Big In Japan Episode #15: Ultraman Manga

Welcome to Big In Japan, where the Fanholes talk about Anime! Only this time they're not!!! Join Justin, Mike and Derek as they breakdown eleven volumes of the Ultraman Manga (soon to be an Anime on Netflix!)

Fanholes Toku Thursdays Episode #47: Kamen Rider Zi-O (feat. Kamen Rider Gaim!!!)

Join Justin, Tony and Derek as they discuss episodes 11 and 12 of Kamen Rider Zi-O featuring a long-running favorite topic of coverage on Toku Thursdays, Kamen Rider Gaim!

Podcast Promo:

Done-in-One Wonders Podcast Wonder Show

Fanholes Mobile Suit Mondays Episode # 58: Gundam (NT) Narrative

Join Mike and Derek as they discuss the theatrical release of Gundam NT or Narrative in the United States!

Fanholes Comic Books Mutha@#$%! Do You Read 'Em?!? # 38: The Ultimates

Join Justin, Mike and Derek as they discuss the 2015 Marvel Comic, The Ultimates, as a tie-in to and celebration to Marvel Studios feature film release of Captain Marvel! It's time for Comic Books Mutha@#$%! Do You Read 'Em?!?

Comics Discussed:

The Ultimates #1-12

Mike Ranks the Marvel Cinematic Universe!

Join me as I count down all currently-released MCU films from my least favorite to favorite!

Let's begin... from the bottom.

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23. Iron Man 3
(Phase 2, 2013)



I was really excited for this movie and the marketing for it was pretty effective. Especially that first trailer, which gave the impression of Tony Stark finally fighting his ultimate arch-nemesis and losing everything… only to have to build himself up again. In fact, it was quite similar to the feeling being built up around The Dark Knight Rises- a movie that also had a lot of good hype and effective trailers. Sadly, just like The Dark Knight Rises, Iron Man 3 failed to live up to that hype for me. But while DKR was a movie that mostly matched the tone it was putting forth in its marketing, Iron Man 3 turned out to be a very different movie entirely.

The biggest thing to talk about here is the Mandarin. For the previous two movies, the “Ten Rings” organization was hinted at and teased, so of course everyone was expecting Iron Man to encounter the Mandarin eventually in these movies. However, the creators tied themselves in knots over trying to present the Mandarin in a “modern” context and sans the unfortunate of-their-time stereotypical and racist overtones inherent in his original comic portrayal.

When it was first announced that Sir Ben Kingsley would be portraying the villain, I was fairly optimistic considering his acting pedigree. However, he turned out to be a big fat phony and once you get past the shock of the initial twist, you’re not left with a whole lot in terms of “compelling character”. Aldrich Killian is a prime example of what people would refer to as a “generic MCU villain” and despite his claim of being “the true Mandarin” at the end, most fans were hard-pressed to get behind that notion. Iron Man’s arch-nemesis was ultimately and completely botched here. 

You can’t tell me they couldn’t find some talented Chinese actor and write a more modern, respectful version of the character… especially since much of the financing for the film came from Chinese investors!  Instead they had to be too clever for their own good and Marvel eventually felt the need to do an extra “short” that assured fans that there was a “real” Mandarin out there in the MCU…and I guess we'll meet him eventually in a non-Iron Man movie.

This movie also mishandles most of the regular cast, like Rhodey, Pepper and even Tony himself. The “Iron Legion” scene at the end is cool, but wastes the opportunity to give Rhodey and Pepper new armors to fight alongside Tony. Even then, the day is saved not by Tony, but by Pepper and her indestructible sports bra and yoga pants. The remote-controlled armor kind of took away from the whole core concept of Iron Man, and Tony seemed to spend more time outside his armor than in during action sequences. The ending tries to function as a cap-off for the Iron Man trilogy, but virtually all the various “conclusions” it reaches are undone by the next Avengers movie.

Upon my initial watch, I defended the creative choices this movie made and tried to convince myself they were worthwhile. However, the more I thought about it, the more I realized I just couldn’t get past the missed opportunities here and when considering this list, Iron Man 3 had a fairly short fall to the very bottom.

Also, for some incomprehensible reason, this is a Christmas movie.


22. Iron Man 2
(Phase 1, 2010)



Two Iron Man sequels in a row? Awww, maaaaan.

I know some people are fond of this movie, and it does have its moments, but let me put this entry in the proper context; Iron Man 2 could have killed the MCU in its infancy. The first Iron Man was great, and Incredible Hulk was more than acceptable… but Iron Man 2 nearly kicked the legs out from under the toddling MCU with its sloppy, “run when you’ve barely mastered walking” production.

Starting off from the top, we’ve got the departure of Terrence Howard. While that has proven in retrospect to be a good thing, especially since Don Cheadle has long since comfortably settled into the role of James Rhodes, at the time it was something of an early blow to the stability of this whole enterprise. Fans were certainly a little taken aback and the drama going on behind the scenes was only just beginning. It’s unknown how much damage Marvel executive and editorial interference did to this movie, but at the very least it caused Jon Favreau to swear off directing one of these ever again.

The execs also pushed for as much “set-up” for future stuff as possible, with Black Widow debuting and S.H.I.E.L.D. having a heavier role. Now, that’s pretty fair, as both Widow and S.H.I.E.L.D. were key parts of many early Iron Man stories, but their inclusion here did seem to over-stuff this movie just a teensy bit more towards breaking point. Tony himself is kind of miserable to watch as he goes into a self-destructive spiral when he thinks he’s dying. While that’s totally a Tony Stark thing to do, it… just wasn’t very fun to experience on-screen, y’know?

Mickey Rourke has complained that all his best scenes were cut and his character would have been better received if they hadn’t been… not that what was left in made anyone want to see more of the Frankenstein’d Whiplash/Dynamo/whomever he was supposed to be. Telling of the troubled production, they also shot at least three different endings for the character, all of which kind of suck. There’s one where he escapes the self-destruct of his armor (hinted at in the finished movie by his use of a timer for the detonation) so they could bring him back if needed. However, Rourke probably wouldn’t have done so, considering that he clearly didn’t have a good time making this one. On a more minor villain note, Sam Rockwell’s Justin Hammer was somewhat entertaining, but was really the comic book character in name only and wasn’t very threatening or effective on any level.

So what’s good about this one? Iron Man and War Machine finally teaming-up and wrecking the “Hammeroids” is a fine, if brief action sequence (no wonder, since it was partially choreographed by master of animated robot disaster, Genndy Tartakovsky.) Tony versus the Senate is a treat to watch, with the late Garry Shandling providing a scratching post for Downey Jr.’s rapid-fire quips and snipes. And although she doesn’t get a whole lot to do, Scarlett Johansson’s Black Widow makes a good first impression.

We’re lucky this film wasn’t a total disaster considering everything, and that Thor and The First Avenger were good enough that the MCU could limp to its first summit in Avengers and dig in for good. However, the problems that plagued Iron Man 2 would reoccur again on a larger scale, and in terms of this list, very shortly...

 

21. Captain Marvel

(Phase 3, 2019)

I’ve always been a fan of Carol Danvers in the comics. I’ve always enjoyed her as part of the Avengers or as an ally of the X-Men. I was happy to hear that she was chosen to headline Marvel’s first sole female-led MCU movie. While I respect the original Captain Mar-Vell, I had read far more comics with Carol in them than him, so I was fine with her being the lead. 

I had hoped that Mar-Vell would at least be a part of her origin tale to provide the nuance of legacy to the mythos, but I was fine with Carol being the Captain Marvel that the larger audience would hopefully be endeared to. Ultimately, much of what I hoped basically came true on some level… so why did this movie still land with such an unremarkable thud for me?
 
Carol’s always been a character who had to triumph over adversity in the comics. It’s no secret that a lot of really bad stuff has happened to her over the years, and there was plenty to draw from to provide some pathos to her movie-self. However, for whatever reason, Carol’s main character flaw in this movie is… uhm… can I get back to you? 

Like really, I can’t tell you in what specific manner she has to grow as a character, and that’s a serious problem for the protagonist of ANY story. She’s constantly told she’s “too emotional”, but that’s… really vague and I’m not exactly sure if the story ultimately comes down on the “that’s fine” or “she learned to control herself better” side of it. The adversities placed on Carol here are all mostly external (her amnesia, the power-limiter) and thus I had a hard time connecting to her outside of the very surface level of her being the stock plucky/snarky MCU protag.

I can tell you that I generally don’t like stories about characters with amnesia, and even less so when it turns out that the person they can’t remember they are is actually… fairly identical to the person we’ve come to know before that revelation. That’s not to say Brie Larson doesn’t do a good job with the material she’s given, because she does. However, what she’s given isn’t very interesting and Movie Carol’s seems like a… fairly shallow character when all is said and done, if I’m being honest. The only thing that stops that from utterly sinking the movie are her interactions with the supporting cast, the vast majority of whom turn in lovely performances.
 
As her primary co-star, Samuel L. Jackson gets the meatiest role as Nick Fury he’s gotten since Winter Soldier, and he seemed to really be having fun with it. Jude Law, Lashana Lynch, and Annette Benning all play their roles well, although color me disappointed at Benning’s double role as Mar-Vell and the primary avatar of the Kree Supreme Intelligence we’re exposed to. Both Mar-Vell and the Supreme Intelligence should be BIG DEALS in any Captain Marvel story, and they’re under-served here on a few levels, although Benning does fine with what she is given. 

Of special mention should be Ben Mendelsohn’s Skrull commander Talos, who steals every scene he’s in with his distinct native Australian accent and some well-honed screen presence even under his alien make-up. I don’t know that the topsey-turvey “twist” involving the Skrulls and the Kree worked that well for me, but Mendelsohn at least sells his end of it convincingly.
 
Ultimately, for every positive thing I could say about this movie, there’s a negative too. The Kree Starforce is a visually-interesting and distinct group, but Ronan the Accuser again misses a chance to be more than a two-dimensional character. Goose the cat is an amusing mascot… until the joke goes too far and someone literally loses an eye (who thought that was a good idea outside of a single cheap laugh?) This uneven nature of the film is probably why I’m unable to embrace it- it seems to me that Captain Marvel has all the frosting of your standard MCU standalone film, but a much less amount of actual filling. 

I’ve tried to articulate my thoughts on this movie without touching on any of the real-world “politics” that unfortunately came along for the ride with it, and I hope I’ve succeeded in that. In the comics, Carol Danvers is always striving to be a better hero, but in and surrounding this movie’s release, we were constantly told that Carol IS the best and doesn’t NEED to grow into it. That’s not usually an effective way to write ANY character, let alone a female one, and it just did not work for me here.


20. Avengers: Age of Ultron
(Phase 2, 2015)

When you list some of the key elements of this movie on paper, it seems like a sure win, especially according to my own personal tastes. Ultron as the chief antagonist, the introduction of the Maximoff twins and Vision, a fight between the Hulk and Iron Man’s Hulkbuster armor, an increased focus on Hawkeye, and the return of Joss Whedon at the helm. How could things go wrong?

I actually don’t have a particularly clear answer for that, more of a feeling. Add it all up and basically, the chemical mixture… didn’t quite gel in this movie. Whedon was clearly a bit burnt out to begin with, and once he had to deal with the same smothering Marvel executive and creative oversight that Favreau quit over, it’s no wonder that this movie ended up underwhelming a good portion of fans. 

I feel like nothing is really balanced properly in Age of Ultron, either character-wise or plot-wise. Stuff doesn’t work to its full potential, or is weirdly overdone. I know that’s vague and shit, but it’s the best way I can describe the movie in general.

