MARVEL CINEMATIC UNIVERSE RANKED- FILMS & TV
Yes, just what you wanted! Yet another ranking of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. But I'm thinking of shaking it up a bit by including the TV series as well as the films. The TV shows are broken down into SEASONS, because much like a film, a single season usually tells its own piece of a story.
With that in mind let's begin with the obvious...
16) Iron Man 2- 5/10-
It should come as no surprise that this is the last on the list. Iron Man 2 followed up one of the best CBM's of all time with a film that worked as little more than an extended advertisement for future films. Iron Man 2 still has some cool action scenes and great chemistry between the leads but lacks an engaging storyline. Mickey Rourke is wasted as the lead villain and even the charismatic Sam Rockwell can't give the film any real tension or sense of danger. It's lazy screenwriting at its best, but, fortunately, it's never insultingly bad enough to wreck your MCU marathons.
15) Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D- Season 1- 5/10
Not much higher is the first season of Agents of SHIELD. This show was one of the most hotly anticipated new series of the fall season in 2013 but failed abysmally to meet expectations. It's true that the season steadily improved, building to a legitimately engaging third act thanks to The Winter Soldier. Still, it's hard to recommend a show to anyone when the first season—consisting of whopping 22 episodes—is only "half" good, if even that.
14) Thor- 6/10
This might be one a more controversial placements on this list. I know that there are A LOT of people out there who really like this film and rank it fairly high in the MCU. Unfortunately, I've always felt the story of Thor suffered from being grounded in an earth environment and being too similar to the plot of Cars. There is some great stuff in here. The cast is perfect, especially Hemsworth as the titular Thor and Hiddleston as his scheming brother Loki. All the Asgardian scenes are also a lot of fun and entertaining. Unfortunately being on earth is a bit of a drag, and most of the human characters are painfully boring or annoying. But, all things considered, Thor is easily the hardest Avenger to get right, and the filmmakers greatest accomplishment was making him fit believably into the MCU world.
13) Thor: The Dark World- 6/10
Some may be surprised that I placed this higher, but don't be too confused, it isn't much better than the first film. The Dark World suffered from a troubled production with the film trading hands between directors and writing teams. It didn't help that the plot was uninspired, and the main villain was the most forgettable baddie yet (and for the MCU that's saying something). The only reason I place it higher is, frankly, the action scenes are a lot more fun. Thor spent the bulk of the first film powerless and wandering around the desert. At least in this movie, he got to engage in some entertaining action sequences, particularly his final battle with Maliketh.
12) Agents of SHIELD- season 2- 7/10
Though it had a rocky start, Agents of SHIELD picked up its game in the second season, effectively building on the momentum from the end of season 1. It introduced more rounded characters with comic roots and delved into a more interesting story involving a race between Shield and Hydra to find a secret race. It still isn't a perfect show. At 22 episodes, it has a lot of filler, and many times the show exceeds the restrictions of its budget, producing some lackluster special effects. All in all, though, this season was a huge step in the right direction for the ABC lineup and regularly delivered an engaging and satisfying 45-minute block of tv.
11) THE INCREDIBLE HULK- 7/10
The second film of the MCU made it seem like the first two films were deliberately made with two drastically different tones, as if to see where the series would go as a whole. Where Iron Man was a mix of fun action romp, comedy, and drama, The Incredible Hulk followed the Nolanization of many reboots from the 2000's, being darker and grittier. To this day, I maintain that this film is a criminally underrated member of the MCU. Though the effects leave a bit to be desired, the film delivers a solid classic fugitive story while blowing the abysmal Ang Lee adaption out of the water. Norton is a good pick for the role, even if he never reaches the heights of Mark Ruffalo's interpretation.
10) AGENT CARTER- season 1- 7/10
A surprising winter show that worked as a pleasant companion piece to Captain America: The First Avenger. Building off a fan favorite character from the series, Agent Carter benefited from something that Agents of SHIELD sorely lacked—tighter writing and better characterization. Though it may suffer at points from overly blatant pro-feminist themes, Agent Carter undeniably has one of the most charming and entertaining lead characters on TV, one that you can't help but admire. Being a period piece helps the show stand out against the other CBTV options, giving it a unique feel while organically delivering backstory on such things as the Black Widow Red Room and the beginnings of the Winter Soldier program. It's a miracle that it got a second season, but we'll take what we can get.
9) IRON MAN 3- 7/10
That's right Iron Man 3 haters, rev up those engines. There is no denying that this film was a little divisive in the fan community, and for good reason. Most of the groans and moans revolved around a character that fans felt disrespected the source material. Another group of people were a little disappointed in the lack of appearances by the titular hero. Stark spends most of the movie outside of his armor.
But wasn't that sort of the point of the movie?
The entire theme of the film revolves around the idea that the suit does not make Tony Stark Iron Man—Tony Stark is what makes the suit Iron Man. And the film does a very good job enforcing this theme. It also acts as a well-scripted techno-thriller with a more interesting villain than your usual MCU baddie. If you can get past the 2nd act twist, then there is a lot to admire and like about this movie. In my mind, it remains one of the strongest films in the MCU. However, far be it from me to stop the debate from raging on.
