While some may say that the Marvel Cinematic Universe is in a rough place at the moment, it’s had a plethora of astounding films over the years. Movies like 2008’s Iron Man and 2012’s The Avengers pretty much redefined the genre to the point where many might say they are close to being perfect. There’s arguably no such thing as a flawless film, but there are some films that come as close as one can get to perfect.
There’s always something that holds a film back from being perfect, though. Whether it be rough CGI, unnecessary plots, or characters with unclear or questionable goals, there will always be factors to hold a film, especially a superhero film, back. Still, superhero adventures hardly ever strive for perfection, and these efforts are as pristine as a Marvel movie can get, with some even receiving recognition from the notoriously snobbish Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
10 ‘Marvel’s The Avengers’ (2012)
Directed by Joss Whedon
Bringing the Avengers together for the first time was never going to be an easy task. So, for the first time doing something so big like this in a cinematic universe, the film was pulled off incredibly well. The character relationships are compelling, the plot hits all the necessary beats, the villain is threatening, and the action scenes are exciting. The biggest thing keeping The Avengers from being a perfect film is the ending to the final battle, which became the blueprint for all MCU efforts to come.
The Avengers face off against a seemingly impossible threat in Loki’s (Tom Hiddleston) alien invasion, taking over New York City. The scale of this invasion provides an astounding final battle and increases the stakes tenfold, but the resolution can feel anticlimactic and a tad unsatisfying. Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.) flies a nuclear missile into the alien ship, blowing it up and killing all the aliens at once, solving the problem immediately. There is some tension, but it all feels a tad too neat and convenient, resulting in a somewhat unearned happy ending.
The Avengers
- Release Date
- May 4, 2012
- Runtime
- 143 minutes
9 ‘Ant-Man’ (2015)
Directed by Peyton Reed
Origin films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe can also be quite difficult to execute. Introducing a new character to the vast roster of lovable and well-written characters that already exist can be disruptive or, worse of all, forgettable. Thankfully for director Peyton Reed, Ant-Man is one of the best origin films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) is a captivating character thanks to his humor and sensitivity as a father. The action scenes are also enthralling, thanks to Ant-Man’s unique shrinking ability. Ant-Man‘s only issue is there are some pretty forgettable aspects, especially the villain, Yellowjacket (Corey Stoll). Some believe that the best parts of Ant-Man were thanks to Edgar Wright, whose work before Reed came in was the blueprint. Reed’s somewhat standard and bland work in the sequels seems to support this theory.
Ant-Man
- Release Date
- July 17, 2015
- Runtime
- 117 minutes
- Writers
- Edgar Wright , Joe Cornish , Adam McKay , Paul Rudd , Stan Lee , Larry Lieber
8 ‘Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings’ (2021)
Directed by Destin Daniel Cretton
One of the most recent origin films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe is Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. The movie had a lot going for it; not only was it said to be a true martial arts film inspired by the likes of Jackie Chan and Bruce Lee, but it also had the incredible casting of industry legend Tony Leung as the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s true Mandarin. The result is a pretty impressive MCU outing: the martial arts and stunt work are wonderful, the performances are outstanding pretty much all around, and the Chinese influences enrich the narrative.
Shang-Chi retcons the origins of the Mandarin, who first appeared in Iron Man 3, played by Sir Ben Kingsley. His character, actually an unemployed actor by the name of Trevor Slattery, was then kidnapped in the one-shot All Hail The King before returning in Shang-Chi. Trevor ended up being the biggest issue with Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, as he was pretty much forced into the plot for no reason.
7 ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ (2024)
Directed by Shawn Levy
The most recent Marvel Cinematic Universe film has been met with widespread praise from both critics and audiences. Acting as the Marvel Fox Universe characters’ introduction to Disney’s Marvel, it also serves as the final film in a trilogy with four movies often considered highlights of the superhero genre. Deadpool & Wolverine has a perfect balance of humor and drama, brought by the Merc with a Mouth (Ryan Reynolds) and the world’s most famous X-Man (Hugh Jackman).
The only thing that held it back is the fact that, due to mainly being a tribute to the end of what was the Fox Universe of films, the film can feel inaccessible to those who have not seen these movies. Deadpool & Wolverine is full of cameos that will make little to no sense to those out of the loop. When it works, it works very well, but for those who are not diehards, Deadpool & Wolverine can maybe be confusing.
Deadpool & Wolverine
- Release Date
- July 26, 2024
- Runtime
- 128 minutes
- Writers
- Rob Liefeld , Fabian Nicieza , Paul Wernick , Wendy Molyneux , Lizzie Molyneux-Logelin
6 ‘Thor: Ragnarok’ (2017)
Directed by Taika Waititi
The Thor films had really struggled before Thor: Ragnarok: the first is absurdly underrated, and the second is very well one of the worst superhero films of all time. So, going into the third film of the franchise, it was going to be difficult to win audiences back. Marvel Studios decided to bring in What We Do in the Shadows director Taika Waititi and a fellow Avenger, the Hulk (Mark Ruffalo), to spice things up in Thor: Ragnarok.
The film is hilarious and brings Thor up to the glory and complexity that everyone knew he could achieve. It’s safe to say Thor: Ragnarok saved Thor. Its biggest flaw is common for blockbusters: the first half is quite unique for a Marvel Cinematic Universe film and feels refreshing, but the second half falls into some of the formulaic beats of the cinematic universe, making it a little bit less engaging.
