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plush-anon · 5 years

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tejoxys

I finally saw the Endgame spoilers clip

*rubbing my grubby little hands together bc I love a good roast*

Welp, if it’s a roast you want, a roast you shall receive!

(Note: I think I spoke vaguely enough about everything big in the Clips below NOT to warrant an outright Spoilers tag, so I’m leaving it with just an Endgame Leaks tag and a ‘Read More’ line. Message me if you’ve a.) seen the Clips/gone scrolling for more info in the Spoilers tag and b.) think it’s more spoilery than I try to vague it to be, and I’ll tag it post haste)

Christ Almighty, the Clips just make everything look like an enormous MESS.

Thor looks just... awful. In every scene. LITERALLY EVERY SCENE HE’S IN IN THESE SPOILERIFIC CLIPS, HE LOOKS TERRIBLE. There isn’t a single one where he doesn’t look like a mess. Everyone else gets a glow-up (new hair, tattoos, freshly shaved) and looks put together in general (which is admittedly baffling - really, EVERYONE looks good in the face of mass genocide and failure to stop it from occurring?) but Thor decided to whip out his Big Lebowski cosplay at their big ‘save the world’ get-together... why??? (seriously Thor, was a shower too much to ask for?)

Now, if we’d had ANY inclination that anyone else looked rough aside from Tony and Nebula a la the stuck-in-space teaser trailers we saw originally, that would be one thing. Everyone there lost a loved one, everyone there has probably had to come to terms with the fact that they FAILED TO STOP THANOS when they were all right freakin’ there! NO ONE SHOULD LOOK 100% OKAY HERE. Show me dishevelment, poor coping mechanisms, show them having to struggle for weeks (maybe even MONTHS) after the events.

But nope! They are ALL in perfect health according to the trailers we’ve seen before. Even Tony, after nearly dying in space multiple times, just takes a bath and appears to be in fine health after getting back (with some bags under the eyes). Everyone’s perfectly fine, except for Thor (and maaaaaybe Hawkeye, who looks to have gone full-on Frank Miller Batman in his quest for vengeance, but still had time to get a mullet and some sweet sleeve tats in between!).

Nice.

This is a MASSIVE problem with the MCU as a whole, and has been for a while: their repeated attempts to gloss over and sweep consequences of mental trauma and illness away under the rug until it suits them for plot convenience or for comedy. You see this in the Thor sequels a LOT (Selvig being institutionalized for comedy after being possessed, Loki being kept in literal solitary confinement for roughly 2 years, Valkyrie’s PTSD and alcoholism played for laughs, mocking Loki’s suicide attempt from Thor 1 and the actual death he survived in Thor 2, ALL of Odin’s outright dickishness as a parent a la narcissistic parenting, Hela being imprisoned in isolation for literal CENTURIES), as well as anything to do with Tony Stark and his thought process (everything he does is pretty much as a result of the trauma he endures, and everyone in the Avengers just??? doesn’t recognize it??? and attacks him for it without going ‘hey, maybe he’s got PTSD’ or something???? what the hell, man). GOTG does a MUCH better job of it with Rocket and Nebula, but Mantis is left woefully unrealized (thought they do touch upon it briefly, and handle it with relative seriousness).

Either way, Thor concerns me a LOT, because he is the king of a very small group of Asgardian refugees (and given the scene that shows in the Clips, as well as the appearance of another Thor character later on, we KNOW there were multiple survivors), trying to find a new life on Midgard in the face of not one, not two, but THREE fcuking tragedies - the destruction of Asgard, Thanos’ attack on their ship, and the Snap. Why is he the way he is, in the location he’s in (which actually appears to be the apartment from Team Thor’s mockumentary)? He is the only semblance of leadership left for these people who have lost everything and he’s Like That. Where is a Thor stressed and fretting over being fully responsible for once in his life over the lives of his people, over what little remains of his kingdom? Where is a Thor struggling with guilt as he tries to build a new life for his people, struggling with rule and politics and trade? WHERE IS HE??? Bc right now, all I see is Chris Hemsworth auditioning for the remake of The Big Lebowski, having wandered onto the Avengers set instead of his audition location by mistake -_-

