The 34 Marvel movies — and counting — may be derided as “theme parks” by legendary directors such as Martin Scorsese, but they have transformed cinema. A galaxy of stars including Samuel L Jackson, Robert Downey Jr, Tom Hiddleston, Benedict Cumberbatch, Natalie Portman, Anthony Hopkins, Tilda Swinton, Edward Norton, Scarlett Johansson and Brie Larson have helped the franchise to make more than $25 billion at the box office. Last year almost one in three US cinema ticket sales was to a Marvel film.
But which are worth watching and which should you swerve? Here are all 34 Marvel movies ranked, from the worst to the best.
34. The Marvels (2023)
What’s the point anymore? This terrible, unfunny film chucks together Captain Marvel (Brie Larson) Ms Marvel (Iman Vellani), and Monica Rambeau (Teynoah Parris) for reasons that never become apparent and for a mission that never really feels important. The only mercy is that it’s the shortest film in the franchise — and it’s still not worth your time. It looks cheap and makes the recent Super Mario movie look like Citizen Kane.
● Read our interview with Samuel L Jackson
33. Thor: The Dark World (2013)
There’s so much wrong with this sequel that it becomes a challenge to work out what it did get right. It all started when the Thor franchise lost its director, Kenneth Branagh, between the first and second films. No more Shakespearean oomph. Chris Hemsworth’s hair-flicking Thor takes on Christopher Eccleston’s disappointing villain, which means the far superior Tom Hiddleston’s Loki plays second fiddle. Even the big battle sequences don’t take off. Disney+
Advertisement
32. The Incredible Hulk (2008)
Remember when Edward Norton played the smashing Hulk? Probably not. He appeared only once in the Marvel Cinematic Universe before he left after creative differences and was replaced by Mark Ruffalo. There are some sharp, knowing moments, but there’s also plenty of questionable CGI. It has nothing on Ang Lee’s Hulk (2003), which is not part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Prime Video/Apple TV
● The 16 best Marvel TV series — ranked
31. Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (2023)
Paul Rudd’s Ant-Man has always felt like the runt of the litter — and this film was a dud. The plot is atrocious, a total mess and far too heavy for the franchise’s smallest hero. The film’s dive into the Quantum realm is baffling and bonkers. Ultimately, it all feels completely pointless. Buy/rent
30. Eternals (2021)
Significant though they may be, Chloé Zhao’s film gets weighed down by an overstuffed tick box. Marvel’s first sex scene. The first deaf superhero. The first openly gay superhero. The ten-person team of demigods, which includes Angelina Jolie and Richard Madden, are an exciting prospect, but its mediocre script may leave them on the franchise’s sidelines. Disney+
29. Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015)
There are some snappy action sequences in this film when everything goes wrong after Iron Man accidentally creates a villainous robot. But it feels as though the studio fed some characters into a machine and out popped a predictable plot. It’s a filler film that we never asked for. Certainly one solely for comic book fanatics. Disney+
Advertisement
28. Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)
This film is really only important for the introduction of Sebastian Stan’s Winter Soldier. It tries to be a conspiracy thriller with constant twists and turns, but most of them fall flat. Robert Redford plays an interesting high-ranking government official, but the ending is far too bombastic. It also reminds us how Chris Evans lacks Robert Downey Jr’s swagger. Disney+
27. Iron Man 2 (2010)
There is a lot going on in this sequel. Mickey Rourke plays a Russian enemy. Scarlett Johansson and Samuel L Jackson show up as teasers for the subsequent Avengers film. It’s certainly ambitious and it (mostly) pays off. Disney+
26. Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018)
Evangeline Lilly’s capable hero Hope van Dyne brought heart and drama to this insect-related sequel. Opposite Paul Rudd, she makes sure it isn’t just comic nothingness. It’s a screwball comedy with great action scenes. Especially when a miniature car comes face to face with a curious pigeon. Disney+
25. Thor (2011)
Directed by Kenneth Branagh, the introductory outing for the God of Thunder feels very different to his Oscar-nominated Belfast. This film is significant for the role it played in establishing some of Marvel’s most-beloved characters: Tom Hiddleston’s mischievous Loki, and Chris Hemsworth’s Thor. Anthony Hopkins and Natalie Portman also star. Disney+
24. Dr Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022)
This is Benedict Cumberbatch’s second solo outing as the mindbending superhero with a goatee. It’s entertaining, with a lot of glittering set pieces as the caped crusader takes on the former Avenger turned bad Wanda (Elizabeth Olsen), but the plot lacks purpose and clarity. Not even the Spider-Man director Sam Raimi, who took over directing duties from Scott Derrickson, can save it. Despite the horror aesthetic he brings, the film feels juvenile. There are many tick-box cameos yet not much for audiences to care about. Disney+
Advertisement
23. Ant-Man (2015)
