When the critics watched the first four episodes of Moon Knight the consensus was that episodes 1 and 4 were the best, with Episode 4 being the best of the series so far. And that actually makes a lot of sense considering the narrative structures of these Disney+ series.
WandaVision‘s fifth episode was absolutely outstanding with Wanda showing us more of her villainous side, Vision beginning to break free of her control, and that jaw-dropping plot twist of Evan Peters’ Quicksilver arriving to pretend to be her brother. It was undoubtedly the most surprising episode in the series and also my second favorite episode just behind the saddening penultimate episode.
The Falcon and the Winter Soldier‘s fourth episode was stellar. From involving a fight scene featuring the Dora Milaje to that gobsmacking ending where John Walker took a man’s head off with the Captain America shield. It was, without a doubt, the best episode in the series.
Marvel Studios has given us so much content this year! We’ve gone from the unique and fantastical in WandaVision and What If…? to the familiar and entertaining in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier and Black Widow to the surprise hits in Loki and Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.
All of these stories with all of these characters have left MCU fans delighted in some way or another and each Phase 4 installment has been a blast to revisit from time to time. Last night, I decided to randomly revisit the final ten minutes of the fourth episode of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, “The Whole World Is Watching” and once again I was horrified by what is undoubtedly the most brutal moment in MCU history.
The violence in this scene is disturbing. Henry Jackman completely imbues this moment with a horrific shrill musical note that crescendoed perfectly into the credits, bringing to light just how awful a moment this is as “Captain America” murders someone in such a horrific way in broad daylight with a crowd watching him.
It’s undoubtedly the best scene in the series and an incredible turning point for John Walker’s character. Despite the series chickening out on continuing his villainous streak for the next two episodes, this moment is undoubtedly going to become a staple for his character’s development moving forward as well as a reminder of what this guy is capable of if he snaps.
Yes, he is a loyal American soldier and yes, he is just a guy trying to do what’s right but that angry streak in him is only going to get worse as the Super Soldier Serum continues to build within him and honestly, I can’t wait to see his story continue…hopefully sooner rather than later.
I thank you for reading and I hope you have a wonderful day.
Black Widow is out and having seen it twice, once in IMAX and once at home on Disney+, I can honestly say it’s one of the best Marvel movies. But where does it stack up against the other installments in the MCU? Let’s find out, shall we.
27. The Incredible Hulk
It’s still at the bottom of the list and most likely, always will. But at least we will be getting Abomination’s return in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings and She-Hulk, meaning this ugly duckling of the franchise is finally starting to become a bit more relevant again.
26. Iron Man 3
I can’t tell you the last time I enjoyed this movie. Oh, actually I can. In 2013 when I saw it the first two times in theaters. Since then, Iron Man 3 has become a pointless sequel that barely adds any value to the MCU. But the Ben Kingsley-plot twist with The Mandarin is still one of the more hilarious surprises in the franchise.
The MCU over the last thirteen years has been broken into phases, with each phase culminating in a special event that changes the scope of the franchise forever. The Infinity Saga covered the story of our first wave of Avengers which eventually culminated into the fight of the century against the Mad Titan, Thanos. It was an incredible showdown that produced two movies that surpassed the $2 billion mark at the box-office, with Endgame actually nabbing the top spot for highest-grossing film of all time.
But that was two years ago.
Now we’re onto a new era of the MCU. One that’s not only more diverse than ever but is telling stories in a way we hadn’t gotten before; through movies and television. This year we will supposedly be getting ten! Marvel Studios properties with four already having come out. In case you’re scratching your head wondering what else we have left to see this year let me remind you what the rest of the year is bringing.
August 11: What If…?
September 3: Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings
November 5: Eternals
December 17: Spider-Man: No Way Home
Late 2021: Ms. Marvel and Hawkeye
Yeah, we’ve still got all of that left. The thought of having so much Marvel content in so short a time is staggering but I am here for every bit of it. But today, I’m going to rank the installments we’ve gotten in Phase 4 so far. Enjoy!
4. The Falcon and the Winter Soldier: 7.5/10
When The Falcon and the Winter Soldier first came out I couldn’t have enough of it…and yet it’s only been a few months since it concluded and it’s already begun to lose its appeal.
The story of Sam Wilson’s imminent turn as Captain America was a good one with plenty of heartfelt moments, and maybe even some iconic ones, but there’s something less rewatchable about this entry than most previous entries in the MCU.
The racial context at times is a bit heavy and not something I want to revisit, the story moves at a snail pace and gets a little boring, Karli/The Flag Smashers are probably my least favorite Marvel antagonists, and Sharon Carter being the Power Broker is a good development for her as a character but is still kind of a lame twist overall.
But I do have to acknowledge the stellar standout performance from Wyatt Russel as John Walker. He brought a level of insanity to the role of Captain America that was both terrifying and riveting at once.
All in all, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier is good, especially for first-time viewers, but it just doesn’t hold up over time.
Black Widow is out and having seen it twice, once in IMAX and once at home on Disney+, I can honestly say it’s one of the best Marvel movies. But where does it stack up against the other installments in the MCU? Let’s find out, shall we.
26. The Incredible Hulk
It’s still at the bottom of the list and most likely, always will. But at least we will be getting Abomination’s return in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings and She-Hulk, meaning this ugly duckling of the franchise is finally starting to become a bit more relevant again.
25. Iron Man 3
I can’t tell you the last time I enjoyed this movie. Oh, actually I can. In 2013 when I saw it the first two times in theaters. Since then, Iron Man 3 has become a pointless sequel that barely adds any value to the MCU. But the Ben Kingsley-plot twist with The Mandarin is still one of the more hilarious surprises in the franchise.
Why is the MCU so beloved? Because we have been given 23 movies and two amazing series over thirteen years…and the ride isn’t ending anytime soon. I’ve been enthralled in this world since I was eleven-years-old, gazing wide-eyed at the screen as my parents would show me some scenes from Iron Man. At the time, he was my favorite superhero.
Now, all these years later, Doctor Strange is my favorite Marvel superhero and the MCU pretty much dominates my every day.
This franchise is wonderful for so many reasons but it also has some of the most memorable moments in recent blockbuster history. So today, I wanted to share what I think are the top ten most memorable moments in the MCU (and this includes even the Disney+ series.) Enjoy!
Spoilers Ahead!
10. Wanda’s Iconic Credits Roll
WandaVision was filled with a bunch of interesting and memorable moments but the moment that stuck out to me in the entire series was when Wanda, during a tense moment with her husband Vision, began to roll the credits of her show on him as if to say goodnight.
It is so diva and I have loved it ever since I first saw it.
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