All 36 Marvel Cinematic Universe Movies Ranked

For almost 20 years, the Marvel Cinematic Universe has held an iron grip on pop culture. Releasing a Marvel flick was basically a license to print money. But although it's lost a little bit of social cache since then, for a long time MCU films were not just incredibly popular but remarkably consistent. 

This makes compiling a ranked list of Marvel movies particularly difficult: There are standout gems at the top and some that are a bit of a disappointment, but there's not a whole lot of daylight between the pictures vying for the middle spots. This is a testament to the Marvel machine — there are very few out-and-out losers among its filmography. But which are the best? Pick up Thor's hammer (if you think you have the moral fortitude, that is), and get ready to disagree — here are the MCU films, ranked.

The "Thor" series of films are something of a mixed bag. To be totally fair, "Thor: The Dark World" has undergone a bit of a reevaluation now that Loki (Tom Hiddleston) is one of the most prominent characters in the MCU, and it's not a complete disaster. We're always in the mood for more insight into the complicated brotherly relationship between Thor (Chris Hemsworth) and Loki, which has constantly evolved over the course of the franchise's history. 

But still, "Dark World" is outclassed by pretty much every other Marvel film, mostly because even back when it was one of only a handful of MCU movies, it didn't completely justify its own existence. Also, sorry, but the less said about the relationship between Thor and Jane, played by Natalie Portman, the better.

You'd be forgiven for forgetting that "The Incredible Hulk" was even part of the MCU. After all, the Hulk is the only Avenger whose actor was replaced after his first film, as Marvel subbed out Edward Norton for Mark Ruffalo (and found a new MCU rule to establish in the process). This version of Bruce Banner is freshly returned from isolation in South America, where he's spent years trying to control over his Hulkiness. But while Bruce is uninterested in the Hulk, plenty of other people are very interested in him — namely, the U.S. government and their top-secret plans to create a super-soldier using gamma rays. 

"The Incredible Hulk" isn't a complete mess, but it feels much more in line with the hit-or-miss superhero films that came out before the MCU was even a thing — there's a very clear disparity in quality between this and the films that would follow it.

Sam Wilson is a great character, and we love Anthony Mackie. But he's unfortunately taken up the mantle of Captain America at the wrong time, when audiences are beginning to experience major Marvel fatigue. No one had particularly high hopes for "Captain America: Brave New World, and it seems to have come and gone without so much as a blip.

In this production, Sam gets caught up in a thoroughly underwhelming conflict over control of a new source of adamantium. Meanwhile, some loose ends from "The Incredible Hulk" are tied up, with Sam Sterns (Tim Blake Nelson) and Betty Ross (Liv Tyler) returning, as well as Thaddeus Ross (Harrison Ford) becoming Red Hulk. Honestly, the whole thing feels very perfunctory; a film that has to be made to get to the ones that actually matter.

Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) is a character that works much better in other people's films than headlining his own, so despite the best efforts of the reliable filmmaker Sam Raimi and Benedict Cumberbatch in the main role, "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness" is a tough sell. That's not to say that it's a bad film. Really, it does the best that it can under the circumstances. 

But at this point, it feels like Marvel had put all of its eggs in the multiverse basket, and the concept isn't quite as thrilling as it once was. Still, the aesthetic choices made by Raimi as Doctor Strange traverses through several profoundly disturbing realities give "Multiverse of Madness" a horror-adjacent vibe that fits the character's mystical qualities, as well as the mighty presence of Elizabeth Olsen's darker turn as Scarlet Witch.

On paper, "The Marvels" is a slam dunk. Carol Danvers aka Captain Marvel (Brie Larson) is one of the most exciting superhero characters in ages, even if she's been unfairly maligned by the masses. Thanks to her appearance in "WandaVision," we've gotten to know Monica Rambeau (Teyonah Parris) pretty well, allowing audiences to cultivate a genuine emotional connection to her (a rarity in some of these overstuffed superhero ensemble films). And who isn't charmed by the enthusiastic Ms. Marvel (Iman Vellani)? 

The three work together incredibly well as they fight to save the universe with impeccable chemistry. And although the stakes are obviously high (the world is in danger, after all), there's a lightness of touch that makes "The Marvels" feel breezy and fun. Unfortunately, that leads to one of the biggest criticisms levied at it — it can come across as a little tonally jarring.

