Ranking all of the 23 MCU Films

Ranking all of the 23 MCU Films

The Marvel Cinematic Universe is one of the most complete movie franchises of all time, and today I am going to rank all of the films so far. Phase 3 just ended and phase 4 will start sometime soon, so I figured this would be a good time for me to share my ranking. Keep in mind that this is not the correct ranking, some of these I've only seen once or twice, this is just my opinion. I hope you all enjoy, and if you aren't a huge Marvel fan, this post might not be very interesting to you. But as they say, without further ado, here is my ranking of the MCU films.

Also, if you haven't seen some or all of these movies, there are some spoilers so keep watch for those. Here is my top 23 Marvel movies.

23. The Incredible Hulk

The reason The Incredible Hulk is in last place is because, well, it doesn't feel like a real Marvel movie. The movie was made by Universal Pictures, and it felt really strange and out of place. There was no comedy, and it felt strange because the Hulk as played by Edward Norton and not the Mark Ruffalo we all know and love. The action scenes weren't as exciting, and the romance was between Colonel Ross's daughter and Bruce Banner was awkward and uncomfortable. Overall it just didn't feel like a MCU film, and was just a bad movie and directed and written poorly.

22. Thor: The Dark World

Just like The Incredible Hulk, Thor: The Dark World is an absolute failure. It has so much potential. When I try to remember something I liked from this movie, my mind goes blank. The romance between Thor and Jane Foster is lame, and the character of Jane has so much potential, with a great actress, but it really doesn't work out. The villain of Malekith was one of the worst villains in all of the MCU, and the plot is very boring. It does introduce the Reality Stone, but could've done a better job. A very poor addition in the MCU.

21. Captain Marvel

I bet you guys weren't expecting Captain Marvel being so low, but I really did not like this movie. Captain Marvel's character was super snotty and annoying. The villain twist was not interesting, and neither one worked. The affect they took on amnesia didn't really work for me, and the way they threw the Tesseract in also was confusing and strange. I did like Nick Fury being in the movie, but the way he lost his eye had a huge opportunity to be a very interesting backstory, but was a huge disappointment. Overall not a great movie, but would have been much better if it was released earlier around the original films, it probably would have been better.

20. Iron Man 3

There are some big fans of Iron Man 3 out there, but I am not one of them. I think it is the worst of the Iron Man trilogy, and it really doesn't work for me. In Iron Man 2 and 3 we don't get to see a lot of Tony Stark actually being Iron Man, and this movie is not very interesting. I like the effect of PTSD on Tony, but the villain twist of the Mandarin just being an actor and the real villain being a fire breathing nerd was very strange. Also, Pepper Potts being given super powers was weird, and we never saw them again. This did give War Machine a bigger and better role. I just didn't like the plot in this movie.

19. Iron Man 2

Iron Man 2 and 3 were really close to me, but I ended saying I liked Iron Man 2 just a little better, but I am not calling this a good movie. The villain in Whiplash had so much potential but was not given it, and Justin Hammer was also not interesting or that important. I didn't like the Tony Stark vs War Machine take on it. I liked how they introduced Black Widow, but this movie just didn't have a lot of action, and when they did have it, besides the Black Widow action sequence, it was lame.

18. Thor

Bye the way, this is the point of the list when there aren't really any movies I hate or completely dislike, some are just more important or better than the others. Thor is an interesting movie for me to rank. I think it kicks of Thor, Asgard, and Loki all in a great way. It is a super important movie for the MCU, because it introduces a vital hero, villain, and the Tesseract. I think Thor has the best character arch in the Marvel Universe, from a cocky, young prince of Asgard, to a bold, noble hero. He loses his powers and goes to Earth. I liked watching him discover a place much different from his home, and interacting with other humans. It is not the most memorable, and the villains of the Frost Giants were expendable, and Loki wasn't at his prime. But this movie is still pretty good. 

17. Ant-Man and the Wasp

I almost put Ant-Man and the Wasp at 18, but I put them here because the movie isn't very important at this time. It was fun and a good thing to have after the depressing ending of Infinity War, but the constant switching back and forth between the lame villain in Sonny Burch, the unnecessary addition with the FBI, and Ghost. Ghost I thought was pretty cool, but It was hard to root for her or against her. The goal of saving Hank Pym's wife wasn't to important for the fans, and the movie was basically just a giant game of keep-away with Hank's lab. It has its funny moments, but besides the introduction of the confusing Quantum Realm, is not important for the MCU.

