Now that Avengers: Endgame is out and the Infinity Saga has come to a close, it's time to look back on everything that got us to where we are; from movies to short films, from network TV to streaming platform binge watches, we're going to be taking a look back at every single aspect of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, from 2008's Iron Man right up to this week's Avengers: Endgame. 11 years and counting of media to compile, analyse and rank... Sounds like a job that only a fresh-out-of-retirement Pop Culture Club can tackle! Let's get this show on the road.
Before we begin, I know I said that we would be ranking everything in the MCU, but there are a few caveats:
Right, with that said, let's start at the bottom.
- A pilot exists for Marvel's Most Wanted, but since the series cancellation, nobody has even seen one second of this pilot episode. If I'm able to find a copy of it in years to come, I'll add it to this list and update it, but for now it can't be included.
- Similarly, Marvel's New Warriors had reportedly entered into production in 2017, only for it to be dropped by Freeform. Seeing as it is still a planned part of the MCU I guess I'll get round to it if it ever actually starts filming. Hopefully it finds it's place in a post-Endgame MCU.
- Same situation with Marvel's Damage Control, although I am far less interested in seeing this series actually come to fruition. Hopefully it stays dead.
- Prelude comic books will not be counted. This is the Marvel Cinematic Universe, if I wanted to talk about sequential art then I would, but not here and now. Besides, they don't add anything to the experience and can be skipped entirely with no effect to your understanding of the story.
- This is, unsurprisingly, my opinion. You won't agree with this list 100% and that's okay. I've tried to be honest with myself and not just put my favorites above everything. Instead, I've attempted to be subjective and critical in order to properly rank all the entries on based on their merits and drawbacks. However, there will be personal hangups, and I'll be sure to mention them when it happens.
Right, with that said, let's start at the bottom.
33. Iron Man 3
Admittedly out of personal malice, Iron Man 3 find itself at the very bottom of the shuffle. A overly self-confident flick that banks too hard on the box office pulling power of Robert Downey Jr to bring home the bacon, it instead manages to squander the plot potential of Tony Stark dealing with severe PTSD, ruin not one but two complex and interesting villains at the same time, deny a truly heroic moment for Pepper Potts and feel 100% skippable in the grand scheme of the MCU outside of the unbelievably dim decisions to have Iron Man remove the Arc Reactor in order to make a point about him being Iron Man without the suit. Which he isn't. I know it's supposed to be a commentary on heroism, bravery and the mental state of those who put themselves at risk for others, but what it is in actuality is an slapstick-heavy, disappointing mess which is only made more infuriating when you know this is the last time Stark will headline his own story. I can't bring myself to watch this a second time, it's just too painful.
32. Inhumans
Laughably bad from inception, Inhumans rightfully got the can after a single season after it failed to perform well critically and in viewership. Tacky is the word of the day, from sets to costume to effects to dialogue, nothing about this production felt even remotely of quality and one could even assume that it was done so intentionally in order to force Ike Perlmutter's hand to finally go after 20th Century Fox to get the X-Men back. If Inhumans was supposed to be the big X-Men killer franchise, then it fell so hard that even the spectators got nosebleeds.
31. Iron Fist (2 Seasons)
What happened here? Iron Fist was easily the black sheep of the Netflix series, which more often than not cast great actors in the roles that dragged up the sometimes uninteresting or baffling plots, but Iron Fist manages to commit the cardinal sin of introducing a hero that is not even remotely charismatic or likable. Across both series, Danny Rand is utterly incapable of anything resembling a normal human emotion and seems to exist only to inform you that he is, in fact, the Iron Fist. Just because you say something doesn't make it true, though, and this Danny Rand is so far removed from what Iron Fist was, you could have called the series 'Grimdark McGlowyhands' and no-one would bat an eyelid. An otherwise pretty good supporting cast, that thankfully get a lot more interesting stuff to do by the time the second season rolls round, doesn't save this mess. Even after the marked improvement of it's second season, Iron Fist is a punch that doesn't land.
