The Marvel Cinematic Universe - Ranked (17-11)
Ahh, the Marvel Cinematic Universe! Outside of the Star Wars Saga there isn't any better known connected series of films than this gargantuan of the film industry. Having recently finished my ranking of that franchise, I thought it only would be fit to take the time to look back on the entire history of the MCU! Another major reason why I wanted to do this was because of Black Panther's impending release. Many have projected it to be one of the most important films in the MCU and in the superhero genre as a whole. But, that review will come another day! Let's jump right into the list at #17!
17. Thor: The Dark World
Honestly, I don't really have anything GOOD to say about The Dark World. Coming off the heels of another satisfying but disappointing film in Iron Man 3, The Dark World didn't really do anything that stood out from the regular Marvel formula. The villain in Malekith is most definitely the weakest of the entire series, and Thor and Jane Foster's relationship weighed too heavily on the plot to make the story interesting. There are a few good elements though that come with this movie, those being Tom Hiddleston and Chris Hemsworth as Loki and Thor! They're relationship and compatibility as stars is stellar and elevates any movie they're in together. But, that was simply not enough to bring up the terrible film that is Thor: The Dark World.
16. Iron Man 2
Iron Man has been a rock for the MCU since the very beginning. After the success of The Incredible Hulk and the original Iron Man, Marvel wanted to go back to what made the start of the MCU so great in Robert Downey Jr. Unfortunately, the villain Whiplash really brings down the film as a whole, and Sam Rockwell's Justin Hammer is really just another corrupt government figure. The introduction though of the new version of James Rhodes from Don Cheadle really helps this movie. The chemistry that Cheadle and Downey Jr share makes their scenes excellent for comedy and dramatic purposes. In my opinion they were the first power pairing in the MCU and have aged with the universe just as powerfully. Unfortunately though, even the introduction of the new Rhodes and Scarlett Johansson's Black Widow don't manage to make the terrible story that bearable overall.
15. The Incredible Hulk
Ok, I'll admit this straight away, I've never watched this movie the entire way through. I've watched large portions of it all over time because I just never felt the need due to the main character being recast and the story being all but cast aside. Edward Norton was not necessarily a bad Bruce Banner though, so he was not a real problem for the movie. The problem for this movie is everything else. The use of Abomination could have provided a compelling villain, but they managed to screw him up as nothing more than really a CGI monster for Hulk to take on. Truthfully I could have seen this movie going in a much better direction having made the Thunderbolt Ross character into the Red Hulk and having them duke it out. The military story with Hulk was much more interesting than his story with Abomination, resulting in a missed opportunity.
14. Iron Man 3
The finale of the Iron Man trilogy, Iron Man 3 was a very divisive film for the majority of MCU fans. After, what is widely considered one of the best superhero films ever, The Avengers, Marvel had to figure out where they were going to take the MCU. Iron Man 3 was more a piece focused on the effects of The Avengers and how they impacted Tony Stark. Tony's post traumatic stress is some of the best parts of this film and Downey Jr. portrays this mans attempts to hide his pain behind his common cockiness incredibly well. If there is one thing that can be said about the Iron Man films, its that RDJ was one of the best casting choices Marvel ever made.
Reflecting though on the story of Iron Man 3, it focused on Iron Man's nemesis in the comics: The Mandarin, and the Extremis virus from Aldrich Killian. For many, the twist involving Ben Kingsley's Mandarin is an absolute travesty for superhero film, as Shane Black turned a rather incredible character into a mere toy for the film to use for shock value. Personally, I loved the twist with his character and how it impacted the overall story. The problem is though that when I think of Iron Man 3, I think more on how heavy handed Pepper Potts' destruction of the main villain was and just that the overall story felt forced at points to create tension for her and Tony. Their relationship was a heavy focus of the movie, and I can't help but wonder what would have happened if an even deeper look into the Tony's psyche post Avengers could have done for this movie.
13. Thor
The original Thor had the tough challenge of introducing some more out of world characters into a universe so far populated with a man who turns into a giant green monster and a billionaire who made a suit out of metal. For some casual fans this could have been viewed as a risk for Marvel, but there really is not Avengers without a character like Thor. Sure the overall story was a bit predictable, but the stellar casting of Hemsworth and Hiddleston as Thor and Loki made this film so much better. Here Thor is a rather hotheaded warrior and doesn't have that true leadership quality and rather strong mental prowess.
The story of Loki's birth and upbringing by Odin is great though, and while the Frost Giants were rather forgettable Loki was a standout when he first hit the scene. Hiddleston played him with such a cocky tone and confidence that you felt like you really were seeing the God of Mischievous on screen. Also, Idris Elba's Heimdall while rather minor in this film, is an interesting character who has a larger part to play in the future. I can't outright state that Thor is a BAD film by any means, but there's just nothing outstanding about it that makes it worth placing it any higher. It's disappointing for me because I love Thor as a character but up until recently, his films did not do him justice.
12. Captain America: The First Avenger
Captain America was originally a character thought up to be a symbol of hope for the American people in some of their darker days. The First Avenger was the first film in the MCU that was entirely based in the past. The primary objective and the reason you came to see The First Avenger was to see the introduction of Chris Evans' Captain America. Again, Marvel absolutely nailed its casting of its hero with Evans. He and Hayley Atwell have a lot of chemistry with their characters and it helps to make their relationship more believable (even if it's only started because she was impressed with his pecs).
The other half of this movie though is a bit rough, outside of Hugo Weaving's performance as Red Skull, which was stellar. Obviously Nazis had to play a major part in the film but it just never really worked for me. Additionally, the being of the story between Steve and Bucky felt rather lackluster to me. It was very apparent that Marvel wasn't sure if they were going to go forward with the story line of the Winter Soldier until late into the film, so their scenes felt a bit strained in the first half of the movie. Regardless though, The First Avenger wasn't a great Captain America movie, but it was an excellent start for the character.
11. Avengers: Age of Ultron
Joss Whedon's second and last film in the MCU, Age of Ultron had the challenged of adding even more characters to the formula that worked so well in the original Avengers film. With Scarlet Witch, Quick Silver, and Vision joining the ranks of the Avengers in the film, it meant juggling even more stories for Whedon. In the build up to the film there was a lot of discussion over how Whedon was feeling fatigue and worry about the film, and upon release a large majority of these worries were washed away. Unfortunately though, they came back in the following months as people began to realize the issues that came with the film.
Quick Silver being one of the biggest flaws for the film, was essentially a means for the movie to kill off a hero without risking any of the core grouping. He felt more like plot device than an actual character even though he had some good moments. In reality though, one of the larger reasons that I didn't like Ultron was how outlandish the plot was. Dropping a chunk of land back into the Earth after it was launched into the air by a giant engine? I can handle suspension of disbelief if a plot is good, but that just wasn't all that great.
Truth be told though, James Spader's Ultron was great for the Avengers as it allowed them to question their own beliefs and spawn even more angst among the group heading into Phase 3. He was the first spark on the way to Civil War and that made him even more interesting as a villain. Along with this, Paul Bettany's Vision was a standout for the movie as the essential representation of hope in the universe. He is of strong will and worthiness (hence him picking up Thor's hammer), and while he didn't have a huge part to play, you felt the pain in him to correct the mistakes made by Tony and another sentient technological creature.
To Be Continued!
That's 17 through 11 on my ranking of the MCU! Once again this article would have been ridiculously long if I intended to put all 17 films in one article so I feel it's better to separate them out. Check back next week for 10 through 6 and the week after for 5 through 1! I've always wanted to put down an actual ranking of these films and I hope you all are enjoying this format of post! See you all next week!
