An Unnecessary and Therefore Cynical Ranking of the MCU (Spoilers)

 I hate rankings, except that I love them.

 They feed the reptilian part of my brain that also enjoys reality shows and that one time when Steve Harvey named Miss Colombia as the winner by mistake. Ranking stuff is something everyone seems to like, so I´m gonna succumb to my need for attention and give you a ranking of all 29 films, all 3 ABC shows, all 6 Netflix Shows, the 8 Disney+ shows, and that one werewolf-centric special.  According to math, that´s 47 pieces of media that I´ve consumed, in some cases multiple times. It reminds me of my mortality and our limited lifespan on this Earth. Fun!

And now, without further ado, here is my ranking. It will be updated whenever a new MCU thing comes out or if I change my mind. Please note that this is a ranking in terms of my personal view of quality and not personal preference, which would be a VERY different list.

52. Marvel´s Iron Fist (2017-2018)

This show was probably the worst thing I´ve ever seen. Its only redeeming quality is Jessica Henwick as Coleen Wing. Apart from that, the show is bland, badly acted, badly shot, stretched, narratively nonsensical, and extremely low-energy. The cool part of all the Netflix shows is the acting and the up-close brutal fights, and Iron Fist, a show about a character based entirely on martial arts and dragon magic, has some of the most boring action I´ve ever seen because star Finn Jones was a lazy asshole. The final scene of season 2 could lead to interesting stuff, but it´s just not worth it. 

A still from "Marvel´s Iron Fist", SOURCE: Netflix

51. Marvel´s Inhumans (2017)

I mean, the show is about superhumans that live in a moon castle. And the show takes place mostly on Earth. You do the math as to how boring that is. It was weirdly cast, badly acted, the effects sucked, and it just wasn´t interesting at all. And look, I´m gonna say something controversial, but the Inhumans aren´t a super compelling property to begin with! Go ahead, name an Inhuman other than Black Bolt or Ms. Marvel. When the Eternals are more well known that the Inhumans, you got yourself a problem. 

The thing is, at least this one could be entertaining if only for its cheesy, B-movie quality. Kind of a so-bad-it´s-good thing. Almost.

A still from "Marvel´s Inhumans", SOURCE: ABC

50. Secret Invasion (2023-)

This show blows. I´m sorry. It´s extra disappointing because of how good the cast is, and based on the premise "Nick Fury vs. an army of Skrulls", this should have been a slam dunk. Instead, we got a poorly, VERY poorly thought-out spy drama that is boring, tepid, and borderline nonsensical. The only redeemable qualities are Kingsley Ben-Adir and Olivia Colman, and they´re stuck playing cartoon characters.

A still from "Secret Invasion", SOURCE: Marvel Studios

49. Thor: Love and Thunder (Taika Waititi, 2022)

This movie would not be as reviled if Ragnarok wasn´t so good. The movie resets Thor´s character to his pre-Endgame emotional development and doesn´t show you anything new. Its comedy is pretty lame, and it shifts into Jane Foster´s cancer storyline without any warning or care. Its visuals are laughable, despite Disney having perfectly functional Stagecraft technology. Its only redeeming qualities are Christian Bale and Natalie Portman´s performances, but they aren´t given material worthy of their pedigree. 

A still from "Thor: Love and Thunder", SOURCE: Marvel Studios

48. Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (Peyton Reed, 2023)

This movie 100% suffers from the weight of the massive franchise it´s a part of, sacrificing everything that made the Ant-Man movies enjoyable and unique in the MCU. Instead, it´s a setup for the Multiverse Saga going forward, and it´s not particularly good at it to speak of. It´s also yet another victim of the bad environments VFX artists are working in now. If it wasn´t for the charm of Paul Rudd and Jonathan Majors´s (yikes) performance, this would be a total loss, all the way down.

A still from "Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania", SOURCE: Marvel Studios

47. Eternals (Chloé Zhao, 2021)

This one wasn´t agressively terrible, it was simply unfortunate. The movie was way too long and way too full of stuff that was inconsequential to the main plot, and spent a lot of time with introductions because it had to manage ten main characters. This would have been such a cool Disney+ TV show, and instead it was an exhausting, meandering marathon of a movie, which shouldn´t have happened, considering that you have an Oscar-worthy-winner director in Chloé Zhao and a truly incredible cast, including a buff Kumail Nanjiani. As Gordon Ramsay says, "What a shame". 

