The Top Five MCU Movies Leading into End Game

Avengers: End Game is in theaters this weekend and it will officially mark the culmination of the MCU, an 11-year saga, spanning 22 movies. The Marvel Cinematic Universe, or MCU, is the brainchild of producer Kevin Feige, who envisioned phases of superhero movies that, like the comic source material, could crossover with each other, while still capture the heroes’ singular tones and genres. This completely redefined what a franchise could be and has inspired endless copycats—here’s looking at you Universal’s Dark Universe—but none has the heart these movies have, and with a gross of over “18 billion dollars at the box office,” they are not going away anytime soon. So, while it’s a safe bet that not all of The Avengers will make it out alive this weekend, I made the heroic move of ranking the five best superhero movies from the MCU, because we’re in the “End Game” now. Whatever it takes!

Warning: Spoilers for multiple MCU movies (not including End Game) up ahead.

#5. Iron Man (2008)

I know it’s hard to think of a time when there weren’t multiple superhero movies coming out every year, but 2008 proved to be the year that changed that. Not only would The Dark Knight go on to break  box office records with Christopher Nolan’s dark and gritty take on Batman but there was also a film called Iron Man that came out that year as well. It reintroduced the world to Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark, which turned out to be the perfect meta casting given the bad boy state of his career at that point. Director Jon Favreau got veteran actor, Jeff Bridges, to star as the corporate villain Obadiah Stane, but the tallest task was making a movie with an unlikely hero that was not a household name into a hit, and he did that with flying colors. Literally. It’s the first time we meet Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury and the first time we get a post-credits scene, which again a lot of movies are doing now but again it all started with Iron Man.

They also didn’t have a script during filming, so the dialogue was mostly ad-libbed, giving the film a certain improvisational energy that is perfect for a fast-talking genius like Tony Stark. The film has him trying to learn the damage he is causing with his own technology, a plot they would return to again in later MCU movies and a plot point in the film has him literally “finding his heart.” Not only do the effects for the high-flying hero look great a decade later, but it’s easy to feel invested in Tony, who has to resurrect himself as a humbled hero. The first half of the movie when he is captured and left with nothing but his wits to break him out is particularly effective in showing his genius and abilities or as Stain says, “Tony Stark built this in a cave—with a box of scraps!”. They have several references, paying tribute to the original Iron Man suit and even rapper Ghostface Killah, whose alias is Tony Stark, and the more I rewatch it the more amazed I am at how it was able to create the entire MCU on its shoulders, but it’s an underdog story that beat the odds and it’s easy to see why it’s so successful given all its strengths.

4. Guardians of the Galaxy (2012)

I talked about how Iron Man was a deep cut and a risk for Marvel when it was released, but this movie had to overcome just as much, if not more. Nobody except for really deep comic heads know these characters, it takes place entirely in space, and, by all accounts, it should not have worked. The popular opinion at the time, by myself included, was this was going to be Marvel’s first complete train wreck, but I’m willing to admit when I’m wrong, and it is instead one of the best movies the MCU has to offer. This is all thanks to James Gunn’s script and direction, which introduces us to a band of misfits who team up to steal a blue cube McGuffin in the movie, that will have implications in later installments.

I knew during the opening Raiders of the Lost Ark homage, when Star-Lord breaks the tension and starts singing “Come and Get Your Love,” into these lizard creatures, what type of movie this would be. It does away with all of the self-seriousness that some other superheroes have, the protagonist saves the world with his dance moves and somehow makes the audience care about a talking tree and raccoon. It has a great cast of actors that range from Zoe Saldana, Bradley Cooper, Vin Diesel to John C. Reilly and Glenn Close. It has a unique out-of-this-world look to it that veered away from the Marvel template of the time and the soundtrack was a smash hit of obscure 70s rock and pop songs that I still enjoy to this day. It just goes to show you what a talented director and screenwriter can do for these stories, it’s no surprise me to me why Disney rehired Gunn after firing him because these characters are so unique that he is the only one that can do these films justice.