The scenes with Steve leave me absolutely baffled (and some of them just ooze cheese, and not in a great way), because how in the fcuk do we get to those?? His scenes feel the most disjointed here, bc they all have a similar vibe to his personality in Whedon’s Avenger movies. Kind of the ‘Boy Scout’ presentation, which is particularly odd in the aftermath of the Russo Fools’ two Cap movies and Infinity Fcuk Up, which made him more serious, less - bright? I can’t think of a good word for it rn. This is particularly highlighted in his big ‘save the world’ speech we hear - it feels kind of like an ‘okay team, time to save the world!’ speech, instead of something more serious. Is it to try to bring everyone’s hopes up? What else is missing here that we’re not seeing? Why does he feel like he’s back to this persona in light of all that’s happened? Is it to highlight how good and awesome he is in order to {SPOILER REDACTED} like we see in that final sequence? (Also, the imagery for SPOILER REDACTED, while meant to be badass and awesome, feels... kind of awkward, IMHO. Which is weird, bc I thought it would be more amazing and awesome. IDK, maybe I’m just super jaded with the MCU by now).

Carol Danvers’ scenes are actually pretty on point. She gets to be a badass in her fighting scenes and gets an awesome new look that pretty much only functions to further cement her Lesbian Status. The only way she would be more obviously a Lesbian is if her suit were in the colors of (one of) the Lesbian Pride flags and a Cyndi Lauper song was playing in the background (or maybe Joan Jett).

Hulk/Bruce Banner... I don’t even know how they’re going to swing this. Like, at all. I’m particularly baffled bc given how some of the scenes appear to be set early in the film, it resolves extremely quickly to get to that point, and after all the drama of Hulk not coming out in Infinity Fcuk Up, I just - who the fcuk knows at this point. Also, that one scene with the {SPOILER REDACTED} could be effective depending on how they set it up, but then... why exactly is he the one in the scene with the {SPOILER REDACTED} and not Carol or Thor, due to Obvious Plot Reasons?

Finally, Peter Parker. He’s adorable in his scenes, ‘nuff said.

Now, after seeing these scenes, I am left EXTREMELY CONCERNED for this movie’s tone. Granted, it was only 5 minutes of footage for a 3 hour movie. Quite clearly, there is a LOT we aren’t seeing. All the same though, it feels extremely disjointed. I know they’re trying to pull away from the dark and grim ending of Infinity War, but these clips make it all feel a little too casual, a little too ‘let’s go beat the bad guy!’ as opposed to ‘we have suffered a great failure and a great tragedy - as heroes, we MUST work to undo this for the sake of those we have lost, and everyone left alive who has lost the people they loved’. Idk, that may just be me on this one.

But you know the worst part of all of THIS? The worst part is that this is probably what we’re going to get on the release date. This isn’t a trailer Marvel released with deleted live-action scenes featuring minimal to no CGI, or sections clumsily edited over with explosion effects - this was a slew of scenes with a TON of special effects fully rendered in painstaking detail, recorded with a phone on its side in what looks like a movie theater, with foreign subtitles on the screen (I honestly don’t recognize the alphabet, but it might be Middle Eastern). That CGI is expensive and time-consuming as all hell to do, and considering how many of these scenes had it? Either they wasted a shit-ton of money on scenes they didn’t use (seriously, a number of them have Rocket in them, or Hulk - those aren’t the easiest characters to render, I would imagine), or these are in the movie, end of story.

Not to mention, TPTB clamped down on these Clips HARD - like, IMMEDIATELY - as opposed to the process behind deleting Reddit comments. The fast and heavy response from Marvel and the Russo Fools, COMPLETE WITH OFFICIAL TWEET LETTER, along with a Chris Evans tweet not to Spoil the Shit, was to chastise the ones who did (which is somewhat warranted here, given how extreme the security on leaks for Endgame have been).