"Iron Man 2" isn't so much bad as it is completely and entirely forgettable. The central plot is a whole lot of nothing, and we can barely remember its villain (OK fine, it's Mickey Rourke as Ivan Vanko/Whiplash, a walking Russian stereotype, with Sam Rockwell's arms dealer Justin Hammer coming in with the assist). If it's memorable for anything, it's introducing Scarlett Johansson as Black Widow, although it does that poorly too — instead of the ultra-cool Russian spy, she's just a run-of-the-mill sex bomb secretary who works undercover for Tony Stark. 

Still, Robert Downey Jr. is charismatic enough in the lead role that he keeps Phase 1 of the MCU chugging along, even if "Iron Man 2" wasn't ultimately fated to be one of the studio's best. What can we say — most Marvel fans are never going to say no to more Tony Stark.

The biggest flaw with the "Black Widow" film is that it took Marvel way too long to actually greenlight it, and it hit theaters way after the point at which it would have been really impactful. By the time it came out, Black Widow's narrative arc had already come to a close in "Avengers: Endgame," so for some viewers, having a film developed around her felt a little anticlimactic. 

Still, there's a lot to recommend "Black Widow," particularly its development of the relationships between Natasha and her ersatz family members. So much of her past is shrouded in mystery, as she only periodically doles out little tidbits of lore, but here we get a much better understanding of where she comes from. Florence Pugh is the perfect choice to play her younger spy sister Yelena, and how can you not love David Harbour and Rachel Weisz as their sort-of parents?

The whole thing about Ant-Man (Paul Rudd) is that his use in the MCU is a double-edged sword. His character is meant to be a palate cleanser for all of the darker shenanigans that the Avengers are getting into. But the more he becomes interwoven into the larger narrative arc, the less he's able to function as a goofy superhero.

In "Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania," Scott and Hope (Evangeline Lilly) travel into the Quantum Realm. There, they meet M.O.D.O.K., played by Corey Stoll in a role that takes body horror to an entirely new level, and Kang the Conqueror (Jonathan Majors), a character that Marvel would like you to forget exists. Ultimately, it's just kind of a chore rather than a fun little jaunt like the previous "Ant-Man" films, and it certainly doesn't help matters that the villain it sets up was fully cancelled before the movie even hit theaters.

Is "Eternals" the best Marvel movie ever made? Of course not. But is it better than it's given credit for? Absolutely. The concept alone is fascinating. This group of heroes — the Eternals — have been on Earth since the beginning, protecting the planet against Deviants, an invasive alien species. What does it do to a person to have lived for the entirety of human history, weaving in and out of different civilizations as the years go by, but never quite part of humanity?

The characters are really what sells "Eternals," because to be honest, the storyline is a little all over the place. But the way each of them have adapted to life on Earth with their unique gifts is incredibly interesting to watch play out, and director Chloe Zhao brings a vivid visual style to a cinematic universe that has occasionally been criticized for being muddy and oversaturated.

At a certain point, you can feel Marvel running out of ideas of where to take the character of Thor, and nowhere is this more evident than in "Thor: Love and Thunder." After recovering from the existential crisis that turned him into a punchline in "Avengers: Endgame," embarks on a quest to protect New Asgard from Gorr the God Butcher (Christian Bale). Coolest name ever, right? After losing his daughter, the formerly devout Gorr is on a mission to kill all the gods, putting New Asgard in danger. Bale is great, but the film gets bogged down in bringing back Jane Porter (Natalie Portman), a terribly dull character that brings the film's momentum to a crawl every time she appears.

Still, we get a cute little scene at the end showcasing Thor as a girl dad, raising Love (played by Hemsworth's real-life daughter India Rose Hemsworth) as a daughter and fellow warrior.

Absent parents are just part of the whole superhero thing, as we see with Hope (Evangeline Lilly) in "Ant-Man and the Wasp," whose mother was lost in the Quantum Realm. But when Scott (Paul Rudd) receives a message from Hope's mother in the Quantum Realm, it seems like she might not be as gone as they had assumed. But getting her back isn't exactly going to be a walk in the park, because there are a few complications. 

Chief among them is the ghost in the Quantum Realm, which turns out to be Ava (Hannah John-Kamen), the daughter of Hank Pym's former colleague who is trapped in a sort of stasis that allows her to phase through objects but also keeps her in constant pain. Not fun. The chemistry between Rudd and Lilly as the two titular characters is fun, and it's nice to see Hope get more of her family back, but that's about it.

