Ranking Marvel Movies!

monkey at the marvel movies

Alrighty- I’ve finally come to the end of MARVEL PHASE 3. And I think it’s safe to say, after all my endeavours in this field that while I may not be a comic book expert, I am most definitely a connoisseur of superhero movies 😉 And to prove just how much of a boffin I have become, I figured now would be the best time to… piss everyone off by sharing my personal rankings for the movies 😉 Okay, obviously I think you all know that these are my personal opinions and not indicative of how good they are (except the one at the bottom- it’s definitely the worst- you can fight me on that 😉) but just in case you don’t *shocking* disclaimer: this is entirely subjective, informed by my own ratings and based on which ones I’d most like to see again. Without further ado, here are the Marvel movies ranked from “ugh I hate it” to “yayyyy let’s rewatch it”:

 

incredible hulk

Hulkmy rating: 2/5 bananas– there were actually parts of this (like Norton’s performance) that meant this movie had some real potential… it’s never lived up to that potential though and it’s a lousy movie I’m afraid.

captain marvel

Captain Marvel my rating: 2 bananas– I just have zero desire to watch this again or see anything with this non-descript character in it. An utterly forgettable movie.

iron man 2.jpg

Iron Man 2my rating: 2.5 bananas– I seriously struggle to remember this movie. It wasn’t good. At all. But one thing it has over the two below it is that it has Downey Jr’s Iron Man.

iron man 3

Iron Man 3my rating: 2.5 bananas– another poor instalment in the Iron Man franchise #sorrynotsorry

doctor strange

Doctor strangemy rating: 3 bananas– I didn’t think much of this movie either- but at least I had a good time while I was watching it, which is more than I can say for the ones I’ve ranked lower.

age of ultron.jpg

Avengers Age of Ultronmy rating: 3 bananas– this is my least favourite Avengers movie. I found the structure messier than the other two and I didn’t enjoy watching it much.

ant man and the wasp

Ant Man and the Waspmy rating: 4 bananas– I mean, I had no problems with this movie, but I don’t really want to rewatch it?

thor the dark world

Thor: the Dark Worldmy rating: 3.5 bananas– okay, I’ve had fun every time I’ve watched this, but that doesn’t make it a good movie. It’s the kind of shovel-popcorn-in-your-mouth-till-your-sick movie- I may be happy at the time but I’m gonna regret it after.

thor

Thormy rating: 4 bananas– this was a great attempt at making a superhero movie with some really deep themes (I say attempt, cos as entertaining as it all is, there are some serious vulnerabilities you could smash to bits with Thor’s hammer).

ant man

Ant Manmy rating: 4 bananas– this movie surprised me as an origin story and turned out to be pretty awesome.

thor ragnarok

Thor Ragnarokmy rating: 2.5 bananas– I had legit NO IDEA where to rank this one?!? I didn’t entirely enjoy this for lots of reasons and my rating and review reflected that- but on reflection, I’d kinda be happier rewatching it than some of the other movies on the list. It’s a bit different to some of the origin stories, a bit funnier than some of the others and has some interesting character (*coughs* Loki *cough cough*)

captain america civil war

Captain America Civil Warmy rating: 3.5 bananas– I actually gave this a lower rating than the last three, but it’s a better movie. Plus, it had Spider Man- and, as you’re about to see, I have a soft spot for the old webslinger!

spider man far from home

Spider Man Far From Homemy rating: 4 bananas– what did I tell you? Of course, this was gonna rank highly for me, just by virtue of having Holland’s Spider Man. Granted, it’s not the best instalment for the character and there were aspects I wasn’t keen on… buuut it made me laugh out loud and I’d happily rewatch it (well, just as long as I don’t have to watch those end credits again!)

spider man homecoming.jpg

Spider Man Homecomingmy rating 4.5 bananas– this was a seriously fun Spider Man movie. No, I don’t think it’s the best Spider Man movie ever- but it gets pretty darn close.

iron man

Iron Manmy rating: 4.5 bananas– I reckon I’d get called a fake fan if I put Stark’s opening movie any lower on the list 😉 Downey Junior’s performance was incredible and he really did a lot to prove that Tony Stark does indeed have a heart!