A still from "Eternals", SOURCE: Marvel Studios

46. Iron Man 2 (Jon Favreau, 2010)

This movie was bad. The reason I put this above Eternals, however, is the fact that its convolution is weirdly straightforward and relevant, although stupid. Also, there´s enough cool Iron Man stuff to keep fans like me happy. Also, Sam Rockwell dancing as Justin Hammer is always hilarious. The reason it´s low on this list is because Iron Man is SO good and this movie was pretty disappointing.

A still from "Iron Man 2", SOURCE: Marvel Studios

45. Thor: The Dark World (Alan Taylor, 2013)

AH, yes. The movie that ate up all the easy bad Marvel movie jokes for a while. It kinda still does with those that didn´t watch "Eternals". The movie is super bland, but in retrospect, it´s mercifully quick, straightforward, and occasionally entertaining. Its worst crime, however, is wasting Christopher Ecclestone and the character of Malekith in a super forgettable adaptation of the classic villain. Ecclestone doesn´t have ANYTHING to do except look at CGI goo for the entire third act.

A still from "Thor: The Dark World", SOURCE: Marvel Studios

44. The Incredible Hulk (Louis Leterrier, 2008)

This movie isn´t bad, really, it´s just so boring. The character of Bruce Banner is not an exciting or fun one to watch until Mark Ruffalo gets his turn and the MCU writers understood that Banner is a much more flexible character than the Hulk, as Leterrier repeats the same beats that the Ang Lee Hulk, or even the old TV show play in terms of tone and story structure. I´ll chalk up the flaws of this film to growing pains for a fledgling MCU and the controlling influence of Edward Norton. Again, Ruffalo is a better Hulk.

A still from "The Incredible Hulk", SOURCE: Universal Studios

43. Marvel´s The Defenders (2017)

I mean, this one doesn´t suck at all. It´s actually pretty fun. It´s just that it depends a lot on you caring or even remembering the stuff from Iron Fist´s first season. Besides that, the show lacks the impact of being a huge crossover because it´s not the assembling of the Defenders as a team, it´s just four strangers fighting together and splitting up when the fight´s over. The Chinese restaurant scene, however, is one of the most entertaining parts of the entirety of the Netflix MCU stuff, and Elodie Yung was pretty fun as the antagonist.

A still from "Marvel´s The Defenders", SOURCE: Netflix

42. Black Widow (Cate Shortland, 2021)

If this movie had been released directly after Civil War, before Endgame came out, my opinion on it would be completely different. The movie fails on two fronts: the narrative tension is gone because it´s a prequel, and therefore have an assurance that Natasha Romanoff will survive the events of the movie so she can sacrifice herself in Endgame; and secondly, the movie is so obviously not about Natasha herself, but instead serves as a baton pass to Florence Pugh. This part of the movie was so transparent, that even for a Marvel movie, I laughed out loud at the corporate cynicism. The humor and the action are pretty ok, though, and Florence Pugh was great. 

A still from "Black Widow", SOURCE: Marvel Studios

41. What If...? (2021-) 

The thing that was weird about this one was the fact that for most of the show, the potential for creative flexibility was pretty squandered. The fascinating, awesome, odd stuff (e.g. Strange Supreme, Ultron Prime, T´Challa as Star-Lord, etc.) was minimal, while the stuff with potential for further development was kinda flattened. The rest is straight-up filler. What I like, however, is that this show is starting to impact other stuff, like Doctor Strange 2 or even comics Peggy Carter. I´m very interested to see what they come up with in season 2.

A still from "What If...?", SOURCE: Marvel Studios

40. Captain Marvel (Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck, 2019)

I think that this is a perfectly average, B-Tier MCU movie, filled with CGI particles blasting into clusters of polygons and Whedonese quips. Narratively, the movie is insistent on making characters apply traits to Captain Marvel that she isn´t displaying at all. However, the special sauce that makes this one shine is the delightful buddy cop dynamic between Carol Danvers and Nick Fury. I could watch Brie Larson and Sam Jackson chat it up forever.

