Ranking the Series: The Marvel Cinematic Universe

Jake Peffer ranks the Marvel Cinematic Universe…With the recent release of the second Captain America film and the upcoming release of Guardians of the Galaxy, I thought it would be a good time to take a look back at the Marvel Cinematic Universe and rank the films from worst to best. To some degree I enjoy all of the films so far but some are definitely more entertaining and better made than the others. So without further ado here is how I would rank the nine films of the Marvel Cinematic Universe…9. Iron Man 2 (2010)After the surprising success of the first Iron Man everyone was highly anticipating its sequel. While there is some fun to be had here it doesn’t reach the quality that its predecessor set before. Robert Downey Jr. is great once again as Tony Stark and both Mickey Rourke and Sam Rockwell work well as the villains. It’s also great to see Scarlett Johansson as the Black Widow and Don Cheadle as War Machine, although neither are given much to do. The downside is that the action scenes aren’t all that great, there are times when the film lags and there is a little too much time spent connecting it in with the Avengers.8. Thor: The Dark World (2013)The first Thor film did something that a lot of people thought couldn’t be done – take a character like Thor and convert his world from the comics to the big screen. This sequel is a slight step down from the first film but does have some redeeming qualities. Our villain this time around, Malekith (Christopher Eccleston), is extremely weak with almost none of the scenes with him working, except the action scenes. Thankfully, Tom Hiddleston returns as Loki and does a great job once again. There is also just a little too much humor thrown in when there didn’t need to be. Despite its shortcomings Chris Hemsworth and Natalie Portman are both good in their roles once again and the action scenes are better than in the first film, especially the final battle.7. The Incredible Hulk (2008)In 2003 we got our first Hulk film and it wasn’t received very well critically or with audiences. Five years later we got The Incredible Hulk with a new director and an entire new cast and it was all for the better. This Hulk film does dumb things down a little and goes for more action but with a character like the Hulk that’s mostly all you really need. Add in a solid performance from Edward Norton with some great action sequences and this ends up being quite entertaining despite feeling the least connected to the Marvel Cinematic Universe.6. Thor (2011)Thor was one of the biggest surprises for a superhero film because Thor is a character who didn’t seem like he would translate well to the big screen but director Kenneth Branagh did a great job bringing the character and his world the big screen. Chris Hemsworth is the perfect choice for Thor and proves his worth as a leading man. The chemistry between him and Natalie Portman is great and a strength of the film. Tom Hiddleston is fantastic as the villain Loki and steals almost every scene. I do wish the action scenes were a little better and there was more time spent on Asgard and less on Earth but overall it is a solid film and very entertaining.5. Iron Man 3 (2013)For the third Iron Man film we get a new director in the form of Shane Black who also pens the script and what we get on screen is a definite step up from the previous film. Just about everything here works better than in the second film from the action scenes to the storyline and the better use of supporting characters. Guy Pearce makes for a decent villain while Ben Kingsley’s Mandarin has a humorous role as the film progresses. RDJ kills it again as Tony Stark and this features my favorite performance from Gwenyth Paltrow as Pepper Potts. While not quite as good as the first film it still stands on its own and provides some fun entertainment.4. Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)Here’s another superhero film that had to overcome being a little out of the norm and surprisingly works very well. Being set in the 1940s gives the film a nice old school feeling and the way they transition from the past to the future works out better than I thought it would. Chris Evans is a solid choice as Steve Rogers putting a lot of heart into his performance. The effects used on Evans before his transformation into Captain America are flawless making you believe Evans went to great lengths for the role. Hugo Weaving makes for a good Red Skull and the supporting cast provides good performances playing a colorful cast of characters. My only complaint would be that most of the action scenes take place in montages but the film as a whole is solid.3. Iron Man (2008)Iron Man is the film that kicked off the Marvel Cinematic Universe and it did so in a big way. Despite revisiting the stale origin story of a superhero director Jon Favreau was able to breathe new life into the plotline. A lot of that is thanks in large part to Robert Downey Jr.’s great performance as Tony Stark. Combining a great sense of humor with a lot of charisma, RDJ instantly became this character and proved to be a star once again. The only downside here is Jeff Bridges as a weak villain and a final fight scene that’s just as weak. Despite that this was the best film in this universe before these next two films were released.2. Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)Captain America’s first venture in the present day by himself worked better than I ever thought it would. Bringing in the character of the Winter Soldier (Sebastian Stane) makes for one of the best villains in this universe. At first this turning into a spy film was a little off putting but it ends up working out very well and makes the film all the more interesting to watch. Adding in Anthony Mackie as the Falcon was a great choice as he does a fine job and the character is extremely likeable. Almost everything works here from the storyline to the performances to the action sequences which include a long awaited badass sequence involving Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson). If it wasn’t for the next film this one would surely be my number one pick.1. The Avengers (2012)This is the film that Marvel fans have always been wanting. Bringing together four heroes and teaming them together for one ultimate film is without a doubt the best thing that Marvel has done so far. Director Joss Whedon is able to work his magic and get some great performances from his actors, push the story along at a smooth pace and give us one of the best action sequences in any superhero film to date. There are so many fun moments that the film never lets up from start to finish. The Avengers is what future films from Marvel need to aspire to be because it gives you everything you could want out of a superhero film.How would you rank the Marvel Cinematic Universe films? Let us know in the comments below…Jake Peffer