We’ve ranked all the Marvel Cinematic Universe movies through The Marvels.
Ranking all the Marvel Cinematic Universe films might seem like a tall task, but someone has to do it.
The biggest cinematic undertaking of the last 15-plus years, Kevin Feige’s grand attempt to serialize blockbuster storytelling has featured some ridiculous highs and some bleak lows.
We’ve gone through all 34 of the MCU’s films, from 2008’s Iron Man to this summer’s Deadpool & Wolverine, and ranked them according to quality. We don’t include the streaming series in this list, either; just the movies.
While you’ll notice a high number of recent MCU films toward the bottom of the list, keep in mind that the series’ struggles post-Avengers: Endgame have been substantial, largely because of storytelling issues.
Believe it or not, Deadpool & Wolverine is really good. Here’s why.
When the Marvel Cinematic Universe slammed down the blockbuster dunk of a decade with Avengers: Endgame, the studio behind it made an incredibly regrettable error that nearly undid everything that came before. It kept going.
The finality of what absolutely should’ve been the last Avengers film instantly got zapped out with a barrage of slop content meant to boost up a streaming service (except you, first season of Loki, you’re innocent) and mostly wayward films that couldn’t help but scream to you to come back next week before the sun even set on the end credits. And whatever the heck Eternals was.
The real Marvel Cinematic Universe successes post-2019 have been the final Guardians of the Galaxy film and the Sam Raimi Doctor Strange film, one the end of a standalone trilogy from a filmmaker that just bolted for the competition and the other a gleeful subversion that caught flak from some fans for daring to actually make any of this series morally complicated.
With declining box office receipts and lukewarm reviews, MCU head honcho Kevin Feige stares down the first real studio catastrophe in its existence, its strict adherence to minimal risk finally collapsing on shotty visual effects, radioactive storytelling and boredom out the wazoo. Sure, people ate up the Spider-Man movie with all the Spider-Men, but that wasn’t even the best Spider-Man movie of this decade (hey, Miles Morales).
The grandest irony is the best thing Feige has produced this decade came from trash heap he escaped at the beginning of his career and inherited from a bunch of nauseating studio merger nonsense: the Fox-Marvel-a-verse.
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Watching Deadpool & Wolverine is like hanging out with that friend from high school who you always used to get in trouble with, felt you should maybe distance from once you got older and eventually relented to welcome back into your life because, in the end, the fun is just too good to miss out.
As much as you’d worry Feige’s suffocating corporate tidiness and cheeky PG “made you look” double entendres would swallow the Deadpool formula whole into something fitting the Disney affiliation, the “Merc with a Mouth” meta meat monsoon sweeps up the MCU into its most purely enjoyable project in half a decade.
For once, you actually feel like the studio is having fun with itself and trying to find some sense of hard-earned finality like James Gunn did with his final Guardians film instead of trying to pull the franchise like a Stretch Armstrong until the latex rubber pops and the gelled corn syrup gets everywhere.
Instead of trying to retcon a major character by saying he was an alien this whole time (see Invasion, Secret), Feige seemingly closes his eyes long enough to let Ryan Reynolds and his merry band of merciless marauders poke fun at how bad the MCU has been lately and try to argue that maybe treating happy endings like scabs to be picked off isn’t the best idea to respect your widely-beloved movie series.
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The third Deadpool relishes in its spritely irreverence like it always has while still having the gall to tug at your heartstrings here and there, if only because the Marvel brand has become so ubiquitous in our culture and our memories. Even the most shameless cameo from 2005 makes you wince a little to let the nostalgia make you feel old and long for the simpler, stupider days of trashy superhero movies with Evanescence needle drops, television actors masquerading as movie stars and horrible computer graphics.
Deadpool & Wolverine feels like Costco-sized wish fulfillment for all the millennial fans of the Fox Marvel movies that seemed destined for the dumpster once Disney scarfed up their parent studio, as Hugh Jackman comes back once again as a variant of his take on Wolverine and the X-Men lore plays heavily into the plot. He’s splendid, as is the way the film weaves in Emma Corin’s evil Charles Xavier twin sister and all the ragtag characters from Fox Marvel’s past we wouldn’t dare spoil for you.
Indeed, there are countless Fox Marvel cameos to make the greying nerds yelp in celebration, but they’re not just shoehorned in for pandering satisfaction. The entire movie is a half-drunk, slap-happy eulogy to a time when you didn’t get the same dad gum superhero movie series multiple times a year and on your television streaming services, one where you could run from the heroes until you started to miss them again. It’s a film practically begging its cosmic overlords to let things die and honor their flawed accomplishments by refusing their exhumation for marketing opportunities.