avengers infinity war

Avengers Infinity Warmy rating: 4.5 bananas– I did enjoy this film, but the reason it’s a little lower on the list than some might expect is cos I really do feel, even after watching Endgame, that this is a lot of setup and incomplete on its own.

black panther

Black Panthermy rating: 5 bananas– yep, told you I was a sucker for origin movies. I did warn you. I had a real fight with myself over where to put this on the list cos I had a helluva time watching it, but ultimately there’s a few movies I’d rather rewatch.

captain america.jpg

Captain America: The First Avengermy rating: 5 bananas– errmmm so I really like Captain America? I know a lot of people will wonder why this is so high, but for me, as a fan of origin stories and this hero, it’s one I love to rewatch.

avengers

Avengers Assemblemy rating: 4.5 bananas– yeah, this might be a little dated, but it has a great premise, good cast dynamics and a fantastic villain. For me, this will always be an epic superhero movie.

guardians of the galaxy

Guardians of the Galaxymy rating: 4.5 bananas– this is possibly the most fun movie in the franchise. It’s like the best kind of music- it’s the kind of film I’d gladly put on repeat 😀

guardians of the galaxy vol 2

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2my rating: 5 bananas– woweee this one really hit me in the *feels*- speaking of emotional movies…

avengers endgame.png

Avengers Endgamemy rating: 4.5 bananas– this was a great movie- period. It rounded off so many storylines in the perfect way and did not pull its punches. A very satisfying conclusion to the saga.

captain america the winter soldier

Captain America Winter Soldiermy rating: 5 bananas– this is hands down my favourite. Partly for all the “aww poor Bucky” moments, but mostly cos every time I watch it I’m completely absorbed by it!

 So do you agree or (more likely) disagree with my rankings? What’s your favourite and least favourite? Let me know in the comments!

 

81 thoughts on “Ranking Marvel Movies!

  1. Wow what an interesting review article. Thank you for posting this! I am certainly surprised at your ranking of Thor Ragnarok. I thought it was the best of the Thor movies. It was such a refreshing movie for the MCU but I can see how it is not for everyone. Also, thank you so much for your ranking of Captain America: The First Avenger. Everyone I know thinks it was an average movie at best. I absolutely love it!

    I am a History student so I guess the World War II so I guess that really interested me. My favorite MCU movie was, is, and always will be Iron Man 1. That movie blew my mind when I was 13, and 11 years later that has not changed. Thank you for writing this list!

    P.s. I have been trying to read Robert Galbraith’s The Cuckoo’s Calling for 6 years now and I just can not gt through it! I am not sure if you have read it but I am sure you have. Any suggestions for getting through a tedious book?

    I love your content. Please keep up the amazing work!

    Liked by 2 people

    1. Thank you so much for reading! Yeah I wasn’t as blown away by that as other people were (I felt like the tone jarred with the story at times) but I do get why people loved it. hehe yeah I’m showing my pro-cap bias there 😉 I actually think it’s an excellent origin story and I always enjoy rewatching it! And I also liked the way it incorporated historical elements as well 🙂 I can understand that! I figured a lot of people’s number one pick would be Iron Man- and I et why- it’s a great movie!
      Gosh that’s a good question. I haven’t read it, but I have had books that have taken me years to finish. To be honest, I used to try and power through books I wasn’t enjoying, but I’m trying to get better at just quitting books I hate. I think if it takes years to finish, it never feels worth it, cos usually there’s a reason you can’t push through to the end. So yeah, my suggestion would be to leave it and move on to better books!
      Thanks so much for reading and for your lovely comment!

      Liked by 2 people

  2. Okay … be prepared for a LONG comment. And my ranking is in no particular order. I went down your list and made my choices ha-ha!

