Marvel Infinity Saga Movies Ranked | Worst to Best

And so my journey through the “Good Years” of the MCU has come to an end. I had put off my experience with the Infinity Saga for quite some time, but I’m glad to have finally seen the movies I had heard people rave about, as well as revisited some of my favorite superhero movies. Now that I’ve seen the films in phases I through III and reviewed them, it’s time to rank them. There are some movies on this list that benefit heavily from my own biases. Some are extremely flawed movies that rank higher than others I would consider to be tighter experiences that I do not seek to rewatch as much.

If you want more details about each movie in terms of what I thought, click on their images to go to the review.

23. Captain Marvel (2019)

What a pointless movie. You are so much better off not seeing it because you will come away liking both Captain Marvel and Nick Fury more by being unaware of what happens in it. Unfortunately, their characters do not get better in later films/TV series, but that’s beside the point. Bre Larson’s performance sucks all the energy out of the room. The various jokes in this film come with a heavy cost, some of which affect beloved characters. The origin story of Marvel’s most powerful superhero is boring and tedious, with a dull and predictable plot. There are plenty of scenes in this movie that have the tropes designed to appeal to that “modern audience,” which heavily dates this movie. It may not be the first MCU movie to push modern messaging of the franchise that would later earn the franchise the title of “The MSheU,” but it’s definitely the shining example of where Marvel’s quality started to take a turn for the worse.

22. Black Panther (2018)

The fact that this movie isn’t number 1 would certainly upset countless individuals from 2018 who saw it and thought it was the best movie ever, or at least claimed it was for the purpose of virtue signaling—putting this close to the bottom probably makes them think of me as grand wizard. Despite the fact that this movie was a huge hit when it came out, and made a bunch of people feel good because Disney managed to convince them that they were “fighting racism” by giving a multi-billion-dollar company money, it’s a pretty bland film with a lot of unintentionally gross messaging.

Some of the actors, like Michael B. Jordan, Chadwick Boseman, Angela Bassett, and Andy Serkis, are solid in their roles, but the script doesn’t give them enough to do that is meaningful or interesting. This movie does some damage to the character of T’Challa, as it opts to emasculate him whenever there is an opportunity to build up one of the female side characters at his expense. It does even more damage to the country of Wakanda. The action scenes are a mixed bag as well. While the one-on-one fight scenes between T’Challa and his opponents vying for the throne are choreographed well enough, they’re shot in ways that make the action look less interesting. Not to mention, the sequences with him in the Black Panther outfit are often either shot in scenes that are too dark to follow or with muddy CGI. You’re better off not seeing this movie and just assuming Wakanda is a nice place to live, rather than witnessing all the nonsense or ugliness on display.

21. The Incredible Hulk (2008)

I had heard this was a pretty weak entry in the Marvel pantheon well before I saw it, so I had low expectations. Somehow, this movie still failed to meet those expectations. The action is not that interesting to look at a lot of the time because much of it is dimly lit and with ugly CGI. The acting is okay for some of the cast, but others seem lost or like they’d rather not be involved. There is barely a plot other than Banner having to globetrot to the next location as he seeks a cure for the Hulk. While it’s not an insufferable film with a lot of annoying messaging, crappy comedy, or questionable world-building, it’s still a mostly dull and aimless experience I’d rather not revisit.

20. Thor: Ragnarok (2017)

This is probably the hottest take on the list. There are people I’ve interacted with who place this high on their personal list of favorite Marvel movies. I’ve listened to various podcasts that have praised Ragnarok as a brilliantly hilarious film. I thought it was funny too, at first. Then I saw the pattern in the humor and noticed how it was taking away tension from all the scenes. Then I noticed how inconsistent it made Thor with who he was in every other movie up to that point. Then I noticed the various plot devices and forced choices involving established and new characters. It didn’t take long for me to not only find Ragnarok not funny, but boring and irritating. There were plenty of moments that could have been meaningful, especially with the deaths of certain characters, but none were allowed to breathe, and even more moments were sacrificed to make a joke.

19. Iron Man 3 (2013)

While there are some redeeming qualities in Iron Man 3—most of which have to do with Robert Downey Jr. and the character of Tony Stark—a lot of this movie rubs me the wrong way. My main issues are with the adaptation choices that were made regarding the Extremis comic-book plotline and the decision to make the Mandarin, one of Iron Man’s greatest villains, into a joke. Had I not already been aware of these comic book characters and plots, my opinion of Iron Man 3 would probably improve slightly, but it doesn’t change the fact that the movie feels somewhat aimless for most of it. I still didn’t really understand the villain, his goals, or his motivations by the end. The impact of certain character choices is rather casually handled and tossed away to be forgotten in later films. I had low expectations going into this one, but it wasn’t enough to make me want to see it ever again.

