MCU Phase 4 Ranking

At the end of 2022, the release of The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special marks the end of Phase 4 of the MCU. Phase 4 consisted of 18 projects, broken down into 7 films, 9 TV shows, and 2 special presentations. However, as many people have said Phase 4 has felt very disconnected and doesn't really have anything it shows that it is working towards. Phases 5 and 6 are looking to change that, but Phase 4 on its own feels very unfocused. With that being said, I wanted to share my thoughts and ranking of all 18 projects of Phase 4 of the MCU.

18. Ms. Marvel

Ms. Marvel is one of the rare misfires of the MCU. The overall story is just really unfocused and doesn't have a clear story or end goal in mind. It starts out interesting as a comedy about a teenage girl with newfound superpowers that is trying to maneuver high school and her overbearing parents. However, the story loses me when it completely drops that premise and does a sudden shift and becomes a globetrotting adventure show where Kamala has to fight these otherworldly beings and discover the secrets of her armband. However, even that is dropped in the end as the show randomly shifts back to the high school comedy and ends the show with a completely different villain. Overall, this show was such a mess with no clear idea of what it wanted to do. If it would have stuck with the idea in its first 3 episodes, the show would have been much better.

Score: 4.5/10 Grade: C-

17. She-Hulk: Attorney at Law

This is another show that had some solid ideas and premise but poor execution. The basic idea of a legal comedy in the MCU is pretty fun. I also thought the idea of it being sitcom based instead of an overarching story worked good enough. It was also a lot of fun to see some familiar faces return to this show such as Abomination and Daredevil. I also thought that there were quite a few funny moments throughout the show. However, the issues come into play with the execution. The showrunners couldn't fully decide if they wanted to go with a sitcom or an overarching story as the episodes themselves are fairly stand-alone. However, random elements would be thrown in trying to establish an overarching villain which ultimately did not pay off. Finally, the CGI at times was really bad and some of the humor came across as cringy rather than funny (She-Hulk twerking). While not as bad as everyone says, it is definitely not as good as it should be.

Score: 6/10 Grade: C+

16. Eternals

Eternal is definitely the weakest of the MCU films. It tries to do the very difficult task of introducing ten 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. The film also tries to make the audience sympathize with both sides of the argument on whether humankind should survive which is an odd choice considering the audience is a part of humankind and wouldn't want to die. 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: 6.5/10 Grade: C+

15. I am Groot

This is a fun, cute little group of shorts about Groot getting into mischief with a few familiar faces appearing along the way. Each little short is an independent story and has some fun moments and laughs.

There isn't a whole lot to these. The only thing that keeps it so low is that it feels like content just for the sake of content as if Marvel needed to put out a certain number of shows on Disney plus and this gave them the number they needed. It isn't all that necessary but is fun to watch.

Score: 6.6/10 Grade: B-

14. What If..?

What If....? takes an interesting idea from a lesser-known comic book run and executes it reasonably well. It takes some interesting ideas such as "what if Thor was an only child" or "what if Peggy Carter got the super soldier serum instead of Steve Rogers" and creates really interesting stories with them. Each episode can build on the stories of these characters and shows how they would react when there are unexpected changes. I also really liked how they were able to use some of the actual actors for the voices instead of just a bunch of cheap soundalikes. Finally, I like how the series was able to pull everything together into a connected finale. One of the main issues I have is that the show was pretty uneven. Some episodes were very well made while others were extremely mediocre. I also felt that the finale was a bit rushed (something that will become a trend for some of the other shows).

Score:7/10 Grade: B

13. 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

12. WandaVision

WandaVision was the beginning of Phase 4 and the first of the MCU TV shows. This show did a really good job of building intrigue, leaving the audience in mystery and causing them to come up with all of these theories. The show was also able to provide a deeper look into the character of Wanda and make her more sympathetic. I also really liked the style of the show with each episode stylized after a different era of TV shows. However, the show has quite a few issues that keep it from being great. The main issue is that there were too many red herrings in the show. Multiple elements were set up to seem like they were something really exciting only to have the reveal be extremely disappointing (Ralph Bohner is the main example of this). The ending of the show was also extremally rushed with several plot points that took time to be established being smooshed into a single episode at the end. Overall, this had some great moments but decided to ruin it by deliberately baiting its fans.

