Here we are, at our final destination. The final list on the tier system represents the movies that are a better and above all the rest. These have the distinguished attributes that make something A tier while simultaneously going exceptionally above and beyond. These are the masterpieces, the wunderkindts, the flawless. Or at very least, if they are flawed, it doesn’t really even matter. These movies stand up above all else, providing excellence among their peers. These are the Marvel content that all else should be judged against, for better or worse. These gold medalists deserve every bit of recognition that they may or may not have had, and I know some of them are controversial but that makes these guys even better. Some may find pause or refute in my claims, and that’s ok, you’re entitled to your individual opinions. As a whole, these are through and through the cream of the crop. The most unique, the most successful, the most influential, the most legendary. I don’t see most of them getting pushed down to A tier any time in the near future but as always, only time will tell.
15) The Punisher: Dirty Laundry (2012) Directed by Phil Joanou Starring Thomas Jane
I can’t think of a bad thing to say about this delight of a short film. Some would argue that it doesn’t belong on the tier list since it’s only 10 minutes long, but I disagree: this is the best live action Punisher content in existence. The project was produced to be a “for fun” love letter to the Punisher and his fan’s starring Thomas Jane with a surprise cameo by Ron Perlman at San Diego’s Comic Con. The fact that this exists at all has got to be one of the coolest things ever; I wish Chris Evans or Robert Downey Jr. would fund a small 10 minute love letter to their respective characters. The film somehow manages to make the Punisher an interesting and intimidating figure in the short ten minutes and establishes him as a menacing violent vigilante who stands up for those who need protection. Dirty Laundry is a tense, action packed Punisher thrill ride that every Marvel fan needs to see to experience to its fullest. The short somehow miraculously ends with a complete character arch and delivers us the most iconic and contains the best Punisher skull emblem reveal across his entire film history catalogue. The short is so good, that Netflix’s Jon Bernthal has stated numerous times that Jane’s performance in Dirty Laundry was his primary inspiration for his portrayal of the Punisher. Kudos to Thomas Jane for delivering a masterpiece of Punisher content and is to date the most comic accurate-perfect piece of live action Punisher performances, earning it S tier for its incredibly impressive construction despite being only 10 minutes long. This short film, of many people, solidified Jane as THE Punisher.
14) What If…Doctor Strange Lost His Heart Instead of His Hands? (Episode 4 of What If…? Season 1 on Disney + 2021) Starring Benedict Cumberbatch
You may recall that I ranked What If…? pretty far down the list. For those who are too lazy to go back and check that review out, I said that the biggest issue that the tv show had was that it didn’t capture the essence of the original premise enough. Sure, you could argue some episodes came close, and it was updated for Disney standards to be less grim/fit within the MCU, but there is one episode that captures the premise brilliantly. It also happens to be the best What If…? episode by a mile. The rest of the series was just not exciting enough to warrant its existence; meanwhile, episode 4 was the diamond in the haystack. Episode 4 revolves around one very simple premise: what if Doctor Strange lost Dr. Christine Palmer instead of his hands. Somehow, throughout the narrative of the episode, we are left with what is quite possibly retroactively the best portrayal of Stephen Strange within the entire MCU. Here, Strange becomes a tragic character instead of one who we can draw inspiration from. He spirals, causing so much damage, that the finale of the episode becomes an over the top dragon-ball level action extravaganza that features Doctor Strange battling his tragic evil self over and over. Strange constantly fails, and retreats to gather more and more power, to the point that his mere existence destroys the entire universe-all in the name of preserving his heart and love, Dr. Palmer. The episode is the only What If…? episode to show that we in no way shape or form want this ending to the Doctor Strange origin, and that Strange NEEDS to lose his hands in order for everything to be ok (a premise that neither of his solo films have come close to acknowledging). Doctor Strange does end on a depressing note, but that is what makes this such a masterpiece and unique corner of the MCU. The short is an emotional roller coaster that is always engaging and compelling, which arguably added more to complexify Strange more than any of his live action appearance. We understand him more than ever thanks to the short, even if it isn’t “our” Strange at the center. The scary part, is that Strange Supreme is still out there in the multiverse implied to be a ticking time bomb. I hope this isn’t a thread that Marvel forgets about, because the possibilities where this story can go is incredibly exciting for not only the MCU but the multiverse as a whole.
13) Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022) Directed by Ryan Coogler Starring Everyone Except Chadwick Boseman, Unfortunately.
This film had an uphill battle even if the film’s biggest controversy didn’t happen. After all, the first is one of the highest selling movies of all time and became in instant worldwide cornerstone for pop culture. To say the pressure was on, is an understatement. Then, out of nowhere, now iconic actor Chadwick Boseman passed away due to a private battle with Cancer. I won’t get into any of the details surrounding his personal life and death despite it being so linked to the film, since that isn’t the point. The point is to rank what we have. Ryan Coogler and friends decided to move forward with Black Panther’s sequel and take on the challenge of continuing his premature legacy without our titular hero. I have said this many times: the single most important aspect to superheroes is legacy. Smartly, Coogler focuses the film around the fact that even though T’Challa is gone, that does not mean that Black Panther is. I can’t fault the film for writing T’Challa’s death off-screen, since the actor is no longer with us (RIP), but even if you did you would be wrong. Coogler manages to simultaneously make the film honor Chadwick’s (both the actor and T’Challa’s) death and offer the cast and audiences a chance to mourn. After all, this was the passing of an icon both on and off screen. It’s incredible how much Coogler creates a film that does this so elegantly while continuing to develop the Black Panther mythos. Everything that was great about the first is turned up to 11 here. The costumes are incredible, as is the complete immersion into Wakandan culture. Instead of turning in another political statement surround African American culture, Coogler elevates his script by turning his focus to the Talokan culture (a stand in for Aztec culture). There are a lot of historical and political subtexts here that hit arguably even harder than the first film did, all framed simultaneously by the passing of T’Challa and the emergence of Namor. Namor is definitely an MCU highlight, bringing us a terrifying superpowered complex character who isn’t so explicitly evil despite committing terrible war crimes. Despite the changes to Atlantis and Namor from the comic book origins, the movie elevates its source material into something greater than it ever was on the pages. In the books, Namor does indeed have a following, but his comics, costumes, and backstory are a bit generic compared to some of his contemporaries. Under any other director, Namor wouldn’t be half as successful as Coogler makes him. Cooler does the impossible with Namor; he imbues changes from the source to truly make him better and more compelling than he ever has been with detailed practical costumes/sets and a backstory to match those details. Auto Tenoch Huerta delivers one of the MCU’s most terrifyingly brutal and visceral performances while also showcasing the character’s deeply complex emotional turmoils. The entire cast are clearly giving it their all with emotional performances across the board that are Oscar worthy in almost every scene. There are too many standout performances to count, but hands down the stand out is Angel Bassett’s Queen Ramona (Bassett’s performance here may in fact be the best acting performance in the entire MCU if you ask me and deserves an Oscar). Sure, Ironheart was a little one dimensional, clearly being shoehorned in to satiate the Disney-higher-ups desire to tease out their future Disney Plus content. With that said, I did find her compelling enough, even if she could have been fleshed out a tiny bit more. Or even possibly omitted entirely. With an emotionally charged ending that is sure to put tears of bittersweetness in your eyes, the film is firmly S tier due to it’s unique nature of being so effectively a tribute to a fallen real-life icon. The film didn’t sell as well as the first, which was expected, since general audiences were never going to be as interested with Boseman. I fear that this fact didn’t help the film critically either, which is unfortunate because it is an easily one of the finest and most complex movies in their entire catalogue. Excellent cast, acting, costumes, sets, pacing, action, scripting, twists and turns populate this wondrous example of how to do the ever so important theme of superhero legacy correctly in live action. Rest in Peace Chadwick Boseman, and thank you for all the entertainment you have provided the world.