On the “overdone” side, Ultron himself, who is trying his darndest to succeed at being both menacing and hilarious and not quite hitting either goal. I know a more comic-accurate Ultron who is evil for the lolz and coldly-mechanical might not have properly engaged your average movie-goer, but whatever Whedon had James Spader do here doesn’t work exactly right either. 

Then there’s Vision, whose power is to have all the powers. His mind is made up of Tony, Bruce, J.A.R.V.I.S. and Ultron, he’s powered by the Mind Stone, his body is made of Vibranium, and he can lift Thor’s hammer. I am amazed that all that information was mostly conveyed clearly in the movie, and Paul Bettany does infuse Vision with warmth and humanity, but… it’s just A LOT, man… even for a superhero movie.

The “romance” between Bruce and Natasha doesn’t seem to function right either- the two did have some kind of chemistry in the first film but whatever it was, the way it’s pushed here feels wrong. Hawkeye’s secret family is a nice twist, but ultimately doesn’t do much but accentuate how detrimentally different the on-screen character is from his classic comic book-self. 

It’s also clear that Whedon struggled with how to develop Captain America and Thor here, as both of their Scarlet Witch-induced nightmare sequences don’t feel exactly right for the characters. Captain America secretly craves conflict and Thor is afraid of his powers going out of control? When were either of those elements a part of either of those characters that we’ve seen in these movies up to this point?  I suppose you can take their visions as purely metaphors for things to come in future movies, but taken on their own in the moment, they kinda feel like Whedon pulling stuff outta his ass. 

On the topic of Thor, that infamous “magic bath” scene is one of the worst examples of both obviously needing to set-up future MCU stuff and Whedon clearly having no idea what to do with a character. It’s no wonder Chris Hemsworth has admitted he was starting to feel some fatigue in portraying Thor around this point.

As far as nice things I can say about Age of Ultron, Pietro and Wanda are both functional additions to the universe, if a tad under-developed here. When Whedon doesn’t strangle his own writing with obnoxious snark, he pens some lovely and thoughtful dialogue, especially for Vision and Ultron’s final scene together. And the action scenes are all pretty sweet, especially the opening sequence and the Hulkbuster fight.

In the end, I think Age of Ultron feels like it would have been an entertaining two-part episode on some Avengers cartoon, but falls short of being a fully-formed MCU movie. There’s just too much going on and too little to show for it here. I still enjoy re-watching bits of it from time to time, but there’s this nagging annoyance that comes along that I can’t seem to shake. I generally like Joss Whedon’s writing and directing style, but it’s sloppy and self-indulgent here to a distracting degree... well, not as distracting as his work on Justice League, but still...


19. The Incredible Hulk
(Phase 1, 2008)



This movie is kind of… the green-eyed stepchild of the MCU. Its ranking on this list really has nothing to do with its quality- I actually quite like The Incredible Hulk and don’t have many, if any major problems with it. Except of course for the lack of the Abomination’s iconic ears, because I mean c’mon, dudes! Those ears are like… HALF of the visual identity of the Abomination!

No, this movie is only so low because I simply enjoy every other MCU film above it an increasingly bit more. And… I’ve never really been a particular fan of the Hulk as a character. I like and respect the Hulk, his history and his place in the Marvel mythos but he’s never grabbed me personally. He was always a guest-star in the comics I read as a kid and that’s how I guess I’ll always view him… and the driving forces of the MCU have kind of made that feeling manifest on-screen over the years.

There is a sort of disconnect involved with this movie in regards to its place in the larger MCU. It was originally intended as a sequel to Ang Lee’s 2004 Hulk movie and was basically grandfathered into the fledgling MCU. The higher-ups were so desperate to make sure people knew it was connected during marketing that they flat-out spoiled the “surprise” Tony Stark appearance in TV spots leading up to the film’s release. Not that it helped; The Incredible Hulk was only a moderate success for Marvel and Universal, especially by today’s insane metric.

Still, like I said, it’s actually a good movie. It’s respectful in tone and content to both the comics and the iconic 70s TV show, the action scenes are pretty well-executed, and everyone is well-cast. Edward Norton does a good job of portraying the desperate, moral man-on-the-run that Bruce Banner has become. We’ve all heard the stories of his friction with the writer and director behind-the-scenes, and I definitely can’t picture Norton in the ensemble cast of Avengers over Mark Ruffalo, but he was pretty perfect as Banner here. 

Tim Roth’s Emil Blonsky does his job as the main heavy and that fight scene he has with the Hulk at the college gave everyone a brief taster of what Captain America could look like in action. William Hurt’s “Thunderbolt” Ross stepped right off the comic page, and it’s no wonder the Russo brothers actively sought to eventually return the character to the MCU, even if only to reaffirm the relevance of this film.

I think a lot of people look back at this film with some fondness or at least have reexamined it with more favorable eyes in the wake of everything that came after. It’s a solid entry in the MCU, and at the very least… Hulk didn’t fight any mutant dogs or a giant tornado with Nick Nolte’s face in it.


18. Thor: The Dark World
(Phase 2, 2013)



This movie catches a lot of flack, and I feel like a chunk of it is somewhat undeserved. Yes, its plot and villain are a little bog-standard for a Marvel film, but it’s also got some really good character interactions and moments. 

However, speaking of bogs, I think Malekith got his movie color scheme from a particularly dank one. He is definitely one of the least memorable MCU villains and probably who most people point to when criticizing them as a whole. I guess you can blame Tom Hiddleston’s Loki for that. Reportedly, early drafts of The Dark World’s script fleshed out Malekith’s backstory and motivations to a much greater degree, but after Loki’s popularity exploded thanks to his role in the first Avengers film, it was rewritten to feature more scenes with him instead.

Thor and Loki’s relationship is certainly where this movie shines, and their interactions are never boring or diverting. Again, this is by design, and perhaps it does hurt the rest of Thor’s supporting cast. When Patty Jenkins was attached to the movie as director, the focus was going to be on Thor and Jane Foster’s relationship. While they do get their time in the finished Alan Taylor-directed project, they still aren’t exactly “the it-couple” of the MCU. 

The Warriors Three and Sif are criminally-underused, and Frigga gets just enough screen time and interaction with Loki to make us feel adequately bad when she dies. Anthony Hopkins commands enough respect with his acting presence alone to give Odin the proper import, but there still feels like more could be said about him and virtually everyone else in this movie other than the two princes of Asgard.

We do unfortunately get more time with Jane’s gaggle of sidekicks- Selvig, Darcy, and the other guy. The “wackiness” quotient is turned up a bit in this movie with them, and while perhaps not as direly annoying as some critics may claim, are still not very welcome in the grand scheme of things. It kind of annoys me personally that “Myeh-myeh” gets more play than the Warriors Three or Sif, but I guess that’s just to be expected. I can honestly get why Chris Hemsworth wanted to rock the boat a bit and change things up for Thor in the third movie… he’s usually surrounded by characters who can act with an unrestrained energy that he can easily channel as an actor. However, up until “Ragnarok”, he wasn’t really allowed to in his portrayal of Thor.

That may ultimately have been the problem with Thor in the MCU during this era- they were afraid to go full comic book Thor, and they were afraid to completely reinvent him, so Hemsworth was stuck in this slightly tepid in-between space for awhile. I mean, I like Chris Hemsworth’s Thor, but I feel like the character only finally achieved a balanced “comfort zone” in Avengers: Infinity War. Hemsworth had his fun in Ragnarok and took that new energy back with him to the more serious fare. In all showings I saw of Infinity War, the biggest response from the audience was always without fail when Thor arrives to save the day in Wakanda. That’s a response to a character that I feel wouldn’t happen with the Thor from “Dark World” or the first movie.

Okay, I guess that was kind of a tangent, but back to the main point here; The Dark World isn’t terrible. It’s got some great character bits, some fantastic set pieces, and a climactic battle that’s both fun and unique. The bit where Thor and Malekith keep falling through the portals and Mjolnir keeps trying to return to Thor by flying into space and back again? Awesome. Also, when the humor does work, it works beautifully. Loki doing his Captain America impression? Hilarious. Thor hanging his hammer on the coat rack in Jane’s apartment? Classic. Indeed, The Dark World does have its bright spots if you’re willing to look for them.


17. Captain America: The First Avenger
(Phase 1, 2011)



When Chris Evans was first cast as Steve Rogers, a lot of people had their doubts. Up until that point in his career, Evans had primarily been known for goofy roles and had previously portrayed the Human Torch in the Fantastic Four movies. Captain America isn’t an easy role to portray convincingly either; he could have come off as corny, dated, ridiculous, or any combination of negative public perceptions of the character. None of these factors really inspired confidence in the fans, but as it turned out, we had nothing to worry about. Evans is a talented actor and simply hadn’t been given a chance to showcase his range to a wider audience. His Steve Rogers has since become one of the definite and iconic takes on the character in any medium and it all started here.

Don’t get me wrong; I really like this movie and enjoy re-watching it. Again, like the previous two entries, the only reason it’s low on this list is because I enjoy everything above it a little more. There are two niggles I do have with The First Avenger though, and I will lay them out for you right here. Two key elements of Captain America’s personal mythology didn’t quite click perfectly for me, and it prevented me from embracing this film wholeheartedly.

The first element I need to address is Bucky Barnes, played by Sebastian Stan. I don’t actually have a huge problem with the “flip” of their classic relationship here… I can understand that the filmmakers probably wanted to avoid the whole “kid sidekick” thing. Bucky is portrayed as an equal peer of Steve’s, perhaps even a bit older than him in this movie. That’s all well and good, but I feel like Sebastian Stan was clearly cast with an eye on him becoming the Winter Soldier in a future film, which he obviously did. 

Taking into account that bit of foresight in casting, I feel like the friendship in this movie between Steve and Bucky comes off as a little… I dunno, mechanical or manufactured, maybe? Maybe they hadn’t exactly worked out their chemistry at this point, or maybe Stan felt a little like he was already halfway in “Winter Soldier mode” in his scenes. Whatever it was, the friendship that Steve and Bucky have just doesn’t feel as natural as it should (and will be in future movies) here. There was less room to grow, and thus less of a contrast when Bucky does show up as the Winter Soldier, I guess.

The other element I must discuss is the climax, and how Captain America is ultimately lost to the ice. I kinda feel like the whole “controlled crash” of the plane was needlessly complicated and opened up too many plot holes. The “How It Should Have Ended” YouTube series had some great fun mocking this scene and I can’t say I blame them. 

Why did Steve absolutely have to stay in the cockpit to crash the plane even after it was totally obvious it was going to hit a barren ice field? Why couldn’t he have jumped out or flown one of those drone missile crafts out of there? Why does billionaire Howard Stark, with all his resources and nearly seventy years of apparent non-stop searching never locate the plane? I mean, it’s gotta be easier to find an entire plane in the ice than just one man, by like… A LOT. I get that they wanted to have the whole emotional moment of Steve and Peggy talking for one last time, and that IS a very effective scene that is nailed by both actors involved. I just… can’t get past why things had to go down that way plot-wise.

All that said, I still really like this movie and despite my issues, consider it to be a fine installment in the MCU. The heart and the humor work, the action is adequately gripping, and the supporting cast is fairly strong. I’m kinda sad Hugo Weaving never returned as the Red Skull, as he did lend his own personal gravitas to the role, but Chris Evans will go on to do much greater things as Captain America in the MCU from here. You might say that for Cap, this movie was only the tip of the iceberg… or maybe that it was still in the iceberg… or that… dammit, I had a good iceberg metaphor going and then I ruined it.


