23 Best Marvel Movies Ranked (2008 – 2019)

If there was ever a time to be cynical about the MCU, it was after the release of Thor: The Dark World (2013). The careful buildup to The Avengers was astonishing and unprecedented, so the overall weaknesses of Phase 1 were forgivable.

These films had a fun gimmick and that was fine. But once The Avengers came out, Marvel had to keep the momentum going. Iron Man 3 did that well enough, but then it all came screeching to a halt.

The Dark World is a mess. The plot occurs more out of contractual obligation than creative vision, which is particularly evident in the villain. The dark elf Malekith (whose name I had to Google) is faceless and forgettable, a total waste of Christopher Eccleston's talent. He exemplifies everything wrong with Marvel villains at that time.

It’s how the "Marvel movies have no risk" narrative began to take shape in the first place. The conflicts are hollow, but as Anthony Hopkins once said: “It doesn't matter; [viewers] will be eating popcorn.”

This movie also cashed in on Loki's Avengers popularity by shoehorning him into a bigger role than necessary. Perhaps all of this could have been avoided had Patty Jenkins helmed the project as planned, but then-Marvel was too risk-averse to see that. 

You know what they say about lightning striking the same place twice? Well, it's true even when you've got a villain with electric whips. Iron Man 2 (2010) falls so far from the heights its predecessor, which is one of the highest-ranking Marvel movies, and it all comes back to vision. 

This is more of a stepping stone than a cohesive film. It was constructed to play off the first Iron Man’s success, introduce War Machine and Black Widow, and loosely further the Avengers Initiative through-line. Then, on top of all that, it needed villains.

Sam Rockwell does a standout job in an inconsequential role, while the aforementioned Whiplash just appears for... what, fan service? It's filler and redundant filler at that; Tony's ghosts come back to haunt him again and again throughout the MCU, from Quentin Beck to Quicksilver. It's a plotline that’s far more effective in the later films, but the trope is prematurely tired with Whiplash. 

The most engaging showdown is between Tony and Rhodey, who butt heads over Tony's legal and psychological fitness to be a superhero. Once that comes to a head, there's not much left to watch. It's not all bad, though. Tony's suit-up at the racetrack is one of the coolest, and Sam Rockwell as Justin Hammer has the best dance moves in the MCU. 

Sorry, Star-Lord.

Took me a few years to admit that Age of Ultron (2015) isn't very good. 

At the time of release, it was riding the high of Winter Soldier and Guardians of the Galaxy, while directly following up one of the biggest and best Marvel movies of all time, The Avengers.

There are plenty of strong moments too: the Hulkbuster scenes are blockbuster splash page glory; the interlude at Clint's farm provides some much-needed character drama; little interactions like the afterparty scene or the final showdown between Vision and Ultron are among the best in the MCU.

How could the movie as a whole NOT be good? 

Now that we've gotten so many masterful ensemble films, the cracks in this one show. Ultron is a weak villain, a weird hybrid of Tony Stark and Joss Whedon that's more eye-rolling than menacing. Some character dynamics, like Bruce and Natasha's romance, are flimsy and distracting, while scenes like Thor's cave vision belong in a different movie entirely. 

When James Gunn set out to make Guardians of the Galaxy, he wanted to tell a story about strangers becoming a family. With Volume 2 (2017), he wanted to tell a story about strangers staying a family. For the most part, he's successful! The interplay between the Guardians is as strong as ever, and the increased role of Nebula and the addition of Mantis just enhance that. 

Gunn excels at giving each character a unique voice and letting them shine in balanced doses. With such strong players, the stakes are more engaging, so the losses hit harder. Upon release, this film had one of the most emotional MCU deaths to date — and those were few and far between. That said, it’s ironic that the film's biggest weakness is its emotional center: Peter and Ego's relationship.

Kurt Russell does a fine job as a charismatic planet-god, but he's so immediately untrustworthy that any dramatic revelations about him feel inevitable. That makes it difficult to invest in his and Peter's bond, which feels at odds with the film's moral compass about unconditional love.