12) Shang Chi: The Legend of the Ten Rings (2021) Directed by Destin Daniel Cretton Starring Simu Liu
What a god send this film is. Shang Chi’s first solo outing hit theaters smack dab in the middle (phase 4) of the Covid outbreak, but even that couldn’t stop this from being a hit with the audiences who did see it. No, it didn’t sell as well as other MCU films, but Marvel seemed to have taken the diminished returns as more of a Covid related issue than low property interest. DDC (director Destin Daniel Cretton for short) was given the task of bringing forth Marvel’s first asian superhero to the big screens. After the success of Black Panther, Marvel began fast tracking high diversity projects and their next biggest target was asian audiences. The problem with Shang Chi, in contrast to Black Panther, is that his historical publications have been controversial to say the least. And not in a good way (they were, quite racist). Marvel decided to update the Shang Chi mythos and erase some of the stereotypes and caricatures that populate his books of old. Not only that, but they smartly decided to rectify an old mistake they made in Iron Man 3 and fix their racist Mandarin problem. Marvel managed to nab Asian mega superstar Tony Leung to come in and give fans the REAL Mandarin (and in the process gives us one of the best villains in the whole MCU). DDC clearly has a love for both Marvel and kung-fu movies, since the movie is populated with familiar modern asian kung-fu movie actors as well as some of the most impressively choreographed fight sequences in all of Marvel cinema. I will never forget seeing Shang’s skyscraper building fight in IMAX, which was the only fight in the whole MCU that I myself felt actually fear watching, and this comes from someone who prides himself on not having a fear of heights. Another stand out is the unique “dance” fight that showcases how Shang’s parents meet as a clear homage to Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon. Simu, along with most of the cast, reportedly did a lot of their own stunts and spent months training to become actual martial artists (I highly recommend watching the “Assembled” special about this movie on Disney Plus, there is a lot of fascinating behind the scenes information if you particularly liked this movie) which help give this movie a more authentic feel. I love that the movie somehow successfully feels both like a kung fu movie and an MCU movie; we get plenty of easter eggs, cameos, teases and lore that further advance the overarching MCU plot (Wong!) without overtly distracting from the plot at hand. The choreography reportedly utilized a lot of practical fight choreography effects in similar vein to the kung fu movies that inspired the sequences. The script is incredibly well written, with an emotional weight at the center revolving around Shang’s origins that have finally caught up to him in the present day. Family drama keeps this movie at its most interesting; Shang and his parents (and by extension, his aunt) are all incredibly interesting and developed characters that each have important character arcs. Shang’s family and friends all serve purposes both individual and for our titular hero making not a single character here wasted or uninteresting. Awkwafina’s Kathy isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, and I get it (she is kind of like the female Ryan Reynolds-you love her but too much can be off putting), but Awkwafina brings a necessary levity to an otherwise heavily weighted emotional high staked family drama giving a healthy balance between heavy and light that all Marvel movies should have. Regarding Simu Liu; he is absolutely a delightful screen presence. He has what it takes to fill some shoes that need filling if you ask me. He is highly charismatic and talented, with excellent humor delivery and dashing good looks; all important ingredients to being an MCU superstar. Give it time, you will see Simu all over the MCU eventually, especially if Marvel appreciates the talent they have in front of them. Simu is and has been incredibly vocal and supportive of his role. Simu, much like the character he portrays, is a fate bringer- he reportedly tweeted to Marvel that he wanted the roll of Shang Chi and literally made the film happen. Simu is Shang Chi, the roll he was born to play. Simu is in a great situation here, where he can offer Shang greater creative liberties due to the characters muddied history; and has an opportunity to truly take a maligned character and transform him into something greater. Shang Chi’s first steps are certainly off to an incredible start in that regard. The movie does falter a bit in its cgi heavy final battle, but even so, it’s hard to deny that Shang Chi going full on Dragon Ball Z is nothing short of fist pumping. The stakes during the final battle are so incredibly high, yet revolve around something so incredibly intimate and personal to both Shang and his evil father. And we didn’t even talk about the beautiful score that composer Joel P West brings with an orchestral style that invokes a feeling of asian mysticism like none other in the MCU. Shang Chi is masterful filmmaking, and it’s evident that Marvel knows what they have in DDC ( they were so impressed with him he got promoted to directing the next Avengers film). If the King Dynasty has even half as good fight sequences as this movie, I will be pretty happy. Shang Chi is easily one of the best phase four films and is a bright unique corner within the entire MCU canon.