A still from "Captain Marvel", SOURCE: Marvel Studios

39. Marvel´s Jessica Jones (2015-2019)

I mean, season 1 of this show is the best the Netflix MCU has to offer. The rest isn´t. Not even close. It actually dragged the show as a whole down. Kristen Rytter is so great and David Tennant´s Kilgrave is so awesome, that the whole show has residual goodwill from season 1, and that´s why it´s not very close to Iron Fist. This should have stayed at one season and enjoyed its perfection.

A still from "Marvel´s Jessica Jones", SOURCE: Netflix

38. Ant-Man and the Wasp (Peyton Reed, 2018)

Another perfectly fine and fun MCU movie. I really enjoy Ant-Man stuff, and this movie sure had that, but it was just so forgettable, I barely have anything to say about it. Also, the villain, Sonny Burch, is laaaaame.

A still from "Ant-Man and the Wasp", SOURCE: Marvel Studios

37. The Falcon and the Winter Soldier (2021)

More than bad, this was messy. Such a cool, thoughtful idea for a show wasted in a plot that didn´t know what it was going for, including waaay to many elements and subplots it had to pull off in 6 episodes. This would´ve totally benefitted from more episodes and a change in the ending. However, the action was good, the chemistry between Mackie and Stan is pretty good, and the reflections on the treatment of black people by the government is fascinating, not to mention that we finally get one of my favorite comic book recastings with Sam Wilson´s Captain America.

A still from "The Falcon and the Winter Soldier", SOURCE: Marvel Studios

36. Avengers: Age of Ultron (Joss Whedon, 2015)

We all know the problems with this movie: the excess of subplots and backdoor pilots for 7 other movies, the half-assed villain, the Thor magic jacuzzi, the quips collapsing into themselves like a singularity, and so on and so forth. Joss Whedon could not balance all these things successfully, and yet it ended up a perfectly average MCU movie. Guy can make a movie pretty good when he´s not held back by his racist and mysoginist tendencies.

A still from "Avengers: Age of Ultron", SOURCE: Marvel Studios

35. Iron Man 3 (Shane Black, 2013)

I like this movie a lot. I think this one was given bad reviews because very little Iron Man stuff happens in it, and most of it is dedicated to Tony Stark PTSD episodes. I think the Mandarin thing is pretty great. The issue with this one is the pretty glaring logic thing of Stark giving a terrorist his home adress, which is pretty bad as plot points go, but the rest is pretty cool and different from the normal MCU rhythms.

A still from "Iron Man 3", SOURCE: Marvel Studios

34. Marvel´s The Punisher (2017-2019)

This was good. Jon Bernthal was good. But not super noteworthy. It´s there. I enjoyed it. I´ve moved on. 

A still from "Marvel's The Punisher", SOURCE: Netflix

33. Thor (Kenneth Branagh, 2011)

As you may have guessed, a chunk of these are like "This is fine. Let's keep going." This is one of them. Very consistent storytelling, and Tom Hiddleston as Loki is delightful.

A still from "Thor", SOURCE: Marvel Studios

32. Doctor Strange (Scott Derrickson, 2016)

It´s visually astounding, and Cumberbatch never phones it in, but this should have been so much weirder, like Loki or even Ant-Man. YOU HAVE A MOVIE ABOUT A COMICS WIZARD MADE BY NERDS ON ACID IN THE 70S! Have some fun! The third act is pretty cool, tho.

A still from "Doctor Strange", SOURCE: Marvel Studios

31. Marvel´s Agent Carter (2015-2016)

and 

30. Marvel´s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (2013-2020)

Both of these are pretty good! They are unfortunately limited by their budgets and their premise, but pretty good TV overall. Please watch both of these. They are just as good as each other, and therefore interchangeable on this list.

A still from "Marvel´s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D", SOURCE: ABC

29.  Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (Sam Raimi, 2022)

I don´t care what anyone tells me: I thought this ruled. The character of Doctor Strange feels more constant, solid, formed, and Wanda is a scary villain. The Sam Raimi-ness of it all, though, is what kicks this movie into overdrive, particularly in the third act when Strange possesses his own corpse across the multiverse and makes a cape out of ghosts. My grievances with this movie are more Multiverse-related, since they spend a lot of time in universes that are just our own but with different colors. They should have spent more time in the paint universe.

