Marvel Movie Rankings
All 34 movies ranked by Ashley from worst to best!
34. Iron Man 3
Going into Iron Man 3 I was beyond excited for whatever was to come. The Mandarin was such a great villain and Ben Kingsley playing the part was even more gold. Seeing Iron Man fly through the air and save all those people on the airplane in the promos and Iron Patriot was like Christmas every time. Walking out of Iron Man 3 was a totally different feeling, the only time in my life I felt like a Marvel movie failed completely. The fact that the Mandarin was not real and what they did with him made this the worst film for me.
33. Thor the Dark World
I didn't hate TTDW; I also didn't love it or feel like it was one of Marvel's strongest. Malekith was a forgettable villain which sometimes happens with the MCU but none more so than this movie. Loki (as usual) was certainly the best part of this movie and he will likely continue to be in anything he appears in, including his own Disney+ series. I loved the Aether and the fact that we got to see a new element for what we now come to know will make up the Infinity Gauntlet. Jane was also pretty forgettable and Darcy brought a nice touch again as she did in the first Thor.
32. Thor Love & Thunder
So coming off Thor Ragnarok, we all hoped this was going to be as fun as that movie; sadly it was not. I'll start with the 3 positives: The Cosmic Easter eggs in this film were awesome (The Living tribunal spoke to Gorr, we got a glimpse of Eternity, we saw the watcher, death, the living tribunal and a few other high cosmic beings all in one room), I thought Bale did a great job as Gorr (truly creepy and like Thanos actually completed his mission in an insanely powerful way) and the battle on the shadow planet was the best battle of the film. Outside of those 3 things the movie was very clearly a filler until the next big movie which I believe will be Ant-Man 3. It was a very disappointing film however very appropriately setup what's to come. Marvel has another 10yrs to go of content so I'm expecting a few duds and fillers to properly get us to the cosmic finish.
31. Black Widow
In my opinion Black Widow was one of those "Little too late" movies. The opening scene was incredible, dark and gave me DC vibes if I'm being honest. The music and scenery were fantastic, the way the family interacted and Florence Pugh as Yelena stole the show for sure. However even with all of those elements, I felt like had I gotten this movie a few years back it could have been appreciated more but because this came after Black Widows death in Av EndGame it made me care less about this movie. Knowing I won't see more of Natasha makes me sad as a fan but I appreciated more that it was a passing of the widows for Yelena. Florence Pugh is a very welcomed new Avenger in this fans book.
30. Thor
This was one of my favorite end credit scenes (not credited to this movie particularly), but it was back when Marvel didn't leak ahead of time what was coming. Instead, they gave you an awesome end credit to make you wonder. This tactic wasn't used again until Spider-Man: Far From Home. Before this movie, all we saw Thor's hammer in the dirt, and people were hyped! The Frost Giants were decent and showed that they wouldn't back down to as powerful as Thor or Odin himself.
29. Ant-Man
Hearing that Paul Rudd got casted as Ant-man was my 3rd fav casting in marvel movie moments (after Vision and Doc strange). Evangeline Lilly was also spot on casting as she was one of my favorite female co-leads after black widow. She didn't kick ass as much as Ant-man 2 but I love how she was the one who guided Scott through the process of becoming who he is today. Michael Douglas was masterful as the original Ant-man but the villain in this one again was passable but not one of the tops.
28. The Incredible Hulk
I remember being terrified for this movie to come out because the non-marvel one was so awful I didn't want Kevin Feige's version to be on that level and this was only his second run doing a marvel film. The other marvel films are properly ranked in this list but I wish this one could be higher because I LOVED this version of Hulk. It's a shame that Ed Norton didn't reprise his role as that would have also been magical but this movie had one of my favorite villains in mcu history. The fight between Hulk and Abomination at the end of this film for some reason will always be one of my favorites; other than Thanos. This was a rightful match to witness.