11) Spider-man 2 (2004) Directed by Sam Raimi Starring Toby McGuire
If you look closely, this was the best Marvel movie of all time until fairly recently. Only time will tell if that’s recency bias, but I stand firmly that it’s starting to show some age. If you don’t include Logan for being a modern legacy film, this is certainly the best of the non MCU movies. Yes, I know No Way Home brought this movie into the MCU but you know what I mean. There’s a heck of a lot of good reason why this film is so highly regarded and clearly ahead of it’s time and I won’t go over all of it here, especially because I know most of you already love this film. For many of us, Tobey’s movies are what turned us all into superhero fans, and it’s arguably this film that truly solidified that for most. Sure, the first film was great, but this one was legendary. Rami, now free of the origin constraint, was allowed to build a film much more uniquely his own instead of a riff off an established story. It does have quite a few comic book inspired elements, but Rami excels in providing Peter a much more dramatic and personal story. The plot is gripping no matter how many times you rewatch it, to this very day. Some of the acting techniques and dialogue are aging, but Tobey is in his best Peter Parker here, delivering a heart wrenching performance virtually like no other in all of Marvel movies. The character arcs, the drama, the tension, the super heroics, the costumes, are all elevated to an 11 this time around, with yet another iconic villain in the form of Alfred Molina’s Doctor Octopus. This is the blue print of what a Spider-man film should be through and through; Rami clearly has more than enough care of these characters to faithfully adapt them to the big screen in a way that retained their essence. The movie was far ahead of it’s time, and that’s a good thing, because for everything this movie did right we have plenty of movies to thank it and owe it for. Quite possibly this is the most influential modern Marvel superhero movie of all time; we wouldn’t even have the MCU if Tobey’s second outing wasn’t so hugely successful and influential. Why isn’t it the number 1 then? Well, it could be once up a time (not too recently either) but we have to move on eventually. As good as it is, the movies have finally caught up to themselves and started surpassing the reigning champ. We will never forget you Tobey!
10) Werewolf by Night (2022) Directed by Michael Giacchino Starring Gael Garcia Bernal and Laura Donnelly
I still can’t believe this exists and it’s as good as it is. I have to admit, I was a skeptic when it was announced. Werewolf by Night is an old school Marvel property that hasn’t had an audience in god knows how long. One thing is for sure though, a lot of the Marvel monsters originated in the Werewolf by Night books. Originally Werewolf was a Stan Lee idea that came in the early 70s after the infamous comics code began to dissipate. He reportedly wanted to cash in on the classic werewolf for the Marvel comics (he wanted everything and anything to be possible in the Marvel Universe), and it was all even more possible now that comics were no longer as restricted as they were. In the pages we had numerous Marvel mainstay monsters introduced, but most notably it’s here that Moon Knight makes his first appearance (I’m hoping for a cross over in live action soon!!). Famous composer Michael Giacchino makes his directorial debut by pitching to Marvel a classic black and white old school horror influenced Werewolf by night movie. Marvel gave him a special presentation and a little bit of a budget to pull it off; and boy did he. The film is arguably the most artistically successful film in the entire MCU (sorry Wandavision fans, but this takes the cake by a mile). The use of practical effects are such a hugely welcome surprise for the MCU and a directing style that mimics that horrors of yesterday’s scariest pictures. With homage galore to classic horror movie icons like Frankenstein, Creature of the Black Lagoon and Dracula, to name a few, the one hour special presentation manages to also deliver a short and sweet character arc for the low-key secret protagonist of the movie Elsa Bloodstone. I don’t know who we have to credit this for, but, this one hour short gives us Elsa bloodstone, Werewolf, and Man-Thing all comic accurate representation in its glory. This short is the best proof that Marvel should absolutely push their bounds in the name of creativity for more success (reports indicate that this is in fact Disney plus’s most successful MCU tie in outside of Loki) instead of continually turning out stale and repetitive cookie cutter MCU formula laden projects one after the other. Give the directors more opportunity to bring their vision to life, so long as it serves the characters well. Werewolf by Night, for what it is, is a masterpiece of classic horror homage and MCU superhero merging with compelling acting, tense edge of your seat sequences, excellent use of practical effects, nice twists and turns and complete classic Marvel characters who I thought I would never see in live action. Elsa Bloodstone is absolutely an underrated deep cut Marvel gem that every true fan should be aware; I remain hopeful that Laura Donnelly will return and give us some more Marvel monster drama before too long. Man-Thing was incredibly well done and absolutely redeems the shit-show the 2005 version was. Man-Thing is a far more important character than you may realize especially in regards to the multiverse, in which I won’t spoil for you, but if you can’t wait then I suggest you look up his wiki to see what’s potentially to come. His introduction in the multiverse saga is surely no coincidence.
9) Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014) Directed by the Russo Brothers Staring Chris Evans
The world wasn’t ready for this one. I certainly wasn’t. I won’t forget this one in theaters because it was the first time in the MCU that I truly felt like the possibilities of a live action Marvel Universe was coming to fruition. Sure, The Avengers were assembled. But this one accelerated the MCU in a way that we hadn’t seen before by adding complexity to the interconnectivity of the overarching saga. The movie had masterful, even by todays standards ten years later, fight choreography that is as tense as it gets. You could almost feel the intense blows or the near misses resulting in audible gasps in the theaters, no short credit to directing duo Anthony and Joe Russo for concocting edge of your seat sequences. The Russo Brothers nailed it so big in this one that it would lead them to directing some of the most iconic movies ever created within the MCU. The Winter Soldier took the excellent foundations set in The First Avenger and expanded it into a complex action espionage movie inspired by 80’s paranoid thriller films. Legendary actor Robert Redford plays the films villain Alexander Pierce, which twisted and turned the MCU status quo in a way that we hadn’t seen yet. That status quo change resulted mostly in the destruction of Shield, which functioned as the MCU’s glue up to this point. It was ballsy, and it was a huge risk, but it was a twist that paid off in dividends down the road, and its a status quo change that the MCU is still dealing with to this day. The twist ultimately gave the Russos the confidence to implement bold twists in their storytelling that would eventually populate their next three MCU movies to such a great effect that I won’t undercut here. The Winter Soldier loosely adapts Ed Brubaker’s Winter Soldier saga from the pages, which was a story that did the impossible by bringing back Bucky Barnes from the dead (he had literally been dead since the 50s in real time). Now, Bucky’s Winter Soldier is a household superhero name thanks to this movie. The movie carefully balance the MCU’s version of political thriller with quiet character study moments for both Cap and Bucky. This film is the film that arguably solidified Chris Evans as the MCU’s second biggest star after Robert Downey Jr. I would also argue that it’s here that he truly became iconic, since his first two appearances were just slightly too campy to reach the breath of relatability to general audiences worldwide. For the first time, Captain America felt BADASS, as he should. His greatest power is the power to inspire, and it’s on full display when he delivers one of the best and most iconic monologues in the entire MCU. Captain America’s appearances are never wasted, and here he continues on one of the MCU’s arguably most complex and interesting character arcs. His sense of justice and patriotism is challenged to its biggest effect yet in this film, giving Steve Rogers an always interesting deeply flawed sense of heroism. Evans brings his portrayal to iconic levels and owns the role as his own finally after being directed into a cheesy corner during Joss Whedon’s Avengers. The film gets extra brownie points for releasing different versions of Captain America’s now iconic “To Do List” depending on what country it debuted in. With expert plotting, writing, dialogue, tense action scenes (I love George St. Pierres cameo as Batroc the Leaper), great set pieces, great supporting cast (Anthony Mackie is a clear standout) edge of your seat twist and turns, and one of the most charismatic leads in not only MCU history, but action movie history in general. The Winter Soldier is one of the most iconic MCU movies and it will most likely be a long time before this masterpiece will be downgraded out of the upper S tier and is always immensely rewatchable.
