TheMarvel Cinematic Universehas released 34 movies so far, and some of them have stood the test of time better than others.Notall MCU movieshave aged gracefully. Sometimes that has to do with the CGI of the time, while in others, further films in a series simply end up surpassing their predecessors, which are not as good as what has come after.
However, many entries in the shared universe have aged quite well over the years. Those range from solo movies to team-up projects. With the MCU showing no sign of stopping, given howthe Fantastic Four will debut in 2025 and the X-Men are set to enter the franchise in the not-so-distant future, the number of projects in the MCU will continue to grow.Future MCU moviesneed to learn from those who have stood the test of time, like the entries on this list.
10Ant-Man
Released In 2015
Paul Rudd’s first solo movie in the MCU is one of the entries in the franchise that looks even better now than when it was released. 2015’sAnt-Manis not a massive entry in the shared universe, but it has plenty of style, going fora heist plot that differs it from almost all other MCU movies. Its smaller-scale story is also refreshing amid several end-of-world and multiverse scenarios.
How To Watch the Marvel Movies In Order (By Release Date & In Order Of MCU Timeline Events)
Want to catch up before the next release, or just revisit the universe for a refresher? Here’s the order to watch the entire MCU timeline.
The CGI in Ant-Man is well-done, with impeccable visuals that make the most of Scott Lang’s shrinking powers. Rudd would go on to lead an Ant-Man trilogy; however, despite the growing stakes with each movie, the firstAnt-Manremains the character’s best solo entry.Its CGI holds especially well when compared toAnt-Man and the Wasp: Quantumaniaand the dynamic between Scott’s powers and real-world objects is more exciting than in the Quantum Realm.
9Thor
Released In 2011
Chris Hemsworth is one of the MCU’s longest-running and most popular stars. As such, Thor could continue in the franchise for quite a few more years, especially withDeadpool & Wolverineteasing a meeting in the future between the God of Thunder and Deadpool. Thor’s MCU films started in 2011, with a solo movie that is very different from the other three the character has led so far.
Thor presents a rare pairing of the perfect director and project.Kenneth Branagh brought a Shakespearean flair to his only MCU project, establishing an ethereal and regal look that made Asgard one of the MCU’s most gorgeous and intriguing locations. Story-wise, the movie still holds up to this day, showing the beginning of Thor’s journey, as the character lets his arrogance go and slowly transforms into a more honorable hero. AfterThor: Love and Thunderoverdid it in the humor department, 2011’sThoris a great palate cleanser.
8Iron Man 3
Released In 2013
Iron Man 3had to face quite a bit of backlash when it was first released. The reason for that was the movie’s Mandarin twist, with actor Trevor Slattery only pretending to be the villain rather than introducing the formidable Mandarin to the MCU. While there was still a lot to like in the movie,Iron Man 3’s Mandarin fakeout hurt the film’s public image for years.
The Mandarin twist fix and a hard-hitting storyline with Tony Stark’s anxiety post-The Avengersmake for a compelling movie.
However, the MCU would make that right later on.Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Ringsused the real Mandarin in all his glory. The film even brought back Ben Kingsley as Trevor Slattery, connecting it toIron Man 3. That decision ends up making Robert Downey Jr.‘sIron Man 3a better movie when watched now with fresh eyes. The Mandarin twist fix and a hard-hitting storyline with Tony Stark’s anxiety post-The Avengersmake for a compelling movie.
7The Incredible Hulk
Released In 2008
The Incredible Hulkis another MCU movie that has aged well for a key reason.It continues to be the only Hulk movie in the franchise, and based on the character’s murky movie rights situation, it will remain like that for the foreseeable future. Since then, Mark Ruffalo’s Bruce Banner has had to be developed in the Avengers movies or other characters’ solo projects.
Hulk has appeared in the Avengers movies, Thor: Ragnarok, She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, and more, but he has never had a solo film after The Incredible Hulk.
WhileThe Incredible Hulkis not one of the MCU’s best movies, it has aged better than many of the other entries in the franchise.The film focused on the Berserker version of the Hulk, where the MCU character still retained the split personality with Banner and all the rage that the Hulk is known for. After years of Smart Hulk, the character’s current situation is getting old, andThe Incredible Hulk’s classic Hulk story makes it a better watch years later.
6Guardians Of The Galaxy
Released In 2014
While James Gunn has left Marvel to take over as one of the heads of DC Studios, his work in the MCU will continue to be revisited for many years to come. The director’s Marvel debut, 2014’sGuardians of the Galaxy, was the perfect way to start with both feet on the door.Guardians of the Galaxy tookthe world by storm when it was released,elevating obscure Marvel characters to fan-favorite status.
