The MCU has taken the movie industry by storm, so it’s time to rank the MCU Infinity Saga movies from worst to best!
23. Captain Marvel: This movie is offensive in so many ways. Captain Marvel is by far the least likeable character of the MCU movies, Brie Larson’s performance is abysmal, the film is boring, the directing is atrocious, and the film ruined most of the characters of the MCU, especially poor Nick Fury (his eye got scratched out by a cat?!?!). The reason why the movie is so awful was that the makers of the film wanted to promote an out of place political message instead of making a good movie, which was “all men are bad, all women are amazing”. The only positive aspect is the Talos character. Grade: D-
22. Ant-Man and The Wasp: This has the worst script of any MCU movie. For those who haven’t seen it, the movie is about Ant-Man and the Wasp’s adventure to find Janet Van Dyke, who has been trapped in the “phantom zone” for thirty years. Spoilers: when they found Janet, who has had no access to food or water for three decades, she is healthy, sane, and is even wearing mascara. Oh yeah, and she can control minds. What a horrendous script! At least the special effects were sometimes fun. Grade: D-
21. Thor: The Dark World: It’s the most boring and unmemorable movie of the MCU. That’s it. This is a waste of two hours. Grade: D-
20. Iron Man 2: This film has so many things going on at the same time. Iron Man is an alcoholic, he created a new element, Rhodey becomes War Machine, Whiplash tries to kill Iron Man, Justin Hammer is jealous of Tony Stark, and the Avengers Initiative is introduced, all in the same movie. The best parts of the film are Scarlett Johansson’s introduction as Black Widow and Robert Downey Jr.’s performance as Tony Stark, who is always solid in these movies. Grade: D
19. The Incredible Hulk: This movie is the black sheep of the MCU, not only because Bruce Banner was played by Edward Norton before he was later replaced by Mark Ruffalo, but the whole tone and vibe of this movie seems strange and different from the other MCU movies. Also, the CGI for the Hulk doesn’t hold up, and the movie has no stake in the overarching plot of the MCU. If you skip this film, it will have no effect on your understanding of the other films. Grade: D+
18. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2: This movie has terrible villains, overly dramatic and boring scenes, and Drax became a bumbling idiot, when in the first film he had a great arc in which he was a cold hearted killer who changed his ways when he gained a new family after the loss of his wife and daughter. However, Baby Groot is adorable. Grade: D+
17. Thor: While it is definitely better than its sequel, it still has a ton of problems. The camera angles are disgusting to look at, and some of the supporting characters are brutally annoying, like Darcy, the unfunny comic relief character. However, this movie introduced Loki, who is one of the best villains of the MCU. Grade: C-
16. Spider-Man: Far From Home: I saw more Iron Man in this movie than I did Spider-Man, and Robert Downey Jr. wasn’t even in the movie. Another negative is that Mysterio is another generic Marvel villain who is a waste of potential. Despite its flaws, the movie still has creative action scenes and witty dialogue. Grade: C-
15. Doctor Strange: This is the first decent movie on this list. First of all, the special effects in this movie are astounding and truly brilliant. I also love Benedict Cumberbatch as Stephen Strange, as well as Benedict Wong as, ironically, Wong. However, the movie essentially is a remake of Iron Man just with magic. Grade: B-
14. Avengers: Age of Ultron: I don’t like how this movie gets such a bad rap. While it wasn’t as good as the other Avengers movies, it was still entertaining and all of the characters were given great moments — even Hawkeye! Also, this movie finally gave us a fight between Iron Man and the Hulk, which was a dream come true for all comic book fans. Grade: B
13. Ant-Man: Who would’ve thought that Paul Rudd, who is known for comedies, would be make a great superhero? Michael Douglas is brilliant as Dr. Hank Pym, and the banter between him and Paul Rudd’s Scott Lang is great. The movie is also hilarious, and it rightfully understands that a man with the ability to control ants is a ridiculous concept. However, this is an incredibly formulaic film that has no originality in its narrative. Grade: B
12. The Avengers: The scene where the six heroes assemble in a circle will always be iconic. The action in New York was enthralling and the performances were great, but Joss Whedon’s script was too focused on excessive banter on the Helicarrier, which in turn slowed down the pacing of the entire movie. There’s a point where characters arguing stops being relevant to the narrative and just becomes repetitive. I feel that people overlook how boring some of this film’s second act is simply due to this movie being the first of its kind. It’s been almost a decade later; we should be able to acknowledge the flaws of “The Avengers.” Grade: B
11. Black Panther: While I understand and applaud its cultural significance, this isn’t a perfect film. This movie is elevated by Killmonger, one of the best comic book villains of the decade, as well as the intriguing society in Wakanda that it introduced. Unfortunately, the visual effects are at times terrible and it could have been 15 minutes shorter. Grade: B
