INFINITy
SAGA
Iron Man
The invincible foundation the MCU is built upon. Dark themes & visual design evoke genre icons like IndianaJones & Robocop. Avoids narrative pitfalls of its time by balancing out Islamophobia with corporate greed. There was no risk more rewarding than casting RDJ.
Premiere: Apr 30, 2008
Iron Man 2
A fun low-stakes sequel heavily focused on world building. Almost a slice-of-life examination of power & fame inflating the ego to self destructive proportions. Touches on the alcoholism & womanizing from the comics, paving the way for future character development.
Premiere: Apr 28, 2010
The Incredible Hulk
An homage to the classic Bixby / Ferrigno TV show before the third act swings for the fences with bombastic comics spectacle. A great supporting cast. Unfortunately, time hasn't been kind to the Hulk & Abomination's rubbery CGI, but the action is superb.
Premiere: Jun 12, 2008
Marvel One-Shot: The Consultant
Only exists to fill a plot hole left at the end of The Incredible Hulk. Agents Coulson & Sitwell have two very dry exchanges about Abomination. Shockingly cheap for such an illustrious franchise. I like the commitment to continuity at least.
Premiere: Sep 13, 2011
Thor
Branagh was a compelling choice to adapt Marvel's Thor for general audiences. Asgard is masterfully introduced in the 1st act fully realized before the 2nd act stumbles slightly on earth. Elevated by Hiddleston's emotional Loki performance. An iconic take on Heimdall.
Premiere: Apr 21, 2011
Marvel One-Shot: A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Thor's Hammer
A vast improvement over the first, but still disappointing even as just a Blu-ray bonus feature. It's just a barebones backdoor pilot for Agents of SHIELD showcasing what little budget they can get away with.
Premiere: Oct 25, 2011
Captain America: The First Avenger
Johnston channels his pulpy Rocketeer energy to deliver an earnest old fashioned WWII period piece. Evans surprised all by wholeheartedly embodying the role of Steve Rogers. Great chemistry with Atwell who propels Peggy to Marvel's A list.
Premiere: Jul 22, 2011
Marvel One-Shot: Agent Carter
These one-shots keep getting better. The great Hailey Atwell's welcomed return showing Peggy's life after the war. Sets up her future in the MCU but surprisingly clashes with the continuity of the Agent Carter show & yet Jarvis was in Endgame.
Premiere: Sep 3, 2013
The Avengers
Kevin Feige nails the landing & delivers the blueprint for cinematic universe building. Nearly achieves a perfect balance of the all-star cast as it builds to an epic 3rd act victory lap celebration. Crisp visuals, clean action & banter that is almost too witty.
Premiere: Apr 25, 2012
Marvel One-Shot: Item 47
Lizzy Caplan shockingly stars in this impressive heist short Blu-ray bonus feature. Clearly they were setting her up as a proto-Quake for Agents of SHIELD but she must have taken Masters of Sex instead. She would have been great but so is Chloe Bennet.
Premiere: Sep 25, 2012
Thor: The Dark World
A troubled production. Wonder Woman director Jenkins was fired, leaving a disgruntled Portman to phone it in à la the StarWars Prequels. Underserved villains. Playful action. Hemsworth has grown into the role. Great character designs but Kurse is ugly.
Premiere: Oct 30, 2013
Iron Man Three
The only time the trailers improved the film. Shane Black does his own thing in this homage to '80s & '90s blockbusters with references to everything from #Robocop to #HomeAlone. Best humor of the trilogy and a fitting commentary on corporate American politics.
Premiere: Apr 24, 2013
Marvel One-Shot: All Hail the King
Feige blesses the true cinema connoisseurs with more of thespian Ben Kingsley's Trevor Slattery. For the rest of you they reveal that the real Mandarin is still out there. He'll be played by Tony Leung Chiu-wai in this year's ShangChi.
Premiere: Feb 4, 2014
Captain America: The Winter Soldier
The Russo Bros deliver one of the best comic films in this gritty spy thriller. Winter Soldier is a relentless threat, like Michael Myers with guns. My favorite portrayal of Black Widow. Brutal action & one of the best twists in the MCU.