After Chadwick Boseman's tragic passing from cancer in 2020, the "Black Panther" film series was at a bit of an impasse. Recasting the beloved actor who played T'Challa in his first few appearances felt wrong, but the sequel film "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever" still needed to be made. So they shifted gears to focus on T'Challa's sister Shuri (Letitia Wright), giving her the opportunity to take up the title of Blank Panther. 

Just as the franchise itself struggled with a gaping hole at its heart, Wakanda too faces an overwhelming power void as it emerges onto the world stage, filled with exploitable resources but without the benefit of its visionary leader. Luckily, the hyper-intelligent Shuri is a more than worthy successor to the role. And with "Black Panther" director Ryan Coogler back in action, the sequel film has an emotional and intellectual heft that defines his work. 

It feels like a little bit of a curse at this point that the second film in an established trilogy is almost always going to suffer in comparison. This is certainly the case for "Spider-Man: Far From Home," which sees Peter Parker (Tom Holland) going up against Mysterio (Jake Gyllenhaal) while on a school trip to Europe. By the time this film came out, there were already criticisms about how Spider-Man was transformed from being a relatively small-scale superhero to a corporate Stark Industries sellout. 

So it probably didn't help matters that the plot revolves around Stark bequeathing him hyper-advanced tech. Whose decision was it to take the friendly neighborhood Spider-Man out of New York City for an entire film? That said, Tom Holland carries the film on his back, and we love the maniacal energy of Mysterio, especially considering his villain origin story as a disgruntled Stark Industries employee.

With so many Marvel films that make you feel like you have to see the entire MCU canon to understand, "Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings" is refreshing in that it's a proper standalone film. Simu Liu stars as Shang-Chi, a Chinese-American man who's been living in San Francisco since he was a teenager, after fleeing a pretty messed up childhood. 

His strict father (Tony Leung) forced him to train constantly, driving him to his breaking point when he was sent out to assassinate a rival gang leader. But when he returns to China to rescue his sister, he discovers a world beyond his imagining, and even his long-lost mother. "Shang-Chi" is a vibrant take on a lesser known Marvel superhero, winning over audiences with its inventive fight choreography.

For a long time, Deadpool seemed to exist in his own little pocket universe, too foul-mouthed and self-aware to be admitted into the MCU proper, but too profitable at the box office to be ignored completely. But in "Deadpool & Wolverine," he makes a giant step into established canon in this multiverse adventure. It turns out that Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) is what they call an "anchor being," and his death is causing the universe to collapse. 

To save the world, Deadpool has to find a replacement Wolverine — only he lands on the worst possible version. Together, they encounter multiple variants of themselves, each more ridiculous than the next. Deadpool may sometimes feel as though he's on the verge of wearing out his welcome, but it's hard to deny the fun factor of a Deadpool and Wolverine team-up.

To the best of our knowledge, no Marvel lead has gotten as much backlash as Brie Larson in "Captain Marvel." It makes little sense, because her film is at worse inoffensive, and at best an exciting contribution to a franchise that has been accused more than once of being a bit of a boy's club. 

When we first meet Vers, as she is then known, Carol Danvers is a Starforce member who constantly struggles with memory issues and everyone telling her that she needs to get a grip on her emotions. (Relatable, are we right?) But over the course of the film, her true identity is revealed, as is her incredible strength that has been suppressed by the men in her life who would seek to control her. This is about as close to feminist as Marvel gets, and it also manages to be an entertaining action romp in the bargain.

After the unmitigated success of "The Avengers," expectations were at a fever pitch for the franchise's next team-up outing. And although "Avengers: Age of Ultron" had a truly fantastic prerelease trailer, the final product ended up being something less than the sum of its parts. 

Ultron (James Spader) was an interesting character, the physical manifestation of artificial intelligence created by Tony Stark who eventually becomes too smart for his own good. We loved the introduction of Elizabeth Olsen and Aaron Taylor Johnson as the Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver. But somehow, the production is too busy — you can feel exactly how much director Joss Whedon is trying to fit in — and it doesn't quite gel together.