This response, combined with the quality of the clips, and some of the plot threads that actually seem to be mentioned/referenced in the Lego sets, leads me to believe it’s real.

And I’m not really impressed.

On the flipside, I’m actually kind of relieved, knowing what I’m going into when I walk into the theater opening weekend. I’m not going to be completely shocked and horrified by what I see. This works well in breaking the ice, and also eases some of my anxiety on what to expect (bc I have had a LOT of it for this movie).

The downside to this is that at the end of the day, this is what 22 films ultimately amounted to. Something that feels a little too glib, a little too rushed. Something that doesn’t feel like it’s doing right by the characters who were left, and the characters we love (at least, not in full).

I understand that this is an insurmountable task - to bring to film, with limited time, a satisfying conclusion to so many characters. To arrange hundreds of people within thousands of hours on a set budget to bring this massive story, building for over ten years now, to a close that will resonate and sate with as many fans as possible. But I read fanfiction that does just that with less time, fewer moments, no budget - hell, there are 10k oneshots that rewrote Infinity Fcuk to make sense and treat the characters with the respect that they’ve earned over 20+ films.

This? Doesn’t feel like those.

I will happily admit, I am guesstimating a LOT here, based off of what essentially amounts to 3% of the movie (slightly more, depending on how long the credits are sans post-credit scenes, but still roughly 3%). There is a LOT that is missing, which could fill in these gaps successfully and make this whole post look completely pointless. If it does that, I will gleefully concede that it fooled us on this one. Maybe all of these scenes really ARE hoaxes (even if they were painstakingly subtitled in a foreign language and shown on a movie theater-size screen, but I digress).

But the framing of the scenes looks like it was meant to showcase what the movie would be as a whole, in terms of tone and what to expect. And from that, I’m not excited, or overjoyed. I’m just tired.

And I cannot WAIT for this all to be over, bc I’m fcuking exhausted just watching 5 minutes. Lord knows what 182 of them will leave me like in the end.

*peers up at massive unending ranty analysis post* ...ah. Well then. that happened again. Ah well. Hope you had fun reading my nonsense brain goop, kiddos.

#tejoxys #avengers endgame #endgame leaks #analysis #plush rants #kind of #i am so tired #long post #if anyone wants to watch the Clips #i found a tumblr link that still has the video #dm me and i'll send it your way #normally i can actually guess a movie plot pretty damn well #i laid out both httyd2 and the good place's plots out just based off of trailers right off the bat #but this time? i REAAAAAAALLY hope i'm wrong #the only good part of this is that loki hasn't popped up in the Clips #also a bad part bc i Want To Know dammit #but after seeing thor here? it's a relief like no other

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marcmyworks · 7 years

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Ranking the MCU: From Me to You

Since I was a small child I always wanted to see my favourite heroes on the big screen. Over time we have had hit and miss X-Men films, an array of different Spider-Men and terrible portrayals of the Fantastic Four. Finally, in 2008, the Marvel Cinematic Universe was born. Though I am a fan of each film on this list, I wanted to start ranking the ever-growing Marvel Cinematic Universe.

This article includes images, fun commentary and my opinions on each film. (More films will be added as they are released).

2021 edit: Since the Marvel Disney+ TV shows are included in the 4th phase of the MCU, I will be including them in the ranking.

**SPOILERS AHEAD**

42. Thor: The Dark World (2013)

This film promised so much to its audience, the revealing of an Infinity Stone in a non-traditional sense, a multitude of lore from the Thor comics and even a potentially cool villain. The Dark Elves start off as this amazingly malevolent evil force in the MCU, only to then become a bunch of drones with a leader who doesn’t do much of anything. I especially detested having Loki’s character being reduced to bad one-liners and giving the human characters such a ridiculous amount to do (energy tripods? Really?). Overall it became quite clear why Natalie Portman did not want to return for a third film.

