Ranking the Marvel Cinematic Universe Movies: Take 2

Recently, @derricklweston and I have been podcasting about the MCU over at The Gospel According to Marvel, and through each episode we've keep bringing up how we need to update our ranking of the MCU movies (particularly the newest ones to come out). So, here I am, to share my thoughts; I want to read your comments and rebuttal, as I rank the current MCU. Some of these have stayed in their original place while others have been rearranged since rewatching. Remember, I base these ratings subjectively as movies (and not based on their comic book adherence).

15. Thor: The Dark World

Thor: The Dark World, in my opinion, had the worst character development, story line, villain, and ending of all the movies Marvel has released in their Cinematic Universe. Granted, it was still an enjoyable movie (so don't read this as "1 out of 10 stars" or anything like that), but the storytelling felt a little lackluster, with everything forcibly pointing to the Infinity War, making the movie feel rushed in all the good spots and straining to stay committed to the unimaginative love story of Thor and Jane Foster. Furthermore, Malekith the Accursed seemed more along the lines of some strange underling rather then the main villain (which is a real shame when you consider Christopher Eccleston is such a fantastic actor and could have given us so much more). Apart from those faults, each actor held their own and it was still a pleasurable superhero flick.

14. The Incredible Hulk

What The Incredible Hulk did that the previous Hulk movies couldn't give us was two-fold in a.) showing a Bruce Banner you want to like and b.) allowing the story line to build into something more for the Hulk. One of the problems with Dr. Jekel/Mister Hyde-type characters is that you rarely get to see the humanity of both parts of the character that is done in a way that makes you want to see more of that characters story. The Incredible Hulk did just that without the typical origin story we're so accustom to (this may have been my favorite opening credits of all, showing the origin and catching us up to "present day"). Also, both William Hurt and Tim Roth were fantastic in their roles. Having said that, Edward Norton was not the best Bruce Banner and there is only so much you can tell in a Hulk solo movie without getting repetitive.

13. Captain America: The First Avenger

My wife saw where I put this in the order, gasped, and then said something along the lines of "you disgust me..." Don't get me wrong, Captain America was a fun film. My biggest beef with it is that it was old, on all fronts. A WWII story line with good, old-fashioned Captain America traits; nothing bad, but also nothing overtly exciting (and Cap is one of my favorite characters, I even love Chris Evans portraying him). Despite being one of the best origin films for any superhero, the buildup to Red Skull's disappearance was quick and relatively disappointing (I'm still counting on him returning at some point) where I was hoping for more of an epic battle. Still, at the time, having it lead directly into The Avengers teaser was jaw-dropping.

12. Iron Man 2

A whole movie dedicated to making sure Tony Stark is not self-combusting, while fighting against Russian Mickey Rourke, bringing a bit of the history of S.H.I.E.L.D., introducing the bad-ass-ery that is Scarlett Johansson as Black Widow AND Don Cheadle as War Machine, as well as teasing Thor in the end credits? Count me in. This is another film that doesn't get enough credit for being a fun action flick. Yes, Iron Man villains are going to be mostly knock off versions of his tech. Yes, this isn't what Whiplash looked like in the comics. Can we, as fans, decide to get off that soapbox and just enjoy what realistic changes Marvel throws us? Humor, action, good storytelling. Sure, you can see it as a filler movie, paving the way to The Avengers, but it adds a ton to the MCU and proves us with plenty of cool tech and more Robert Downey Jr.

11. Thor

I went into the movie theater to see Thor not expecting much, but I figured with such a great cast, how bad could it be? Give me some slack, this was only the forth film of the MCU, how was I to know it was going to be so great?! Plus, Thor was one of my least favorite of the Avengers in the comics, as I didn't find his character very relatable. Needless to say, this movie shocked me in every way. It was spectacular on all fronts (which I believe is what made Thor: TDW even more disappointing, for me). From this point on I'll probably just start waxing eloquently about how much I love Marvel. Forgive me.

10. Iron Man 3

I'm sure to get much grief for this one, but here's the thing: this was a good movie. I know the surprise twist was infuriating to hardcore fans and Tony's PTSD was maybe not the best portrayal, but apart from those two things I didn't see what the big fuss was about. Even the Mandarin twist, in my book, was great; in fact, I think it was shocking to everyone, which was the point. Marvel is going to have to divert from the comics every once in a while to keep audiences on their toes and move the MCU in the direction it's headed. This movie attempted to do just that, giving us a compelling personal story for Tony Stark while leading quite well into the predicament we find ourselves in for Age of Ultron. Another thing to consider is that this is the first three-quel of the original three solos--Iron Man, Captain America, Thor--so this is setting the stage for some big changes happening in both Tony Stark's and The Avengers' story archs.