By the end of the first "Guardians of the Galaxy" film, we're fully aware of Peter Quill's (Chris Pratt) tragic backstory as pertains to his late mother, but we don't know a thing about his estranged father — a problem that "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2" resolves, which may as well be called "Peter Quill and his Monumental Daddy Issues." Because lo and behold, Peter's father Ego (Kurt Russell) presents himself, and surprise, he's basically a god. 

But although Peter's initially overjoyed to be developing a relationship with his long-lost dad, there are one or two things that Ego isn't being totally upfront about. Namely, the fact that he was responsible for the tumor that killed Peter's mother. "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2" is a worthy expansion of the original film, but don't kid yourself, it has more than a few truly brutal moments.

It's kind of crazy to think that "Captain America: Civil War" is one of the only superhero films that actually grapples with how these extrajudicial crime fighters interact with the government at large — who they have to answer to when things go wrong, and who has the authority to sanction their actions. And unfortunately, members of the Avengers find themselves on different sides of the divide between government oversight and autonomy. 

It certainly doesn't help matters that Tony Stark discovers that the Winter Soldier (Sebastian Stan), who Steve Rogers is currently protecting, was responsible for his father's death. That the Avengers are going to come to blows is, as Thanos would say, inevitable. "Captain America: Civil War" is a good film, even if we do hate to see Cap and Iron Man duking it out. Why can't we all just get along?

When "Iron Man 3" first came out, it didn't exactly have the best reputation. Come on, half the film is spent with Tony Stark getting therapy from a little kid. But really, that's part of what makes the film so interesting. We don't tend to think of superheroes as having very human weaknesses, but throughout "Iron Man 3" Tony is dealing with some pretty severe anxiety. Iron Men — they're just like us.

The film also has a lot of fun with its villains. The Mandarin turning out to be just a semi-competent actor named Trevor (Ben Kingsley) is a delightful twist (and a clever way to get around the racism of the character's origins), and we're fascinated by Guy Pearce's villainous glow-up.

Marvel may be viewed as the lighter counterpart to the perpetually doom-filled DCU, but it still has more than its fair share of dark, depressing content. That's why "Ant-Man" is such a nice change of pace; its stakes are relatively low (for the first film, anyway), and for most of its runtime it functions as a heist movie rather than a traditional superhero adventure. 

Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) is a small-time criminal with a heart of gold who ends up getting his hands on a suit that will allow him to shrink down to a tiny size. (Say, the size of an ant, perhaps?) And what's more, with a little practice, he can command an ant army. All of this makes "Ant-Man" literally impossible to hate.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe has aliens, supersoldiers, mutants, but not a whole lot of mysticism. When the arrogant surgeon Stephen Strange suffers an accident that limits his ability to use his hands — kind of important for a surgeon — he's willing to go to any lengths to find a cure. And what he ends up doing is training under the Ancient One (played, bewilderingly by a bald Tilda Swinton, a choice that was met with some criticism). 

What he learns is enough to turn him into a full-blown sorcerer, capable of summoning portals and manipulating matter to his will. Because Doctor Strange is a Marvel superhero unlike any other, his origin story stands out as utterly unique within the MCU.

If you're an animal-lover, "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3" might not be your jam. There's a lot of animal torture going on — like, a lot. Although it's still nominally about the entire ensemble of the Guardians, each of whom get their moments to shine, the emotional heart of the film is the irreverent Rocket (Bradley Cooper), who is given a pretty dark backstory. 

Back when he was just a sweet little raccoon baby, he was taken from his family and painfully experimented on. Alone in the world, he makes friends with the other modified animals in neighboring cages, although each of them may not be long for this world. As Rocket grapples with the ghosts of his past, the rest of the film functions as a swan song for the original Guardians team, ultimately serving as a fitting farewell to the eccentric characters we've grown attached to.

What can we say, we love a fish out of water story. In "Thor," the eponymous Norse god (Chris Hemsworth in a god-awful wig) is cast down from Asgard, landing on Earth and left to fend for himself. When we first meet him, he's not exactly the most likable guy — he's arrogant, selfish, and isn't living up the expectations set out by his father Odin (Anthony Hopkins, who found his role pointless). Definitely the kind of frat bro who needs a little bit of humbling. 

What's more humbling than being unceremoniously yeeted to Earth, without even the dignity of your magic hammer? "Thor" is a simple film, sometimes to its detriment, but it does an excellent job of introducing of the most beloved members of the original Avengers team.

