A Return to the MCU: My "Infinity Saga" Ranking

Vega
Mar 9, 2021
9 min read

There were 563 days when no trains to the MCU were leaving the station. From 2019's "Far From Home" to 2021's "WandaVision," the itch for new MCU content was real and, while not the most desired movie, the frequent "Black Widow" release shifts were extremely frustrating. Now, back in the MCU saddle with Phase 4, the hype is building again and the nostalgia of the first three phases have come back with a vengeance. Thinking back on the past movies we have gotten, I decided to open myself up for the criticism of an MCU ranking. The funny thing is, even in putting these films in order and having to choose the bottom half of the lot, I realized that a "bad" MCU movie is not the same as a bad movie. Maybe it's because I am a fan, but I would rather watch some of the worst MCU movies over fine, non-superhero movies. Even thinking further than that, so many of these movies are so incremental in their differences that I am sure if I started this list tomorrow, there would be a few differences (except in the Top 5, those are pretty locked down).

WARNING: I am about to, either, shock you or piss you off.

BOTTOM OF THE BARREL

23. The Incredible Hulk

I do not really care for the Hulk, not dislike him, just do not put a lot of weight into his endeavors. It does not help that this film feels so outside of the MCU, with the only thing really carrying over is General Ross.

22. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2

GOTG Vol. 2 was a really forgettable movie for me. It was visually appealing at times but the story left a lot to be desired. The humor felt very forced and did not come off as natural as the first movie, especially the one-liners from Drax (quite cringey).

21. Iron Man 2

I just do not like this movie. I didn't care about Whiplash. I thought that Tony's character progression was pretty lax. There were three highlights to this movie: Black Widow doing her spy thing, War Machine going hard in the final fight, and the end credits scene with Coulson in New Mexico. Fans talk about Iron Man 3 being terrible...they must have skipped this one, then.

SERVICEABLE

20. Thor: The Dark World

Not only do I not think T:TDW was the worst of the MCU's offerings, but I actually enjoyed it. Sure, the flaws that most have pointed out, forgettable villain and plot, exist for the most part. However, what the movie did to flesh out both Asgard and cement Loki as a sympathetic villain were excellent. Also, can't forget the introduction to the power of the Reality Stone (Aether).

19. Ant-Man and the Wasp

As you'll see in this list, I hold the first Ant-Man UP THERE. The second installment, unfortunately, traded a lot of its heart for action sequences. Such as it was with T:TDW, the villains are ultimately just plot devices and served little else (although, I think Ghost could've become one of the more compelling MCU villains). At the end of the day, This was still enjoyable, but was nothing more than a vehicle to introduce the quantum realm.

18. Thor

While other Thor appearances had their moments, I still struggle to find a film that really displays Thor as the Norse god he is better than his first solo outing. He always feels like a warrior, but not always like the mythical being he is. Entwine that with the humor of Thor trying to navigate Midgard, and this film may deserve to be pushed even higher. I mean, how can you forget Thor proclaiming "Another!" as he smashes the coffee cup on the floor. Classic Thor.

17. Captain America: The First Avenger

This movie had a lot going against it: it is a period piece and a war movie. Two genres I absolutely loathe. Regardless of that, though, Chris Evans was absolutely compelling as Steve Rogers and brought such a gravitas to the character and the Red Skull was a well-fleshed out villain for the little screen time he received. In the grand scheme of the MCU, it's hard to judge this movie without also acknowledging how important it was for introducing the first Infinity Stone.

16. Captain Marvel

Uh oh, I didn't put Captain Marvel dead last... I know this movie got a LOT of hate, much of which I truly believe was built on a foundation of disdain for Brie Larson as a person due to her outspokenness on social issues. On the other hand, the script and dialogue was subpar for a Marvel movie, but there was enough to keep me entertained, especially from Nick Fury. The character is overpowered so I can understand how her development can be seen as much more boring since, power-wise, she has less to overcome, but I appreciated the journey of self-discovery that Danvers goes through and how the Skrulls are presented in the film. (Disclaimer, I rewatched this film while writing part of this list.)

THE GOOD

15. Thor: Ragnarok

It's hard to believe that this movie exists in the Thor series as it was a FAR departure from the first and, especially, second film in regards to tone. I didn't think the series needed to take the buddy-comedy route, but alas, that's what we got. It was a fun movie, really fun, with lots of humor and shenanigans that keep me giggling throughout. At the same time, was this the right tone for a movie set during the fall of Asgard? If anything, this should've been the tone of Thor 2 and this should've felt as though it had greater emotional stakes.

14. Iron Man 3

Another seemingly, universally despised film that I thoroughly enjoyed. The key to this movie was that you had to be ok with more Tony than Iron Man. Each installment of this series sought to expand on Tony Stark's redemption and this movie was the pinnacle of that growth, as it forced him to confront himself as a human more than as a suit of armor, something that the first two films and "The Avengers" helped build to. While this will come across harsher than I intend for it to, I think a lot of the hate for this film is because people don't appreciate the character development as much as the simple "boom, boom, blow up".

13. Dr. Strange

This movie almost does not feel like it belongs in the MCU since, outside of Thor, so much of the universe felt uber-grounded and far from the mysticism and magic that this movie introduced. The subject matter, naturally, helped set this movie apart and the paired visual effects were glorious and highly appealing. The effect helped spruce up the simple story, but as simple as it was, expanded the MCU in a way no movie had ever done to that point. While I think Benedict Cumberbatch plays a good Dr. Strange, I do think the character still comes off a bit too bland to become a mainstream name. I am hoping that changes with the craziness the sequel is expected to bring.

