It’s hard to keep track of all the offerings in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). Since the release of Iron Man in 2008, the franchise has expanded from films to network TV and streaming, becoming one of the highest-grossing media franchises of all time. It also recently broke new ground by releasing the R-rated Deadpool & Wolverine – the first Marvel film to require parental supervision for viewers under 17 in the US.
However, money doesn’t always mean quality; although the MCU has produced some great content, it has also made a lot of stinkers. Check out one fan’s ranking of the best and worst Marvel offerings.
Best: Avengers: Endgame (2019)
As the highly anticipated conclusion to the decade-spanning Infinity Saga, Avengers: Endgame paid off after a year-long wait, a masterpiece filled with one epic moment after another. Despite the widely controversial post-snap characterisation of powerhouse Thor and rage-monster Hulk, the riveting plotline, coupled with cathartic character moments and the adrenaline-pumping third act, puts this film on a pedestal above many of its fellow comic book movies. It’s definitely made its mark in film history.
Worst: Captain Marvel (2019)
Captain Marvel fails to live up thanks to its lacklustre writing and barely serviceable production, and it falls far below the standards of the pre-Endgame MCU. Although boasting an all-star cast ranging from the Oscar-winning Brie Larson to the legendary actor Samuel L. Jackson, the substandard script did not do them justice. It brings what would have been emotional performances down to bland ones, dragging down the overall quality of the film and rendering the first female-led Marvel movie an absolute disappointment.
Best: Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021)
Featuring three generations of iconic Spidey villains and Spider-Men themselves, this multiverse mash-up caps off Jon Watt’s origin trilogy with an emotional gut punch. Although banking on the audience’s nostalgia and unable to “web up” several inconclusive plot holes from start to finish, No Way Home still swings strong with intense battle sequences and evocative character growth, weaving together character arcs of not only the MCU characters but also ones from previous renditions in a fulfilling and gratifying way. The film more than justifies its spot as one of the best MCU projects out there.
Worst: Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania (2023)
To many, Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania was a warning about the seemingly imminent MCU fall-off. As the first project of the Phase 5 catalogue, the movie was ambitious, to say the least, shouldering the massive burden of instigating the multiverse saga with the next bad guy while also taking control of Marvel Studios’ crumbling scene. The stakes were high, and contrary to what Marvel fans had hoped for, it fumbled under pressure. It was filled with derivative and repetitive writing, flat and bloated performances, and an utterly shameful introduction to the looming multiversal threat of Kang the Conqueror, who was eventually defeated by ants.
You didn’t read that wrong. The transdimensional destroyer, proclaimed to have eviscerated millions upon millions of Avengers, was taken down by the sheer power of not Ant-Man nor The Wasp, but just ants. It was just silly, much like the film itself.
Best: Loki (2021)
Centring around the fan favourite Loki, the god of mischief, the show steps away from the usual MCU spectacle and delves deep into the nuances of Loki’s personal journey and conflicts, leading to one of the most satisfying and fulfilling endings in TV history.
How film and TV can help change attitudes on climate change
Worst: Echo (2024)
Honestly, before I researched this article, I forgot this show even existed. Following Maya Lopez, a character few have taken an interest in, the series fails to drum up even a crumb of interest, eliciting snores instead of twinkling eyes and relying on a desperate attempt to charm the audience with a Daredevil cameo while taking no notice of its threadbare story, rushed production, and one-dimensional characters. Echo is definitely in the running for one of the best sleep aids out there.
Best: Thor: Ragnarok (2017)
Until the release of Ragnarok, the Thor franchise had been known as the MCU’s only failure. Acting as the pioneering motivation for later MCU projects like Black Panther and the previously-mentioned Loki, Taika Waititi reinvented the superhero film formula with his signature flare, expanding the character-driven plot and electric action scenes with witty dialogue and comedic timing, yet never detaching from Thor’s journey of self-discovery, a fatal mistake many films make. Upheld by its rib-tickling humour and expert writing, Thor: Ragnarok remains one of the most refreshing films ever put on the big screen.
Worst: Secret Invasion (2023)
The comics version of Secret Invasion was one of, if not the biggest, team-up events in Marvel history, so imagine the disappointment when it was announced as merely a Nick Fury-led spy thriller. Even more dismaying was that it turned out to be a CGI slugfest with the titular character cast aside in his very own show. With nothing to offer but plot holes, rage bait, and terrible writing, Secret Invasion will forever be remembered as an utter failure, and that may even be a severe understatement.
Best of the best: Avengers: Infinity War (2018)
Serving as the lead up to the finale of the Infinity Saga, Infinity War had it all: impeccable writing, an enthralling and pompous plot, moments for each and every well-developed and loved character to shine, immaculate performances, high stakes, unique set pieces and excellent production. It even managed to top it all off with a climactic, twist ending that left everyone on the edge of their seats and made the year-long gap between the two Avengers films so excruciating. Infinity War does everything right.
Worst of the worst: She-Hulk: Attorney at Law (2022)
Whoever greenlit this should never be allowed back into a production room. She-Hulk: Attorney at Law has a firm place in the MCU’s flop era. Its nine completely dull, flat episodes derail from previously established rules and characterisations; not only were once beloved sorcerer Wong and nightmare-inducing Hulk-villain Abomination dwindled down to mere husks of their prior iterations, but the entirety of the MCU’s continuity was left withering astray, desecrated beyond any repair.
