Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige sat down with Vanity Fair earlier this week and revealed that the Avengers saga is far from over. Spanning over the last decade, Marvel Studios has released seventeen interconnected movies that take comic fans from Earth to the cosmos and back. Fans that have invested the last ten years of their lives into this franchise got the euphoric yet bittersweet first trailer for Avengers: Infinity War this week. The culmination of everything that Marvel Studios has built is on full display in the trailer, where fan favorites like Iron Man, Hulk, and Loki share the same destiny on screen with Spider-Man, The Guardians Of The Galaxy, Doctor Strange, and Black Panther. The sight of Captain America running through the Wakandan jungles alongside Black Panther, Hulk, War Machine, Falcon, Black Widow, newcomer Okoye sent chills down my spine. The epic conclusion of an era awaits, while the dawn of a new one is upon us.
Looking back, there were so many amazing releases from Marvel Studios that helped build the fanbase to the level it is now. Iron Man, the first movie in the MCU, is a classic, and it set the tone for the entire franchise. Tony Starks wry humor, egotistical musings, and selfless heroics captured the hearts of millions. After his success, Kevin Feige built an empire around Stark, and then later shifted the spotlight to Captain America. It is widely agreed that the patriotic military man turned superhero has the best trilogy of the three main Avengers men (Thor, Iron Man, and Cap). Cap’s trilogy boasts both Winter Solder, and Civil War, monumental movies to the progression and appearance of the MCU.
Even more obscure characters like Ant-Man and Groot have gained the love and support of millions because of their immaculate performances within their own movies. Ranking all of these beloved characters and their films was difficult, which is a true testament to the power of the Marvel Studios catalog. None the less, the rankings are in.
From Doctor Strange to Winter Soldier, here are the top ten movies in the MCU. Which one is your favorite?
Thor: Ragnarok
Released: November 3, 2017
Worldwide Box Office Gross: $793,548,853
The last installment of the Thor trilogy was somehow transformed into a buddy-team up comedy. Hulk and the God of Thunder fight alongside Loki to save Asgard from Ragnarok, which means certain destruction. Hela, Thor’s sister in the movie, returns from her exile as the goddess of death and murders anyone in her path to tyrannical rule. The beautiful and talented Tessa Thompson rounds out the hero squad as a drunken Valkyrie, and the four heroes mesh to create an entertaining and comedic group that restored fans faith in the Thor franchise.
Ant-Man
Released: July 17, 2015
Worldwide Box Office Gross: $519,311,965
The mantle of Ant-Man has been worn by many of heroes, but for his first silver screen appearance, Marvel went with the two most popular names. Both Scott Lang and Hank Pym are introduced as Ant-Man, a movie that went through pre-production hell before reaching theaters worldwide. Directors were fired, screenwriters were replaced, and entire storylines were rearranged, which scared most comic fans into thinking that Ant-Man would be a failure. On the contrary, Paul Rudd plays a loveable crook who is given a second chance at life. His brilliant performance on screen led to his inclusion in Captain America: Civil War.
Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2
Released: May 5, 2017
Worldwide Box Office Gross: $863,565,527
The gang reunites for a sequel that offers the opposite side of the story of Star Lord’s parentage. The first Guardians of the Galaxy was a story about Star Lord’s mother, who gives him an awesome soundtrack that is featured throughout the entire film. His relationship with his mother, and the scars of her death, are the focal points of Star Lord’s character development. In the sequel, the relationship with his father is the main focus. Played by Kurt Russel, Star Lord’s pop turns out to be the villain of the film who plans to reshape the universe in his own image. Subtly, Marvel also introduces a main character in the comic book Infinity Gauntlet storyline in Guardians 2… Adam Warlock.
Doctor Strange
Released: November 4, 2016
Worldwide Box Office Gross: $677,718,395
Benedict Cumberbatch plays the sorcerer supreme in Doctor Strange. Once a cocky surgeon, Strange is injured in a car accident and loses the ability to perform surgery by hand. He finds himself chasing after his spirituality through-out separate dimensions and ends up wielding the time gem, yet another Infinity Stone. Doctor Strange feels like Inception meets The Matrix, with a comic book twist that was both refreshing and visual stunning.
