This article was written by The Zillennial Zine’s spring editorial intern Ian Ferdock. Find him on Instagram at @ianferdock. If you would like to share an article with The Zillennial, send us an email at thezillennialzine@gmail.com.

The only thing better than a great movie is an epic franchise filled with innumerable films. One of the greatest examples of such a feat is the Marvel Cinematic Universe or MCU. Beginning with Iron Man in 2008, and continuing today nearly two decades later, there are 37 total movies in this iconic saga of Earth’s mightiest heroes. While MCU movies have trended downward in the court of public opinion over the last few years, post-Endgame especially, I think it’s always worthwhile to take a trip down memory lane and rewatch everything from the beginning. But some are better than others, which begs the question of which movies stand out among the rest. Lucky for you over the past few weeks I have rewatched all of the MCU films. The fruits of my labor have produced a list of the top 10 MCU movies, based entirely on my own opinion.

#10 Doctor Strange (2016)

Heading the list is Doctor Strange. A lot of people rank this movie somewhere in the middle to the bottom ranks of the MCU, but I think it deserves a bit more recognition. A lot of the superheroes in the MCU have origin stories rooted in scientific advancements and new technologies. While that’s cool and all, the magical origins of Doctor Strange and his teacher, The Ancient One, stand out as a unique addition. Plus, I’m a sucker for moral complexities and a great redemption arc.

#9 Captain Marvel (2019)

The next spot is reserved for an absolute girl boss. Arguably one of the most impressive and powerful heroes in the MCU is Captain Marvel. This film leans into a heavy focus on humans interacting with aliens, characteristic of the rest of the franchise. While it takes place well after Captain America and just over a decade before Iron Man, it was released in the later stages of the MCU. As most movies began to turn darker, and quite frankly more depressing, Captain Marvel had a healthy amount of comedic relief, rendering it a breath of fresh air. It was also great to see a bit more background on such a pivotal character like Nick Fury.

#8 Thor (2011)

Keeping with the theme of extraterrestrials, it’s time to talk about everybody’s favorite Asgardian. Thor is the only god in the core cast of the MCU, and he brings along with him a great blend of Norse mythology and classic themes from Marvel comics. Not only was this film crucial to setting up the first Avengers movie, but it also was just downright hilarious. The supporting roles of Kat Dennings, Natalie Portman, and Stellan Skarsgård created an intricate balance of humor with the classic themes of good versus evil as well as moral righteousness.

#7 Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021)

I was torn about this one. Overall, Spider-Man: No Way Home is my favorite of Tom Holland’s iteration. That said, I really hated the ending. I was very much over the slaughtering of characters and tear-jerking scenes by this point in the MCU. Nonetheless, this immersion into the chaos of the multiverse was fantastic and it was epic to see so many versions of Spiderman and the enemies he has fought. I do like Tom Holland, but Tobey Maguire, will always be the best Spiderman to me, so it was awesome to see him reprise his role too. Part of me wanted to rank this movie higher, because at the end of the day it was great. However, it’s depressing end lends it less credibility to me because it just downright pissed me off.

#6 Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017)

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 is without a doubt my favorite in this trilogy, and as a whole, this space-going group is never rated as highly as it deserves. It was so great to see Baby Groot on the screen after his forefather’s tragic yet heroic end, as well as the immense comedy created by the rag-tag group of friends. I think part of what makes this movie so interesting is that the storyline of Quill’s dad, Ego, provides a lot more context into the way the universe functions within the MCU. By the time Endgame came around there were so many characters with so many different powers and origins it was hard to understand how they all related to each other. The context provided by this movie puts a lot of other storylines into perspective.

#5 Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014) & Captain America: Civil War (2016) 

I admit, I cheated. Torn with indecision, I chose two movies for this spot. I promised myself I would only pick one movie for each character to keep things mixed up, but I just couldn’t decide which Captain America film I liked the most. Civil War was epic as hell as it essentially just felt like an extra Avengers movie with its bloated cast. However, the chemistry between Scarlet Johanson and Chris Evans in The Winter Soldier was undeniable. It was also great to see the reintroduction of Bucky and some more focus on the ever-present marvel theme of combatting government corruption.

#4 Avengers: Infinity War (2018)

Before we get to the top three, it’s time to actually mention an Avengers movie directly. The snap provided a jaw-dropping ending to what felt like could be the end of the MCU. Luckily, that wasn’t the case, but to be frank I would’ve been okay if it was. All my favorite characters survived the initial snap, so I would’ve been just fine to leave it there. Alas, what could have been? Infinity War had all the essential elements of a climax to an epic franchise. Endless characters, massive battles, and heartbreak. Peak cinema.

#3 Black Widow (2021)

Even though Black Widow takes place prior to Infinity War, it was released after Endgame. It was so great to see Black Window for a final time after her tragic fate in her quest to acquire the soul stone. My only complaint is that this movie didn’t come earlier as it would’ve been awesome to see this dysfunctional “family” intertwined more into the MCU. After so many movies centered around the end of the universe, it was nice to have a more isolated or localized conflict. It was also the funniest movie that had been released for a bit in my opinion. It’s a shame it never really had the chance to fight at the box office.

#2 Marvel’s The Avengers (2012)

Many may argue that this movie deserves the top spot, but not to me despite being very close. As the first time Earth’s mightiest heroes suited up to save the world, The Avengers is too nostalgic to not rate as one of the best. So many themes from previous movies all came to a head and created one of the most epic movies of all time. Plus, it has a rather happy ending. A phenomenon that would soon fade into the distant past.

#1 Iron Man 2 (2010)

And now, what you’ve all been waiting for. The top spot solidly belongs to Iron Man 2. Honestly, if I had my way with this list the top three spots would all belong to Tony Stark. I know this may be a hot take as it certainly isn’t everyone’s favorite movie. But Stark is hilarious, insanely smart, and above all else bucks the trend of being a wholesome do-gooder. His moral complexities and personality deficits are on full display in this film. Iron Man 2 also explores many of the same themes as The Winter Soldier as each film centers around the idea of government overreach. However, Iron Man 2 provides an extra layer of intrigue. All the while he is battling questionable government officials and a rogue terrorist, Stark is also deeply grappling with his mortality, moral responsibilities, his legacy, and of course his daddy issues.

The Top 10 MCU Movies

Well, that is my comprehensive list of the top 10 MCU movies. If you have never watched them, indulged in some of them, or have been an avid fan for years, it’s always worth watching for the first time or running through it again. Instead of going through the films in production order, I highly recommend watching them in chronological order. Most of them are released in chronological order, but there are outliers. Seeing things in the order in which they occur makes it much easier for viewers to follow along. Throughout the list, I tried to keep spoilers to a minimum in case anyone has been living under a rock. Additionally, I tried to keep it to one movie per character for the most part to have a diverse picture of the franchise.

Let us know in the comments what your favorite MCU movie is!