    1. The Incredible Hulk: 3/5
    2. Captain Marvel: 2/5 (I wanted to love this)
    3. Iron Man 2: 3/5
    4. Iron Man 3: 3.5/5 (I like the banter in these films lol)
    5. Dr. Strange: 3/5 (had potential but was missing something)
    6. Avengers Age of Ultron: 3.5/5 (got annoyed with the bickering)
    7. Ant-Man and the Wasp: 3.5/5
    8. Thor The Dark World: 2/5 (got bored)
    9. Thor: 2/5 (awesome themes but timeframe so short and unrealistic … felt too fast paced)
    10. Ant-Man: 4.5/5 (LOVE THIS MOVIE)
    11. Thor Ragnorak: 3.5/5 (I like the comedy)
    12. Avegners Civil War: 3/5 (again … tired of the fighting)
    13. Spider-Man Far From Home: N/A (haven’t seen it yet)
    14. Spider-Man Homecoming: 3.5/5 (funny but missing something)
    15. Iron-Man: 4.5/5 (Definitely in my top 3)
    16. Avengers Infinity Wars: 4.5/5 (SOOO GOOOOOD)
    17. Black Panther: 4.5/5 (Again … top 3 … might be #1)
    18. Captain America: 3.5/5 (not really huge on Cap but I think this had the BEST pacing and story progression)
    19. Avengers Assemble: 4.5/5 (definitely part of the nostalgia; miss that teamwork dynamic and the beginnings element)
    20. Guardians of the Galaxy: 4.5 (HILARIOUS and epic music)
    21. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.2: 4.5 (THE FEELS)
    22. Avengers End Game: 3.5 (good but time travel annoyed me … very biased since i’m not a big lover of time travel)
    23. Captain America Winter Solder: 4/5 (way better than the first one)

    Again … so sorry for the long comment … I had too much fun with this lol!

    Liked by 2 people

    1. Gosh don’t apologise! This is awesome! I loved reading your thoughts.
      Yeah I really wanted to like Captain Marvel as well, it just didn’t do anything for me. I do like the banter in the Iron Man films too. Agree with you on Doctor Strange and Age of Ultron. I do get what you mean with Thor too. Antman was a lot of fun as well. And yeah Civil war just had too much bickering. That’s fair about homecoming. And yeah I figure a lot of people will rank Iron Man a lot higher than I did- it is a great movie, but I was never as into it (obviously I’m a bigger fan of the cap 😉 ). Infinity war was great 😀 I really struggled on where to put Black Panther- it’s one of the best origin stories and I loved watching it- the only reason it got pushed out of the top was based on the ones I’d most rather rewatch a few of the lighter ones (although it is an excellent movie imo, so I hear you there). And yeah the first Avengers was super high on the list for nostalgia reasons- I regret nothing 😉 (also I never tire of rewatching it). I really love the Guardians movies! (actually find that they’re better the more I watch them as well, which is why they’re so high). I completely get why lots of people might not be as crazy on endgame- it really worked for me, but I did think to myself that the time travel could easily put other viewers off (cos it can be a bit of a narrative cheat- and I’m not always a fan of it- though I did think they pulled it off). Yeah I’m just obviously showing my bias with that number one pick 😉
      Don’t worry about it- I had such fun reading and responding to your awesome comment!! 😀 ❤

      Liked by 2 people

      1. I like how Captain Marvel tied in a lot of the movies together, but the characters weren’t as lovable … I also think I’m slightly biased towards Iron Man films because I just love Stark’s character ha-ha!

        it was like more of a story was needed for Dr. Strange. And I know it’s part of the story, but I miss when teams DIDN’T fight all the time, like when you watch the cartoons.

        I WANT to like Cap … but he’s too “righteous” for me ha-ha! I like the complex and morally ambiguous characters. I will say though that for Civil War, I wasn’t really on one side. I saw points on both sides.

        Black Panther is golden. The music, the story, the visuals … ugh

        Guardians was one of those “OH MY GOSH” movies when I first watched it. And I STILL get that feeling. it’s just so different. And I love how even though they bicker a bit, they still have one another’s backs.

        That’s how I felt with Endgame. I was hoping for more of a chase to find Thanos and then battle it out kind of deal. I think the problem with me is even though this time travel DOES make sense (in terms of time travel lol), it’s not the time travel I’m used to. I’m used to more like The Flash and from the DC Universe. Even though that might be more “unrealistic”, it makes more sense to me. And I just get bothered with the other outcomes of time travel … oh well. I still liked it … and cried like a blubbering fool.

        I can’t wait to see Black Widow … I’ve been DYING for that film to be created for AGES!