8) Daredevil (Netflix, Seasons 1-3, 2015) Created by Drew Goddard Starring Charlie Cox
Here’s a hard pill for some of you to swallow: Robert Downey Jr.’s Iron Man isn’t the best Marvel superhero. No, it’s not Chris Evans’ Cap either. That honor to date goes to Charlie Cox. Netflix’s Daredevil is among the best Marvel content of all time. Daredevil is also low-key arguably the greatest Stan Lee creation, or at very least, the most creative. He has SO many facets to the character that gives him a unique spot while also being firmly as “Marvel” as it gets. His character is an orphaned catholic depressed blind boxer/ninja with super powers and intense love life. That’s at very least 6 or 7 major traits that make Matt Murdock who he is, making him an incredibly well rounded and complex hero who arguably has infinite storytelling possibilities. The Netflix show brilliantly hones in on ALL of those characteristics and explores them all in great detail. Sure, Daredevil’s Netflix show suffers the same faults that the rest of the Netflix crew suffers from (long dragged out plotting) but here it absolutely is a strength and it lends credit to just how fascinating of a character Daredevil is in general. The show nails the tone of the best comics in his character run, most notably Frank Miller’s and Brian Bendis’s runs (Both incredibly influential and important runs to the entire comic book medium). The show is always compelling, with constant cliffhangers that influence binge watching back to back edge of your seat episodes. Rarely does the show include filler, if ever, for every episode across its three season run is intricately plotted. Netflixes Daredevil is always fascinating due in part to the show always having multiple plot threads going (and all of them being good) with an impeccable cast who each goes on their own fascinating character arcs, with multiple fascinating and compelling villains. Most notably, is Vincent D’Onofrio’s now iconic portrayal of the Kingpin. The writing department gets major kudos for developing both Matt and Wilson Fisk into the most complex characters in all of Marvel to date. We have an incredible amount of minutes spent developing these characters and not a single questionable moment. The show is littered with monologues and one liners that will forever permeate the medium as iconic dialogue. The fight sequences are constantly award winning, especially the trademark “single shot” style moments that went on to influence countless moments in the genre (looking at you Gaurdians of the Galaxy Vol. 3!). The Netflix show is almost as addicting as crack is (never done crack, but I assume it’s like watching Daredevil) expertly blending tension with character beats and plot twists at near perfect paces. The shows cast of side characters are always nothing short of perfection either, ranging from the iconic Jon Bernthals Punisher to Elodie Young’s Elektra. Stick, Karen Page, and Foggy Nelson are all excellent mainstays that offer the show a range of performances to cling to. Netflix’s Daredevil is THE superhero content across the board to watch if you’re interested in your heroes being deeply flawed and complex, making it arguably the greatest superhero tv show of all time. Charlie Cox IS Daredevil, through and through, to the point that I can’t imagine anyone else playing the character, much like some of the other icons on this list. He’s up there with Hugh Jackman, Robert Downey Jr, Tobey McGuire, Chris Evans, etc. in the realm of actors who have furthered the development of the genre and embodied their characters. Netflix Daredevil is absolutely S tier superhero content.
7) Thor: Ragnarok (2017) Directed by Taika Watiti Starring Chris Hemsworth
When the Thor: Ragnarok trailers dropped, I vividly remember everyone talking about how it it looked so different for a Thor movie. It sure immediately capture my attention for being different in tone compared to the usual Marvel movies. Once the movie finally dropped, it took the world by storm (no pun intended). Chris Hemsworth proved that the third time really is the charm with Thor: Ragnarok being hands down the best in his solo franchise. Marvel decided to hire indie comedy film maker Taika Waititi to reinvent the Thor franchise since his character seemed to be the one that audiences connected with the least out of the big three. His first two solo outings were financially successful but not quite like his contemporary partners in crime. Waititi brought along an irreverence that we all didn’t know we needed when it came to the God of Thunder, leaning heavily into comedy, improvisation and slapstick more than ever before. The brilliant part of it all was that he somehow kept it just as much firmly “Marvel” as any other project despite imbuing the character and movie with irreverence. Even though Hemsworth in this movie (and at this point in the MCU) is a far cry from his comic book counterpart, it’s here that Chris truly embodies something that is entirely his own. Many would even argue that he has elevated Thor beyond the source with this movie, offering a definitive take. Say what you want about Thor: Love and Thunder, one thing is for sure: Waititi recognized long before many of us that Chris Hemsworth has a comedic timing to him and it’s arguably his best asset as an actor. He truly shines here with a different side of Thor, finally an evolved character with a personality. Waititi discovered what makes Thor so utterly enjoyable to watch and delivered it on all cylinders; we have family drama, Asgardian lore, and excellent action, meanwhilet the humor hits every time and gets funnier even on rewatches. Hiddleston brings his arguably best performance this side of Loki on Disney plus, cementing him as the anti-hero he honestly should be. The supporting cast are all wonderful, including Mark Ruffalo who has some comedic timing to offer here as well. None of the humor detracts from the super heroics either, Thor is as badass as ever as are numerous other characters. Waititi truly managed to bring a balance to the movie that’s unparalleled; even his follow up couldn’t top it in that department. Cate Blanchett and Karl Urban memorably play Hela and Skurge respectively; Waititi’s script smartly leans heavily into the Walt Simonson era for their interpretations which was the right choice and a treat for longtime Thor fans. Tessa Thompson’s Valkyrie is becoming iconic and her roots begin here in another standout performance in a movie filled with excellent standouts. Jeff Goldblum is here doing what he does best and is a perfect fit for the irreverent tone that Waititi was going for. All of these grand parts add up to moving sum that can be stated as follows: Thor: Ragnarok is the best phase 3 solo film and it’s hard to argue otherwise. To this day, Ragnarok maintains that distinction. While it may be disappointing to some fans that we never got a proper Planet Hulk like advertised, I argue that it wasn’t necessary; what we got is excellent and will surely stand the tests of time of being one of the greatest MCU projects.