9. Doctor Strange

I was worried about this becoming a little too much like a Magical Iron Man when I first saw previews; however, I was ecstatic after seeing Benedict Cumberbatch bring Doctor Stephen Strange to life. This was an original origin story that truly brings together the science and magic of the MCU in a way that hasn't been done yet and with such an out of this world villain in Dormammu, we can begin to see how these movies are going to have to amp it up for future cosmic installments. I can't wait. We'll be seeing more of Doctor Strange in Thor: Ragnarok.

8. Ant-Man

Well written and acted, this film brought so much more to the MCU table. Cameos, MCU references, the constant humor, a believable villain that had depth, and introducing at least 2 heroes, with Ant-man and Wasp (unless you count Hank and Janet, which would bring us to 4) to an already exciting new roster for the end of Phase 2. I also can't describe how happy it makes me to have Paul Rudd in the MCU. My hopes are high for Ant-Man & Wasp.

7. Iron Man

Iron Man started it all with a bang. Literally. While this movie definitely has some nostalgia attached to it, beginning the MCU and bringing Marvel into this golden age of superhero movies, this movie demands respect by its own merit. I know Joss Whedon was Marvel's main man through Phase 2, but I think Jon Favreau deserves more credit for his directing of the first two Iron Man films (I sincerely wish they would have kept him on for directing). Not to mention the ingenious casting of Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark... I don't really have to explain this much more.

6. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2

Having just watched this movie last night, it's fresh in my mind. Fun, memorable, even pushed the boundaries on the sort of villain that we've expected to see. I honestly don't have a complaint. Adding characters while continuing to develop the ones we know and love (particularly Peter Quill), I think this was another easy win for Marvel and I look forward to when this team crosses over with the Avengers. It's clearly leading us towards Infinity War, but not in a forceful way like The Dark World did. With Easter Eggs galore, this is one I'll definitely need to watch again to full appreciate. I'm also extremely excited to see James Gunn taking more creative control in the future of the MCU.

5. Avengers: Age of Ultron

My only complaint about this movie (which I clearly loved, putting it at #5) was Ultron's character development. There really could have been so much more there, which makes me wish it was longer (knowing that Joss Whedon wanted that as well, I'm sure for more character development). Apart from that, this movie allowed everything from Phase 2 to come back into one location and sort itself out in the formation of Ultron, forcing the Avengers to see themselves as a team more than a group of individuals, and truly set the stage for Avengers Academy (which is a tv show), Civil War, and all of the other excitement that Phase 3 brings. Also, the addition characters in this may be the best part: The Vision, Scarlet Witch, and Quicksilver.

4. The Avengers

Seeing The Avengers come to life on the big screen was one of my favorite movie going experiences. Apart from the lack of Hawkeye, this movie was near perfect for both the hardcore comic fans and the newbies. Watching Mark Ruffalo take over the mantle of the Hulk, the tension built between everyone, and finally coming together to mark the beginning of "Earth's Mightiest Heroes" to take down Loki and an alien army... hold on. I'm going to go watch it again, right now. Also, we didn't realize upon first watching, but there are so many things to look back on and think "Oh! This was setting us up for..."

3. Guardians of the Galaxy

You may be saying to yourself, "Guardians beat out Avengers?" I understand your concern, but here's my reasoning. The Avengers was built up in a over 4-years with many solo films and everyone knew it was going to be awesome. Guardians of the Galaxy was a wildcard for many (even the comic book fans) and with it Marvel proved that they can do whatever they want. They had already done the building-up-to-the-Avengers bit, so the fact that they could throw a brand new team up for audiences and still blow us away sets it above The Avengers in my book. Also, that soundtrack? Come on! So good.

2. Captain America: Civil War

This movie may have been the highlight of the MCU for me (thus far), with the addition of the beloved characters of Black Panther AND Spider-Man, this movie is momentous as Studios work together to bring the web-head to the MCU. Also, comic book fans were exhilarated by this classic comic book story brought to life in a way that was both wonderful and unexpected. Watching this movie still has me jumping for joy. I could have easily watched another hour, which may have made the character development that much better. With this many heroes, it's hard to give everyone the time they need, but boy did they do a great job on this one. In a big way it restarted the MCU (as Captain America's films have tended to do). It's going to take something big to bring everyone back together after this...

1. Captain America: Winter Soldier

It's no surprise that this made the top of my list. It is just about perfect for everyone coming to the table. Even if this was the first Marvel movie you've seen since 2007, I bet you still loved this movie. Lovingly called "Avengers 1.5" by some, being just as much Black Widow & Nick Fury's movie as Captain America's, this film showed us why we should fear Hydra and why the Russo brothers are Marvel's new favorite directorial team. Granted, there were a few issues with the story line, but they were easy to overlook for all the incredible things it brought to the table.