No ranking of the Marvel Cinematic Universe will please everyone. We’re all looking for different things from the movies we watch. Some want big action set pieces. Others want humor and adventure. For me, I prefer a bit of gravitas. I like when the movie and characters take what’s happening somewhat seriously (with splashes of humor thrown in, of course). I want the choices, consequences, and drama to feel believable rather than treated lightly just because it’s a superhero movie. I don’t want “just a superhero” movie, I want a great story that happens to involve superheroes.

So the movies I rate “Awesome” I think do the best job of grounding the genre in genuine narrative stakes and logic while still leaning into the scale that a comic book movie allows for (or kind of demands). “Good” are just a step down. Some can be just a little too silly (like No Way Home). Or aren’t quite as epic as, say, Endgame or Civil War, so fall a tier below. The “Ups and Downs” are kind of messy. They’re still making some strong choices but never quite bring it all together. And then the “Somewhat Boring, Somewhat Bad” category is a bit self-explanatory. These are the films that feel to me like someone said, “Hey, we’re just making a comic book movie, let’s not overthink it and just have fun.” I’m sorry if your favorite is in this category.

Rankings

Last updated: Deadpool & Wolverine | The Marvels | Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 | Ant-Man and the Wasp

Movies in each tier are in alphabetical order

Awesome

1. Avengers: Endgame 
2. Avengers: Infinity War 
3. Captain America: Civil War 
4. Captain America: The Winter Soldier
5. Iron Man
6. Spider-Man: No Way Home 
7. Thor: Ragnarok

Good

8. Black Panther
9. Black Widow
10. Deadpool & Wolverine
11. Doctor Strange
12. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2
13. Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings
14. Spider-Man: Far From Home
15. Spider-Man: Homecoming
16. The Avengers
17. The Incredible Hulk

Ups and Downs

18. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
19. Captain Marvel
20. Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness
21. Eternals
22. Guardians of the Galaxy
23. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
24. Thor
25. Thor: The Dark World

Somewhat Boring, Somewhat Bad

26. Ant-Man
27. Avengers: Age of Ultron
28. Captain America: The First Avenger
29. Iron Man 2
30. Iron Man 3
31. Thor: Love and Thunder