41. Iron Man 2 (2010)

There is so much going on in this film and yet at the same time next to nothing. Iron Man 2 is cool for its inclusions of longer screen time for Nick Fury and introducing Black Widow but it was obvious the screenwriter, producers and director were at odds at what should be happening as none of it seemed super interesting or cohesive. Jon Favreau famously left the Director’s chair after this sequel because of the studio pressured him to include characters for spin-off films. I also want to note that Ivan Venko (aka Whiplash), is probably the worst MCU villain ever.

40. The Incredible Hulk (2008)

Though a well-shot film, it really suffers from a bad script. Edward Norton and Liv Tyler have no on screen chemistry and though the CGI is masterful for the time (and a large step up from Ang Lee’s Hulk), this film comes across as a basic action flick. There really isn’t much more to say except I was also waiting for Liv Tyler to talk in a normal tone rather than a whisper or yelling “BRUCE!”

39. Thor (2011)

Thor’s films just don’t seem to have much luck in the MCU. The original, though slightly better than the sequel, feels rather rushed. Thor arrives on Earth because he’s got a large ego but only a day and a half later he realizes the error of his ways and becomes the hero he truly needs to be? If this film had taken place on Asgard and not in a small American town, it may have been more than what it was, rather than feeling like a small film with a large budget. On the positive, the casting is perfect, especially Tom Hiddleson who steals the show as Loki.

38. Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (2023)

Derivative at best but does have an excellent performance by Jonathan Majors as Kang the Conquerer. Sadly though this film feels like a Star Wars rip-off with a weak script and too many “just in the nick of time” moments. I’ll give it points for being ambitious.

37. Ant-Man and The Wasp (2018)

The Ant-Man franchise is one that is in a smaller realm than the rest of the MCU, no pun intended. There is a lot going on in the second instalment but none of it really compelling or with any real consequences. The plot is simple as the characters are trying to locate the original Wasp, Janet Van Dyne, which honestly is as about as interesting as it sounds. There are so many plot holes, movie tropes and failed attempts at humour that unfortunately Marvel’s first film showcasing a female hero in the title falls flat.

My biggest question is how the original Wasp survived in a micro-dimension looking flawless in the same clothes she had for 30 years without eating, drinking or needing the bathroom and having decent hair and trimmed nails.

Update: This is explained in the sequel.

36. The Falcon and The Winter Soldier (2021)

Though the premise of having two of the MCU’s fan favourites teaming up in promising, the execution fell flat. At six episodes on Disney+, this show still felt a bit too long and at times problematic. Putting aside the outdated line of “You got beat up by girl.” in episode 2, the idea that someone murders another person in cold blood, such as John Walker’s U.S. Agent and then two episodes later he’s built up to be the next badass hero in the Universe still feels like the wrong message to send the audience.

I will say the underlying message of Black Lives Matter throughout the series is very hopeful; unfortunately it felt side-lined for uneven writing, action and at times weak special effects. My last gripe, the characters of the Falcon and The Winter Soldier seem to either be excellent at their jobs or really failing miserably; this inconsistency seemed more like a lazy screenwriter saying “well we need them to go from point A to point B, so in this scene, they’ll just be bad at strategizing, even though in the last scene they were great at it.”

35. The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special (TV Special - 2022)

I get that the whole point of this special is to relive the glory of old-school Christmas specials on TV, but I found it strangely odd that it identifies as “holiday” when its pretty Christian and corporate sponsorship-themed. Disney, you old money maker. It ranks higher than it probably should because there were touching moments that did bring a tear to my eye.

34. Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015)

This film starts off with a bang with a great action sequence and with the introduction to newbies Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch. The film starts to go downhill when we are given a rushed montage of how Ultron is created. And what is with Ultron anyway? He controls some machines, but not all machines? It’s confusing to say the least. This is another film where scenes are specifically built in just to tie into more up-and-coming Marvel features.