6) Avengers: Engame (2019) Directed by the Russo Brothers, Starring Everyone (literally)
The culmination to the Infinity Saga should never have worked as well as it did. The MCU project that began with Iron Man 1 back in 2008 finally ties up its loose ends (for the most part) with the season finale banger of the century. I still can’t believe that Marvel pulled off what they did, and as time goes on, it seems like even they can’t either. The Infinity Saga concluding on such a high note was proof of what we all knew all along: that Marvel (MCU) is the best franchise in the history of cinema. We can talk all day about the current state of the MCU and how Endgame has affected it both in front of and behind the cameras, but I don’t want to spend time on that for this entry. We’re here to talk about the actual film itself. Retroactively, it was the right call to make Endgame lean heavily into the character dynamics and interpersonal relations more so than its predecessor did instead of going bigger per-se. Sure, it was over the top and fast paced and with spectacle galore; but at its heart it was a giant intimate love letter to all that came before. Marvel brought all hands on deck to finally stop Thanos once and for all, offering cameos from just about every corner of the MCU. I won’t spoil some of the spoiler-y details, but let’s just say that there are some of the most iconic moments of all time within this film. Those moments wouldn’t hit as hard as they do if you aren’t invested in the MCU as a whole, but at this point, Marvel had the whole world invested. If this list was ranked purely on theatre-going experience alone, this would probably be number 1. In fact, that is what will probably go down in history more so than the content of the actual movie. I will never forget how wild the movie theater got and mine surely wasn’t alone. Featuring at least a handful fist-pumping satisfying scenes that were a decade in the making, the world couldn’t help themselves from literally cheering, standing and clapping in ovation during numerous times throughout the film. That isn’t a pun or a metaphor either; I stood up cheering, along with the rest of my theatre at least twice. Where Endgame thrives is in that satisfaction. Marvel delivered exactly what we all needed, even if it wasn’t exactly what we all thought it was going to be. The plot is actually quite generic (time heist to save the world) but the execution is where it counts. The time heist explored various important times and settings within the MCU (clearly honoring all that came before) and revisited them with our current day heroes. We were constantly reminded of the journey ALL of the heroes have been on and how much each and every one of them changed. To say the movie was a success was an understatement since it was and is the second highest grossing movie of all time (Avatar cheated, in my book). It does have a couple minor gripes that prevent it from being number one, and its not quite as good as Infinity War once the hype dies down, but its still one of the crowning achievements within not only the genre but movies in general. Marvel worked hard to get here and it shows in every single shot. Avengers: Endgame is a once in a lifetime experience that we have yet to see if anyone (including Marvel themselves) can replicate again.
5) Logan (2017) Directed by James Mangold Starring Hugh Jackman
Here we are, at the best X-men movie of all time, and frankly one of the best superhero stories ever told on the big screen. Why is this better than Endgame? Because frankly, the payoff is better here than in Endgame from a storytelling perspective. This movie does what almost no other live action movie does and that address the looming and ever important topic of legacy (it’s truly the only live action movie up to this point (2017) that addressed it almost at all. The movie may not have the fist pumping-cheering ovations that Endgame had, but Logan sure did end up being a masterpiece that will most likely influence the future of superhero movies far more than Endgame will, and a huge part of that is the fact that Hugh did it first. What did he do first you say? He came back after a long break and played an older version of his character, and along the way answered a variety of interesting questions we have about superheroes and aging. The movie is loosely inspired by the famous Mark Millar comic book Old Man Logan, which imagined the hero in the future as an old man traversing a post-apocalyptic Marvel universe with non-other than old man Hawkeye. The comic capitalized on said fascinating topic of “what if our hero was old now” to great effect and became a modern classic for the character. It’s worth noting that the trope of “our character is old now” is in no way shape or form new, at this point it is a tired trope on the pages after majorly originating in the 80s with Frank Miller’s seminal Dark Knight Returns. When it comes to movies, the aging hero is something that was fairly new to general audiences when Logan hit theaters so it’s no surprise that the movie became a franchise milestone. The concept of aging our hero is fascinating on numerous levels, but perhaps it’s at its most interesting when we see our myths and legends be frail and vulnerable. Seeing our once primed heroes vulnerable humanizes them and roots them back to the reality that nothing lasts forever (even if you have a healing factor). James Mangold leaned heavily into these themes by portraying professor X as a geriatric patient in need of long term and one on one care; he suffers from spells of alzeimers/dementia, something that many of us can relate to with seeing our own family members on their inevitable decline. Seeing the professor as frail as he was, was heartbreaking in all the right ways, in no short thanks to expert actor Patrick Stewart’s frankly Oscar worthy performance. Jackman and Stewart are clearly having a field day here adding some uniqueness and nuance to their characters that they have been portraying for well over a decade (at this point, more than two decades). Jackman hones right in on what makes the aging hero trope so interesting in this setting; he delivers a performance that nails the concept that our heroes are heroes because its who they are as people and not the costume they wear. It’s never been more transparent in any other live action film that heroes live and die, but their legacy will continue on. In this case, Laura (wolverines clone) personifies that concept of legacy directly, proving to the audience that Wolverine may be gone but his ideals (and by extension, the ideals of Professor X and his X-men) have been passed on and will continue to grow and evolve past their deaths. No, Logan isn’t page for page an adaption of Old Man Logan. But it doesn’t need to be, because it gets the spirit and message correct. Logan is the clear standout X-men film through and through and is THE shining example of superheroes done right for solo movies. Surely, the film will inevitably spawn a swath of movies that will take direct inspiration from Logan in the future. Most importantly, Logan established that it doesn’t matter how many reboots, continuations, or years have past-some actors will always be the hero they portrayed. Logan opened the storytelling possibilities for countless films to come, and helped the world accept that just because we have moved on from an actor, it won’t be the last time we see them. After all, if the rumors are true regarding Secret Wars, then just about EVERY actor who has ever played a Marvel hero will return, no matter how old they are. How fitting is it that you can thank Logan (the worlds longest running live action character) for those possibilities being an exciting reality.