3. The Avengers (2012)

By the time The Avengers was released, most of the heroes in the film had their own solo film (still waiting on Black Widow’s) and this officially marked the end of Phase One of the MCU. There was a built-in familiarity with the characters and now you get to see them come together for the first time in the ultimate cinematic crossover event. As a kid, I never thought I would ever see these comics be made into film but Joss Whedon gives each of the characters time to shine and even pits them against each other, that is the cinematic equivalent of the age old, “who would win in a fight?”, debate that all comic book fans used to ponder as kids.

At this point, the Marvel films have a serialized nature to them with connecting storylines, but the amazing thing about The Avengers is that it was so early that even if someone hadn’t seen any of the movies, it’s enjoyable on its own. Tom Hiddleston as Thor’s brother, Loki, plays one of Marvel’s best villains, Whedon gives Black Widow the best dialogue and action she’s had to date, Captain America is played by an earnest Chris Evans and Bruce Banner/Hulk being recast by Mark Ruffalo proved to be a good move.

It’s one of those movies that is so fun and never feels forced and one that I’ll watch whenever it’s on TV. The helipad sequence in the middle of the film and final climax battle in New York are two amazing fight sequences that set the standard for team up superhero action. The sweeping shot of all the heroes at the end in the midst of the action, with The Avengers theme by Alan Silvestri playing behind them is an iconic piece of cinema history.

2. Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)

If I had to pick a favorite superhero trilogy in the MCU, it would 100% be the Captain America series. I love each of them for different reasons, and they all could have made this list, but The Winter Soldier did the impossible and made Captain America a badass. He definitely suffered from being a square in The Avengers, and this movie counteracted that in the best way possible and made him a modern-day hero.

We are introduced to Falcon (Anthony Mackie) in this movie, Black Widow appears again to help out Cap, and what I love most, is that it’s an effective spy thriller with superheroes in it. So, while there’s a deep-rooted mystery at the center of it, being investigated by Cap and Black Widow, there’s also the big fights like the freeway fight with the Winter Soldier. It’s also heartbreaking that he has to fight his best friend, giving the climax of the film some tension. The Russo Brothers just understand the genre and characters, and most of all how to properly film action. Robert Redford makes an appearance in this, calling up his role in the investigative drama All the Presidents Men, and there are political and ideological undertones in Winter Solder that are still prevalent today. All of this makes for an action-packed joy ride that is thought-provoking while still being endlessly enjoyable.

#1 Avengers: Infinity War (2018)

The original Avengers had a handful of heroes teaming up together, while Infinity War, the third entry in The Avengers series, has over a dozen heroes teaming up to face their toughest opponent yet, Josh Brolin’s terrifying take on Thanos. This should have won the Academy Award for best effects and should have been nominated for best picture over Black Panther. It took all of the groundbreaking things the first Avengers did and elevated them with a ruthless villain that the heroes feared. Characters died in the opening minutes. Hulk gets his ass kicked. This movie is ballsy in the best ways, and I love it for making those difficult choices up until the end when half of the heroes turn to dust and the villain wins. It has officially established itself as the Empire Strikes Back of superhero movies.

Obviously End Game is going to ultimately answer and pair with this one, but it is still effective on its own, nonetheless. One of the times I saw it in the theater, a woman next to me was audibly sobbing from the moment Spider-Man died all the way until the credits. This is a tough movie for comic book fans, where Thanos is focused and the heroes are not and, while it’s hard to see them die, there’s still a lot of great character moments. Moments like Spider-Man’s Iron Spider suit getting use in space, Thor meeting the Guardians of the Galaxy for the first time might be the funniest moment in the MCU, the epic final fight in Wakanda with all of the heroes together. It just builds tension the entire movie and never lets up all the way until the last scene.

When they added it on Netflix back in December, I remember Christmas morning being at my Grandma’s house and someone put it on in the background, and I’ve put on other movies from the MCU before and my family really doesn’t pay attention, but that morning for two and a half hours my entire family, from my younger cousins, to my college-aged brothers, to my older uncles sat down and watched the entire thing from start to finish. It’s just that good, and I’m excited for End Game to see how they answer for cliffhanger ending left in Infinity War.