No wonder Director Joss Whedon was burnt out. Overall it is well acted and wonderfully shot, it really just needed some script tweaking, and maybe the exclusion of some of the characters (*ahem*, Dr. Cho).

33. Eternals (2021)

Eternals is a new approach to an MCU film, having more questions of what is right and wrong, and whether it is wiser to help or observe humanity (also raised in What if..?). Though at times it feels like the veterans in the cast are not as utilized as they could be, and the character’s previous relationships take a backseat to the modern setting, the film is still well directed by Chloé Zhao.

The only thing I wish that was left on the cutting room floor were the scripted scenes of levity used to make the film more family friendly, I feel this film needed to be sombre and more character based than previous Marvel films.

32. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (2023)

Though this is a film full of promise, it suffers from far too many disjointed ideas and a visceral uncomfortableness throughout. The main point of the film seems to be browbeaten into the audience; testing on animals is bad, altering genetics is bad, and don’t focus on what your life is missing but rather be happy in what you have. This is probably the darkest film in the MCU (so far) as we explore Rocket Racoon’s backstory. Though there was no real build up to his origin, the audience is now told this whole time, its been all about him.

31. Ant-Man (2015)

Ant-Man is a decent enough film to introduce the pint-sized character. Though it contains an original idea and script, the ending is where it gets a bit messy and where we realize how small scale (excuse the pun) this picture is in the MCU. The film is very insular with a plot that seemed more complex than it needed to be, though if Hank Pym had just sent his daughter in to steal the Yellow Jacket prototype at the beginning of the movie, it would have only been a five minute short. It would have also been cool if the writers had just decided to start the movie with Ant-Man working with the Wasp, but we got that in the disappointing sequel.

30. She-Hulk: Attorney At Law (TV Series - 2022)

She-Hulk is one of my favourite comic book characters and I was extremely excited for her live action debut. The writers try their best, but though Jen Walters is able to break the fourth wall, there is never enough development of her character. The episodes, also being too short, don’t really produce much in the way of story and the ending, though an interesting take, makes me wonder what could have been done with a feature length budget.

29. Doctor Strange (2016)

A lot of people say Doctor Strange is the best Marvel Movie ever made, or at least one of the top five. If I based this on visuals alone then yes this film would get top spot, however it suffers from leaps in story, character development and even plot timing. It is rather unclear how long Dr. Stephen Strange takes to train, as he goes through the MCU’s version of Hogwarts, but it seems he gains powers rather quickly, especially since everyone in his old life doesn’t really seem to miss him that much.

I like this film, mostly because Tilda Swinton is excellent as The Ancient One but also because we are finally introduced to the mystic side of the MCU. I wish it had been a touch more original; again we have a generic villain with a basic plan, a female love interest whose storyline can not possibly go that far and a hero learning to control his ego and his powers.

28. Black Widow (2021)

It was great to finally see a Black Widow solo film, considering she is the only Avenger who shamefully had to wait so long. Florence Pugh pulls focus in this film as Yelena Belova and has wonderful comedic timing. There are moments of genuine heartfelt emotion and wonderful action, but for the most part, the special effects don’t work and the pacing is off. All in all though, a solid effort.

27. Thor: Love and Thunder (2022)

Thor the Fourth is a good film, and does add humour and backstory to our beloved Norse God, but its really just a film that expands the World of the Gods for potential MCU films, there are no risks and there definitely isn’t any consequences. Take this film for what it is, a fun ride. The best part? Christian Bale as Gorr the God Butcher, as we finally have another deep and troubled villain.

26. What if...? - Season 1 (TV Series - 2021)

An enjoyable animated series based on the iconic Marvel comic, though this time referencing the MCU. The episodes, though full of wonderful action, seem to also be catered to a younger fanbase, as well the ‘realism’ style animation has some flaws, such in the mouth movements of the characters which don’t seem to match the dialogue. Despite this, the episodes do all culminate in quite an epic way for the finale.

