What do you think is the best Marvel movie ever? The MCU is so vast and varied these days that the franchise warrants its own ranked list! And while we love the MCU, there’s no denying that not every film to ever come out of Marvel Studios is a smash hit. We’re looking at you, Thor: The Dark World…
So, if you were only going to watch the top 15 best Marvel movies of all time, which movies would make the cut? The Avengers? Black Panther? Guardians of the Galaxy? There’s so many great MCU films to choose from, it’s harder than you think narrowing them down to just the top 15, but that’s what we’ve tried to do. The question is, does our ranked list line up with yours? Read on to find out what we think are the best Marvel movies ever and if you don’t agree… well, no one’s going to force you to watch our ranked list instead of yours, so no need to @ us.
If you’re gearing up to a Marvel movie marathon, then most of the best Marvel movies can be found on Disney Plus (sadly you’ll have to search elsewhere for the Spider-Man films). Our Marvel streaming guide will help you find those last few movies that aren’t in the house of mouse. And if you’re really feeling ambitious, then why not watch all the Marvel movies in chronological order instead? The best Marvel movies are just a click away… enjoy!
Oh, and beware spoilers ahead for these movies. You’ve been warned…
15. Iron Man 3
- Release date: April 25, 2013
- Cast: Robert Downey Jr., Guy Pearce, Gwyneth Paltrow
There’s much debate over the quality of the Iron Man sequels. Whereas the first Iron Man film set the standards for the rest of the MCU, its sequels couldn’t always reach that high bar. Fans go back and forth on whether Iron Man 2 or Iron Man 3 is better but, for us, Iron Man 3 wins out because this is where we see a truly vulnerable Tony Stark for the first time.
Suffering from PTSD after the events of The Avengers, Tony is consumed with keeping his loved ones safe at any cost, which leads him to make some questionable choices. Ok, the Mandarin storyline is awful, no doubt, but if you can put that aside then what you’re left with is a sequel which shows real inner turmoil and growth for its superhero.
14. Captain Marvel
- Release date: March 8, 2019
- Cast: Brie Larson, Samuel L. Jackson, Ben Mendelsohn
The first female-led MCU movie was a looooooooong time coming but fans finally got what they wanted in 2019 when Brie Larson burst onto the big screen as the all powerful Captain Marvel. Set in the ‘90s, Captain Marvel is packed full of empowering female characters, some impressive CGI skills and more nostalgic nods than you can shake a Flerken at.
So why isn’t it higher on our list of the best Marvel movies? Simply because you never quite forget you’re watching a superhero film. For all its good points – and there are a lot – Captain Marvel falls short of the realism that makes most MCU films special. The jokes and one-liners don’t always land right, the jeopardy feels abstract and is that really how Fury loses his eye?!
13. Ant-Man and the Wasp
- Release date: July 6, 2018
- Cast: Paul Rudd, Michael Douglas, Evangeline Lilly
If you thought the first Ant-Man film was good, then you’ll love the sequel. Honestly, we went back and forth on whether to put Ant-Man and the Wasp higher up than it’s original on this list. While it has everything that made the first film so special (the jokes, the miniature tech, Luis’s monologues…), Ant-Man and the Wasp goes one better and not just because it finally gives Evangeline Lilly’s Wasp the name check in the title she deserves.
Following on from the events of Civil War, our hero is under house arrest and on the outs with the Pyms, when a chance to save Hope’s Mum brings them back together. The familial story at the center of this sequel – for both the hero, and the villain, Ghost – really pulls on your heartstrings making for a memorable Marvel movie.
12. The Avengers
- Release date: May 4, 2012
- Cast: Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson
No one thought it could be done, which sounds pretty ridiculous now we’ve seen Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame, but it’s true. When Marvel Studios announced it was going to make a superhero movie bringing together six different superheroes, only four of which had had their own solo movies at that point, everyone thought it would be a mess.
And yet, The Avengers is an almost perfect superhero film. The groundwork which had already been laid in previous Marvel movies definitely helped pave the way for the cinematic collaboration, allowing audiences to dive straight into the action without having to wonder who everyone was. Add to that the quippy one-liners the MCU was becoming known for and a heartfelt human story at its center, and The Avengers is definitely one of the best Marvel movies everyone should watch.
11. Ant-Man
- Release date: July 17, 2015
- Cast: Paul Rudd, Michael Douglas, Evangeline Lilly
Ant-Man just narrowly misses out on the top 10 best Marvel movies of all time and it’s a shame because it really is a great film. Introducing this miniature hero to the MCU for the first time, Ant-Man has all the style and humor that made the first Iron Man film such a hit. Paul Rudd stars as an ex-con who barely gets to see his daughter and is struggling to make ends meet when Michael Douglas recruits him to help stop his former protégé from using Ant-Man technology for evil.
