The best Marvel movies: every MCU film ranked from worst to best
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It's been a long time since we updated our best Marvel movies guide. But, with Deadpool and Wolverine finally out in theaters (as of July 26), there isn't a better time to re-evaluate our ranking of all 34 MCU films.
Below, you'll find a full list of them ranked from worst to best. Of course, determining what the best superhero movies are in the MCU is subjective – indeed, one person's idea of a great Marvel movie is a poor man's flick in another person's eyes. That's why we've based our list on what every TechRadar staffer (including our entertainment experts) thinks, thereby allowing us to rank them from a wider pool of opinions.
There are many more new movies in the works for Marvel Phase 5 and Marvel Phase 6, too, so we'll be continually updating this article for years to come. For now, though, these are the best Marvel movies in our teams' view. (NB: mild spoilers follow).
Best Marvel movies: 34 to 31
34. The Marvels (2023)
Oh dear, where do we start with The Marvels? Yes, it's one of the breezier Marvel films in the post-Avengers: Endgame era but, as an overall package, it's really, really not that good.
The chemistry between its three leads – Captain Marvel, WandaVision's Monica Rambeau, and Ms Marvel – is pleasing, as are its occasionally fun and creative action sequences – that Flerken kitten scene is really well made – and its post-credits scenes, which set up some fascinating narratives to come.
All of that's dragged down by its largely forgettable villain, brisk and undercooked plot, underwhelming themes, and the distinct lack of using its greatest asset (the lead trio's snappy and snarky dynamic) to the full. A thoroughly disappointing entry that doesn't deserve to feature any higher on our list.
33. Thor: The Dark World (2013)
Thor: The Dark World is, like The Marvels, as poor as it gets. It’s a shame, really, as Chris Hemsworth’s turn as the God of Thunder was a funny, charming, and much-needed part of 2012's The Avengers. Here, though, the whole cast are stifled by a half-baked plot with a villainous non-event, aka Christopher Eccleston's Malekith. Indeed, the film's story doesn’t really go anywhere, aside from featuring a moderately interesting invasion of Asgard.
There are a couple more standout moments, like Thor hanging Mjolnir on a coat rack peg and traveling on the London Underground, plus the revival of the Thor-Loki buddy-cop pairing. Generally speaking, however, it's not much fun to re-watch. In retrospect, Thor's second solo outing was a blessing in disguise, showing the character needed a massive rethink and, thankfully, it proved to be Thor’s making with his third solo flick.
32. The Incredible Hulk (2008)
This MCU movie is one of the the weakest around. In fact, it's so boring it's a surprise it didn't derail the entire enterprise out of the starting gate.
The Incredible Hulk features Edward Norton (since replaced by Mark Ruffalo) as Bruce Banner in a dreary feature that oddly feels like a sort-of sequel to Ang Lee's 2003 film Hulk. Despite several important connections to future movies, including a Tony Stark cameo, not to mention a decent set piece where the green giant is fighting the army, it's just a bit of a speed bump on a re-watch. Thankfully, the MCU would rarely (the aforementioned duo aside) be this dull again.
31. Eternals (2021)
The standard of Marvel's back catalog is so incredibly high (or, rather, used to be) that it seems harsh to place Eternals at number 31, but that's where we find it. With nine new superheroes to introduce, the film had lots of heavy-lifting to do and, frankly, that doesn't make for a fun flick.
Director Chloé Zhao created some stunning visuals for it and Eternals does feel like a novel entry in the MCU, thanks to its twists and history-laced throwbacks. Even so, in such a crowded field, Eternals isn't innovative enough to stand out. With its exciting post-credits scenes – check out our Eternals ending and post-credits scenes explained article for more – the future could eventually be bright for this supergroup, if a sequel is ever announced.
Best Marvel movies: 30 to 26
30. Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (2023)
It's not a good look when a movie set to truly kickstart the Marvel Multiverse Saga is the fifth-worst one, but there's where Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania deserves to be.