27. Ant-Man and the Wasp
It's very rare in movie land that a sequel is better than the original but this is one that can take that title. Wasp and ghost were two of my favorite parts of this film. Going deeper into the Quantum Realm was also a delight for me and one that ultimately saved the entire human race as you will see in EndGame. Giant man would have been my favorite shock to see in Civil War but sadly that surprise was leaked and ruined for me but that didn't stop him from being my second favorite part of this film. Also Paul Rudd is just the best as Ant-man.
26. Iron Man 2
Now this particular movie is up for debate in terms of where it sits in any MCU fans ranking and enjoyment level. I personally loved this movie (not better than the first but it complimented the first movie in my opinion). Mickey Rourke as Ivan Vanko was a good villian for Iron Man and War Machine to face up against as he wasn't to much or to little to handle. Jon Fav. can do no wrong to me when it comes to directing which may be why I despised IM3 so much. Lastly, we get introduced to one of my favorite MCU females, Black Widow..YES!!
25. Spider-Man Homecoming
Like every other red blooded American, I had to pull over on the side of the road when I heard marvel got the rights to spider-man back. The Sony versions were passable but Spider-man in the MCU was partly everything I prayed for (Fantastic Four is next). Tom Holland as spider-man has been beyond perfect and Zendaya as the MCU's version of MJ was even more complimenting. I loved that Iron Man was peter's mentor throughout the movie and Happy gave this movie the icing to the perfect MCU movie cake.
24. Black Panther
There are so many mixed emotions about this film it really depends on who you're asking for a true opinion on the movie. Thank God I'm a non-racist and unbiased MCU fan that can give you my proper ranking of this movie. Did it do great things for African Americans in real life? absolutely; did it deserve an Oscar? absolutely; was it the best or even one of the best MCU movies? not by a long shot. It did what most successful first time MCU movies do (Like Cap Marvel) and told you the origin of the character. You can expect the second to be FIRE!!
23. Avengers Age of Ultron
Who wasn't amped when they saw trailers and footage from Comic-Con about Avengers 2? My excitement mostly came from knowing my favorite character was properly casted and finally showing up in a movie (Vision) with the most epic scene in the whole movie might I add. Av 2 was not the best by far and Civil War was the sequel we wanted but I and a very select few fans adored this movie and Ultron like Thanos was an incredible and worthy opponent.
22. Captain America
This origin movie as well as Iron Man are incredibly worthy for mid and top placement on this list. Captain America gave me my 5th favorite villain in the MCU, Red Skull. Any comic fan knows this was one of Caps greatest enemies and if he wasn't the first enemy cap fought there would be an injustice to the material. This movie had so much heart and amazing actors that it stands alone in an MCU film (for me at least) at being a unique hero film that will lead us to the finale of love at the end of EndGame worthy of a super soldier.
21. GOTG: V2
Ok as we get closer to the top 10 (particularly 15-11 on my list) it will vary again based on which MCU fan you are talking to for the rankings. Guardians V2 was a movie I ended up liking more than the first one which again can be incredibly rare when it comes to any film. Baby groot was life for any person watching the film and I LOVED how James Gunn brought Ego to life; he wasn't cheesy but perfectly crafted for the film. I particularly loved the more family feel in how the Guardians interacted with each other. Masterful!
20. Eternals
This one is definitely the matrix of the MCU. A very wise celestial once asked me my thoughts on aliens and my response was "They are human just lightyears in the future and far more advanced." This movie takes that concept and breathes life into it.Not interfering as to keep the natural order of free will in place, slowly introducing technology beyond our comprehension, realizing that humans are stupidly ruining their own planet and each other, wondering if human life is even worth any of the effort at all. Still with all that at play there is still the one concept in motion that could save it all: Love. A force and energy that skips no man, being or other.I didn't think a movie could come so close to Infinity War level but this is a 20 out of 10 and deserves honorable mention on that front. Kudos to Angie Jolie for being the biggest star in that movie but gracefully taking a back seat so other actors could shine... her hybrid existence on this planet does not go unnoticed.
