FROM IRON MAN To SPIDER-MAN: FAR FROM HOME - Ranking Every Marvel Studios Movie From Worst To Best
With Spider-Man: Far From Home now in theaters, we've updated our ranking of each Marvel Studios movie in the "Infinity Saga," but where does the wall-crawler's latest adventure land? Find out here...
Spider-Man: Far From Home officially wraps up what has become known as "The Infinity Saga," a journey which started way back in 2008 with Iron Man. Since then, the Marvel Cinematic Universe has changed massively and after the jaw-dropping events of Avengers: Endgame, it's fair to say that Spidey's latest adventure is the perfect epilogue to Phase 3.
But where exactly does the spectacular sequel fit into the overall ranking of the MCU? For that matter, which movie is their worst and which one stands out as being by far the best?
What you'll find here is a look at the pros and cons of each and every Marvel Studios movie as we rank them from worst to best. In fairness, the studio hasn't been responsible for making any truly terrible films, but some are still a lot better than others, and we're sure you'll find this breakdown particularly interesting. After all, everyone has their favourites and you can see where yours land here.
So, to check out this list, all you guys have to do is click on the "View List" button down below.
23. The Incredible Hulk (2008)
Pros: The Hulk Vs. The Abomination, "Hulk Smash!", Iron Man's Cameo
Cons: Sex Makes Bruce Banner Transform Into The Hulk, The Abomination's Story Arc, The Leader
Final Verdict: The Incredible Hulk definitely redeemed the Jade Giant following Ang Lee's disappointing Hulk movie and finally delivered the sort of intense action scenes fans had been hoping for. However, it also made a lot of mistakes and wasted some important characters from the comics.
22. Iron Man 2 (2010)
Pros: Iron Man's "Shoot To Thrill" Arrival, War Machine Joins The MCU, Sam Rockwell's Justin Hammer
Cons: Too Much Time Spent Setting Up The Avengers, Iron Man's Pointless Disease, Watered Down "Demon In A Bottle"
Final Verdict: Iron Man 2 had its moments, but it was a total mess which spent way too much time on setting up the events of The Avengers. On the plus side, we got to spend more time with Nick Fury and met Black Widow but that wasn't enough to distract from too much world building and a weak villain.
21. Thor: The Dark World (2013)
Pros: Loki's Redemption, Frigga's Funeral Scene, Awesome Cliffhanger Ending
Cons: Malekith's Forgettable Plan, Natalie Portman Phones It In, Too Much Time On Earth
Final Verdict: Marvel promised that Thor: The Dark World would be the epic adventure that the previous instalment wasn't, but too much time on Midgard stopped that from being the case and Malekith definitely overshadows all the things that this sequel ended up doing right.
20. Thor (2011)
Pros: The Destroyer, Thor's Arrival On Earth, Thor Vs. Loki
Cons: Everything Related To Darcy, A Waste Of The Warriors Three, Thor And Jane's Romance
Final Verdict: This was a solid introduction to the God of Thunder and there's no denying that the final act was downright awesome, as Thor was finally deemed worthy and took the fight to Loki and The Destroyer. However, this wasn't anywhere near as epic as it probably should have been.
19. Ant-Man (2015)
Pros: Raid On New Avengers Facility, Shrinking Scenes, Quantum Realm Visit
Cons: Darren Cross' Disappointing Yellowjacket, Annoying Supporting Characters, Old Man Pym
Final Verdict: Ant-Man was a lot of fun, but it's hard to escape the feeling that the Edgar Wright version would have been so much better. While Hank Pym not being a founding Avenger was a let down, Scott Lang was a great character to spend time with and Marvel did a solid job of setting the stage for a new Wasp.
18. Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)
Pros: Peggy Carter Romance, Steve's Arrival In The Present, Skinny Steve CGI
Cons: The Red Skull's Demise, Not Enough Screentime For Bucky, Generic HYDRA Goons
Final Verdict: Marvel shied away from mentioning Nazis, so Captain America: The First Avenger often bordered on being a generic sci-fi movie as opposed to a World War II epic. Despite that, it was an enjoyable period adventure, but it's still hard to forgive Marvel for ultimately wasting the Red Skull!
