The Marvel Cinematic Universe has established itself as a force in cinema. With 10 years of film in this world, it’s hard to ignore the impact they’ve had. With the anticipation for Avengers: Endgame, I thought now would be the perfect time to spotlight my top 5 films from Marvel’s Cinematic Universe.
5. Guardians of the Galaxy
This film could have gone one way or the other, but Guardians of the Galaxy was a breath of fresh air for the Marvel franchise. To start, it has the best soundtrack, but this was also the first Marvel film that really let itself loose with its comedy. That mainly comes down to the brilliant dynamic between our main characters as we explore the dysfunctional partnership between these ragtag group of individuals. They’re not your traditional heroes, they’ve done some shady things, but when the time comes you know they’ll be happy to throw down in a dance-off to save the world.
4. Thor: Ragnarok
The first two Thor films were okay. The highlight being the dynamic between Loki and Thor. Ultimately, those films just fell a bit flat. Ragnarok rejuvenated the Thor franchise and it allowed Chris Hemsworth to have a lot more fun with the character and build on the established chemistry with Tom Hiddleston’s Loki and Mark Ruffalo’s The Hulk. It’s a fun film and introduced us to the Valkyries, who have such an interesting history in Norse mythology.
3. Black Panther
Black Panther was everything I hoped it would be and more. Yes, the plot is one that’s been done before, but what Black Panther did was explore the complex narratives that can be found within superhero films. Wakanda is a country that has traditionally secluded itself from the rest of the world, but with T’Challa’s coronation, he’s faced with the task of upholding the beauty and strength of Wakanda, but also acknowledge its place in this fragile world. It’s an interesting quandary, made all the more complex with the introduction of Killmonger, a villain that was shaped by the actions of Wakanda’s previous leaders. Black Panther deserves the recognition it’s getting as one of the best superhero films of our time.
2. Captain America: The Winter Soldier
Now, a case can be made for Civil War to be on this list. It is an incredible film and spotlighted the crumbling friendship of Tony Stark and Steve Rogers. What started as a political division quickly turned personal and the friction is created is evident. I also think that Captain America’s solo franchise was the best of the lot in terms of storytelling and character building. However, Civil War felt like a mini-Avengers film more than it did a pure Captain America film and that is why The Winter Soldier comes in at number 2 on this list. The Winter Soldier is a true testament to why the Marvel Cinematic Universe is so successful. There is a lot to love about his film. From the corruption within, the thriller-like action sequences and the personal stakes that follow, Winter Soldier set the bar as a superhero film.
1. Avengers: Infinity War
There is no way that Infinity War could not make this list. It was the most anticipated cinematic events of 2018 and it delivered on its promise. This film could have easily been a mess as they had to navigate so many characters into these plot threads, but they did a great job at setting us up with three distinct groups and having them all linked in some way. It also gave us a chance to explore different character dynamics with some character’s meeting for the first time. Infinity War was a treat and the brilliance comes in the way they established Thanos a legitimate threat, but also showed hints of vulnerability to him making him a more complex villain than those featured in the previous films. Infinity Wars was a great set up to Endgame which will definitely act like a swan song for some of our most beloved Marvel superheroes.
What is your favourite Marvel film?
This list makes A LOT of sense to me. I think that Ragnarok is just higher up there for me. I don’t know where exactly, but the humour on that one is everything.
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It was so hard sorting these into order. I was actually tempted to add Civil War and basically turn the post into one massive love letter to Captain America haha.
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Hahaha I would have accepted that as well. Cap is pretty darn amazing and I do enjoy basically everything that has Wanda in it, so Civil War is up there.
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Great list! Black Panther, winter soldier and infinity war would definitely be in my top 5 too!
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It was so hard to put these in a list.
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Literally the only one I’ve read on this list is Winter Solider. Yikes, I’m so not caught up.
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The Captain America trilogy is the best one in terms of character arc.
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I’d switch out Black Panther for Doctor Strange but otherwise I wholy agree 😁
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I was actually surprised by how much I enjoyed Doctor Strange!!
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I think it’s because it’s hard to explain the extent of Dr. Strange’s powers. But when you take that away, you get a film about a man’s spiritual journey to healing and creating a new life. It’s absolutely incredible.
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Love your list! I’m not sure for certain what mine would be in specific order, but my favorites are Winter Soldier, Doctor Strange, Black Panther, and Civil War. I had to be forced to watch Doctor Strange, so that’s the one that I’m most surprised I liked.
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I was surprised by how much I enjoyed Doctor Strange. I thought it wasn’t going to be as good, but it was surprisingly refreshing to have this film focus on the fragility of time.
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Oo I wonder what my list would look like! I’m happy to see Ragnarok; that was such a breath of fresh air. I think Winter Soldier would be my number 1 with Black Panther being number 2.
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I’d be really sad if Endgame is the last time we see Hemsworth’s Thor in the MCU because Ragnarok opened his character to a whole new world of possibilities.
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Infinity War, Black Panther and both Guardian movies are definitely in my top five. I also really enjoyed the first Avengers film and the first Iron Man movie — mainly because Iron Man started it all and the first Avengers was that big OH MY GOSH THIS IS HAPPENING film ha-ha!
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My conflict with Iron Man was that all the films had elements that were really incredibly developed, but on the other hand, there were elements that were really frustrating, especially with the lack of compelling villains.
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This is true. I think a LARGE reason I love it is nostalgia, but I totally see where you are coming from!
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I’m not a big fan of Marvel but I love love love the Guardians of the Galaxy movies!! I need to watch Black Panther. I’m hoping I get to it soon!
Genesis @ Latte Nights Reviews
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Black Panther is an absolute treat. It’s such an epic film!!
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I am not the biggest Marvel fan, but I certainly agree with some of your favorites. Black Panther is the best one in my opinion, because as you said yourself, it explored much more complex themes that I didn’t expect to see in a super-hero movie. I have not watched anything from Guardians of the Galaxy, because I just thought it was going to be two hours of comic relief, but I was surprised by how much I enjoyed the characters in Avengers’ Infinity War. I should probably check out their movies!
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I was worried that Guardians would try too hard to be funny and just lose its appeal, but there’s a lot of heart mixed in as well. It also helps that there’s a good dynamic between the characters so it never feels forced. If you give the film a shot, I’d love to hear what you think of it. 😀
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I feel like me and my husband were the only people who didn’t love Guardians of the Galaxy. I just wasn’t into it! I do want to see Black Panther.
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I can understand that. In all honesty, it’s not one that I’d choose as a rewatch, but the soundtrack is amazing and that’s what hooked me haha.
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I’m very behind on Marvel movies and I haven’t seen the majority of your list. I seriously need to watch those movies soon! 😀 Anyway, my favourites are Thor: Ragnarok and Spider-Man, though I’m biased towards the later one as Spider-Man is my favourite hero (he has been, ever since I was little).
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When it comes to Spider-Man I have conflicted feelings, mainly because I’m tired of all the reboots there have been, but Spiderman: Homecoming was a breath of fresh air for the Spiderman franchise.
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Winter Soldier has been my favorite since 2014, and nothing has topped it yet!
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