30. Thor: The Dark World
The second Thor outing has taken enough of a beating already, but it's main gripe is that it's just wholly uninteresting. It's context in the greater MCU saves it from being nearer the bottom, but watching this movie is an out-and-out slog. Anything that doesn't take place on Asgard is completely asinine garbage, there's too many stupid sidekick characters , Natalie Portman sleepwalks through her dreadful script and the less said about the Dark Elves, the better. Sure, Endgame goes a long way to legitimizing it's place in the canon, but it's pretty incapable of retroactively making the movie less dull.
29. Runaways (2 Seasons)
Runaways was a comic series I enjoyed very much in it's earlier issues before it got too convoluted to care about, but Runaways the series went a long way to make itself the 'Millennial' Marvel series to a point of annoyance. I don't appreciate how the characters have become high school movie tropes inhabiting superhero bodies, I especially hate what they did to Gert and Chase and I found the overall tone to be too dissonant from it's source material. It's general sense of detachment from the MCU proper also didn't help it's chances of rising up the tables. Whilst I did appreciate the effort it took to sell Old Lace to an audience, it's ultimately fails to capture the spark that the idea of the Runaways is meant to give me.
28. Cloak and Dagger (2 Seasons)
This series really does fall into the 'not made for me' territory. Cloak and Dagger really puts it's focus onto the relationship between Tandy and Ty, which it absolutely should do, but I don't really come to my superhero media for a relationship drama that is first and foremost relationship drama. Like Runaways, the modernization of these characters does not lend well to the aesthetic of what they could be, leaning too heavy into the YA Novel aesthetic to be anything close to unique. The ageing down, too, is a real issue that almost devalues the story. It's good, then, that the leads do their best with the material given and the attempts to tie this into the greater picture of the MCU with the links to Roxxon are charming, but between this and Runaways, I figure that not every section of the MCU has to be aimed at me.
27. Avengers: Age of Ultron
A sequel to the original Avengers was always going to have to try to jump higher, run faster and present bigger, but Joss Whedon's burnout really is present in this film, as he squanders the amazing potential of Ultron as a character and ultimately doesn't deliver anything that is more a spectacle or more satisfying that it's predecessor. Whilst the big smashy fights are as good as ever and Vision and Scarlet Witch went on to become far more interesting characters in other movies, this entry just feels like a big let down. It sows a lot of seeds that pay off in the franchise like Klawe and Zemo, but it fails to deliver something that actually feels as apocalyptic as it's namesake.
26. Marvel One-Shots (5 short films)
The One-Shots are all pretty fun, Item 47 and Hail To The King in particular, but they end up so down the list because they end up affecting very little in a franchise that touts it's inter-connectivity. The guys from Item 47 don't show up elsewhere, for example they could have been in the running for main cast positions on Agents of SHIELD, when they could be made to have a bigger role in the story. Likewise, Hail to the King promises to fix the the Mandarin problem and then doesn't resolve itself or lead up to anything. Like I say, they're fun but they are so unimportant.
25. The Incredible Hulk
The often forgotten red headed stepchild of the early MCU days, Incredible Hulk was the first and last appearance of both Edward Norton's incarnation of Bruce Banner and Liv Tyler as his very forgotten about romantic interest Betty Ross. The movie itself is fine, if quite literally quite dark with so many dimly lit scenes, but it's in no way particularly stand-out. As I write this, I struggle to think of anything of note, save for Tim Roth's turn as Abomination and the final fight in Harlem. However, as the groundwork for introducing the Hulk with little to explain and the first to have a cross-movie cameo, it does serve it;s purpose in the greater canon.
24. The Defenders
The biggest problem with The Defenders is it's decision to focus on the two dullest aspects of the Netflix shows: The Hand and Iron Fist. Unfortunately this decision clouds a lot of the good things about the series and brings it down the rankings quite a bit. Whilst the cast are clearly having a good time and there's room for a lot of cross interaction that makes for good TV, it's really hard to care about the main narrative. The weak villains also don't help matters, with Sigourney Weaver's Alexandra being the most confusing addition to the mix after she does seemingly fuck all. On the bright side, the Defenders themselves are as good as ever, but their real battle lies with the creative decisions made against them.
