The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) has been both wildly successful and surprisingly mediocre over the last 16 years. The good—even great and masterful—has far outweighed the bad, in my opinion. The cultural influences the various movies and characters have had have monumental impacts on society. Kevin Feige has built an absolute juggernaut with the MCU.
Can he find a way to top this top 10?
10: Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 1 (2014)
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The first Guardians of the Galaxy was the first MCU movie that was pure fun. The tone was comedic while taking the universe to a greater expanse. Not only did we get the Guardians and the Ravagers, but we were also introduced to Thanos and the concept of the Infinity Stones. Before this, the MCU was solely about the Avengers. With Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 1, we were reminded the Marvel Universe is so much bigger than a handful of characters.
9: Iron Man (2008)
The one that started it all. Iron Man was the perfect way to kick off the MCU and Robert Downey Jr. was the perfect Tony Stark. In its opening weekend, the movie made $98.6 million, giving it the 11th biggest opening weekend of all time. The über-successful MCU officially arrived with Iron Man. The post-credit conversation between Tony Stark and Nick Fury launched the superhero genre into hyperdrive.
8: WandaVision (2021)
WandaVision did a terrific job capturing Wanda’s descent into madness and her evolution into the Scarlet Witch. Her evolution followed the evolution of television sitcoms in a style completely different from what the MCU had previously done. Wanda’s grief-caused delusion set up multiple important characters and storylines for the MCU moving forward.
7: Ms. Marvel (2022)
Iman Vellani is THE embodiment of Kamala Khan. She really is an Avengers fangirl, so her portrayal was spot on. Ms. Marvel as a show set the stage for the new generation of Avengers in the MCU. The post-credit scene in The Marvels gave us a hint of the direction Marvel Studios is heading.
6: Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)
The second installment of Captain America is a very fun mixture of spy movie and political thriller. It reminded me of the typical MCU movie with the action sequences. However, it also gave me Tom Clancy-novel-vibes too. The overall theme of “Freedom isn’t free” and the overarching government conspiracy story made for a great movie.
5: Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021)
Welcome to the multiverse! The nostalgia of including Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield as Spider-Men from other universes and their various villains is almost too much to take. I did say “almost”. I loved this movie and can’t wait for more multiversal stories as the MCU moves into the next phases.
4: Black Panther (2018)
Black Panther is probably the most influential and impactful character and movie in the MCU. It was the first Marvel movie to really acknowledge African-American political views and is a celebration of traditional African society. The late, great Chadwick Boseman’s portrayal of T’Challa was nearly as perfect as RDJ’s Iron Man. His death was a big blow to the MCU, as he was the future of Marvel Studios.
3: Loki: Season 2 (2023)
Loki: Season 1 was great, but season 2 hit a new gear for the continuation and continuity of the MCU. This season was about Loki and his change from the God of Mischief into the God of Stories. Jonathan Majors was amazing as Victor Timely and hopefully, we see him as Kang again in the future.
2: Avengers: Infinity War (2018)
Infinity War was the first part of the epic finale to the “old” MCU. The amazing battle scenes and team-ups were everything I wanted to see from a Marvel movie since Iron Man began the saga in 2008. The ending changed the MCU forever with Thanos’ snap.
1: Avengers: End Game (2019)
After Infinity War broke our hearts, End Game gave us hope, broke our hearts again, made us cry happy tears, and then made us ugly cry in heartbreak again. This was the true ending to what Marvel started with Iron Man. Since then, the MCU has not been the same and has struggled to find its footing post-Tony Stark.
There is so much happening in the MCU. Since the multiverse and sacred timeline was introduced, it is no longer linear in time or space. It will be interesting to see how it is further explored in upcoming titles like Deadpool & Wolverine, Fantastic Four (untitled), and the highly anticipated X-Men MCU introduction. Hang onto your butts! Excelsior!
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