DEFINITIVE RANKING† of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, According to My Completely Unsolicited* and Utterly Unqualified** Opinion
†I am currently not taking any feedback or criticism.
* Literally nobody asked.
**I know nothing about film and cinema. My “favorite movie” is Good Will Hunting for the one specific scene of Robin Williams talking about his wife waking herself up farting. My current favorite movie is whichever movie I last watched.
In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, I found myself quarantined, with an exorbitant amount of time on my hands (online classes are a suggestion, not a requirement). The first thing I did was binge watch all of Tiger King on Netflix in one seven-hour sitting. It was absolutely excruciating, and worth every last second. Then, a kind soul let me share her Disney+ login, and all of a sudden, a whole new world of streaming was at my fingertips. Originally, I wanted to watch Pirates of the Caribbean. Then the next step, obviously, was to marathon the entire Marvel Cinematic Universe, now available at my leisure. But then I got distracted and watched all of High School Musical: The Musical: The Series in one sitting (no ragrets, because that show was unironically sick). Then I finally decided to start my MCU marathon!
I watched the series in chronological order, so I started with Captain America: The First Avenger (2011) and finished with Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019). Do not ask me how long it took. That is confidential information between me, myself, and I. I used this list from TechRadar (thanks!) to determine what order to watch them in, in case you were wondering.Believe it or not, I did not simply know the timeline off the top of my head. But I think I might know it at this point. I’m not sure if I want to quiz myself.
Anyway, I’ll cease my rambling. I know what you’re here for. Beware of spoilers!
1. Thor: Ragnarok (2017)
Coming in hot for first place is, without a doubt, Thor: Ragnarok. Taika Waititi’s two hour love letter to the ultimate himbo of our dreams is truly a masterpiece. I mean, where do I even start? The movie opens up and Thor is in a cage. Thor is in chains. Thor is kicking ash, taking skulls. And then, Thor gets his hair cut off? I audibly gasped when he came on screen the first time with short hair. Nevermind just Thor! Loki showing up with the deep-V robes? Loki dressing in that slim fit black suit? What a drama queen!
Nevermind. Nevermind. I’m getting so side-tracked. I’ll just say it now and hopefully try to not repeat it for every movie hereinafter: everyone in the entire MCU is unfairly attractive. If they’re on screen, they’re hot. Don’t question me on this one. Try thinking of a character who isn’t hot. Trick question! They don’t exist.
Aesthetics (of Thor: Ragnarok and the entire gosh-darned MCU) aside, this is my favorite film because it’s well done. 1, because of its characterization. Never before have a bunch of literal gods (and one huge green rage monster) seemed so human! I mean - just start with Thor and Loki. The movie is a gold mine; it really captures the je ne sais quois of a true sibling relationship. I mean, Loki pretending he’s never met Thor? The childhood stabbing story? Greatest of all - Get Help? Legendary. Untouchable. 2, because of the juxtaposition of tone. The extremely unsettling storyline (Asgard, the realm of a race of gods, is obliterated) versus the comedic character interactions (Valkyrie and Hulk? Valkyrie and Bruce? Bruce and Thor? Thor and Loki? The Grandmaster?) keeps the film fast-paced and tense, yet lighthearted enough to be engaging vice exhausting. And most importantly, 3, because of THAT fight scene. You know the one.
Stellar work here, Mr. Waititi. Thank you for your service. I look forward to Thor: Love and Thunder.
2. Black Panther (2018)
I don’t intend for all of my reviews to be as long as the first one, so hopefully I won’t be here for weeks, and you won’t be here for hours. But movie #2 deserves for me to wax almost as poetic as I did above. Black Panther was genuinely a work of art. Ryan Coogler, thank you for your service here. What really sets these two movies apart from the rest, for me, is the combination of a storyline and watchability (I know that isn’t a word, but you catch my drift). The Thor storyline is tragic and unfortunate and bleak, but the Black Panther storyline is almost entirely the opposite. I mean, yeah, it has it’s low points (almost RIP M’baku, RIP T’Challa?, W’kabi what are you doing, oh no bad things are happening) but it’s got a very positive resolution: Wakanda opens her doors to the outside world, things are truly looking up. The final scene in the basketball court nearly brought a tear to my eye. Even the end credit scene was hopeful: Bucky Barnes is most definitely Bucky Barnes again (RIP what remains of Asgard in Thor: Ragnarok’s end credit scene). It’s a wholesome, fulfilling watch. Plus, it doesn’t hurt that this movie is absolutely gorgeous. Seriously, from one scene to another, the colors and composition were just jaw-dropping. What I wouldn’t give to see a Wakandan coronation ceremony with my own two eyes. Or step foot in Shuri’s lab (closed-toe shoes only!). Ugh!!!
3. Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)
Third is the one with the treasure chest...orb-stone-magic-thing! Guardians of the Galaxy holds a special place in my heart because it is just so fun. Is there anything better than Peter Quill dancing with his little walkman? The fact that Bradley Cooper voices an anthropomorphic raccoon? I am Groot? DRAX?!?!??! Sorry Gamora, you’re great, but I don’t have anything for you right now. Anyway. The soundtrack, for me, is definitely the other highlight of the movie. I grew up in an immigrant family, so I don’t have a great background in music of anything older than say, 2006, 2007. As I’ve kicked my way around for twenty something years, I’ve picked up some songs here or there, but it was definitely watching this movie for the first time that inspired me to really seek out music that wasn’t the current Billboard Top 100. So thank you, Mr. James Gunn!
That’s really all I’ve got for this movie, I’m not even going to lie. It had a pretty cool plotline - very cool of Peter Quill to be some super special spaceman who can breathe in space and hold a shiny rock - but very par for the course, in terms of MCU things. I was actually a little torn between the first and second movie for this spot, because I actually like the second soundtrack better (“Mr. Blue Sky” just really hits different) and that seemed to be my driving decision, but I didn’t like the plot of that one really at all and also, this is the OG. You know? So I had to give it to this one.
4. Captain Marvel (2019)
So, the first time I watched this movie was a few days ago sitting on my bed. Luckily, it was the second movie in my marathon, so I was still feeling fresh and dewy (by the time I got to Avengers: Age of Ultron, about halfway through, I was still alive but barely breathing). I have a few reasons that Captain Marvel is so high on my list. 1, it’s the first film to star a female hero (Brie Larson) and it’s got a female director (Anna Boden) and female writers (Nicole Perlman, Meg LeFauve), and I am absolutely all for the girls. And 2, Carol Danvers is just one bad-ash motherforker. To point one, I gotta support the ladies. #GRLPWR, you know? #EmpoweredWomenEmpowerWomen. Major strides - not reassuring it took eleven years since the first film in the franchise for this to happen, but I’ll take what I’m given. To point two, I am already a grown woman, but I still want to be Carol Danvers when I grow up. She’s an Air Force fighter pilot, which is honestly my dream job-adjacent, and she’s some sort of alien super woman (not to be confused with Superwoman). Watching Brie Larson on screen being an absolute BAMF was honestly a religious awakening. Not only do I have a new unattainable #lifegoal, I also realized how truly useless some of the men in the MCU are. Like...what can they do that Carol Danvers can’t? She can fly. She’s got super strength, super speed. She’s got some magic ray beam gun phaser thing. She can breathe in space, doesn’t even need a spaceship. Why do we have thirteen collective movies about Steve and Tony and Thor and only one about Carol Danvers? GIVE THE WOMEN WHAT THEY WANT, MARVEL! IT’S WHAT WE DESERVE.
And also, Goose.
5. Avengers: Endgame (2019)
Oh, my heart. I watched this film for the first time two days ago, and I knew it was going to be sad, but still, I was not prepared for the level of heartbreak I would feel after spending the week leading up to it rewatching all the previous movies. The characters were basically my children at that point, so watching them suffer was agonizing. I’m honestly still too triggered to give you much of a reasoning to why this movie is so high other than I felt like it did a pretty good job of wrapping up a lot of the character arcs. Not to say that I’m happy they’re gone, but... For Steve and Tony, at the very least, I’m not upset. Even Natasha I’ll accept, although I will admit this is where I began to get weepy (her and Clint arguing got to me). I do have one complaint though - Fat Thor irritated me. I just feel like there were better ways to portray Thor having a complete mental break than having him become overweight. Seemed like a poorly done joke. Oh well. Win some, lose some. I had a lot of other wins, though. Steve wielding Mjolnir? Balm for my soul. Tony hugging Peter? Chicken soup. Steve getting his final dance also had me in my feels? I’m mourning the fact I’ll probably never feel that emotion again in my life.