23. Ant-Man and The Wasp
Now we enter 'bang average' territory. The next few entries will rely a lot on that judgement, with Ant-Man and The Wasp finding itself at the bottom of the bang average pile purely because it doesn't do enough interesting with it's concepts to make it rise about the other bang average Marvel films. Which isn't to say that is a bad film, far from it. The bang average Marvel films are for all intents and purposes quite good, just not good enough to rise above the popcorn flick standards and transcend the genre. Paul Rudd and Evangeline Lily front a stellar cast with fun shrinking, growing and quantum hi-jinks, but the lack of a real antagonist and emotional weight really holds back the potential of this otherwise fun action comedy.
22. Black Panther
Bang Average Panther quite clearly speaks to a larger audience that were hungry for a black-led superhero movie that was first and foremost about black issues. Whilst that's something I can't claim to understand fully, what I do know is that it's competence in being an action movie doesn't rise above the standard set by this franchise and actually makes it wallow in the mistakes of it;s past when the final fight is two Black Panthers fighting one another in a dark tunnel. It just doesn't rise above what came before it when it really, really should. Chadwick Boseman somehow worsened between Civil War and this solo outing, which is a damn shame because his supporting cast is doing such a stellar job at being likable, relate-able and root-able, even the villains.
21. Captain Marvel
Regardless of what people may think of the movies often confrontational views off camera, it can't be denied that Captain Marvel is a well made, if bang average, film. The problem then comes from Brie Larson herself and her lack of emotive acting. Much like Boseman in Panther, Larson sleepwalks her way through her dialogue that I'm confident read better on paper. However, the Skrull plot twist and Ben Mendolhsons acting is top notch, as was much of the supporting cast including Nick Fury. The otherworldly sense to the movie also works as a framing device to make Carol Danvers seem more alien that she actually is, which helps to somewhat justify the oddly annoying tone her character takes from time to time. It sure ain't Wonder Woman levels of empowering, but as an important cog in the MCU machine, it rightfully finds it's feet by the end.
20. Iron Man 2
Iron Man 2 isn't as bad as everyone makes out it is. Shut up, it really isn't. I know it had a lot to seed for future movies and it can sometimes feel that Tony is getting sidelined for characters that will be important years down the line, but Iron Man 2 has a lot more to contend with than I think people give it credit for and it really is still quite entertaining. The duality of Whiplash and Justin Hammer as a tag team 'sins of the father and son' double act works really well as a deconstruction of the values Tony Stark wishes to forget about himself, the recasting of War Machine is handled tastefully and the suit design is far more appealing here than it is in Iron Man 3. Everyone pulls their weight equally and the introduction of the Avengers groundwork really isn't as egregious as you remember it. Give this one another shot.
19. Thor
Whilst it's possible to view this early version of Thor as a bit of a pantomime performance, it was really the only one to nail the Shakespearean classic drama influences that were present in some of the comics. Kenneth Branagh very much makes his version of a Marvel movie that is equal parts lending a differing tone to a franchise that heartily focuses on how hard your hero can punch stuff and, well, delivering just that. I'll admit the final fight against the Destroyer is pretty awful, but the introduction of Loki as an ever present force in the MCU cannot be overstated. It was one of the best working parts of any of the phase one movies. Whilst the character has since evolved into something more interesting, his humble beginnings still make for a very watchable movie.
18. Luke Cage (2 Seasons)
Harlem's Hero is treated to a very stylistic series that goes a long way to capture the mood and mindset of the neighborhood and how that would affect it's sheriff. Mike Colter is easily one of the most likable faces in the franchise, with a stellar supporting cast behind him. The problems truly arise when it comes to the villains and ending the stories. Season 1 suffered from the ultimate stupid that was Diamondback and season 2 makes some questionable decisions regarding how it closes out both Bushmaster's and Mariah Dillard's stories. Regardless though, the action is pretty satisfying and the design is some of the best seen in the Netflix roster.