16. Thor
(Phase 1, 2011)



When I was finalizing my rankings for this list, I struggled with the positions of this movie and "The First Avenger". Ultimately, while I prefer Captain America as a character overall, I have to say that I enjoy Thor’s first MCU outing just a tiny bit more than Cap’s. This is a movie that you can go back to and notice a ton of subtle things in retrospect that work perfectly with what comes after. Odin’s heartbreak over Thor’s behavior early on has a lot more weight after you know about Hela and how he dealt with her. 

Loki may not be as much of a captivating scene-stealer here as he is in follow-up movies, but Tom Hiddleston does a lot with just his expressions and more subdued reactions to unfolding events. There’s just a lot going on under the surface of this movie in general, and it’s proven to be a solid bedrock for the three most important characters in this corner of the MCU- Thor, Loki, and Odin.

Some people do like to criticize Thor’s change of heart in this film, either complaining that it only took two days on Earth, or attributing it solely to meeting Jane Foster and wanting to jump her bones. If you step back and actually look at what happens to Thor in that brief amount of time, his change makes a lot of sense. In that span of two days, Thor is cast out by his father and had most of his godlike abilities removed. Then, when he tries to regain them and lift Mjolnir, he proves unworthy and is unable to do so, which is clearly devastating to him. Then, Loki appears to him and tells him Odin has died and their mother no longer wants Thor back in Asgard. Thor has basically lost EVERYTHING he truly valued in these two days, and even beyond that… he soon learns his beloved brother has lied to and betrayed him. 

He hits rock-bottom, and the only thing he can do is try and forge a new path after that. It only takes a moment to have a life-altering event, and Thor has a veritable conga line of them over the course of this movie. That’s not even mentioning how Loki apparently commits suicide at the end or how he’s separated from Jane and the people who were mostly kind to him during his lowest point on Earth.

Loki’s plans are also met with a little confusion from fans, but his ultimate want never actually changes. Loki wants love and acknowledgment from his family, his adopted father most of all. His plan was ALWAYS to betray his birth father Laufey and destroy the Frost Giants, despite his alliance with them. Loki wanted the same thing Thor did… he just went about it in his subtle, underhanded, Loki-way instead of Thor’s brute force methodology. His attempt to kill Thor with the Destroyer is borne more of desperation than anything, as he knows Thor can unravel his lies. Loki is truly a complex character here, even if he wouldn’t hit his popularity peak with the fans until The Avengers rolled around.

All that said, this movie does have its flaws, particularly with trying to capture the feel of Thor’s comic book trappings in live action. The costumes are just the right combination of both “mythical” and “alien” that today’s cynical general audiences can accept, but external shots of Asgard do have that regrettable “video game-y” feel to them that is hard to overlook. Obviously, the filmmakers weren’t going to go full-on Shakespearean Thor with the dialogue here, but I feel like it strips a bit of color from the Asgardians in general. 

It’s also a shame that despite them having a decent presence here, the Warriors Three and Sif didn’t really make a huge impression on the larger audience either. Volstagg in particular is a character that should command attention and be easily latched onto by unfamiliar fans, but he just isn’t here. I thought it was funny that when that group arrives on Earth, those two S.H.I.E.L.D. agents that see them have comedic descriptors for Sif, Fandral, and Hogun, but lack one for Volstagg. That’s cuz he’s freakin’ VOLSTAGG! You shouldn’t be able to mistake him for anyone else!

I said in the previous entry that Captain America was a hard character to adapt to screen, but I think Thor was even more difficult, which is why this movie is slightly more impressive to me. Despite my niggles, Thor’s inaugural outing does stick the landing and set the table for greatness to come, even if some of that greatness is squandered sometimes. 

I almost neglected to mention; Hawkeye’s cameo does feel a little shoe-horned in, but I like it because Jeremy Renner is more Hawkeye here with his snarky two lines of dialogue than he is in probably the entirety of The Avengers. This movie also has one of, if not my singular favorite comedy moment in the MCU, which you can see in the GIF above. Chris Hemsworth takes every opportunity he can to act goofy, and those opportunities were somewhat scarce at this point. I guess it’s the little, subtler details in Thor that make this movie more worthwhile, if you can just see past Asgard’s glitz and glam.


15. Doctor Strange
(Phase 3, 2016)



Much like the Hulk, Doctor Strange was never really a “main” character to me growing up. Whenever he appeared in the comics I read, it was always as a guest-star and never as the main attraction. I never actively sought out his solo appearances either, as magic-focused characters simply didn’t interest me as much as science-based or more street-level heroes. 

In fact, even today I think I’m more personally invested in Strange’s arch-nemesis Dormammu, as Dormammu was one of my main go-to characters in the various Marvel VS Capcom fighting games he appeared in. So this movie was a hard-sell to begin with for me, although I had moderate hopes just coasting on the general high quality of MCU movies as a collective.

This movie ended up entertaining me a great deal with its visual flair and a creative style all its own. The cast was strong, even if some characters (like The Ancient One) were quite different from the comics. Since I didn’t have a strong connection to Doctor Strange to begin with, I could mostly overlook any kind of incongruities or changes… mostly. Benedict Cumberbatch does a good job portraying Stephen Strange, and his own talent as an actor prevented the character from coming off as a Tony Stark-lite (which was a concern with many.) In fact, their similarities worked in Avengers: Infinity War’s favor with Tony and Stephen’s clashing egos making for both some solid humor and drama. 

I think the other stand-out performance here is Chiwetel Ejiofor’s Karl Mordo- a character destined to become another of Doctor Strange’s enemies from the comics. Portrayed here initially as a friend and mentor to Strange, Mordo becomes a compelling anti-hero by the end of the film and kind of felt to me like if Sinestro from the underwhelming 2011 Green Lantern film had been done justice.

Of course, I mentioned the film having flaws, and Mads Mikkelsen’s role as the primary villain Kaecilius is probably the main one. I mentioned only having a passing familiarity with Doctor Strange’s comic history before, and Kaecilius is a character I’d never even heard of before this movie. If an otherwise well-read comic fan like me hasn’t heard of this guy, I can only imagine how hard of a time your casual viewer had trying to get into his character… or even remembering his hard-to-spell name! Honestly, Mikkelsen is a fine actor and does a good job with what he’s given, but Kaecilius still comes off as one of the most forgettable MCU villains. He’s merely a stepping stone to getting to Dormammu, the true “big bad” here, and once he stopped being in the film I stopped caring about him.

This film also has to tie into the larger MCU, and while it does so pretty deftly in most places, I felt the decision to conflate the Eye of Agamotto and the Time Stone was a bit of a bridge too far. Both are important and powerful artifacts in the comic Marvel Universe, and the Eye in particularly is perhaps Doctor Strange’s signature piece of paraphernalia. It certainly wouldn’t go over well if Thor’s hammer or Captain America’s shield were somehow made from an Infinity Stone, would it? 

While Strange’s use of the Eye/Time Stone in this movie does lead to some of the best visuals and some great humor, I still feel a little “off” about the whole situation. That said, his confrontation with Dormammu at the end is a prime example of a great use of the artifact’s abilities and a creative climax to a superhero film that doesn’t involve a slugfest or a sky-beam.

Despite my beefs, this film still has more going for it than against it, and it ultimately won me over despite not being in my “realm” of science fiction interests. Tilda Swinton projects enough of an aura of other-worldly wisdom and warmth as The Ancient One to make a lasting impression on the audience. Benedict Wong’s uh… Wong compels and amuses in a solid support role for Strange. Special mention must be made of the decision to portray the Cloak of Levitation as being almost a character itself, and its animations and interactions with Strange are a particular treat to behold. In the end, any movie that can make me think magic is cool is okay in my book, I guess.

14. Spider-Man: Far From Home

(Phase 3, 2019)

 

I’ve got a lot to say about Spider-Man in general and his place in the MCU, but I’ll leave that for the Spider-Man: Homecoming entry. I’d like to talk about this movie on its own merits, but that’s exceedingly difficult considering it’s firmly in the shadow of both Homecoming and Avengers: Endgame. Most specifically, Peter Parker is in the shadow of Tony Stark, and that both works for and against this movie, perhaps to even greater extents than it did in Homecoming. Basically, this a tough one to judge, and ultimately I like it just a little bit less than I did Homecoming after several rewatches.

There is a lot that absolutely works well in this movie though, and I’ll start with the positives. The big one; Jake Gyllenhaal is perfectly-cast as Quentin Beck/Mysterio, and the character is handled very well throughout the film. Of course, any Spider-Man fan worth their salt knew from the outset that SOMETHING was amiss with how Mysterio is first presented in this story. 

The “twist” is probably about as shocking as the Winter Soldier’s identity for anyone other than the general audience, but once Gyllenhaal is allowed to flex his full megalomaniacal might, you are quickly and thoroughly engaged with the “real” him. I enjoyed how Mysterio’s abilities were faithfully showcased and “explained” in a modern context and his final villainous act against Spider-Man was partway ripped from the comics.

Spider-Man’s abilities were well-portrayed and it was nice to see his Spider-Sense win the day after its very existence seemed to be somewhat in question up until this point in the MCU. Tom Holland does a lovely job as Peter Parker as usual, and his immediate supporting cast all turn in good performances, even if basically all of them may as well be entirely different characters from their comic book counterparts. I liked Ned and Betty’s brief relationship and Holland has good chemistry with Zendaya’s MJ. Of course, even with most of the cast being rather broad interpretations of classic comic characters, it was good that the filmmakers knew that there could be only one definite big screen J. Jonah Jameson, rightfully returning J.K. Simmons to the role in the mid-credits sequence.

On the negative side of things, this movie’s biggest weakness is being the one that followed up Avengers: Endgame. Clearly the filmmakers wanted to have a comparatively-lighter story to give audiences an emotional break, but there’s a LOT of heavy stuff left behind from Endgame that this movie either brushes straight through or is practically expected to address. The aftermath of “The Blip” is largely played for laughs, but what cannot be brushed aside so easily, particularly for Peter Parker, is the loss of Tony Stark. 

On one hand, their close relationship in the MCU demands that Peter deal with his death, but on the other… I was hoping this movie would be able to “break the bonds” a little and have a more traditional Spider-Man adventure. But no; Peter’s main character arc in this movie revolves around moving on from Tony’s death and dealing with his legacy. Even Quentin Beck and his cronies’ motivations stem directly from things Tony Stark did, to an even greater extent than even Adrian Toomes and his crew from Homecoming.

There’s a few other things that we’re just expected to brush past and accept on a smaller scale too, like Peter suddenly being interested in MJ romantically when there was no previous hint of it on his end. Or Aunt May knowing Peter’s secret and actively supporting him in it, flying past any kind of difficulties they may have had in-between films. And even though I mentioned I liked that the Spider-Sense (I’m gonna politely refuse to call it the “Peter Tingle”) had its moment, it is yet another thing we just have to accept on the fly. 

Basically, this movie “tells” a lot more than it shows, and that’s always going to be less satisfying and cohesive on the whole. It’s still a fun, entertaining movie, but it’s both anchored and hindered with the double-edged sword of the MCU dangling over it. Speaking of… the post-credits scene… I’m not a fan. Sure, it goes along with the theme of illusions and lies throughout the movie, and it maybe covers for Nick Fury and Maria Hill being duped by Beck, but...meh.


13. Spider-Man: Homecoming
(Phase 3, 2017)



What, Spider-Man not in the top ten?? Well, he technically is, but not for this movie. Look, Spider-Man is my favorite comic book character of all time, and I have pretty strong opinions about how he should be portrayed in any medium. So let me start off this entry by saying… this is a very entertaining movie, with great acting, action, and humor- a real crowd-pleaser of a flick. 