18. Avengers: Endgame (2019)

Uh…so…aside from the spectacle and the big heroic moments, Endgame kind of sucks. Its 3-hour runtime makes me want to place it lower on this list as well, but I will still prefer to watch it again over the other movies that I find to be insufferable. Obviously, I’m in the minority with my opinion, as this movie has a rather high rating on most review sites with audience scores. In the grander scheme, bringing time travel into the MCU creates myriad problems in terms of storytelling, stakes, and power levels. I guess it’s a good thing they’ve never brought it up since then, right? But there’s more to my gripes than just adding a mechanic that creates many problems for the established universe. Characters make choices that are inconsistent with who they are. Action scenes have moments that defy logic in terms of battle strategy. The third act and all of its tension rely on characters making really stupid choices. Fat Thor is a dumb joke that ruins the character after he was given such an impressive story in Infinity War. There are certainly things to like about Endgame, but the negatives outweigh the positives for me.

17. Dr. Strange (2016)

Dr. Strange is a visually entertaining movie with some interesting effects and camera angles. Benedict Cumberbatch is great in any role he plays, even if the material is not particularly good. This film does a decent job of characterizing Strange and setting him up for appearances in other movies. However, the point at which the villain finally intersects with Strange’s storyline comes late into the plot. It feels like two separate movies are slammed together when it finally happens. There’s not much of a personal connection between Strange and the antagonist to drive him to be determined to fight the villain until an important character is killed off, which takes a long time to happen. Compare that to Iron Man 3, where Happy’s injury is a driving force relatively early in the film. Or, look at how Iron Man 2’s opening scene shows motivation for Whiplash to seek out Tony Stark. Since this is an origin story for Strange, I understand why the focus should mostly be on how he comes to gain magical powers and a more mature perspective on life without losing his ego, rather than on the villains he’s facing. The problem is that the plot meanders, waiting for Strange to get his power and finally come into conflict with the villain. In the end, it does little more than set up Strange as a Marvel hero and the Infinity Stone featured in it.

16. Ant-Man & The Wasp (2019)

The second Ant-Man film manages to be a goofy mixture of superhero action and comedy, while also being one of the least memorable films. It may have entertained me at the time, but its flaws put it on the side of the list that I don’t feel the need to revisit. Despite being one of the more recent films on the list I’ve seen, I have a hard time remembering what happened in it. I remember laughing at many of the jokes. I remember the climax and the convenient way everything is wrapped up. Unfortunately, I also remember the villain, Ghost; she’s the worst part of the movie. She’s a very unsympathetic character, yet there are numerous attempts in the movie to make her a victim of circumstance, as though her actions are somewhat justified. Thus, the way the film wraps up the conflict with her ends up being convenient and flat.

15. Thor: The Dark World (2013)

Thor: The Dark World gets a lot of heat and is often regarded as the worst Marvel film of Phase II. This lowered my expectations, which is a good thing because I came away enjoying it overall. The plot meanders in spots, and the villains are pretty weak as simple, one-dimensional characters. I also thought that Odin’s behavior, specifically towards Loki, was inconsistent with the previous film. What made me appreciate it more than the other films I’ve listed so far were specific moments. Thor and Loki are developed further as characters, and The Dark World does a decent job of expanding on the complexity of their relationship. We also learn that Loki’s magical deception abilities were not his own invention, but he learned them from his adoptive mother, which suggests a deeper relationship between the two characters. Later in the film, when tragedy strikes, The Dark World has several great Loki moments while he’s in his holding cell that are both subtle and overt about the distress he’s feeling. While Thor’s character is rather inconsistent in Ragnarok, Loki’s is not, and it owes a lot to The Dark World for further building upon this character.