17. Doctor Strange
Occupying the lower half of the half-way point is the Sorcerer Supreme himself. Strange's movie offers some of the most unique visuals in the franchise, a fantastic main cast and a very welcome twist on the third act action scene that felt refreshing yet familiar. It falters in it's undervaluation of Rachel McAdam, relegating her to nothing but a romantic interest role, but this is not enough to stop the movie being quite good. All the mystic stuff in interesting enough to get you from point A to point B and even the wholly generic Kaecillius is entertaining thanks to Mads Mikkelsen. Tasked with the problem of introducing straight up magic to the MCU, it pulls it off in a pleasing enough manner.
16. Agent Carter (2 seasons)
Peggy Carter is an absolute treasure and the fact we don't get to spend more time with her is honestly a huge bummer. Despite the fact that the second season of her show was garbage, it's first season made for excellent TV. Fronted by Hayley Atwell, the espionage focused series lended a very different tone to what much of the MCU has to offer, feeling different and more solidly in-genre than what was trying to be done at the time. It ends up in the middle mostly because of it's really shitty second series, but lands so high because of what Peggy is to this universe.
15. The Punisher (2 seasons)
I'm not sure if 'mental case with a van full of guns and no moral compass' is a hero we should be applauding, but hot damn if Jon Bernthal doesn't sell it. Following on from his appearance in Daredevil series 2, of which he was the best bit, Frank Castle goes on to delve into the psyche of the man who was twisted and warped by the manipulating hands of his military handlers and serves as an interesting case study into how tragedy can both shock and numb a mans inhibitions. It's second season deals with the acceptance of a mantle and offered something truly different with Jigsaw's presence, but ultimately didn't feel as personal or as satisfying. Brutal and bloody with every bullet and bone-crunching impact, this Frank Castle is certainly gone before his time.
14. Ant-Man
Paul Rudd is a one man charisma machine that shines even when the villain is such a void of personality. The first Ant-Man outing succeeds in it's brevity compared to the overly complex Age of Ultron that preceded it, reminding us that this fun comic book universe was meant to be fun. With inspired supporting cast choices, most notably Michael Pena as Luis, this movie was filled with a lot of heart and good humor that was sorely needed as this phase came to a close. Whist we never rally will know if Edgar Wright could have made the comedy heist flick to end all comedy heist flicks, what we do have is a great entry into the MCU that delivered on it's laughs throughout.
13. Iron Man
The OG that started it all surprisingly still holds up today. Robert Downey Jr's redemption movie served as the first point in what would come to be known as the Marvel Cinematic Universe and showed what a superhero movie could be if that people writing it actually understood what made the characters interesting and unique. It's hard to write about the mould that made this franchise work, because quite obviously it's still good, otherwise we wouldn't be here. There's a reason why the relatively obscure before 2008 character of Tony Stark has held up after all this time and that's because Jon Faverau's vision of who Iron Man is still holds it's ground over a decade later.
12. Jessica Jones (2 Seasons)
A powerful exploration of abusive relationships, self harm, drug misuse, familial oppression and mental illness, Jessica Jones really does get itself knee deep in the grimy aspects of this universe. Jessica herself is played almost flawlessly by Kristen Ritter and the shows' first season with David Tennant's Purple Man was so groundbreaking, haunting and compulsive that the second series runs in place for 13 episodes trying to recapture it. The problem of 'Well how do you top that?' isn't answered in the slightest, but the shows first season is undeniably some of the most affecting television I have ever seen. That's not to say the second season is bad, but it's not a patch on it's near perfect first outing.