Tobey Mcguire was too lethargic as Spider-Man and Andrew Garfield was too cool as Peter Parker, but Tom Holland has struck the best balance captured in film thus far between the two identities. He’s awkward, yet brilliant and good-hearted as Peter, and confident and witty as Spider-Man. Michael Keaton is totally gripping as Adrian Toomes/the Vulture, one of the more memorable MCU villains to date, and I hope he gets to appear again in a Spider-Man movie.

Alright, I’ve said what I unequivocally know is great with this movie, now I have to get into the weeds. In all honesty, while I enjoy Homecoming, it ultimately… ISN’T MY SPIDER-MAN. To preserve my own fanboy sanity, I have to detach from my own personal views of Spider-Man to enjoy this movie. To me, Spider-Man in the MCU is basically what the atrocious Ultimate Spider-Man cartoon would be if it were handled with a lot more care and nuance. Spider-Man as a borderline ADHD-addled modern millennial with a teched-out costume and a direct line to the Avengers? 

Personally, that’s nearly impossible to accept as a legitimate portrayal of Spider-Man, but whereas the Ultimate cartoon utterly failed to sell it, this movie manages to just about pull it off for me. I’ll admit that’s fairly impressive, considering I’m not the target audience for this version of the character. However, the fact is that I have to “detach” from my own nostalgia and sensibilities to this degree at all is kind of disappointing.

Beyond Peter Parker himself, his entire world is basically reinvented from the ground up for this movie. Some reinvention is of course, expected and necessary for a film adaptation, especially one of a character who has had three different and distinct portrayals on the big screen in the last fifteen years. That doesn’t always necessarily mean the reinvention is good, though.  I doubt I’ll ever get completely behind the MCU’s versions of characters like Flash Thompson and “MJ”. What’s funny is, if those characters were totally new inventions for this movie instead of new takes on old characters, I’d probably have no trouble accepting them. 

The only “reinvented” supporting cast member who really works well for me here is ironically Pete’s best friend Ned, who seems to be either totally beloved or utterly loathed, depending on which fan you talk to. I mean, sure… they totally stepped on Miles Morales’ toes and basically stole his best friend Ganke Lee from the comics and re-purposed him here as Peter’s best friend. However, it’s fairly realistic and relatable for Peter to have a male best buddy in high school instead of being an absolute outcast like in the original comics. This is a change I can accept, and I thought Ned was a good sounding board for Peter, in addition to being pretty amusing. 

I suppose they could have used Harry Osborn as Peter’s best bud again, but they probably wanted to avoid repeating themselves. Plus, putting an Osborn in the cast also adds a certain amount of expectation or baggage that the filmmakers likely don’t want to deal with yet, to say the least.

The MCU is the House That Stark Built, so Tony Stark being the prominent substitute father figure to Peter Parker in this universe is another thing that you just kind of have to accept. Some people believe it reduces Spider-Man to the role of “Iron Man’s sidekick” and I can’t blame them for feeling that way. Something a lot of people forget is that for about forty years in the comics, Spider-Man was decidedly NOT Avengers-material and was an outcast to even the larger superhero community. Nowadays, there’s an entire generation of fans who grew up believing the Avengers have always had Spider-Man’s back, but that’s just not the case. Again, I understand why Marvel has chosen to go in this direction with their character, but I do think it takes a bit away from the core concept of Spider-Man and what Stan Lee and Steve Ditko created him to be.

The concept of responsibility and Peter’s relationship with it has fluctuated greatly in the last decade or so. The original lesson of Spider-Man was that he couldn’t shirk his responsibility to use his powers for good again- not after what happened to Uncle Ben. Occasionally, Spider-Man would have to relearn that lesson in the comics, but only on rare and appropriately-dramatic occasions. In many current portrayals of the character, it seems like Peter forgets his mantra (you know the one) on a daily basis and can’t manage his own life. That doesn’t make him more relatable, it makes him kind of a perpetual loser! Spider-Man succeeds BECAUSE he learned that lesson, not IN SPITE of it. Appropriately to the current mindset, Uncle Ben has barely even been referenced in the MCU to this point. People may know the story already, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t important and defining to the character!

Alright, that was a tangent, but I feel it was an important one to understand why this movie is merely “acceptable” and not “great” to me. Like I said, it’s still a solid bit of entertainment and a fun movie in general. Michael Keaton is pretty great (despite being another ground-up reinvention of a character), and the “twist” regarding him is simultaneously surprising and also... classic Spider-Man boilerplate. The Captain America PSAs are pretty friggin’ hilarious and it’s good to see Jon Favreau’s Happy Hogan in such an amusing role. This may not be “my” Spider-Man, but it’s clearly working for the larger audience, so I can’t argue too much with success. But I will, because it’s my responsibility and I never learn, just like my hero… Spider-Man! Wait... did I learn the wrong lesson?


12. Black Panther
(Phase 3, 2018)



What?? Black Panther not in the top ten?? How can this be??? Look, I understand the cultural significance and am happy for the recognition this film got in the public eye. The fact that a comic book movie could touch so many people is pretty amazing and this is still a very good film in my eyes. It’s just… not the best the MCU has to offer and certainly not on the radar of my own personal likes and sensibilities. It’s kind of sad that I feel like I’m almost wading into a political minefield just by criticizing this movie at all and I hate to agree with Eric Cartman, but for me… Black Panther wasn’t all that and a bag of chips. It has some glaring problems, particularly in its third act, that prevent me from ranking it any higher on this list.

THAT SAID… this is still a damn fine movie, with amazing casting all-around and some truly break-out performances. There’s not a truly weak actor in the bunch by my standards, and I was already a fan of Chadwick Boseman’s work before he put on the cat suit, which he wears with absolute confidence and fealty to the source material. 

Michael B. Jordan’s Erik Killmonger is in the upper echelon of MCU villains, and you’ve almost got a “Dark Knight” situation here where the main baddie is more compelling to watch than the hero. Not that Killmonger is as amusing as Heath Ledger’s Joker was (aside from “Hey, auntie”), but Jordan portrays him with a menacing swagger that commands your attention every time he’s on screen. He’s also one of those villains who might have too good of a point when it comes to their goal, and the fact that T’Challa ultimately takes his message partway to heart by the end of the film speaks to Killmonger’s depth.

Even if there isn’t too much to laugh about with Killmonger, Andy Serkis’ delightful Ulysses Klaue steals every scene he’s in, and it’s kind of a shame he meets his end here (pending his return as an entity composed of solid sound waves like in the comics, of course). I could say nice things about Lupita Nyong’o’s Nakia, Danai Gurira’s Okoye, Martin Freeman’s Everett Ross, and Winston Duke’s M’Baku as well… all have stand-out moments in the film and bounce off of Boseman’s subdued-but-not-sedate T’Challa effortlessly. I also totally fell in love with Letitia Wright’s portrayal of Shuri- a character from the comics that I had zero affinity for or connection to before this movie.

Now to jump onto the negative side of things… for someone so critically tied to the plot of putting Killmonger in power, W’Kabi is woefully under-written to the point of undermining that entire thread. This is supposedly T’Challa’s best friend, married to his chief bodyguard Okoye, and we’re expected to swallow that he’ll happily betray T’Challa and see him killed in ritual combat after the new king fails ONCE in his first week on the job. I’m pretty sure more of W’Kabi’s scenes were cut from the final movie, because he feels like an incomplete character placed in an important load-bearing position for the plot. 

Speaking of W’Kabi… goddamn, his herd of CGI rhinos didn’t quite cross the uncanny valley. Yes, yes, I know… there’s probably no easy way to convincingly portray a herd of domesticated war rhinoceroses in live action, but I feel like the CGI in this movie was noticeably weaker in general than the usual MCU fare. Even T’Challa and Killmonger’s final mano-a-mano battle might have had a few too many CGI elements in play at once to land as well as it could have. Two CGI men in CGI costumes fall down a CGI shaft onto a CGI track where a CGI train periodically passes by. That’s a long valley to traverse, and they didn’t quite make it for me in places.

Despite the problems I detailed above, I do enjoy re-watching this movie and appreciate what it has to offer in all regards. The world of Wakanda and its people are given life and done justice here, the respective and contrasting character journeys of T’Challa and Killmonger are fascinating, and the soundtrack is killer. Black Panther is another of those characters like Doctor Strange and the Hulk who I never really attached to growing up, but again… it speaks to the strength of the MCU that they can still make a movie about these properties that captures the imagination of a jaded comic book fan like me. So while this film may not be one of my personal favorites, and I may have my issues with it, it still manages to be pretty damned fulfilling! So, Wakanda… well, maybe not forever, but for right now it’s good.


11. Ant-Man and the Wasp
(Phase 3, 2018)



I never got the derision Ant-Man as a character gets from the general public and even some comic fans. I guess it’s because ants are seen as insignificant creatures, but… so are spiders and you don’t see anyone mocking Spider-Man in that fashion. For whatever reason, he’s an easy target, and that’s not even getting into Hank Pym’s dubious reputation over the years in the comics. But I’ve always thought Ant-Man was pretty cool and his corner of the MCU is also one that seemingly gets overlooked a lot. 

I can understand that both this movie and its predecessor largely occupy that middle ground of “good, entertaining movie, but with few consequences for the bigger picture.” Well, this movie in particular may have changed that latter notion, which I’ll get into later, just as I’ll get into Ant-Man in general more when I reach the first installment's spot on this list.

As for “And the Wasp”, I think this is a solid sequel that equaled the quality, humor, and heart of the original. The characters have all grown, and Scott Lang himself is as charming and relatable as ever. His relationship with his daughter Cassie is given more room to breathe here, and provides a good portion of the “heart” that I mentioned. In fact, I gotta give props to the talented little girl who portrays Cassie Lang- Abby Ryder Fortson. She’s fantastic in this film, and it’s always kind of a crap-shoot with child actors, particularly in science fiction films. Paul Rudd and her have totally-believable father/daughter chemistry and the lengths Scott goes to entertain his daughter while he’s under house arrest are pretty amusing. Cassie’s unshakable faith in her father and willingness to stand up for him no matter what will likewise yank at your heartstrings and/or funny bone.

The theme of “fathers and daughters” runs through this one, and Hank Pym and Hope Van Dyne’s relationship has been mended since the last outing, so they get a little less time to develop. Their shared goal of retrieving the third member of their family- the lost Janet Van Dyne, takes priority here. Hope gets to shine and perhaps rightfully upstage Scott’s Ant-Man as the Wasp early on, but eventually the two learn how well they compliment each other as a team and truly live up to the movie’s title. 

Hank confronts his past in trying to save Janet, and the group becomes entangled with his old lab partner Bill Foster (a perfectly-cast Lawrence Fishburne) and a super-powered loose end who calls herself the Ghost. I was ready to be annoyed with the Ghost’s gender-swap here, as I’m pretty fond of the male Ghost from the comics and his distinct personality and eccentricities. However, in all honesty, Hannah John-Kamen’s female Ghost proved to be a worthy character in her own right and if they ever do a Thunderbolts film, I’ll be glad to see her join that team. Her true identity was even a nice surprise for well-read fans, with welcome roots in Hank Pym’s comic history.

There are some things I could gripe about… Michelle Pfeiffer is well-cast as Janet Van Dyne, but her magic healing powers at the end are pretty damned convenient to shut the plot off. Anyone who is familiar with S.H.I.E.L.D./Agents of Atlas stalwart Jimmy Woo from the comics may be disappointed that he’s nothing but an Agent of Comic Relief here. And Walton Goggins’ Sonny Burch is an entirely disposable and forgettable bad guy who merely exists in this film to set up some cool fight and car chase scenes.