Does anyone really remember the plot of this film? Paul Rudd saves it with his comedic timing and witty delivery. There are a few fantastic action moments and Michael Douglas makes an appearance. But Rudd’s constant shrinking and enlarging does wear thin — it pales in comparison with Honey, I Shrunk the Kids. Disney+
22. Iron Man 3 (2013)
This Iron Man film excels thanks to Robert Downey Jr, who, in this final solo outing as the tech superhero, is weighed down with PTSD and struggles with robotics. Guy Pearce plays a suave science entrepreneur, and the spectacular action has hints of The Terminator. Disney+
21. Black Widow (2021)
It was a welcome relief to see Scarlett Johansson’s Natasha Romanoff, aka Black Widow, be given centre stage. No longer cartwheeling or flicking her hair, the superhero has some meaty scenes, which she shares with a fantastic turn from Florence Pugh’s Yelena Belova. It is an exhilarating spy romp. Disney+
20. Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)
Chris Evans’s head CGI-ed on to the body of a wimp is still nightmarish, but this made for a fine introduction into the Marvel Universe. The 1940s period setting now feels starkly different from the spaceships and New York cityscapes we are used to. Disney+
19. Captain Marvel (2019)
This film hinges on a great performance from Brie Larson, who plays a tough warrior with a sci-fi backstory. Samuel L Jackson has his face digitally regressed to make him look as he did in his Pulp Fiction heyday. There’s also a loveable cat that leaves more than a mark. Disney+
Advertisement
18. Deadpool & Wolverine (2024)
There is no denying that Marvel has reached a point where it is eating itself, but it’s certainly having a blast while doing it. Shawn Levy’s film combines two of Marvel’s best characters with a heap of humorous fourth-wall-breaking and a supporting cast that will delight comic book fans. It’s overwhelming and relentless yet nonstop popcorn fun with a rollicking soundtrack featuring NSYNC, Olivia Newton-John and John Travolta, and Huey Lewis and the News. In cinemas
● Marvel is dead. Who will save cinema?
17. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2 (2017)
Yes, this sequel is less good than the original but, The Godfather aside, isn’t that almost always the case? The intergalactic action is brilliant, the jokes still land and the group still have an infectious on-screen bond. Kurt Russell as a planet is odd, though. Disney+
16. Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021)
The most refreshing thing about this blockbuster is that it felt like a stand-alone film rather than something that belonged in a wider storyline. Starring the likeable newcomer Simu Liu, Marvel’s first Asian-American lead, the film is crammed with dizzying sequences, including a balletic fight scene, and sparky comedy thanks to Awkwafina. Disney+
15. Doctor Strange (2016)
Fans were worried that the blend of the spiritual and the superhero would be too much. But director Scott Derrickson took the genre to new places with astounding special effects. Benedict Cumberbatch stars as a grouchy neurosurgeon whose magical mentor is a bald Tilda Swinton. He returns to screens this year in Multiverse of Madness. Disney+
Advertisement
14. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022)
What happens when a blockbuster like Black Panther loses its hero? The answer from director Ryan Coogler is to turn the death of its star Chadwick Boseman (who died aged 43 from cancer in August 2020) into the emotional heart of the film’s sequel. It looks stunning — the closest a Marvel movie has come to matching Avatar, with an underwater kingdom rising up to attack Wakanda — and the music is striking, particularly tracks by Stormzy and Rihanna. Letitia Wight steps up in a cast that includes Michaela Coel, Angela Bassett and Winston Duke. Plus there’s a new bad guy called Namor (Tenoch Huerta), who can fly in spectacular action scenes. But in the end, it is a film that feels like it’s missing a star. That’s because it is. Disney+
13. Iron Man (2008)
The film that kicked it all off. Jon Favreau’s blockbuster reintroduced Robert Downey Jr to the world. Charismatic and witty, he gives a terrific performance as the mechanical whizz and playboy businessman opposite the villainous Jeff Bridges. It is a classic superhero origin story, but it set up the whole deal nicely. Disney+
12. Thor: Love and Thunder (2022)
Directed by Taika Waititi, the man behind Thor: Ragnarok and Jojo Rabbit, this is the perfect silly summer blockbuster. There’s a helpful recap of how Thor has got his act together, and then he gets on with saving the world, aided by his earthling crush Jane (Natalie Portman). Their enemy is Gorr the God Butcher (Christian Bale) and Waititi sends up superheroes by gently mocking the impossibly-handsome hero (Chris Hemsworth). The icing on the knowingly ridiculous cake is Russell Crowe, who gives a delicious performance as Zeus lording it over the other gods. Disney+
11. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (2023)
A moving last hurrah for Marvel’s most eclectic group. After a string of churned-out monotony, the return of this odd bunch feels incredibly refreshing. Packed with terrific moments, a touching and genuinely tear-jerking raccoon backstory and an impressive villainy turn from Chukwudi Iwuji — this is a spectacular showpiece and a fitting send-off.