The movie has only gotten better as the years have passed.Guardians of the Galaxy’s CGI, jokes, action, character interactions, music, and more all hold upto this day. The movie feels like a time capsule that brings the viewer back to when it was released but also continues to feel fresh and daring a decade later, which is no small feat.
5Captain America: The First Avenger
Chris Evans’Captain America trilogyis certainly one of the MCU’s best, if not the number one. However, his first solo film often gets cast aside due to the huge MCU impact of Captain America’s subsequent films.Captain America: The First Avengerdeserves as much attention as the hero’s other solo adventures, with the movie providing a different kind of tone and genre from many other MCU entries.
Captain America: The First Avengeris a war epic.It does a fantastic job of telling Steve Rogers' origin story in an earnest waythat never becomes cheesy. The chemistry between the characters, the unique war setting, the hand-to-hand action, and the Phase 1 glow that the MCU movie basks in continue to make it an even better watch as time goes by.
4The Avengers
Released In 2012
The Avengerswas the movie thatchanged the MCU and live-action superhero films forever. It served as proof that a shared universe was possible, with heroes from different movies coming together to save the world from a common foe. With half of the original team out of the MCU,The Avengerscontinues to age gracefully, serving as a look at simpler times, when the MCU found its groove and knew what it had to be.
Earth’s Mightiest Heroes fought a major villain in Tom Hiddleston’s Loki. The character has since gone on to leave an even bigger mark on the MCU, and as the years pass,The Avengersbecomes more and more the portrait of what future MCU team-up films should aim to be. It offers major stakes, powerful heroes and villains with great charisma, impressive CGI action, a compelling story, and a team that feels better when it is together.
3Iron Man
Iron Manwas the first movie released in the MCU. It showed that the franchise had potential, with Robert Downey Jr. changing his life and the MCU being set up for the huge success it would see in the coming years. More than a decade later,Iron Mancontinues to be one of the MCU’s best movies, with many aspects of it still holding up to this day.
The movie’s CGI might be the aspect of it that has aged the best. While it was the first entry in the MCU, meaning future movies would get bigger budgets and more advanced technology,Iron Man’s armors have arguably never looked as realistic as they do in the film.Iron Man’s CGI is leagues more appealing than the character’s nanotechnology suits in Stark’s final MCU outings. That and the throwback to simpler times make the movie even more compelling nowadays.
2Captain America: The Winter Soldier
Captain America: The Winter Soldierhas always been one of the MCU’s best films. However, it has aged incredibly well due to no other MCU project, be it a movie or a TV show, managing to accomplish what Evans' solo movie did.Captain America: The Winter Soldieroffersthe most thrilling, grounded adventure that the MCU has seento this day.
Multiple projects have tried to go for that same kind of more mature tone, with intimate hand-to-hand action, and darker storytelling. A fewexamples includeBlack Widowon the movie side and Disney+‘sSecret Invasionon the TV side. As it stands,Captain America: The Winter Soldierseems to be the best kind of movie the MCU could have created within that grounded tone, and the franchise just has not managed to recapture that feeling again, making the movie more special and exciting as the years pass.
1Avengers: Age Of Ultron
Finally,Avengers: Age of Ultroncompletes the list as the MCU movie that has aged the best. While it is still not one of the best entries in the franchise, the second movie for Earth’s Mightiest Heroes has been greatly enhanced with time. The biggest problem the movie had was thatMarvel Studios tried to set up too many future storylinesin a single project.
2012
2015
2018
2019
2026
Avengers: Secret Wars
2027
However, now that most if not all ofthose set-up plots have been paid off in the MCU,Avengers: Age of Ultroncan be watched with fresh eyes. Fans can now pinpoint the exact moment that a certain character embarked on a path that would completely change his MCU story, like Thor’s Ragnarok prophecy, or set up a major movie moment, like Captain America later picking up Mjolnir to fight Thanos. Now, every rewatch ofAvengers: Age of Ultronleads to a better, more complete experience than the last, aging gracefully as theMCUcontinues.
Marvel Cinematic Universe
The Marvel Cinematic Universe is a multimedia superhero franchise that began in 2008 with Paramount’s Iron Man starring Robert Downey Jr. The franchise quickly grew in popularity, with Disney eventually buying out Marvel Entertainment in 2009. The MCU consists of dozens of movies and TV shows, most notably Avengers: Endgame, WandaVision, and Loki.