A still from "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness", SOURCE: Marvel Studios

28.  Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (James Gunn, 2017)

From here on again, imagine I preface each by saying "This is pretty good". The thing with this one, however, is that the plot beats from the first are repeated in this one: they are learning to be a team all over again. 

A still from "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2", SOURCE: Marvel Studios

27.  Moon Knight (2022-)

I thought this show had a lot of potential, particularly due to the source material and the involvement of Oscar Isaac. Isaac delivered, and there´s a lot of quirk, but the tonality shifted in episode 4 so intensely from an Indiana Jones riff to a semi-Legion and then back in episode 6  that it was whiplash-like. What a waste of Ethan Hawke. However, as I mentioned, Oscar Isaac and May Calamawy carry this show from the get-go.

A still from "Moon Knight", SOURCE: Marvel Studios

26. Captain America: The First Avenger (Joe Johnston, 2011)

This movie is so endearing and fun and committed to its classic feel, it almost feels like a good 80s adventure movie in story structure and whimsy. This one deserves to be reappreciated.

A still from "Captain America: The First Avenger", SOURCE: Marvel Studios

25. WandaVision (2021)

The first half is so awesome and fascinating that by the time this show goes full CGI particle effects-fest, you don´t care. Olsen, Bettany, and Hahn are amazing in this, and so is the production design team.

A still from "WandaVision", SOURCE: Marvel Studios

24. The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special (2022)

This one is a fun, dumb romp. Nothing to pick apart, really. 

A still from "The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special", SOURCE: Marvel Studios

23. Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (Destin Daniel Cretton, 2021)

Everything good about this one is awesome and everything bad is just ok. The second act drags out and the third one, although awesome in the same way a season finale of Drangon Ball is awesome, loses sight of what makes the story compelling, namely the father-son dynamic. Nevertheless, the action and the way it mimics wuxia and hong-kong martial arts films is pretty dope.

A still from "Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings", SOURCE: Marvel Studios

22. Ms. Marvel (2022-)

I think this show is a very heartfelt, genuine, charming, and personal effort. The changes made to Ms. Marvel´s powers make them visually generic, but make their nature culturally relevant and a part of Ms. Marvel´s identity. The cherry on top is Iman Velani´s masive charisma. The only fault I can see in it are really the villains, the Clandestines, who are kinda passive and uninteresting. 

A still from "Ms. Marvel", SOURCE: Marvel Studios

21. Captain America: Civil War (Anthony and Joe Russo, 2016)

This one was great, but unfortunately, the villain´s plot hinges so much on the same amount of coincidences and plot conveniences as the villain from Batman v Superman that it makes the titular Civil War a little ridiculous. Also, by the time the movie ends, the tension is deflated because we as an audience know that the stakes can´t be super high because Infinity War was literally one year away. However, the movie was super entertaining, well acted, and the final battle between Cap and Iron Man is one of the best in the MCU because the conflict resolves itself with the fight as opposed to having the fight be an extension of the conflict. Extra points for introducing Black Panther and Spider-Man into the MCU.

A still from "Captain America: Civil War", SOURCE: Marvel Studios

20. Spider-Man: Far From Home (Jon Watts, 2019)

This one is just a super-fun, entertaining, and charming Spidey adventure mixed with a National Lampoon vacation movie. It´s just frustrating, mildly so, that it´s so Iron-Man centric. I think there´s an easier way to make Mysterio evil than having him have a grudge against Tony Stark and only coincidentally encounter Spidey. other than that, it´s really funny and it´s got Spider-Man doing Spider-Man stuff, which is always good. 

A still from "Spider-Man: Far From Home" Source: Sony Pictures

19.  Ant-Man (Peyton Reed, 2015)

I really wish we could have seen Edgar Wright´s version of this movie, beacause I´m sure it would have been bonkers. However, the version we got is a really fun, original, straightforward take on a really ridiculous superhero that establishes Ant-Man as a cool character. The movie really benefits from Paul Rudd´s charisma, even if it feels like he carries the movie at times. 