10. Spider-Man: Far from Home (2019)
Tom Holland once again proved he’s a formidable actor in this Spidey sequel. In Jon Watts’s twist on the vacation movie, the actor has fun opposite Jack Gyllenhall who plays a brilliantly slippery villain. It also dipped into zeitgeisty issues of post-truth politics, the media and fake news. Amazon/Apple TV
● How Tom Holland and Zendaya became the most successful couple in showbiz
9. Captain America: Civil War (2016)
Let’s face it, this film relies heavily on its big fight scenes in the final third. But they were excellent. Rivalries that come from within the superhero clan lead to a fabulous showdown in which five superheroes side with Captain America and six side with Iron Man. It also provided a shameless opportunity to introduce the next wave of films, meaning it was our first chance to meet a boyish Spider-Man and Black Panther. Disney+
8. Avengers Assemble (2012)
This film now looks like the most simplistic of them all, but appearances can be deceptive. It brought together the first phase of films, combining the Hulk, Iron Man, Black Widow, Captain America, Hawkeye and Thor in one epic film. It was a superhero fan’s dream to finally see these heroes in action against the New York backdrop. Disney+
7. Avengers: Endgame (2019)
With the arrival of Disney+ in 2020, was this the last time we will see something on this scale? The apocalyptic film perfectly said farewell to the franchise’s stars Chris Evans and Robert Downey Jr. What’s more every single character who has appeared in a Marvel movie before makes an appearance, from Gwyneth Paltrow to Robert Redford, yet it never loses sight of its endgame. It thrills for all three hours. Disney+
6. Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)
This film deserves its ranking thanks to Tom Holland’s impeccable performance alone. Slight of frame, buoyant and bursting with a boyish charm, he is effortless and youthful as Peter Parker. The future of the Marvel Universe is bright for as long as he’s in it. And Michael Keaton is fantastic; sympathetic and compelling, he is not two-dimensional like previous Spidey villains. Netflix
5. Thor: Ragnarok (2017)
Bonkers and bizarre, this silly film felt like it was giving the middle finger to every Marvel film before it. Directed with stylistic panache by the New Zealander Taika Waititi, the film has Thor (Chris Hemsworth) fighting the Hulk (Mark Ruffalo), Cate Blanchett playing a villain, Jeff Goldblum as a golden robe-wearing sarcastic leader, and a peculiar cameo from Matt Damon. It is a Marvel film with no strings attached. Disney+
4. Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)
There’s a lot about this film that shouldn’t make sense. Vin Diesel as a talking tree, Bradley Cooper as a gun-toting raccoon, Chris Pratt, who was before this known as the porky guy from sitcom Parks and Recreation, in the lead — all set to disco bangers from the 1970s. Yet it was a hilarious space opera that set the tone for the subsequent Marvel films. It is Star Wars with a better sense of humour. Disney+
3. Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021)
It felt like the rumours circling this film would never end. Would Andrew Garfield show up? Would Willem Dafoe reprise his role as the Green Goblin? Could Tobey Maguire be bothered to return to the Spidey universe after almost 14 years? The answer was yes. But what’s impressive is this film didn’t get drowned by expectation. Tom Holland is excellent as the web-slinging hero, but the real triumph is the emotional weight of characters, both new and old. Prime Video, Apple TV et al
2. Black Panther (2018)
Set in a tiny fictional east African nation, it proved that a superhero film can be about so much more than just action scenes and smart CGI. This was the first superhero film to have an African-American director (Ryan Coogler) and a predominantly black cast. It is a film of serious ideas (poverty, racism, social revolution, foreign policy) and became the first superhero film nominated for best picture at the Oscars. Commercial success followed; it grossed more than $1.3 billion dollars at the box office. After the death of its star Chadwick Boseman from colon cancer in 2020, aged 43, it is hard to imagine how this year’s sequel will look. Disney+
1. Avengers: Infinity War (2018)
The greatest movie spectacle of the 21st century? Possibly. The Russo brothers weaved together more than a decade of films and somehow managed to construct a coherent story — quite a feat. Expect immense battle scenes and intimate conversations. Taika Waititi and James Gunn, who had both directed Marvel films before, lent their expertise to the project and inject humour into the film, despite the threat of a looming villainous purple giant (Thanos, played by Josh Brolin). It ends with a cliffhanger that has changed the course of superhero films and cinema. Disney+
