This Marvel sequel was superior to it’s first film. The first was good, but the second one just felt more complete having his longtime comic book ally Wasp by his side. There’s a good blend of a humor and serious tone in this sequel. Michael Douglas does dry humor well, and Paul Rudd is a natural at being comical. We also get a villain you empathize with a bit more. Ghost is a tragic character, unlike the one-sided narcissist Yellowjacket in the first film.

Evangeline Lilly adds charm to film’s overall vibe as Wasp. Michelle Pfeiffer is a welcome addition to the cast as her long lost mother, the original Wasp. Ant-Man going giant was an interesting ability we didn’t see in the first film. His buddies Luis, Dave, and Kurt are amusing without being too over-the-top. Just a fun watch, great visual effects, and very few glaring flaws.

Guardians of the Galaxy was a fun and quirky movie that felt way different than any Marvel film before it. So good, in fact, that it turned a band of characters that general audiences had never heard of into household names. The film also gave us our first good look at what Thanos looked like, and what our heroes would be up against going forward. It was one of the first Marvel films to really attempt doing comedy, and pulled it off seamlessly. The cast were just very interesting and different than what we were used to.

Peter Quill, aka Star-Lord, a cassette tape-loving (semi) leader of the group. A raccoon and a tree? Somehow they made that work. Gamora and Drax, two lethal alien team members with colorful and carefully crafted designs on their skin. The villain, Ronan the Accuser, received a bit of hate from audiences. Some called him bland and forgettable. I found him to be a pretty imposing threat, which I think was the point.

The sequel was almost just as enjoyable, but the few gripes I have with it bump it from making this list. My biggest complaint was that Ego the Living Planet is a man throughout 99% of that movie. I also prefer the adult Groot in this first film to the cutesy baby version in the sequel.

The first Avengers movie was fantastic for it’s time. It was the culmination of Marvel’s Phase 1. Fans had been patiently waiting to see these heroes finally team up. It may not be as epic as it’s Infinity War sequels, but it is worthy enough to wield Mjolnir. First of all, seeing Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, Hulk, Black Widow, and Hawkeye all together for the first time in cinematic history was nothing short of epic. Their chemistry worked better than what many may have expected. Second, Loki, backed by an army provided to him by Thanos, made for an appropriate first Avengers movie villain.

The movie is littered with memorable scenes and dialogue, most notably the Hulk thrashing Loki and uttering, “Puny god”.  Tom Hiddleston played the part so well that the franchise just can’t seem to get enough of a character. Unlike other villains, he has appeared in several films now and even got his own streaming show. Seeing Hulk and Thor face-off, and the friction between Captain America and Iron Man was great foreshading of more good things to come.

This third installment of the Captain America franchise is especially riveting. The tension, the fight sequences, and the very human villain Helmut Zemo, who was puppeteering the whole conflict, were all executed with precision. Seeing Cap and the brand new (at the time) Spider-Man go at it while exchanging quips was too much fun. Ant-Man turning giant to take on Vision, War Machine, and other heroes was way too cool. The introduction of beloved Marvel hero the Black Panther into this universe was something we were all thrilled to see as well.

The biggest gripe that I saw online is that it happened too soon within the storyline.  Therefore, it didn’t allow for newer additions to the MCU roster to be in it. I feel that adding more characters may have made the movie feel a little crammed. It was already doing it’s best to fit all of these interweaving stories into it cohesively. I felt it was just the right amount of heroes to make that battle royale scene one of the most rewatchable movie scenes ever. That emotionally charged brawl at the end between Cap, Winter Soldier, and Iron Man was just too damn perfect. This film had everything a fan could ask for.  

Captain America: the Winter Soldier is the best of the Captain America trilogy, and one of the darkest installments in the MCU. The Winter Soldier himself really made for a great anti-Captain America. He was like Cap mixed with the evil T-1000. The twist (that most of us knew was coming) in that Winter Soldier was his old pal Bucky, made for a great emotional showdown. The powers that be controlling Bucky, most notably, Robert Redford, made for great Bond-like villains.

Falcon was a very likeable sidekick to Cap. Black Widow was an even more scene stealing sidekick in this film. She really added some spark to the movie. The inclusion of the nefarious A.I. known as Armin Zola was an edge-of-your-seat scene that was a nice callback to the first film. We call that fan-servicing.

This movie is everything the Black Widow movie wanted to be years later but didn’t quite pull off with the same finesse. That movie felt like a a botched clone of this phenomenal film. It does make sense that another movie would want to be this film though. It’s just that good. Sadly, the Winter Soldier is a watered down version of his former self in his most recent appearance.

Thor: Ragnorak is considered by most reviewers to be their favorite film in the Thor franchise. For me, it’s undoubtedly the most rewatchable one. The reason I can watch this particular movie so many times is because of just how amusing it is. The film is far more of a comedy than it is a dark and somber drama about the end of Asgard, which it very well could have ended up being. Director Taika Waititi found funny where there shouldn’t have been any, and somehow it worked. It is laugh-out-loud hilarious at times.  Hemsworth (Thor), Goldblum (Grandmaster), and Waititi (Korg) nail their delivery and it never feels forced.