Looking back, it's easy to forget how much the new Marvel iteration of "Spider-Man" was up against. Audiences had some serious Spider-Man fatigue — after all, they were on their third reboot in 15 years, spanning from Tobey Maguire in the early 2000s to Andrew Garfield in the early 2010s. How many times were audiences expected to sit through Uncle Ben getting mowed down on the street?

But "Spider-Man: Homecoming" made it clear that it was going to be a breath of fresh air. It begins well after Peter Parker gets his powers, so we can jump right into the action. And the franchise found an iconic lead in Tom Holland, who has the youthful energy to play both Peter Parker and his alter-ego Spider-Man with humor and a chaotic sense of fun. His performance alone makes "Spider-Man: Homecoming" a promising start to a new era for the character, but don't sleep on Michael Keaton as the villain Vulture.

It seems kind of incredible that all the Avengers had to do was to keep a few little stones away from Thanos, and they couldn't even manage to do that, but here we are. (We blame Peter Quill, for what it's worth.) "Avengers: Infinity War" is the first part in a massive two-film conclusion of everything Marvel had built up since "Iron Man" was released in 2008, and the stakes could not be higher for either the characters in the film or the studio itself. 

It's a testament to the quality of "Infinity War" is that it not only lives up to what fans had been dreaming about for years, but had the guts to go through with a pretty downbeat ending. The fact that it ends with the villain winning means that fans were basically frothing at the mouth for "Endgame."

How long has it been since mainstream audiences were actually super excited about an upcoming Marvel film? The studio has felt a little wayward over the past few years, too focused on their long-term plans to see the forest for the trees. But then the trailer for "Thunderbolts*" came out, and people were cautiously optimistic, thinking, "Is it just me, or does this actually look good?" 

We love an anti-hero team-up with an emotional gut punch, and this film has some of the franchise's fan favorites, including Yelena (Florence Pugh) from "Black Widow" and Bucky. (Also, sorry, but Lewis Pullman needs to be in everything from now on.) The best thing that we can say for "Thunderbolts*" is that for a long time Marvel has been trying to find a successor group to the original Avengers, and they may have finally found one that audiences are fully on board with — easier said than done!

Nostalgia powers modern cinema, and nowhere is this more true than in superhero films. While Sam Raimi's 2002 "Spider-Man" was made for people who had fond memories of the comics or the 1990s animated series, "Spider-Man: No Way Home" leans into the audience who grew up watching Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield swing around the silver screen. As such, it takes our current Spider-Man (Tom Holland) and pits him against classic foes like the Green Goblin (Willem Dafoe) and Doc Ock (Alfred Molina). 

But none of this would hit half as hard if it didn't take advantage of the multiverse trend by bringing back Maguire and Garfield, giving them one final word on their tenure in the role and putting the three together. Normally, our cold, cynical heart turns to stone in the face of such blatant fan service, but it's so well-executed that it actually wins us over.

With "Captain America: The First Avenger," we're introduced to Steve Rogers aka Captain America (played by Chris Evans). Unlike most of the other Marvel films which take place in or near the present day, "Captain America: The First Avenger" shoots us back to World War II, where the young, sickly Rogers is trying and failing to enlist. He may be malnourished, but he's also got a lot of courage, which makes him a prime subject for a top-secret supersoldier experiment.

"The First Avenger" is stylistically adventurous in a way that few Marvel films are, creating a vivid picture of the 1940s that looks and feels almost like a vintage recruitment poster. But none of this works without the winning, earnest performance from Evans as the star-spangled protagonist, and his chemistry with both his best friend Bucky Barnes and his love interest Peggy Carter (Hayley Atwell) is just icing on top.

Somewhere along the line in the lead-up to "Thor: Ragnarok," someone made an important realization: Chris Hemsworth is funny. And more importantly, he can be funny as Thor. This totally changed the ballgame for a character who was always likable enough, but the MCU didn't seem to know quite what to do with. In "Thor: Ragnarok," he gets to take a big step from godlike figure into kind of a goofball, which fits the tone of his third entry perfectly.

There's a lot going on here. Thor gets roped into being part of a intergalactic gladiator fight to the death, where he's pitted against none other than the Hulk (Mark Ruffalo), who has leveled up a few IQ points. Meanwhile, the goth sister he never knew he had (Hela, played by Cate Blanchett) returns to take over Asgard. It's just a fun ride from start to finish, and what more can you ask for?