Even with the above gripes, I really enjoy this movie and as I hinted at above, elements introduced in it become crucial to the plot of Avengers: Endgame. So if you originally skipped this one, expecting it to be another light diversion from the doom-and-gloom stuff, you’re only… maybe 80% right. Even without that stuff, this is a solid, fun entry in the MCU and something that does justice to a personal favorite corner of the Marvel Universe in general. 

Heck, I didn’t even mention yet that Luis and his cronies return and they’re just as hilarious as in the first film. T.I. Harris and David Dastmalchian’s characters have their quirks, but Michael Peña’s energy as Luis is still totally infectious. All the action sequences are great and the shrinking/growing/phasing stuff is used to full effect in them. There’s just so much to like here, if not love… but even if this movie doesn’t stray too far from the comfort zone the first Ant-Man created, there’s nothing wrong with wanting some lighter fare. If such a feeling takes you, go to the Ant-Man movies, you sluggard!


10. Guardians of the Galaxy
(Phase 2, 2014)



A lot of people love this movie, and I like it too, but I’m gonna be honest… it just hasn’t aged as well as other movies higher on this list for me. James Gunn took a bunch of C-list comic characters (D-list for non-comic fans) and made them household names, which should certainly be applauded. It’s a heartwarming and wholly-entertaining tale of five misfits who save the galaxy and become a family along the way, filled with likable characters, interesting locales, and complimented by an amazing soundtrack. And yet… its flaws have become more pronounced over time, especially as more movies have been released in the MCU.

The thing is, when I described this movie as a tale of “misfits becoming a family”… that’s not really what any comic incarnation of the Guardians of the Galaxy has primarily been about. In fact, virtually EVERY character in this movie is almost nothing like their comic book selves, most being completely reinvented for the purpose of telling the story Marvel and James Gunn wanted to tell here. That doesn’t mean that these new versions of characters don’t WORK on-screen, because most of them surely do. It’s just when it comes down between adapting material to work in film and remaining faithful to that material as it was originally presented on page, this movie doesn’t really have a good balance. There are movies higher on this list that are more successful at balancing that equation, but thankfully, Guardians is able to coast on its style alone where necessary.

I do hate to sound like I’m being down on Guardians Vol. 1 here, because I really do enjoy it. I was happy to see ANY incarnation of these characters on the big screen, and this movie does a good job establishing the core cast and a larger universe beyond the one already established in the MCU up to this point. Chris Pratt as Star-Lord/Peter Quill is yet another odd casting that fans were happy to be proven wrong about and Rocket and Groot are fully-realized CGI characters with humanizing performances. The line between actor and character is somewhat blurred when it comes to Dave Bautista/Drax and Michael Rooker/Yondu, but they both work well in their roles. Gamora and Nebula don’t get as much focus in this one, but Zoe Saldana and Karen Gillan lay the groundwork for future depth here.

What does drag a bit in this movie are the villains, with Lee Pace’s Ronan and Djimon Hounsou’s Korath succeeding at being menacing and little else. Ronan in particular has evolved into a truly complex character over the years in the comics, but none of that is really allowed to come out on-screen here. He’s just an angry zealot and his ultimate plan for the Infinity Stone he seeks boils down to using it to make his hammer smash things better. Even Josh Brolin’s Thanos makes an unimpressive debut, with an oddly-distracting appearance (like his CGI make-up hadn’t baked fully in the oven yet or something) and little more than bored words for Ronan to send him on his way. It’s not exactly a good preview of the ultimate villain we’ll see Thanos become when Infinity War rolls around.

I said before that Guardians coasts on style, but it does have a surprising amount of depth and heart too, especially when focusing on Star-Lord’s backstory. It’s also one of the funniest Marvel movies, and that’s saying something considering the MCU’s general reputation for regular healthy doses of lightheartedness. Above all else, this movie set the precedent that anything was possible for the MCU in terms of characters and properties. Perhaps there was a lot of reinvention and polishing involved in making the Guardians “screen-worthy” but no one can deny it WORKED, and HOW! Anyone who watched this movie became hooked on a feeling, and are still high on believing.


9. Ant-Man
(Phase 2, 2015)



Even though Ant-Man as a character was probably more well-known by the general public than the Guardians of the Galaxy were, and even after the first Guardians movie was a runaway success, people were still predicting this movie to be the MCU’s first big flop. Aside from the derision that I mentioned before on this list that seemed to be already in place for Ant-Man as a character, the departure of cult-favorite director Edgar Wright seemed like another portent of doom. In addition, Paul Rudd wasn’t exactly anyone’s first choice to play Ant-Man, let alone a superhero in general. 

Despite everything though, Ant-Man wound up surpassing expectations on all fronts. Perhaps that’s because they were so low to begin with, but I myself had high expectations and they were exceeded as well. Ant-Man’s always been a personal favorite character of mine, whether it was Hank Pym, Scott Lang, or Eric O’Grady under the helmet and I really wanted to see him done justice in the MCU. I think all the behind-the-scenes drama and creative choices made ultimately paid off and produced a satisfying finished product.

The choice to go with Scott Lang as the main character and have Hank Pym in an older mentor-type role seemed a big jarring at first, but I’ve since come to believe it was absolutely the right decision. Hank Pym is a character that comes with a lot of history… and a lot of baggage. His reputation in the comics as a “wife-beater” was mostly-undeserved until "shock-jock" writers like Chuck Austen and Mark Millar decided it should be his main attribute, undoing years of development and damage control on the character. Even though I think Hank Pym is wrongfully viewed in that light, comic book fans at large tend to latch onto one image of a character and stick to it, and that’s unfortunately what happened to him. 

However, thanks to Michael Douglas’ excellent performance in this movie (and the fact that he had nothing to do with Ultron’s creation in the MCU), I think the Hank Pym character has gotten another chance to shed those unfortunate stigmas of his comic book history. Despite being older, Douglas still channels the brilliant, moral, yet socially-reserved aspects of Hank that should form the core of his characterization. After two Ant-Man movies, Douglas as Pym has become one of my personal favorite castings in the MCU.

The casting is strong all over in this film, with Paul Rudd proving to be an excellent Scott Lang and complimenting the character with his own comedic sensibilities. Evangeline Lilly’s Hope Van Dyne is a good foil for both Scott and Hank, and shows the confidence and grit here that will serve her well when she becomes the Wasp in the sequel. This movie’s primary comedy relief characters, the trio of petty criminals led by Michael Peña’s Luis all work well and never become overly-annoying or unwelcome, unlike the first two Thor movies’ “wacky” sidekicks. Luis in particular is an unabashed scene-stealer and provides most of the biggest laughs in a generally-lighthearted film, even by the MCU’s standards. Even characters like Scott’s ex-wife Maggie, his daughter Cassie, and her police officer stepdad Paxton all have stand-out scenes and a role to play… no one feels wasted.

Of course, this movie isn’t critic-proof, and Corey Stoll as Darren Cross/Yellowjacket is a key avenue of attack. He plays the same kind of evil rich guy that are a dime-a-dozen in superhero films, but at least infuses the role with a sort of slimy charm and some legitimate menace. I did kind of appreciate that the persona of Yellowjacket was used as the chief “bad guy” here, as that former identity of Hank Pym’s in the comics is usually associated with his more negative portrayals. 

There’s a lot of clever stuff like that infused in this movie that greases the gears just a bit here and there and contributes to its satisfying whole. Even the obligatory “tie-in” to the larger MCU works pretty well, as Ant-Man must battle the Falcon when he tries to break into an Avengers facility. What follows is a cool, entertaining skirmish against a perfectly-chosen foe- the Falcon isn’t completely out of Ant-Man’s league, but is still skilled and savvy enough to give him a tough time. Plus, it’s a bird of prey fighting a lowly bug- the symbolism, man!

I’ve got a real soft spot for this movie and I think a lot of other people do too. Both Ant-Man movies have been released just after a harrowing Avengers film and provide a “cool-down” spot where people can just sit back and enjoy an adventure with somewhat-lesser stakes and intensity to it. I do sometimes wonder what Edgar Wright’s Ant-Man would have been like, and being familiar with the style of his other films, fear the character could have come off as too much of a joke. I think director Peyton Reed, with scripting help from Adam McKay and Paul Rudd himself, managed a perfect balance of absurdity and cool-ass science fiction adventure in the end. 

This is an Ant-Man that feels both at home in his own films as he does in larger Avengers ensemble installments, and that’s probably the way it should be. His abilities are showcased perfectly throughout the film, and no one should be feel that talking to ants is a lame super-power anymore after these movies. If you do, well… go watch Aquaman instead or something.


8. Thor: Ragnarok
(Phase 3, 2017)



While the first two Thor movies were successful enough, they still didn’t quite seem to get the general audience to embrace the character and his world. People liked Thor, but usually much moreso when he was with the Avengers. His brother Loki was more popular than him, and was probably the selling point of “The Dark World” for your average non-comic book reading movie-goer. Chris Hemsworth has said that he was getting a bit weary of playing Thor and wanted to try something new with the character. 

Taika Waititi had an off-the-wall vision and Marvel’s never shied away from letting directors try new things (within bounds, of course), and thusly… Thor: Ragnarok was produced. It’s a fairly radical departure from the previous two films and an experiment that seems to have paid off, as I feel Thor has finally been wholeheartedly accepted by the average film-loving fan of the MCU.

Of course, for more well-read comic book fans, Thor: Ragnarok may seem a bit… off somehow. After all, this is a movie where Thor loses his father, his hammer, his hair, his eye and ultimately his home of Asgard. Virtually everything that made Thor, THOR, was removed… aside from Loki, who was the only thing that had been comprehensively embraced by the general public that Marvel Studios wanted total adoration from. You can do a story that deconstructs a character and then builds him up again, but some might say that this movie demonstrated a lack of confidence in Thor as a concept himself and I can totally understand why some fans would be upset with this. 

The cavalier way some of Thor’s usual trappings were removed demonstrates what can seem a lack of respect for the source material, particularly the unceremonious end the Warriors Three suffer. Similarly, characters like Hela, Skurge, the Grandmaster, Valkyrie, and Korg are mostly similar to their comic book-selves in name and/or appearance only, all having been reinvented for the purposes of this film. Thus, it doesn’t always work when the filmmakers try to recreate a famous scene from the comics like the Executioner’s last stand, because the weight behind it is so much less when applied to this version of Skurge.

All that said, this movie still absolutely succeeds at what it’s trying to do- which is turn Thor’s world on its head and have some fun along the way. Perhaps taking a cue from the Guardians films, “Ragnarok” ditches the mythical feel and instead goes for “cosmic”… which certainly isn’t an area that Thor has been unfamiliar with over his long comic book history. Chris Hemsworth is finally allowed to stretch his notable comedic chops as far as he can, thanks to shedding much of the both figurative and literal weight he carried around as Thor in previous portrayals. 

Tom Hiddleston effortlessly transplants himself into this new world (again, both figuratively and literally) and excels and entertains as Loki once more. While the characters I mentioned previously may be altered from their classic portrayals, they all still work fairly well fitting into this film. Hela is particularly effective, having been changed from being Loki’s daughter in the comics to his and Thor’s older sister here, a creative choice that further ties Odin and his children together and retroactively enriches the first Thor film a bit more. Cate Blanchett seems to be having a wonderful time playing her, and she exudes an intimidating, foreboding aura in her scenes that overtakes nearly anyone in her presence.