14. Iron Man 2 (2010)

While I was slightly disappointed by Iron Man 2 when it came out, revisiting it has improved my opinion. It’s a movie that tries to do a lot and struggles to achieve everything. It’s introducing War Machine and Black Widow. It’s dealing with Tony’s insecurities and alcoholism. It’s trying to set up the Avengers, as Nick Fury gets much more screentime in this film than his brief cameos he has had so far. There are some good, fun moments in Iron Man 2, as well as meaningful scenes for Tony Stark as a character. It just never quite reaches the quality and depth of its predecessor. Just as with Iron Man 3, Robert Downey Jr. carries the film with his charisma, making the somewhat uneventful scenes more entertaining as Tony Stark. Unfortunately, the plot and the villains aren’t that interesting.

13. Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019)

Spider-Man is my favorite superhero, so my bias might be a significant reason as to why this movie is higher up on the list than others. Most of the comics I still have from childhood are his, and I have a lot of trivial pieces of information about him trapped in my head. I would prefer that his movies be higher on this list than they are, and I’d be lying if I said that I didn’t enjoy anything in Far From Home. That being said, I found it to be a rather mixed bag of an experience, and I only really started to warm up to the movie midway through the second act. Its strengths lie with the performances of Jake Gyllanhal and Tom Holland, who bring a lot of subtlety and nuance to their characters. Mysterio ends up being a lot more interesting than I would have expected, and how he plays off of Spider-Man and uses his powers against him are visually entertaining. A major flaw it has, however, is Zendaya’s MJ. She is far more insufferable this time around, and her performance is irritatingly stiff. Regardless, there are things to like here, just not enough to get it into the top 10.

12. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017)

GotGV2, like its predecessor, manages to balance a lot of action, drama, and humor to keep the plot moving and entertaining. That being said, I have some issues. There are some areas in which I would have preferred the scene to have been allowed to breathe more, so the audience can feel the character’s emotion before it’s deflated by a joke. The plot also feels a little disjointed due to how many characters in different parts of the galaxy have something going on.

There are still some satisfying moments in GotGV2. Some of which are the bombastic scenes in which Quill realizes who his father really is, or when Nebula confronts Gamora before the climax. Others are a little quieter, like the moment in which Mantis touches Drax to understand his emotions when he talks about how the place they are at reminds him of his daughter. It’s not necessarily subtle, but it’s a scene with visual storytelling that adds depth to the moment and the characters, as it acts as a major turning point for Mantis and her motivations. GotGV2 doesn’t drop the ball when it comes to juggling all the stories in play, but it feels a little long and convoluted by its end as a result.

11. Ant-Man (2015)

Despite Ant-Man being a Marvel hero I knew nothing about before watching this, his introductory movie was an enjoyable ride. It strikes a good balance between comedy and action, with Rudd’s charm and charisma doing a lot of the heavy lifting. There isn’t a whole lot to the plot or the villain, but the movie makes up for it with some quality characterization with the main characters and their family dynamics.

If Taika Waititi wanted to direct a comedy, he should have been tasked with the Ant-Man movies, rather than sacrificing the characters and stories with Thor, a serious character who has always been more of the straight man in the comedy scenario. The first two Ant-Man movies are much more heavy-handed with their comedic elements, due in no small part to Paul Rudd’s performance. Waititi would be better suited to handling characters that are already meant to be funny, but then again, he might have screwed this one up if he were given the chance.

10. Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)

A lot of people consider this the best Captain America movie, and I can see why. For me, it’s the weakest entry in that trilogy, but it still squeaks its way into the top ten. Yes, the plot and the actions made by the villains don’t really make the most sense when you think about them. Nonetheless, this is a fun spy thriller of a movie with exciting action sequences and meaningful characterization for the various individuals. It’s not quite as thought-provoking as other entries on this list, but I think it still manages to deliver a fair amount of action and fun.

9. Thor (2011)

One recurring issue I have with the Thor movies is that Thor seems to be going through a similar identity crisis each time, so it feels like we’re retreading ground over and over with him. That being said, the first Thor film has the simplest arc for him to take. He starts as an egotistical, self-absorbed warrior, destined to take Odin’s throne. He is then humbled and stripped of his power by his father so that he can go on the hero’s journey and regain his worth and right to wield Mjolnir. It’s straightforward, but it works better than the other arcs in Thor’s movies, and upon revisiting the film a decade later, I came to appreciate Thor as a pretty solid entry in the MCU. It’s not the best story for Thor in the Infinity Saga, but it’s still pretty entertaining, nonetheless.

8. Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015)

While Age of Ultron does not measure up to other Avengers movies in this list, and it’s a very flawed film, it still makes its way onto my top ten. A significant reason Age of Ultron surpasses several other movies on this list is its effective use of the Hulk. We only got bits and pieces of Hulk in the other two good Avengers movies, and The Incredible Hulk is a movie I’d prefer never to see again. Finally, this is a film that gives us some satisfying Hulk destruction. The opening action scene and the closing action scene in Sokovia are fun romps with some great Hulk action on display, but I was extremely entertained by the scene in which Iron Man faces off against a savage Hulk in the Hulkbuster suit. It’s well-directed and fast-paced, so the action is easy to follow, and it still feels frenetically intense. I don’t mean to downplay the other action scenes with all the other Avengers, but this sequence was easily my favorite in the movie.

And it’s not like Age of Ultron doesn’t have good character moments, either. The interactions that Bruce Banner and Natasha Romanoff share are well-acted and have meaningful exchanges of dialogue that bring a lot of nuance to both characters. The small moments that set things up for later make you want to cherish the details, like the scene in which Steve Rogers manages to barely move Thor’s hammer. Only Thor notices, and his expression changes, but no one else realizes it, and if you’re too busy looking at your phone instead of watching the movie, you might miss it. There are some issues with the villain, plot, dialogue, and pacing that don’t really occur in most other movies in my top ten, but I think Age of Ultron makes up for it with its better moments. It has some meaningful events that set up the movies to come, so it’s mandatory viewing for what happens to the Avengers next, but I don’t consider it homework because it’s still a fun time.

7. Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)

As I said in my bit about Far From Home, I’m biased to favor Spider-Man. There are several aspects of Spider-Man: Homecoming that I enjoy, but some details about it prevent it from ranking higher. I like the decision to focus on Peter Parker while he’s still in high school, juggling his social life as a teenager and as a new superhero, as we have not really seen much of that in previous films. It adds an endearing quality to the character and the naive choices he might make along the way. Tom Holland does a solid job as Peter Parker with his permanently young face. The heroic moments in which he’s saving people and taking on the villains are extremely satisfying, with some nods to some of the best moments from the Raimi films. Michael Keaton is such a good actor that even a phoned-in performance (he does not phone it in here) can outclass his co-stars. He does a great job as The Vulture, a villain with a lot more nuance and depth than the standard Marvel villain. The relationship between Tony Stark and Peter Parker as surrogate father & son is also a great dynamic that adds to the experience as you see how Tony is trying to mentor Peter but keep him safe, while Peter is determined to prove himself to Tony as a real hero. I realize that dynamic is not consistent with how he has been portrayed in the comics, but I’m open to new interpretations if it works for the story. The addition of this dynamic causes clashes of their egos, which creates some great drama and makes both of them relatable.

Where Homecoming fails to get higher on my list has to do with the various creative decisions that make it feel like a very modern Marvel movie. A lot of this has to do with the comedic tones of most of the movie, with a few too many jokes. I don’t care for the casting choice for MJ, though she’s not as present here as she is in Far From Home, thankfully. The lack of a reference to Uncle Ben and his all-important catch phrase is also a glaring issue for me. Nonetheless, I think there is a lot to pick apart in Homecoming as a quality film that manges to help make the MCU a more lived-in universe with interesting stories to tell.

6. Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)

When I first saw GotG, I was not overly impressed because it had been built up by many friends and family as an amazing movie. I thought it was fine, but I hadn’t tempered my expectations. Revisiting it, however, has greatly improved my opinion because this is a fun ride of a superhero movie. It’s a tight and efficient film that manages to establish numerous characters really well. It deftly balances action with comedy. It also showcases a lot of fantastical locations that are filled with creative designs and color. I may have soured on it at first, but this is a great movie in which I have completely come around.

5. Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)

This movie and the CA movies that follow manage to capture the essence of the character perfectly and easily form the most consistent trilogy of the MCU. Chris Evans does a great job as Steve Rogers and is surrounded by dozens of other talented actors who keep the movie entertaining and engaging. The action scenes are fun, the chemistry between Evans and Atwell sells the romance, and the way the origin story of Captain America is portrayed successfully displays the idea of a morally good person made great with the power of a super serum. I was disappointed by the fact that his great adversary, the Red Skull, ends up being easily dispatched in the end, but it’s still a satisfying journey from beginning to end.

4. The Avengers (2012)

I, like many others, was skeptical whether this movie was going to work out when it was being released. I had seen almost all of the Marvel movies at that time, and I wondered if a movie of this scale could be pulled off. After all, each of these heroes (aside from Black Widow and Hawkeye) had been protagonists in their own movie with arcs specific to each character. How were they going to be able to have a superhero movie work with so many, many characters? Turns out, it did just fine and quickly established Marvel Studios as the new movie juggernaut.

