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Every MCU Movie From The 2020s, Ranked

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18 November 2024
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It seems as though the superhero fatigue that people spent years stressing about has arrived in some capacity. The MCU is one of the greatest Hollywood runs a studio has ever had, and during that decade of success, the fans were having a blast. It was hard not to have fun when the movies were so fun and surprisingly consistent in quality. There were, of course, a few critics here and there who were feeling overwhelmed by all the Marvel properties being released and thought a time would come when audiences would get tired of them.




It has been five, almost six years since the “Infinity Saga” of the MCU came to a close with Avengers: Endgame and Spider-Man: Far From Home. While the die-hard fan is not going to call the drop in popularity a fatigue necessarily, they will admit as much as anyone that the MCU slate over the last five years has been underwhelming in comparison to what came before. That consistent quality of years past hasn’t continued in the 2020s. There have certainly been a few duds in the midst of some otherwise enjoyable entries in the MCU’s new “Multiverse Saga.” While some have been bad, most are pretty good and there have been a couple of diamonds in the rough for this next chapter of the MCU.


11 Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania Was a Complete Disappointment

Released: 2023


After Paul Rudd’s Ant-Man really established himself in the MCU over the course of two solo films and two team-up movies, fans were eagerly awaiting his third adventure in the Ant-Man trilogy. With Kang the Conqueror as the main villain and a deeper look into the multiverse, quantum realm and obscure comic lore, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania should have been an epic adventure. Instead, fans got one of their biggest duds in the entire run of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

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Ant-Man

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With some pretty poor CGI, one-dimensional supporting characters and a lack of depth for the main cast, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania didn’t nearly live up to expectations. What started out as an interesting concept that builds upon previous films turns into a conventional popcorn movie that depends on action and spectacle to carry the muddled story to its end. It’s hard to believe the great Kevin Feige screened the picture and gave it his stamp of approval. It’s arguably the worst MCU movie of the 2020s and easily sits in the 11th spot.

10 The Marvels Had Only One Bright Spot Carrying the Film

Released: 2023

Carol, Monica and Kamala arrive at a party on a distant planet of people who are Carol's allies in The Marvels.


While the appeal of Captain Marvel as a character has certainly gone up in the comics, she is far from the most interesting character on screen. In fact, her original solo film, Captain Marvel, was one of the few bumps in the road for the MCU’s “Infinity Saga.” It’s a good thing Marvel Studios decided to entirely re-brand her sequel and turn it into a team-up movie because it actually made the film more enjoyable. While Brie Larson is good and Teyonah Parris is better, there’s only one true bright spot in the Marvel sequel.

Iman Vellani’s portrayal of Kamala Khan/Ms. Marvel has been one of the greatest parts of the MCU’s “Multiverse Saga.” The character adds an incredible amount of depth to any story she’s a part of. Her humor, energy and wit make her a great addition to an MCU cast. She truly carries The Marvels and has become a fan-favorite. However, Ms. Marvel can’t save The Marvels from another poorly paced CGI fest with a muddled script and one-dimensional villain.


9 Thor: Love and Thunder Is the Most Underwhelming Sequel in Years

Released: 2022

Thor and Jane Foster as Thor arrive to a council of Gods with their allies to try and find help fighting Gorr in Thor: Love and Thunder.

Disappointing is a good word to describe Thor: Love and Thunder simply because it was highly anticipated following the success of Thor: Ragnarok. It had everything going for it, between the return of Taika Waititi and the addition of Christian Bale as the film’s villain. Furthermore, the film was finally going to redeem the character of Jane Foster with the return of Natalie Portman. The best word for Thor: Love and Thunder is underwhelming.


While Bale and Portman do what they can with their characters, the short run time and tonally imbalanced storyline just left a weird feeling in the mouths of the fans. Chris Hemsworth is obviously still great as Thor, Jane is more independent, and Gorr the God Butcher has his moments. However, the film never quite makes full use of all the pieces it has to work with. The fourth Thor is entertaining and funny when it needs to be, but ultimately feels like an underwhelming missed opportunity all the way around.

8 Black Widow Could Have Done More

Released: 2021

Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow fights Taskmaster in an epic showdown in Black Widow.