There’s plenty of fan servicing, such as Gladiator Hulk, the appearances of Surtur, and Loki’s hilarious encounter with Dr. Strange. Hela is an exceptionally wonderful addition to the cast as the primary antagonist. Cate Blanchett owns this role.  Not only is she tyrannical and vile but at the same time, tantalizing and fun.  Korg makes for a humorous and likeable sidekick to the God of Thunder. Waititi manages to juggle directing while acting as Thor’s new goofball friend. 

The final battle atop the rainbow bridge is a scene that really stands out amongst the Thor films. Thor vs Hela, Hulk vs Surtur, Hulk vs giant wolf Fenris, Hela vs Surtur…and Loki.  Ragnorak is just a perfect blend of comedy and action, pulled off with mindfulness. The director went way too far in the direction of pure silliness with it’s sequel, but that’s a whole other post.

Iron Man is the film that kicked off the whole Marvel Cinematic Universe, and it still holds up quite well to this day. Audiences went in unsure of what they were going to get, with previous films based on Marvel heroes ranging from good to awful. What they got was a film that felt handled with precision and attention to detail. A film loaded with top tier acting and special effects that are still impressive.

A film so good that it launched an entire movie universe that other studios strive to be like. It spawned two sequels that were unable to live up to the overall quality of this film, but were still better than most of the Marvel films outside of this universe. Robert Downey Jr. became a shining star and household name after years of troubles thanks to his brilliant acting in this film.

Spider-Man: No Way Home is a movie I can watch over and over again. It has replay value that may only be topped by the other two MCU films still ahead on this list. This third addition to the “Home” trilogy was by far the best in the series. There is so much fan servicing that it’s hard to keep track of everything this gem of a movie did absolutely right. In a time where some of the other MCU movies and shows feel like the overall quality from the Infinity Saga has started to waiver, in swings Spidey with a film that people will talk about for years to come.

Everyone’s favorite villains from previous franchises return to remind us why we loved their performances, especially the Green Goblin and Dr. Octopus. Electro and Sandman were far more enjoyable this time around, even with their screen time cut down and split between a much larger cast. The Lizard was similar to his previous movie appearance, minus the dumb plot that surrounded his character last time. Most satisfying of all though was the return of Andrew Garfield and Toby Maguire returning to their roles as Spider-Man / Peter Parker. The scenes featuring them entering the movie via portal received a loud and enthusiast gasp from the audience. This film, though technically owned by Sony still, is the by far the greatest installment in the current phase of the MCU.

Avengers: Endgame is a near perfect movie experience. It had everything a fan could want and more. The only valid complaint I remember reading is that using time travel to fix everything is a copout. A quick fix to the mess the Avengers found themself in.  Regardless, they made time travel work in a way that felt real and true to the overarching story. It made sense, with Ant-Man / Pym’s quantum realm technology combined with the super genius of Tony Stark (and Bruce Banner). This film answered some of the questions of the previous film, like “Where is Hawkeye and Ant-Man?” and gave us a battle scene that somehow managed to top the fantastic one we got in the previous film.

This was my first time experiencing an audience go nuts the way they did when Captain America caught Thor’s hammer, proving that he has been worthy (maybe the whole time?) The sacrifices that were made to finally take Thanos down once and for all, and fix what he’d done were done were executed with finesse and care. Once again, you could hear the entire theatre react. I know some people like to write superhero films off as cheap amusement with no substance… This film, and the way it was so flawlessly crafted, the way it triggered thunderous reactions from audiences, is proof that superhero movies can be masterpieces.

Avengers: Infinity War just barely nudges out it’s sequel Endgame as the best movie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The film reintroduces us to our heroes since we’d last seen them disband, following the events of Civil War. The sense of impending doom you feel every time Thanos, or his capable crew of henchmen known as the Black Order, is enthralling. The movie starts off demonstrating just how seemingly impossible they are going to be to defeat, with Thanos treating Thor and Loki as if they’re mere insects. He then goes on to beating the Hulk so seamlessly that the big green brute no longer wants to come out and smash for the rest of the film. Soon after, we see the Sorcerer Supreme, Dr. Strange, lose to Ebony Maw, one of Black Order’s more vocal members. Iron Man & Spider-Man barely survive a battle with the brutish Black Dwarf.

Next up, Wanda and Vision get their super-powerful butts handed to them by two other team members, Corvus Glaive and Proxima Midnight, before Captain America, Black Widow, and Falcon show up to assist. All of these fight sequences are nothing short of astonishing. The final conflict ends with an epic Lord of the Rings-like battle, features almost every MCU hero we’ve come to know so far against Thanos’ army. Meanwhile Iron Man, Spider-Man, Strange, and the Guardians attempt and fail to defeat Thanos on his home planet. The stakes were higher than they’ve ever been.  The good guys end up losing for once, which left audiences feeling defeated and pining for it’s inevitable sequel. This film just hit every beat so marvelously, and activated every emotion possible.

Enough with the past though, let’s take a look at the future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.  Check out what’s set to come in Marvel Phase 5 HERE!