MCU Ranking Part 1

With the release of The Marvels, I figured it was time to update my ranking of the films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). The MCU is one of my top 3 favorite franchises along with Star Wars and Lord of the Rings. . The way the MCU has been able to interconnect all of these different movies and characters is a feat not able to be accomplished by any other studio. They also have put out consistently good content since it's inception. The last few years or so have been a bit rough but I hope that with some rework, they should be able to get back on top. With that being said, I wanted to share my thoughts and rankings for all 29 MCU films.

33. Eternals

Eternal is definitely the weakest of the MCU films and probably the only film I would go negative on. One of its redeeming qualities is that it does have a few solid characters that get introduced. However, the good characters we do get, don't have much time to really develop as this movie tries to do the very difficult task of introducing 10 new characters in a single movie. Unfortunately, the result is underdeveloped with clunky storytelling and too many characters. The story jumps around too much and takes almost 2 hours to introduce all the characters and get the group together. Considering this is the first time we are seeing these characters I don't think it was wise to make a movie about getting the band back together. I think it could have been improved by telling the story in linear order instead of jumping from the past to the present. While it still is fun to watch and is visually well made, it tries to do too much on a story and plot level and ultimately falls flat. I feel this story would have worked better as a Disney plus show.

Score: 6/10 Grade: C+

32. The Marvels

The Marvels is the newest MCU film but also unfortunately one of the weakest. This movie does have a few redeeming qualities. It is unashamedly silly and goofy which makes for a very entertaining film. I also liked how the movie moves at a brisk pace. It doesn't allow for anything to bog it down and just makes for a very simple story. I think that Iman Vellani's Ms. Marvel absolutely steals the show in this movie. She portrays such a fun character and has such great chemistry with everyone she is on screen with. Her family is also very fun every time they are on screen as they steal every scene they are in. I think this movie would have been a lot better as a Ms. Marvel film instead of The Marvels. The whole power-swapping element was also a lot of fun and made for some very fun action sequences. However, the story itself is a bit of a mess. It jumps from place to place giving no time to really develop much of a plot. The movie also doesn't really spend much developing its characters. I think we should have gotten more time with our three main characters together so we could see their relationship grow. I also felt like it didn't spend enough time on some of its better ideas like Kamala's obsession with Captain Marvel. Overall, while this movie was very fun, it was seriously lacking in a plot and story level.

Score: 6.5/10 Grade: B-

31. Iron Man 2

The third film in the MCU is unfortunately one of the weaker ones. That being said, the film is not all bad. Some of the story elements. are compelling and the end action sequence is good. We get an introduction to Black Widow with some fun moments with Scarlet Johansson. The movie also gives Rhodey some solid moments and allows him to take up the War Machine mantle. The main issue with Iron Man 2 is that it was a victim of having too many storylines while also trying to set up The Avengers. The movie tries to balance Iron Man's drinking problem, him coping with death, the government trying to take away his suites, introducing Black Widow and Nick Fury as well as try and develop Tony's relationship with his dad. While it has so much involved in the story, the story itself is quite unexciting with only about 15 minutes of Iron Man action. The villain is also entirely forgettable. It just needed to take a step back and not try and tackle too much. The movie also only had a 2 year turn around which did not give production much time to make a quality film. In the end, this movie is an example of early MCU growing pains as it tries to set up a larger universe.

Score: 6.9/10 Grade: B-

30. Iron Man 3

The 2nd Iron man movie in the bottom 4, this film is a step up from Iron man 2. It is a story that deconstructs Tony and allows him to grow more as a character. It also has some very good action sequences, specifically the plane sequence. The main issue with this film is its subversion of expectations. The main twist in the film completely sideswipes all expectations and made a lot of fans really upset. What they chose to do with the Mandarin did not sit well with me and I wish they wouldn't have gone in the direction they did. Had they not done what they did, I feel this movie would have been a lot higher.

Score: 7.1/10 Grade: B

29. Thor: The Dark World

Thor: The Dark World is definitely one of the blander films in the MCU. The villain is completely forgettable and the story itself is not all that interesting. The film also has some big tonal issues. It will go from a sad funeral sequence abruptly into a joke with Dr. Selvik in a retirement home. it just swings too much that it's hard to find what they were going for, sometimes it feels like a space epic while other times a buddy comedy, and yet other times a romantic film. If the movie would've stuck with a singular tone, I think it would've landed much better. There is some fun to be had with this movie. The interactions between Thor and Loki are fun as well as the humor sprinkled throughout the film. The film just needed to time its humor and balance it with the rest of the tone.

Score 7.1/10 Grade: B

28. The Incredible Hulk

The Incredible Hulk is the odd duck of the MCU as it does not fit the tone of the rest of the MCU mostly because it was made by a different studio. Though it is so different than the rest of the films I feel it gets way too much hate. It is by no means a bad film. The story itself is interesting. All the characters are good. It just doesn't feel like an MCU film. It also has some really good action sequences. There isn't anything inherently bad about the movie, it just doesn't have that feel of the other MCU films that make the rest fun.

Score: 7.2/10 Grade: B

27. Black Widow

Black Widow is probably the most inconsequential film in the MCU mostly because it was released after the events of Avengers Endgame. Had this film been released 3 years prior I think it would have been received much better. Aside from that, the film itself is fairly entertaining. Both Yelena and Alexei are a lot of fun to watch. The whole story itself is interesting, just released a few years too late. The main issues of the film are the third act. Taskmaster was such a letdown and the finale plays more as a cutscene from a video game than something you would want in a movie. Overall, a good enough start to phase 4 just released at the wrong time.