        Liked by 2 people

        1. Yeah I wish that they’d done more with her character!! haha Stark does have an awesome character (and kudos to Downey for bringing it to life!)
          Ahh I agree with that!
          haha that’s totally understandable! I have to admit that as much as I like the more “dark night batman” type characters, I have always had a soft spot for the “superman” characters- I can’t help it! Ah I was definitely on one side- to me it was a question of freedom vs safety- and to me the argument for safety involved robbing people of their rights- in which case… what are they even fighting for? They’re no better than the likes of authoritarians eg Hydra in Marvel terms 😉 I’d rather have my dangerous freedom any day. I wanted to feel the debate more and I didn’t- which is why I didn’t end up loving that movie as much as I wanted to.
          Ah I agree with you on Black Panther.
          YES about Guardians!
          Ah that’s totally fair! And that’s a really good point, because one of my niggling issues was that they weren’t risking anything with the time travel, because they weren’t changing their own timelines. I feel like that would’ve been too hard to do in one film, but still, it would’ve had more emotional resonance. hehehe me too!
          Ahh I just wish that had come out sooner! But I bet it’ll be good!

          Liked by 2 people

          1. Downey is an incredible actor. I love his version of Sherlock (they’re making a THIRD).

            I WANT to like those characters … but I tend to find them boring lol! I DO like The Flash though, who seems to also be a “superman” kind of character. Maybe because he’s so funny ha-ha!

            Ah I totally see that! I think what I had a hard time with was I was team freedom, but I also think superheroes need to have guidelines or codes of conduct, if that makes sense. Like how law enforcement does (even though they don’t sometimes … which i’m not gonna get into bc that will just make me mad lol).

            BLACK WIDOW! I’ve already looked into the cast and it looks amazing!

            Liked by 2 people

            1. He is! And I agree! That’s cool- I didn’t know that.

              hehe that’s fair! Yeah he is somewhat, but you’re right about the humour.

              Yeah and I think that’s an interesting idea, but it sort of ended up infringing on them as private citizens (at least that’s how I took it).

              Oh brilliant!

              Liked by 1 person

  3. I haven’t watched many superhero movies, but I would love to be superhero 😉 and I enjoyed reading your post. The only one I have considered is Black Panther; seeing that you gave it a high rating, I might try to track it down.

    Liked by 2 people

  4. Man, Black Panther got a 5 from you? That movie had so many holes that I could have driven a tank through them, and that is saying a lot given all the stuff we’d gotten before. I didn’t think it was terrible, mind you, but I gave a lite 3 at best.

    Honestly, I stopped reading the post after that 😀 Not because I was pissed but because it just goes to show how subjective our interpretations of movies are, even more so than books.

    What brought on all this “movie madness” recently? I feel like you’ve been going gangbusters on the movies…

    Liked by 2 people

    1. Well I’ll give you that it has plot holes (cos I love movie reviews/video essays, so have watched enough of them tearing those aspects of the movie apart) that said, storywise, it’s solid, so I don’t feel those things matter (to me they only matter if the overarching plot/characters/ideas etc sucks/don’t work for me) and I was thoroughly entertained watching it, so I’ll stand my 5 😉 (ratings are subjective after all 😉) but you’re free to disagree 😀(oh and I love origin stories, if that helps you make sense of it 😉 )

      Just feel like mixing it up from time to time, probably comes across as more because (I think) I have fewer posts a month

      Liked by 1 person

  5. woah wait the OG Avengers was retitled as Avengers Assemble? I’ve only seen it as Avengers? Hm.. Anyway I think my top few movies would be Ant Man, Doctor Strange, Avengers (assemble?), Spider-Man Far From Home/Homecoming, Captain America the Winter Soldier and Thor Ragnarok. I have to rank these one day, too.

    AND YES THE WINTER SOLIDER IS SUCH A GREAT MOVIE I can see why it’s your favorite

    Liked by 2 people

    1. Hehe I’d genuinely forgotten it went by another name, cos I just saw it as avengers assemble on dvd covers, but I think you’re right 😉 those are all really great!! I’d love to see your rankings if you do a post 😊

      It is!! I think I may love it an irrational amount 😉

      Liked by 1 person

  6. Great list and I pretty much agree with your rankings except Thor:Ragnarok, which I thought was a hoot.
    I was not at all bothered about the MCU until a review prompted me to go see Guardians of the Galaxy when it came out. I adored it and still do.

