Although July’s Spider-Man: Far From Home is still being touted as the true final segment of the eleven-year story, there’s little disputing that with the release of Avengers: Endgame, things finally feel complete.
It’s been a long road since Robert Downey Jr made an unlikely debut as Iron Man in 2008: box office records have been smashed, critics’ praise has been well-earned, and there’s even been an Oscar nomination for Best Picture.
But how do the 22 movies all square up against eachother? What are the MCU’s finest moments?
Here, we rank each and every one of the instalments – what comes out on top?
22. Iron Man 2 (2010)
It’s remarkable how some of the early MCU films feel a lot older than they actually are. Whether it’s subtle little things like how female characters are portrayed (Natasha Romanoff’s first scene sees her being ogled by Tony Stark) or just formulaic plots, it’s understandable that it’s taken a while for the fanbase to become more diverse.
Iron Man 2 is merely fine and truth be told its biggest crime is that it’s just not especially memorable. But look out for blink-and-you-miss-it appearances from Olivia Munn and Kate Mara.
21. Thor: The Dark World (2013)
Despite the best efforts of Kat Dennings to inject some fun into a thoroughly dull sequel, the underwhelming villain, the middling direction and the blandification of Thor himself make this an unfortunate stain on the God of Thunder’s filmography.
Along with The Incredible Hulk, this is the joint lowest-rated MCU film on Rotten Tomatoes. Deserved.
What is the greatest MCU caper of them all? (Image: MARVEL)
Robert Downey Jr debuts as Iron Man (Image: MARVEL)
20. The Incredible Hulk (2008)
Let’s not get carried away here: The Incredible Hulk is nobody’s finest hour, but it’s not quite the car crash it’s reputed to be.
The runt of the litter thanks to Edward Norton’s false start as Bruce Banner, it still delivers superhero-by-numbers fun – with added star power from Liv Tyler. But again, it just feels so dated.
19. Iron Man (2008)
Coming to this movie after seeing more recent MCU capers, it’s surprising just how unlikeable Tony Stark is here. Of course it’s all part of his character arc, but in hindsight, it’s actually quite hard to be particularly invested in a film when you wouldn’t be that sad if the protagonist lost.
18. Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015)
The villain here is truly ridiculous, and while the conclusion was a handy catalyst for the far superior Civil War, it’s not an especially exciting story in and of itself.
Lots of action, lots of CGI, lots of city-being-dropped-from-the-sky, but not a lot of fun or heart.
Paul Rudd as Scott Lang (Image: MARVEL)
Elizabeth Olsen as Scarlet Witch (Image: MARVEL)
17. Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)
This film is dunked on a lot, but fundamental likeability of Chris Evans’ Steve Rogers makes it an enjoyable watch regardless.
It’s just a shame that the whole movie is rendered pointless at the very end when Steve wakes up decades into the future (“He won!…. No wait, he massively lost!”). And look, it’s Jenna Coleman in a tiny role!
16. Ant-Man (2015)
This is a good film and a lot of fun, but it is quite something that Marvel found time for a movie in which Paul Rudd mucks about with a load of ants before they got round to a lead hero of colour, a lead female hero or a lead queer hero. And this is still multiple solo movies ahead of Black Panther and Captain Marvel!
Having said that, it’s a nice fun adventure – and Antony’s death is low-key one of the saddest in the MCU. #AvengeTheFallen.
15. Thor (2011)
The slightly under-rated Thor is Peak Kenneth Branagh when it begins on Asgard, but those straight-faced moments are perfectly undercut by the funnier scenes on earth – and Thor’s first trip to the planet gives an early sign of the comedy muscles Chris Hemsworth goes on to flex further down the line.
Plus Tom Hiddleston makes a great early mark as Loki, and Natalie Portman – boldly stepping back into a big franchise after nearly having her career killed by Star Wars – is also well cast.
Chris Hemsworth and Natalie Portman in Thor (Image: MARVEL)
Benedict Cumberbatch as Doctor Stephen Strange (Image: MARVEL)
14. Iron Man 3 (2013)
Tony is much more likeable by this point, and this is the best entry in a surprisingly weak solo trilogy.
The humour is better, Ben Kingsley is gloriously hammy, and it’s also fun to see Don Cheadle’s Rhodey given a bigger role. And Gwyneth Paltrow in the suit? A moment!
13. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2 (2017)
If not quite as refreshing as its predecessor, Guardians of the Galaxy’s hit sequel is still an absolute blast.
This ensemble of characters just works, and little touches like upping the importance of Karen Gillan’s Nebula and further exploring the dynamic between Peter and Yondu really pay off. Baby Groot, too, is an instant legend.
12. Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018)
Like Thor, this one feels a tad under-rated – perhaps because it was such a steep contrast in pace, tone and budget when it was released straight after Infinity War.
But the fun continues here: if it’s missing an Antony-like steed (RIP Antony), it makes up for it with bolstered usage of Evangeline Lilly’s Hope, the appearance of Michelle actual Pfeiffer, and a sort-of-villain whose motives provide an interesting extra dynamic.
11. Doctor Strange (2016)
Any movie with Rachel McAdams in is a movie that deserves your attention, and though Christine is a little under-used in Stephen Strange’s origin story, Doctor Strange is a lot more fun that it looks: it breaks from the Marvel formula in all the right places, and Tilda Swinton is on great form as the enigmatic Ancient One.
Tom Holland is the newest live-action Spider-Man (Image: MARVEL)
Scarlett Johansson as Black Widow in Avengers Assemble (Image: MARVEL)
10. Avengers Assemble (2012)
It’s small fry now when you look back on it in the wake of Infinity War and Endgame, but the Avengers’ very first team-up is still a thrilling spectacle. Making use of Loki as the villain is an excellent choice; giving Tom Hiddleston the chance to further explore the oddly likeable monster.
