I saw the latest MCU film over the weekend, and for some reason it inspired me to try and tackle an article idea I’ve had for a while, but haven’t gotten around to doing. Well, here we are, friends! My personal ranking of every single MCU film, from my least-liked to my most-loved. Since there’s so many films, don’t expect a million paragraphs for each entry, alright? This is more of an overview of my ranking and thoughts. Also, I won’t include a picture for each film, because then this webpage would never load with that much content at once!
Also, don’t view the small places as something bigger than they are. Just because I put Movie A at #27 and Movie B at #28 doesn’t mean I think Movie A is dramatically better. Try to view it more through the lens of larger placement differences.
To get us started, here’s two outliers I have to address…
NEVER WATCHED) The Incredible Hulk (2008)
I really did mean to see this before the most recent Captain America film, but I kept forgetting too. Whoops. Maybe some day I’ll finally give it a watch. Hulk isn’t my favorite character. I’m sure it’s a fine film.
NEVER WATCHED) Deadpool & Wolverine (2024)
I actually haven’t seen any of the Deadpool flicks, so that includes this one (which is the first MCU-canon one). The hard-R raunchy action-comedy schtick just doesn’t do it for me. Again, I’m sure the movie is fine, and probably pretty funny for people who like this stuff. I’m just not that type of person.
Okay, now let’s really get into it!
34) Thor: Love and Thunder (2022)
It’s bad. Like, it’s genuinely bad. Probably the only MCU movie I would actually argue isn’t at least a halfway-decent film. A few fun visuals, and Christian Bale sure tries his hardest, but it just doesn’t work. I’m not even really sure what the movie was trying to do, at the end of the day.
33) Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017)
James Gunn struck lightning in a bottle with the first Guardians of the Galaxy film, and try as he might he could not recreate it again. I like the climax/ending of this film, but that’s kind of it. It meanders a lot in the middle portion of the film, and some scenes drag on for too long. It’s also aggressively unfunny, and if I have to hear Drax’s ear-piercing fake laugh one more time I’m going to lose it.
32) Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (2023)
This hurts me, because I’m a big (no pun intended) fan of Ant-Man and his crew. I suppose this is what happens when you divorce Ant-Man from said crew of usual faces, and toss him into a story outside of his element. Like, it’s a fine enough movie, it just feels nothing like an Ant-Man movie. Jonathon Majors puts in a fantastic performance, as he does in every other MCU appearance, and Katy O’Brian was an delightful surprise to see show up here, but otherwise it’s a pretty “meh” movie.
31) Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022)
This film honestly isn’t that great, but what I can definitely say about it is that it’s fun! Like, it won’t (and shouldn’t) win any awards or anything, but I had a blast with it. Comically evil-and-creepy Wanda was super fun to see, there’s a bunch of creative visual moments and action scenes, and the cameo moments (short-lived though they were) were pretty neat to see. Definitely contrasts pretty hard with Wandavision‘s ending, suggesting some behind-the-scenes shenanigans.
30) Thor: Ragnarok (2017)
I’m no grump, alright? This movie is extremely funny, like “ow-my-sides-hurt” funny. But that’s all it is. You’ll have a good time watching it, but it’s when you take a step back that you see how shallow it all is. The simple (and pretty bare-bones) plot, the basic character arcs, this general feeling of low stakes. That, plus how the movie seems to delight in trampling over what came before it (making Thor into a walking joke, killing off his friends unceremoniously, destroying Asgard with a tonally-jarring punchline, etc.).
29) Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)
I’ve just always had this weird feeling inside of me that something is missing from this movie, I don’t know if I could say what. It’s definitely a fine movie (I’d even accept calling it “good“), but it just doesn’t do it for me. Maybe it’s how long Steve’s growth into Captain America is, and how it takes most of the movie to reach that point (I’m really not a fan of the mid-movie diversion into propaganda Cap, though I understand it thematically-speaking). Maybe it’s Red Skull being lackluster, and having the most anti-climactic villain defeat ever. I’m not sure.
The ending, the final line? Goosebumps-inducing, can’t deny that!
28) Eternals (2021)
Eternals has some fascinating lore going on, and I’d love to learn more about these characters who really should’ve had a show and not a movie. Alas, we got a movie, so we’re stuck with 6+ hours worth of content and character development crammed into a single movie less than half that length. There’s a lot to like here if you can get on board with just how dense and lore-heavy it is, and the action scenes are great (Makkari, pictured below, might just be the coolest Super Speed hero of all time). But it’s got a muddy plot, an overabundance of flashbacks, and leaves this lingering feeling of “that’s it?” when you’re done.
27) Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (2023)
It’s better than the second one, that’s for sure, but I still think James Gunn has more misses than hits when it comes to his directorial style. This movie’s plot is definitely a big step up, as is the villain (look, Kurt Russel’s performance was great, but Ego was as shallow as a puddle), and the emotional climax is extremely good and definitely made me cry. But it’s still got tonally-inconsistent scenes, a few too many jokes, and the action behind the climax didn’t work for me (Starlord almost dying in space, which was something we did in the first movie already). It’s a dark movie, though, which I like.
26) Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022)
This is such a weird movie, and also one that I keep forgetting exists. It’s an extremely sad movie, and how could it not be, given the real-life connections to Chadwick Boseman? There’s this undercurrent of raw emotion through the film, and that’s evidenced most strongly in the phenomenal performances by the majority of the cast. But then we also have a weak main story and a so-so villain, and a visually-neat but logically baffling climax (why on earth are we fighting the water-based race out in the ocean?). I also don’t know what to think about the post-credits scene teasing a son of T’Challa. Like…what purpose does that allude to?
25) Captain Marvel (2019)
“Harmless” is the word I’d use to describe this movie. It got a fair bit of hate from the unfortunately loud sexist and misogynistic portion of the internet, but it’s a totally fine and fun movie. Lots of good jokes, great rapport between Carol and Fury, an adorable cat-alien, and a fun subversion of expectations with regards to who the real villain is. A lot of good callbacks too, like getting to see Coulson again in a main-line movie, and having Ronan pop up for a bit. Also, I really like Carol’s leitmotif, it’s a catchy one.
24) Ant-Man (2015)
Tonally, this movie is a bit all-over-the-place (sometimes really grounded, sometimes jokey, and sometimes surprisingly serious), and it’s beat-by-beat plot structure is scarily similar to the original Iron Man, but it’s still an inventive and fun movie with a good cast. The size-changing shtick is used to great effect for some unforgettable scenes, and that final battle in Cassie’s bedroom is filled with laugh-out-loud moments. The cast (and their respective actors) are really charming and engaging too, and I’d totally watch a slice-of-life show of Ant-Man and his friends/family just hanging around!
23) Doctor Strange (2016)
This movie is held back by a simple plot and a very generic villain (fun performance though, “Mister Doctor” is an underrated line). Aside from those two things though, it’s another surprisingly good and underrated MCU film. The visuals are crazy good, rivaling and even surpassing some of the mind-bending craziness first captured by Inception. Doctor Strange’s character arc is nothing new, but he’s still an engaging character you grow to root for, and I like how much time the movie gave to him slowly opening himself up to this magical world and growing his skills. The Ancient One’s final scene is really good too.
22) Captain America: Brave New World (2025)
It didn’t blow me away, but I had a good deal of fun watching this movie a few months back. The first two-thirds, in particular, were quite good. Great action, great suspense, and great character work from our leads. The main villain ultimately let me down, and I just didn’t love the overly-spoiled climax of the film (darn you, inconsiderate movie trailers), but it’s still a solid film with a surprising amount of heart. Harrison Ford does a really good job. I also like the understated and touching final scene in the hospital.
21) Thor: The Dark World (2013)
I won’t try and pretend that Tom Hiddleston’s Loki doesn’t carry a lot of this film, but I also just genuinely really like Thor’s corner of the MCU (and by that, I mean the cast from these first two films). Yes, there’s a weak villain. Yes the story is relatively simple. It’s still a lot of fun, and again I just really like the Thor we got here before Ragnarok tossed away everything great about him. Darcy and her endearing shenanigans are another huge highlight of this film, as is the bonkers climax (lots of teleporting shenanigans abound).
20) The Marvels (2023)
“Fun” is the best word for this film, which I think many people rather unfairly disparaged. It doesn’t reinvent the wheel (though the musical number was unexpected for an MCU film), and it doesn’t noticeably movie the needle forward in terms of interconnectedness for this universe, but it’s just a fun film. It’s got some of the MCU’s most engaging and unique action scenes, and it balances its three main heroines quite well. It’s an easy movie to just pop on, kick your feet up, and enjoy.
19) Iron Man 2 (2010)
It’s so extremely hard to dislike Robert Downey Jr. or the Tony Stark character, to the point where even an ultimately middling film like this still ranks high. I do think that Whiplash gets a little more hate than he deserves, and Sam Rockwell puts in one heck of an endearing performance for the lovably sleazy Justin Hammer. Ultimately, it’s all about Tony, and his arc here is really solid, and tugs on the heartstrings a bit with his connection with his dad. Plenty of fun moments, cool action you come to expect from Iron Man, and some great comedic bits.
18) Black Panther (2018)
Beautiful scenery, great performances, timely subject matter, emotional moments, and an unforgettable villain…this is a good movie. Not the greatest movie in the world (hence it only being at about the halfway point of my list) but a really good movie for sure. I think it starts to drag during the third act when T’Challa is presumed dead, and the big CGI army fight isn’t too interesting (neither is the surprisingly iffy-looking T’Challa versus Killmonger fight), but everything else in the movie is quite solid. Killmonger is also just such a good character, he steals the show in every single scene.