Ant-Man is essentially a heist movie, which is one of the reasons why it works so well, and Rudd is perfectly cast as the immature but loveable hero at the center of it all. With jokes a plenty and a unique miniature final fight, Ant-Man deserves its spot on the list of best Marvel movies.
10. Thor: Ragnarok
- Release date: November 3, 2017
- Cast: Chris Hemsworth, Tom Hiddleston, Cate Blanchett
Up until Ragnarok, Thor’s cinematic journey had been somewhat… crap. While the first Thor movie isn’t awful, it certainly isn’t great, and need we even mention Thor: The Dark World? There’s just something about the theatrical superhero who looks more at home in a Shakespeare play than the modern world that Marvel struggled with at first. But third time’s the charm, as they say.
With Ragnarok, director Taika Waititi took the genius move to lean into the comedy of the character rather than try and ignore it, which allowed for one of the funniest films in the MCU. Plus, Hulk came along for the ride, given he wasn’t allowed another solo film, as well as Loki and a whole host of awesome new characters (Valkyrie, Grandmaster, Korg, etc.) were introduced to the MCU. And who can forget one of the best villains in the MCU? The wicked and wonderful Hela.
9. Spider-Man: Homecoming
- Release date: July 7, 2017
- Cast: Tom Holland, Michael Keaton, Robert Downey Jr.
By the time the MCU teamed up with Sony to do its take on Spider-Man, fans already felt like they’d had one too many versions of the web-slinging superhero. But boy were they glad that Marvel went ahead and introduced Spider-Man in Captain America: Civil War anyway. Much of the success of the character is down to the perfect casting of Tom Holland and after a standout performance in Civil War, Homecoming was his first individual adventure.
While Peter Parker was dreaming about becoming an Avenger, director Jon Watts kept the superhero on track with a quintessential neighborhood conflict with villain the Vulture. Combined with a high school experience which could have been plucked from the mind of John Hughes and Homecoming is the MCU at its best; a painfully human story that just happens to involve superheroes.
8. Iron Man
- Release date: May 2, 2008
- Cast: Robert Downey Jr., Jeff Bridges, Gwyneth Paltrow
It’s hard not to treat the first Iron Man film with a sense of overwhelming reverence given it was the very first MCU movie ever made. But trust us, it isn’t on our list of the top 11 best Marvel movies ever just because it was the first… it’s also a masterclass in superhero origin story filmmaking. It has everything you want; a charismatic but flawed hero at the center of a story about doing the right thing – and tons of gadgets.
Let’s not forget that one of the best things about Iron Man is the equipment! The Iron Man suit was and is one of the most badass weapons in the MCU and it was made all the better thanks to the brash but lovable man behind the wheel, Tony Stark. While the conflict between Iron Man and Iron Monger is pretty lowkey by today’s MCU standards, it fits the journey the superhero was on to become one of the biggest names in superhero cinema.
7. Captain America: Civil War
- Release date: May 6, 2016
- Cast: Chris Evans, Robert Downey Jr., Scarlett Johansson
Captain America: Civil War, also known as The Avengers 2.5, saw everyone’s favorite superhero team split up over a disagreement about their own autonomy. On one side, you have Team Cap and on the other, you have Team Iron Man, and when the two teams collide, you get one hell of a superhero film. Civil War is one of the best Marvel movies because it took the conflict between Cap and Iron Man, which had been bubbling under the surface for a while, to a devastating new level – we saw the superhero family we’d come to know and love torn apart.
Much more entertaining than any fight with a common enemy, Civil War cut fans deep and would have long-running consequences for the future of the MCU. Plus, it introduced Black Panther who’s definitely one the best new superheroes in the MCU.
6. Black Panther
- Release date: February 13, 2018
- Cast: Chadwick Boseman, Michael B. Jordan, Lupita Nyong’o
Speaking of Black Panther, his movie is definitely one of the best Marvel movies ever made too. The rich and colorful world of Wakanda makes a dazzling backdrop for the superhero’s solo outing as he returns home after the events of Civil War (and the death of his father) to become king. As you might expect, not everything goes to plan and one of the reasons Black Panther is one the best Marvel movies is because it has one of the best Marvel villains; Killmonger.
The fight for the throne is an action-packed and emotional story, which left fans desperate for more and cemented Black Panther’s position as one of the best new superheroes on the MCU scene.