12. Black Panther

Now, Black Panther is one of the more weighty movies in the MCU as it carried two important roles: to expand the MCU outside of the frequent "America-first" protection and, more importantly, to push past the cultural and social standards of superhero cinema. It was a strong story that had excellent casting and characters and expertly introduced some of the cultures and traditions of Wakanda, instantly becoming number one on the fictional vacation list. Erik Killmonger was perhaps the most complex and well-developed MCU villain since Loki, and it was all done in one movie. Ultimately, there were too many sacrifices to the story that were minimally fleshed out, seemingly to provide more time to establish the sociopolitical commentary, which is why it does not get pushed higher.

11. Spider-Man: Far From Home

The strengths of the MCU Spider-Man movies have rested in the chemistry of the characters and this sequel was no different. For me, Holland and Zendaya stole this movie and the relationship between their characters was the driving force and heart of the film. Sure, the story was not terrible and Gyllenhaal's Mysterio was really compelling. My problem with the film is that it feels like an Iron Man story with the hero replaced by Spider-Man.

THE BEST

10. Ant-Man

THE underdog of the MCU, in my opinion. A heist film with a bunch of heart, a sympathetic new hero, and a number of fun action sequences that are taken up a notch by the shrinking gimmick. Paul Rudd and his style of humor elevate this movie to heights that "Ant-Man" probably should have never reached. Period.

9. The Avengers: Age of Ultron

I already really liked this movie and even being a one-off, I thought Ultron was quite a compelling character. Prior to Endgame, I did a complete MCU rewatch and rewatching this film was revelatory. It's amazing how important this film is in the grand scheme of the Infinity Saga. This was a film all about character introductions and character building, as well as setting up the finale of the Infinity Saga. The first Avengers brought them together, this movie was about keeping the seams from ripping apart and remembering why the team exists in the first place.

8. Spider-Man: Homecoming

Spider-Man in the MCU! How exciting of a moment it was for Peter Parker to exist in the same world as the Avengers. Tom Holland proved to be a worthy successor to the mantle of the character and the high school drama maintained focus on the core of the character: a superhero with regular teenage problems. Of course, the real highlight was Michael Keaton's turn as Adrian Toomes/Vulture and his overall role in the story. The more I think about it, this movie is such a strong entry that it may even deserve to be pushed up higher, perhaps even overtaking the Guardians of the Galaxy.

7. Iron Man

The one that started it all. I know that there were modern superhero films that preceded Iron Man, but unlike them, Iron Man was NOT the popular character he is now. This film was the proof that a well-written superhero movie with a dedicated actor can be well received, even without a marquee character. Jon Favreau and Robert Downey Jr. could do no wrong with this redemption story.

6. The Avengers

A first of its kind. A crossover of four main characters across four different movies, plus other secondary characters. The Avengers set the bar for how ambitious comic-based movies could be. Memorable character interactions, fun one-liners, and a group overcoming its egos to come together for the first time. Iron Man versus Thor, Cap understanding references, the beginning of the Thor/Hulk rivalry, shawarma, and, of course, our first look at Thanos. Is it possible to watch this movie without grinning like an idiot half the time? I would bet on no.

THE ELITE

5. Guardians of the Galaxy

I already labeled Ant-Man as the underdog of the MCU, but if there was a movie that had no business succeeding, it was GOTG. The group was a practical unknown and they James Gunn brought them together and highlighted their different personalities through their interactions with each other helped garner the GOTG as a household name. Every single person was well-casted and put effort into defining their character, but Rocket and Groot steal the show. I wish the finale was not as goofy, but somehow a dance-off worked? Only James Gunn.

4. Avengers: Endgame

It was near impossible for Endgame to reach the standards that Infinity War did, especially since the latter did not have the responsibility of summing up over 20 movies. The third act can easily be called the greatest cinematic superhero moment, but the rest of the movie was not as strong. It was nowhere near bad, but the first two acts not only served to progress the heroes' redemption against Thanos, but it was also a "greatest hits" of nostalgia for the MCU as a whole, and that took away from a more cohesive storytelling.

3. Captain America: Civil War

Ok, here comes the bias: Civil War is my favorite comic event. Needless to say, this movie is mostly "Civil War" by name, however, it still presented a similar philosophical discussion regarding the lines between hero/villain and how far is too far, even for the "greater good". Plus, as others have joked, "Civil War" felt more like an Avengers 2.5 with the slew of characters it included. Zemo's role in the movie and his strategy were pretty weak, but he honestly was enough of a background influence to not take away from the hero vs. hero dramas that drove the film.

2. Captain America: Winter Soldier

This movie remains closer to 1A than 2 with what I consider the strongest story in the MCU, that being the hunt for the Winter Soldier and the subsequent discovery of Hydra within S.H.I.E.L.D. The hand-to-hand combat was bar none and helped emphasize the personal nature of the story. The only downfall of "Winter Soldier" was the introduction of Falcon, who I have found to be a lackluster character.

1. Avengers: Infinity War

This movie was incredibly ballsy. An Avengers movie that framed the villain as the main character AND has him win?! Add to that a slew of fun and creative action scenes that, for the first time, brought together so many new combinations of characters across all of the previous films. I still get chills just thinking about Thor's arrival to the battle in Wakanda. Everything about this movie was epic and the story's pacing should not be as well done as it is considering the amount of characters it had to balance. An utter spectacle of comic event goodness.