25. Ms. Marvel (TV series - 2022)

Kamala Khan is one of my favourite superheroes in the comics and she is wonderfully portrayed by Iman Vellani. I am really digging the new diversity found in the MCU, though some of the Disney+ series feel like they fall a little short due to budget and scope, this series is a nice start to the character’s arc, though at times feels a bit rushed.

24. Moon Knight (TV series - 2022)

Most of the MCU TV shows fall kind of in the middle for me and this is no exception. Moon Knight is an odd TV show as at times we don’t know what is real and what isn't. Oscar Isaac as the titular character really is the greatest part to part, but unfortunately because of this, the other characters seem a bit side-lined. I will say he is a welcome addition to the MCU.

23. Werewolf by Night (TV Special - 2022)

A well made short film, introducing more of a horror element to the MCU. Though wonderfully shot and acted, I felt it could have been a more fleshed out story.

22. Loki - Season 1 (TV Series - 2021)

Loki is probably one of the best characters in the MCU, portrayed wonderfully by Tom Hiddleston, and it's nice to see him have his own solo exploits. Though slower paced than most of Marvel’s wares, it does introduce the background of the universe from this franchise. The best moments are finally having Marvel’s first openly queer character and also the budding and tragic love story of our two main characters. The weakness? The trailer advertised adventures in alternate timelines, but unlike an episodic TV show like Sliders, we saw less emphasis on the multiverse and rather our characters using portals to jump through them.

21. WandaVision (TV Miniseries - 2021)

I am so delighted that two of my favourite MCU characters get their own spin-off show to discuss the aftermath of End Game. Taking inspiration from the comics (“The Vision and Scarlet Witch” and “House of M”) as well different eras of American television throughout the decades, WV is an interesting mash of studying the effects of PTSD in someone with superpowers. Again there is an underdeveloped villain, and perhaps an extra episode could have helped in story building, but there is a very satisfying conclusion to the series which sets up future films.

20. Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)

The original Captain America had a lot of promise to fail, as an origin story set in World War II could potentially not be very interesting. This film however worked its magic and created not only a realistic interpretation of war, but also added the camp of 1930s serials as well great action sequences.

Chris Evans does an excellent job in his first role as Steve Rogers. The only weakness is (and unfortunately is a trending pattern in Marvel Films) is that the villain (Hugo Weaving as the Red Skull) is never fleshed out or made interesting.

19. Captain Marvel (2019)

The first female title-lead film in the MCU is a decent effort. Brie Larson wonderfully plays the emotionally withdrawn and sarcastic Carol Danvers. There are some slight pacing issues and the original score isn’t the best, but overall its a sound film. I was really offended by the onslaught of fan hate for this film, as every criticism had to do with the feminist tone, the dry and sarcastic lead (hello, Iron Man) and the overuse of CGI (hello, every superhero movie made).

18. Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022)

I was pleasantly surprised at how much I liked the follow-up to 2017′s Doctor Strange, considering it had been a while since director, Sam Raimi, had attempted a superhero film (the last being the so-so Spider-Man 3). Stylistically this film is brilliant, as it throws in everything but the kitchen sync. There is even a reveal towards the beginning of the film, that makes you go “Oh I wish they hadn’t told us”, but then as the movie progresses, you realize “Oh they really needed to, and it works”.

17. Hawkeye (TV Miniseries - 2021)

Hawkeye is pretty amazing in the fact that it relies less on effects, and focuses more on character development and personal relationships. The scope may be smaller than most of the MCU TV series and movies, but it balances nicely. Kate Bishop, Clint Barton’s protege, is excellently portrayed by Hailee Steinfeld. We can all assume she will be his replacement for what will be a Young Avengers TV series in 2023/24.

16. Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)

Spider-Man finally gets a full length MCU treatment in this (sort-of) reboot to the franchise. Tom Holland is probably the most accurate portrayal of our young hero, Peter Parker, as he deals with the aftermath of working with Iron Man’s Avengers (see Civil War). Peter is an easy-going fun loving kid who wants the girl, to impress Tony Stark, and to be popular.