8) ANT-MAN- 8/10
I thought about placing this higher simply because of how much fun the second half is, but in the end Ant-Man does suffer from a very exposition-heavy first half, which brings it down a couple notches. Yet the film is undeniably a blast with colorful characters and a unique take on the heist genre. The second half delivered some of the most unique and creative action sequences. Ant-Man seemed the perfect little movie (no pun intended) to go between the colossal Age of Ultron and Civil War. It came at a time when people might have started to feel that Marvel was getting a bit too big and was at risk of crumbling under its own weight.
7) AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON- 8/10
Though it failed to meet expectations or the bar set by its predecessor, Age of Ultron is another rock solid entry into the MCU. It suffered from a few areas of cluttered characters, missing scenes, and a slightly underwhelming villain, but made up for it with the same cool action set pieces, great actor chemistry, and energetic comedy that made the first movie so much fun. The Hulk vs. Hulkbuster scene is a particular highlight. Ultron is a fun, memorable villain, but regrettably never feels threatening because he never really succeeds at anything. Given all the characters and plot lines, this movie should have been a mess, but somehow Whedon steers it through the crowded waters and delivers another fun action romp, even if it doesn't begin to reach the heights of the original.
6) CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE FIRST AVENGER- 8/10
One of the better solo movies in the MCU, The First Avenger suffers from problematic pacing between the second and third act, but overall does something that haven't been done right since Richard Donner's Superman. It gives us a morally righteous character we want to root for but doesn't bore us or seem one dimensional. Captain America benefits from the patriotism of its time to sell the character and offers one of the more character-driven pieces in the MCU. It also features strong ties to The Avengers, making it feel like a must see precursor to the big superhero team-up.
5) GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY- 9/10
One of the more obscure titles from Marvel, it was a pleasant surprise to see the studio leave its comfort zone in the superhero titles and head into space for a wildly unique science fiction adventure. Cluttered with colorful characters, Guardians biggest strength comes from the wacky nature of its director, James Gunn, who has no fear bringing this risky venture into weird and bizarre territories. Add in a career-changing performance from Chris Pratt and fan favorites Groot and Rocket, and this was a winning combination from beginning to end.
4) IRON MAN- 9/10
This film is responsible for launching the MCU. Marvel Studios might have seen a quick and sudden death if not for the pitch perfect casting of Robert Downey Jr. and the unique choice of Jon Faverou as the director. Iron Man made the perfect counter argument to DC's darker and brooding Dark Knight, which came out the same year. Being a brighter film filled with colorful characters, slick action, and comedy, Iron Man set the overarching tone and approach that Marvel would take when adapting their properties to the big screen. To this day, it remains one of the best properties in their series.
3) DAREDEVIL- season 1- 9/10
Speaking of adaptions that are dark and brooding, Marvel finally found the perfect venue for their more adult-oriented content. Netflix could produce shows at a quality matched only by HBO, FX, and Showtime. With a great cast and tight writing, Netflix and Marvel teamed up to provide a show that felt more like a 13 hour film than an episodic series. This allowed them to dive into the darker side of the franchise while providing one of the most popular characters from the 1980's and 1990's. Daredevil proved to be one of the best—if not the best CBTV show that we've seen yet.
2) THE WINTER SOLDIER- 10/10
Unfortunately Marvel has a bit of trouble with its first sequels. Iron Man 2 is the worst of the series, Age of Ultron didn't hit the bar set by the first film, and Thor the Dark World really wasn't much to write home about. The only film that breaks out of that trend is the Russo Brother's fantastic Winter Soldier, which may very well be the best film in the series. The movie is a tightly scripted political thriller that plays to the strengths of Captain America and brings the MCU films to a more grounded and gritty place. Throw in two of the best MCU villains, Alexander Piece and the titular Winter Soldier and you've got a film that will keep you on the edge of your seat and will never let you feel safe.
1) THE AVENGERS- 10/10
I went back and forth on whether to put the Avengers at number one or the Winter Soldier. They are equally good for very different reasons. Where The Winter Soldier is a bit more gritty and tense, The Avengers is more of a lighthearted, comedic, action romp in the same vein as Iron Man. Both feature some of the best villains, and both are very well scripted in different ways. In the end, the deciding factor more came from the producing side of things. The Avengers really is a marvel (no pun intended) of film production and a game changer in how Hollywood approached franchises—some say it created the modern Mega-Franchise. Never before had a studio specifically set out to make five movies, just to build up to one. The dedication and patience it took to get to this point is something that most people don't credit producers enough for. But here we have one of the best superhero movies of all time, and it is due to a great combination of writing, directing, producing, and luck. THAT is what makes the Avengers still the greatest film in the MCU.
Agree, disagree? Tell me in the comments below. How would you rank the full MCU?