As the world awaits Avengers: Infinity War that opens nationwide tomorrow, it’s a good time to look at and rank the 18 films that make up this vast Marvel Cinematic Universe that is now 10 years in the making. Let’s take a look at how I rank them and see if you agree. Starting with…
18. Iron Man 3 –At the time, Iron Man 3 was the second highest grossing film behind The Avengers. While that has changed, what hasn’t changed is the fact that this remains my least favorite. The action and the overall acting is not the issue. Robert Downey, Jr. is still the man. However, when the powers that be decided to take the villainous character of the Mandarin (Ben Kingsley) and make him into a gag character, it killed it for the die-hard Iron Man fan. To Marvel’s credit, they tried to rectify this with the “All Hail the King” one shot film that put the “Who is the real Mandarin?” back in play. Whether the character will play a role in future films or not remains to be seen. At this point, I doubt it but in the world of comics, never say never.
17. Thor: The Dark World –Originally I had this sequel ahead of its predecessor because we get more of the title character as his God-like self than we did in the first film. However after multiple viewings, some of the warts start to surface mainly due to a weak villain. For those who had wished to have seen more of Asgard in the first film will get their wish with TDW. The same can be said about the action. There is more than enough action to satisfy the fanboys and girls. We get to see Thor strut his God of Thunder self throughout the film. It may not be as epic in scope as The Avengers but TDW does more than hold its own in entertaining us. Overall still great fun and the Loki-Thor relationship is always a treat.
16. Iron Man 2 –This sequel was highly anticipated but fell short due to a villain overload and a less than interesting Whiplash played by Mickey Rourke. IM2 has Tony Stark in the wake of his Iron Man revelation at the end of the first film battling the U.S. Government, Justin Hammer (a Stark wannabe weapons manufacturer) and the aforementioned Anton Vanko aka Whiplash with a personal vendetta against Tony. Although it was nice to see the first appearance of Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) and the first real appearance of Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson), it was just too much going on and very little direction. IM2 should have been better.
15. The Incredible Hulk –This one is tricky. It’s the least grossing film and its lead actor Ed Norton is not part of cinematic universe. The Incredible Hulk came on the heels of the ultra successful first Iron Man film and the failure of the original Hulk film that starred Eric Bana. The Incredible Hulk is leaps and bounds better than Ang Lee’s Hulk from a few years earlier. Tim Roth as Abomination was great and Norton was a formidable Bruce Banner/Hulk. It would’ve been nice to see Norton’s take on the character in future films but seeing how wonderful Mark Ruffalo is, Norton’s departure was our gain. I do hope for a possible solo effort and a definitive take on the Mean Green Machine.
14. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 – At its’s best, Vol. 2 is a visually dazzling spectacle set to some awesome tunes you we have now come to expect, laugh out loud humor and of course action galore. Is it better than Vol. 1? I wouldn’t say better but I will say it’s a worthy sequel to a surprise hit that proved that the creative minds behind Marvel Studios have the Midas touch when it comes to storytelling and building a vast universe that’s all connected.
13. Spider-Man: Homecoming – When does a “reboot” not feel like a reboot? When you put it in the capable hands of Marvel Studios and they give us Spider-Man: Homecoming. Ever since Spider-Man made his MCU debut in Captain America: Civil War, fans have been eagerly awaiting to see the Webmaster appear in his own solo adventure. Wait no further because the Spider-Man film franchise just got a new and refreshing restart. Homecoming is a colorful comic book come to life that is both bright and fun. Don’t be fooled though. Between the comedic scenes and witty dialogue, Homecoming has a poignant message behind it that echoes the feeling of “with great power comes great responsibility”.
12. Thor –This film and its introduction of the Norse God of Thunder made me a fan. Chris Hemsworth is terrific in the title role and Marvel has done a great job casting its leads. I would’ve given this film a slight edge over its sequel if only we saw more of Thor as the Thor than we did. With that said, we get into the world of S.H.I.E.L.D. and we get a glimpse of a future Avenger in Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner). But more importantly, we get Loki (Tom Hiddleston), who maybe as valuable to the cinematic universe from the villain perspective as the heroes themselves.
11. Doctor Strange – One of the strongest characteristics of the MCU since it began a decade ago is in their casting. We saw this with Robert Downey, Jr. as Iron Man and Chris Evans as Captain America. Now add Benedict Cumberbatch to this impressive list. He is without question, Doctor Stephen Strange. The entire film hinges on his performance that if he doesn’t deliver, all the special effects in the world would not have saved this new entry in this ever-expanding universe. Doctor Strange is a 3D extravaganza. This might easily be Marvel’s most visually dazzling film yet as part of their Cinematic Universe. So much fun.
10. Ant-Man – I may be as surprised as anyone that Ant-Man ranks as high as it does. Paul Rudd is perfectly cast as Scott Lang, and his addition to the MCU gives us a nice balance between humor and the darkness that casts a shadow in the world of good and evil. To quote Master Yoda, “size matters not!” That pretty much sums up Ant-Man, a very good and very entertaining addition to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. There is great heart in this film and is very family friendly.
9. Avengers: Age of Ultron – Comparing Age of Ultron with its predecessor isn’t easy and perhaps not even fair. The first film was colorful and cartoon like (in a very good way) with its Whedon-esque humor. It was also several years in the making so when it finally came to be, the excitement of seeing all our heroes together for the first time, made many of us comic book fans overlook some of its flaws. You’ll never have that “first time” feeling again but the thrill of seeing them fight alongside one another will always be there. Ultron is bigger, bolder and brasher in scope and presentation than the first and in between the humor, there’s also a serious tone at its core. For all you Hawkeye fans, he is given a much deeper role that many would be able to relate to.
