Before I begin, I'd like to point out that this list is completely based on my opinions on all these movies. I have taken a long time to finally jolt this down. Marvel Studios have delivered on the big screen since 2008, releasing remarkable movies every single year. The following list is ranked on the basis of how good these movies actually are and not on how much adrenaline they pump through your veins (cause that list would be pretty predictable, with Infinity War on top). The ranks are entirely based on a critical analysis of Script, Screenplay, Casting, Visual Effects and how well they fit in the sequence.
Here it is, saving the best for the last
19. The Incredible Hulk (2008)
The second movie in the ten year long sequence, it was expected to be a show stealer since the Hulk is such an important character in the comics and also because it was set right after Robert Downey Jr's perfect kick-starter - Iron Man. But, it disappointed us. Firstly, Edward Norton couldn't quite fit into the shoes of the Green-eyed Monster. Secondly, the VFX was simply terrible. And ofcourse, the problem of a poor Villain. The Incredible Hulk underperformed so well that we haven't seen a Hulk movie since then.
18. Iron Man 2 (2010)
The thing about this movie that gets me so angry is that it had potential to do good and still failed miserably. After the bang-on success of Iron Man 2, Marvel had both, an impressive fan-base and proper funding to actually do something with the movie and they didn't! The issue of an under-performing Villain persisted. If the Palladium core in your Arc Reactor is killing you, just conduct a surgery and take it out! Its not like you CANT do it, cause you eventually do it three years later! There movie had only one upside - Scarlett Johansson.
17. Ant-man (2015)
Ant-man wasn't exactly a Bad Movie but it wasn't a good one either. A generic villain, a few not so funny jokes and completely new characters. Everytime Marvel introduces us to something new, they hit the bullseye. They did it with Tony Stark, with Captain America and with Thor. However, they weren't able to do anything in this one that'd make us magically fall in love with Scott Lang. Paul Rudd's acting was really pristine but the script lacked excitement. A few logical aspects were also off. For instance, the Pym particle can make an object smaller by lowering the space between its atoms but since the number of atoms still remain the same, the object should be equally heavy. How then was Ant-man able to ride a flying ant?
16. Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015)
Avengers: Age of Ultron was simply an excuse to introduce viewers to the Mind Stone, Scarlett Witch and Vision. Nothing significant happened in the movie, something thats unexpected of a movie whose name begins with "Avengers". There were several unexplained plot holes and not many significant scenes. It still wasn't a bad movie. It was, in many ways, good. The Hulk Buster fight scene, the Hammer Lifting Competition and the birth of Vision are some of the most interesting scenes in the MCU till date. Ultron's morality is yet another interesting factor of the film. The only reason it missed the mark was because of its dialogues and absolutely no twists except for Quick Silver's death (RIP).
15. Thor: The Dark World (2013)
The only reason I've ranked this one above Age of Ultron is Loki. Tom Hiddleston's portrayal of Loki was hands down Outstanding. In my opinion, if this movie had a slightly better villain and a wee more excitement in the script, Loki's role could be held at the same level as that of the Joker in The Dark Knight. The VFX was really impressive; anyone who had seen the prequel could tell that Asgard looked livlier. The only reason this movie is so below in my list is because of Malekeith. Malekeith was simply not a good villain. Afterall, how do you expect a villain to be bad-ass if you only give him 4-5 boring dialogues? Moreover, one could argue that they didn't do enough cool stuff with the Aether aka the Reality Stone. Infinity War showed us why the Reality Stone is the coolest among all the six Infinity Stones and the fact that we didn't get a tease of its capabilities is saddening.
14. Thor (2011)
Thor is one of the most important characters in the MCU and post Infinity War, we also know that he is also the strongest (though Stark might disagree). Marvel did a really good job with this movie. People loved to see Thor's Hammer in action, thanks to good VFX. This was also the first Marvel Movie to be available in 3D. The only reason Thor isn't towards the top of this list is because of Chris Hemsworth's portrayal of the character. No, I'm not questioning his acting skills, I'm mostly questioning the script. They tried to show us a funny version of Thor, which though pretty good, (as evident in Ragnarok) didn't bode so well with the story of the film thats more of an Emotional Roler-coater and less of an Action movie.
13. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017)
The only reason GOTG2 isn't at the bottom of Star Lord's Awesome Playlist of songs that keep playing in the background throughout the movie. The movie is funny, has really really really good VFX BUT after GOTG1, fans expected something better. This movie was really more about setting things up for Infinity War. They added Ego's character because they wanted a story because lets face it, no one cared who Peter's father was and we didn't love Yondu all that much, no matter how funny he was.
12. Captain America: The First Avenger
Every Marvel fan has wondered whether Captain America deserves to lead the Avengers at least once. This movie was an attempt to answer that question. Captain America: The first Avenger wasn't a bad movie. In fact, it was really good. It depicted the message of 'Goodwill over Strength' perfectly. It showed us why Cap is meant to lead the fight against evil. The only reason it's not high up on the list is because being really good isn't enough to dominate a Cinematic Universe that's full of WOW films.
