Since 2008, one franchise has pulled out all the stops. As of the beginning of 2017, it has raked in close to $11 billion, and will undoubtedly continue to raise its revenue into the 2020s. Welcome to the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Here are the top ten greatest Marvel movies released thus far, in order from least to most impressive:
10. “Thor”
Admittedly, the most difficult piece to fit into the expansive Marvel puzzle. He’s a nigh-indestructible, lightning-hurling god from Game-of-Thrones-land who must be catered to fit in with juiced up athletes and boozy robot-men. When Thor got his own franchise, it became something of a romantic comedy. While fun and lighthearted, it left much to be desired from the fans who long to see the Son of Odin really cut loose the way a Norse god is expected to. Hopefully “Thor: Ragnarok” keeps Hemsworth in the cosmos, instead of locking lips with Padmé.
9. “Iron Man 2”
The second installment of Tony Stark’s solo franchise was a step down in quality, but stairwells above in quantity, both in action and in comedy. So when the sequel sacrificed overall depth in order to explore specifics of the somewhat shady past of the Stark family, many were left wanting something else. Though enough of an audience remained, and the movie was hailed as both fun and emotional; not the worst sequel in the MCU.
8. “Captain America: Civil War”
Technically the threequel for Captain America, “Civil War” brought a slew of Avengers onto the same screen for the third time, and by this point, I’ve started asking for more. I want to be dazzled by more than guest stars, I want everything to matter, and with “War,” so much of it felt sloppy. With previous Marvel films, every piece of the action seems so intentional, but “War,” though a spectacle, simply felt uncoordinated.
7. “Doctor Strange”
The most recent venture of the MCU followed the Sorcerer Supreme through a psychedelic visit to “Inception,” led by Benedict Cumberbatch. The film followed the usual structure of every Marvel movie, and though it finds the delicate balance between drama and comedy, "Doctor Strange" intentionally dismisses any resonance, preferring humor over the chance to make us emote with Strange. This aside, it is overall a fun flick with dizzying effects, suitable for any disco party.
6. “Avengers: Age of Ultron”
The sequel never beats the original, but “Ultron” really had it tough. Much of the esteem of the first “Avengers” movie is that it was the first “Avengers” movie. So when its sequel is less good and less important, it’s bound to be less amazing. When you can’t impress audiences by simply putting the whole team together, you actually have to tell a great story, and with “Ultron,” it wasn’t quite there.
5. “Captain America: The First Avenger”
The first venture for the Star Spangled Man with a Plan, the 2011 hit proved many viewers wrong: Captain America is cool. Brilliantly directed by Joe Johnston (“The Rocketeer”), the movie manages to take campiness and turn it into grit, adding up to a light-hearted yet heart-stomping underdog story, focusing on a nice loser kicking the crap out of ole Adolf and his crimson cur, the Red Skull. Yes, it sounds ridiculous, but it couldn’t be better.
4. “The Avengers”
The biggest deal out of them all, 2012’s blockbuster epic paved the way for the rest of the franchise’s success. The first to gross over a billion dollars (but certainly not the last), it was the first time earth’s mightiest heroes came together to face a common threat. And it didn’t disappoint. Anybody who wasn’t on board before certainly climbed on after this; Joss Whedon’s masterpiece had us all believing in heroes.
3. “Captain America: The Winter Soldier”
Not so much a superhero movie as it is a political thriller, Joe and Anthony Russo managed to make Steve Rogers a better Bond than Bond. Perhaps the first Marvel flick to venture into real-world political themes such as distrust and nationalism, it is also the first (and only) sequel that's even better than the original.
2. “Guardians of the Galaxy”
The one that proved Marvel can at least attempt anything and get away with it. James Gunn made audiences fall in love with a raccoon and a tree. In space. With classic pop and a ripped-ass Burt Macklin, nothing Marvel has ever been this unforgettable, or this much fun, and we’re all anxiously awaiting the sequel coming in May.
1. “Iron Man”
The one that started it all. Without Jon Favreau’s critical, financial, and audience mindblower, none of this would be real. But every chance the studio took, with hiring Robert Downey Jr, or even making the movie at all, paid off. An $11 billion dollar pay-off, actually. The success of the entire franchise is owed to the invincible armored Avenger, who not only held his own in an arguably perfect blockbuster, paved the way for the biggest series in cinema, ever.
