Ranking the MCU: Marvel’s Best and Worst Movies
10. Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings
Simu Liu proved to be the perfect pick for Marvel’s Master of Kung-Fu, Shang-Chi. He combines the charm of Jackie Chan, the comedy of Stephen Chow, and the showmanship of Donnie Yen to create a character all his own. Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings embraces the rich history of wuxia cinema and that the characters in them were pretty much superheroes due to their impossible martial arts skills. Despite not being a super-soldier, a sorcerer supreme, or a genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist, I have no doubt that Shang-Chi is going to be right at home in the MCU.
9. Guardians of the Galaxy
I don’t think any fans of the MCU were ready for this one. There was such a dramatic shift in tone from anything else we had seen, and that risk paid off in spades for James Gunn. His team of lovable anti-heroes manages to breathe new life and hope into an MCU that was starting to become a little paint by numbers at that point. While not all the movies since then take risks, this is the one that showed audiences are will to respond to those that do.
8. Thor: Ragnarok
Marvel’s most recent film really knocked it out of the park. Finally, Thor got himself a decent movie, one that the big lug could be proud of. The only issue is that there was such a dynamic change for the character that it felt a little jarring. Still, director Taika Waititi managed to keep the new comedic direction going strong throughout the film. It’s hard not to notice the inspiration it from Guardians of the Galaxy, but what’s wrong with taking from things that work. It’s safe to say the MCU keeps getting better and better.
7. Iron Man
The movie that started it all. A lot of fans will argue that it’s one of the best the MCU has made, which is a fair point. However, I think there’s a little bit of nostalgia influencing that opinion. Sure, it brought us the three lynchpins that would hold phase one together, Tony Stark, Nick Fury, and Agent Phil Coulson. This was just the beginning though. It would be sad if things never got better from there, but luckily I think the MCU has in general.
6. Captain America: The Winter Soldier
If there’s one hero who has really managed to stand as a beacon of light in his franchise, it’s Cap. While the first one didn’t offer much, the Russo brothers came along and managed to give fans everything they could want from the character. Someone who tries to do the right thing even if it’s not the most pragmatic, and one that often finds himself thrown into situations where the right thing isn’t always clear. Throwing him against Hydra and the Winter Soldier gave him an opening to become the MCU star.