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The film does so by ignoring its own pleas with reckless abandon, the film’s opening scene such an aggressively garish disrespect to the emotional anchor weight of the Logan ending that it somehow does blindfolded backflips into unbelievable levels of endearment. By being so willing to do something positively grotesque with one of the great superhero finales ever, you feel the unabashed love and respect for why that ending is such a wallop in ways the MCU feels allergic to finding in its own movies. Bringing Jackman back feels so craven on paper, but Deadpool & Wolverine manages to do so earnestly without letting the parody of the decision fade fully into the background. There’s method to the madness.
In Feige’s world, you either refuse to take a joke or refuse to take it seriously, creating a tonally confusing vacuum where punchlines get strewn about like Legos on the carpet and generational emotional payoffs get undone a week later by multiverse nonsense. The Deadpool formula has no time for such tepid commitment, jumping butt-naked into its darkest, gut-busting vices and winningly brash, radio-pop soundtrack choices.
While it feels a bit self-defeating for a movie so passionately begging for the MCU to learn from its mistakes of oversaturation to be juxtaposed with Feige even vaguely discussing a world where the studio resurrects Robert Downey Jr.’s very, very dead Iron Man, you still appreciate Wade Wilson’s wisecracking wisdoms. His trolling is also deathly sincere, opposed to the cloying irony that has so often plagued these recent Marvel films when they’ve tried to be funny.
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Deadpool & Wolverine is a very good X-Men movie, an absolutely hysterical Deadpool movie and probably the most daring MCU movie not directed by Gunn or Raimi since the first Black Panther. It’s also the anti-MCU movie, flipping through a dusty scrapbook from under the bed that reminds us unceasing uniformity never beats a fast food meal with a last, greasy bite.
After all the silly handwringing about Martin Scorsese correctly saying that the MCU films aren’t classical cinema, how delightful to finally get one of these movies that’s so comfortable in its identity as theme park fun that it gets much closer to a cinematic standard than any of its boring peers.
This isn’t Lawrence of Arabia, but it’s sure better than Ant-Man: Quantumania. Even Deadpool knows when it’s time to shut up and let someone else do the talking.
Marvel’s highly-anticipated reboot of the Fantastic Four announced its primary cast back in February but the upcoming superhero film has reportedly added another key cast member and it’s a move that will surprise many superhero fans.
Ozark star Julia Garner will join the cast of Fantastic Four as the iconic Silver Surfer, according to a report from Deadline. Like the rest of the cast, Garner is a fast-rising star in Hollywood who got her start on TV, earning three Emmys for her work in Ozark as well as another nomination for the limited series Inventing Anna.
The gender-flip casting move will certainly come as a surprise to some but there’s plenty of precedent from Marvel Comics. Garner will reportedly play Shalla-Bal, a character who first appeared all the way back in 1968 and has donned the mantle of the Silver Surfer multiple times over the years various Marvel Comics stories.
Julia Garner to star as the Silver Surfer in Marvel Studios' #TheFantasticFour.
She'll play a Shalla-Bal version of the character in the movie.
Shalla-Bal is the love interest of Norin Radd, but she became a Silver Surfer herself on Earth-9997.
The Fantastic Four is not set in the MCU, and they rlly want to set that point across by using alternate universe elements like these. pic.twitter.com/Wqz1jtQyds
Some big changes are coming to the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
It’s no secret that Marvel needs a hit, and badly. The blockbuster franchise that took over the box office for the better part of a decade has finally started to look mortal.
The Marvels lost money at the box office, something previously unheard of for a Marvel Studios film, while off-screen troubles have led to numerous projects being delayed, revamped or potentially even scrapped altogether.
The Hollywood Reporter released a new report detailing some of the big changes being made behind the scenes at Marvel Studios as parent company Disney attempts to get its superhero cinematic universe back on track. Here are some of the biggest revelations from THR’s report and how they could impact the MCU going forward.
What we learned about the MCU and Captain Marvel from the latest Marvel movie.
The Marvels finally hit theaters, and it didn’t take long for fans to start speculating on how the latest installment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe could impact the rest of Hollywood’s most sprawling franchise.
The sequel to 2019’s Captain Marvel is a team-up between Brie Larson’s titular role and two characters who made their debut in Marvel streaming shows from Disney+, marking the first time the MCU has brought characters from television into leading roles on the big screen.
How did everything tie together and what do we learn about the future of the MCU from The Marvels? We’re here to break it all down for you.
WARNING: THIS STORY WILL CONTAIN SPOILERS. TURN BACK NOW TO AVOID BEING SPOILED!
Will we see Ross transform into Red Hulk in Captain America: Brave New World?
If the Red Hulk is to appear in Captain America: Brave New World, Harrison Ford doesn’t know anything about it.
That what he says, at least, in a recent interview with Comicbook.com.
Ford is making the rounds with the media to promote his newest film, Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny. But Ford is also set to join the Marvel Cinematic Universe soon, taking the reins of the character General Thaddeus E. “Thunderbolt” Ross in the new Captain America movie set for release next year. Ross was previously played by the late William Hurt, who died in 2022.