Contrary to popular belief, Black Widow is a pretty decent MCU outing. The problem is that the film falls short of where it could have gone with a Natasha Romanoff solo film. That is to say that the villain was not as compelling as fans would have liked and the third act of the film is more than a little underwhelming. Nonetheless, Scarlett Johansson never fails to capture the essence of what makes Black Widow such a great Marvel character. Digging into her past and expanding her responsibilities as a hero was the right direction for the film.

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Black Widow

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Black Widow also introduces key new characters to the MCU who will continue to be integral to the larger narrative going forward. With Natasha’s time in the MCU over, her adopted sister Yelena is next in line to take up the mantle. She’ll have to learn how to be a team player first, of course, in the upcoming Thunderbolts film. But once she does, she’ll likely be an important hero going forward. Florence Pugh is fantastic and made Yelena a fan-favorite. Failing to capitalize on what it sets up, mixed with a slow pace, puts Black Widow a little lower on the list.

7 Eternals Is a Good Kind of Different, With Unfortunate Flaws

Released: 2021

The Eternals arrive together on a beach to fight a threat to Earth in Eternals.


Eternals deserves more credit than some fans give it. Feeling the least like an MCU movie in the best way, Eternals focuses on interesting themes and familial squabbles that give the film some originality. With a heavy-hitting cast that includes Angelina Jolie, Barry Keoghan and Gemma Chan to name a few, Eternals should have been more entertaining than it turned out to be. The long run-time and slow pace ended up killing its intrigue.

The coolest parts about Eternals are when the characters highlight their unique powers as well as when audiences get to explore the interesting backstory of the characters. Unfortunately, Eternals suffers from many of the same things that kill most movies: a lack of fan excitement for the characters to begin with, mixed with poorly constructed villains and a weak protagonist. The twist didn’t land either, given that Richard Madden’s Ikaris was hardly believable as a hero or a villain. The film does feel grounded in dramatic character moments that heighten important themes, which makes it a little better than other MCU duds.


6 Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness Takes Odd Risks

Released: 2022

On many levels, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is one of the better MCU movies of the 2020s. It broadens the scope of where the MCU could go with genre and tone while also opening up the universe to the greater multiverse in entertaining ways. The movie’s flaws come from poorly executing some of the new things it does for the MCU. From a genre standpoint, the movie is really good, bringing horror and fantasy to places the MCU hasn’t gone before. It’s also a well-written storyline all around.


Some fans will say that Wanda’s arc in the film is misused when, in actuality, Wandavision set things up perfectly for the character to go in a villainous direction. The problem is not Wanda, and it’s not Doctor Strange. The problem is a lack of depth for the new addition America Chavez, as well as a lack of agency for the use of a new multiverse element. It’s hard to take the multiverse seriously when the writers decide to massacre every multiverse character the audience meets for the first time. Regardless of its flaws, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is a quality MCU outing from the 2020s and deserves the sixth spot on the list.


5 Black Panther: Wakanda Forever Is Better Than People Remember

Released: 2022

Angela Bassett plays Queen Ramonda in her Academy Award nominated role, she deals with matters of Wakanda as Queen in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.

One of the biggest criticisms of the MCU in the 2020s is the fact that Marvel Studios was releasing way too many films way too quickly, giving the story and the fans no room to breathe. While this is certainly true, the MCU actually had quite a lot of solid films in its time, rapidly releasing projects. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever suffered from having the huge responsibility of honoring the legacy of Chadwick Boseman. Any flaws the film has, have to do with everything getting overwhelmed by that responsibility.

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Steve Rogers and Sam Wilson holding the shield with Black Panther showing his claws and Thor holding Mjolnir in the background

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For the die-hard Marvel fan, Shuri is not a compelling enough replacement for T’Challa. However, Letitia Wright does a good job as a reluctant hero who slowly realizes her greater responsibility and is guided by an incredible performance from Angela Bassett. Furthermore, Namor is one of the more layered characters in recent MCU outings and should be exciting to see in future films. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever did its job of honoring Boseman while also pushing the narrative forward. It just gets bogged down by too many characters and a convoluted plot. The third Black Panther still has a good chance to surprise fans and audiences.


4 Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings Is an Epic MCU Flick

Released: 2021

Shang-Chi gets ready to battle his father who wears the Ten Rings and is very powerful in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.