Like Eternals, it's not a complete car crash. In fact, it has some pleasing elements, including Kang the Conqueror, who's a suitably terrifying and imposing multiversal villain (if you can overlook him being overpowered by giant ants...) who may not even return after Jonathan Majors' Marvel firing in late 2023. There are some rich themes surrounding family, how we utilize our time, and legacy in it, too, as well as some inventive set-pieces.
That said, Ant-Man 3 falls flat in just as many areas. It's primarily treated as a stepping stone for Marvel's multiversal plans to come, choosing instead to set up plot lines to come rather than focusing on its own story. It's visually irksome, too, with The Volume's use being particularly jarring. Throw in another under-baked story and humor that doesn't land, and Quantumania isn't worth seeing again.
29. Thor: Love and Thunder (2022)
When Marvel rehired Taika Waititi, the man who wowed everyone with Thor: Ragnarok, to direct an unprecedented fourth standalone movie, we got very excited.
Sadly, Thor: Love and Thunder isn't a patch on its reinventive predecessor. It's charming and occasionally funny, but the tale of Thor being forced from retirement to take on Christian Bale's Gorr the God Butcher who, as you can tell by his name, wants to kill the Marvel universe's version of gods, didn't deliver on the hype. It doesn't make good use of its two-hour runtime or complex villain, instead choosing to shine a humorous light on cancer (never a good look) and make full use of those really annoying CGI goats. At least Natalie Portman's return as Jane was satisfying, while some aspects of Thor 4's visuals were truly spectacular.
28. Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018)
Another bang average superhero movie, Ant-Man and the Wasp doesn’t offer anything that the first film didn’t, and certainly feels like a filler flick set between the shocking events of the third and fourth Avengers films.
Again, there are a couple of genuinely funny moments to enjoy and it acts as a light-hearted palate cleanser to Avengers: Infinity War’s finale. Otherwise, there’s nothing noteworthy about this sequel, which is one of the many MCU films to have that seemingly quintessential boring villain problem. Definitely not one of the best Marvel movies around, but there are, thankfully for this 2018 movie, worse ones than it.
27. Iron Man 2 (2010)
A generally uneven sequel to its 2008 predecessor, Iron Man 2 fails to shed much more light on the Tony Stark character and instead comes off as a bit aimless. Featuring a weaker villain in Mickey Rourke's rough grandma-looking Whiplash, alongside Sam Rockwell's irritating fast-talking Stark rival Justin Hammer, it doesn't hit the heights of Iron Man.
Like The Incredible Hulk, this film maintains a few vital connections to future MCU movies, though it also commits the crime of making Scarlett Johansson's Natasha Romanoff seem extremely boring – something that would be rectified in her future MCU outings. The first real stumble for Marvel Studios on its way to becoming a titan of the entertainment industry, but not its worst project by a long stretch.
26. Thor (2010)
The Thor movies are a strange bunch: almost everyone agrees The Dark World was the nadir of the quadrilogy, but the original Thor never gets that much love, either. That's in spite of the fantasy-based film being one of the funnier early movies and successfully bringing a more outlandish element into the MCU without actually breaking it.
The blend of Asgardian fantasical elements and Earth-bound superheroics is reasonably effective, even if Thor's journey in this film to earn Mjolnir is slightly too predictable. Still, it introduced us to arguably the best Marvel villain in Loki. Well, until Thanos finally got off his throne and did some work, and Loki became one of the MCU's most well-rounded and strangely heroic characters in the god of mischief's hugely popular Disney Plus show.
Best Marvel movies: 25 to 21
25. Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015)
By far the weakest of the Avengers movies, Avengers: Age of Ultron sees Tony Stark – fresh from his PTSD episodes in Iron Man 3 – wanting to build a suit of armor to protect Earth against other cosmic entities. True to form, his plan goes awry, and the Avengers find themselves battling Ultron, a genocidal artificial intelligence, and his lieutenants Quicksilver and Wanda Maximoff/Scarlet Switch.
Age of Ultron had a lot to live up to given its 2012 predecessor’s success. While it has its moments, it feels weighed down by those expectations, its overstuffed plot, and introducing key Marvel characters, such as Wanda Maximoff, for future films.
