Top 10 MCU Movies

The Marvel Cinematic Universe is no stranger to fantasy, but the first cinematic appearance of the Master of the Mystic Arts kicked things up a notch or two. When brilliant neurosurgeon Doctor Stephen Strange has his hands mangled in a brutal car wreck, his search for a treatment leads him down a pretty unexpected path, one that ends with him as Earth’s newest magical protector. With psychedelic visuals and epic fight scenes that combine spellcasting and martial arts, this is definitely one of the most visually dazzling entries in the MCU, and that’s saying something. Thankfully we don’t need the Eye of Agamotto to turn back time and watch it again.

Let’s be honest, the first few entries in the “Thor” weren’t the most exciting films the MCU had to offer, but the third installment changed that in a big way. Combining director Taika Waititi’s trademark humor with a futuristic aesthetic inspired by the art of Jack Kirby, the film is an absolute blast from start to finish. In addition to familiar faces like Thor, Loki and Heimdall, the film also introduces a whole whack of new characters to the MCU, and we’d be excited to see any of them return for more movies. Come on, Marvel, give us that Korg spinoff, you know you want to!

Infinity War is by far Marvel Studios’ most ambitious project to date, bringing together practically all of it’s major characters for an epic confrontation with the Mad Titan himself, Thanos. Once again, Joe and Anthony Russo pull of a giant crossover event that feels like a comic book come to life, but it’s Josh Brolin’s Thanos that simply steals the show. There’s more to Thanos than meets the eye, and while seeing this enormous cast of characters come together is something fans have been eagerly waiting for, they couldn’t possibly have anticipated what “Infinity War” ultimately delivers.

For years, Marvel fans have wanted to see the friendly neighborhood Spider-Man finally join the MCU to appear alongside the other Marvel heroes, and our prayers were fully answered in a big way. After appearing in “Captain America: Civil War”, the web-head swung into his first solo MCU adventure, and the result was everything we wanted, and more. For starters, we got a fantastic new Spidey in Tom Holland, to say nothing of the incredible supporting cast. And really, who would have ever thought that The Vulture would turn out to be a great and memorable villain. The Vulture! We wouldn’t have called that one.

Another newcomer to the MCU who had his debut in “Civil War,” the King of Wakanda’s first cinematic solo outing quickly became one of the most beloved and successful comic book movies ever, not just in the MCU. And when you watch it, it’s not hard to see why. Ryan Coogler’s film is a brilliant and visually breathtaking offering that perfectly balances superhero action with powerful and relevant themes. And that’s not even getting into Michael B. Jordan’s performance as Killmonger, a villain who people are already calling one of the best in the history of the MCU. We have just two words for you: Wakanda Forever.

When Marvel announced that this practically unknown superhero team, which includes a talking raccoon and his buddy the sentient tree, were getting their own movie, we thought they’d finally gone off the deep end. But imagine our surprise when the end product wasn’t just a fantastic movie, but one of the most fun, engaging MCU films to date. The film manages the almost impossible feat of being a rollicking space rock opera AND one of the most emotionally engaging comic book movies ever made. And that’s on top of introducing characters who’ve since skyrocketed in popularity, going from little-known to household names almost instantly.

Part superhero epic, part taut spy thriller, Captain America’s second adventure came out of the gate running. Literally. When Cap uncovers a Hydra-orchestrated conspiracy within the ranks of S.H.I.E.L.D, he and the Black Widow go rogue to stop the sinister Hydra before they can unleash a fleet of helicarriers on an unsuspecting public. But things only get more complicated when Cap learns the true identity of the Winter Soldier, Hydra’s top assassin. While it’s common for middle films in a trilogy to be the weakest in the series, the second Captain America film breaks that trend in gloriously badass fashion.

The one, the only, the movie that started it all . . .the first film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe is still one of the very best. The film came out of nowhere and took the world by storm with its action, charm and world-building, taking a (relatively) unknown hero and turning him into one of the most recognizable characters in pop culture. Of course, none of this would have been possible without Robert Downey, Jr. stepping into the boots of a role that re-ignited his career, and the ever-reliable Jon Favreau behind the camera. In the years since, MCU films have gotten bigger, but very rarely better.

When Samuel L. Jackson made his surprise appearance at the end of “Iron Man”, the countdown officially began to a film that comic book fans had been dreaming of for decades. Over the next several years, Marvel carefully set the stage for the biggest superhero epic the world had ever seen; and when it finally hit screens it surpassed even our wildest expectations. Marvel could have buckled under the pressure of bringing together Captain America, Iron Man, Thor, The Hulk and numerous other characters from their extensive roster of heroes, but instead, they made comic book movie history with a film that remains one of their absolute best.

Before we reveal our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions:

“Ant Man” (2015)

“Captain America: The First Avenger” (2011)

“Thor” (2011)

You wanna know the one thing harder than making a great middle film in a trilogy? Making the third film the absolute best of the them all. Captain America’s third adventure sees The Avengers torn apart when legislation is introduced that would place them under direct UN control. The disagreement over this plan drives a wedge into the team, and the question over what to do with the enigmatic Winter Soldier only makes it worse. There’s no other film we can think of that better balances superhero action, serious themes and gut-wrenching emotional drama. To say that Marvel hit this one out of the park is an understatement.