome James Gunn’s uproarious superhero films are.

The least awesome of the Guardians films is definitely “Volume 2”, however. The new cast additions are great, and the visuals and emotions are still at an all-time high, but I guess it didn’t connect with me as much as the others.

Amazing

9 – Thor: Ragnarok

After watching “Love & Thunder”, it’s even more miraculous how “Thor: Ragnarok” managed to work on almost every level.

This is the funniest MCU film by a country mile, and it has some surprisingly awesome action sequences as well.

8 – Captain America: The Winter Soldier

The Russo brothers directed 4 MCU films, and the “weakest” of them still made the number 8 spot … Yeah, those guys are the GOATs.

I didn’t think a spy thriller focused around Captain America would work so well, but the action and political undertones of “The Winter Soldier” were a breath of fresh air.

7 – Guardians of the Galaxy: Volume 3

The most recent MCU entry at the time of writing this list, and proof that superhero movies are still very much alive and kicking (when handled by the right filmmakers).

“Volume 3” has all of the fun banter and action of the other Guardians films, but it also provides some of the most emotionally-devastating subject matter I’ve seen all year.

6 – Spider-Man: No Way Home

I grew up with the Tobey Maguire Spider-Man trilogy, and then Andrew Garfield came and wowed me all over again. Needless to say, I was more than a little giddy in the cinema watching “No Way Home”.

Is the plot a little forced and rushed and non-sensical? Maybe, but the unbridled joy I experienced watching the three Spider-Men interacting will be an experience I’ll never forget.

5 – Guardians of the Galaxy

Nobody expected anything from this C-Tier team of comic book fodder, but “Guardians of the Galaxy” blew everyone’s socks off upon arrival.

It’s the most unabashedly fun MCU film, and the core cast of characters have electric chemistry. If the villain was stronger (or even slightly strong), this could’ve been an all-timer.

4 – Captain America: Civil War

“Civil War” was the crossover cinema event of the century … until “Infinity War” came out two years later.

I love how believable the two-sided conflict is, and the human villain might have disappointed some but I loved the dynamic he brought.

All-Time Great

3 – The Avengers

It was a huge risk doing a superhero team-up so early in the MCU’s run, but “The Avengers” proved all the doubters wrong and then some.

Joss Whedon and the cast crafted an extremely fun romp that provided the laughs and the action, and cemented the MCU as the powerhouse franchise of the 21st Century.

2 – Avengers: Endgame

After the bombshell cliffhanger of “Infinity War”, you couldn’t go a day without one of your friends mentioning “Endgame” – the worldwide hype was unreal.

The finale of the Infinity Saga ended up smashing box office records, and that final battle against Thanos is one I’ll never forget.

1 – Avengers: Infinity War

“Infinity War” was, and probably always will be, the crossover event of my lifetime.

Not only is it a fun action-packed romp akin to the first “Avengers”, but the story is planned in such a way to allow every hero to shine – and that ending left me gobsmacked!

Aaaand that’s my list! You can check out some of my latest blog posts below: