Avengers: Infinity War (2018)

Arguably one of the greatest movies I have ever watched. Never has there been a crossover between so many different universes of characters brought together into one cinematic masterpiece. The way characters seamlessly created new relationships over a bonded goal of fighting Thanos, the latest and greatest threat, was nothing short of inspirational. In addition to cast dynamics, the Russo brothers were able to compose a suspenseful 2+ hours with so much loss and heartache that left viewers wondering if anyone truly won the final fight.

Thor: Ragnarok (2017)

The third installment to the Thor franchise broke box offices. Thor: Ragnarok is one of the funniest and action packed movies with mind blowing CGI. The Thor franchise has had one of the worst histories too so hopes going into this movie were not high. However, what the movie succeeded in doing was giving moviegoers an experience that had people on the edge of their seats wanting more. Bringing Tom Hiddleston back with new haircut Chris Hemsworth plus Mark Ruffalo as the hulk was an incredible dynamic that no one had expected walking into theaters.

Avengers: Endgame (2019)

Avengers: Endgame: One of the highest grossing movies of all time and broke theaters socially with crowds erupting during the final fight scene. Although the movie was over three hours long and had questionable character arcs, it was a perfect conclusion. The Russo brothers concluded several plotlines including a large sum of the original Avengers team too. The timeline of events was very easy to follow and this was especially impressive when looking at how many events were flooding into the Endgame intro. The one big knock on this movie was the solution: time travel. Time travel in any movie is the biggest copout. If something goes wrong? Time travel. It’s a universal cop out and the fact the MCU went that route shows a lack of creativity. The upsetting piece of this too is that it sets up future franchises to stick to time travel as the solution for whenever things get rough. We even saw a lesser version of this in Spider-Man: No Way Home where we suddenly have some all reality shifting spell that can solve all problems. Despite this pinch of unoriginality, Avengers: Endgame will always be one of the most legendary movies ever made and that is non-negotiable.

Captain America: Civil War (2016)

Our first look at genuine diplomatic relations in a superhero world came through Captain America: Civil War. Being able to see accountability and international communities coming together was truly unique as it also gave us a glimpse into the newer Black Panther franchise. On top of it all, the piece of Captain America: Civil War that hooked audiences the most was how the Avengers were torn apart. Captain America and Iron Man were built as two peas in a pod. Although very different in values and background, the dynamic duo banded together as the brains and leadership of the massive organization. Having them be on opposite sides of the battle brought in a whole new lens to see them through as it showed their capabilities apart from the main team. The pitfall in this movie can be found in the character development. Vision was a let down, Zemo was disappointing, and the fleet of winter soldiers was wildly anti-climatic. The movie had a lot of potential that did not deliver.

Iron Man (2008)

Stan Lee wrote Tony Stark’s/Iron Man’s character as someone who audience members would hate but be forced to like; Robert Downey Jr. played the role perfectly. Kevin Feige and John Favreau went into making the movie as a complete gamble, they knew everything needed to be the right conditions and after following the release of Batman Begins, the pressure was very real. The character development of both heroes and villains shows personal growth that just did not exist in movies back then. Iron Man went from the person that everyone hated to the person that everyone wanted to be. The movie was simple and well done sparking a new era for not only Marvel films but independent movies as well.

Doctor Strange (2016)

Doctor Strange is an all around cinematic masterpiece. Dr. Steven Strange reflects a more representative backstory and mindset of an everyday person who lost it all and found new meaning. Although it has a lot of similar elements to Iron Man, Doctor Strange introduces a mystical lens to the MCU that brings in more supernatural occurrences that go beyond tech. The movie brings forth Benedict Cumberbatch after his previous appearance in The Imitation Game as he takes on the all-mighty being Dormamu. Additionally, the movie gave viewers their first real insight into the infinity stones which were the mystical elements tracing back to the first Avengers movie. Although the movie had an amazing training and redemption arc, they did not leave a lot of room for the final fight sequence. They overlooked the final Kaecilius battle, jumped straight into Dormammu, and everyone was back in time for family dinner.

Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)

Whenever I think about this movie, there is always one fight scene I am always looking forward to: Captain America vs. Bucky Barnes. And I am not referring to the final fight scene but rather the middle of the movie where they are fighting on the road. The action sequences with the knife pop was one of the most entertaining hand to hand fight scenes in all of Marvel and the best part was there was no CGI. On top of it all, they brought in a UFC fighter for the first fight scene showcasing the multitude of Captain America’s tactical skills. While there were phenomenal fight scenes, the overall development of Hydra was severely underplayed. The depth of the organization in the first Captain America movie left viewers wanting more in The Winter Soldier but having them taken down through three simple computer chips was a very random and unfulfilling ending.

Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021)

Marvel fans go into each movie with expectations, Spider-Man: No Way Home exceeded all of them. I wish I could say the peak of this movie was Willem Defoe returning to a Spider-Man movie. I really wish I could say the peak of this movie was a Dr. Strange crossover. But the truth of it all is that nothing comes close to Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield returning to the big screen. This movie had so many highlights between action sequences and comedic relief moments, but the problem just comes down to dumbness. Peter Parker is supposed to be this wicked smart kid but he just had too many dumb mistakes. Not knowing you can call your own college, believing that you can change the world as a high schooler, and having a childish personality when making world altering decisions were frustrating to watch. Usually you see main characters gain more experience and get smarter as the movies in a franchise progress, but Tom Holland’s Spider-Man was the opposite. He lost his entire tech edge and more importantly lost all of his friends. For that level of frustration, Spider-Man: No Way Home is ranked number 8.

Black Panther (2018)

Black Panther was a culture shock to the MCU. Before we dive into the story development of the movie, we need to dive into casting and environment. The dora milaje were actual African warriors, the landscapes were taken from Kenya, and for the first time there was a non-white lead role. The movie had so many components that reflected African culture which was an amazing way to redefine the future of the MCU. On top of it all, Chadwick Boseman was breathtaking. Boseman created the Wakandan accent that was foundational to the culture of the country and also reflected his own creativity. Chadwick Boseman played T'challa calm and collected where he was able to focus on the drive of avenging his father and redeeming his culture. Now we get to the “but” of the movie. The problem with Black Panther was that it was too predictable. The movie plotline was way too easy to follow and left nothing to the imagination with zero plot twists. Looking at the movie as a whole, that was the only pitfall, unfortunately, that pitfall is pretty big.

Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)

Having a second Spider-Man movie wrap up the top ten is bold, but they are really just that good. Spider-Man homecoming was a great intro to our “last” Peter-Parker with a touch of Iron Man too. Since Tobey Maguire, fans have been waiting for a Spider-Man to enter the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Tobey Maguire has arguably been the best representation for who Peter Parker was meant to be - regardless of how great Tobey and Andrew were. Peter Parker was always meant to be a goofy laid back kid and that is who Tom Holland is. The movie also had a large tech focus in the discovery of his suit’s full capabilities plus the villain's resources as well. The downside to this movie is that it was made to be too emotional. The ups and downs Tom Holland goes through is similar to a preschooler going through a breakup where he treats any bad thing that happens like the end of the world. Nevertheless, Spider-Man: Homecoming is a great movie, just has the emotional development of a child.