It’s a shame that Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings gets sort of lumped in with a weird stretch of MCU releases. Black Widow underwhelmed while Spider-Man: No Way Home completely took over the MCU spotlight. Shang-Chi fell in the middle of all that and is often forgotten in current MCU discussions. The fact of the matter is, it’s actually one of four near-perfect MCU movies in the 2020s. It definitely falls in the higher tier of superhero flicks and just happens to get overlooked by a few better movies, while fans remain distracted by a bunch of under-performing outings that came after it.


With some of the best stunt choreography in superhero cinema, a well-paced and well-structured story, and solid performances, Shang-Chi is a thrilling MCU film. Audiences get to meet Shang for the first time and get pulled into a journey of self-discovery; Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings is one of the better origin stories for a Marvel superhero. If the film has a flaw, it’s that it didn’t stay grounded in the street-level tone it probably should have, becoming a fantastical adventure by the second half of the movie. It’s still one of the best MCU movies of the 2020s.

3 Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 Is an Emotionally Resonant Send-Off

Released: 2023

The Guardians of the Galaxy arrive on a planet where their fellow Guardian Groot has been taken to get him back in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3


Many fans would probably say Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is the best MCU movie in recent memory, and they have every right to say so. For the die-hard superhero and Marvel fan, it’s hard to categorize the Guardians Trilogy as pure Marvel. It’s the only reason it’s not number one on this list. In so many ways, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is a perfect sci-fi adventure and concluding chapter for the original Guardians family. Peter, Gamora, Drax, Mantis and Groot complete their arcs with a ton of heart and humor.

However, it’s Rocket Raccoon who shines the brightest in the final Guardians of the Galaxy. The deeper exploration of his past is one of the most emotional parts of the entire trilogy; his struggle with that past, as well as overcoming it, made the movie brilliant. There are a ton of moments that stand out, not just the MCU’s first use of the “f-bomb.” Tons of action, comedy and drama, topped off with another engaging soundtrack and memorable conclusion, make Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 better than the second one in the trilogy and one of the best MCU movies of the 2020s.


2 Deadpool & Wolverine Delivered Everything Fans Wanted and More

Released: 2024

Deadpool and Wolverine fight enemies in the Void after getting stuck there in Deadpool & Wolverine.

When it was announced that Deadpool‘s trilogy-capper would be a team-up movie with Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine, every Marvel fan and casual moviegoer got excited. From there, Ryan Reynolds and the Marvel team needed to capitalize on the opportunity. By making sure the movie would remain R-Rated and allowing the multiverse to take shape within a fourth-wall-breaking Deadpool adventure, Deadpool & Wolverine exceeded expectations. Another big part of the film’s success was effectively bringing back multiple fan-favorite characters.


Channing Tatum is Gambit and Ryan Reynolds is Deadpool in Deadpool & Wolverine.

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Ultimately, the movie brought Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine and Ryan Reynolds’ Deadpool into the MCU. A fast-paced comedic adventure within the multiverse with just the right dose of emotion, Deadpool & Wolverine was everything it needed to be and more. Fans eagerly await the possibility of both characters returning once more, this time teaming up with a few more of their favorite characters. Any time the studio and the filmmakers can successfully re-introduce a fan-favorite legacy character, it’s going to be an instant hit.


1 Spider-Man: No Way Home Captured the Past, Present and Future

Released: 2021

The MCU actually has a really good track record of releasing quality third chapters in their individual character trilogies. Spider-Man: No Way Home is another great example of that as well as another great example of how successful a film can be when effectively bringing back fan-favorite characters. The reason Spider-Man: No Way Home is so beloved is because it once again weaved together a grounded and concluding character arc with a high-flying multiverse adventure. Furthermore, it managed to not only honor the past and resolve the present, but it brilliantly set up the future of the Spider-Man character.


While Peter Parker’s story is not done, this particular chapter of his life that fans have witnessed in multiple films is over. There are a ton of entertaining, funny and emotional Spider-Man scenes that still stick out as top moments in the entirety of the MCU. The return of Tobey Maguire’s and Andrew Garfield’s Spider-Man has fans excited about what’s next, while Tom Holland’s Peter has evolved even more than expected. The stakes were the highest they had ever been for Peter Parker, and it’s going to be interesting to see what happens next. Spider-Man: No Way Home is one of the best MCU movies overall; therefore, it’s also the best of the 2020s.

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