11. Captain America: The First Avenger
First Avenger above Iron Man? Yes. Absolutely. Not even a question. Look, the first Iron Man is a classic because of the groundwork it lays for this whole experiment to work, but the first Captain America film is a classic for the character it introduced and it's above and beyond production design. Steve Rogers is the best man that ever lived and the movie wants you to know that up front. It goes the extra mile in creating the story of a man with the purest intentions who finally gets to fulfill his dreams of helping others however he can. It's effecting, rousing and inspirational at almost every turn and lays the groundwork for the measures of sacrifice that will come to define the end of this saga. Plus, the overall 1940's war aesthetic and that perfect Howard Stark designed suit and shield never gets old and is as charming now as it was on release.
10. Spider-Man: Homecoming
Cracking the top ten is Marvel's poster boy Peter Parker and his first solo outing in the MCU. After being introduced to great effect in Civil War, Homecoming deals with the much more personal story of Peter Parker's juvenile inferiority complex developed from his time with Iron Man, which leads Peter into a challenge he isn't prepared for. Michael Keaton's Vulture represents one of the most sympathetic villains of the franchise so far but also an excellent foil to Peter's personal growth and his youthful rebellion. The set pieces are well thought out and give the film a real sense of jeopardy despite it's more restrained scale and serves the purpose of having Spider-Man begin his maturing process. Design wise it's really clean and colourful, I really like the tie-ins it retro-actively gives Spidey and Vulture to the past movies with the inclusion of hangover plot threads from The Avengers, and I would still happily put it next to Spider-Man 2 and Into The Spider-Verse on the 'Best Spider-Man Movies' pedestal.
9. Daredevil (3 Seasons)
Matt Murdock's story of guilt, redemption and acceptance is easily some of the most captivating in the franchise and easily the best that the Netflix shows have been able to offer. Each season is a deep dive into the themes so excellently laid out from the source material that feels so organic and reactive to what is happening in the grander scheme of things, whilst still maintaining an identity all of it's own as a blood-soaked gothic tale of responsibility, judgement and anxiety. Nevermind the consistently excellent villains in Kingpin, Punisher, Elektra and Bullseye, with Vincent D'Onofrio easily shining as one of the best villains we have seen from a Marvel project to date. Easily the most satisfying thing to come form this whole experiment that wasn't in a movie, quite annoyingly sidelined by said movies when it so dearly needed to be adopted by it's counterparts.
8. Thor: Ragnarok
It's hard to fathom just how different Ragnarok is from The Dark World, but it's stark difference is exactly what makes it such a great movie. Taika Waititi truly understands the absurdity of the situations that Thor finds himself in and uses that bravado and ridiculousness as a vehicle to find the comedy inherent in the situation. Hemsworth's Thor finally has a story that feels deeply affecting and changes how his world is seen and how it operates, and to have that alongside some of the funniest scenes in the MCU is a master stroke. Plus, there's Korg, so obviously it gets into the top ten. I fucking love Korg.
7. Captain America: The Winter Soldier
The first sign that Marvel was really going to run with that whole 'using a character in order to explore cinematic genres' thing came in The Winter Soldier and it worked so goddamn well on that first effort that it carries on to this day. The movie is a grand, heart racing take on the political thriller, with plenty it wants to explore and deconstruct about how we see superheroes as a tool for fighting 'evil' and how we have come to define that very word. What works similarly well as a parallel to this analysis of corruption is the introduction of The Winter Soldier himself and how his redemptive arc is bolstered by Steve's assertion that he can be saved, not just morally but from those who would have him killed for his crimes over the years. Throw in some stellar world building, including the excellent curve-ball of the Hydra infiltration of SHIELD, and you have something that felt truly important to the overarching story whilst also being a reflective, personal story about how far one man's morals can be tested.
