The best of the MCU


"Captain Marvel" opens on Friday. It will be the 21st film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, an inter-connected web of films that began back in the summer of 2008. In anticipation of this film which is supposed to change the MCU moving forward, including April's final "Avengers" film, I thought it was time to take a minute and look back on the best of what has come so far. Below I've ranked the 20 films in ascending order based on my preference. I won't belabor descriptions of the bottom, suffice to say if I didn't have to include the first "Ant-Man," it wouldn't be on this list.

20. Ant-Man (2015)
19. The Incredible Hulk (2008)
18. Thor: The Dark World (2013)
17. Iron Man 3 (2013)
16. Thor (2011)
15. Iron Man 2 (2010)
14. Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015)
13. Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)
12. Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 2 (2017)
11. Doctor Strange (2016)

 Top 10:
10. Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018): I couldn't dislike the first "Ant-Man" movie more, and yet this sequel was a fun and enjoyable ride. So much so that, despite my low expectations, it crept into my Top 10. Who knew.

9. Captain America: Civil War (2016): This is basically another "Avengers" film, and the first three quarters of the film are great. But I vehemently dislike the ending, which I felt was a cop out. I've come around on this some, but it was a missed opportunity. That is the story of the Russo Brothers work in the MCU, in my opinion.

8. Avengers: Infinity War (2018): The description for this could be the same as the film right below (above) it. I liked this a touch more because of some of the long-awaited interactions. But the last act felt like a giant waste of my time.

7. Iron Man (2008): There wouldn't be an MCU without this movie and Robert Downey, Jr. It's not a perfect film, but I still love it for all that it represents.

6. Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017): Did we need another Spider-Man film? Many asked that, including myself. The answer, once we saw this film, was a resounding yes. It's one of the most fun and watchable MCU films.

5. Captain America: Winter Soldier (2014): Captain America isn't my favorite of the Avengers, and I haven't loved his stand alone films, but this one is pretty great. Robert Redford and the spy theme take it to a new level.

4. The Avengers (2012): The first of the mashup films, this one will always hold a special place in my heart. Again, not perfect but an iconic pleasure.

3. Black Panther (2018): The King of Wakanda delivered a beautiful stand alone film and I can't wait for the follow up. Chadwick Boseman is great, and so is this film.

2. Thor: Ragnarok (2017): I love the humor in this film. Chris Hemsworth has always been great as Thor, but in "Ragnarok" he was finally paired with a director that could maximize his range and craft an incredible and fun thrill ride.

1. Guardians of the Galaxy (2014): Some may not agree, but to me this has always been the most fun Marvel film, and still is for me. The original was a kick, and a film that I could watch time and again.

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