5. Captain America: The Winter Soldier
- Release date: April 4, 2014
- Cast: Chris Evans, Sebastian Stan, Scarlett Johansson
It’s often been said that the reason MCU movies are so good is because they’re great comedy/action/thriller movies first, and superhero movies second. If that’s true, then Captain America: The Winter Soldier is definitely one the best spy movies ever made. Fresh off the back of defrosting and saving the world in The Avengers, Steve Rogers is continuing to adjust to the contemporary world when The Winter Soldier comes into his life.
The deadly assassin is more myth than man, but he starts a chain reaction that will lead to Cap’s entire world being turned upside down. Not only a pivotal movie in the MCU timeline, The Winter Soldier is also packed full of the most perfect action sequence you’ll ever see – that elevator scene! *chills*
4. Spider-Man: No Way Home
- Release date: December 15, 2021
- Cast: Tom Holland, Zendaya, Benedict Cumberbatch
By the time Marvel Studios teamed up with Sony for its take on Spider-Man fans already felt like they’d had one too many versions of the web-slinging superhero, but thanks to the perfect casting of Tom Holland and Jon Watts’ directorial vision, the Spidey trilogy has become one of the strongest in the MCU. And the best Marvel movie in that trilogy is without a doubt the most recent; Spider-Man: No Way Home.
Picking up directly after the events of Far From Home, Spider-Man is struggling with the fallout from Mysterio revealing his true identity. He tries to enlist the help of Doctor Strange to make everyone forget, but the spell goes wrong and causes the multiverses to collide. Bad news for them, but great news for fans as this means we get to see Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield’s Spider-Mans visit the MCU, as well as some of the best villains from their films. With plenty of laughs between the three Spideys, but also some heartbreak as well, No Way Home isn’t just a great MCU film, it also makes the previous Sony Spider-Man films better too, which is why it’s one of the best Marvel movies of all time.
3. Avengers: Infinity War
- Release date: April 27, 2018
- Cast: Robert Downey Jr., Chris Hemsworth, Chris Evans
Imagine The Avengers, but like… a 1,000% times bigger, and you’ve got Avengers: Infinity War. By this point in the MCU, there’s a whole host of new superheroes who put in an appearance in Infinity War to try and save everyone from Thanos and his deadly desire to bring balance to the universe.
To say this film could have been a mess is an understatement given how many characters, worlds, and weapons were involved but somehow the Russo brothers managed to bring it all together into a film which not only makes sense, but is actually one of the best Marvel movies out there. With equal parts action and heart, Infinity War raises the bar for the MCU and sets Endgame up to push it even further.
2. Guardians of the Galaxy
- Release date: August 1, 2014
- Cast: Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Lee Pace
A raccoon, a tree, Thanos’ daughter, a grief-stricken murderer, and a wise-cracking manchild might not seem like the best combination for a superhero team, but the Guardians of the Galaxy could give The Avengers a run for their money. While the concept for the first Guardians film didn’t exactly win non-comic book fans over at first (did I mention the raccoon?), it’s now widely considered one the best Marvel movies ever made. And that’s due in no small part to its ridiculous sense of humor and phenomenal soundtrack.
The Guardians aren’t afraid to have fun whilst saving the day – usually because they’re a bit iffy on whether they’re the heroes or villains depending on how they’re feeling at the time – and that’s why we love them. They might fight and snark at each other on a daily basis, but they’re a family. A highly dysfunctional and dangerous family.
1. Avengers: Endgame
- Release date: April 26, 2019
- Cast: Robert Downey Jr., Chris Hemsworth, Chris Evans
So, what do we think is the best Marvel movie ever? Avengers: Endgame, of course. It might seem like somewhat of a predictable top pick given it’s the ultimate finale to the Infinity Saga, but there’s more to it than that. Putting aside the individual moments which make Endgame great (Cap wielding Mjölnir, that badass female superhero scene, finally hearing Cap say “Avengers, assemble”), it also introduces time travel to the MCU. Not only is this pretty mind-blowing in terms of what it means for future films, but it also meant we got to relive some of the key moments in the MCU before we said a tearful farewell.
And tearful it was, because we lost not one but three of the original Avengers in Endgame. While Cap got his happily ever after and Tony and Natasha died literally saving the world, none of the goodbyes were easy for fans, but they were perfect for those characters. Who’d have thought over 10 years after we first heard “I am Iron Man” in cinemas, that the MCU would be where it was when Tony uttered those iconic words for the last time?
And the best thing about Endgame isn’t even the goodbyes, but the future it sets up as well. Cap passing the shield onto Falcon, Thor joining the Guardians, not to mention whatever Morgan Stark is going to grow up to do! Endgame is the perfect… well, ending to the Infinity Saga. And the perfect beginning to what comes next for the MCU. And that’s why it’s the best Marvel movie.
Source: Space.com