24. Doctor Strange (2016)
For a character who has proven to be instrumental in the MCU, Doctor Strange was a deeply average introduction for the former Sorcerer Supreme.
The Benedict Cumberbatch-led flick about the surgeon-turned-magician is trippy and humorous in places, but it lags behind its counterparts in many aspects, including its villains and set pieces. It's trying a little too hard to be the MCU’s version of Christopher Nolan’s Inception, managing to do relatively little with a terrific cast. Doctor Strange is a somewhat forgettable movie, and we'd argue the character leaves far more of an impact in the third and fourth Avengers movies than his MCU debut and sequel. Speaking of which...
23. Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022)
Coming after the universal adoration for Spider-Man: No Way Home, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness represented a comedown for the MCU. Its box office taking would suggest otherwise but, like Thor: Love and Thunder didn't fully live up to fans' expectations – even with those wild Doctor Strange 2 cameo appearances.
It is a big, expansive, and complex adventure – one that shows just how bold and adventurous the MCU can be, especially from a horror perspective (director Sam Raimi's dread-inducing, campy filming style is evident throughout). However, it feels rushed, cramped, and the pacing is slightly off, so it can't be considered one of the best Marvel movies.
22. Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)
Captain America: The First Avenger often gets a bad rap. Despite its decent critical reception at the time, it's weirdly among the lowest-scoring Marvel films on IMDb.
Still, it's definitely not bad – Steve Rogers is perhaps the easiest of the original MCU heroes to cheer for, because he was selected for the Super Soldier program based on his moral compass and spirit. As a World War 2 period piece, The First Avenger still works great and Hugo Weaving's Red Skull is a pretty memorable villain. Steve's relationship with Peggy Carter is genuinely well-handled, too, with a heart-breaking and head-spinning finale that leads into 2012's Avengers.
21. Black Widow (2020)
Though its setting placed it before the events of Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame, Black Widow acts a fine send-off for Scarlett Johansson's years in the MCU, as well as offering up some exciting options for the future.
We follow Johansson's Natasha Romanoff as she hunted down over her past, revives broken family connections, and saves a generation of women from ending up as Widows, elite assassins who do the bidding of some very unpleasant and very powerful men. While it was thrilling watch, though, it was also pretty average from action, comedy, and story perspectives. Still, it introduced us to Florence Pugh's lovable Yelena Belova, who has had a big role to play in the MCU since. Well, in Hawkeye's TV show anyway – she'll also be part of 2025's Thunderbolts movie.
Best Marvel movies: 20 to 16
20. Captain Marvel (2019)
Contoversially placed maybe, but Brie Larson's full-length debut is a largely delightful flick with a banging 90s soundtrack full of big tunes. In Captain Marvel, Larson stars as Carol Danvers, an elite fighter pilot who discovers her past is much more complicated than first appeared.
A fizzy, quickfire, and very fun MCU entry, it leans heavily on Larson's charm and charisma to power it. Fortunately, she's both in spades, even if a fair few Marvel fans didn't really enjoy her first solo outing (or subsequent MCU appearances). Still, we think it's a fun watch that deserves far more credit than it earned. Not one of the best Marvel movies, but grander and enjoyable than many of its forebears.
19. Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021)
A bright, sparky, and adventurous new adventure for Marvel, director Destin Daniel Cretton's Shang-Chi was a bold step forward for the MCU and, in our view, is criminally underrated by many.
It follows Simu Liu's titular character, who is quietly slumming it in San Francisco when he's suddenly forced to confront his past by his father Wenwu, the leader of the Ten Rings organization, who needs to hunt down a mysterious village and unimaginable power. A light-touch adventure that eventually goes a bit bat-crap crazy in its final act, it's a hugely enjoyable film, but it's still up against tough competition, hence its placement here.
18. Ant-Man (2015)
A movie almost a decade in the making, Ant-Man’s eventual arrival on the big screen is an enjoyable heist-infused superhero flick with plenty of laugh out loud moments.
Paul Rudd’s comedic turn as thief-turned-superhero Scott Lang, and Ant-Man’s size shifting abilities, are used to great effect throughout. Again, this movie lacks a good villain – Corey Stoll's Yellowjacket is just a jerk who you have no reason to care about. But, it does feature a great final set piece around a toy train set and Michael Pe?a's Luis is arguably the star of the show. A terrific time all round.