19. Spider-Man: Far From Home
One wonders how the MCU could possibly follow-up EndGame but thanks to EG being merely a "Thank You to Fans" film rather then the glory that was Infinity War it was an attainable goal. FFH was an amazing film and yet again I enjoyed this one more than the first spider film. Mysterio to me was an awesome foe for Peter to face but more importantly the end credit of this movie was in the top 3 all time best end credits setting up what surely has to hint at Secret Wars giving the MCU another stint at longevity and likeability.
18. GOTG: V3
Where I did absolutely LOVE Guardians Volume 3, I did not find it better than Volume 1 and I did not think this villain was better than Kang. Every Guardian is fantastic to the point where I can't really pick a favorite because they all so perfectly fit. The High Evolutionary was VERY impressive as a foe and I would put him on the levels of Hella, Surtur, Abomination and Red Skull in his evil and destructive capabilities. However right now the Skrulls and Kang take the "Thanos/Loki" current MCU title for me even still. Adam Warlock was absolutely the stand-out character I wanted him to be and he's still only in his infancy. The more he is on screen the better and Will certainly lived up to my expectations even after me doubting his ability to play such an important character. Rocket has always been super bad ass so I love that he got his own story-arch and I'm excited to see where Quill/Mantis will end up next. Overall the feeling I got from the first one is still unmatched for this group and I have to go off of my real opinion and feelings on this one. If another MCU fan argued for higher placement of this film I'd be willing to sit down and listen.
17. Doctor Strange
It takes a special kind of MCU fan to place this so high on a rank list and yup that is me. I adored the cartoon movie so much that I was actually worried the live action would not do it justice. When the fans (and myself) heard that Benedict Cumberbatch got the role as Stephen Strange it was the same feeling as RDJ playing Iron Man...oh he was born to play that part. Walking out of that film I felt like it was so fresh and different from any other super hero film I'd seen and if some of the other MCU films ahead of it were never made I would move it even higher on my list.
16. Ant-man & The Wasp Quantumania
Ant-man 3 was absolutely the best of his 3 films (however I did miss Louis) but not the best this phase has to offer. This comparison comes from Shang-Chi/Wakanda Forever & Multiverse of Madness just blowing me away HOWEVER let's talk about how fantastic this film was. Paul Rudd yet again delivers as one of the funnest and funniest hero's in the MCU lineup, the original wasp stole a great majority of the cool factor spotlight (hand-clap for Janet aka Michelle Pfeiffer). Cassie/RiRi Williams/Kate Bishop/Yelena & America Chavez are now my favorite young Avenging leading ladies. Hank and his intelligent ants made for some nice life saving action but boy oh boy....my guy Kang! It's to early to tell if he is Thanos level great, but Majors is knocking every version of him out of the park. He Who Remains was my second favorite part of Loki and my first favorite part of this film was Kang. I adored his suit/costume, I love how he carried himself so regally even though he's not a king but a conqueror and majors ability to go from genocidal murderer to a slightly empathetic man of his word when he attempted to get Janet back home was a highlighted scene for me. I'm beyond excited to see all the versions of this character that can be conjured up and absolutely my favorite villain in the MCU as of current.
15. The Marvels
This movie was SUPER fun and totally redeemed Miss Marvel for me. The fight scenes were very unique and I loved how they shot them (interlocking their powers and switching between fights). The visuals were gorgeous as per usual with Marvel but the villain was sadly not as epic as the skrulls from the first film. Brie is just as charming and bad-ass as usual but Monica and Khamala Khan added a touch of "perfect chemistry" that made them my favorite trio in the MCU after Iron Man,Cap and Thor. I must say Captain Marvel's scene at the end of the first one was still in the legend books for me (her going up against the nuclear warheads and getting stronger with every hit). The end credit for this movie was fantastic and I know every fan is just twiddling their thumbs waiting for the Avengers to cross-paths with the X-men and Fantastic Four.