Thor: Ragnarok
- Release Date
- November 3, 2017
- Runtime
- 130 minutes
- Writers
- Eric Pearson , Craig Kyle , Christopher L. Yost
5 ‘Avengers: Infinity War’ (2018)
Directed by Joe and Anthony Russo
How on Earth does one bring the climax of a cinematic universe with 18 films (at the time), balancing dozens of beloved characters without screwing it up and making it feel overcrowded, confusing, and too fast-paced? No one is quite sure how they did it so well, but Joe Russo and Anthony Russo crafted what is certainly the best film in The Avengers franchise.
They give every character time to shine and make the plot feel real and genuine while also bringing one of the greatest villains in superhero film history, Thanos (Josh Brolin), to the big screen. Avengers: Infinity War is a true event film, but it’s not perfect. Thanos gets all the development and the Marvel heroes don’t have much, relying on viewers having seen past films to know where characters are at by the time they pop up to face the Mad Titan and his army.
Avengers: Infinity War
- Release Date
- April 27, 2018
- Cast
- Robert Downey Jr. , Chris Hemsworth , Mark Ruffalo , Chris Evans , Scarlett Johansson , Benedict Cumberbatch , Don Cheadle , Tom Holland , Chadwick Boseman , Paul Bettany , Elizabeth Olsen , Anthony Mackie , Sebastian Stan , Danai Gurira , Letitia Wright , Zoe Saldana , Josh Brolin , Chris Pratt
- Runtime
- 149 minutes
4 ‘Black Panther’ (2018)
Directed by Ryan Coogler
Having already been introduced in Captain America: Civil War, Black Panther’s (Chadwick Boseman) first solo film in the MCU was less an origin film for him and more of an origin for Wakanda. Killmonger is one of the franchise’s best villains, played by Michael B. Jordan, one of the MCU’s best casting choices. He’s one of the greatest villains in superhero film history, up there next to Thanos himself. He’s written astoundingly on so many levels, with a wonderful performance from Jordan.
Unfortunately, Black Panther does suffer a bit in the visual department. While the cinematography, costuming, and set design are impeccable, the CGI leaves a lot to be desired. This flaw is not true for the film’s full runtime, but there are points in the film, like the now-infamous final battle, where the CGI suffers and can take viewers out of the experience.
Black Panther
- Release Date
- February 16, 2018
- Runtime
- 134 minutes
- Writers
- Joe Robert Cole , Ryan Coogler , Jack Kirby , Stan Lee
3 ‘Iron Man’ (2008)
Directed by Jon Favreau
With how successful the Marvel Cinematic Universe has become, it’s no surprise that the first film in this universe’s journey was borderline perfect. Whether it’s the masterful performance from Robert Downey Jr., expert directing from Jon Favreau, or stunning CGI for its time (which still holds up to this day), Iron Man is a marvel of a film that deserves all the praise it still gets.
When speaking back on the film’s shooting, Jeff Bridges claimed the film felt somewhat amateurish, and sometimes, that can be felt. Certain elements of Iron Man can feel undercooked and rushed, like the development of the relationship between Tony Stark and Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow) or Tony’s dynamic with Obediah (Bridges). Iron Man is still brilliant, but the amateur aspects are noticeable, especially on repeated viewings.
Iron Man
- Release Date
- May 2, 2008
- Runtime
- 126 minutes
- Writers
- Mark Fergus , Hawk Ostby , Art Marcum , Matt Holloway , Stan Lee , Don Heck
2 ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ (2014)
Directed by James Gunn
Guardians of the Galaxy is the definition of an underdog. From the announcement to right before release, there was not much hope for James Gunn‘s project. The heroes were rather obscure in the comics and, at first glance, didn’t seem as compelling as the Marvel heroes audiences had known to love and root for. Chris Pratt was also not known to be an action star before this, so it was unknown if he could pull it off.
But boy, oh boy, did Gunn and Pratt pull it off with grace and excellence. If there’s a flaw with Guardians of the Galaxy, it’s the heavy use of humor that can take away from the emotional beats. It’s also not easy to introduce multiple characters into a franchise at the same time, as well. Juggling multiple origins isn’t simple, and while Gunn does it well for the most part, it can suffer a bit at times.
Guardians of the Galaxy
- Release Date
- August 1, 2014
- Runtime
- 121 minutes
- Writers
- James Gunn , Nicole Perlman , Dan Abnett , Andy Lanning
1 ‘Captain America: The Winter Soldier’ (2014)
Directed by Joe and Anthony Russo
Commonly known as the best Marvel Cinematic Universe there is, Captain America: The Winter Soldier is a near-masterpiece of a film with beautiful writing, characterization that’s compelling, and directing that captivates the audience. Captain America: The Winter Soldier is a more insightful, cerebral, and complex movie than any other entry in the MCU, aiming to be more of a political thriller than an outright superhero movie.
Still, it’s not without faults, especially considering its by-the-numbers approach to a world-domination plot. With so much of the movie focusing on the relationship between Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) and Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan), it would’ve been much better for the superheroic antics to fully take a backseat in favor of a more emotional take on Cap’s youth and refrets. The entrapments of the superhero genre hold it back, but Captain America: The Winter Soldier remains the crowning achievement of the MCU.