17. Iron Man 3 (2013)
Shane Black's Iron Man 3 was the perfect Avengers palate cleanser. As Tony Stark deals with PTSD from the Battle of New York – which, to be honest, only manifests as him being short of breath a couple of times – a terrible figure called The Mandarin (Ben Kingsley) targets the genius billionaire playboy philanthropist.
Or does he? While plot-wise this is not an essential movie to watch multiple times over, it's one of the funnier MCU films (depending on who you ask) that showcases Black's skillset in this department. Iron Man 3 also ends with a great final set piece, bringing a 'house party' of Iron Man suits together on-screen to beat some dudes up.
16. Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019)
As the final film in the MCU’s Phase 3 arc, Far From Home had a few things to live up to. It was the first post-Endgame movie, which meant the MCU's second Spider-Man flicl had to deal with the fallout from that movie’s climax, while also telling a story with high enough stakes that the audience would still care.
Far From Home has a captivating villain in Jake Gyllenhaal’s Mysterio and memorable scenes like Peter Parker's captivating heart-to-heart with Jon Favreau’s Happy Hogan – not to mention a shocking post-credits sequence that teased what was to come in Spider-Man: No Way Home. All that said, Far From Home is a middle-of-the-road romp that really only showcases how charming Tom Holland's Spidey is, which is why it doesn't feature higher on our list.
Best Marvel movies: 15 to 11
15. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017)
Despite looking as incredible as its first entry and featuring a payload of solid one-liners, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 meanders when it comes to telling a good story.
Peter Quill finally meets his long-lost dad, Ego the living planet and, in the most obvious twist of all time, he's not all he seems. This movie's main problem is that it struggles to say anything new about its characters – particularly when it repeats plot beats with Gamora and Nebula already covered by the first movie.
If anything, we'd argue Infinity War is a better Guardians movie than their second flick. It gives Gamora a lot more to do, brings out new sides of Peter Quill, and perfectly positions Rocket and Groot alongside a very depressed Thor. Still, this movie definitely has its moments, as well as much-loved merchandise icon Baby Groot.
14. Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)
Tom Holland arguably stole the show with his turn as Spider-Man in Captain America: Civil War (more on this shortly), so much so that expectations for his first solo venture were pretty high.
Thankfully, Spider-Man: Homecoming was a breezy, colorful, and highly enjoyable John Hughes-style MCU debut for the wall crawler. Ably supported by the likes of Michael Keaton, whose intimidating turn as the Vulture is one of the MCU’s best villains to date, Holland is on top form as he navigates the perils of high school and being a burgeoning superhero.
13. Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)
The Russo brothers entered the frame with this confident Captain America sequel, which once again pits Steve Rogers up against Nazi offshoot HYDRA – which has become deeply embedded within SHIELD. Facing off against the film's mysterious assassin called (unsurprisingly) the Winter Solder, Cap's sequel movie sees Steve has to dismantle his former employer to stop AI-powered helicarriers from murdering everyone.
This terrific movie has a superficial layer of All The President's Men-style conspiracy thriller, enough to make it feel like it has real substance. At the same time, it surefootedly introduces Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie) to the MCU, sparking another of Steve's winning bromances – and there's arguably no more fan-coveted relationship in the MCU than Bucky and Steve's friendship, which is picked apart perfectly.
12. Captain America: Civil War (2016)
A mini-Avengers installment in all-but-name, Captain America: Civil War is a fraught and emotionally engaging Marvel movie that destroyed Earth's Mightiest Heroes from within and paved the way for the supergroup's defeat in Avengers: Infinity War.
With the idealistic Steve Rogers and unwavering Tony Stark – the latter installed in a complex antagonistic role to sparkling effect here – sat on different sides of the divide where the Sokovia Accords are concerned, the MCU's various superheroes duke it out in heart-wrenching fashion. With newcomers in Holland's Spider-Man and the late Chadwick Boseman's Black Panther also introduced, Civil War is an absolute blast from start to finish, and a rare Marvel movie that did its comic series' namesake proud.
11. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (2023)
James Gunn and the Guardians' crew go all-out to deliver a bittersweet, poignant, hilarious, action-packed, and tear-jerking potentially final entry in the superteam's mini-film franchise.
Guardians of the Galaxy 3 delivers everything you'd want from an MCU movie, but what sets it apart is how much darker, tension-fuelled, heart-breaking, and (with all of that said) paradoxically joyous it is. From Rocket's tragic backstory and Chukwudi Iwuji's terrifying villain, to the gloriously eye-popping space rock opera visuals and Gunn's penchant for shouty humor (including the MCU's first official F-bomb), Guardians Volume 3 is one of Marvel's better post-Infinity Saga efforts.
Best Marvel movies: 10 to 6
8. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022)
How do you go about following one of the best Marvel movies ever – 2018's Black Panther – with a worthy sequel? When you're Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, the script is already written for you.
Chadwick Boseman's shock passing in August 2020, following a four-year battle with cancer, hit us like a freight train – and yet the cast and crew of Marvel's first Black superhero-led film had to pick up the pieces. Not only did they have to give their all again without Boseman to lead them, they also had to tell a profoundly moving tale that honored his life and legacy.
Black Panther 2 does all of that and more. It's an emotionally powerful, thrilling, and thematically dense flick that doesn't pull its punches. Its intricate and poignant narrative, introduction of key Marvel characters in Namor and Ironheart, celebration of Mesoamerican culture, and rich exploration of grief is packaged together in such expert fashion that few MCU movies can claim to be better.
9. Deadpool and Wolverine
The Merc With a Mouth finally made his MCU debut in the most meta, gloriously gory, hilarious, and surprisingly earnest fashion possible in mid-2024 – and he even brought his new best bub in Wolverine (Hugh Jackman coming out of superhero retirement for it) along for the ride.
Deadpool and Wolverine is Marvel's perfectly self-aware riposte to its recent naysayers, with the titular pair embarking on a Marvel multiversal road trip that pokes fun at everything from Marvel President Kevin Feige to the comic giant's flagging cinematic juggernaut itself. It's also a wonderful celebration of 20th Century Fox's defunct Marvel film franchise, albeit one where long-standing MCU issues (namely, plot pacing and lightweight villains) rear their ugly head. Look past those problems, though, and you'll have an absolute blast with the funniest comic book film ever made.
8. Iron Man (2008)
The movie that started it all. Before the arrival of cosmic beings – and multiple villains born out of Tony Stark’s previous weapons manufacturing business – Iron Man offered a grounded but refreshingly energetic flick to kick the MCU into gear.
Robert Downey Jr. captured Stark’s cocky personality perfectly, while the supporting cast set a high bar for future films to match. Despite ending with a so-so final battle, Iron Man was the strongest standalone MCU Phase 1 movie. It's just a pity that his other solo adventures couldn't live up to how stellar this wonderful movie was.
7. The Avengers (2012)
If Iron Man set the MCU’s wheels in motion, The Avengers shifted gears, put the proverbial pedal to the floor, and chartered a new path for superhero movies.
Marvel’s first attempt at a superhero team-up brought all of our heroes together – some more reluctantly than others – to halt Loki’s invasion of New York. It was funny, action-packed, at-times heartfelt, and revealed where Marvel wanted to take its expanding series of films. Equally, The Avengers laid the foundations for the MCU’s future otherworldly events, all the while proving you could have multiple heroes in the same place, give them all plenty of screen time, and tie different story threads together to make one all-conquering movie.
6. Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021)
With a casual $1.8 billion box office haul – an impressive figure, given it was achieved in late 2021 when *that* worldwide health event was still in motion – people have really taken Tom Holland's Peter Parker to their hearts. And so they should.
Spider-Man: No Way Home's plot is a fairly convoluted one. Desperate to have his anonymity back, Parker asks new superhero buddy Doctor Strange to use magic to make his identity as Spider-Man a secret again. When the spell goes wrong, the multiverse is broken open, which allows visitors from alternate realities to enter Parker's universe, including Holland's web-slinging predecessors.