Mark Ruffalo guest-stars as the Hulk in this one, and he’s more Mark Ruffalo than ever. This can be a good or bad thing, depending on your view. His somewhat-baffling portrayal of Bruce Banner fits with the tone of this film, but might seem a bit off when compared with his previous appearances in the MCU. Still, the Hulk is utilized well here and provides some good action beats, a healthy dose of humor, and even a moment of true pathos when he sees the Quinjet message left by the Black Widow. 

Tessa Thompson’s Valkyrie (or Scrapper 142 to be more accurate) easily inserts herself into Thor and the Hulk’s dynamic and was generally a pleasant surprise for me. While undoubtedly an unfamiliar take on the traditional comic book version of the character, “142” doesn’t invalidate or supplant that original portrayal and truly comes into her own as a unique entity in the MCU. Speaking of “unique entities”, Jeff Goldblum’s… Jeff Goldblum is also fairly… Jeff Goldblum? Yeah, that’s about right.

Despite any kind of quibbles I may have about fealty to the source material, this is an entertaining movie in general and was probably needed to inject some new energy into everyone involved with the Thor franchise. It’s a bright, loud, bold movie that is utterly confident in the radical creative choices it made and that’s why it ends up working well, despite having so many moving parts (I didn't even mention Heimdall or Surtur or Doctor Strange's small role yet!) 

Thor: Ragnarok is blessed with a great soundtrack, some of the most hilarious visual gags and dialogue in the entire MCU, and is just damned fun to experience. It also works pretty well as a stark contrast to Avengers: Infinity War, almost to a jarring extent. I think Thor’s role in that movie wouldn’t have as much punch behind it if not for the happenings of Ragnarok- both the movie and the actual event itself. Kind of both ironic and appropriate that Thor’s creative “rebirth” also sparks the end of… perhaps everything.


7. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2
(Phase 3. 2017)



This movie is usually ranked below the first Guardians movie on most people’s lists, and I can understand that. I do feel like there is an element of “exciting new thing” that the first Guardians had that simply couldn’t be replicated. Most people didn’t know what to expect with the first movie and were completely blown away when it turned out to be as entertaining as it was. 

Going into Vol. 2, there’s nothing particularly “new” as far as the general concept goes, and thus it is perhaps the less memorable of the two in the larger audience’s eyes. However, for me personally... there’s no contest- this is the better movie. Remember how I said earlier in this list that the first Guardians movie mostly coasts on style? Well, what Vol. 2 has to offer in comparison is substance… but don’t worry- it has style up the wazoo too!

When people complain about MCU sequels, it’s usually about how they can’t live up to the first, or how many are forced to tie-in to other Marvel movies. In Guardians Vol. 2, we have a movie that is nearly completely divorced from the rest of the MCU. It is a true sequel in every sense of the word, and actually contains more of the complete story that director/writer James Gunn wanted to tell than the first movie did. It’s the other half of the story started in Vol. 1… no, I’d go so far as to say that it’s a 40/60 split with the two movies. 

Hell, I’d say the first movie was the one “burdened” with tying into the larger MCU, what with Thanos appearing and the Power Stone being the chief Mcguffin of the plot. The first movie also had the burden of introducing the characters and the universe, while this movie actually develops them to the full extent. Aside from Star-Lord, the rest of the Guardians didn’t get much other than their base personalities and quirks in Vol. 1. Vol. 2 finally adds depth and weight to Gamora, Rocket, Drax, Yondu, and Nebula.

Gamora and Nebula’s sibling rivalry is given proper focus beyond just giving them a fight scene, Rocket and Yondu connect and go on a developmental journey together, and even Drax manages to showcase the hidden depths under his comically-dense persona. No less than two of the most touching scenes in the MCU for me can be found in this movie thanks to the care it takes with its characters. Drax’s quiet moment with Mantis reminiscing about his deceased daughter, and Yondu’s ultimate sacrifice brought tears to my eyes on my first viewing of Vol. 2. 

Then there’s Peter Quill and the main plot of discovering and connecting with his birth father, Ego. Not only is Kurt Russell’s Ego one of the best and most fully-formed MCU villains, but the contrast between him and Peter’s adopted “dad” Yondu forms the heart of the film and completes the story of Quill that began in Vol. 1. Think about how the first movie began… with a young Peter losing his mother to a brain tumor and then being taken to the stars by an alien. Then think about the climax to this film… Ego dies from a bomb placed on his brain, Peter rejects his parent as they die (out of disgust this time, instead of fear with his mother), and Peter is again taken to the stars by Yondu. This is the completion of Peter Quill’s character arc, and it’s a lovely bit of filmmaking.

If this movie suffers from anything, it is what I like to call sequel “more-ness”, where stuff from the original movie needs to be repeated in its sequel, only MORESO. Since the humor was one of the most successful things about the first movie, this one had to ramp it up with the audience-pleasing antics. However, many gags… just don’t hold up after the first viewing, and much of that feeling is centered on Baby Groot. He’s adorable and all, but the sequence where he’s trying to retrieve Yondu’s fin only really works the first time you see it and then becomes tedious in subsequent re-watches. Rocket explaining the bomb trigger to him has a similar problem, only perhaps amplified because that scene was in one of the movie’s trailers and most fans had seen it already. 

I don’t want lay all the failures of humor on Baby Groot though- Drax is a garden hose of comedic spewings and not all of them land either. There is a little more leaning on raunchy humor in this one too, particularly when it comes to Drax, and that may turn some people off. On an unrelated personal note, I was also a little disappointed that the Nova Corps didn’t appear aside from a cameo, although perhaps Marvel has plans for them down the line beyond a Guardians movie.

In the end though, this movie has that “more-ness” I mentioned where it counts most, and that’s in the character development, plotting, and general visual spectacle you expect from any superhero movie these days. The soundtrack still rocks, and the action scenes are eye-popping and inventive. The new characters that are introduced here, like Mantis, Ayesha and the Sovereign race, and Stakar and his original team of Ravagers only add to the proceedings and expand this corner of the MCU. 

The stakes seem even higher in this one than the first, because they’re mostly PERSONAL for the characters. Despite Vol. 1’s finale having great importance for the larger MCU, this movie’s finale felt so much more rewarding for the Guardians themselves, which is why I prefer this installment in general. Guardians volumes 1 and 2 form a complete story for me, and even if James Gunn wasn't returning, I’d still be content if someone went in a totally new direction with these characters for Vol. 3.

6. Avengers: Endgame

(Phase 3, 2019)

Sitting in the theater to watch Endgame for the first time, only half-paying attention to the people around me, it occurred to me that I might NEVER again be as excited to watch a movie as I was at that moment. I realize that’s incredibly hyperbolic, but I couldn’t help it at the time. The level of anticipation for Endgame had been built upon twenty-one previous movies and hadn’t faltered for me or nearly everyone else who loved these characters and the franchise in general. With such impossible expectations riding on this, the epic “finale” of the MCU (hahaha), could this movie possibly deliver an experience that satisfied me as a fan and thrilled me as a movie-goer?

Uh… yes. Absolutely.

Now, Endgame is not a perfect movie, nor is it my favorite MCU movie (obviously with its ranking here), but it absolutely lived up to my expectations and surpassed them in places. The Russo brothers (and countless others) did the near-impossible and crafted a sequel to Infinity War and ending to the major overarching saga of the MCU up until that point that made me laugh, cry, and everything in-between. 

A plot centered around time-travel was certainly a risk, but ultimately I think it paid off in the end (although we’ll get into time travel further down) and allowed for an easy way to touch on the MCU’s “greatest hits” as it were. Hell, this movie even touches heavily on Thor: The Dark World, one of the less well-regarded entries in the MCU and retroactively enriches that movie a bit more. I always appreciate when creators do their best to smooth over or salvage things that weren’t as well-received as they could have been.

As far as more specific things that this movie does that I love, well… I dunno if I can cover all that in a couple paragraphs, but I’ll try. Both Steve Rogers and Tony Stark’s character journeys come to completely-fitting and genuinely-moving ends, which is only appropriate for those who are arguably the two “main-est” characters of the MCU. Both of them get numerous moments to shine in the movie, particularly Cap, who probably has the two biggest theater-pleasing scenes here. His wielding of Mjolnir and the “Avengers Assemble” scenes never failed to bring the house down in every public viewing I saw this movie with. 

I’m glad that Clint Barton got more time in the spotlight, as the MCU has always under-served his character and ironically because of that, I think it was the right move to give Widow the Soul Stone sacrifice over him. Natasha’s a much more fleshed-out (and I can admit, popular) character in the MCU, so I think her death hit harder than Clint’s would have. I certainly got choked up at it, although not to the extent as Tony’s death.

Secondary characters like Ant-Man, Rocket, and Nebula really got some good screen-time here too. Being that Scott Lang is low-key one of my more favored MCU characters, I’m glad he turned out to basically be the start-up key to save the day (him and Storage Rat, at least!) Most everyone who was "snapped" in Infinity War also at least got some good action beats and something important to do in the final battle, even if it was functioning as a glorified pile of sandbags like Strange or part of the relay race like Panther. Some feared that latecomer Captain Marvel might be too prominent in this movie, but I was basically okay with her role. She contributed to events in a meaningful way, she was still a big gun, and she didn’t steal the spotlight from our more long-running heroes in ways that it might have severely hurt the movie.

You may have noticed I didn’t mention some major characters yet, and that’s because they are part of the few bones I have to pick with this film. While I enjoyed the MCU’s take on “Professor” Hulk, I’m kinda sad we didn’t get to see Banner reconcile his two selves on-screen. For that matter, Hulk didn’t really get to smash anything or even get a rematch with Thanos after his thrashing in Infinity War. At the very least, Banner wasn’t primarily the butt of jokes in this movie like he was last time. 

The “privilege” of "joke-butt" falls to Thor here. I was happy Thor got to balance out his goofy “Ragnarok” self with his mostly serious portrayal in Infinity War, but they swing hard back in the other direction here. The concept of Thor sinking into depression and letting himself go to that extent was a good one, but it’s a joke that goes on too long (this whole movie, basically!) However, I guess neither Hulk nor Thor get it as bad as Star-Lord, who has to look like a putz in BOTH Infinity War and Endgame. It would have been nice for Peter Quill to get some kind of respect here, even as inherently putz-y as he usually is.

Aside from those gripes, I think this movie does a pretty exceptional job of juggling its massive cast and at least putting them all in the spotlight (for good or ill) at least once. I also mentioned above that the time travel aspect of the story had the potential to be a disaster, but I think they made it work dramatically at least. How it worked TECHNICALLY might be a different story, as there are still debates to this day over how the time travel “rules” were applied here. I suppose there’s enough elbow room for a number of interpretations, and that’s probably for the best. In the end (game), there was SO MUCH that could have gone wrong both on the road to getting to this movie and in the movie itself, and the fact that it works so well that any potholes can be glossed over is a testament to its enduring quality.


5. Avengers: Infinity War
(Phase 3, 2018)



I think it’s safe to say that aside from Endgame, this movie was the most anticipated one by fans on this list before its release, having the weight of so many movies before it. Not only was the tease from the end credits of the first Avengers finally going to be put center-stage after having lingered in the background for so long, but virtually the entire cast of the MCU would be involved. This was Marvel Studios’ most ambitious film to this point, and they wisely put it in the hands of the Russo brothers, who had proven twice before they had the tools and the talent to get the job done. So the question is… when Infinity War was released, was it Milla Time?