4) Spider-man: No Way Home (2021) Directed by Jon Watts Starring Tom, Andrew, Toby, their villains Benedict Cumberbatch and the usual Tom crew
I have a question for you: Is this a solo film or a team up film? I love that you can argue both ways for this film. I have an even better question for you: Is this the best live action Spider-man movie of all time? That answer is definitively yes. I get that this movie rides a lot on nostalgia, but here’s the thing: It’s some damn good nostalgia. Like Endgame before it, the premise of Spider-man: No Way Home shouldn’t work on paper, or at very least it should be far harder to pull off than this seems. For years, fans have been clamoring and theorizing about multiple ways the three Spidey’s could cross paths. Although some of those wild fan theories didn’t come to fruition, it doesn’t negate how incredibly exciting and engaging this film is despite a plot that isn’t anything extraordinary. You see, the plot is actually quite simple: MCU Pete (Tom) wants to reset things a bit so that his life can get easier. The fame isn’t doing him any favors. So he goes to Doctor Strange and asks him to alter reality a bit. Doctor Strange’s role seems to be a stand in for Mephisto (who on the pages grants Peter his reality altering wish). I do think it’s a good decision to have Doctor Strange in this role instead because it offers a but of familiarity to the central plot device. I won’t go over the plot details, the awesome cameos, or the notable nostalgic moments (they all speak for themselves, especially if you love any or all of the Spider-men) but I will say this: when it comes to character arcs, this film is all about (Tom) Peter coming into his own as a “mature” hero without the need of a mentor figure. Though the other Spidey’s do help him along his emotional journey, it doesn’t take away from the fact that it’s Peter himself who saves the day. Finally, After numerous MCU appearances and solo movies, the MCU Peter discovers the true meaning of “great power comes great responsibility” and accepts the seemingly near universal constant that Spider-man MUST sacrifice something in order to be Spider-man. Not only does Tom fully evolve into the Spider-man we know and love, but both Tobey and Andrew get their character arcs addressed also. Crafted as a love letter to all things live-action Spider-man with references galore, the film also manages to offer its own little identity within the Spidey movie catalogue. All the former villains of the previous movies get their own mini arcs, with Doc Ock and Green Goblin being obvious standouts. As a whole, Spider-man: No Way Home gathers all the pieces that we love about each and EVERY Spider-man, throws it in a pot, and concocts a story that manages to define what all these Spider-man are all about. This movie proves that all those who debated which Spider-man is best is just flat out wrong: they’re ALL the best and they All represent Spider-man in different facets. When it comes to MCU Peter’s arc, Tobey and Andrew’s Peters represent a host of themes and aspects that only further solidifies Tom’s MCU adventure as something different yet oh-so Spider-man. The movie pulled off what is probably the ONLY thing cooler than Endgame by finding a way for the three Spidey’s to cross paths while also servicing their characters. I frankly don’t know if the future Avenger movies can capture this kind of nostalgic satisfaction until Robert Downey Jr. and Chris Evans come back. No Way Home is a triumphant Spider-man movie that absolutely nails what it means to be Spider-man while showcasing the sweet Marvel spectacle that we have all come to know and love. Since the movie is nostalgia heavy, it remains to be seen how well this movie will age, but for now its absolutely one of the greatest Marvel movies available.
3) Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (2023) Directed by James Gunn Starring the Usual Crew
Who knew this movie would be a masterpiece? I didn’t. Sure, I love me some James Gunn and always believed he could do superheroes justice, but man, this movie knocked it out of the park. Before I get into details, let’s talk briefly about the rise and fall (and subsequent rise again) of James Gunn. Back after the success of Vol 2, he immediately began working on Vol 3. Some time later, some major right wingers decided they wanted to cancel James Gunn after discovering some rather offensive tweets of his from a long time ago. The moral of the story, was that he was immediately removed from all future Guardians and Disney related projects. The world was devastated, clearly, including the cast who took to social media in an outrage. After all, much of the message behind Gunn’s Gaurdians movies revolve around found family between losers and misfits who deserve second chances, so firing James Gunn about something that happened in his past hurt all that much more. Rumor has it, that Marvel head honcho Kevin Feige was not even notified of the firing. It speaks volumes about how beloved this franchise already was before Vol 3, in that literally nobody wanted to step on James Gunn’s shoes and direct the third volume after he was removed. Marvel was in quite a predicament; they lost their most bankable director they have ever had and there was no one who even remotely wanted to touch his baby. To make matters worse, the entire Guardians cast was refusing to work without their love-able leader behind the camera. To make the story short, Gunn was immediately hired to do DC’s Suicide Squad (obviously a match made in heaven) and eventually was offered to spearhead the entire DC studios film slates going forward. Marvel did come around and re-hire him for vol 3 (we won) but unfortunately it was too little too late, since Gunn had moved on to some hugely impressive bigger things. Now, luckily, he did finish his franchise, and boy let me tell you, did he finish it astonishingly. Iv previously talked about what makes James Gunn so good of a director in my previous submissions. I won’t reiterate myself a whole lot here, because everything you love about James Gunn is turned up to 11 on this one. He truly perfected his “Guardians of the Galaxy signature style” with this swan song-everything-on-the-table, emotionally charged film. Everything great about this motley crew and their movies are on full cylinder here. If the Gaurdians aren’t your thing you either 1) don’t like to have joy in your life or 2) there are no other correct answers so therefore you should theoretically love this movie. Vol 3 is like a magnum opus dedicated to each and every Guardian. Here they all have beautifully orchestrated character arcs that shed a new and welcome light onto each of them; Gunn’s final film honestly turns each of the Gaurdians into contenders for Marvel’s most complex characters. Speaking of complex characters…Rocket Raccoon. Before this one came out, Rocket was low-key the best MCU character (don’t be mad, you know it’s true), but here his story is elevated so much that he clearly stands with the all time greatest live action superheroes. His character arc is one of the most tragic in the entire Marvel catalogue, and Gunn’s filmmaking expertise draws you right in on the feels. I mean that in the best way possible; this isn’t depressing