17) Black Widow (2021)
While I do bemoan how long it took for Black Widow to get her proper chance to shine, I’m still a big fan of this oft-underrated MCU flick. It’s probably just the Mission Impossible-loving part of me that can’t get enough of spy action, but I enjoy this film (particularly the first half) a whole lot. There’s a lot of good scenes, and the bits of humor don’t detract from the seriousness of everything going on. The cast is probably the biggest strongpoint of the film, though, and everyone puts in really good performances, especially in the surprisingly dark opening scenes.
16) Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021)
I’ll admit out-the-gate that I don’t think the second half of this movie is anything too special, but that first half is pretty dang phenomenal. Simu Liu is effortlessly cool and charming, and seeing him bust out some jaw-dropping martial arts leads to several amazing scenes, like the crazy bus scene, or the battle in the skyscraper club. Awkwafina is also really good here, still bringing her trademark energy to the comedic scenes, but ultimately putting in a surprisingly grounded performance. A scene between her character and Shang-Chi late in the film is great. The villain is super good too (though I don’t like his ending, to be honest).
15) The Avengers (2012)
A classic MCU film, and one that is almost impossible to not enjoy when you watch it. I feel it’s missing a bit of ‘something‘ that I can’t quite place, at least compared to these next fourteen films. But rest assured I enjoy this movie a lot and acknowledge how fun it is. It really brought all the pieces together into a movie that shouldn’t have worked on paper, but did amazingly in execution. It’s really fun.
14) Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019)
I’m a massive Spider-Man fan in pretty much all of his forms and representations, so there’s admittedly some bias here. Still, I think this is a really strong film. A bit of the road trip shenanigans in the first act aren’t my cup of tea, but the rest of the film is quite stellar. Tom Holland just does such a good job portraying a younger, eager, and extremely flawed and vulnerable version of Spider-Man that we don’t see too often. Mysterio is a pretty fantastic and genuinely threatening villain too, and I love the climax.
13) Thunderbolts* (2025)
Look, it’s good. The whole weird-naming-thing that they’ve started doing put aside for now, it’s genuinely quite great, and I love the angle they took with it. It isn’t aping Suicide Squad or Guardians of the Galaxy, it isn’t full of quips and tonally-jarring jokes (though there are funny moments). It’s shockingly grounded and surprisingly emotional, and I love that in a film. Florence Pugh is astoundingly good (as always), and the narrative choices made here are really solid. I just really like all of the characters here, honestly.
12) Thor (2011)
Maybe it’s my inner theater kid, but I am a huge sucker for how this entire film is basically a superhero-ified Shakespearean Drama. It has such a distinct tone that almost no other MCU film has (obviously Kenneth Branagh is shining through here). If you’re someone who says this film is ‘boring‘, I don’t think I could fully fault you, just know that I vehemently disagree. I adore this movie’s acting and dramatic moments, with Thor, Loki, and Odin’s dynamic leading to some viscerally powerful scenes and performances. Also, another film with a really stellar ending (and main theme).
11) Iron Man (2008)
The film that started it all, and it still holds up extremely well all these years later. It’s quite a bit darker than you probably remember, but that sort of heavy theming really does a good job setting Tony up as an unforgettable character. The main villain’s performance is good too, even if the character himself is really lackluster (except for the paralyzing scene in Tony’s house, that’s some good tension right there). But seriously, I’d need a thousand words to talk about how fantastic Tony and Pepper’s chemistry is. Maybe the most natural-feeling movie couple of all time.
10) Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)
This is a lot of people’s favorite entry in the MCU, and I can see why. It’s a really good action film even if you aren’t a superhero-lover or MCU-savant. Plenty of great action scenes, some tense drama, intimidating villains, nail-biting set pieces, and an emotionally cathartic conclusion. Perhaps a bit too much shaky-cam, but hey you can’t win them all. I also find the subject matter covered in this film to be really engrossing and rather topical in our modern technological era, and I feel like Cap works really well in this sort of setting and theme, as opposed to a more straight-forward war movie like the first outing.
9) Avengers: Endgame (2019)
Sure, some parts of this film are a little bit messy in its attempts to wrap up so many plot threads, introduce a few more, and include a thousand easter eggs. But who cares when it’s so fun, exciting, and emotional? You’ll laugh, you’ll clap, you’ll cheer, and you’ll cry. Avengers Endgame is the definitive moviegoing experience, and it’ll probably never be matched again. I mean, when you can say that the credits sequence of the movie is one of the best parts, and mean that as a legitimate compliment and not a snarky dig, that’s saying something. Every part of this movie is just unforgettable.
8) Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021)
For as funny, quippy, and energetic everyone’s favorite friendly neighborhood Spider-Man can be, sacrifice is at the very core of his character’s existence. And while some stories (namely the comics) can take that too far, sometimes it ends up just right (the PlayStation series being a good example of this). This is one such movie, and while the first 75% of it is still really fun (if a touch indulgent), the last 25% is peak Spider-Man. So many great moments, so many fantastic performances, and a phenomenally moving ending make this a movie you won’t want to miss if you’re a webhead like me.
7) Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015)
I have always struggled to understand why this film flies under so many people’s radars when it comes to discussions on the MCU, because I think it’s fantastic. Yeah, sure, I still remember the joke retitling this movie as “Weekend of Ultron” because of how ultimately quickly he’s dealt with (and I do think that joke is funny). But seriously, this movie just follows the formula from the original Avengers but amps it up in all the best ways. The plot is stronger, the villain represents higher stakes, I think it’s funnier (Hawkeye is phenomenal in this film), and the action is awesome. I think some of the poignant moments hit harder, and I’m a big fan of Ultron and Vision’s final talk.
6) Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)
For all the ragging I did on James Gunn up above, I can’t stress enough how perfect of a film this first installment was. From my first viewing to whatever number I’m at now (eight or nine?), I’ve adored this movie. The humor is on point and laugh-out-loud funny without distracting from serious moments, the action is creative and inventive, and the team dynamic is engaging without any of the characters being exacerbated to the extreme (looking at you, Drax and Groot, in both of the sequels). More than anything, though, this movie delivers multiple high-strength emotional gut punches, and they work so well. I cried quite hard the first time I saw the movie, and I still tear up even now. Great soundtrack too!
5) Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)
Again, I love Spider-Man, so seeing him rank this high shouldn’t be surprising, but seriously I adore this film so much. It’s everything I’d want in a Spider-Man story set during his high school years. It’s quirky, it’s funny (“I can’t lose a student on a school trip. Not again.“), and it’s got a mostly lighthearted tone counterbalanced by a threatening villain and those emotional stakes we come to expect from the best Spider-Man stories. Who could forget the twist with the Vulture too, right? Such a good scene in the car afterwards. Really fun climax, amazing soundtrack (Spider-Man and Vulture have such good leitmotifs), and Tony’s moments are enjoyable without stealing the show.
4) Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018)
My ultimate MCU comfort film, the single entry I’ve seen the most because whenever I just want to relax with a movie, the chances are very high that I put this one on. I love this movie so much, and I fully acknowledge it’s ultimately a harmless but forgettable MCU entry. I just don’t care, I love it. I think Ant-Man makes a really compelling protagonist (especially his relationship with Cassie), and I love his dynamic with Hope. Ghost is one of my favorite villains in the whole MCU, and the action scenes in this film are top-notch (I love the extended car chase). Also, this movie is super funny, and has a great soundtrack to boot!
3) Avengers: Infinity War (2018)
This genuinely might be the best written film in the entire MCU catalogue, and so much of that has to do with how there’s like a million characters from a thousand movies all written and directed by different people, and yet they feel so naturally and organically represented here. The cast is bursting at the seams, but every character feels honest and truthful to their source material (Thor is even leagues better here than in Ragnarok, which is nice to see), and every character gets at least one big moment to shine. Alongside this, Thanos is the MCU’s crowning villain and he delights in every scene, the action is great, the emotional moments hit hard and heavy…it’s an amazing film. I’ll frequently rewatch this even without following-up with Endgame, just because it’s that good.
2) Iron Man 3 (2013)
Alright, now we’ve entered the territory of my picks which shouldn’t really be a surprise, seeing as how this film (and the next) is one my list of Top 10 favorite films ever. So I won’t waffle on too long. Tony is my favorite character in the MCU, and this film is the best when it comes to exploring every facet of his personality and who he truly is and what he wants (he spends a fair bit of time not even in his suit in this film). It’s like a pseudo-character-study, and a dang good one! It’s also funny, chock full of exciting moments, has the best villain in the trilogy, and introduces a leitmotif for Tony that is one of my favorite heroic themes of all time. An excellent movie.
1) Captain America: Civil War (2016)
Again, no surprises here. I don’t think the MCU will ever put out a movie that I end up loving more than this one. It’s anything that I would ever want in a movie, and then some. A bunch of fun, interesting, and engaging characters. A whole lot of great and varied action scenes. Impeccable writing and an engrossing plot with interesting ideas. An amazing villain with an incredible performance (just incredible performances across the board in this movie, really). Resonant themes that are portrayed seriously and without distractions, but the movie still manages moments of humor and levity. It does it all, and then someone still finds the time for Spider-Man shenanigans and a mini heroes-versus-heroes war? What a great film!
But hey, that’s just my opinion!
The Contrarian Corner 