6. Guardians of the Galaxy
Quick bit of insight, the Guardians are my favourite comic book team and the 2008 roster, mostly represented in this movie, is my favourite pack of heroes in the Marvel canon. At the time I was relieved that it wasn't a failure, in fact it was an out-of-nowhere unexpected success by all accounts, but I knew there was legs in this title. Whilst it wasn't the note-for-note adaptation I was expecting, what it turned out to be made for one of the funniest, most colourful and full of character movies in the MCU. Chris Pratt proves himself as one of the best leading male talents working right now, they made Rocket and Groot work in a way that I did not expect would work and the introduction of the cosmic side of the Marvel universe was handled with such finesse, I'm honestly still so grateful we have a visionary talent like James Gunn working his magic in this franchise. You can argue that this movie is a lot tighter than it's sequel (Which does rank higher), and you would be right, but being an out and out origin movie is the thing that dents the hopes of a top five finish. But overall, a fantastic movie that is made better by sharing it's universe with our Earthly heroes.
5. Avengers: Endgame
Our newest entry smashes straight into the top five and with very good reason. The fact this movie even works at all is a sheer miracle. It's bolstered together with a metric fuck ton of convoluted logic, years of callbacks and references, and a sense of logic so thin it's almost transparent, but it does work. And when it's good, it's really, REALLY good. The final act of this movie is easily the best of ANY movie I have EVER seen. It's the most satisfying nerd-gasm of a payoff for the people who have been with this cinematic experiment since the beginning and leaves no stone unturned and no story unfinished. It is, in all senses of the words, an explosive finale and is conclusive in closing out the Infinity Saga. What is isn't, however, is a movie that can be enjoyed without prior research, and whilst that claim can be levied at a vast majority of the entries in the top half of the list, it's the most effecting here. There are entire swathes of the film that can't be enjoyed without knowing why it is that they are being resolved and why the resolution is so important, and that is a serious knock to the chances of it climbing any higher. However, the fact that it works; as a sequel to Infinity War, as a resolution of the story for a cast of over 30 main characters, as an ending to a decade long film-making experiment and the fact that it stands on it's own as a big summer blockbuster movie, is no less that a divine effort. It will stand the test of time as a pivotal moment in the zeitgeist of modern cinema and I'm sure will be picked apart and analysed for years to come.
4. The Avengers
Back in 2009/10 when it was announced that Marvel Studios intended to do a four movie interconnected run from Iron Man 2 to The Avengers after the release of The Incredible Hulk, the general tone of the movie media was one of derision, one that said "Well, obviously it won't work if we even get to that point". Of course, hindsight is 20/20 and now we have movies juggling casts of well known named actors numbering in the 50s, but in humble 2012, this was the surprise of the year. The fact that the experiment has worked and the big flashy team-up movie was not only a successful film but easily the best one so far was a shock. Joss Whedon was handed a cast of six big profile comic book characters and asked to make these personalities clash and combine in a big budget Hollywood movie, and he absolutely killed it. The Avengers is a testament to realizing the best laid plans; it's a movie that rewarded the audience for their patronage of this wacky idea with some of the best aspects of these characters jumping straight off the comic book page and right onto the screen. Full of incredible one-liners, memorable moments, great action set pieces and some of the best interplay of characters in the whole damn franchise, this first big team up definitely stands the test of time, and lest we forget it set us off on the course we would take to the Endgame with that now infamous post-credits scene. Truly, a class act,
3. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2
Just to be clear, this is my favorite Marvel movie ever. I know it's only grabbed the bronze medal here, but this is the one I hold nearest and dearest to my heart. Whilst I genuinely think that the next two films perfect the narrative structure, screen-time balance and effectiveness of it's themes, I still think Guardians Vol 2 is an absolute masterstroke of a sequel that delivers a truly emotional story about fatherhood, toxic familial binds and finding your own support network and making them your family. Moreover, it's a move that has a clear vision for where it's characters need to be and how they're going to grow and evolve by the time their next challenge rolls around, and it all feels organic and believable. And yet the characters are still understandably damaged from their experiences. Family has always been a theme in Guardians media, but it is so wonderfully handled here. And of course it's a laugh a minute riot of a movie, full of incredible action set pieces coupled with a soundtrack that weaves a story all of it's own right through the narrative. And that soundtrack? Better than the first one. Don't @ me. Sure, the songs are slightly more obscure, but as a way to inject retro fun into the story, it does a lot more to serve the subliminal messages that Gunn and the team wanted you to pick up on when you watch it. I just fell in love with this film, man, It's tonally perfect, the performances are great, it damn well near made me cry and it motivated me to expunge the toxicity in my life. This one is special, in every sense of the word.