Score: 7.4/10 Grade: B

11. The Falcon and the Winter Soldier

The Falcon and the Winter Soldier is another show that had a great start but ended up dropping the ball at the end. It does a really good job of being a character study of Bucky and Sam, giving them both a lot of growth and time to digest the events of Avengers: Endgame. I also really liked how they gave Zemo more time to shine in this film. He was a great part of Civil War and giving him a significant role in this show gave the audience more time to get to know him and establish his character. The action in this film was also very good, with some parts at the level one would expect from a theatrical film. One of the main issues with the show was the direction they took the villain. The show made her too sympathetic that it forget to make her a formidable villain. The show also fumbles at several points at the end with the direction they took Sharon's character as well as how preachy the end of the show got. In the end, this is a solid show that just made some poor choices at the end.

Score: 7.5/10 Grade: B

10. 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 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

9. Moon Knight

Moon Knight brings a solid new character into the MCU. Oscar Isaac does a great job in his role, being able to play two different personalities so well. Moon Knight is also a pretty interesting hero and his action sequences are all really fun to watch. Ethan Hawke also plays a very interesting and ominous villain. This show really dives deep into the realm of Egyptian mythology and builds a whole world that the audience can explore. I also liked how the show is set to be more of a globe-trotting adventure show and is fun to see something a bit different in the MCU. The main issue I have with this show is that the ending is too rushed. The show has a nice pace up until the last episode but once it reached the last episode, it had way too much to tie up and really rushed through so many important elements and literally cuts away and skips past the final battle. In the end, if this show would have not crammed everything into the last episode and spread things out a bit more, this show would have been much higher.

Score: 7.7/10 Grade: B

8. Loki

Loki is another solid character study in the MCU. When I first heard about this show, I was skeptical. Since Loki died in Avengers: Infinity War, I thought it was odd and cheap to bring him back with his own show. However, the way they handled it in this show was very well done and really changed my mind. The show does a great job of doing a deep dive into the character of Loki and showing how he ticks. It allows him to grow and change as a character. Aside from Loki, the show has solid characters in Mobius and Sylvie, both of who add so much to the story. I also really enjoyed the deep dive into the concept of the multiverse and how what happens in this show drives the MCU moving forward. The main issue I had with this show was the same as the last, which is that the ending feels rushed. It felt like they tried to cram and resolve too much into one episode making the result way too exposition-heavy with too much time spent in dialogue just trying to explain and resolve everything. Overall, this is a solid show that felt a bit too rushed in the end.

Score: 7.8/10 Grade: B

7. The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special

The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special is the first of the two special presentations on this list. This special was a fun little feature allowing the audience to spend more time with the Guardians. The special was really funny with a lot of moments that made me laugh out loud. It had some good heartfelt moments as well, specifically between Mantis and Peter. The main thing I liked about this special was how it gave Drax and Mantis some time in the spotlight. As the special mainly centers around them, the audience is really able to see how funny the duo is and how much chemistry they have together. The only thing that keeps the one lower is that it feels like a typical holiday special instead of a new addition to the MCU like almost everything else on this list.

