Even though we’re a few weeks removed from the Hawkeye era I’m finally getting around to ranking it in the MCU. Once again, this will be a slightly different ranking because it’s always shifting for me but, yeah, here we go. Let’s add this thirty-second installment to the list.  

32. The Incredible Hulk

Eternals isn’t the worst MCU film. This is. It’s so bad it isn’t on Disney+ and I don’t care.

31. Thor

It’s got one of the best-acted scenes in the franchise between Tom Hiddleston and Anthony Hopkins when Loki’s birthright is revealed but…that’s the only great thing about this movie. Oh, and the first thirty minutes are pretty fun to watch. The rest is a snoozefest.

30. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2

There’s too much hollering, the jokes aren’t as funny, Ego is an okay villain, Yondu’s death is corny, and Gamora gets sidetracked for this story a bit. The only thing that keeps me coming back is how visually stunning this movie is.

29. Ant-Man and the Wasp

I used to like this movie. Now I barely watch it.

28. Iron Man 2

After actually paying attention to Iron Man and then watching this sequel shortly afterward I realized why this film is regarded so poorly.

Tony Stark was a character you rooted for and understood in the first movie, but this movie turns him into an almost unlikable douchebag. The film ultimately suffers from a lackluster storyline and because of that, I’ve pushed it farther down the totem pole. But it did give us Black Widow so, that’s a bonus.

27. Captain Marvel

This movie is easy to watch and that’s what it’s got going for it. Plus, Carol Danvers, once she reaches full potential with her powers, is pretty darn cool. But the story is boring and honestly, this movie is only held together by its mostly interesting characters.

26. Iron Man 3

I haven’t watched this movie in years but honestly, with my latest viewing I kind of had a blast. The writers got back to making Stark a likable character with an important storyline and this film has become even more important thanks to Shang-Chi. Yay!

25. Thor: The Dark World

I used to think this was one of the MCU’s worst films but honestly, it’s kind of grown on me. It’s funnier than expected and the story is easy to swallow. If only it had decided to make up its mind on whether it wanted to be an epic or a romantic comedy.

24. Avengers: Age of Ultron

Even though the MCU is known for including comedy the 84 jokes dropped in this movie (yeah, I counted one day) is just too much. And Ultron is super lame. But this movie does give us Wanda and Vision so yay!

23. Ant-Man

Ant-Man isn’t the best Marvel origin story but it does have its moments. And the film’s climax is undoubtedly the best part of the movie. I absolutely love the final showdown between Ant-Man and Yellow Jacket because it’s hilarious!

22. The Falcon and the Winter Soldier

I would honestly like this series more if I didn’t despise the villains so much. And maybe it would’ve been more fun/memorable if it had sustained the buddy-comedy act that was an absolute lovable dynamic in the second episode.

There were definitely some highlights like John Walker’s aggravating Captain America and his storyline but overall, it’s just kind of meh.

21. Captain America: The First Avenger

I really like this movie now. No, it isn’t perfect but it’s a solid film that provides Captain America the origin story he deserves. And looking back, there are so many threads that link to this the Avengers movies that I can’t help but find it incredibly sentimental.

It also makes me cry every time.

20. Iron Man

The first Iron Man film is clearly written very well and manages to be an engaging superhero origin story. I’m sure there are many people who would see Iron Man being so low on this list as an absolute travesty but I’ve just never thought this film was a masterpiece.

It’s a good superhero and it did a great job starting off the MCU but there are just better movies.

19. Eternals

Oh, I wish I could place this movie higher on this list because gosh, it’s gorgeous and delightfully complex but there’s something about this film that prevents me from placing it any higher than this.

Maybe it’s the sometimes cringy humor or maybe it’s the fact that its density can be felt toward the end of the movie, and I don’t mean that in a good way. Or maybe it’s the lacking chemistry between most of the cast so that when they’re having to express those emotional beats in the third act I’m not fully invested.

So while Eternals is a fascinating film with some of the best directing in the franchise and undoubtedly the most impressive visuals it’s just not better than the rest of the films on this list.

18. Spider-Man: Homecoming

Spider-Man: Homecoming is a good movie with one of the best plot twists in the MCU but it’s twenty minutes too long. After a while, the film becomes exhausting and I lose all interest. But if it’s on television I let it play in the background.

17. Hawkeye

This show surprised me. I knew it was going to be good but I wasn’t expecting to cry as much as I did watching this series.

Hawkeye’s greatest strength was when it decided to lean into the darkness of Ronin’s past and his sorrow in losing Natasha Romanoff. The addition of Yelena Belova was a brilliant choice and Kate Bishop is now a character I will be excited to see again in the future because of this show.

It’s not the best thing the MCU has done but it was a solid story for Clint Barton and I will definitely be watching it every holiday season.