8. Thor: Ragnarok – Want to know what you get when you smash Flash Gordon with This is Spinal Tap? You get Thor: Ragnarok. Arguably the Thor films have been the weakest entries for the fans but that changes with this one here. There is something very inspiring and entertaining in seeing a God-like character like Thor, being the proverbial underdog. By far the best of the Thor trilogy and adding Hulk into the mix made this film a fun ride from beginning to end. May I add that a free speaking, tantrum carrying and funny Hulk is the best kind of Hulk there is!
7. Captain America: The First Avenger –I really loved this film and it has stood up over time. It’s the second best origin film on this list and it’s one of the very best origin films period when it comes to comic book films in general. The First Avenger much like its sequel The Winter Solider feels more like a regular film than a generic superhero film. A great supporting cast led by Hugo Weaving as Red Skull and veteran actors, Tommy Lee Jones and Stanley Tucci, along with Hayley Atwell and Sebastian Stan makes this one of the better acted films of all of them. I appreciate the look and feel of this WW2 story. Chris Evans has grown so much as an actor. And as much as Downey, Jr. is Iron Man, Evans is very much Captain America. You believe in him, the cause he fights for and you’re willing to follow him anywhere.
6. Guardians of the Galaxy – Anytime the term Star Wars-esque is used one must be careful it’s a term I generally don’t like because it’s unfair to that film. However, it may be the most proper term to describe Guardians of the Galaxy. Sporting dazzling special effects and a superior soundtrack thanks to director James Gunn. Led by Chris Pratt as Star-Lord, Guardians is a thrilling film filled with great action and a humor to match. Guardians also turned out to be the biggest surprise and a huge gamble at the time for Marvel to build a movie around lessor known characters. It paid off in a big way then and continues to pay dividends now.
5. Black Panther – Marvel Studios continues to produce films for their Cinematic Universe that transcends the basic superhero formula of good versus evil and elevates it to a social commentary that reflects our world. Following the events of Captain America: Civil War and the assassination of his father, Black Panther follows T’Challa powerfully played by Chadwick Boseman as he returns home to his native Wakanda, a sophisticated technology advanced hidden kingdom deep in the jungles of Africa to claim the throne as her King and the mettle of becoming Black Panther. To date, Black Panther is the highest grossing superhero film of all-time. That will probably change with Infinity War but that will take nothing away from a film that breaks barriers about who our heroes are. Terrific film with an outstanding cast led by Boseman.
4. Captain America: Civil War – Before the Infinity War, there was the Civil War. Loosely based on the very popular comic book event from Marvel, Captain America: Civil War cements the Captain America trilogy of films as some of the very best in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The last act was its most gut wrenching when Iron Man battles both Captain America and the Winter Solider. I say gut wrenching because it pits not only friend versus friend but in many ways, brother versus brother. We learn some horrible truths that bring all the Iron Man and Captain America films full circle. To further its praise, Civil War brings us Black Panther and Spider-Man into the MCU.
3. The Avengers – Sheer popcorn fun. There is no other way to describe it. There was a four-year, five film buildup for the commencement of this nerdgasm. Is it the perfect comic book film? No not quite. But it’s one of the most enjoyable. Director Joss Whedon is a fanboy who gets it. He knows how to work a story and get an ensemble cast of this size and make everyone relevant. Not an easy task to be sure but he pulls it off. The Avengers was a thrilling and wild ride that reminds the dork in me why I love comics so much. And why I dreamed of seeing my childhood heroes up on the silver screen.
2. Iron Man –Simply put, Iron Man was the perfect origin film with the best casting of a lead ever. Downey is so perfect in the role that Marvel Comics ended up redoing the look of Tony Stark in their comics to look more like Downey, Jr. Oh and did I mention that with Iron Man the Marvel Cinematic Universe was born. With Jon Favreau at the helm, Downey, Jr. in a career defining role and a supporting cast that included Gwyneth Paltrow as Pepper Potts and Jeff Bridges as the first villain, the Iron Monger, the paving of a cinematic universe had been laid out.
1. Captain America: The Winter Soldier –The best of the sequels to date. And very close to being the best of them all. Unlike all the others, TWS has a sense of reality between its conspiracy theories, government overreach and military involvement. Certainly relevant topics given today’s paranoid world. The pacing and the action is spot on and Chris Evans just continues to shine in the title role. Joining Captain America’s quest for the truth is Scarlett Johansson once again as Black Widow, Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury and newcomer to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Anthony Mackie as Sam Wilson aka Falcon. All three put on worthy performances. Most notably Mackie. Screen legend Robert Redford gives a solid performance as Alexander Pierce a senior leader at S.H.I.E.L.D. and Sebastian Stan does a solid job as The Winter Soldier/James “Bucky” Barnes.
Well, there you have it, 10 years and 18 films later as we brace ourselves for Infinity War. The Marvel Cinematic Universe I’m sure will not be the same after this weekend. I’m sure will be saying goodbye to some of our heroes. The strength of these films and a testament to its longevity comes from the creative minds like Kevin Feige, Anthony and Joseph Russo, Joss Whedon, Ryan Coogler and so many in between and the men and women who bring these characters to life. As fans, we care, we’re vested in the outcome. Yes, it’s just a movie in the grand scheme of things but it also serves as a much-needed and welcome distraction from life’s struggles. For that and that alone, I thank them all.
May the Dork be with you,
JPB
The Dork Knight