Obviously, several movies have come out since The Avengers that have even more main characters with complex arcs to them, but this was a big deal at the time. The action scenes are exciting. The acting from the entire cast is stellar, especially with Tom Hiddleston being able to really flourish as the villain. The pace moves relatively swiftly. And the writing, well, it’s Joss Whedon in his element.

3. Iron Man (2008)

The movie that started it all. I was already familiar with the character of Tony Stark from the comic books, and when I heard that Robert Downey Jr. would be playing him, one word popped into my head regarding the casting choice: Perfect. He simply nailed the role and immediately became the character about as well as Pierce Brosnan did when he played James Bond. Iron Man is a great story about a wealthy and smart man who is given a rude awakening about how his weapons are being used around the world and is forced to reflect on his mistakes so that he can start to make things right, as best he can. The Iron Man suits look great (partially because they were physical suits, designed by Stan Winston’s company). The action is fun. There’s just the right balance of comedy to bring levity to everything. It has great pacing to make it an easy rewatch. A great film from start to finish.

2. Avengers: Infinity War (2018)

I was impressed by how the first Avengers film was able to juggle so many characters that had previously been established. Infinity War is essentially saying, “Hold my beer,” as it manages to integrate characters across all the Avengers films, Captain America: Civil War, and Guardians of the Galaxy into the story that the first three phases of the MCU have been building toward. The first Avengers is a better film in terms of how tight its story is and how it manages to tell its story without relying on character mistakes or odd decisions, but I still enjoy Infinity War a little more due to the risks it takes, the big emotional moments, and how the comedy manages to work well without deflating the scenes like it does in so many other Marvel movies.

The pacing is incredibly swift, managing to make a nearly three-hour film not feel exhausting. It opens strong and barely lets up with some good scenes peppered in between the action to tell its story and establish the stakes. The two big, climactic battles happening at the same time during the last 30 minutes of the movie are an exciting spectacle with a lot of creativity in their presentation. It also manages to be the best Thor story, with a great opportunity for Chris Hemsworth to demonstrate his acting ability and make the character more compelling than he’s been so far. While I’m not blown away by Thanos as a villain, he is far more complex than most antagonists in superhero movies, and Infinity War does a good job of showing the layers to him, which apparently go away in Endgame. The deaths of beloved characters, while shocking, are handled with the right amount of respect and emotional impact that is often not accomplished in modern movies and certainly not modern Marvel movies.

I knew Infinity War was at the top of many people’s lists, but I was surprised by how good it was. It’s a shame that the conclusion to its story in the sequel was so disappointing, but it doesn’t affect my opinion of Infinity War because I just view this movie as the actual end of the MCU.

1. Captain America: Civil War (2016)

Captain America: Civil War is a culmination of two characters’ journeys down opposing paths to the point of collision. Both have gone on a journey that puts each of them at a point where they find more in common with their opponent’s past. The action scenes are fantastic with some great stuntwork and practical effects. There are some powerful moments, some of which don’t have dialogue. Heroes like T’Challa are just as compelling as the villain, whose plan—a little unbelievable that it would work out so perfectly—brings the conflict between Iron Man and Captain America out of the philosophical realm and into a personal one that is immensely satisfying to see. It’s almost an Avengers movie with how many characters show up to the fray, and it’s great to see them finally clash during the first climax. This may be a superhero movie, but there are a lot of character moments that are emotional, satisfying, and complex that are superior to countless other movies that have come out since then.

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Do you agree with my selection? Let me know what your favorites and least favorites are. When I assembled this list, I did so immediately after finishing Spider-Man: Far From Home. However, the order drastically changed as I wrote my thoughts down for each movie, aside from the absolute best and worst positions on this list. My initial impressions of the Spider-Man films made me think they’d be lower on the list than they ended up after I really thought about them, while movies like Captain America: The Winter Soldier were riding high from initial impressions and started to fall the more I considered them.

Regardless, it was a fun journey to finally see all the movies people said were the best of the MCU that I had missed. No, I don’t feel the need to continue beyond the Infinity Saga aside from a few particular movies. I’ve heard how bad most of them are, and I’d rather spare myself the misery. I am also not a fan of multiverses, which inevitably came after phase III of the MCU.