Ross made his on-screen debut in the MCU in The Incredible Hulk (2008) as a general who is hunting down Bruce Banner. By the time Captain America: Civil War (2016) rolls around, Ross has become Secretary of State.
In the comics, Ross eventually obtains the powers to transform into a Hulk-like figure, but one that is red, thus simply and appropriately named: Red Hulk. But Hurt’s Ross never transformed into Red Hulk on the big screen.
A few weeks ago, a photo from the Captain America set surfaced online, and it seemed to show Ford wearing ripped pants, leading a lot of folks to wonder if Ross’ transformation is coming in this film.
On-screen, Echo – aka Maya Lopez – was a character MCU fans first saw in the Hawkeye series that aired in 2021. In the comics, she’s been around since 1999 when she was created by writer David Mack and artist Joe Quesada, making her debut in Daredevil No. 9. In the comics, she’s been associated with the Avengers, the Hand, and has also taken up the mantle of Ronin. In the Hawkeye show, we see her as the leader of The Tracksuit Mafia.
In both the comics and the MCU, Echo is Native American and deaf. She is also an Olympic-level athlete, an expert in martial arts, an acrobat, and has photographic reflexes (think of this ability being akin to how Taskmaster can copy the fighting styles of the Avengers). Additionally, she is the adopted kin of the notorious Kingpin, aka Wilson Fisk.
Here’s what we know so far about the show, which is hitting the streaming service this fall:
SPOILER ALERT: The following content contains spoilers for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.
The entire two-and-a-half hours of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is a rollercoaster of emotions as the journey for the most ragtag group of defenders came to a close in the latest Marvel Cinematic Universe entry. But the closing needle drop perfects that mix of sadness and joy and everything in-between.
As some Guardians part ways and others reflect on everything that had happened, the distinct harp music of Florence + The Machine’s “Dog Days Are Over” starts up. The crisp voice of lead singer Florence Welch pierces the theater with the opening line that felt so perfectly designed for the moment.
“Happiness hit her like a train on a track…”
After everything the characters had been through — not just in Vol. 3 but the entire Guardians run — it felt so earned. As Rocket, Groot, Nebula and yes, even Drax, danced to the upbeat melody, everything felt like it was going to turn out OK.
Welch saw the movie recently, and thank goodness someone had the wherewithal to record her reaction. It was perfect.
So I cried all the way through this movie but when the The Guardians of the Galaxy started dancing to Dog Days I really lost it. Thank you so much for all the love for this moment. The superhero obsessed little girl in me can’t believe it happened ♥️ x
“So I cried all the way through this movie but when the The Guardians of the Galaxy started dancing to Dog Days I really lost it. Thank you so much for all the love for this moment. The superhero obsessed little girl in me can’t believe it happened ♥️ x”
What a beautiful, beautiful moment to end a wonderful trilogy.
We’re here to break down those two scenes and what they could mean to the future of both the Guardians and the MCU.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is here to kick off the 2023 summer movie season, and while it’s being touted as the end of an era for Star-Lord and his family of misfits, we know that the end is never really the end in the Marvel Universe. Heck, the end of the movie isn’t really even the end of the movie when it comes to Marvel!
As dedicated MCU fans know, the credits typically aren’t the end of the movie as the franchise has become known for dropping a few extra tidbits for patient fans willing to sit through the credit scroll. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is no different, as we’re offered not one but two post-credit scenes, one about midway through the credits, and another at the very end of the credits.
We’re here to break down those two scenes and what they could mean to the future of both the Guardians and to the MCU as a whole. But fair warning:
DON’T READ ON IF YOU DON’T WANT THESE SCENES OR THE MOVIE TO BE SPOILED!
OK, now that we’ve gotten that out of the way, read on for discussion on the two post-credit scenes in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.
Yes, Peter Quill dropped this major potty word in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.
After 15 years, the Marvel Cinematic Universe has finally dropped a major swear word.
Actor Chris Pratt uttered the very first MCU f-bomb in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, making a major turn in what content is allowed in a Marvel film made by Disney.
The moment comes halfway through the film, with Pratt’s Peter Quill/Star-Lord tossing out an f-bomb in comedic frustration as he’s explaining to Nebula (Karen Gillan) how to open up a car door while on Counter-Earth.
Marvel films have included foul language before, but this latest Guardians of the Galaxy film has broken a barrier by including the harsher expletive.
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“That was not scripted, no,” Pratt told the Toronto Sun on if the f-bomb was in the script. “There’s a five or six-minute period of the film where we were trying to get a lot of laughs … I think [director James Gunn] told me to try saying that and I tried it and it made it in. But it’s not the first time I’ve tried to get an F word into the movies.”
![Yes, Peter Quill dropped the first [expletive] of the MCU in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3](https://feeds.usatodaysports.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/quill1-1200x675.jpeg)