Scott Derrickson and C. Robert Cargill are some of the most inspiring creatives in Hollywood right now, and if you're a young filmmaker, you should follow them on every platform you can. They should be appreciated even if you don't appreciate fully Doctor Strange (2016). 

In a vacuum, this is a solid movie. But in the context of the MCU, in 2016, it was stale. The patterns are obvious: there's a snarky male lead who holds himself in high esteem, has combative sexual tension with a female co-star, has a POC sidekick then fights a villain of equal power.

The charm wears thin. 

Fortunately, Doctor Strange's powers allow spectacle that the other installments don't. The visual effects are amazingly conceived and realized, and when the narrative leans into the psychedelic surrealism, it shimmers like a kaleidoscope.

I swear, this movie is better than you remember it. When ranking Marvel movies in the past, viewers used to position it rather low, but lately, fans have seen how underrated it is. For starters, the wartime period setting textures the story with a unique atmosphere that's never recreated the MCU. But it also has a level of earnestness that the other films lack.

As the superhero genre evolved in the years following Iron Man, it sometimes became self-conscious. Directors and writers would either lampoon the sillier bits so they could be taken seriously or they'd lean way the hell into the silliness and lose the humanity. The First Avenger doesn't do either. 

Steve Rogers is a pure-hearted underdog who believes in truth, justice, and the American way, and he becomes a hero because he hates bullies. He's not the archetypical Marvel hero—see: Iron Man, Doctor Strange, Thor, Star-Lord—who begins with hubris and gets humbled into heroism. It reminds me of Patty Jenkins’ quote regarding Wonder Woman: “It’s terrible when it makes so many artists afraid to be sincere and truthful and emotional, and relegates them to the too-cool-for-school department. Art is supposed to bring beauty to the world.”

Phase 2 was a mixed bag for the MCU. 

It contains some good Marvel movies—even some of the best — but there was a looming fear that the films were getting samey. This narrative grew more prevalent after the release of Star Wars: The Force Awakens when Disney got a reputation for not taking risks. The parting of ways between original Ant-Man (2015) director Edgar Wright and Marvel Studios fed into that narrative. 

Despite those growing pains, Ant-Man came out solid. Director Peyton Reed took over a precarious ship and guided it with spirit, adding a fine layer of visual gags a la Edgar Wright while also keeping the story tonally grounded. What separates Ant-Man from other films is its intimate, personal stakes.

Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) isn't trying to save the world, he's just trying to keep his family together—and historically, he's been bad at it. The emphasis on family and humor keeps the mood light, even during the final battles. 

After The Avengers, all eyes were on Iron Man 3 (2013) to see where Marvel Studios would go next. To their credit, they went to Shane Black. 

Though Avengers: Endgame is billed as the conclusion of the Infinity Saga, Far from Home (2019) is its essential epilogue. From a character perspective, it's an obituary for Tony Stark that both honors and challenges his legacy, then ultimately reassures fans that we'll be fine in his absence.

It allows Peter to further explore the responsibility that comes with his power, taking him to emotional and geographical places that Spider-Man films have never taken him before. 

Cinematically, the set pieces get a lot of oomph thanks to Mysterio, played by the dreamy-and-crazy-eyed Jake Gyllenhaal. These surreal illusions are the highlight of the film; abstract compositions that flaunt Jon Watts' creativity and our VFX technologies.

It's exciting to see that in a Spider-Man film, which normally relegates battles to NYC rooftops or bridges. It’s especially exciting when Watts directs the best Spidey-sense (or Peter-tinge) sequence ever, bar none. 

The MCU has come so far since 2012 that it's funny to look back on The Avengers as an earthshaking achievement—but it was the linchpin that made the universe work. Joss Whedon proved to be the proper choice to unify four distinct movies using one voice, a daunting task for anyone.

Though his incessant and highly-identifiable quips can be grating, his script set a tone moving forward: Marvel movies are character-centric action dramas that marry expressionist action with smooth banter. Boom. A winning formula that makes up all the best Marvel movies.