The answer is almost unequivocally “YES”, as Avengers: Infinity War captured the hearts and minds of all fans. Whether you were only familiar with the films or dyed-in-the-wool comic book devotees who read “Infinity Gauntlet” off the shelf decades ago, Infinity War managed to please just about everyone and deliver a satisfying, complete experience. I say “complete”, even though “Infinity War” is theoretically only half the equation that Avengers: Endgame solves.  However, despite the finale of this film, I pretty much consider it to be a full story that just happens to end… with the Avengers losing. 

The film is structured as if Thanos is the main character and the “hero” of this story, and he sacrifices, perseveres, and ultimately achieves his goal when all is said and done. Hell, nowadays you’ll see tons of articles and Youtube videos about how Thanos had a valid point or how his goal was actually noble. I do worry for our society that some of these people honestly think Thanos “had some good ideas”, but the point is… this film did its job of putting you in the Mad Titan’s giant boots and seeing things from his perspective. It’s absolutely a warped and flawed perspective, but one that had to be showcased to sell the gravity of the situation. This movie just SELLS Thanos on every level in general, which was completely necessary after so much build-up to him. You WILL believe a giant purple nut-sack-chinned guy can cry.

As for everyone else, the Russos do a pretty balanced job of managing the massive cast. There are some characters (like Falcon) who get the short end of significance to the proceedings, and some (like Wong) that need to be somewhat awkwardly-removed from the narrative because they’ll break the plot, but for the most part everyone gets at least a moment to shine. The Children of Thanos don’t receive much personality (aside from Ebony Maw), but provide clear and present dangers for the Avengers to overcome. 

The interactions between characters that have never shared screen-time before are always fun and there’s something just gratifying about seeing people like Tony Stark and Peter Quill, or Peter Parker and Stephen Strange, or Bucky and Rocket share scenes together. It is the ultimate promise of the MCU fulfilled to its maximum extent on camera for everyone to enjoy, and it should melt even the most jaded fan’s heart. The action sequences benefit immensely from this and Thor’s arrival in Wakanda alongside Rocket and Groot never failed to bring the house down in each of the showings I went to of Infinity War (I saw it three times in the opening two weeks!)

Of course, even in a film like this one, there’s something I have to complain about, and that’s the treatment of Bruce Banner. It feels like that while Thor as a character was allowed to move on and develop from the comparatively-lighter tone of Thor: Ragnarok, Mark Ruffalo’s Banner was still stuck in that mode, as if the Russos had only ever seen Ruffalo’s performance from “Ragnarok” and nothing else. In the previous Avengers movies, Bruce was a straight man to Tony Stark, possessing more of a dark sense of humor and being understandably-restrained emotionally. 

Granted, Bruce's circumstances in this film gave him good reason to be a little “freer” than usual, but the way the other characters treat him is a bit odd too. Bruce is either looked down upon or generally treated as the butt of jokes by Strange, Tony, Rhodey, Shuri, Okoye and others throughout, and it just seemed a bit much. I suppose it was to build to his character arc in “Endgame”, but taken on its own… it’s just about the only thing I feel is “incomplete” about this movie.

Still, one oddly-managed character does not sink this ship, and I’m pretty amazed with how well “Infinity War” worked and how much it managed to surprise me after years of anticipation and speculation. There’s so much more that I can talk about regarding this movie, but then this entry would be twice as long. Avengers: Infinity War absolutely delivers on virtually every level and was well worth the wait.  


4. Captain America: Civil War
(Phase 3, 2016)



In the lead-up to this movie, a lot of people were worried if it could “do justice” to the comic book storyline that it was named after. I kind of laughed at that notion, because I thought Civil War the comic story was more or less a pile of garbage. There were good ideas that sprung and carried on from Civil War in the comics, but the main event itself? Silly, misguided, and deeply-flawed on every level and I really hoped that it would be altered dramatically when turned into a film. 

Thankfully, the Russo brothers succeeded in capturing the basic “spirit” of Civil War without duplicating most of the stuff I found distasteful from the comic story. Even when they paid homage to the comic… they did so in clever, more functional ways that worked for the story they were telling. This movie also had to serve as a third and climactic installment of the Captain America movies, and I think it ultimately succeeds in doing that, even if the very nature of the MCU means the story of Steve Rogers will continue elsewhere. However, whereas the ending of Iron Man 3 tried to actively push itself as the end of Tony Stark’s journey, “Civil War” ends with the far more honest notion of the start of a NEW journey for Steve Rogers.

The concept of “hero versus hero” has always been a popular one among fans, and Captain America: Civil War wasn’t the only such comic book movie out in 2016 that took advantage of that. Comparisons to Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice are always inevitable, but I don’t think they’re very fair. Leaving aside the various and significant flaws of “Dawn of Justice” as a film, it isn’t fair because “Civil War” has the weight of twelve other movies behind it. That fact is what makes “Civil War” so gripping and the Russos use that weight to their full advantage. 
  
With the Sokovia Accords being the main sticking point for the “political” or “logical” crux of Cap and Iron Man’s divide, the Russos also correctly chose to add a personal, emotional element into the mix that audiences could easily connect with. Fortunately, they already had one in play with Bucky Barnes and his tragic past as Hydra’s brainwashed assassin. Now, even if you don’t believe Captain America is correct in rejecting the Sokovia Accords, you should be invested in his desire to save and redeem Bucky. 

Meanwhile, Tony operates on the side of the law and what he considers to be logical, until late in the film where his revealed connection to Bucky suddenly makes things incredibly personal for him. One thing this movie does better than virtually everything else it does better than the comic version is making its audience unsure of which side they should be taking. Sure, Cap’s with the plucky rebels to save his best buddy, but Tony is on the side of the law, has a valid point, and with the popular “new” characters Black Panther and Spider-Man!

Speaking of characters, this is another excellent balancing act/cast management on the Russos’ part. Even though the cast here pales in comparison to that of “Infinity War” or "Endgame", it’s still beyond the scope of what any superhero movies had attempted before. As I mentioned, Black Panther and Spider-Man make their official MCU debuts here and are pretty effortlessly tied-into the story, although Black Panther is a little more directly-involved in the larger plot than Spidey. Spidey is more analogous to Ant-Man here- an eleventh-hour ringer brought in as a wild card for their respective teams, and they both play their “outsider” roles to perfection. 

Everyone else feels pretty organically woven into the fabric of this movie and the interactions, team-ups and match-ups between characters work very well. Everyone’s motives for helping whatever side they are on are made pretty clear, and even characters who have less screen-time than others make a good impression. Personally, Hawkeye has never been handled better in the MCU than he is here for me. Without ignoring what has come before, the Russos infuse him with the roguish charm, biting wit, and outspoken bravado that his comic book-self possesses and was subdued or overlooked in his previous appearances. Widow, Falcon, War Machine, Vision, and Wanda all feel “right” and make good impressions too (although Rhodey sure does take a walloping in that airport fight!)

Once again, a main point of criticism for this movie is its villain, ex-Sokovian soldier Helmut Zemo. Some people find him to be completely at odds with the comic portrayal of the character- a facially-scarred, magenta mask-wearing son of a Nazi obsessed with getting revenge on Captain America. I will admit, it is a bit of a change, and perhaps his comic persona was a tad too outlandish to adapt to that extent. However, I think the Russos got the essence of his character essentially correct- a master schemer with an audacious and complex scheme to gain revenge on Captain America (and the Avengers in general). 

Daniel Brühl is indeed a perfect casting for Helmut, even if I’m sad he never put the iconic mask on in the film, which would have been especially perfect when he was hanging around in the wastes of Siberia. Still, I’m eager to see him return as Zemo in the MCU, and his character ends the movie in a good place to launch him into any number of storylines. As for any criticisms that Zemo’s plan was too convoluted or predicated on good fortune or coincidence in places, well… here’s my answer to that. If you’re going to question Zemo’s complex plans working, then you’d better not be a hypocrite and refuse to question why the Joker in “The Dark Knight” claimed to not plan anything, yet still had everything basically work out the way he wanted. Order and chaos are two sides of the same coin, after all, right?

I could have swapped this movie’s place on this list with Avengers: Infinity War, as I enjoy both of them about equally, but even if “Infinity War” might be the more impressive film in general, “Civil War” just has more going for it to me personally. It focuses on more of my favorite characters, it’s a sequel to a movie that’s higher on this list and lives up to it, and it took a story I hated from the comics and transformed it into a great film. Captain America: Civil War just had a little bit longer way to go to earn my respect than Infinity War did, and that’s why it gets ahead. 

The characters, the plot, the action… God, the action is so good. The airport fight is of course what everyone talks about, but that brawl between Iron Man, Cap, and Bucky at the end is so brutally satisfying on both a physical and dramatic level. In fact, my only real gripe about this film is that I pretty much saw everything in it leading up to that fight coming. We already had an inkling that the Winter Soldier might have had something to do with the deaths of Tony’s parents, but to see it played out in front of us (and Tony) was still horrific and sobering. If it’s that hard for the audience to watch, you can easily believe that Tony breaks down the way he does. I’ve said it before in previous entries, but this movie just sells what it’s pitching, and sells it really well. Marvel Studios got two more hero franchises out of the deal with Panther and Spidey too, and we’re happy to keep buying what they’re selling as long as they maintain this level of quality!

3. Iron Man 

(Phase 1, 2008)

I have to resist saying “I liked Iron Man before he was cool!”, but that’s honestly the truth. Alongside Spider-Man, Hawkeye, and Cyclops, Iron Man was one of my favorite Marvel comics characters growing up. I had a few random comics of him and since I liked Transformers so much, of course I’d be drawn to a superhero who looked kind of like a robot. Iron Man wasn’t exactly popular or even A-list in the nineties or even the early ‘oughts. That period belonged to the X-Men and Spider-Man, and Iron Man was solidly a B-list Marvel hero in the general public eye, like most of the rest of the Avengers line-up. 2006’s “Civil War” comic event gave him a bit more exposure, albeit in a negative way. 

As I hinted at in the previous entry, the comic Civil War solidly cast Iron Man as the antagonist, despite all the “Whose Side Are You On?” marketing. Writers mostly used him and his government-sponsored forces as proxies to express their own personal political grievances, and while there were solid tales being written about Tony Stark in his own books at that time, it was overall a negative era in regard to Iron Man’s rep. In 2008, this movie was released and rocketed Iron Man to A++ status in both the comics and the general movie-going public’s eyes… and he’s pretty much not come down since.

Much of the first Iron Man’s success can be credited to one Robert Downey Jr.- in fact, you can probably credit the successful launch of the MCU as a whole to him. It’s rare than an actor embodies a character so completely on-screen that it begins to affect every other version of that character, and that’s more or less what happened to Tony Stark. The funny part is… comic book Tony Stark wasn’t a whole lot LIKE Downey Jr.’s portrayal before this movie. He had a sense of humor and fun, but it had been submerged over the years thanks to various trying circumstances and changes the character had been through. 

Whether it was needing to constantly recharge his life-supporting chestplate to survive, the infamous and always-lingering alcoholism, trying to prevent his tech from being used by criminals, being shot in the spine and crippled, falling under Kang the Conqueror’s mind control, or even being replaced by a teenage alternate-universe version of himself… Tony Stark had been through a lot in the comics. All that weight simply couldn’t work for a film that had to sell the character to a larger audience. This fledgling movie version of him had to have some hook to connect with audiences quickly and Downey Jr.’s rapid-fire snark and improvisational lightness on his feet provided exactly that.

