So it’s finally happening. You’re getting serious about watching the Marvel movies. You really need to do this because you’re tired of all your friends and workmates still going crazy over Avengers: Endgame, or Moon Knight, and how cool Iron Man is. You too want to be able to say something about it at work during a pretty dull Monday morning.
Who remembers when Marvel bankrupted and was basically an underdog? When it was just trying to get by and telling its own stories about superheroes while trying to survive in a saturated industry? Well, not anymore. Marvel is now an unstoppable juggernaut, with blockbuster after blockbuster zooming into theaters and raking in millions upon millions of dollars. It’s got a regular schedule for producing movies and TV shows, and each new film comes out with a marketing campaign that’s so big and bold that it’s hard to ignore.
Today, we’re not gonna tell you how to watch the Marvel movies in chronological order (there are plenty of guides for it out there). Instead, we decided to try and share which are the best Marvel movies, complete with all the films based on Marvel Comics publications. We’re well aware it’s an impossible job considering everyone has their own favorites (I mean, that’s what makes this fandom so interesting), so don’t take it too seriously!
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#1 Iron Man
2008 | 2h 6m | Directed by Jon Favreau
The one that started it all, and for a good reason. Marvel’s first foray into the MCU was a considerable risk, as Iron Man wasn’t exactly a household name at the time. But thanks to Robert Downey Jr.’s incredible charisma and swagger, Tony Stark was finally brought to life in a way that could truly rival Batman on the big screen. The movie managed to balance character development, humor, and action while setting up the larger story that would come to define the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
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53points
#2 Spider-Man: No Way Home
2021 | 2h 28m | Directed by Jon Watts
Spider-Man: No Way Home is the third installment of the Spider-Man series featuring Tom Holland as Peter Parker, set after the events of Avengers: Endgame. It’s easily one of the most anticipated movies of 2021. Wondering why? Well, for starters, it has one of the best casts of star actors we’ve seen these last few years. The whole film is action-packed and thrilling while still managing to ground itself for the character development and compelling plot twists.
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52points
#3 Black Panther
2018 | 2h 14m | Directed by Ryan Coogler
Black Panther is the first Marvel movie to finally bring some much-needed diversity to the superhero genre, both behind and in front of the camera, and shows just how good things can be when you let people do their thing. In a film full of great performances (Michael B. Jordan as the villainous Killmonger, Lupita Nyong’o as the warrior Nakia, Danai Gurira as Okoye), it’s King Chadwick Boseman who steals the show as the title character.
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51points
#4 Avengers: Endgame
2019 | 3h 1m | Directed by Anthony Russo and Joe Russo
Eleven years of buildup. Eleven years of Avengers movies. And it’s all led to Avengers: Endgame. We’re not gonna spoil this one; just know that the movie is so good that it’s been breaking records left and right, from being the highest-grossing film of 2019 to being the top global box office performer of the 21st century. This movie is a seriously satisfying conclusion to an epic eleven-year run by Marvel Studios and left fans waiting for more new adventures with their favorite superheroes.
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51points
#5 Thor: Ragnarok
2017 | 2h 10m | Directed by Taika Waititi
The third Thor title from Marvel Studios found director Taika Waititi injecting some much-needed humor into the franchise, resulting in a film with everything from quirky visual gags to laugh-out-loud scenes. The film also brought together a host of the studio’s heroes for an epic intergalactic adventure that saw Thor teaming up with Hulk and Loki for one of the most entertaining Marvel films.
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50points
#6 Spider-Man: Homecoming
2017 | 2h 13m | Directed by Jon Watts
Spider-Man: Homecoming is a fresh, breezy take on our favorite wall-crawler, with enough humor to keep it light and a real sense of fun as Spider-Man takes to the skies in his first Marvel Cinematic Universe adventure. It’s also a refreshingly teen-focused take on the character, especially after Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield played him as someone approaching their mid-20s.
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48points
#7 Guardians Of The Galaxy
2014 | 2h 1m | Directed by James Gunn
Guardians Of The Galaxy is undoubtedly one of the funniest sci-fi movies ever produced by Marvel, which is saying a lot. The film’s sense of humor is partially fueled by its “‘80s-ness.” This allows it to poke fun at itself as often as it can. The film introduces us to Peter Quill, a half-human and half-alien abducted from Earth in 1988 and raised by a group of intergalactic thieves and smugglers called the Ravagers.
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47points
#8 Shang-Chi And The Legend Of The Ten Rings
2021 | 2h 12m | Directed by Destin Daniel Cretton
Shang-Chi is the first Asian superhero to lead a large-budget movie, and Simu Liu’s performance as the character has been positively received by Marvel fans. Created by Steve Engelhart and Jim Starlin, Shang-Chi first appeared in Special Marvel Edition #15, in 1973. This Chinese-born hero was trained from a young age to be an assassin for his father’s organization, but wanting nothing more than to live a normal life, he later moved to San Francisco. But the past never stays buried, and he gets drawn back when his father starts looking for him.
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47points
#9 Marvel's The Avengers
2012 | 2h 23m | Directed by Joss Whedon
The Avengers shattered records upon its release in 2012. The film, which unites Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, The Hulk, Black Widow, and Hawkeye, is an action-adventure spectacle that puts its heroes through seemingly impossible challenges before allowing them to triumph against all odds. The Avengers is everything that film geeks could have possibly wanted out of a big superhero crossover movie. It’s funny, thrilling, and delivers powerful visuals and action sequences.
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45points
#10 Spider-Man: Far From Home
2019 | 2h 9m | Directed by Jon Watts
Have you seen Spider-Man: Far From Home? Seriously, what are you waiting for? It’s been out since 2019, and it’s so good. We’re going to give you a little taste of what to expect. Following the events of Avengers: Endgame, the world has changed forever. Peter Parker just wants to rest during a well-deserved vacation in Europe with his friends, but Nick Fury has other plans for him.
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44points
#11 Doctor Strange
2016 | 1h 55m | Directed by Scott Derrickson
A good entry in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Doctor Strange is a well-paced movie with a great cast of actors. I mean, how could it be bad with Benedict Cumberbatch, Mads Mikkelsen, Rachel McAdams, and Benedict Wong? The movie follows a talented surgeon who loses the ability to operate after a bad car accident. After his encounter with a sorcerer, he becomes a master of mystical arts fighting for humanity.
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42points
#12 Captain America: Civil War
2016 | 2h 27m | Directed by Anthony Russo and Joe Russo
Captain America: Civil War gifted us with something pretty new; a clash between heroes on opposing sides, following the government’s decision to pass on a law that would regulate and limit the Avengers’ activities. It’s a far cry from the relatively simple “Good vs. Evil” conflicts we’re used to seeing in MCU movies, and it allowed for some unexpected alliances and more nuanced characters.
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41points
#13 Ant-Man And The Wasp
2018 | 1h 58m | Directed by Peyton Reed
Set after Captain America: Civil War, Scott Lang is under house arrest, balancing his life as a dad with his role as the crime-fighting hero Ant-Man and his involvement with The Avengers. When he’s approached by Hope van Dyne and Hank Pym, they ask him to help them find Janet van Dyne, who is trapped in the Quantum Realm. The cast includes Paul Rudd and Evangeline Lilly, who received praise from critics for their performances and chemistry.
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40points
#14 Avengers: Infinity War
2018 | 2h 29m | Directed by Anthony Russo and Joe Russo
Set after the events of The Avengers and Avengers: Age Of Ultron, we find Thanos, a despot and conqueror from space, attempting to collect all six Infinity Stones. Earth’s Mightiest Heroes must come together once again to stop him. With so many characters, you’d think this movie would be a mess. You would be wrong: it’s pure cinematic magic. The film is a beautiful love letter to the Marvel Cinematic Universe fans and its heroes. Each character gets their moment(s) to shine, and they do so with the usual badassery.
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39points
#15 Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2
2017 | 2h 16m | Directed by James Gunn
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 features our favorite group of misfits who are now recognized as heroes after saving Xandar. This weird family will embark on a journey to help their leader uncover the truth behind his heritage. Among the upcoming Marvel projects, we find a sequel expected for May 2023, preceded by a Disney+ Guardians Of The Galaxy special, set for release in December 2022.
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38points
#16 Ant-Man
2015 | 1h 57m | Directed by Peyton Reed
The film stars Paul Rudd as Scott Lang, a former criminal just out of prison who is taken under the wing of Hank Pym, the original Ant-Man, in order to stop his former protégé Darren Cross from using Pym’s technology to go on with his evil plans. Against seemingly insurmountable obstacles, Pym and Lang plan and pull off a heist that could save the world.
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37points
#17 Captain America: The First Avenger
2011 | 2h 4m | Directed by Joe Johnston
In this World War II-set adventure, Chris Evans stars as Steve Rogers, a scrawny New York man who wants to fight for his country despite his ill health. He volunteers to get injected with an experimental serum which gives him the superhuman powers that will later make him Captain America, the star-spangled hero we all know and love. He then embarks on a journey all over Europe to battle a secret Nazi organization led by Johann Schmidt.
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36points
#18 Captain Marvel
2019 | 2h 3m | Directed by Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck
Captain Marvel has everything: intergalactic space battles, humor, and the right quantity of drama. The movie follows Carol Danvers, member of an elite Kree military unit called Starforce. After getting to Earth, she begins to discover more about her hidden past, which she forgot because of amnesia. With help from S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Nick Fury, they set out to unravel the truth.
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35points
#19 Black Widow
2021 | 2h 14m | Directed by Cate Shortland
Continuously delayed because of the pandemic, Black Widow was finally released in 2021. Set after the events of Captain America: Civil War, Natasha Romanoff hides in Europe, where she’ll have to deal with her past as an elite agent for the Soviet Union and the relationships she left behind before becoming an Avenger. The fight sequences are perfect, plus that end credit scene is *chef kiss*.
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34points
#20 Captain America: The Winter Soldier
2014 | 2h 16m | Directed by Anthony Russo and Joe Russo
In between all the trademark gallows humor and winking references to other Marvel products, Captain America: The Winter Soldier tackles themes like government surveillance and political intrigue with a surprisingly deft touch. But on top of all that, it’s also just a damn good action movie, with some of the greatest fight scenes to date. It’s also got one of Marvel’s best villains so far in The Winter Soldier himself, aka Cap’s old best friend, Bucky Barnes.
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32points