Whenever I think about The Avengers as a piece of cinema, I recall what Christopher Nolan's frequent cinematographer Wally Pfister had to say about it: “Appalling,” he called it, “They’d shoot from some odd angle and I’d think, why is the camera there? Oh, I see, because they spent half a million on the set and they have to show it off.” As a fan of prestige/indie films and Marvel films alike, my response has always been... Yep. Exactly. That's exactly what they did. And it works perfectly.

The Avengers is a big scale, big-budget, big stakes blockbuster chock full of celebrities and it's a glorious thing. Some parts haven't aged well—the overabundance of CGI does look very 2012, while the wardrobe decisions were and are still questionable—but it holds up as a classic action movie and a rich payoff to one of Hollywood's biggest risks.

Spider-Man has had a spotty history in film. The first two Sam Raimi movies are well-received, while the third one dampened the legacy. The Amazing Spider-Man was fine enough to warrant sequels, but those got stopped mid-sling after the critical failure of The Amazing Spider-Man 2.

There was a common consensus that the MCU could restore our friendly neighborhood hero to his former glory and his role in Civil War supported that—but it still had to be different. 

The Jon Watts-directed, Tom Holland-led Homecoming (2017) is the refurbishment the series needed to become one of the best Marvel movies. It cleverly avoids the redundancies of the previous installments—the spider bite, Uncle Ben's death, recycled villains—and instead relies on the lore of MCU as a whole to fill it up.

By setting Peter side-by-side with Tony Stark and the Avengers, the film emphasizes his age and the uncomfortable set of problems that come with being a teenager with undue responsibility. 

Watts draws influence from classic coming-of-age high school films then entwines them with heroes and villains. The central foe is Vulture, played with menace and sincerity by Michael Keaton. He's probably the first morally-grey, compelling antagonist in an upswing of them in Phase 3. Even then, he doesn't compare to the perils of high school.

Coming off the heels of Thor: The Dark World, there was reason to be concerned about The Winter Soldier (2014). An insipid, Olympus Has Fallen-tier action movie wouldn't fly. Fortunately, the Russo Brothers and their writing partners Markus and McFeely delivered a character-redefining installment. 

Rather than give Captain America another "Man vs. Man" conflict — the go-to for superhero flicks—they tell a story about "Man vs. Society." When you've got "America" in your name, that's a big deal. The film forces our flag-waver to ask questions about the integrity of government, the military-industrial complex, mass surveillance, and whether patriotism is loyalty to an institution or to its people.

No wonder it did so well in China. 

Not only does it talk big, but Winter Soldier also introduced consequence to the MCU. In The Dark World, Thor's hand is dismembered and Loki dies—but both are illusions; in Winter Soldier, the entirety of S.H.I.E.L.D. crumbles and it's still in disrepair five years later.

The introduction of propelling ramifications upped the ante of Marvel films and made their serialization all the more important. It's a trend that the Russos & Co. would continue in Civil War and through to Endgame.

At long last, Thor is worthy.

It took several missteps before the MCU figured out how to write him, and though the setup for this film looked worrisome Ragnarok (2017) rocks. Utilizing Taika Waititi's penchant for irreverent humor, the third Thor is certainly the funniest if not one of the best Marvel movies without sacrificing any of the action.

Waititi—and his writers—take jabs at the verbose Shakespearean exposition and theatrics of the Asgardian people, while also shifting the action to a brand new setting.

Credit also goes to the cast, Thor's so-called Revengers, which includes Tessa Thompson as Valkyrie, Tom Hiddleston as Loki, Mark Ruffalo as Hulk, and Waititi himself as Korg. This eclectic bunch remedies a long-time issue of the Thor franchise: the lackluster supporting cast. Waititi literally kills off the Warrior Three as a slapstick gag and we're all better off for it. 

Between the jokes, the movie finds the time to deliver some heart as Thor evaluates his worthiness in the eyes of his father and his people. Reimagining him as a Nordic space bro may have sounded blasphemous on paper, but it's exactly the shot in the arm that he (and Chris Hemsworth) needed.