for depressing sake, though it sure can be, it still retains the humor, the levity, the relatableness and the bonkers crystal clear crisp action sequences that trademarked all their previous appearances. Rocket, by the end of the film, more than earns his right to sit at the big boys table and call himself one of the most complex characters in the entire MCU, let alone Marvel movies in general. Gunn clearly has a love for all things superheroes and comics and no movie (maybe besides The Suicide Squad) he has done has ever proved that so much. Every line, scene, shot, and delivery was meticulously planned to be a love letter to both the fans of the comics and movie rosters alike-we finally get pitch perfect comic accurate uniforms, directly riffing on the legendary Annihilation/Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning early 2000s run (which inspired the original movie anyway). We get cosmo in all her glory finally, as well as multiple sorely needed characters that the MCU now can utilize as much as they need to. One of the biggest crimes the Infinity Saga committed was omitting Adam Warlock from the Infinity Gauntlet storyline, in part because cosmic Marvel is all Gunn’s baby. He wasn’t ready to introduce him yet, unfortunately, but better late than never. Let’s just say this: If Gunn’s Superman is as well done as his Warlock, then we will be in fantastic hands in a couple years from now. What makes this one so great? Well If superhero Guardians-style-perfection isn’t enough for you, this movie has the honor of being one of the only Marvel movies in existence to have something quite important to say that’s NOT related to superheroes. How many other superhero films has this company churned out that had deeper messages behind them? So far 1, and it’s this one. Gunn brilliantly frames Rocket Raccoon’s story arc around real-life messages regarding animal cruelty in a way that is so powerful, now every time I see a raccoon anywhere in the wild I immediately want to comfort them. That message wouldn’t be so effective if there wasn’t a convincing villain behind it all; Chukwudi Iwuji’s now iconic High Evolutionary is hands down the most menacing villain the MCU has put to screen excluding Thanos. This guy is scary with such a teeny tiny spark of humanity in him that slowly evaporates by the time he is thwarted. His humanness dissipates as we learn more about who this guy is; it isn’t pretty. The High Evolutionary’s arc very closely resembles his arc on the pages as well, with certain panel-for-panel shots and dialogue being ripped right out of his earliest appearances (i.e. like Jim Starlin’s classic Power of Warlock #1 from the 70’s run-one of my personal all time favorite single issues of all time). James Gunn’s mastery of the form can not be understated, and Guardians Vol. 3 is a masterclass in storytelling, character study, spectacle, and superhero adventure extraordinare. Speaking of the spectacle, the final fight with them all teaming up was shot in “single shot” style beautifully homaging the Daredevil highway fight sequence; except with a uniquely James Gunn twist by setting the entire fight to “No Sleep Till Brooklyn” by the Beastie Boys. If the Gaurdians kicking all kinds of crazy ass to one of the most badass songs ever recorded does not go down in history as one of the most iconic moments Marvel can offer, then honestly I’m going to be pretty offended. There aren’t many cooler moments in any superhero movie. Gunn’s Gaurdians Vol. 3 is so strong that it definitively becomes the highest quality trilogy the MCU can offer (the first two being A tier while this one is high S tier). Unfortunately, with Vol. 3’s credits comes the end of Gunn’s Marvel career (for now) and onto the next biggest and most exciting thing: the DC Universe!
2) Avengers: infinity War (2018) Directed by The Russo Brothers starring Everyone
Here we are: the best live action superhero movie of ALL TIME. I remember leading up to this one, Marvel was rumored to be splitting Avengers 3 into two parts. We theoretically did get it in two parts even though their names suggest otherwise. Infinity War was the project all eyes were on; this was the one that would either sink or swim the entire ship. This was where it was all heading towards, at least conflict-wise. Marvel’s giant superhero project was beginning to come to its conclusion and they quickly decided that the entire story couldn’t be contained by one film. Infinity War did not have any right to be as impressive as it ended up; it successfully recreated the energy that the original Avengers had (by bringing together all the plot lines of the the various movies) and offered the world a true crossover-event style film. There are DOZENS of superheroes in this movie, but the script somehow pulls it off. No minute or character is left wasted; the entire film paced in a way that crescendos at its griping and legendary climax. What makes this one so great? It actually delivered a movie that had stakes. The whole world watched at the edge of their seat as the Avengers truly struggled to stop their greatest enemy-and ultimately fail. This film, under any other director, would have played it far safer when dealing with stakes of this level (after all, the entire franchise was hinging on this one-if it failed, then the whole ladder collapsed). So what does Marvel do? They went ballsy, they went big, and delivered a finale that no one saw coming. For once (I can’t think of any other movie), the villain truly won. Our heroes, along with half the universe, was dead. The credits rolled, and the world mourned. Let’s summarize what makes this not only a great Marvel movie, but just a fantastic “once in a lifetime” blockbuster in general: Infinity War was a tense, expertly paced movie that didn’t shy away from the darkness required to tell a story epic enough to assemble the Avengers on a cosmic scale, resulting in an iconic film that does no disservice to any of the film’s massive amounts of characters. Rumors had it that even the cast didn’t know the true ending (multiple scenes were shot that didn’t intend to make it into the final film on purpose), and multiple scripts were handed out. Infinity War managed to defy expectations (everyone expected something a-la endgame, but instead we got genre subverting subject matter). Interestingly, the film’s villain is technically the structural protagonist of the film; Thanos had a character journey with obstacles to overcome and emerged victorious at the end. Speaking of the ending…I will never forget how much the world truly mourned the dead Avengers. Marvel had the guts to kill off HALF of their cast in a mostly silent, eery, disturbing cliffhanger that rocked the whole world for the greater part of a year. The film was so dang good (and a cliffhanger that everyone and their mother talked about constantly) that Endgame was SURE to break records even if it ended up being a giant pile of shit (and we all know that it’s not). The film broke all kinds of records and surely went down in film history for how much of an event this film really was. Infinity War is truly one of the best Marvel movies of all time, certainly the best live-action one, and definitely a contender for greatest blockbuster (in general) ever made.