16. Avengers: Age of Ultron

Avengers: Age of Ultron is an interesting movie for me to rank. While it doesn't have the most memorable moments, it is still entertaining and introduces a lot of new characters. I wish Quicksilver had stuck around, but Scarlett Witch is going to be very important later on in the MCU. Vision did die in Infinity War, but he was also introduced in this movie. I think the villain of Ultron is good, but it is hard to connect with him considering that he is a robot. The final battle is generic and not the best. I didn't like how they split up throughout the movie, all going there separate ways. Also the romance between Natasha and Bruce was awkward and sprung on randomly. It was also immediately ignored the next time they saw each other. I liked some parts of this movie, but I disliked more things.

15. Ant-Man

I think Ant-Man was just a little better than Ant-Man and the Wasp just because it introduces us to Scott Lang and turns him into the Ant-Man. The relationship between Scott and his daughter is precious, and Paul Rudd is a wonderful actor for this role. The villain wasn't the best, and had the same problem Marvel has with a lot of their movies, having the villain have the same suit or powers as the hero. The relationship between Scott, Hank, and Hope is great, and the heist flare this movie takes is also nice. Also, Michael Peña is hilarious. This is a fun movie with some hilarious parts included.

14. Doctor Strange

Some people like Doctor Strange a lot, I haven't really been the biggest fan. I think Benedict Cumberbatch is a perfect fit to play him, and I think that he will be very important for the future of the MCU. The CGI is pretty cool but can also be a lot at some times. Wong is a great side character. These movies are some of the more serious Marvel movies. I like the character of Dr. Strange, his character arch of him being a cocky, rich surgeon to being humbled and turning into a wise hero. This movie didn't have the most exciting plot or moments, but it was still satisfying and fun to watch.

13. Guardians of the Galaxy: Volume 2

This movie has all of the fun things from the first one: A great cast, a lot of humor. But the plot is really weird. We meet Peter's father, who should be an interesting villain, but is at sometimes lazy, playing catch with his son, or taking a nap, and at other times a psychotic villain hoping to wipe out millions. I liked a lot what they did with Yondu, strengthening his relationship with Peter. This hilarious group all has their laughs, but the inclusion of the weird gold people and the awkward character and planet in Ego throws this movie off for me.

12. Spider-Man: Far From Home

This spider-man movie has all of the stuff we loved from the first one. The high school flare and addition is funny and we watch as Peter falls in love with MJ. But there are a couple things I dislike about this film. There are some awkward moments, and the villain of Mysterio is not my favorite. I didn't like the "being the hero" strategy that he used making him look like the savior we needed after Tony Stark. The final battle is good. This movie has a weak plot, but it is funny, at times scary, and in the end, extremely emotional. Also, the post credit scene is going to change the MCU and its future. This is a nice movie, but the plot was a little strange for my taste.

11. Spider-Man: Homecoming

First of all I just want to state that there is a large gap between the first and second spider-man movies. I like this one way better than Spider-Man: Far From Home. This movie has the high school flare like the first, is hilarious, shows Peter wanting to help everyone. I wish we had less of Tony Stark fixing everything. The villain of the Vulture was great, and the twist of him being Liz's father was crazy. This movie was great, nothing I hated, but also nothing that really stood out to me. Also, praise for Ned.

10. Captain America: The First Avenger

I don't think that this movie gets the credit it deserves. I think besides Iron Man it is one of the best origin stories there is out there. Captain America is a great hero, and the rise of Steve Rodgers from a wimpy, yet loyal and hardworking young man from Brooklyn to the strong, admirable Captain America. It shows him desperately wanting to fight for his country. Set in the 40s this movie has a fun and interesting flare. The loss of Bucky is devastating, the romance with Peggy exciting, and I think Red Skull is an underrated villain. The twist of Steve surviving the crash and being frozen in the ice was phenomenal, I think this movie is fantastic. It just lacks that extremity that all marvel movies have. 

9. Black Panther

As much as I hate to put Black Panther this low, I just had to. I love this film, the introduction to Wakanda. Following Captain America: Civil War, T'Challa looked like a hothead seeking revenge. This showed Wakanda's culture and T'Challa's passion and bravery for his home. Killmonger is one of my favorite villains in the MCU, and Michael B. Jordan does a great job portraying him. The plot of T'Challa almost dying and then defeating Killmonger, and finally sharing the resources of Wakanda to the world was a great turn of events. The final battle scene just brings it down, because the CGI was overused.

8. Iron Man

I hate myself for putting Iron Man this low, but I just put it based on the best, most emotional and exciting moments in these next movies. I love this movie, introducing us to the MCU, the original, showing us Tony Stark. Him being humbled after kidnapped and wanting to help people. His friendship with Rhodey, his relationship with Pepper, the battle between him and Obadiah Stane. This movie shows him making the Iron Man suits, and turning him into a world known hero. It was absolutely breathtaking, and it started up a wonderful movie franchise. 