A still from "Ant-Man" Source: Marvel Studios

18. Thor: Ragnarok (Taika Waititi, 2017)

This movie is pretty great. It´s kinda like one of the acid trips that Jack Kirby probably had when he came up with the New Gods, in that it´s loud and colorful and fun and zany. It´s also hilarious, courtesy of Waititi. Unfortunately, the humor deflates some of the more emotional moments that deserved a little nuance, like the destruction of Asgard and the imprisonment of Thor. Also, they waste Cate Blanchett as a generic Marvel one-off villain. Nevertheless, I like this a lot, and again, if these were ordered according to preference, this one would be a lot higher up. 

A still from "Thor: Ragnarok" Source: Marvel Studios

17. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (Ryan Coogler, 2022)

This movie would be just as good as its predecessor if it wasn´t for all the table setting. Namor is awesome, Shuri is awesome, Talokan is cool, all the faves from the first one are great, and Bassett earns her award noms. However, the movie constantly interrupts itself to set up Thunderbolts and Ironheart to the point that it feels like a different movie. Still, it´s a powerful, well made movie that elicits one or two tears out of the heartfelt honor it rends towards the late Boseman.

A still from "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever" Source: Marvel Studios

16. Spider-Man: Homecoming (Jon Watts, 2017)

This movie is really charming, fun, and light in its own right, yet it´s elevated from being average by Tom Holland and Michael Keaton´s excellent villain. The thing it has going against it is really the genericness of the Vulture in the CGI suit.

A still from "Spider-Man: Homecoming" Source: Sony Pictures

15. Hawkeye (2021)

Dude? I´ll say it. This show is surprisingly good. It´s charming, endearing, straightforward, grounded, and actually evolves the character of Clint Barton. Hailee Steinfeld is fantastic, and the fact that they brought back Vincent D´Onofrio´s Kingpin is AWESOME. It lagged a little in the third and fourth episodes, but what Disney+ show not named Mandalorian doesn´t?

A still from "Hawkeye" Source: Marvel Studios

14. Werewolf by Night (Michael Giacchino, 2022)

This freakin rips. It looks cool, it sounds cool, it´s well directed, well performed, well realized. I love practical FX and Gael García and I got both with this special. More stuff like this, please.

A still from "Werewolf by Night" Source: Marvel Studios

13. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (James Gunn, 2023)

I thought this was wonderful. It was emotional, powerful, well performed, well written...I thought it was by far one of the most satisfying films in the MCU, and it bid a fitting farewell to this roster of fun weirdos.  The issues I´d point out have to do with how abrupt the conclusion is, really.

A still from "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3" Source: Marvel Studios

12. Avengers: Infinity War (Anthony and Joe Russo, 2018)

This movie doesn´t make the top 10 for a very simple reason: it has to incorporate so much in 2 and a half hours and mostly succeeds, but it makes the movie feel like it´s running at a breakneck pace, which does some of the secondary characters like Black Panther, Black Widow, etc. a disservice. As a fan, one is fine with it because you get to see awesome things we get great scenes like Thor arriving at Wakanda and the Strange/Thanos fight. But, as a movie critic, I´m missing some things, like more time with Thanos to know his motivations and his backstory, considering that he´s the protagonist of this movie. 

A still from "Avengers: Infinity War" Source: Marvel Studios

11. Loki (2021-)

This show is awesome, and it would be near the top of this list if it weren´t for the load of exposition that is the finale. However, Hiddleston is great, and the creative freedom that comes with time travel and variants is such a breath of fresh air for the MCU that I cannot wait for the next seasons. The plot point of Loki falling in love with an alternate version of himself is BRILLIANT, courtesy of Rick and Morty writer Michael Waldron. 

A still from "Loki" Source: Marvel Studios

THE TOP TEN

10. Marvel´s Daredevil (2015-2018)

This is one of my favorite TV shows and I´m glad it´s getting reappreciated. Charlie Cox is really good as the lead, and the secondary cast, particularly Vincent D´Onofrio, Deborah Ann Woll, and Jon Bernthal is incredibly talented and colorful. The action is really cool and the camerawork is really creative in its framing of it. The big issue with this one is the second half of season 2, which encompassed everything that had to do with the Hand, which was so weird and so tonally dissonant with the rest of the show, and was clearly just there to set up Defenders and (sigh) Iron Fist. Everything else is super cool and you should totally watch it. 

