The MCU Ranked by The Movie Guy

The Marvel Universe is something I have always loved. As a child the TV shows and comics were something truly amazing. Fast-Forward to 2008, I finally got to see some of my favourite heroes make their way to the big screen.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe is now one of the biggest franchises all over the globe and it is not stopping now. After the releases of Black Panther, Avengers: Infinity War and Captain Marvel, the franchise proved they still had so much more to offer their fans.

Black Panther made not only made history because of its mostly black cast or box office success, but also because it gave the MCU more depth. It proved that there are many corners of the MCU that can still be explored and I am certainly looking forward to it.

Infinity War pushed things to the next level and it proved that although these characters are super powered, but they aren’t all invulnerable.

The cinematic universe spans over 21 movies, 11 TV shows and it has been ten years since it all started.

I once again had to rearrange my MCU rankings after Captain Marvel, because let’s face it, new movies can easily win us over. Now you might not agree with my list, but it is just my opinion. There are various other rankings on the internet.

I will also take this time to rank the MCU TV shows, please note this will exclude animated shows and Marvel shows produced by Fox. I would however recommend you watch the The Gifted and Legion, both are excellent shows. Without further ado, here are my rankings.

21. The Incredible Hulk

I love the Hulk, he is one of the characters I fell in love with as a child. To me the CGI in this film was really realistic, but that is the only thing I remember about the movie. It just does not hold up with the other MCU films. I really liked Edward Norton, but I think Mark Ruffalo was the best recast ever.

20. Thor: The Dark World

This is another movie that broke records or it was more like a broken record. It is like a repeat of other fantasy films, it had no real substance. The greatest part of the film was Tom Hiddleston as Loki, definitely a scene stealer. I actually think it might still be watchable just because of him.

19. Iron Man 2

Robert Downey Jr is hands down the best casting choice Marvel Studios has ever made. Unfortunately Iron Man 2 falls flat on its face. I only remember Tony having a drinking problem and the rest of the film is a blank.

18. Thor

This is an origin movie that is memorable, but not particularly great. The first time I watched it was on a plane and to be honest I kind of fell asleep near the end. Chris Hemsworth and Tom Hiddleston did an amazing job, but the story was not that good at all.

17. Captain Marvel

The MCU’s first female solo movie is a fun addition to the bigger interconnected universe, but it simply does not live up to most of its predecessors. Fans weren’t happy about the overall story and changes made to their favourite comic book characters. But the film was a hit for others and I was just happy to see a powerful heroine join the ranks of Thor, Iron Man, Hulk and Black Panther.

16. Iron Man 3

The only reason this movie is so low is because of the Mandarin let down. In my honest opinion I was looking forward to seeing Ben Kingsley as one of my favourite villains, but Marvel let me down. I enjoyed the overall story, but the actual villain was forgettable.

15. Captain America: The First Avenger

I am not an American patriot, but I love Captain America. He stands for everything I believe in and Chris Evans completely embodies that. The film was a great origin story and an awesome war story. The biggest let-down of the movie was not giving Red Skull more, character development, but luckily Infinity War kind of fixed that.

14. Ant-Man and The Wasp

The Ant-Man sequel gives us our first look at The Wasp and it gives the MCU another badass heroine for little girls to look up to. It also gives us a better look at the Quantum Realm, which will hopefully play a bigger role in future in future MCU movies.

13. The Avengers: Age of Ultron

I remember how excited I was to see Ultron make his way to the silver screen and James Spader’s voice certainly did him justice. The movie looked great on paper; unfortunately it did not come out that great on screen. It was still awesome to see all the Avengers assemble again.

12. Ant-Man

One of the most obscure film’s Marvel Studios has ever made and it was definitely a success in my opinion. Paul Rudd brought different kind of comedy to the MCU and it turned out to be one of the movies we never knew we needed.

11. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2

James Gunn took his weird space opera to another part of the universe and it was hilarious. Seeing a planet take the role of a villain was just something spectacular, unfortunately it was not as good as the original.

10. Doctor Strange

Our wishes came true and we finally saw Benedict Cumberbatch as the Sorceror Supreme. The film was a typical superhero story, but it was executed perfectly. The film was the perfect mix of action, psychedelic sequences and humour.

9. Black Panther

This movie gave me the opportunity to experience Africa in a way I never did before. As a son of the Motherland I love how we were represented in the movie. Black Panther started a superhero revolution and I cannot wait to see what is next.

8. Iron Man

The film that started it all, the origin of all the Avengers Initiative and it is a true story of redemption. I was not sure where I should place it, because it is hands down one of the greatest, but it paved the way for even greater films.

7. Spider-Man: Homecoming

Spidey finally met up with the other guys and now he got to take in his place in the MCU. This is the best Spidey film since Spider-Man 2 and Tom Holland embodies both the titular character and his alter-ego.

6. Guardians of the Galaxy

This is the movie that proved that we all love aliens and humans interacting. James Gunn most probably inspired a new generation of filmmakers with this movie. It was ground-breaking and really funny.

5. Avengers: Infinity War

The movie that brought together the Avengers, the Guardians and all the other MCU characters is really something spectacular. It proved how interconnected these films really are, but not all characters got their chance to shine. The films ending was also a big shocker, but it is nonetheless one of the best in the MCU. The movie has been ten years in the making and it was worth the wait.

4. Avengers

This is the movie that got most of us hooked to the MCU. It proved that an interconnected movie universe was possible and it can be awesome at the same time. Seeing my favourite childhood actors join forces was just AWESOME!

3. Captain America: Winter Soldier

This movie redefined the superhero genre and it proved that it can be more than just heroes and villains fighting. The story and each character fit perfectly into the setting and I love watching it over and over again.

2. Thor: Ragnarok

I never knew I would love Thor as much as I love him now. Ragnarok gave Chris Hemsworth a reason to shine and in a funny way. Teaming up with Hulk was the best way forward and Taika Waititi is one of the best directors ever.

1. Captain America: Civil War             

This movie changed the way we see our heroes and it proved they are just humans after all. Pitting the heroes against each other was the perfect way to make sure the MCU will be changed forever. This movie was the perfect push the genre needed to make sure it lasts for years.

There you go; my rankings for the MCU. Check out my TV show rankings below.

11.  Inhumans

10.  Iron Fist

9. The Defenders

8. Luke Cage

7. Cloak and Dagger

6.  Agent Carter

5.  The Punisher

4.  Jessica Jones

3.  Runaways

2.  Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D

1.  Daredevil