Score: 7.9/10 Grade: B

6. Hawkeye

Hawkeye is the best of the MCU TV shows thus far. After being in the background for most of the Avengers films, Hawkeye finally gets his time to shine. This show does a great job of showing the audience how Hawkeye operates and what motivates him. It also is a great follow to Avengers Endgame as this story tackles the impact of Barton's actions and how it affects him moving forward. Aside from doing a great job with Hawkeye's character, this show also included Yelena and Kate Bishop as great new additions to the MCU. Both of these characters are such scene stealers, have a great on-screen presence, and are a lot of fun to watch. Kate Bishop has great chemistry with everyone she meets and does such a great job in being Hawkeye's partner. When Kate and Yelena are on screen together is when the show is at its height. The duo plays off each other so well. For the story as a whole, I enjoyed how grounded it was. So many of these shows have over-the-top action but this show manages to keep it street-level and fitting with Hawkeye. Overall this is a very fun show and is great to finally see Hawkeye get the focus he deserves.

Score: 8.2/10 Grade: B+

5. Werewolf By Night

Werewolf By Night is the best of the content on Disney Plus. This special does a great job of introducing us to the world of monster hunters as well as introducing all of these fun new characters. The story itself is very well done. It moves at a very brisk pace but never feels rushed or like there is too much being crammed. I also really enjoyed the overall horror tone of the special as well as the homage to classic monster movies. I really enjoyed the characters of Elsa, Jack, and Man-Thing and thought they all got very good introductions into the MCU. The only thing holding this back for me is that I wish it was longer so I could spend more time with these characters. In the end, this is a solid addition to the MCU and something I wish they would do more of.

Score: 8.5/10 Grade: A-

4. Shang Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings

Another attempt of the MCU to show some diversity, Shang Chi is a great addition to the MCU. The whole movie is basically a martial arts film inside of the MCU which is original and a nice break from the normal MCU. The fight scenes are all very well done with the choreography. They are all very exciting and executed very well. The villain is also one of the best in the MCU. You can understand his motivations and actually feel bad for him and want him to succeed. He is really just a broken man that wants to be reunited with his wife. The only thing that keeps this movie out of the top 10 is the overreliance on CGI. With the martial arts fights, had they not put so much CGI in there and just trusted the choreography, the scenes would've been just fine.

Score: 8.7/10 Grade: A-

3. Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness

This movie is probably the most unique of the MCU films. It is the MCU's first dive into the horror genre which is very exciting. Director Sam Rami gets to the superhero genre but not as Spiderman Sam Rami, this is full horror Evil Dead 2 Sam Rami. Marvel allows the movie to take risks and be just scary enough to be different and stand out. The direction they took Wanda was also very good. You can understand why she does what she does and where her reasoning is coming from. I also like how the film didn't overdo it with Cameos that would take away from the overall story. The only thing that holds this movie back is that I felt that the movie didn't quite do enough with the multiverse. With the name Multiverse of Madness, there should be more madness. Other than that, this is a fantastic horror film in the MCU.

Score: 8.7/10 Grade: A-

2. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is a very well-done movie. This movie was dealt a really bad hand between production during a pandemic as well as the death of its lead actor. However, against all odds, the MCU was able to deliver a truly special film. The film does a great job as a tribute to Chadwick Boseman by allowing his presence to be felt throughout the film. The film also does a great job of allowing the characters to cope with T'Challa's death in their own ways. Shuri and Queen Ramonda are really given a chance to shine as they both give great performances. The way Namor is handled as the villain is also well done. The movie allows Namor to see himself as the hero of his own story which always makes for the best villains. The only thing that keeps this from number one is that I felt the movie was a bit too long and jumped around a bit too much in the beginning. Had it been tightened by about 15 minutes I think it would have made for a much better film.

Score: 8.9/10 Grade: A-

1. Spiderman: No Way Home

This movie is truly special. It was able to bring in villains from all of the different spiderman films in a natural way without making it feel like there are too many. It was able to close out arcs not just from the MCU spiderman films but the other Sony spiderman films. It has a great arc for Spiderman and allows him to transform into a mature superhero. Everyone had such high expectations and the movie managed to deliver on every single thing that was expected. It is funny, emotional, and just an overall fantastic film. This is a movie that knows what fans want and gives them exactly what they want. This is not only the best of the Phase 4 project but also one of my favorite MCU films and Spiderman films.

Score: 9.6/10 Grade: A