The positive in this film is that it is a real coming of age tale with a kid trying to deal with being a kid. Even our villain, The Vulture, is excellently played by (my favourite Batman) Michael Keaton, who has less of a plan and is just plain greedy.

This film suffered from a lack of consequences as Peter has nothing really to lose, only his potential position in the Avengers. The acting makes up for this and Tom Holland as Spidey really shines through.

15. Iron Man 3 (2013)

This may surprise most that I have placed this film higher than a few mentioned previously but I maintain that it is a very well made film. The reason this is controversial is because of Ben Kingsley’s portrayal of The Mandarin which is not as promising as the character should be; however this character is later retconned in the Marvel short “Return of the King”, which makes rewatching Iron Man 3 that much more enjoyable.

I feel the action sequences, plot and villains are fleshed out in Iron Man’s third outing, with its Lethal Weapon II-like finale winning me over even more. I only wished that they kept the idea of the original ending with Maya Hansen being the villain, however (according to new franchise owners Disney Pictures) she wasn’t marketable as an action figure.

14. Guardians of The Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017)

Guardians 2 is a strong follow up to the original film, somehow creating more depth and humour with each character. The only weakness lies in an over-saturation of what made the first film so special, which was the subtle humour mixed with classic music. These wonderful elements now are more blatant and over the top.

Saying this though, this is the Marvel sequel we were all waiting for, incorporating unknown characters without brow-beating us about upcoming films in the MCU, potential spin-offs and sequels and just creating more depth in the Guardians universe. I am looking forward to Adam Warlock being featured in the sequel.

13. Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021)

As someone who has been a fan of the Spider-Man films since the first came out in 2002, I feel I finally got the closing chapter that I always wanted. The plot gets a little convoluted in this instalment, but the emotion works and the fan-service is excellent, so its pretty forgivable. Tom Holland is by far the best actor who has played Spider-Man and should he not return, he has left on a high note.

12. Black Panther (2018)

Here we have a completely original concept for a Marvel film where it raises questions of race and power and how they relate in the superhero world. Overall the script, acting and ideas are some of the strongest in the MCU, there is only one weakness; the over saturation of badly rendered special effects.

11. Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019)

Tom Holland has really captured the self-doubt and innocence of a teenage Peter Parker as unlikely teams up with Mysterio (played by Jake Gyllenhaal) to fight CGI creatures. The premise seemed quite lame to me at first but as any Spider-Man fan knows, Mysterio can not be trusted. Far From Home not only has one of the most fleshed out and interesting villains in the MCU but it also manages to maintain several storylines such as blossoming teen-romance, loss, pressure to perform and still is action packed and entertaining. I also was glad to see a J. Jonah Jameson cameo in the mid-credits scene.

10. Thor: Ragnarok (2017)

Easily the best Thor film. Ragnarok changes key elements from the comics; such as Hela’s origins and changing Sakaar, a battle planet in the comics, to a planet made specifically as a place of universal refuse, however these things don’t really matter.

My only critique is the film was originally shot to be about two-and-a-half hours and was shortened by the studio and included reshoots. Originally Tessa Thompson’s character 142 was to have more backstory, Hela’s arrival was completely altered by CGI from what was seen in the trailer BUT what did work in reshoots was the addition of a funny ‘theatrical’ performance including an Oscar winning actor.

9. Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021)

From the trailer of Shang-Chi, I believed it would be another underdeveloped origin movie with a lacklustre villain, but much to my surprise it surpassed my expectations. The film not only delivers on its action, humour and heart but also has fleshed out characters who are deeper than ideas of just good and evil. Overall, it is the best origin movie since 2008′s Iron Man. I’m excited to see where Marvel goes with this new hero.

8. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022)

The public and critics have decided that this sequel, though good, pales in comparison to the original Black Panther, I disagree. It is about time that Marvel try a new approach to open up their Universe, which now includes Namor and the underwater city of Talokan. The film does not have the usual joy of an MCU film but deals with loss and the discussion of how to grow from grief. After actor Chadwick Bossman died, it was uncertain how this franchise would continue, but this film is not only a tribute to him, but the beginning of new and (hopefully) different take on this shared universe.

7. Captain America: Civil War (2016)

The reason Civil War is one of the better Marvel films is because it shows the consequences of what the Avenger’s battles create in the World; therefore making the audience never look a fight scene the same again. The inclusion of the Winter Soldier and Baron Zemo being the perpetrators of the chaos, which cause the Avengers to separate, only exacerbates how power, even with the intention of good, can be manipulated.

Wonderfully acted and directed; Civil War is the film-lite version of the comic of the same name, however still manages to yet again change the direction of Marvel movies.

6. Marvel’s The Avengers (2012)

Funny enough, most MCU ‘best-of’ lists put this film below Civil War, as you can see I disagree. The Avengers is the first culmination of all of our favourite heroes. We see how a team of powerful, yet loner characters must work together to stop a great evil.

Though a bit hokey compared to more recent Marvel films, this one really proved that you can amalgamate multiple franchises into one superior film. Director, Joss Whedon also proved that with the right budget, you can make your dream movie.

5. Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)

Amazingly enough Guardians of the Galaxy proved you could have a team of superheroes, fleshed out in story, acting and directing in a single film. Though the trailers really left a lot to be desired, the final product is a wonderful portrayal of misfits overcoming their egos to save the Galaxy.

Director James Gunn has come a long way from his early days of directing for B-Movie company Troma and really creates a world of fun, high camp characters who not only are loveable but who really will stand the test of time. Zoe Saldana also adds to the list of bad-ass women, who are not just in a film to be a love interest.

4. Avengers: Infinity War (2018)

75% of the critics love this movie, with 25% thinking its overstuffed and bloated and unsatisfying, I agree with the former. Though full of characters and story, this film is well fleshed out and well balanced and provides something Marvel films tend to lack, real consequences.

My only beef in the film, which by correcting would have ranked it higher, was:

1) Why Star Lord felt it necessary to provoke Thanos, rather than help take the glove off, causing his predictable escape?

3. Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)

The Winter Soldier was almost my number one pick and at one point was number two. I was a sceptic when I heard that Sebastian Stan was returning as one of the gruffest characters in Marvel history, as his pretty boy Bucky Barnes didn’t add much to the plot of the first film. I was pleasantly surprised at the actor’s versatility and strength portraying the role of the Winter Soldier.

The Russo Brothers were an excellent choice to helm this sequel, which is not only one of the top superhero movies but one of the best action movies of all time. The story, acting and action is fantastic as well how this film leads into strong consequences that further impacted the MCU.

2. Avengers: Endgame (2019)

This film was everything I wanted it to be. It truly was the culmination of every character in the MCU coming together for one epic final ‘hurrah’. The premise of time-travel does get muddled a bit though, especially at the end, however the Russo Brothers explained this in a recent interview:

“Both Ancient One and Hulk were right. You can’t change the future by simply going back to past. But it’s possible to create a different alternate future. It’s not butterfly effect. Every decision you made in the past could potentially create a new timeline. For example, the old Cap at the end movie, he lived his married life in a different universe from the main one. He had to make another jump back to the main universe at the end to give the shield to Sam.”

This explanation plus the re-watch factor bumped this film up on the list. It truly is the epic finale that we have been waiting for. If Disney decided, they could easily end the MCU on this note. (Side note: They didn’t and I’m grateful).

1. Iron Man (2008)

Just as you’d expect the first is the best. This is the film that started it all in the Marvel Universe and it is still the best one. A standalone film not worried about spin-offs, sequels and rather focusing on plot development and characters; Iron Man cannot be beat.

Jeff Bridges’ portrayal of Obadiah Stane is probably one of the strongest villains in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. One hopes they will create another hero origin story as compelling and original as this film, as most of them feel like pale imitations.

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