14. Captain Marvel
Another MCU film with so much hate and biast opinions, Captain Marvel made my top 15 list for many reasons. The movie was awesome and one of the better origin films for me because Carol showed her full power the first time around by the end of the film; we didn't need 3 films to see it. Many will argue about Brie Larson's ability to portray Carol but she was spot on and like RDJ is her character in real life as she stands up for women's rights but is also a kind, loving person at heart. Carol in Binary form is unstoppable.
13. Guardians of the Galaxy
When I first heard about the Guardians movie I'll admit I didn't know much about them; I wasn't alone. I watched a lot of the cartoons and read a few of the comics after hearing about their movie and likely still wasn't versed enough but was ready and excited regardless. I got to see a 14 min sneak peek and after that I was convinced; it was one of the best scenes and freshest new movies an MCU fan could imagine. It only took the jail scene and the casting of Zoe for me to be hooked. This ranks on any list in the top 10.
12. Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness
Multiverse of Madness was 100x better then the first but let's get into the layers of why, how and the grand scheme of things. Ready or not Marvel has gone cosmic...we are at the point where characters like Captain and Black Widow can't even be in the same battle as the Doctor Stranges and the Scarlet Witches. I LOVED everything about this movie and as my main witch says in WandaVision "Thanks for the history lesson but I don't need you to tell me who....I...Am". She played this role in a way that made my soul cry and she's not even real. The struggles and heartaches that led Wanda to become an unstoppable villain in this film was magical to see on screen and Sam Rami brought his horror A-Game with Strange. Zombie strange was fantastic and America Chavez is both of my nieces and other little girls in the coming generations (bad ass with a lot of power of her own). Clea was a nice little surprise as an end credit and as per usual with Marvel should lead nicely into the future.....
11. Wakanda Forever
What an amazing sequel and way to honor such a talented/loved actor. Not only did this movie have beautifully choreographed fight scenes, strong black women kicking ass and insane armor and costumes but...well...NAMOR. I've said for ages (since Age of Ultron) that Namor was coming and I'm so happy he finally landed in the MCU because he's going to be crucial for the fight against Kang. Shuri was a phenomenal representation of young black women and Iron-heart (RiRi Williams) was even more perfect. This movie gave all the best parts of Winter Soldier but in Wakanda. Angela Bassett gave an Oscar worthy performance but then again when doesn't she give an Oscar worthy performance? Coogler did his friend Chadwick a great honor with this movie and that cameo was gold but I surely hope they have more plans for that character.....
10. Shang-Chi
Marvel came hard as a MF with this one!
Shang-Chi was easily a top 10 best solo Marvel movie (along with Thor Ragnarok) and had one of my absolute favorite cameos (Team Trevor!).
The visuals were stunning, fight scenes amazing, story-line on point, comedy well timed and the whole movie had amazing soul. It made a b!tch wanna move to Macau (somewhere I always wanted to go anyway) and learn martial arts.
9. Thor Ragnarok
I can't sing the praises enough for this movie, this cast, this director etc. Bringing together Planet Hulk and Thor was not something I thought I'd ever see but here we are. From Surtur to Loki to Hela I can only find one flaw in this movie and it is a very personal one. I have been waiting for my second favorite character Beta Ray Bill to show up for YEARS and only got a teaser of him in this movie (and in GOTG V1). Thor 4 better bring me Beta or I'll protest. Outside of that this movie was completely perfect and could argue for higher placement on the ranks; which I would agree with.
8. Deadpool & Wolverine
It's safe to start with saying Deadpool & Wolverine exceeded my expectations by quite a bit. The opening fight scene was exquisite and the 4th wall break will always give Deadpool a hilarious advantage over every hero in the MCU. Obviously Hugh Jackman coming back as Wolverine in this film and hopefully in the future was yet another Thank You Marvel moment but this is the film that pulled all the tricks out the hat regardless of it making sense or not and was likely one of the only hero's who can get away with this. Is it me or does Casandra Nova look dangerously close to James McAvoy's version of Professor X and yes... I caught her "I've gotten a few Professor X's down here in the void" line. This COULD allude to James' version of Professor X going forward in the MCU but that is another Ashley Shot in the dark. Scarlet Witches layer for one of my favorite scenes in the film was a great Easter egg and noticeable catch as was the scene with all our favorite fallen hero's including someone I've wanted for a long time playing one of my favorite X-men Gambit (outside of the horrific accent, Tatum did a flawless job with this one as I always suspected he would have). Last favorite Easter Egg was them strolling past Egypt in the void opening up the mind to either MoonKnight or Storm coming soon to a film near us. The movie was fantastic and there is not 1 thing I would have changed or done differently....outside of maybe a Loki cameo.
