TheMarvel Cinematic Universeis unquestionably one of the most successful achievements in filmmaking ever created; regardless of the overall quality of the films or their impact on the industry, the MCU has taken over film culture within the last decade and gotten audiences engaged in going to the theaters again. The key to Marvel’s success has been building individual franchises, but they aren’t all created equal. It’s clear that even if audiences are interested in seeing continuations of theBlack PantherorDoctor Strangesagas, properties likeEternalsandThe Incredible Hulkdon’t engage them as much. While theThorfranchise started out strong, the disappointing nature ofThor: Love and Thundersignified that the series couldn’t run forever.
The MCU is in a fascinating place right now. Phase Four was filled with many disappointing films, and Kevin Feige is clearly trying toreset the production timelinein one way or another so that the franchise doesn’t lose its goodwill with fans. Even though Marvel Studios has several films that havegrossed over $1 billionat the worldwide box office, the underperformance of recent films likeAnt-Man and the Wasp: Quantumaniasuggest that the Marvel logo in of itself isn’t enough to get viewers engaged. Their success will rely upon which solo franchises work out in their favor. Here is every MCU trilogy so far, ranked.
5Ant-Man Trilogy
TheAnt-Mantrilogy sticks out like a sore thumb within the overall slate of Marvel projects. It feels like the only film trilogy that was created out of obligation, as Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) isn’t necessarily a character that needed three standalone adventures. In fact, many of Rudd’s best moments in the franchise have been in films outside of theAnt-Mantrilogy; his brief appearance inCaptain America: Civil Warwas comedic gold, and he was able to show a slightly more serious side to Scott during the gripping emotional opening ofAvengers: Endgame.
Fans were already skeptical about the firstAnt-Manfilm from 2015 considering the awkward development process. After years of working on the project, cult filmmaking iconEdgar Wright bowed outof duties as director, enraging fans that had been excited about his project for years. While Peyton Reed is certainly a talented filmmaker, he didn’t have enough stylistic uniqueness to prevent the trilogy from being fairly bland.
While the firstAnt-Manat least adds a heist element to the franchise, the sequels feel fairly repetitive.Ant-Man and the Waspintroduces confusing science fiction elements that don’t always make sense within the context of the overall franchise, andAnt-Man and the Wasp: Quantumaniawas essentially just a film created to establish the importance of Kang the Conqueror (Jonathan Majors) for future MCU projects.
4Iron Man Trilogy
Iron Manwas the film that kick-started the MCU, and it remains one of the strongest within the entire series. WhileIron Man’s action and visuals seem rather tame in comparison to the overwhelming spectacle that the franchise would reach in the future, it simply tells a great story with a leading performance for the ages. The impact of seeing Robert Downey Jr. for the first time was a game changing moment, and considering the film was created prior to Marvel’s purchase by The Walt Disney Company, it’s slightly grittier with darker themes. Director Jon Favreau inserted commentary on celebrity culture, global terrorism, arms manufacturing, and alcoholism.
Unfortunately,Iron Man 2was a major disappointment; it was clearly trying to set up events that would be important inThe Avengers, but Tony’s actions were more erratic, and the story was very contrived. It stands as one of the worst films in the MCU, and could have easily eroded any excitement about a third film. However, Shane Black stepped in to take overIron Man 3after the character’s success inThe Avengers.Iron Man 3proved to be an ambitious, and mostly successful diversion from formula that explored Tony’s impact on media culture and preconceptions about heroes and villainy.
Related:Iron Man Is the First MCU Film to Be Inducted Into the Library of Congress' National Film Registry
3Spider-Man Trilogy
After multiple iterations, the MCU’sSpider-Mantrilogy managed to distinguish itself from its predecessors. Fans had lobbied forever for Marvel to get the rights to the character, but Sony Pictures had previously been unwilling to let the Marvel characters that they owned the rights to have any interactions with the MCU. Thankfully,Civil Warfinally bridged the gap and included Tom Holland’s first appearance as Peter Parker.
While it was exciting to see Spidey interact with other MCU characters, there was a hesitation over seeing another solo franchise so quickly; Sam Raimi’sSpider-Mantrilogy had been a game changing success not that long ago, and the disappointment ofThe Amazing Spider-Manfilms was evident within viewers’ minds. However, Jon Watts’ coming-of-age slant on the iconic web-slinger managed to make the franchise feel fresh again.
Related:Spider-Man Movies, Ranked
2Guardians of the Galaxy Trilogy
Prior to the release of the first film in 2014,Guardians of the Galaxywas not one of Marvel’s most iconic properties. James Gunn took relatively obscure characters and turned them into some of the most beloved in Marvel’s history, and the films themselves felt like relatively standalone entries in the saga; even those that didn’t keep up with the overall narrative of the MCU could simply follow theGuardians of the Galaxyfilms and still enjoy them. The great soundtrack, off color humor, and surprising darkness made them feel distinct compared to the other solo franchises.
Gunn’s films are all relatively equal in quality. While the first film doesn’t necessarily take a lot of bold narrative risks, it’s a surprising stylistic departure with some of the MCU’s best comedy. The two sequels took the trilogy in darker, weirder, and more ambitious directions, giving a complete story arc to the characters.
1Captain America Trilogy
TheCaptain Americatrilogy is by far the highlight of the MCU; some fans would argue that each individual entry is the single best in the entire franchise. Chris Evans deserves just as much credit as Downey Jr. receives for creating an instantly iconic character that audiences fell in love with.
The retro feel ofCaptain America: The First Avengeris unlike anything else in the MCU, and the darker, more political themes ofCaptain America: The Winter Soldiershowed a more mature side to the franchise. However, the crowning achievement is stillCivil War, an epic crossover that placed the characters on opposite sides of a serious moral issue.
