We are now just about two weeks away from the release of the highly anticipated Thor: Ragnarok. We also just got an awesome new trailer for Black Panther which is easily one of my most anticipated movies of 2018. So with the Thor and Black Panther hype trains starting up I figured now would be a great time to count down my favourite movies in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. This list was pretty hard to make as this is easily one of my favourite film franchises, but I managed to do it so here we are.
As usual, I have some honourable mentions...
Guardians of the Galaxy- I know this will be a controversial omission, but while I have a lot of fun with this movie I don't love it as much as most people do. The cast is great, the soundtrack is amazing, the action is really good, and yet it doesn't quite give me the happiness and excitement that a lot of other Marvel movies do. It also has easily one of the worst villains in this franchise.
Captain America: The First Avenger- I'd argue that this film has one of the best villains within the franchise, and serves as a great introduction to Captain America. It is a fun period piece, but is ultimately a little forgettable. I think this movie might have made my top 9 if it's sequels didn't build upon it so much, but both are amazing, so The First Avenger is limited to an honourable mention.
Now onto the Top 9.
#9- Iron Man 3 (2013)
This movie gets shit for two big things; the random twist no one saw coming, and the tone that doesn't feel like an MCU film. I am on the side of people that thought the twist was hilarious, and I thought the tone was incredible. This film works for me because it is a distinctly Shane Black movie, and when it was released, not many Marvel films were doing anything very different. While the villain isn't very strong, I still find this movie very enjoyable to watch, and I don't think it gets the credit it deserves.
#8- Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017)
I know it's an unpopular opinion, but I like this movie more than the first film. I thought the marketing was very underwhelming so I wasn't very excited for it going in, but I ended up finding it one of the most fun movies in this franchise. Baby Groot is probably the reason I love it so much, but it also has a ton of deep emotion complimenting its hilarious moments. I know people will think I'm crazy, but I like this movie more than the first, and it takes the eight spot on my list.
#7- Ant-Man (2015)
Iron Man 2 had the issue of focusing too much on building a universe, Ant-Man doesn't have that problem at all. Other than a brief cameo from another Avenger, this movie is solely an origin story for Scott Lang, played brilliantly by Paul Rudd. This movie has a fun heist element to it and features a slew of fun side characters that keep the movie incredibly entertaining. While its easily the smallest scale film in the franchise (pun-intended), it stands well on its own and does a great job introducing its title character.
#6- Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)
Tom Holland is the best Spider-man in my opinion, perfectly hitting the teenage personality of Peter Parker while also nailing the attitude of his superhero counterpart. I have some issues with other characters within the film, but Holland's incredible performance more than makes up for them. Michael Keaton is great as the vulture providing a take on a classic Spider-man villain that had yet to be put to screen. This movie connects with teens in a way no other superhero films really have and I loved it.
#5- Doctor Strange (2016)
If it didn't come out the same year as The Jungle Book, I'd say this movie deserves an award for its visual effects. Every fight scene in this movie is incredible, especially the one where time is going backwards around Doctor Strange and his enemies. Benedict Cumberbatch is really good in his leading role, and the mystical element of the film makes it one of the more interesting entries in the franchise. The visuals are reason enough to love this film and they are complimented with very strong characters and a fun, interesting plot.
#4- Captain America: Civil War (2016)
This movie is absolutely incredible. While tasked with developing about a dozen key characters but making the film distinctly a Captain America film, the Russo brothers manage to create a very intriguing and fun movie that will be talked about for a long time. We get to see most of the characters we know and love, and are introduced to new ones. We get to see the first of Tom Holland's Spider-man which was very exciting, as well as Chadwick Boseman's amazing take on Black Panther. An overall great film full of fun. emotion, and tension, not to mention an incredible airport scene.
#3- The Avengers (2012)
The accumulation of several films before it, The Avengers was the first time we got to see some of our favourite characters like Iron Man, Captain American, Thor, and the Hulk on screen together. While Thor didn't make my list, Tom Hiddleston's portrayal of Loki still gets a shout out as he gives a brilliant performance in this film. The film is directed and written insanely well and every performance is great, making this one of the most widely loved superhero movies of all time. This film will stand the test of time, and takes the three spot on my list.
#2- Iron Man (2008)
The one that started it all. Iron Man is the movie that kicked off this universe, and also stands on its own as a great film. Robert Downey Jr's came on with lots of skepticism and completely reinvented himself as an actor, going from constant arrests and rehab to being one of the most sought after talents around nowadays. This movie had a lot riding on it and managed to exceed expectations and start up one of the most popular film franchises of all time that continues to succeed. Here's hoping Downey will give us a few more films with his iconic portrayal.
#1- Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)
My favourite Marvel Cinematic Universe movie and one of my favourite superhero movies of all time is Captain America: The Winter Soldier. This is where we first saw that Marvel movies can work within different genres as this movie acts more like a spy thriller than a traditional superhero movie. We get to follow Captain America and Black Widow as they are being hunted by their former employers. The angle of HYDRA coming out from within S.H.I.E.L.D drastically changed the MCU, a change that was even felt largely in the franchise's spin-off show Agents of SHIELD. I absolutely love this movie and it easily takes the top spot in this week's top 9.
Did I miss any of your favourite Marvel movies? If so, let me know in the comments below. If you want to know when the next Top 9 Tuesday comes out follow mattmckreviews on twitter and mattmckenziereviews on instagram, and as always, have a great Tuesday.
Written by Matt McKenzie
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