Score: 7.3/10 Grade: B

26. Thor

Thor is another early MCU film that was the victim of its growing pains. The Shakespearean nature of the first half of the film made for an interesting premise, and the fish out of water concept of the second half is also really fun. The main issue is that the movie doesn't quite fit them together right. This movie also features the introduction of Loki, who is one of the best villains in the MCU which gives big points in this movie's favor. Overall, this is a good enough introduction to Thor, that with a little more work could've been a great film.

Score: 7.4/10 Grade: B

25. Captain Marvel

Coming up next is Captain Marvel. This film has a lot of good qualities to it. It is really fun to see a young Nick Fury back when he was optimistic and not so cynical. The action sequences were also really good and I really liked what they did with the Skrulls. The main issue with this film is that Captain Marvel was such a bland hero. Just the way that the character was written made her seem so bland. She doesn't have really any defining character traits that make her stand out. The movie also keeps bringing up her having to control her emotions but honestly, she's the most mellow character in the film. Overall, this is a good story with a not-so-great character.

Sc0re: 7.4/10 Grade: B

24. Avengers: Age of Ultron

This is the film that took the biggest drop for me since the last time I watched it. It used to be in my top ten but after this rewatch I realized there were quite a few issues. The movie has some really high highs specifically the team-up sequences and the party with Thor's Hammer. The idea of the Avengers creating their own villain was also interesting. The main issue with this is that it tried to go big and couldn't meet the hype. It tries to stuff too many different subplots and set up too many different things. The way Ultron is portrayed is a bit disappointing as he plays more as a joke than a sinister villain. Overall, this movie ends up swinging for a home run and ends up getting a double.

Score: 7.5/10 Grade: B

23. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.2

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 is another victim of having too much to fit into a single movie. It has too many subplots and tries to solve too many relationship problems. It also has a bit of a pacing issue with the middle act feeling pretty slow and not having a lot happen. On the positive side, this movie is very funny. It also has a lot of heart and emotion, especially in the direction of the Yondu character. In the end, the movie is a fun heartfelt adventure with just a few too many different stories and character arcs to close out.

Score: 7.6/10 Grade: B

22. Thor: Love and Thunder

The newest Marvel film is more of a middle ground MCU film. It is funny and high-energy. The relationship between Thor and Jane is also really well done and I really like how they close things out for them. Thor's arc is also really good. I like how goes from wanting a purpose to figuring out meaning in his life. Taika Waititi does a great job of balancing the jokes with the emotion. The main issue with this film is that it tries too hard to meet the highs of the previous Thor film, but doesn't quite get there. Specifically, with the humor, the jokes are funny but just don't quite reach the level they were going for. It also takes a cheap route to explain how Jane gets the power of Thor which didn't sit well with me.

Score: 7.7/10 Grade: B

21. Ant Man and the Wasp: Quantumania

Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania is the big blockbuster on the list and the best movie I saw this month. I thought the world-building of the Quantum Realm was really well done. I thought it was cool being able to explore this new world and see all these fun new characters. Easily the best part of this movie is the introduction to Kang. Kang is set up to be the next big bad in the MCU and Jonathan Majors does a great job in the role. I also liked that we got to see more of Cassie in this film and that she got some time to shine fighting alongside her dad. Finally, I really enjoyed this movie because it gets me so excited about everything that is coming in the MCU. With the introduction of Kang, we get to see who the next Thanos-level threat is as well as see all the potential for the big multiversal conflict that is coming. Overall, this was a fun movie that gets me really excited for what is coming next.

Score: 7.5/10 Grade: B

20. Doctor Strange

Doctor Strange is the most visually stunning of the MCU films. The way the effects are handled in the mirror dimension and manipulation of reality is handled so well. Benedict Cumberbatch is a great choice to play Doctor Strange and can pull off the arrogance of the character well. I also really like the magic aspect of the story and think the idea of magic is a fun addition to the MCU. The thing that holds this film back for me is that it feels a bit formulaic. You can definitely feel the MCU origin story formula that has been used for many other films. While it is still good, it is basically Iron Man but with magic.

Score: 8/10 Grade: B+

19. Ant Man

Ant man is definitely one of the lighter and smaller scale (no pun intended) films of the MCU. Scott Lang is a funny addition to the universe and brings a lighter nature to the film. I really enjoyed that they made this film a heist film which is just something new in the MCU. I also really like the supporting characters such as Luis, who steal every scene that they are in. However, as with Doctor Strange, the movie is trying to squeeze Ant Man through the MCU origin story template. While it does do something unique by making it a heist film, you can definitely feel the similar story structure to Iron Man.

Score: 8/10 Grade: B+

18. Captain America: The First Avenger

Captain America is a film that does the origin story right. It doesn't feel as formulaic as the last two and has enough new aspects to be original. I really like how they made this film a WW2 war movie. All the war action sequences are really cool and Captain America is just such a likable character. The score in this movie is also really good, with the Captain America March being one of my favorite themes in the MCU. The main hang-up with this movie is how the villain was handled. Red Skull is supposed to be an iconic villain but he isn't really given much to do until the end of the film. Before the third act, all he does is stand around and move from base to base angered by Captain America destroying them. If Red Skull would have been more prominent I think it would've made this film better.

Score: 8.2/10 Grade: B+

Part 2 of my MCU ranking will come out on December 6th.