11. Spider-man Homecoming (2017)
Its not everyday that someone pulls a dead franchise out of its grave and puts it on steroids making it unstoppable, cause thats exactly what Marvel did with Spiderman. After two consecutive fails at building a franchise, hopes were tender for Spider-man but Marvel pressed the elevator button at the perfect moment. Giving Spidey his debut in Civil War. Spider-man Homecoming is a really really really good movie. The only reason it isn't on the top of this list is because it features a 15 year old superhero who doesn't really have a lot to do. But, there are limitations to how interesting a movie can be made when you need to take away its best parts because they have already been shown over and over for the past few decades. Homecoming excluded stuff that previous Spider-man movies already had and still managed to perform very well in its limitations. It depicted the perfect message for every youngster out there wanting to be a superhero - If you're nothing without your Powers, you shouldn't have them.
10. Iron Man 3 (2013)
After the disappointment with the face of Iron Man 2, Marvel had to something to fix the franchise. Iron Man 3 definitely accomplished the job. It introduced us to Tony's remote controlled suits and the House Party Protocol. The only reason its so down below is because Marvel had the choice of doing something great with a really awesome character but they threw it right down the chute. Mandarin was a really bad-ass character in the comics but not only did they not write him in poorly in the movie but they completely denied his existence! WOW!
9.Avengers (2012)
Really satisfying movie with fantastic execution. Avengers was the first of its type. No one had ever managed to perfectly execute a Superhero Team-up movie with such perfection. Yes, it lacked humor and perhaps even depth but it was still the best for many years. Had this post been written in 2012, Avengers would've been on top of this list. In the years to follow, we received many wonderful Marvel Movies but Avengers was a booster for the MCU and its success was the driving force behind the excellence of Marvel's future.
8. Doctor Strange (2016)
Marvel really hit the bullseye with Doctor Strange in 2016. We were promised a movie about a Sorcerer and Marvel delivered very well. Doctor Strange had the best VFX in the history of Superhero Movies. Casting Benedict Cumberbatch as the Sorcerer Supreme was an absolute pincer move. It introduced the Time Stone and gave us an absolutely awesome climax.
7. Black Panther (2018)
Black Panther is the perfect example of what a Solo introductory Superhero movie in all aspects. Wonderful VFX, really bold dialogues, lovable characters and, finally, a really wonderful villain. It is really difficult to make audiences fall in love with a character in its first movie. Marvel did a great job by introducing Black Panther in Civil War. It set the perfect momentum required for this movie and made it the Highest Grossing Solo Superhero Movie ever!
6. Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)
Guardians of the Galaxy is special for several reasons. The most important of them being Peter Quill's awesome taste for music and secondly, a spectacularly badass villain. In my opinion, the Guardian's team-up is in many ways better than the Avenger's team-up. The movie introduced the Power Stone and also gave us a good glimpse at Thanos. However, the reason its so far up in the list is its humor. Each joke in the movie will make you go nuts! Chris Pratt as Star Lord is hilarious and casting Dave Bautista as Drax is an absolutely flattering move!
5. Thor: Ragnarok (2017)
Arguably, the best Marvel movie. Thor Ragnarok is bold, funny, emotional and full of WOW moments. The best thing about it is its villain- Hela. Hela is among the best villain in the MCU; even the best if you exclude Thanos. The tragic story of loss and self-discovery which makes the God of Thunder even stronger than he already was- the plot has all elements for an absolutely wonderful cinematic experience. The only reason it isn't on top of this list is because it was a little too funny. Marvel had a wonderful story but they added humor in scenes that weren't meant for humor.
4. Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)
The Definition of a perfect Superhero Thriller. Winter Soldier was not only fascinating but also dark; thereby fixing Marvel's long lost history of ruining potentially good movies with unnecessary humor. Its music score is absolutely delightful and adrenaline boosting. The Russo Brothers showed their potential so well that Marvel asked them to direct their next two big movies- Civil War and Infinity War. Winter Soldier does such a great job of delivering suspense and shock that the fact Captain America is in it was enough to make us love him so much.
3. Iron Man (2008)
The kick-starter of an entire cinematic universe, Iron Man was the pinnacle of excellence. The story of how a Billionaire Narcissist transforms into a Philanthropist to right his wrongs- thats the perfect plot right there and also the absolutely spectacular move of casting Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark! Iron Man had both a badass corporate Villain and an incredibly perfect balance between humor and darkness. It remains, till date, the best Solo Superhero movie.
2. Captain America: Civil War (2016)
Civil War is the best example to a Humor:Darkness balance. It was funny when it had to be and embraced darkness so well that audiences were left crying. It was the first Superhero movie that seemed real. Feud, legal battles and civil disobediences are what make this movie real. But the most fantastic part about it is that despite incorporating so many heroes, it still feels pretty much like a movie about Captain America
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1. Avengers: Infinity War (2018)
There are about a dozen reasons why Infinity War is on top of this list. The biggest among them being its dialogues. The movie packs in such a good villain that its almost impossible to even hate him. Thanos puts forward a very practical notion in support for his acts of desimation. I personally like to classify him as an 'anti-hero' and not a plain villain. The Snap at the end of the movie is absolutely heart crunching and Loki's death is very touching as well with the Civil War theme playing in the background as Thor holds his beloved brother's corpse in his arms. Infinity War is not free of flaws but it is still the best Marvel Movie.
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