Okay, actually, I do have one really important thing to say about this movie. And I’ll say it loud for the people in the back: THE WOMEN REALLY BE THE ONES DOING ALL THE HEAVY LIFTING OUT HERE, THE MEN JUST STAND THERE AND GRUNT AND GET THEIR ASHES TOSSED. I’m right, and you know it. Seriously. Just look at this gif. Wanda? Carol and Mantis? Valkyrie, Okoye, Shuri? Pepper and Hope? Gamora and Nebula? #WhoRunTheWorld!!!! That’s all I’m gonna say on that one. *mic drop*
So admittedly, the way my rankings went, the top five were pretty set in stone and the rest of them just shook out where they did, kind of vaguely. Okay? Okay.
6. Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)
The best Captain America film is no doubt Captain America: The Winter Soldier. This might be a hot take. I don’t know. I don’t follow the MCU discourse. But hear me out. Winter Soldier is about Steve and co taking down HYDRA. It’s Captain America versus ~the establishment~. He gives one of those rousing, dramatic speeches (I’d do anything for him). But it also lays a lot of groundwork to move the series forward at the same time, which is cool. We get to see Steve and Natasha really become friends - seems like maybe an odd friendship? But ok. Flash forward to Endgame and I had an “ohhhh” moment. Plus we get to meet Sam, one of the true loves of Steve’s life (that’s fact). And we get my favorite clip of Steve’s “things I missed while doing time as a capsicle” notebook. And most importantly, we get to see Bucky Barnes again! Steve sees through the Winter Soldier and sees Bucky and he says that line and viewers everywhere aww’d. Obviously that is not the immediate resolution, but it makes us feel good enough that we want to see where it goes, and sets us up well for a big decision: will Steve pick the “good guys” or the “bad guys”? (Spoiler: he picks the “bad guys”! Captain America, international outlaw. Love that for him.)
7. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017)
Yes, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 absolutely deserves to be this high on the list for one reason and one reason only: Baby Groot. I’m not kidding when I say that I would do anything for that lil tree. Here’s a bonus gif of him (it?), just because I love him (it) that much.
Aside from Baby Groot, GotG Vol. 2 has one of the best redemption arcs since Prince Zuko. Yondu is definitely kind of a bench all through the first movie and into this one, but he seems to have a soft spot for Peter Quill that all makes sense after we meet Peter’s psychotic dad. Talk about daddy issues, huh? The fireworks scene for Yondu’s funeral made me so emotional, I had to make real-life cookies just to cope. And I already mentioned the soundtrack part for the first movie, so I feel like I don’t need to harp on it too too much. But...yea, this soundtrack absolutely goes way harder than it needed to and if you catch me humming Lake Shore Drive, mind your business.
8. Iron Man 3 (2013)
When I was watching Iron Man 3 this time around, I was really confused, because I knew I had definitely seen it, and somehow did not remember it. So that was weird and I thought it was maybe because I didn’t enjoy it. That was not true. I loved Iron Man 3. Tony being an absolute psychopath and building forty forking suits after The Avengers makes sense. The villain molded by Tony himself way back in the day is totally on brand. The fact that the Mandarin isn’t even really a real person is *chef’s kiss*. Everything about Harley and Tony’s relationship is so pure and wholesome against the backdrop of EXTREMIS. Plus Pepper is even more of a bad ash than usual. And Rhodey stays being the best friend Tony could ask for, honestly. I don’t know if the plot twist was really that much of a twist - I couldn’t decide if it was well-written or I just have a shockingly low opinion of politicians (yikes). But I generally enjoyed this movie. The scene where Tony saves all the people falling out of the airplane is pretty intense. Not that I’d ever want to be thrown out of an airplane sans parachute, but I think it’d be cool to join a human chain led by Iron Man. Maybe an emergency chute to be safe? Idk. I liked the movie! Here’s a gif of Pepper being the Queen that she is.
9. Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)
I love Peter Parker. No, seriously. The character of Peter Parker has a special place in my heart. He’s just a snarky lil dude. Tom Holland does a great job - I love Andrew Garfield, I really do, and Tobey Maguire was iconic, but Tom really has Peter Parker energy. Jon Watts does a great job here. This movie is cute and funny from the start to finish, and I’m obsessed with the Peter-Tony dad dynamic. Is it possible to have a crush on someone else’s relationship? My dad and I get along great but sometimes I wish I had what Peter and Tony have. I had forgotten that it came after Captain America: Civil War, though, so the reason that Peter is so antsy is because he’s had a taste of the Avenger life and wants to do more. I think when I first watched it I understood his frustration, but now in my aged state (three years later), I really see that he is still a kid. He’s like, 15. Holy shirt! So I’m definitely Team Tony on this one: go back to school, Peter!! Go do kid things!!! Plus, it doesn’t hurt that they cast Zendaya as MJ and I want to be Zendaya. Great cast, great dialogue, great movie. Overall 10/10 - the only reason it isn’t higher on the list is because it is definitely more a stand-alone deal.