Spider-Man: Homecoming
Released: July 7, 2017
Worldwide Box Office Gross: $880,163,937
Reboot after reboot for Spidey. Tom Holland plays the third silver screen version of Spider-Man, in what many agree to be the best Spidey movie ever. The concepts of many characters were changed for Homecoming; MJ is an ethnic girl, Aunt May is gorgeous, and Vulture uses Stark tech to build his suit. Michael Keaton shoulders most of the responsibly as the film’s main villain, and the ex-Batman, turned Birdman, turned Vulture (this guy loves birds huh) absolutely kills it as one of the best villains in the MCU. Iron Man plays a fatherly role to a young Peter Parker, but doesn’t ever over shine the young hero.
Captain America: Civil War
Released: May 6, 2016
Worldwide Box Office Gross: $1,153,304,495
While the comic book version of Civil War was much more epic, Marvel Studios brought together the characters whose movie rights they owned and delivered an entertaining hero mash-up. The Russo Brothers, who shocked the world with Winter Soldier, return to helm the third installment in the Captain America trilogy. Bucky Barnes is once again in trouble, and his best friend Steve Rogers embroils himself in a battle with the government to save his buddy. Politics once again come into play, and the Avengers team is split in half dealing with the repercussions of their collateral damage and sporadic actions.
Guardians Of The Galaxy
Released: August 1, 2014
Worldwide Box Office Gross: $773,328,629
Barley anyone I knew had heard of Rocket Racoon or Gamora before Guardians of the Galaxy took the world by storm. Kevin Fiege decided to introduce comic book characters so obscure, that a silver screen effort was more than risky. His gamble paid off though, and Star Lord can now safely compete with Captain America or Iron Man for the MCU’s fan favorite hero. A group of criminals end up befriending one another in their shared purpose to capture the power gem, another Infinity Stone. Guardians of the Galaxy was the first time the Infinity Stones were explained to the audience, and since then all but one of them have been accounted for.
The Avengers
Released: May 4, 2012
Worldwide Box Office Gross: $1,518,812,988
Watching Thor, Iron Man, and Captain America battle each other in that gloomy forest during the first act of The Avengers was magical. Adding Hawkeye and the gorgeous yet dangerous Black Widow to the team was ingenious. Then, the replacement of Edward Norton by Mark Ruffalo was the icing on the cake. Ruffalo shined as the skeptical scientist who questioned the motives of everyone around him while holding back a beast that has the strength of a nuclear weapon. Thor’s brother Loki was, and still may be, the best villain the MCU, and saved Marvel from the constant backlash of boring and forgettable villains. In the after credit sequence, Marvel introduced the crowd to Thanos for the first time, and the mind gem was also introduced in this film.
Iron Man
Released: May 2, 2008
Worldwide Box Office Gross: $585,174,222
Robert Downey Jr. returned from a decade of destruction to launch the most successful superhero franchise ever. Iron Man is the first movie in the MCU, and a classic hero movie in any discussion. Although Captain America is the leader of the Avengers, Iron Man practically leads the silver screen version of the team because of his infectious superstar attraction. In his first outing, Tony Stark works alongside James Rhodes, who was played by Terrance Howard. After the success of the film. Howard was fired, and Don Cheadle was cast to replace him. Ouch.
Captain America: The Winter Soldier
Released: April 4, 2014
Worldwide Box Office Gross: $714,264,267
Captain America’s first movie was entertaining and it gave long-time fans and newcomers and chance to see Steve Rogers' origin story. It also introduced the first Infinity Stone, the space gem. It failed to make as much as Thor and Iron Man 1 & 2, so the Studio decided to rework a few things. Fast forward to Winter Soldier. Easily the best movie in the MCU, the Russo brothers delivered a political thriller/superhero movie that stood out among typical hero stories. Steve is reintroduced to his buddy Bucky Barnes, who seemingly died in the first Captain America film. Bucky has been brainwashed though, and a suspenseful drama unfolds on screen with chaotic perfection.