There are tiny little logic holes (would Thor not have made a little bit of time to seek out Jane?) but seeing the team come together for the first time is quite the ride.
9. Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)
An overabundance of lengthy, fast-moving fight sequences drag The Winter Soldier down a tiny bit, but overall it’s a vast improvement on Cap’s first film.
The lift sequence is obviously legendary, while the return of Bucky Barnes deepens the emotional stakes, and Scarlett Johansson is brilliantly utilised as the recurring Natasha. At this stage, six years into the MCU, the quality is really rising.
8. Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)
The world was weary when Spider-Man was confirmed for what felt like his 200th reboot, but this feels fresher and much more playful than initially expected.
Peter Parker is, at the end of the day, a schoolkid – and the pros and cons of him being so young and naive are brilliantly explored. A late scene in which he finds himself hopelessly trapped under a load of rubble is genuinely heartbreaking – as he becomes more distraught and cries out for help, he looks every bit as vulnerable as a young teenager in that situation would be.
(Although, minor quibble: given how much Peter is known amongst his friends for “being friends with Spider-Man”, the fact that he disappears at the exact time Spider-Man shows up when they’re on a school trip to a different city is surely a dead giveaway, no?).
Captain America: Civil War was a major event (Image: MARVEL)
Brie Larson in Captain Marvel (Image: MARVEL)
7. Captain Marvel (2019)
Brie Larson’s official arrival into the MCU takes a little while to find its rhythm, but once it’s firing on all cylinders, it’s some of the best stuff in the whole Marvel canon.
It’s just full of special moments: the scenes in which Carol reunites with her best friend are full of humanity and heart, and in the final showdown when she realises her true potential and breaks free from the people whose approval she had previously sought, it’s almighty. Give us more!
6. Captain America: Civil War (2016)
Steve Rogers and Tony Stark clash and tear the Avengers in half in this excellent Russo Brothers blockbuster, which gives the team a proper moral dilemma and allows everyone a chance to shine.
Chadwick Boseman and Tom Holland’s arrivals are exciting, Emily VanCamp gets a chance to kick some butt as Sharon Carter (even if that kiss was a major misfire for the character), and that enormous airport fight is surely one of the most iconic moments of the whole franchise.
Guardians of the Galaxy was a shot of fun (Image: MARVEL)
Thanos wreaks havoc (Image: MARVEL)
5. Avengers: Infinity War (2018)
In the biggest ensemble of the whole saga, key players like the Guardians of the Galaxy and the residents of Wakanda get to join the usual favourites as they all come together to face Thanos – bringing with him some sky-high stakes that put everything else like the Sokovia Accords into perspective.
The Russos do a cracking job of bringing such a huge cast together and still finding time for heart and humour; with Zoe Saldana’s Gamora easily the most emotionally impactful character of the pack.
Making the antagonist the lead character was a decision that paid dividends, and that ending? Iconic!
4. Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)
Just as the Marvel formula was beginning to show early signs of becoming stale, along came this completely weird and gloriously fun oddball of a movie that, at the time, set a new gold standard.
Chris Pratt is the one pushed forward as a leading man, but it’s the group nature that gives this movie its edge: Bradley Cooper’s Rocket is one of the funniest characters in the whole repertoire, while Dave Bautista earns proper belly laughs in his first appearance as Drax the Destroyer. Plus the fact Marvel were able to sign someone like Glenn Close for a role as tiny as Nova Prime is truly a sign of how major this studio is starting to get.
Okoye became a fan favourite in Black Panther (Image: MARVEL)
Avengers: Endgame was recently released (Image: MARVEL)
3. Avengers: Endgame (2019)
Think about the logic for too long and you’ll either get a headache or start finding reasons to doubt it, but Avengers: Endgame is the popcorn movie event of a generation.
Tying eleven years’ worth of story together in a way that feels truly satisfying, it gives all the original Avengers a chance to shine in new and unexpected ways; and also makes ample use of its emerging superstars (Karen Gillan ascends to top-tier status here, and the decision to keep Carol Danvers’ involvement fleeting but powerful was a wise one).
It’s simultaneously a bigger and more intimate movie than Infinity War, equally able to pack an emotional punch while keeping the adrenaline pounding and the humour funny. How the studio will ever top this in terms of scale and ambition feels impossible.
2. Black Panther (2018)
Earning Marvel its well-deserved first Best Picture nomination, Black Panther warranted every word of the hype it got.
A celebration of black culture and – by any metric – an outstanding superhero adventure, it jettisons new fan favourite characters like Danai Gurira’s Okoye and Letita Wright’s Shuri to stardom, and gives us one of the greatest Marvel villains of all time in Michael B Jordan’s conflicted Killmonger.
It took a long time for Marvel to properly diversify their storytelling with a film like this. Let’s hope its popularity and sheer quality taught them – and Hollywood! – a major lesson.
Thor: Ragnarok brought the comedy in spades (Image: MARVEL)
1. Thor: Ragnarok (2017)
While it’s quite normal for Marvel movies to inject the action with some comedy, Thor: Ragnarok injects the comedy with some action – and the result is a five-star gem.
Under the directorship of Taika Waititi, Chris Hemsworth makes Thor the comedy legend he should have been much sooner: the laughs here are big, and they’re constant.
Tessa Thompson’s Valkyrie and Waititi’s own Korg are also breakouts, and this is a great moment too for Mark Ruffalo; whose Bruce Banner/Hulk gets his best outing yet.
With Tom Hiddleston and Jeff Goldblum on stellar form too, it really says something that Cate Blanchett as the main villain – a prospect that would have, in any other case, been jaw-dropping – isn’t even in the Top 5 best things about this movie.