7. Iron Man
The original OG and the movie that started it all, also another controversial movie for placement on an MCU's rank list. Iron Man was the best stand-alone and first hero movie MCU has or may likely ever produce. Not only did it feel real and the story felt authentic but watching Robert Downey Jr basically play himself and Tony Stark at the same time is a rare gift in cinema history; you almost forget he's even acting.Yin-Sen was my unsung hero but this hero will forever be in the history books for MCU fans.
6. Spider-Man: No Way Home
Let me start by saying Zendaya as MJ is my complete spirit angel and this movie made me fall in love with her even more. Overall the movie was near perfect, although I would have loved to see the spidey's face venom! This was like the EndGame portal scene when all the cool people stepped out and on the screen. Everyone in my theater (and I'm sure in theaters around the globe) went crazy when all 3 spider-mans were on screen and suited up together! Every villain was better than the last, however, Willem Dafoe as Green Goblin was Loki and Thanos level great....another actor born for the role. Doctor Strange made himself an instant leader level Avenger with every scene in this film and I give it a 9/10 no question!
5. Captain America Winter Soldier
Watching the promo trailers for this movie, I didn't know what to expect honestly. I got hyped every time I saw Cap do something great but Winter Soldier stole the show for me in this movie. This movie felt like one of the best political promos I've ever seen in the form of a movie and wasn't even Cap's best film yet (little did I know). To have 2 superb enemies in one film (Winter Soldier and Pierce) is incredibly difficult but this movie succeeded.One of the best movies from the MCU ever and awesome setup for what was to come.
4. Avengers End Game
I need to start with I did not hate endgame by a long shot. It wasn't what I expected and coming from seeing Infinity War I got a different movie; and that's ok. End Game did exactly what it was meant to and finished an amazing saga of stories. They did the fans justice with every ounce of time travel material however it was not, in my opinion better then 1 and 3. That being said, the last 20 mins of the movie was actually the greatest thing I've ever seen in the MCU and potentially any movie I've ever seen.
3. Captain America Civil War
How refreshing was Civil War? Just when you thought there was no way the Russo's could top Winter Soldier out comes CW. This to me was what Age of Ultron should have been so I lightly count this movie as Avengers 2. Civil War brought us oh shit moments every other scene and the airport fight was the third best ensemble fight in the MCU behind EG & IW. Not only did they focus on Cap but also made Iron Man a main character and slight enemy and they did so masterfully. This movie was nothing short of a masterpiece.
2. The Avengers
Another original OG in the MCU world that will forever go down in history. This was the first time anything like this would ever be attempted in movie history; bringing together all those heroes in one movie. Little did they know, Joss Whedon would successfully complete that mission and The Avengers would go down in history as one of the greatest comic book movies of all time. Another movie with 0 flaws and all the feels, The Avengers is what made me and every other fan fall in love with these characters through the years.
1. Avengers Infinity War
I based this entire ranking off of the 1 MCU film that not only could I watch multiple times in a row, not only was a cinematic masterpiece but was also the film that took every other movie and made no real comparison. Naturally I was as excited as any fan for Part 1 of the ending saga but I did not expect a 3rd Avengers film to not only be better than the first 2 but also better than any of the 21 films before it. Infinity War brought together every single MCU character and put them in a story that could not have been done better from any other team or film for me to date. Mastferfully done is an understatement when it comes to this film.