Kicking off the top 5 Marvel movies, we have the one that started it all: Iron Man (2008). Before the MCU, Marvel had shortsightedly sold off its biggest franchises to external studios who were running them into the ground. With no winning formula and no IP value, it was up to Jon Favreau and Robert Downey Jr. to scoop up the b-tier Iron Man property and create enough intrigue to sustain years of storytelling. 

Even to this day, Iron Man holds up as one of the top Marvel movies. Downey deserves some lifetime achievement award for the work he's done as Tony Stark, the genius, billionaire, playboy philanthropist with a damaged heart of gold. That performance drives this entire film and lets it soar.

At the same time, Favreau's direction created a template conducive to both unexpected humor and poignant melodrama, carving out a version of a "superhero film" that other directors hadn't yet grasped. 

"Who, what?" 

That's what everyone was saying in 2014 when Guardians of the Galaxy (2014) came out. Once Phase 2 had completed all the obligatory Big Three sequels, they took a huge leap of faith by investing in a nothing property with minimal marquee value. The previous headliners had at least some recognizability, but this was deep cut territory only charted by the savviest comic fans.

It worked out that, one year before Disney relaunched Star Wars, the fans were aching for a new space adventure flick. And it became one of the top Marvel movies.

While I've given credit to other films on this list for wiggling out of the mold, it was Guardians that sealed the deal. It didn't look like a Marvel film—it's set in space, with five leads, two of which are a tree and raccoon—nor did it sound like a Marvel film—it's scored by music from the 60s and 70s rather than a bland, cinematic symphony.

Plus, aside from some shared lore, it had absolutely no connection to the rest of the universe. Later films play serialization as a strength, but this one came out right when versatility was key. 

Director James Gunn delivers on that with a fully-realized galaxy, populated with scene-stealing characters and easter eggs that turn a c-list property into one of the best Marvel movies. Plus, many fans related to the leads: outcasts dismissed by society, turned into unconventional heroes who became a family.

Any of the top 5 Marvel movies could contend for the #1 spot. 

If we're talking about the best film in terms of traditional filmmaking sensibilities, then maybe it's Iron Man or Black Panther. If we're talking about the peak MCU experience, then maybe it's Endgame. If you're into the more lighthearted fare, then it could be Guardians or Ragnarok. But we’re going with Captain America: Civil War (2016) because it embodies a paradigm shift in the very nature of "superhero movies.” 

Throughout Phases 1 and 2, the films were disjointed. Characters operated in divided worlds, regardless of the scale of their conflicts, then they joined forces for the Avengers team-up films. It was a reliable marketing gimmick, but it was just that: a marketing gimmick.

The assuredness of an Avengers film meant the heroes would always live, the villains would never matter, normality would always be restored, and the story would stay stagnant until then.

Civil War did away with that stigma. It acknowledged the consequences of the previous films and retooled them as a source of contention between the heroes. It made the viewing experience culminate in something substantial.

By building conflict out of that history, it pays them off and makes the emotional and ideological conflict more palpable than any other installment. It's Captain America versus Iron Man, man! Those are people's childhood heroes. 

I’ll also acknowledge that Civil War isn't a flawless movie. Sharon Carter is an awkward and underutilized character who is immediately dropped and whose name just reminds me of Aaron Carter.

Likewise, Baron Zemo’s plan is rather contrived and unnecessary given the natural friction between Captain America and Iron Man without his intervention. To praise the movie is not to be blind to those things, but to take them in stride with the bigger picture.

"So wait," I can hear you thinking, "Civil War deserves praise because it does what cinema is SUPPOSED to do? Convey emotions? Psychological experiences? Between human beings?" Yeah. Yeah, it does, because no film or film franchise up until this point had ever successfully balanced a thoughtful, ideology-driven narrative with high-budget blockbuster skin—at least not on this level.

It just didn't happen. And if it did, it was never with the volume of success that the best Marvel movies have had. That's WHY they continue to shatter records. They are heightened experiences, but human experiences nonetheless.

In the chart above, you can see all Marvel movies ranked compared to their release order. As far as our list is concerned, there’s still some disparity in their quality to this day, but the overall numbers are looking up. If this trend is any indication, then the best Marvel movies are still yet to come!

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