1) Spider-man: Across the Spider-verse (2023) -Produced by Sony, Voiced by a whole lot of people
For everything “Into the Spider-verse” did great, arguably Across does better, but the one teeny tiniest critique I have for Across, and why its ever so slightly not as good as it’s predecessor, is an almost inescapable problem. It’s a problem that plagues the vast majority of sequels in general so it’s hard to truly even call it a flaw, but the originality and freshness of the original is technically out the window. Sure, this movie continues to innovate like the first one did, but now we have a better idea of what to expect. Into the Spiderverse completely changed the game when it came out and was among one of the freshest superhero stories ever put to the big screen, so its crazy to think that the sequel would also strike that same chord (though it comes incredibly close). With that said, the level of craft present for Mile’s sophomore outing is absolutely still of the highest quality the genre has to offer. Honestly, I don’t even really know where to begin. First of all, I should express that I did debate on whether to include this or not since it is animated, but not including it seemed like the way bigger crime. It is after all, a theatrically released Marvel film produced by Sony, so it is as official as it gets despite not being live action. Where the movie(s) gets the majority of the praise is surrounding the trademarked animation style. After the first movie was such a huge success, Sony very smartly trademarked their signature style. The creative teams behind the actual animation are very much in a league of their own, there simply isn’t another animated movie to date that comes close to this level of awe inspiring craft. It is absolutely the most gorgeous animated movie ever made, and that is saying something, because the first one held that honor until this one came along. The animators doubled down on an impressive array of animation styles, and NONE of them feel distracting, off, rushed or inappropriate. Every scene is a work of art, to the point that almost every character gets their own animation style. The more impressive feat, is that while all of that is true, it’s also in its entirety a giant love letter to the artistry involved in creating comic books. Every shot is a stunning homage to different comic book inspired art styles while also being their own unique thing on the big screen. The Spot and Miles looks like they were animated by different people than say, Spiderpunk, or Miguel, or Spider-Woman. Regarding the cast..boy is it an impressive one. Miles, Gwen and Peter B. Parker are the biggest returning characters from chapter 1, and they all bring the same level of character excellence this time around. Of our standouts, it’s hard to choose, but Spider-man India, SpiderPunk, and of course Miguel are all fascinating characters. The plot itself (and the animation in general) continues to shine with details that eagle eyed fans will surely appreciate; I haven’t seen a movie with this many easter eggs in who knows how long. The plot is expertly paced with stakes even higher than the first. Yes its a little darker, so it has Empire Strikes Back syndrome, but it absolutely nails that stereotype so well that it further proves its place in the masterpiece corner. Mile’s character journey continues to develop in fascinating and emotional ways, with plot twists galore. The films final plot twist is almost as iconic already as the Infinity War plot twist, lending further credence to this franchise becoming cultural resonate. I won’t spoil the plot details since a lot of people maybe still haven’t seen it, but let’s just say that the plot is still just as fascinating as its predecessor’s was and there are some very much earned “high-investment” worthy moments that elaborate on the previous films plot points. As far as sequels go for universally beloved movies, you dont get much better than this. Out of this entire list, how many can we truly say that a sequel to a masterpiece, was ALSO a masterpiece? If Beyond the Spider-verse is as good as the first two movies, then we will surely have an answer for the greatest superhero trilogy ever made and they won’t have much contest to be frank. The voice work across the board is exceptionally well done, the character arcs are engaging, the pacing is griping and edge of your seat, and last but not least, the music is filled to the brim with wholly original theme songs that completely match their individual characters looks and feel. The people making this movie have a CLEAR love for not just Spider-man and superheroes, but for comic books in general. That respect for the comic permeates throughout the film; dialogue balloons, panels, boxes, comic covers, double page spreads, visual sound effects, and many, many more homages to the graphic medium that inspired the whole thing enrich the already impressive viewing experience. As a comic book fan, there isn’t another movie in existence (besides “into”) that honors the idea of the physical comic book as thoroughly as this film does. So much so, that the meta-textual message of the film is LITERALLY a commentary on comic book continuity. The movie explores how comic books continuity and retcons operate and who, or what, it truly benefits. The continuity debate (i.e. what’s more important: maintenance of canon events or complete creative freedom) is always a fascinating conversation regarding comic book universes and it continues to become more and more interesting as the medium itself evolves over the years. The movie brilliantly frames that classic nerd debate by encompassing multiple Spider-man variants at the center of it. Miguel represents the idea that “canon” should always be upheld and considered for a cohesive universe, while Miles represents the idea that creators should “be able to do their own thing”, to paraphrase Miles himself. It’s exciting that now general audiences get to have this debate, that iv been having for years at the comic shops, at least metaphorically. People have been taking to twitter, instagram and other social medias to debate which Spider-team is correct. The movie, despite Miguel playing the clear antagonist role, seems to subtly imply that…honestly neither and both sides are correct. The writers managed to frame that debate within the actual idea of what it means to be Spider-man to begin with, making the core emotional journey that both encompass Miles and Miguel that much more complex and compelling. I can’t imagine anything more “comic book” than a movie about precisely this topic, staring arguably the greatest comic book character ever created. Regarding said character-if you’re a Spider-man fan in ANY capacity, surely your favorite character (spoiler alert) across ANY medium at very least cameos as an easter egg. Spider fans will be having a field day with this immensely satisfying movie. The movie does end on a cliffhanger, since it it’s part one of 2. Unfortunately, by ending on such a massive cliffhanger, we are left with an incomplete story, so it’s hard to rank this higher than Into the Spiderverse as of right now. Once the trilogy wraps up next year and we have a complete contextual understanding of the beginning middle and end of this series it’s possible Across the Spider-verse could over take “Into” but for now, Into the Spiderverse remains the greatest Marvel movie of all time. Speaking of..
For those who are keeping count, there should be one film missing from the reviewed movies. Yes, you are correct, that one film is Spider-Man: Into the Spider-verse. That film will be fully reviewed in its fullest next week under its own special category as “The One Above All”, the heralded greatest Marvel movie of all time. It’s so good, that it transcends the list itself. After all, much of what makes Across a great movie are the same things that make Into a great movie, so I will be elaborating in much better detail there. I’m excited to share that one because it’s my first full film review and it being focused on such a special film is a treat.
Until then,
To be continued…