It’s no exaggeration to say that the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) has had a monumental impact on the film industry. Since Tony Stark first cobbled together his suit of armor, all the way to the latest reimagining of the Fantastic Four that just hit theaters, Marvel has been the face of Hollywood blockbusters for nearly twenty years.
The Fantastic Four: First Steps; Image credit: Marvel Studios
These films have become some of the most relevant talking points in pop culture, but not all of them for good reason. While many became instant favorites, others led fans to express their not-so-positive feelings on social media.
Today, PixlParade is here to settle the matter. Below we’ve listed some of the best (and worst) films released by Marvel, and we want to hear your opinion as to which of these superhero films you think deserves the spotlight, and which should fade into obscurity.
Vote for Your Favorite MCU Film
Which MCU film is your favorite? Which do you think is the best of the best? Cast your vote in our poll and let us know which movie deserves to be crowned the ultimate Marvel Cinematic Universe film!
And just for fun, let’s discover which MCU film is the most despised by fans. Vote for your least favorite below:
If you need a refresher on the MCU, here’s a quick rundown:
Phase One
Iron Man; Image credit: Marvel Studios
Phase One kicked off in 2008 with Iron Man, which introduced the MCU’s now-famous post-credit scenes. At the time, the idea of a cinematic universe in the modern age felt like a bit of a gamble, but the film’s success gave the studio the greenlight to keep going. Next came The Incredible Hulk (2008), which hasn’t had the impact on the franchise that the other films in this phase did, in large part due to Edward Norton’s departure and eventual replacement with Mark Ruffalo. The film’s grittier nature and weaker story also made it less popular than its successors. Thor followed, which was a fan favorite thanks to its fish-out-of-water storyline and, of course, the charm of the titular character. In 2011, Captain America gave the franchise the sincerity and moral anchor it was missing with the hero’s WWII origin story.
All of this built toward The Avengers in 2012, the film that proved that a cinematic universe could not only be commercially successful, but a critical hit as well.
Phase Two
Now that the MCU was in full swing and the audience was hyped, the franchise could take bigger risks, introduce more unknown comic characters, and explore darker themes. Iron Man 3 pushed Tony Stark into deeper emotional territory, while Captain America: The Winter Soldier delivered a grounded political thriller and introduced an anti-hero who quickly became a fan favorite.
Undoubtedly, the most critically acclaimed film of this era was Guardians of the Galaxy, which featured a talking tree and killer soundtrack, making it a fun, surprisingly heart-warming ride.
Guardians of the Galaxy; Image credit: Marvel Studios
While Avengers: Age of Ultron is now considered more of a filler film, it did a fair job following its monumental prequel and built up to one of the most popular films in the franchise later on.
Phase Three
This phase is largely considered the peak of the Marvel saga, containing some of the most commercially and critically successful films in the franchise. It kicked off with Captain America: Civil War, which put our beloved characters through the wringer, followed by Spider-Man: Homecoming, which finally brought Peter Parker back into the MCU. Other big hits include Thor: Ragnarok and Black Panther, the latter of which became a cultural phenomenon and showcased one of the best villains in the entire lineup.
Then came the one-two punch of Avengers: Infinity War, which was an emotional rollercoaster for fans, thanks to Thanos’ infamous “snap,” and Avengers: Endgame.
Avengers: Endgame; Image credit: Marvel Studios
Phase Four
After the third and fourth installments of the Avengers series, Phase Four had a lot working against it in terms of expectations and narrative. This is where we started to see Marvel start to fumble a bit more, with long-anticipated films like Black Widow disappointing fans and Thor: Love and Thunder failing to recapture the magic of Ragnarok. While we did get to meet some fun new characters in films like Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, for the most part, this era is where you’ll find most of the titles that are considered to be flops, such as Eternals, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, and the long awaited yet poorly received Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever; Image credit: Marvel Studios
Phase Five
Phase Five kicked off with Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, taking the Scott Lang family into the weirdness of the Quantum Realm to face a new big bad. After the disappointment of Phase Four, it just wasn’t a strong enough start to reignite the fandom’s passion, and most of this phase failed to bring much to the table.
One exception is Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, which provided a heartfelt conclusion to the series and offered a satisfying backstory to one of the most popular characters. We also got Deadpool & Wolverine, which finally brought Deadpool and the X-Men into the MCU. Sadly, other films in this period, such as The Marvels, didn’t quite hit with fans.
The Marvels; Image credit: Marvel Studios
Phase Six
Phase Six has only just begun, with the fall 2025 release of The Fantastic Four: First Steps. The film is the third reboot of the titular superhero team, and was released to mixed reviews, with a current IMDB rating of 6.9/10. There are still many movies to come, including Spider-Man: Brand New Day, as well as two more Avengers films, so fans have much to look forward to. With new installments of such popular and overall successful series in the works, it’s possible this will be Marvel’s return to form.
Tom Holland as Spider-Man on the set of Spider-Man: Brand New Day; Image credit: Marvel Studios
So, what do you think? Which film ranks as Marvel’s best, and which should never have seen the light of day? If you haven’t yet, cast your vote above!
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