10. The Avengers (2012)
Oh, The Avengers. What can I say about this movie without sounding like a complete idiot? Truthfully, I think The Avengers is the most iconic movie in the entire franchise. Not the best, no, but definitely the most iconic. It had a huge ensemble cast with all these mega movie stars, and it had so many incredible one-liners (I can’t even tell you my favorite line, I can think of at least 5 that make me laugh every time), and it was just the first of its kind. Avengers: Endgame outranks The Avengers on my list, but listen. There is something to be said for the original Avengers movie. You know? I’d seen The Avengers maybe twice before I sat down for my marathon, and yet, I could’ve told you almost exactly what scene was coming next, what line was coming out of who’s mouth. Maybe I’m just insane and that doesn’t happen for normal people, but I love this movie. It was really a paradigm shift for me. Watching the characters come together to form a team made me so weepy. And when Tony guided the missile through the wormhole? Oh boy. I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of this movie.
11. Captain America: Civil War (2016)
Despite being billeted as a Captain America film, Captain America: Civil War is basically a mini Avengers movie, but they’re fighting each other instead of a bad alien man. The title is fitting, and it delivers on it’s promise, but that doesn’t make it any less upsetting. Pitting Tony and Steve, Natasha and Clint, Vision and Wanda… It’s honestly forked up. The worst part of it all is that you understand both sides of the path. Tony feels so guilty about Ultron, he has to sign the Accords - yea, I get it. But Steve is so focused on saving Bucky who he knows is still a good person underneath - dang that groundwork from Winter Soldier coming back - how can you hold that against him? Bless Peter and Scott for their comedic relief during the fight scene. There are just so many segments to this movie. It’s long - admittedly, not really any longer than the other movies - but there is so much packed into it. The UN, the car chase, the airport, the prison, and Siberia all happen in just under two and a half hours. There’s never a dull moment. Now that I think about it, maybe Civil War should’ve been higher on my list. But I think I’ve gotten to the point where as much as I like the movie, I like other movies more. Regardless, I enjoyed Captain America: Civil War, but it is definitely deeply entrenched in the MCU and I think you need a lot of background information to truly appreciate it. Not a film to start with.
12. Thor (2011)
Thor is truly the epitome of the middle-of-the-road MCU movie. It’s no Taika Waititi masterpiece, but it’s not a disaster. Kenneth Branagh’s (Gilderoy Lockhart?!!?!?!??) introduction of Thor to the MCU is pretty engaging and has some pretty heavy starpower in Chris Hemsworth and Natalie Portman and Tom Hiddleston. And it does a pretty good job of humbling the very unlikable Thor by the end of the movie, so it’s got a pretty good character development arc for it’s spare 114 minutes. But honestly, I don’t really remember what Thor is about. Like, I know it’s about Thor being a bigheaded himbo and he gets exiled and then Loki does some dastardly Loki things and then Thor proves himself worthy again and then Loki dies for the first time, but it’s all very much an impression of something that happened versus specific events. A good but mindless watch. Very vanilla. Just a little plain. But vanilla is the most popular ice cream flavor, right?
13. Iron Man (2008)
Tony Stark! My sweet, sweet summer child. If I could wrap a man in five layers of bubble wrap and seal it with a kiss, I would. Jon Favreau’s Iron Man totally changed the superhero genre! I have to admit that Iron Man is just about halfway in my list because I was too young to appreciate it when it first came out. I was just a little kid! I think the first time I watched Iron Man was in 2011, maybe even 2012. Even then I didn’t realize how legendary it was. I think I had a crush on Tony Stark afterwards, though. I really do not have a lot to say about Iron Man. I think maybe another reason I placed it so low (bold of you to assume there was any amount of critical thinking in my ranking system) is because of Iron Man 2. Which I get is totally unfair, because they are two separate movies, but I watched them back to back the first time I saw them, and again this time. Iron Man works hard to show Tony growing and changing from his imprisonment and getting stabbed in the back by Obie, but Iron Man 2 flushes that all down the toilet immediately afterwards and continues to piss me off to this day. Hoo boy.
14. Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)
Not to be crass or anything, but if Steve Rogers breathed in my direction I’d 100% lose my shirt. This movie warms the cockles of my heart. Little skinny baby Steve Rogers is so plucky, and he’s a tall dark handsome best friend? And then the best friend leaves for war? And then Steve finally gets accepted on the basis that he is just a good person, through and through? I’m going to weep just thinking about it. When I first saw this movie as a young teenager and the machine opened to reveal the beefiest beefcake who ever did beef, I blushed so hard I had to pause the movie and recompose myself (when Peggy looked him up and down, I felt that). While writing this article, I stopped and watched this gif for about five minutes. And I’m getting sidetracked again! Back to the story. Captain America: The First Avenger is a genuinely feel-good movie that hits the emotions hard. When he found Bucky, I cried. When he lost Bucky again, I cried. When he had to put the plane in the water, I cried. Maybe not real tears but heart tears. I just really love Steve Rogers.
Here’s a bonus gif that isn’t even from this movie but I just wanted to share because everyone deserves to see it.
15. Doctor Strange (2016)
Listen to me. Listen. Doctor Strange was a good movie. The ultimate dutchbag, Stephen Strange, gets vibe checked beyond belief. And then he lowkey saves the world. Whack. And Rachel McAdams dates her fourth time traveler (Time Traveler’s Wife, About Time, Midnight in Paris) which is honestly the biggest flex of any actress to date. Something of a scam that she herself doesn’t get to do any time traveling, but we’re dismantling the patriarchy bit by bit. We’ll get to time travel when we get there. I don’t have many words to say about this movie. It doesn't interest me enough for me to pontificate about it’s wonders. It doesn’t irritate me enough for me to complain about it. It exists. I liked it. Tilda Swinton is a savage.
16. Ant-Man (2015)
Scott Lang - aka Paul Rudd - must be protected at all costs. Despite the fact that he is a grown man, he occupies the same category in my heart as Peter Parker. When people say “just guys bein’ dudes,” they’re talking about Scott Lang. Scott Lang whose reaction to stealing a very fancy high-tech suit is to immediately try it on and press the buttons. Legends ONLY. Ant-Man’s biggest contribution to society is that scene of him training (and shirtless) and also a huge image boost for ants. No, seriously. After I watched Ant-Man for the first time, I wanted a giant pet ant. I still want a giant ant. They’re cute! Plus, it doesn’t hurt that Cassie is absolutely adorable. As far as importance to the MCU? You could definitely skip it. Scott is relevant to Civil War but the movie still makes sense without the background information. The question is why would you willingly miss out on Paul Rudd - I mean Scott Lang - goof off for 117 minutes? Go watch Ant-Man, you heathens.
17. Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019)
We have returned to my actual angel child, Peter Parker. Peter Parker who in this movie is just trying to be a teenage boy doing teenage things like telling his crush he likes her, even while he’s mourning his dad’s death. And then Nick Fury comes in and starts yelling at him. And then Mysterio pretends to be nice and cool and kind but he’s actually mean and manipulative and a bad guy!!!! I was excited for Spider-Man: Far From Home - I enjoyed Homecoming and they share a director, and I had never seen it before last week. And honestly, I enjoyed it. I really did. I enjoyed seeing Peter embarrass himself, and nearly kill his classmate, and do normal kid things. I enjoyed seeing him making Tony proud, building his own suit (which was a beautiful blend of his normal spandex suits and Tony’s metallic suits). I enjoyed seeing him take down Mysterio. But for all that I enjoyed the movie, I was a little disappointed. Maybe I watched it too soon after Avengers: Endgame and I was too numb to appreciate it for all it truly was. Maybe I had built up my expectations to be too high. Whatever the case, I liked the movie, but I didn’t love it like I thought I was going to, and that made me sad girl.
Redemption for this movie came in form of Happy and Aunt May, though. That is very much…adequate.
18. Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015)
Ultron terrifies me. The concept of an AI gaining sentience and deciding to take out the world is honestly horrifying. The fact that he kills JARVIS? MY CHILD?! Unforgivable. But don’t catch me trying to pick a fight with him. You may be asking yourself, “how is this movie so low on the list?” To which I will only say, “Because Ultron scares me and Pietro’s death made me sad.” Wait ‘til you see the next movie in the ranking, then you’ll really be incensed. I’d say that Ultron is probably the worst Avengers movie, so maybe it deserves a spot near the tail end of the ranking anyway. “Then why does it rank above the next movie?” Stupid question. Doesn’t even deserve a response. Please look at this gif of my child instead:
19. Avengers: Infinity War (2018)
Listen. I know that this is a hot take. I know that. I don’t need to know anything about MCU discourse to know that I’m making a lot of enemies here. But hear me out: I did not like Avengers: Infinity War. It made me sad. A lot happened in it and all of it made me sad. And I spent a lot of the movie just kind of frustrated. I mean like objectively, Infinity War and Endgame are probably tied for the best Avenger movie. It is well written, well directed, well acted, well shot, well received. But it made my soul unhappy and therefore made me unhappy. 0/10.
20. Thor: The Dark World (2013)
Ah, Thor: The Dark World. Another Thor movie, another new director. Alan Taylor, I’m not saying you suck, because you did some great work on Game of Thrones, but… Thor: The Dark World is a disaster. To be fair, it comes hot on the heels of The Avengers and Iron Man 3 so there are some pretty high expectations, but this movie fell spectacularly flat for me. Visually, it was great, and the acting is pretty stellar. But the storyline? Malekith is kind of a boring villain, Loki dies again, Jane is portrayed as a damsel in distress, Frigga’s death is unsatisfying, ………. I was simply not impressed. After the scale of power that Loki (albeit inadvertently) possesses in The Avengers, Thor: The Dark World just seems like a schoolyard scuffle. And honestly I’m unsure what the conclusion of the movie is - nobody even slays Malekith? He just sort of gets crushed? I have no idea. I want to love this movie but it just didn’t hit home.
Except maybe this scene of Loki mourning his mother with his lil bloody foot and messy hair. :(
21. Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018)
Admittedly, it hurts my heart to place the love of my life Paul Rudd/Scott Lang at the bottom of this list. However. As much as I enjoyed this movie … It honestly was not great. Both the eponymous Ant-Man and the Wasp are great characters, but I’m not into Ghost and the weird shady restaurant owner/black market dealer villain man? First of all, two villains in a single focused movie is a lot going on - especially when there is also the “villain” of the quantum realm at play? There’s just a lot of conflict in this movie and I think it spreads itself a little thin. The resolution of Ghost all of a sudden being okay when Janet returns? The fact that she seems to immediately become a “good person” after several scenes in which she obviously did not prioritize anyone else above her own self? I don’t buy it. It’s too much of a quick change! Don’t even get me started on Sonny. I have no idea what’s going on there. I wouldn’t go so far as to say this movie was a waste of time - how could it, with Paul Rudd and Randall Park’s bromance? But I am saying that if this movie had included more scenes of giant ants playing the drums and less of Sonny Burch being a creep, I might have ranked it higher.
22. Iron Man 2 (2010)
I don’t even want to say anything about Iron Man 2 because I don’t know if I have anything nice to say. Tony Stark reverts to full ashholery and he is a bench to Rhodey (the best best friend ever). His flirtation with Natasha in disguise (admittedly, Natasha is hot) rubs me the wrong way because his romantic relationship with Pepper has already begun percolating. I don’t buy that his near-death condition would have caused him to behave the way he does in this movie. His discovery of a new element in Howard’s diorama that should save his life when he is at rock bottom should in theory be a phoenix rising moment, but I wasn’t into it. If you’re crunched for time and you skip Iron Man 2… well, I’m no snitch.
Honorable Mention: The Incredible Hulk (2008)
Not Mark Ruffalo
I didn’t actually get to watch this movie because it’s not on any streaming platforms? Or at least I couldn’t find it. So I can’t review it for you. But enjoy this gif of a scary-looking Hulk. No disrespect at all to Edward Norton, but I think I like Mark Ruffalo-Bruce Banner/Hulk better. He seems to fit the role better for awkward-scientist-turned-enormous-green-rage-monster… Edward Norton I’ve only seen in a handful of movies (a couple of Wes Andersens, Birdman) and just seems to have a different vibe. Idk. I just felt like I needed to include this blurb.
Also Not Mark Ruffalo
!!! Congratulations on getting this far. I hope you realize by now that I am absolutely, 100%, completely correct, and that this is the new gospel for ranking the MCU. I’m so glad you could come on this journey with me.
