4. The Avengers – 2012
“This is MY bargain, you mewling quim!”
This is the big payoff that was promised when Nick Fury appeared at the end of Iron Man’s credits. Nothing like this had been seen before, and with all the films leading up making a big splash (apart from maybe Hulk) this film was hyped to the max, and for the most part it delivered. Director Joss Whedon was the perfect choice for such an ensemble piece, juggling the characters well whilst giving them all some quotable dialogue.
Hawkeye gets a bum deal (being taken out early on and made into a Loki pawn), but Mark Ruffalo’s Hulk is by far the strongest representation yet, stealing the show on several occasions.
If you want character progression I’ll refer you to the solo films. But if you want action, humour, and a geekasm of superheroes doing their thing? This is the one for you.
3. Iron Man – 2008
“You think you’re the only superhero in the world? Mr. Stark, you’ve become part of a bigger universe. You just don’t know it yet.”
The start of it all. Weird to think now that the general public didn’t know who Iron Man was before this film.
Of course Robert Downey Jr. is Iron Man, in what is possibly the best casting of any comic book film. The likeable douchebaggery of the billionaire play boy and his journey to becoming a superhero was a great introduction to the larger Marvel world. With hints to the Ten Rings and SHIELD it doesn’t go crazy but gave those in the know enough to salivate over.
I loved Jeff Bridges as Stane, and although his final ‘battle’ with Tony could have been stronger I’ve seen this film many a time on TV now and it never gets boring.
The highlight for me though is the process of designing and testing the Iron Man suit, with Tony’s robot helpers stars of the film. I’d have loved to see Cheadle cast at this point, as I much prefer his chemistry with Downey, but what can you do?
Originally published July 22, 2015. Updated November 7, 2019.
