Phase 2 of Marvel is finally complete, billions of dollars and several successful movies later. Marvel has come a long way from nearly going bankrupt and ruining everything that they had built. They were on some positive momentum before Disney came in and practically shifted the entire focus of the enterprise. Now it’s become synonymous with the film industry, the gaming industry, and the entertainment industry altogether. Marvel is a powerhouse and in nearly full control of its destiny. Now, we are going to take a look back at all the films in the current Marvel Cinematic Universe and list which ones are the best and most impactful.
Without glossing too much, one has to be amazed at what Disney has pulled off: a purely unthinkable experiment of making yearly films and managing to connect each and every single one of them through plot, characters, cameos, and other details. This has revolutionized the film and even television industry, as now we see IPs and franchises blending together far more often than before. So even if a movie is slightly mediocre (Iron Man 2), it’s still essential viewing because it will provide hints to what is coming up.
Marvel can’t be beat, not for a long time. And even with rising competition (DC) and potential sabotaging of its IPs (Fox’s Fantastic Four) the brand will remain one of the most successful in all of entertainment. And here are Marvel’s 7 best films in the current Universe.
#7: Avengers: Age of Ultron
This movie went through a few obvious issues involving pace, length, content, and overall tone as Disney/Marvel and Joss Whedon were definitely seeing different ideas with the highly-anticipated sequel. Adding to the behind-the-scenes issue is that Marvel is running out of the big popular names to throw into the universe. With Spider-Man and X-Men not available, and even the concept of Mutants not allowed, Age of Ultron is proof that Marvel can really use some of the franchises that have been handed to other film companies way before Disney took over.
Despite all the edits from Disney, we still have a very entertaining film that delivers plenty of humor, plenty of fun, plenty of action, even if it lacks an edge and lacks the tension and suspense that could have gotten the audience’s attention more in the final act. It’s well-directed, well-paced, and really doesn’t make you squirm, but it does slightly leave you empty and asking for more.
#6: Iron Man 3
The silent lesson learned from here is to never give the franchise to someone that doesn’t really care much about it. Shane Black has the experience, has the skill set, but really doesn’t have the required love to give Iron Man the right cohesive story to continue the franchise. Instead he decides to twist and turn some of the Iron Man credentials like the strength of the suits and of course his biggest enemy the Mandarin. Why Marvel let this script slide remains a mystery, they perhaps assumed that all the action and rather dark turn would overcome our absolute rage towards the twist reveal.
This issue aside, Iron Man 3 is still very engaging and quite grounded, as it humanizes Tony Stark and does a great job following up on the events of The Avengers. Plenty of thrills, lots of humor, its pure blockbuster entertainment, with a slight comic book edge. Even in the midst of all the blasphemy, there’s still plenty to watch and enjoy.
#5: Guardians of the Galaxy
The totally unexpected global smash of 2014, Guardians of the Galaxy is a cinematic treat full of heart, soul, humor, action, surprises, and characters to root for. From the emotional beginning to the cheeky finale, Guardians never lets go, and refuses to carry the now-predictable tropes of origin stories in comic book movies. It’s the cool kid in the class of Marvel movies, as it doesn’t follow many rules, doesn’t lay out a predictable path, and has a unique look and feel that separates it from your average blockbuster.
The cast is excellent, even if Vin Diesel probably has the easiest role in the history of film. This made Chris Pratt a star, and Zoe Saldana a sci-fi queen, and ushered in a new era of fans to some 70s/80s classics. Unlike most of our heroes that have been put through the ringer time and time again, I’m actually looking forward to the sequel, to see just what else the Guardians can run into.
#4: The Avengers
Some can argue that the Marvel Cinematic Universe peaks here, and will never hit this plateau again. I went to the midnight premiere, and it was such an immersive experience. I went to the sequel’s premiere, and it didn’t have the same energy. The uniting of our heroes the first time is a unique and spellbinding experience, and luckily for all of us it definitely did not disappoint. Not only were all the heroes entertaining and with their own moments to shine, we had a sinister villain to counter the gang with Loki (always played brilliantly by Tom Hiddleston).
A perfect mesh of action and comedy, The Avengers stays very true to the comics that inspired it, and gives us so much content that no Marvel fan will walk away dissatisfied. A film of this caliber and this momentum had not been done before, and the world of cinema will never be the same after it struck gold in terms of money, and in terms of viewership appeal. Trust me, the success, peak starpower, and impact of The Avengers will never happen again. It also has the best scene in the history of Marvel filmmaking (Loki vs. Hulk).
#3: Captain America: The Winter Soldier
There are certain ways to shake up a franchise or a series without losing some of its identity. Iron Man 3’s twists and turns defied the brand quite a bit, which turned off some people. The Winter Soldier however shook the foundation of the Cinematic Universe to its core as the final act would create a ripple effect that touches upon nearly movie from here on out. It would also lay out the foundation for the entire next phase of the Marvel films. If that’s not enough to shove this movie way up the list, then let’s mention the flawless action directing and editing that would focus less on special effects and far more on clever practical effects and excellent stuntwork.
The Winter Soldier’s conflict would be the most realistic and most relatable as it involves a modern world with evolving technology and the ever-growing danger that comes with trying to use it to combat evil. The political and sociological taint that comes with the relentless action and immense tension would make this the best of the Marvel sequels without a doubt. It does what all blockbuster sequels need to learn to do: raise the stakes, improve the villain, don’t be afraid to improve the hero, increase the content and scope, and lastly don’t be afraid to throw in a few surprises that spike the formula of the original. Empire Strikes Back was the first to do this successfully, and one can argue that Winter Soldier is the Empire of the MCU.
#2: Ant-Man
So let's get this out of the way: Ant-Man as a superhero is nowhere near as compelling as Iron Man, Wolverine, or even Black Widow. But thanks to Edgar Wright's original vision, with the assisting humor of Paul Rudd and Adam McKay we have a heavily-character driven film full of humor, soul, and then a great third act to wrap it all up.
Ranking Ant-Man this high might seem controversial and baffling, but consider this: it has the no-rules attitude of Guardians, the likability factor of Iron Man, some deep family themes that seep into your better Disney movies, and combine that with a great blend of thrills, comic book espionage, and comedy that resonates through the entire flick. There is hardly a dull moment as the superb cast delivers quite a gem that emerged from a project with minimal anticipation and lots of production hell. Yes it’s not as serious as your usual Marvel and DC fare, but for sheer movie-watching value this one ranks way up there.
#1: Iron Man
It is hard to dethrone the original that starts it all. Iron Man created the blueprint for all to follow, and it had the absolute least amount of restriction in the MCU since it was the first. Robert Downey Jr.'s portrayal of Iron Man was nothing short of perfect and even Oscar-worthy. The origin story here never feels like its dragging in the mud; a lot happens within the two hours and we see a full transformation of Tony Stark and he leaves us practically begging for more long after the surprising final bit of dialogue.
Much like how Chris Columbus’ Harry Potter doesn’t get enough credit for laying the foundation of what the franchise should look like, Iron Man deserves more credit as to how Marvel movies should look and sound. All the tropes are here: strong main characters, villain that’s connected, plenty of one-liners, great special effects, plenty of action, nice easter eggs, strong female characters, a few surprises, and few clues as to where the franchise is heading next. Iron Man remains the best, because it doesn’t have the upcoming lineup to prevent it from going truly off the rails. It was the beginning of a beautiful friendship between the viewers and the Marvel lineup.
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