Well, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings is going to be in theaters a little less than two weeks from now and that means it’s time to do another Marvel marathon. That means I’ve got to get through twenty four movies in that time. It’s a bit daunting (especially that I’ve seen some of the Marvel films recently) but this is a personal task that’s always fun to perform before a new Marvel movie.

After starting the marathon on Wednesday I’ve just gotten through the franchise’s first phase and it was quite an interesting journey.

Iron Man

I don’t watch the first Iron Man film often so watching this movie was kind of fantastic. Yes, Terence Howard is still a terrible War Machine but that’s really the only con of the movie. The film is a perfect origin story for the character, the relationship between Tony and Pepper is super cute, and the nods to his journey’s end in Endgame definitely made me a bit wistful.

It was even exciting to see how much the Ten Rings organization factored into the film, especially before Shang-Chi.

All in all, I rekindled my appreciation for this film and I will definitely be raising it in my next Marvel movie ranking.

Iron Man 2

I now understand why so many people said this film was a letdown because honestly, it’s kind of ridiculous. The first movie established Stark as such a likable hero as he faced his flaws and tried to save people. The second film kind of takes a step back and turns him into a bit of a selfish douchebag. Gone is that touching hero streak, replaced by a guy who just doesn’t care. And yeah, I get it. He was dying and he was on a self-destructive path but the film definitely didn’t try to make us like him. The only reason why we cheer for him as he’s fighting the bad guys is because he was so likable in the first film.

But it did give us Don Cheadle’s War Machine and ScarJo’s Black Widow and Sam Rockwell was hilarious but overall, it’s just an okay sequel.

Thor

This movie has grown on me just a little bit but ultimately it’s just a bit boring. The first portion of the film when Thor is on Asgard and he attacks the Frost Giant is awesome but the rest of the movie, as it takes place in Arizona is just a bit tedious. The romance between him and Jane would’ve been sweeter if she hadn’t kissed him and ruined it. And because the film is trying to be a Shakespearean romance and falls flat it just doesn’t really stick in one’s mind as something awesome.

But I do love Loki and his debut is pretty intriguing.

Captain America: The First Avenger

After Iron Man which is nearly perfect this movie kind of pales in comparison but it is still enjoyable. Steve Rogers is so lovable and such a hero, Peggy is the perfect love interest, and Red Skull is a perfectly evil antagonist. Yeah, the friendship between Bucky and Steve isn’t cultivated as well as it could’ve been and the pacing isn’t great in the film’s latter half.

The Avengers

This movie, nine years later, is a cornerstone of superhero cinema greatness. I’m already thinking of writing a post detailing just how incredible this film is but that’s for a later time. For now, I’ll just say this. This movie is the reason why we have all of these Marvel series and movies now. It could’ve easily flopped and if it had, Marvel Studios probably wouldn’t be what it is right now. But it didn’t flop and it’s incredible!

This was the perfect end to Phase One and I am ready to move on to Phase Two. Eighteen movies to go.

I thank you for reading and I hope you have a great day.