Remember Bucky Barnes? Steve Rogers' all-American best friend who sticks by him through thick and thin, who tragically dies during the rescue mission in "Captain America: The First Avenger?" Buckle up, soldiers — he's back. Well, sort of. After his near-death experience, he was captured by Soviet scientists and experimented upon, leading him to become a brainwashed supersoldier for the USSR. Surprise!

In "Captain America: The Winter Soldier," Steve Rogers is sent on a secret mission that leads him to discover information about the underground organization of Hydra, which had spent decades sowing discord around the world and is still actively infiltrating American intelligence agencies. And what's more, their chief assassin is none other than the Winter Soldier, bringing Rogers face-to-face with his oldest friend. The redemption arc of Bucky is one of the most compelling aspects of the "Captain America" movies, and it starts with a bang here.

Unlike the Avengers, who are stalwart heroes of Earth, the "Guardians of the Galaxy" are much more of an Island of Misfit Toys situation, anti-heroes who moonwalk into saving the world. 

"Guardians of the Galaxy" stars Chris Pratt as Peter Quill aka Star Lord, a native of Earth who was raised by space pirates and, as a result, has a bit of a wonky moral compass. He's joined by Gamora (Zoe Saldaña), a reformed assassin with serious daddy issues; Rocket Raccoon (Bradley Cooper), a super-intelligent raccoon with a love of prosthetic limbs and a lack of impulse control; Drax (Dave Bautista), the most literal being in the universe; and Groot (Vin Diesel), a big old anthropomorphic tree. They're the reason the film works as well as it does, and we love them all.

Up until this point, we had gotten standalone films featuring different Marvel heroes as part of a multi-year cinematic experiment. "The Avengers" finally brings them all together as they do battle against Thor's scheming brother Loki (Tom Hiddleston), who uses the Tesseract and his scepter to control the minds of humanity and bring an alien army to Earth.

Normally, a superhero by their very nature is a dominant figure. When they appear in a film, it sort of goes without saying that they're the star of it. But the most impressive aspect of "The Avengers" is how seamlessly it's able to integrate all of these larger-than-life characters into a single team, working together to save Earth from an existential threat. It represented a proof of concept for Marvel, giving them the confidence to move forward with the next phases of the MCU that would define cinema for the next decade.

"Black Panther" is simply the best possible version of a Marvel superhero movie. Both the hero and the villain — T'Challa (Boseman) and Killmonger (Michael B. Jordan) — are nuanced and interesting characters, and its a mark of how well they're written that we can easily see that both of them have a point. 

It confronts colonialism and the complicated position of Wakanda within international politics in a way that few superhero films would bother to do. Wakanda isolates itself, protecting its advanced technology from the world, but it does so at the expense of Black people around the world who some would argue — Killmonger included — it has a duty to help. Thoughtful and multifaceted, "Black Panther" is as much an intellectual treat as it is a thrilling action film. And it was rewarded accordingly: "Black Panther" remains the only MCU film to snag a Best Picture nomination.

Looking back, it was a massive swing for Marvel to start off their planned cinematic universe with a superhero character who, let's face it, hadn't exactly been an A-Lister. They built all their hopes and dreams on the back of Robert Downey Jr.'s Tony Stark in "Iron Man," and it paid off big time. At the beginning of the film, Stark is just another soulless billionaire, charming but morally bankrupt. 

But when he is held hostage in a cave in Afghanistan, critically injured but forced to build a missile for his captors, we see what he's really made of. He ends up building the prototype of his now-famous Iron Man suit, which allows him to escape and gives him a new lease on life, where he's more committed to saving the world. The Tony Stark we know and love is built here, and Marvel has never been the same.

We have our personal qualms with "Avengers: Endgame." Did we really need to do a girl power lineup with all the female Marvel characters? But you have to give the franchise an enormous amount of credit for the fact that they were able to pull this film off at all, that after a decade of meticulous planning, Marvel actually got to their ... well, endgame. 

While the entire planet is still reeling from losing half of its population, the Avengers are hatching a plan to undo Thanos' actions at the end of "Infinity War." It's a testament to this film's epic status that Marvel has felt notably deflated in the years since its release, as though they spent so much time building to this moment that they don't quite know what to do now that it's over.