17. Ant-Man And The Wasp (2018)
Pros: The Wasp Steals The Show, Fun Family Dynamic, Memorable Mid-Credits Scene
Cons: Not Quite Inventive Enough, Simplistic Story, Disappointing After-Credits Scene
Final Verdict: Ant-Man And The Wasp is a lot of fun and definitely an improvement over the first instalment. However, director Peyton Reed too often plays it safe and while there's a lot of good stuff here, it's not quite enough to put it alongside Marvel's best. Still, Ant-Man 3 remains a must.
16. Iron Man 3 (2013)
Pros: The Mandarin Reveal Featuring Trevor (Seriously), Quirky New Tone, All Those Armours In Action
Cons: The Other Mandarin Reveal, Too Much Time With Harley, Waste Of Extremis
Final Verdict: Iron Man 3 is a divisive movie which fans either seem to love or hate. Yes, The Mandarin reveal with Trevor was bizarre but it worked for the tone that Shane Black was going for, and this definitely stands out as the best Iron Man sequel even if it made a handful of blunders.
15. Doctor Strange (2016)
Pros: Insane Visuals, Time Moves Backwards In Epic Final Fight, Doctor Strange Meets The God Of Thunder
Cons: It Was Basically Iron Man All Over Again, Rachel McAdams Was Wasted, Villains Could Have Been Better
Final Verdict: Just like Guardians of the Galaxy introduced cosmic adventures to the MCU, Doctor Strange gave us magic. A movie full of breathtaking visuals, this origin story for the Sorcerer Supreme set the stage for the hero to become the new face of the MCU as we barrel towards Marvel's Phase 4.
14. Captain Marvel (2019)
Pros: Brie Larson's Performance, A New Take On Nick Fury, Goose Steals The Show
Cons: Not Enough Surprises, Heroic Skrulls, Straightforward Origin Story
Final Verdict: As an introduction to Carol Danvers, Captain Marvel definitely works, but it wasn't really as groundbreaking as we expected and the origin story side of things was a tad uninspired despite an unorthodox take on it. However, there was a lot here to love, including some great action scenes, stellar performances, and punch the air moments celebrating this badass, female HERo.
13. Avengers: Age Of Ultron (2015)
Pros: James Spader's Ultron, The Introduction Of Quicksilver And The Scarlet Witch, Hulk Vs. Hulkbuster
Cons: Quicksilver's Comes And Goes, Iron Man Creates Ultron, Thor's Weird Vision
Final Verdict: A movie packed full of memorable moments which we'll all still be talking about years from now, Avengers: Age of Ultron was a spectacle which probably should have found a way to keep the villain around for a little longer, but still delivered and fired on almost every cylinder.
12. Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)
Pros: Aunt May Learns Peter's Secret, The Homemade Costume, High School Setting
Cons: Too Much Technology In Spider-Man's Suit, "My Friends Call Me MJ," Scorpion's Introduction
Final Verdict: Grounding Spider-Man in Queens and keeping him out of Manhattan was definitely disappointing, but the reboot did a great job of introducing a new take on Peter Parker. All that technology in his suit was a tad much, but it was needed to provide a fresh take on the iconic hero.
11. Guardians Of The Galaxy (2014)
Pros: An Epic Introduction To The Cosmic MCU, The Soundtrack, "We Are Groot"
Cons: No Sign Of Nova In The Nova Corps, Another Forgettable Villain, Drax Gets His Butt Kicked By Ronan
Final Verdict: James Gunn did an incredible job of taking us into the cosmic side of the MCU for the first time and getting to hang out with Star-Lord and company was a lot of fun. It's just a shame that Ronan the Accuser ended up being another one of those typical Marvel villains who died after failing.
10. The Avengers (2012)
Pros: Thanos' Cameo, Avengers Assemble, Hulk Vs. Loki
Cons: Too Much Build Up, The Chitauri All Fall Down, Captain America Isn't Really A Man Out Of Time
Final Verdict: Many fans believed that seeing Earth's Mightiest Heroes assemble on the big screen would be impossible, but Joss Whedon pulled it off and introduced a fun new tone to the MCU. The defeat of the Chitauri was a tad convenient, but it's hard to find too many faults with this movie.
9. Iron Man (2008)
Pros: The Avengers Initiative, The Start Of The MCU, Amazing CGI
Cons: Iron Monger's Demise, Irritating Tony Stark/Gwyneth Paltrow Dynamic, Tony Stark's Sudden Change Of Outlook
Final Verdict: Iron Man is where it all started, and everything from seeing the suit in action (which was groundbreaking back in 2008) to Robert Downey Jr.'s performance made this very special indeed. There were some pitfalls but for the most part, Jon Favreau did some truly amazing work here.
8. Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2 (2014)
Pros: Baby Groot, Star-Lord Vs. Ego The Living Planet, Yondu's Heartbreaking Sacrifice
Cons: Ego's Plan Was A Tad Predictable, No Sign Of Thanos
Final Verdict: Expectations were high on James Gunn to deliver the goods with this sequel and he definitely didn't disappoint. Baby Groot was a hoot to spend time with, but all of the characters were given the chance to shine and the emotional moments were surrounded by one hell of a soundtrack.
7. Thor: Ragnarok (2017)
Pros: It Saved The Thor Franchise, Thor Vs. The Hulk, Amazing Visuals And Action
Cons: The Fall Of The Warriors Three, Some Minor Plot Holes
Final Verdict: Thor: Ragnarok is the best reviewed Marvel Studios movie of all-time and it's not hard to see why. It's hilarious but doesn't hold back on epic action, and you'll be desperate to see Taika Waititi return to the MCU by the time the credits roll. Stylish and brilliant. Prepare to fall in love with Korg!
6. Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)
Pros: Steve Rogers Reunites With Bucky, The Russos Deliver Epic Action, Meet The Falcon
Cons: S.H.I.E.L.D. Falls Too Soon In The MCU's History, No Red Skull Reveal
Final Verdict: No one expected too much from the Russo Brothers, but they delivered in spades here and gave the Captain America franchise the kick up the butt it arguably needed. The story revolving around Steve Rogers and Bucky was extraordinary and the fight scenes were on par with The Raid.
5. Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019)
Pros: Jaw-Dropping Mid-Credit Scene, Mysterio's illusions, Tom Holland as Peter Parker
Cons: A Predictable Twist, Not Enough Time Devoted To Avengers: Endgame Fallout
Final Verdict: Spider-Man: Homecoming was a good start, but the sequel takes things to the next level and delivers in some truly amazing ways. This is the Spider-Man we've been waiting to see on the big screen for quite some time now and everything from the action to story is simply spectacular.
4. Captain America: Civil War (2016)
Pros: Avengers Vs. Avengers, Spider-Man And Black Panther Join The MCU, Captain America, No More
Cons: Not Quite Close Enough To The Comic Books, Missing Characters
Final Verdict: Seeing Earth's Mightiest Heroes go to war with each other was nothing short of amazing, even if it didn't quite follow the Civil War comic as much as some fans hoped. The Russos proved themselves in a big way and it's no wonder Marvel then got them to helm Avengers: Infinity War.
3. Black Panther (2018)
Pros: A Star-Making Performance From Chadwick Boseman, Inspirational Lead, Effective Villain
Cons: Shaky Cam Action Scenes, Lack Of Set Up For Avengers: Infinity War
Final Verdict: What a movie. Putting Black Panther so high may seem reactionary, but this was arguably Marvel's most important movie to date and it delivered a strong, inspirational message which everyone could relate to. Throw in one of the best Marvel movie villains ever and a strong story, and this one was firing on all cylinders. It's no wonder it receivied so much awards attention - it's just a shame it was robbed!
2. Avengers: Infinity War (2018)
Pros: Higher Stakes Than Any Other Marvel Movie, Josh Brolin As Thanos, A Shocking Ending
Cons: Bruce Banner's Performance Issues, Not Enough Captain America, #WheresHawkeye
Final Verdict: Marvel promised us that Avengers: Infinity War would celebrate the MCU's tenth anniversary in epic fashion and it most certainly did, providing an incredible team-up between Earth's Mightiest Heroes and the Guardians of the Galaxy as they came together to battle Thanos. Full of surprises, amazing action, and stellar performances, this was Marvel's best...until a certain sequel came along!
1. Avengers: Endgame (2019)
Pros: Professor Hulk, A Satisfying Ending, Epic, Mind-Blowing Action
Cons: Thanos (2014), Time Travel Paradoxes?, No Post-Credits Scenes
Final Verdict: Wow. When it comes to superhero movies, it's hard to imagine anything ever topping this, and Marvel's culmination to over a decade's worth of stories simply works in just about every way. The ending is going to sting for a while, but it just felt right and the Russo Brothers delivered countless moments we'll all be talking about for years to come. Surely it will be Oscar nominated?
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