    Liked by 2 people

  7. Age of Ultron is,,,,, a mess, to say the least. But I love both Captain America movies and the first Avengers movie, as well! I was planning on doing a similar post one I finally watch all the Marvel movies, so stay tuned for that! 😉

    Liked by 1 person

  8. As much as i love my country, i despised black panther for trying to put caucasion people in a bad light. I fucking hated it. Seeing as not many people know how things realy are going down there. As much as I love the black lives matter movement, i cant forgive what it has done to me as a “whitey”

    Liked by 1 person

  9. I agree that the Guardians franchise is a wonderful blend of nostalgia and great music and all the feels! I loved the first one more than the second (origin story) but both of them would rank pretty high for me as well.

    And yup, Avengers: Infinity War is not a stand-alone movie. I would have been much happier if they had titled Infinity War and Endgame differently: call them Infinity War Part One and Part Two, because that better reflects the reality.

    Liked by 1 person

  10. I have yet to see Captain Marvel but I’ve been hearing mixed reviews about it from my friends. I relate to your rankings but come on, Thor Ragnarok was amazing! 😀

    Like

  11. I’ve been meaning to watch all the Marvel movies from the beginning, and this point makes me want to do it NOW 😅.
    Captain Marvel was definitely forgettable, and I think part of the reason is that I’m not a fan of Brie Larson’s acting 😕. Also, I really need to watch the Tom Holland Spiderman movies! I love his character in the other Avenger movies. And you’re right, Guardians of the Galaxy is probably the most fun movie in the franchise. I used to play the soundtrack on repeat 😁.

    Liked by 1 person

  12. I actually agree with you on SO MANY of these movies! I am in the unpopular opinion of my friend group in thinking the majority of the Iron Man movies were not good. I get so much shade for it but like, I didn’t think they were good? Sorry?
    I also rank the new Spider-man movies pretty high, and was SUPER surprised by Ant Man’s origin story. But Captain America’s movies have always been the best out of everything (though the Avenger movies are super close).

    This is great! I think I want to dedicate an entire week to re-watching all of them, and then do my own official rankings. I’ve forgotten like 90% of Iron Man and Thor movies so it wouldn’t be fair to rank them now…

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Ahh I’m so glad you agree on a lot of these!! And I hear you about iron man- to be fair, I did enjoy the first one, but it’s far from my favourite. But I don’t even think it should be controversial to say the second and third weren’t good?
      Yeah I was super surprised by ant man too. And I really agree with you about captain America and the avenger movies 😀
      Thank you! oh I definitely hear you there! I hope you have fun doing it, cos I really did 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

  13. YAY I am so happy to see Winter Soldier at the top of this list! It’s one of my favorites, and I personally feel like it’s incredibly underrated. My ratings are pretty similar for most of these with 2 exceptions: I ADORE Thor: Ragnarok and I was indifferent towards Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2. Haha. Great post! ❤

    Liked by 1 person

  14. Once again, I agree with most of your choices! Winter Soldier is definitely in my top as well, GoG – I like the first more, but it’s a very small difference, and Hulk would also take the last place.

    I’m very curious about the next phase, they told some of the best and most known stories of Marvelverse, what will come now?

    Liked by 2 people

  15. Well yes and no, i love the franchise and yes the hulk movie needs to get a 1/5 I think that’s the reason they don’t trust to give it its own sequel.

    Like

  16. I thought I had scoured the blogosphere for all mention of Marvel movies but it seems I missed yours! Thanks for putting a smile on my face and as I don’t want to get into a virtual scuffle (thereby showing my ugly side) imma say simply that I politely disagree with you on some of your ratings 😋

    Liked by 1 person

  17. Fun read! I agree with GOTG Vol. 1 being the most fun out of the franchise. It’s the only MCU movie I’ve watched more than twice (three times at the theater, and around five or more times since then) and it’s always amazing each time!

    Like

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