A still from "Marvel´s Daredevil" Source: Netflix

9. She-Hulk: Attorney at Law (2022-)

Come at me, bro. This show is great. It´s funny. It´s self-aware. It´s committed to its premise. It´s got a distinct personality. It´s completely aware of the reactions it was going to elicit, and dunked on those sexist trolls with a lot of elegance. The budget does put strains on their VFX quality and it is weirdly paced in episodes 5 and 6, though.

A still from "She-Hulk: Attorney at Law" Source: Marvel Studios

8. Marvel´s The Avengers (Joss Whedon, 2012)

We all love this movie. We all remember this movie. We all thank this movie for existing. It gave us Mark Ruffalo´s Hulk and the Avengers theme as it´s main contributions to the MCU. It´s just that, in your nerdgasm, you forget that the movie takes a long time to really get started. 

A still from "Marvel´s The Avengers" Source: Marvel Studios

7. Black Panther (Ryan Coogler, 2018)

This is a truly excellent movie. It´s a groundbreaking, rich, thoughtful movie with a discourse far beyond that which the MCU had been doing up to that point. The issue is that, after two acts of fascinating back-and-forth between the two main characters, the third act devolves into a CGI-fest with CGI that hasn´t finished rendering. The rest of the movie is SO GOOD, though, and that carries it over the edge. 

A still from "Black Panther" Source: Marvel Studios

6. Guardians of the Galaxy (James Gunn, 2014)

This movie is groundbreaking for the MCU, and a sign that if Marvel could make the Guardians of the Galaxy into a flagship property capable of sustaining a franchise, they could do so with ANYTHING. This movie is super weird, hilarious, and heartfelt. Even the CGI ending is pretty fun. 

A still from "Guardians of the Galaxy" Source: Marvel Studios

5. Marvel´s Luke Cage (2016-2018)

This show is nothing short of phenomenal from beginning to end. 

A still from "Marvel´s Luke Cage" Source: Netflix

4. Spider-Man: No Way Home (Jon Watts, 2021)

This movie set some pretty high goals for itself. The first one was to outdo Far From Home in sense of scale and spectacle. The second one is to close out this trilogy of Holland´s Spider-Man movies and open up a new one with a changed Peter Parker. And the third is to act as a celebration of Spider-Man in film. And boy, did it deliver on those three basic purposes and more. So many great moments in this movie that pay off not only stuff from Tom Holland´s Spider-Man saga, but the two previous ones as well, particularly Andrew Garfield´s short-lived tenure as Spidey. We also got really good performances out of the villains. Yeah, this movie is pretty great. 

A still from "Spider-Man: No Way Home" Source: Sony Pictures

3.  Avengers: Endgame (Anthony and Joe Russo, 2019)

This movie is less of a movie and more of a season finale for a TV show, and by those standards, it´s probably the best season finale of a TV show of all time. It´s strangely emotional, subdued and focused for so much of the movie, and has its priorities in satisfaction, closure, and respect to the characters. And I mean, Cap fought Thanos with Mjolnir. Come on. 

A still from "Avengers: Endgame" Source: Marvel Studios

2. Iron Man (Jon Favreau, 2008)

This is one badass movie, and it only gets better as the years go on. It´s a relatively simple, grounded superhero movie, in sharp contrast to other films of the same genre from around the same time period. The effects still hold up, even better than a lot of the CGI of the modern MCU. Thanks for giving us the rest of this saga, Iron Man. Thank you. 

A still from "Iron Man" Source: Marvel Studios

1. Captain America: The Winter Soldier (Anthony and Joe Russo, 2014)

Finally, here we are. Surprise, I agree with most critics. This is not just one of the best superhero movies of the past 20 years, but also one of the best action movies and spy thrillers of the past 20 years. The movie is super dynamic, well acted, well shot, well directed, well made. Picking at its faults is really just nitpicking, rather than pointing out any significant logic problem or technical mishap. Pretty good movie. 

A still from "Captain America: The Winter Soldier" Source: Marvel Studios