10. Captain America: The First Avenger: The first act of this film is possibly the best first act of any of the MCU movies, which is saying a lot because “Captain America: The Winter Soldier” and “Iron Man” are both on this list. The first forty minutes are beautiful filmmaking. Chris Evans’ performance as the title character is great, and his acting during the plane crash scene was fantastic. That scene was also very well executed due to its emotional dialogue, great sound effects, and complex cinematography. Peggy Carter was another strong character who remains the best love interest of the MCU. The movie’s biggest problem is the 15-minute segment in which Captain America was just singing songs in plays. The film came to a complete stop just for this boring, pointless, and overly-long montage that added nothing interesting. Grade: B+
9. Iron Man 3: I acknowledge that this is an unpopular opinion, but the reason why I like this film so much is that it is the story of the worst, most chaotic week of Tony Stark’s life. For a movie to be interesting, the main character has to face some challenges, and this movie excels at that. In the movie, Tony’s mansion blows up, he gets stranded in the snowy wilderness of Tennessee, he has to fight a group of terrorists without a suit of armor, and he has to save both the president and Pepper Potts. People don’t like that the Mandarin turned out to be a random actor, and while I don’t care for the decision, it didn’t ruin the movie for me since I’ve never enjoyed the Mandarin character in the comics and it was a unique, fun twist. Grade: A-
8. Spider-Man: Homecoming: This was a great breath of fresh air after the horrendous “Amazing Spider-Man” films. Tom Holland was good as Peter Parker and it was nice seeing his character mature and become a true hero over the course of the movie. Michael Keaton as the Vulture was frightening and intimidating, and the scene with him and Peter in the car was one of the most suspenseful scenes of the MCU. Grade: A-
7. Thor: Ragnarok: This is far superior to the first two Thor movies. Before this film, I never cared about Thor. By making this movie a comedy, Taika Waititi was able to make Thor a likeable and captivating character who was no longer stale. The movie is colorful and exciting, as well as hilarious. My main gripe with the film is that it could sometimes be too lighthearted, which eliminated some of the potential for emotional moments. Grade: A-
6. Avengers: Endgame: Endgame will forever be remembered as one of the best conclusions to a saga in the history of cinema, despite its many flaws. The Russo Brothers took all of the main characters and gave them appropriate and satisfying endings, especially Iron Man and Captain America. The final battle was thrilling and the 3-hour runtime felt like two and a half hours. Of course, the movie had plot holes, and its introduction to time travel tarnishes the future of the MCU because it allows for any problem to be reversed. Grade: A-
5. Guardians of the Galaxy: Yet another funny MCU film, Guardians of the Galaxy remains one of its best, due to its witty dialogue, likeable characters, and classic music. Somehow this movie was able to get people to care about a talking racoon and a walking tree. Grade: A
4. Captain America: Civil War: The conflict between Tony Stark and Captain America was some of the best drama in the saga. All of the characters were solid, the introductions to Black Panther and Spider-Man were genius, and the airport battle was one of the most mesmerizing action sequences in cinema history. However, Zemo’s plan didn’t make much sense. Grade: A
3. Iron Man: The movie that started it all is one of the best that the MCU has to offer. Robert Downey Jr. was so captivating and enjoyable to watch on screen. The action and special effects are great, as well as Jon Favreau’s direction. Before this film, Iron Man was a forgettable C-list character, but after, he became a household name throughout the world. Grade: A
2. Avengers: Infinity War: This film could’ve been simply called “Thanos”, because it is basically his movie, and that’s for the better. Thanos is the best villain of the MCU, and might be the best comic book movie villain since Heath Ledger’s Joker. He was intimidating and powerful, and he controlled every scene he was in with his intimidating presence. The action is enthralling, the character drama is excellent, and the ending is incredibly shocking. Grade: A+
1. Captain America: The Winter Soldier: The Russo Brothers’ first entry in the MCU is its best. The pacing is vigorous, the action might be the best in any superhero movie ever made, the Winter Soldier is a terrifying villain, Black Widow & Nick Fury have never been more interesting, and this movie changed Captain America from a boy scout into a brutal spy. The best thing I can say about this film is that it doesn’t feel like a Disney movie and it doesn’t have the MCU Formula.”The violence is taken seriously and the jokes are minimal, helping craft what is, in my opinion, the second best comic book movie of all time and one of the best action movies of the 2010’s. Grade: A+
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