It could easily been a sprawling mess, but it isn't. It's a suitably charming, scintillating, poignant, and nostalgia-fuelled rollercoaster ride that deserves its high-ranking spot. Now, about that fourth Spidey MCU movie, Marvel and Sony...
Best Marvel movies: 5 to 1
5. Thor: Ragnarok (2017)
The third Thor movie is the only entry everyone can agree is actually great. Taika Waititi injects the series with his trademark offbeat humor, and sends the God of Thunder to fight the Hulk after he gets his ass kicked by Cate Blanchett's Hela.
This was the kind of tonally distinctive approach the Thor movies desperately needed, and it's one of the easiest films on this list to put on repeat. You'll laugh, you might cry, and you'll certainly nod your head in unison that this is more than deserving of a top five place on our best Marvel movies list. An instant classic that does more for its characters than the other three Thor flicks combined – and that says a lot.
4. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 1 (2014)
Marvel's first big swing at an obscure set of characters was a triumph. Bringing together a ragtag group of criminals and oddballs, The Guardians of the Galaxy's first adventure is essentially a superhero team film about outsiders – set against the gorgeous, previously unseen backdrop of Marvel's Jack Kirby-infused cosmos.
James Gunn supercharges these no-name characters with real personalities out of the gate, even performing the magical feat of turning a talking tree into a pop culture icon. It's tons of fun, manages to make you invested in a whole bunch of different comic book characters you'd never heard of before, and even circumvents the increasingly vexing climactic CGI showdown between heroes and villain with a comedy-infused endgame that'll have you guffawing.
3. Avengers: Endgame (2019)
We'd argue that Infinity War is a stronger film than Endgame, and that's probably because it's got less to accomplish.
Endgame is arguably three films merged together – a story about the grim aftermath of the Blip (aka Thanos' universe-shattering fingersnap) as well as a time-traveling heist movie and a massive war film. Subsequently, it's not quite as elegantly told as the story of Thanos' initial victory in Infinity War, yet it features countless all-time great MCU moments and a final battle that's the ultimate piece of Marvel fan service.
Will theatrical movies ever feel this big again? Not until Avengers 5 arrives in May 2026 (No Way Home and Deadpool 3 run it close, though!). Even then, Endgame might be unmatched – save for its predecessor and Black Panther – as a movie that defined the cultural zeitgeist of superhero movies. Well, from a fan service-y perspective, anyway.
2. Black Panther (2018)
Black Panther is one of the undeniable jewels in the MCU’s crown, and it’s easy to see why it grossed over $1.3 billion worldwide upon release. It's a solo Marvel movie with extremely high ambition – revealing the secret nation of Wakanda and telling an epic story of a king T'Challa (the late Chadwick Boseman), contending with the sins of his father.
This is a thematically weighty film that was rightly hailed as ground-breaking for its primarily Black cast, behind-the-scenes talent, and celebration of African traditions and heritage. Yet it has everything that makes the MCU great, too: humor, terrific action scenes (aside from its slightly lackluster finale), and a whole host of characters you can't wait to meet again in future movies. Why can't all MCU solo films be this good?
1. Avengers: Infinity War (2018)
Avengers: Infinity War is, perhaps unsurprisingly, our number one Marvel movie. After lurking in the shadows for so long, Thanos finally makes his play to acquire the Infinity Stones and wipe out half of all life in the universe.
Naturally, the Avengers’ growing ranks stand in his way, and what plays out is a tightly-knit, action-packed, and deeply shocking film that delivers the best, spine-tingling ending in MCU (and perhaps cinematic) history . The Russo brothers’ ability to juggle Infinity War’s ensemble cast alongside its thrilling and emotional plot delivered a brilliant blockbuster film that future Avengers movies – arguably Endgame aside – will have a hard time beating. Easily one of the best Marvel movies and one that'll have you saying "I was there when..." to your grandkids in decades to come.
For more Marvel-based coverage, find out how to watch the Marvel movies in order. Alternatively, get the scoop on Agatha All Along and The Fantastic Four.