2. Avengers: Infinity War
The brass balls that Marvel had to have to make this movie this way must be so large and pendulous that they were used to measure the Burj Khalifa. Infinity War was a risky move from the get-go; the idea that Disney and Marvel had to be okay with effectively killing off half of it's roster for a sense of dramatic effect is insane. And yet, somehow it all worked like clockwork. In a cast so large, nobody really feels underused or forgotten and everybody gets a moment to shine. On top of that, the pacing of the concurrent action is absolutely spot on, making this almost 3 hour movie feel like a breeze to watch. But there is none so great an achievement as the realization of Thanos. Writers Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely, Directors Joe and Anthony Russo and Josh Brolin himself have all created the most effecting villain of the 2010's. Thanos is a deep, interesting, oddly sympathetic and worryingly vindicated villain, who's insanity is matched by his brilliance. His conviction to carrying out the events of Infinity War are unrivaled in this franchise and indeed in recent cinema. Make no mistake, this is absolutely Thanos' movie, and we are treated to a perspective often left unexplored in this epic. As thrilling as it is painful, this penultimate chapter in the Infinity Saga is easily one of the best.
1. Captain America: Civil War
With all things considered, there is no movie in this franchise that gets everything as right as Civil War. I would go so far as to say it is probably the most technically perfect superhero movie of all time. Civil War focuses on an ideological debate between Captain America and Iron Man that evolves into an all-out grudge-match between the two, as their values, convictions and informative experiences are all questioned and torn down before their eyes. Unlike Infinity War's collective misery, each of the 15 strong main cast feel deeply involved and effected by the events of the movie, their world view having been shifted and warped once the action is over. Whether they have found conviction or lost all hope really depends on which side of the fight they have found themselves on and whether they still believe they chose right come the credits. What interests me the most is how Iron Man's protective attitude is presented almost as a villainous role in this movie, with his heartbreaking anger in the final act being portrayed as who Tony could be if he fully gave into the darkness that dwells within him. Of course, it's so much more than just a deep dive into idealism, it's also well paced, fun action movie with some great interpersonal moments between our growing cast. It also expertly introduces Black Panther and our new Spider-Man into the fold in ways that don't overshadow each other and feel relevant to the plot and pace of the movie, unlike the slightly clunkier approach in Iron Man 2. And whilst our main bad guy isn't as effective as Thanos, his plan is so insidious and his backstory so tragic that when he eventually succeeds in his mission, it's all the more damaging to both the characters and audience. Zemo's win isn't one laden with bloodshed, it's one that toys with the emotions of our heroes so badly, they can't function together anymore. That's some deep stuff. Yet throughout, it's a wild and enjoyable ride that never feels unimportant or boring. Whilst some would consider the one-two punch of Infinity War and Endgame to be the Russo's best work, I definitely feel the best complete package was Civil War.
But what do you think? Do you agree with my ranking (I highly doubt it) or would you re-order the top ten? Would you pull something from the low 20's or even 30's higher up the list? Let us know in the comments what your ranked MCU looks like. Please do also check out our review of Endgame to find out why it only reaches number five in my rankings. But for now, as we say goodbye to the Infinity Saga and hello to whatever is next for the the MCU, as the late great Stan Lee would say; 'Nuff said.
But what do you think? Do you agree with my ranking (I highly doubt it) or would you re-order the top ten? Would you pull something from the low 20's or even 30's higher up the list? Let us know in the comments what your ranked MCU looks like. Please do also check out our review of Endgame to find out why it only reaches number five in my rankings. But for now, as we say goodbye to the Infinity Saga and hello to whatever is next for the the MCU, as the late great Stan Lee would say; 'Nuff said.