I do feel though that Robert Hays’ vocal portrayal of the character in the nineties Iron Man cartoon (especially the second season) was a sort of “prototype” for Downey Jr.’s Tony. Hays was doing snark and lighthearted banter as Iron Man a decade and a half before the MCU, and he’s still my sentimental favorite Iron Man actor. I guess I consider him a “missing” or at least overlooked link between the comic portrayal of Iron Man and the Downey Jr. version. Still, no one can deny that RDJ has basically been the face of the MCU since its birth, and we’re all fortunate Marvel Studios took a chance on him back then.

All that said, Downey Jr. doesn’t do it all on his own- this movie was blessed with a talented director who clearly cared about the material in Jon Favreau. His insistence to the execs on the then-risky prospect of Downey Jr. being his Tony Stark and their ultimate collaboration formed the nucleus of this film’s success. Even if Terrance Howard didn’t stick around, the casting is on point and they all feed off of Downey Jr. and Favreau’s confidence in the material and enthusiastic energy here. 

Jeff Bridges’ Obadiah Stane might be the stereotypical “evil businessman” villain in a superhero film, but he defined the role for the MCU itself. Bridges plays a roly-poly Stane masking a ruthless intent to remove Tony and take over his company, and it’s clear he’s having as much fun as Downey Jr. is throughout. The rest of the cast fill their standard superhero origin story roles to perfection, with Shaun Toub’s Ho Yinsen and Gwyneth Paltrow’s Pepper Potts turning in strong performances. 

This movie changed the landscape of superhero fiction for good, on both page and screen and its importance cannot be understated. As the after-credits teaser appearance by Samuel L. Jackson’s Nick Fury promised, we were entering a bigger universe, and we just didn’t know how big it would become back then. If everything didn’t fall in place like it did, if Tom Cruise was Tony Stark, or Marvel said “no” to RDJ, who knows where we’d be now? The MCU is the largest-grossing film franchise of all time at the moment, and it all started here, in a cave, WITH A BOX OF SCRAPS!!!

2. The Avengers
(Phase 1, 2012)



After the first Iron Man had been released, fans were abuzz about the after-credits teaser, wondering if Marvel Studios could actually pull an Avengers movie off. The Incredible Hulk was a good film, but under-performed in comparison to Iron Man. Iron Man 2 was financially-successful, but disappointing to many on a story level. Thor and Captain America: The First Avenger were solid, functional movies, but seemed to lack a certain “spark” that the first Iron Man had possessed. 

People began to wonder if an Avengers movie had sturdy enough legs to support itself on, and when it was announced that Mark Ruffalo was replacing Edward Norton as Bruce Banner, more doubt crept into the stability of the entire endeavor. It was the same shaky ground the MCU had been on prior to Iron Man 2’s release, but the stakes were much greater this time. If The Avengers was a failure, the MCU could very well follow suit.

Thankfully, this movie was a huge success on every level and having reached their first true milestone, the sky was the limit for Marvel Studios. A big part of the success of The Avengers goes to director/writer Joss Whedon, who was no stranger to managing casts full of strong personalities. Whedon already had the necessary “geek cred” behind him after Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, Firefly, and stints writing the X-Men and a handful of other Marvel properties, and his hiring was met with much approval from all corners of fandom. While Whedon has his critics and he may not have as much clout today, it was the perfect time for him to take this project on back in 2012 and he really put his all into it. 

Compare Whedon's enthusiasm for making this film with the weariness he expresses about “Age of Ultron” and you can see why things worked out the way they did. Marvel Studios basically gambled everything into his hands and it paid off here. Whedon takes full advantage of the already-mostly-established cast and wastes little time bouncing them off each other, sometimes literally. While Black Widow, Bruce Banner, and Steve Rogers have some interactions early on, the moment it really dawned on me that the MCU as a whole had definitely “landed” was the battle between Iron Man and Thor, which is then broken up by Captain America. Seeing the three of them standing around in the aftermath of that fight, in full superhero regalia… I knew that the MCU would endure and was completely elated for it.

Mark Ruffalo quickly proved himself to be an excellent choice for Bruce Banner/the Hulk and probably a better fit than Norton would have been in this cast. He also gets possibly the two biggest crowd-pleasing moments in the entire film with “I’m always angry” and using Loki to play Whack-A-Mole. Captain America, Black Widow, Iron Man, and Thor have defined roles in the story and all grow as characters. Of course, Tom Hiddleston’s Loki steals the show and provides the MCU with arguably its first true three-dimensional villain. Much like Downey Jr.’s Tony Stark, Hiddleston’s Loki became so popular and indelible that it almost instantly began to affect the character’s portrayal in other media- especially the comics. Those in support roles function well, with Nick Fury, Maria Hill, and Phil Coulson all providing a human face for S.H.I.E.L.D. and Coulson in particular effectively fulfilling the Joss Whedon credo of “kill the one everyone likes.”

Of course, I have left someone out… my guy Hawkeye gets a bit of the short shrift here, as he spends most of the movie as Loki’s brainwashed puppet. It’s understandable, since he’s the Avenger with the least screen-time up to this point, and it does kind of slyly homage the fact that Hawkeye started as a villain in the comics. Still, Jeremy Renner doesn’t get much to do as the character except look glassy-eyed and badass, but he does make the most of what he gets throughout. 

If I were to criticize anything else in this film, the way the invading alien Chitauri pull a “Phantom Menace” at the end with their collective and simultaneous defeat is a little convenient. However, that final battle is so engaging, fun, and epic that it’s ultimately a minor concern. The Chitauri probably didn’t think anyone could disrupt their entire network at once anyhow, and that’s what happened when Iron Man chucked a nuke at their mothership. Also, Captain America’s costume is ass here… like, literally- the back of his costume looks like he’s wearing a solid-blue onesie.  This of course, was even remarked on in-universe by the time we got to "Endgame".

While other movies lower on this list up the stakes and are more expansive or ambitious in their aims, “Avengers” hit the summit first and did it with style. This is a movie I can rewatch endlessly, and its action, humor, and faithfulness to the source material never fails to make my fanboy heart soar. I don’t think there was any further doubt in the MCU’s stability for years after this movie, perhaps even to this very day. Marvel Studios and Joss Whedon pulled off a miracle here, which seems silly to think about now after all that’s come, but it really was up in the air back then. Heck, even re-watching the mid-credits tease gets me Marveling (heh) at the sheer brass on display. “Thanos? THANOS?? Are you kidding me? How are they gonna pull that off??” But they did… and they continue to do so.  

1. Captain America: The Winter Soldier
(Phase 2, 2014)



This is a movie that is based on a comic book concept that was considered absolute sacrilege twenty years ago by fans. A movie with an expected primary SPOILER being the identity of its sub-titular character, which was widely-known by those same fans for years prior. A movie whose main character, while generally liked, wasn’t really anyone’s favorite or even most noteworthy on-screen Avenger and is often viewed as stiff, overbearingly moral, and/or generally lacking an edge by the cynical public. A movie starring this character following up two somewhat-underwhelming sequels of his contemporaries Thor and Iron Man. A movie directed by two brothers most previously known for their work on shows like Arrested Development and Community. 

With all that in mind… how in the hell is Captain America: The Winter Soldier so damn GOOD?? Whatever it was, clearly Marvel Studios recognizes a winning formula when they see it and the Russo brothers were given the keys to the kingdom to finish out this current era of the MCU. And it all started right here for them, with my favorite MCU movie.

The Russos go to work almost immediately making it clear what is compelling and likable about Steve Rogers through his opening scene meeting Sam Wilson. Steve is still a man operating outside of time, and although he’s trying to catch up, he still has a ways to go. Sam both provides a modern perspective for him and shares a common, timeless connection with Steve through their service in the military. Through Sam, Steve is instantly grounded for the audience to connect with as well. 

The movie follows this up with its first action sequence, with Cap accompanying Black Widow and the S.H.I.E.L.D. Strike team on a mission to rescue hostages from a hijacked freighter. The Russos waste no time in showcasing just how badass Captain America’s enhanced abilities can be and how his mighty shield should function, real world physics be damned. In general, this movie spends no time apologizing for Captain America, either for his character or his abilities, and instead shows you why he’s “the man”. This bold confidence in the concept continues for the entire movie, as the Russos never flinch in shame from the material they’ve been entrusted with. Chris Evans likewise continues his thoughtful, approachable portrayal of Steve Rogers, once again proving he was the right choice for the role.

I mentioned in the first Cap movie’s entry that I felt at the time that Sebastian Stan was almost certainly cast in “The First Avenger” with an eye on him becoming the Winter Soldier in a sequel. I was validated here, as Stan’s intensity and restraint serves him perfectly in a role where he has perhaps less than ten lines of dialogue! He does so much acting with just his body language, his facial expressions, and especially his eyes- which really comes out in his scene with Alexander Pierce just before his mind is re-wiped. His hand-to-hand fighting style is stylishly-distinct, effortlessly and actively switching from his flesh to his metal arm in the middle of fisticuffs depending on his needs at the moment. The work Sebastian Stan put into this role in terms of physicality should never be overlooked. 

I also said in the entry for “First Avenger” that Steve Rogers and Bucky Barnes’ friendship felt a little undersold in that film, but the Russos do so much more with less in this one. The flashback scene of Bucky escorting Steve back to his apartment after the funeral of Steve’s mother is all the audience needs to understand the bond between these two. Even the Winter Soldier’s musical theme is instantly-recognizable and sends shards of ice through your blood whenever it pops up unexpectedly.

Everyone else cast in the movie works beautifully and contributes to the satisfying whole. Scarlett Johansson’s Black Widow is a perfect compliment to Steve Rogers to help guide him through the more cynical world of espionage, assassination, and conspiracy they find themselves in. As I mentioned, Anthony Mackie’s Sam Wilson relates to Steve on a more personal and grounded level, providing a different perspective from Widow and providing a friendly mirror to the fallen Bucky Barnes. Samuel L. Jackson and Cobie Smulders get some more screen-time as Nick Fury and Maria Hill to do their spy thing, which is only appropriate in a movie like this. 

Frank Grillo’s Agent Rumlow and Emily VanCamp’s Agent 13 play their roles well, even if they are both mostly set-up for future movies, and Hayley Atwell shows up for a brief, if heartbreaking return performance as the now-aged Peggy Carter.  Georges St-Pierre makes the most of his brief time as iconic Cap villain Batroc ZE LEE-PAIR (The Leaper) with an amazing fight scene. I had clocked early on that Robert Redford’s Alexander Pierce would probably turn out to be the secret bad guy, as it would be a welcome subversion of his usual square-jawed all-American good boy roles, but I hadn’t counted on the Hydra/S.H.I.E.L.D. connection going as deep as it did.

That’s the thing about this movie; most of the plot “twists” are somewhat predictable or were previously known from the comics… and yet they all still have proper impact and weight on the story. Thanks to the fantastic direction, sharp dialogue and steady pacing, everything here lands perfectly and I have no serious complaints about “The Winter Soldier” despite its predictable nature.  It’s just a lovingly-crafted film and also boasts several of the absolute best action and fight scenes in the MCU, especially the elevator brawl and both of Cap's bouts with the Winter Soldier. 

I even always watch the ending credits sequence, which is frankly… my favorite one of any of the MCU films thanks to the amazing score and minimalist animation that basically conveys the entire plot of the movie if you pay close attention. This movie may not feature all my favorite characters or have the highest stakes, but there’s just something about how all elements in the mix combine that makes “Winter Soldier” stand out for me as a triumph of cinema. It’s a great Captain America film, a great superhero film, and a great film altogether. 

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And that's that!   For now!  Call me again in another 23 movies.

-Mike