The Marvel Cinematic Universe has produced hit after hit (along with the occasional miss) and, since 2008, grossed a massive $31 billion at the worldwide box office.
That makes it one of the biggest franchises ever and what Marvel Studios has done remains unprecedented. Under the watchful eye of Kevin Feige, a series of interconnected movies - and now TV shows - have been produced which are, essentially, like the comics come to life. The MCU has set an impossibly high benchmark which rival studios continue to try and emulate with little success.
2024 has seen the release of its one and only Marvel Studios movie and, with the Multiverse Saga receiving something of an overhaul at Comic-Con, we've decided to present you with our take on the MCU's 10 best big screen releases.
Remember, this is one opinion and you can share yours in the comments section. To see which of the 34 MCU movies made the cut here - and which we think is the best one - simply click on the "Next"/"View List" buttons below.
10. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
We thought long and hard about which Guardians of the Galaxy movie most deserved a place on this list and, while the first two instalments are just as deserving in many ways, Vol. 3 tops them.
Every bit as funny as its predecessors with another stellar soundtrack, the threequel boasted everything that made James Gunn's trilogy so great (including another round of phenomenal performances from its cast). However, with the franchise's best villain to date and Rocket's tragic origin story put front and centre, Vol. 3 is taken to the next level.
Gunn's brief foray into the DCEU saw him return to the MCU with renewed confidence, something that was evident from an incredible opening sequence set to "Creep" and that jaw-dropping corridor battle. We don't see any future Guardians movies topping this.
9. Iron Man
Next up is the movie that started the MCU as we know it...and yes, we're well aware that Iron Man would place much higher for many of you!
Honestly, it's a damn fine blockbuster with incredible visuals which were way ahead of their time, brilliant work from Robert Downey Jr., and an introduction to Tony Stark which put the character on the map in a way we never expected of a C-List superhero (which, while hard to believe now, Iron Man was at the time). What Jon Favreau did is astonishing.
However, it also falls into many familiar trappings for a superhero origin story, including the obligatory love interest and a largely forgettable villain, despite Jeff Bridges' stellar work. That's why it doesn't place higher; make no mistake about it, though: it remains a classic.
8. Captain America: The Winter Soldier
Captain America: The First Avenger was an effective introduction for the MCU's Steve Rogers, but the sequel brought him into the present day (following his team-up with The Avengers) for a story inspired by one of his best comic book adventures.
While we'd have liked to see a little more of that brought to the screen in Captain America: The Winter Soldier, the Russo Brothers made their mark on the MCU with pulse-pounding action scenes, plenty of great character work, and a return for Bucky which mostly satisfied.
This movie felt like Marvel Studios truly looking to deliver something different, setting a superhero story against the backdrop of a political thriller. 2014 was an important year for them between this and Guardians of the Galaxy, and The Winter Soldier remains a game-changer.
7. Deadpool & Wolverine
Some of you might feel like this is a knee-jerk reaction which stems from the fact this is Marvel Studios' newest movie. However, we'd argue that Deadpool & Wolverine is absolutely deserving of a place here because it's both an awesome movie and pretty damn historic.
We went into this one expecting Marvel Studios to "kill" the Fox-verse and, big who cares, right? Instead, not only did they celebrate it and make us appreciate the hit-or-miss franchise, but this team-up also told a wonderfully touching and fan-pleasing story about Wade Wilson and Logan.
Shawn Levy delivered some of the MCU's best action scenes, told a Multiverse story better than pretty much any other recent movie or TV show outside of Loki, and gave us moments we'd only ever dreamed of seeing on screen before this.
6. Captain America: Civil War
Captain America: Civil War was basically another Avengers movie and a dry run for the Russo Brothers before they took the helm of Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame. Needless to say, they absolutely knocked it out of the park.
While it's true this movie was missing much of what made the comic book of the same name so special, it improved the story in other ways, including with a focus on Bucky and the debut of Black Panther, Baron Zemo...and Spider-Man!
That historic debut alone justifies Civil War's place on this list and everything from the airport battle to that final clash between Captain America and Iron Man remains engrained in our psyches. #TeamCap for life, though...
5. Avengers: Infinity War
Avengers: Infinity War is, in many ways, a Thanos movie. The Mad Titan had only appeared in post-credits scenes and for a couple of brief scenes in Guardians of the Galaxy, but this story made him the MCU's most terrifying threat to date.
That was evident when the impossible happened and he...won?! Yes, Infinity War ends with the Mad Titan succeeding in his mission to wipe out half the universe, resulting in one of the greatest cliffhangers since The Empire Strikes Back.
Before that, the Russo Brothers delivered fan-pleasing team-ups, epic action, unforgettable scenes, and a movie that ranks among the MCU's best (hence why it's included here).
4. Black Panther
Culturally, Black Panther was a phenomenon and not something that can easily be replicated (something we'd say was evident from the still very good sequel, 2022's Black Panther: Wakanda Forever).
Yes, the movie heads down the familiar CG battle route during the final act but even that was still great. Elsewhere, we were treated to magnificent performances from Chadwick Boseman, Michael B. Jordan, Angela Bassett, and the rest of the truly impressive ensemble.
They were surrounded by stunning visuals, a compelling, relevant story and the creation of a new corner of the MCU which inspired millions across the globe. In many ways, this was more than just a film; what Ryan Coogler delivered was a masterpiece.
3. The Avengers
This might be controversial, especially as some of the movies are objectively better than 2012's The Avengers. However, just like Black Panther's reach extended beyond theaters, this blockbuster changed the genre as we know it.
Not only did it do what we all thought was impossible by assembling superheroes from other franchises and uniting them on screen, but it put Marvel Studios on the map and made it clear to Hollywood that comic book movies were to be taken seriously.
While it's a relatively small scale by today's standards, The Avengers is crammed full of unforgettable scenes and character interactions. Joss Whedon tells a funny, action-packed story which influenced everything that followed. Watching this on the big screen in 2012 felt like a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
2. Spider-Man: No Way Home
For this Spider-Man fanboy, there's (almost) no beating Spider-Man: No Way Home. While the movie boasts some telltale signs of being made in a pandemic - Rhys Ifans and Thomas Haden Church appear via recycled footage from past appearances - this remains a movie it's hard to fault.
Even before Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield show up, Tom Holland is a joy to watch as his Peter Parker does battle with Doctor Octopus, Electro, Green Goblin, and even Doctor Strange. This threequel arguably features his best performance.
It's during the final act things get taken to the next level; seeing the three Spider-Men unite on screen to battle the Sinister Six Five is, simply put, staggering. Jon Watts outdid himself with this movie and the cherry on top is that long-awaited classic suit and final swing.
1. Avengers: Endgame
Yeah, yeah, we know many of you rank Avengers: Infinity War above Avengers: Endgame but this movie deserves the #1 spot in this writer's opinion. There's so much more to what the Russo Brothers did here than just that Portals scene, though let's face it, that was unreal to see.
From the way characters are utilised to fan-pleasing moments like Captain America wielding Mjolnir, this blockbuster fired on all cylinders back in 2019. It also delivered pitch-perfect send-offs for some beloved fan-favourites.
Topping this will be no easy feat for the Russos upon their MCU return with Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars. Maybe they don't need to, though, because Endgame is truly a one-of-a-kind Marvel Studios movie and, for us, the best of the lot.