Premiere: Mar 26, 2014
Guardians of the Galaxy
As the rare individual who collected DnA's Guardians run & James Gunn's Slither & Super DVDs, this film was made for me. Great action, cinematography, humor, music, vision & a lot of heart. Took my cosmic corner of Marvel & shared it with the world.
Premiere: Jul 31, 2014
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2
The first was about misfits giving a $#!% to become a family. The sequel strains those bonds against toxic masculinity & focuses on the roll of fathers. Gunn's vision is unleashed & it's all turned up to 11, including the characters obnoxiousness.
Premiere: Apr 25, 2017
Avengers: Age of Ultron
Overstuffed & convoluted, yet surprisingly experimental for a sequel to a massive blockbuster. James Spader is perfectly cast as the unhinged counter to RDJ's quirky wit, but Ultron is kept on the run, overpowered & unable to reach his potential.
Premiere: Apr 23, 2015
Ant-Man
Peyton Reed salvages the troubled production originally to release in Phase 1 & crafts a lighthearted palette cleanser to top off Phase 2. Rudd is a great choice as the lovable loser in this family friendly heist film that fits big world building into a tiny package.
Premiere: Jul 14, 2015
Captain America: Civil War
The Russos close out Marvel's best trilogy by dividing the Avengers by ideology, paying off on years of character development. A disagreement among friends becomes a brutal battle to the death. The point the films caught up to the comics in scope.
Premiere: Apr 27, 2016
Black Panther
A beautiful & daring film using the worlds largest stage to shine a light on complex racial & geopolitical issues through an awe-inspiring take on Afro-futurism. An all-star cast, iconic score & vibrant cinematography. Unapologetic & hopeful. G.O.A.T. contender.
Premiere: Feb 13, 2018
Spider-Man: Homecoming
Confident enough to stay street level, scaling back the stakes to blue-collar crime. The authentic cast nails the John Hughes high school tone. Tom Holland is the best fit yet for the role & Keaton grounds the Vulture as the working class pushing back.
Premiere: Jul 5, 2017
Doctor Strange
Scott Derrickson opens the viewers 3rd eye to present a clear unrestrained vision for the Dr. Stange comic's blend of eastern spirituality & new age psychedelic esotericism. The rare film that demands to be seen in 3D. My only issue is with China's censorship.
Premiere: Oct 26, 2016
Thor: Ragnarok
Oscar winner Taika Waititi energizes the property with a Kirby Crackle, lifting it to new heights & forging a comic book movie masterpiece that effortlessly nails the quirky humor while lifting the surprisingly weighty themes. Hemsworth fully proves his worth.
Premiere: Oct 24, 2017
Avengers: Infinity War
Ties 18 films worth of plot threads & characters into an unprecedented epic space opera while managing to respect & elevate the comics. The stakes have never been higher as Thanos' presence towers over our beloved heroes like the spectre of death.
Premiere: Apr 25, 2018
Ant-Man & The Wasp
Some of the fun is lost under the strain of expansion. Revels in the chaos of the chase but gets lost in a convoluted plot. The Quantum Realm is fascinating & seemingly has a New Age spin with hints of parapsychology. Ghost is totally lost in translation.
Premiere: Jul 4, 2018
Captain Marvel
Focuses a messy comics history into a strong origin story. Larson brings enough confidence to match Iron Man or Thor. Wastes Mar-Vell. Jackson's de-aged Nick Fury & Mendlesohn's Talos are scene stealers, but a couple gags get a little loose with the 4th wall.
Premiere: Mar 6, 2019
Avengers: Endgame
Masterfully uses the concept of time to build an emotional epic mosaic out of incredible character moments. Delivers the most satisfying conclusions to beloved character arcs 22 films & over 10 years in the making. The ultimate cathartic finale.
Premiere: Apr 24, 2019
Spider-Man: Far From Home
The dessert after the 7 course meal that is Endgame. The situational teen comedy organically mines the hilarious ramifications of "the blip". The Mysterio concept is the perfect fit. Tom Holland & Zendaya's awkward romance is endearingly authentic.
Premiere: Jun 26, 2019