7. Captain America: The Winter Soldier

Now I just wanted to start off by saying that I think the plot and story line of this movie is one of the best in the MCU. I think it is a better film than these next two, but I enjoyed those more, so they are ahead. This movie is legendary. Steve Rodgers goes across the country with Black Widow and the assist of The Falcon, who is introduced in this movie. He is running from SHIELD, who we learn are part of Hydra. That was super important, the fall of SHIELD. But the best part was the hand to hand combat, and the introduction of Bucky. The twist that Bucky survived was one of the biggest ever, and him being brainwashed and fighting Steve was super emotional. This movie isn't the funniest Marvel movies, but it is definitely one of the best.

6. Guardians of the Galaxy

I just want to say, I absolutely love this movie. I love Chris Pratt, he is probably my favorite actor. This cast is absolutely hilarious and the coming together of a bunch of criminals to save the galaxy is a great plot, and this movie is also very emotional with the death of Peter's mother. I remember watching that movie when I was younger, and that was one of the first times I cried while watching a movie. The only weak spot is the villain in Ronan the Accuser, but he was still pretty cool. This movie is fun, emotional, and shows the coming together of a bunch of people very different for a common cause.

5. The Avengers

Oh my gosh guys, it is so hard for me to rank these movies. From Iron Man all the way up, all of these films are so good and incredible in different ways.  The Avengers isn't as funny as some other MCU films, but the rise of the Avengers, all of them battling Loki and his army, and eventually coming together as a team is truly beautiful and remarkable. This movie is absolutely spectacular, emotional, and an original MCU film, bringing all of it together. The climax of this film is excellent. The writing and story of this movie is one of the best, and it completely changed the thought of a super hero movie. It is fantastic. Also, I think this version of Loki is the best villain in the MCU. 2nd best.

4. Thor Ragnarok

I really like comedy movies, so a main reason this movie and Guardians of the Galaxy rank so high is because of how funny they are. For this Thor movie they changed it up a little, and made Thor's character much more likeable. The story of him losing his father, all of his friends was extremely emotional. Hela was one of the best villains in the MCU who just wanted power, control over Asgard. Thor going to Sakkar and finding Hulk was a really fun story line, Loki was involved well, and Valkyrie was a cool character. This movie is emotional, has a great plot, is hilarious, and has a bunch of great characters. Korg the rock dude is super funny.

3. Captain America: Civil War

This movie is so good and important. Even though it makes us sad, watching superheros fight each other is really entertaining. This movie introduces two very important characters in a great way, with Spider-Man and Black Panther. It continues on the Bucky story line which is really interesting. The mystery part of it, with Helmut Zemo framing Bucky, and killing people to be able to turn the Avengers against each other was brilliant, establishing him as a remarkable villain. The plot of the heroes fighting because of politics was emotional, and this movie has everything: Mystery. Comedy. Sadness. And a great plot and villain yearning for revenge. The twist of Bucky killing Tony's parents made it even better.

2. Avengers: Infinity War

I almost put this movie in first place, but it barely isn't. However, there is nothing I dislike about this movie. It is amazing. It is hilarious. It is the saddest and most unreal marvel movie of all time. The battle between Thanos, him being pretty much the main character and showing us him on his track for all the infinity stones. The acting is fantastic, the writing is great, and it is directed perfectly. The different story lines, of the battle on Titan, the battle on Wakanda, Thor losing everything and then forging a weapon to kill Thanos, it was unbelievable. The climax with Thor arriving in Wakanda is amazing. I remember watching this the first time I hated it because I was younger and not expecting them all to die, but after watching this again, it is seriously one of the best movies out there. It was made so well, and it was so close to being 1st place.

1. Avengers: Endgame

But alas, nothing can beat Endgame. This movie is 1st because it ended the series on such a high note, making it all worth it. This 3 hour long masterpiece is the funniest MCU film, has all of our favorite characters and gives them all a moment. It is also the saddest movie, whether it is Hawkeye mourning his family or Tony missing Peter. The heroes come together one last time on a time heist to defeat Thanos. The final battle is the best climax in movie history, with the best ending and moments, whether it is Tony sacrificing himself for everyone in a devastating and heroic way, Natasha sacrificing herself for the soul stone, or Captain America going back to live with Peggy, his one hope for life. This movie packs a punch and is simply incredible.

And here we conclude. From Thor: The Dark World to Avengers: Infinity War, these movies are almost all amazing. There are a couple bad ones, but almost all of them have something special, something incredible. I love these films, because of the comedy, action, and overall story. I hope you enjoyed this entry. Stay healthy and safe.

I am Lucas Harman.