16. Captain America: Civil War

Captain America: Civil War is a good film, through and through. It takes these heroes, pits them against each other in a legitimate way (unlike Batman vs. Superman which forced Batman and Superman to fight for practically no reason at all), and delivered a powerful conclusion that actually left serious repercussions for these characters. Unfortunately, over the years, it’s become kind of boring. But for first-time viewers, this movie is off the chain! (And very emotional toward the end.)

15. Spider-Man: Far from Home

Spider-Man: Far from Home is good but it isn’t spectacular. It’s ultimately Jake Gyllenhaal’s Mysterio that keeps me coming back to see this film over and over again.

14. WandaVision

WandaVision was an experience. Every week left fans in a tizzy and while the finale didn’t exactly pay off the way we thought it would there’s no doubt it was the perfect way to start off Phase 4 of the MCU.

I can’t wait to see Wanda return in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.

13. Black Panther

Black Panther is great but over the years it has become one of the Marvel movies that I don’t tend to watch as much. But it still has its charm; the Oscar-winning musical score is legitimately fantastic, Killmonger is one of my favorite Marvel characters, and the world of Wakanda is just as fascinating as it was four years ago.

12. The Avengers

This is another one of those Marvel movies that has aged exceptionally over the years (well, Captain America’s suit is still awful but we can deal with that.) It balances great action scenes with a phenomenal story that brings these incredible heroes together in a way that was cohesive and profoundly enjoyable.

11. Black Widow

I didn’t think this was going to be a top MCU film for me but it turned out to be just that. They worked really hard on this movie and provided Black Widow a solo film to be proud of. I just wish we could’ve gotten a Black Widow trilogy because that would’ve been AWESOME!

10. Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings

This is another one of those films that I wasn’t expecting to like as much as I did but geez, it wowed me. Tony Leung’s Wenwu was fantastic, Simu Liu’s Shang-Chi was a character worth cheering for, and overall, this is a solid Marvel movie.

9. Doctor Strange

I love Doctor Strange and I love his origin story. This movie is one of the most rewatchable Marvel films because it’s the perfect runtime, has engaging characters, a nice musical score, and Doctor Strange’s world is just so intriguing. I’m so excited for his sequel!

8. Thor: Ragnarok

Wacky in almost every way, Thor: Ragnarok decided to take things in a drastically different direction for Thor and it paid off big time. There’s so much to love about this movie it would take an entire post to list all of my favorite things so I’ll just leave it to this: “Get help.”

7. Spider-Man: No Way Home

Like Han Solo would probably say, “This movie has it where it counts, kid.” It’s fun, it’s engaging, it’s enthralling, the two and a half hours flew by, and it is basically every Spider-Man fan’s dream come true. It’s one of the greatest movie theater experiences I’ve ever had and it is undoubtedly one of the greatest comic book movies ever made!

A true masterpiece in combining fan service with emotional heft.

6. Avengers: Endgame

Avengers: Endgame would be lower on this list if wasn’t for its third act which is so darn great. There are so many lovable and iconic moments in that final battle; from Cap wielding Mjolnir to Spider-Man meeting Captain Marvel for the first time to Tony’s final heroic moment, this movie delivers where it counts and that’s why this film will always have a special place in my heart.

5. Loki

Loki was an amazing series that wowed me week after week. Whenever I thought the series would get corny or disappoint me it did something that made me laugh or shocked me in a way I didn’t see coming. Honestly, if the third episode hadn’t been slightly boring I probably would have it second just behind Infinity War. But because Guardians of the Galaxy and Captain America: The Winter Soldier were perfect movies, Loki takes a nice spot at fourth on this list.

4. Guardians of the Galaxy

This was the first Marvel movie to take things outside of the box and offer viewers something they would never forget. It was a risk, for sure, but it was well worth the reward.

3. Captain America: The Winter Soldier

Even though this movie is seven-years-old now it’s still a masterpiece in superhero movie making. It’s perfect from start to finish while also establishing Captain America as one of the best superheroes ever to be put on the big screen.

2. What If…?

I absolutely LOVED this show. The animation was gorgeous, the character design was fantastic, and the storytelling was superb. Every week the show blew my mind and by the series’ two-part finale I was absolutely floored with the level of creativity that went into making this masterpiece of an experience.

I’m eagerly awaiting Season 2.

1. Avengers: Infinity War

Avengers: Infinity War is one of those movies that you watch and then watch again and then watch again and it just never gets old. In fact, it’s getting better. With so many surprises and well, Thanos, Infinity War stands as the pinnacle of Marvel’s storytelling and it’s going to take something truly brilliant to surpass it.

Well, there’s my updated ranking. I can’t wait to see where I end up placing the installments from this year into the mix.

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