Avengers: Endgame has officially been set to release on April 25, and Marvel fans couldn't be more excited. It's a bittersweet day—the movie will finally answer all the questions posed in its predecessor, Avengers: Infinity War, but it will also mark the end of the Marvel Universe's current generation. From 2008 to 2019, we have grown up with these Marvel movies—but some are better than others. If you're looking to binge Marvel films before Endgame comes out, take a look at this ranking of Marvel's best and worst.
21. The Incredible Hulk (2008)
Maybe it's the fact that this movie stars Edward Norton as The Hulk instead of Mark Ruffalo, but there's something about this movie that is remarkably unmemorable. The black sheep of the Marvel Universe, this film is one definitely not worth re–watching.
20. Thor: The Dark World (2013)
The weakest of the Thor series, this movie flopped even with a great performance from Natalie Portman (honestly, when is she ever bad?). The Dark World is less interesting than it's counterparts and isn't Marvel's best.
19. Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015)
Quite possibly the most confusing Marvel movie of the bunch, I still find it hard to accurately remember the plot of this movie, and maybe that's because there wasn't one. Ultron, the movie's villain, is a confusing fusion of Tony Stark's smart computer and and an Infinity Stone, and one of the movie's only redeeming qualities is the badass and misunderstood witch, Wanda Maximoff.
18. Thor (2011)
Thor is a guilty pleasure—I love it, but it's objectively pretty bad. It's a romantic comedy featuring Natalie Portman with a Lord of the Rings backdrop. The CGI is overwhelming, even by Marvel's standards, and takes away from a Nordic origin story that had so much potential.
17. Iron Man 2 (2010)
This may be a bit controversial, as Iron Man has the hearts of many a Marvel fan, but this movie is such a let down after the success of its predecessor. A misunderstood Russian hacker serves as the movie's villain, but the real villain here was definitely Sam Rockwell's extremely punchable salesman, Justin Hammer, the cowardly mastermind behind the hacker.
16. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017)
A disappointing sequel, this movie just tried too hard. Aside from stunning visual effects and Michael Rooker's performance as Yondu, a blue–skinned bandit, and Peter Quill's adopted father, Vol. 2 paled in comparison to its funnier and better–written predecessor.
15. Doctor Strange (2016)
The visuals in this film are stunning and probably the best of all the Marvel productions, which is no small feat. But that's really all it has going for it. Benedict Cumberbatch as Dr. Strange is handsome and intelligent (to a fault), with devilish charm, but his cool character comes at the cost of coherent storytelling. Is it too much to ask for both?
14. Avengers: Infinity War (2018)
While Infinity War does a fine job of handling a wide array of characters and story lines, it still isn't quite right. It also feels like the only reason it exists is as a prelude to Endgame. It's not a very good stand–alone film, but it is a pretty decent cog in the bigger Marvel machine.
13. Ant–Man (2015)
Ant–Man is a lovable and feel–good representation of Marvel's recent tendency to rely on quirky characters and cheesy jokes. However, the film feels smaller than than other Marvel movies (no pun intended), which is largely due to a rushed plot.
12. Ant Man and The Wasp (2018)
This sequel amps up all the good things about its predecessor, particularly with great character development in Paul Rudd as Scott Lang and a heavy focus on human relationships, rather than sci–fi conflict.
11. Iron Man 3 (2013)
The most memorable part of the film is Robert Downey Jr.'s compelling portrayal of a Tony Stark struggling with PTSD and his unlikely father–son relationship with eight year–old Harley Keener. That being said, these moving scenes had nothing to do with Iron Man or the villain, the Mandarin.
10. Captain America: Winter Soldier (2014)
Winter Soldier offers the same darkness and politically–charged tones present in the first Iron Man, which gave it a level of complexity and grittiness that was absent in Captain America's first solo film, The First Avenger.
9. Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)
The 1940s settings and costumes, love–to–hate Nazi villains, and tear–jerking ending totally make up for the creepy CGI recreation of a puny Chris Evans as Private Steve Rogers.
8. Captain Marvel (2019)
A promising prototype, this groundbreaking film features a unique character and story that falls a bit flat due to the intense hype and expectation set for it. Despite an enjoyable couple of hours filled with girl–power, both Brie Larson and Marvel fans deserved just a little bit better.
7. Captain America: Civil War (2016)
While this film feels a bit more like an Avengers installment, Civil War is the ultimate showdown—filled to the brim with action, conflict, and depth—as any good superhero movie should be.
6. Spiderman: Homecoming (2017)
Rest in peace, Andrew Garfield and Toby Maguire. Tom Holland puts them both to shame as he's both cuter and actually fits the age/personality of Spiderman as he is written in the comics. A new spin on a classic, this movie feels like a unique coming of age movie. It's sweet, youthful, and a good move on Marvel's part.
5. Black Panther (2018)
A feat in the Marvel Universe, Black Panther gave us a brilliant look into the world of Wakanda and King T'Challa. Aside from its cultural significance, this movie also offers a complicated and sophisticated conflict between its two main characters, that goes beyond just "good" and "bad." It's a good example of how Marvel is able to take on more than just Infinity Stones and evil aliens.
4. Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)
This movie managed to introduce a whole new set of stars and story lines into the mix without missing a beat. Chris Pratt's performance as the universe's coolest space cowboy was refreshing, and his awesome taste in music made the superhero movie a toe–tapper.
3. Iron Man (2008)
The movie that started it all—Iron Man is the first and one of the finest films Marvel has produced in its 11 year–long run. This movie was modern and fresh, combining technology and politics to create a truly self–made superhero. His playboy persona and sassy attitude make the film that much more fun and exciting.
2. Thor: Ragnarok (2017)
Thor movies are either a hit or a miss. In the final Thor installment, we see an abandonment of the serious and brooding tone of the previous films and the adoption of a fun and comedic tone reminiscent of the Ant–Man series. Ragnarok changed the game with amazing visuals, a killer soundtrack, and the inclusion of stars like Tessa Thompson and Jeff Goldblum.
1. The Avengers (2012)
There is nothing like the original Avengers origin story—nothing can top it. It seems like an impossible task—to bring so many different heroes and villains together in one coherent and awesome movie—but The Avengers does just that. If the scene with the original Avengers assembled together to fight intergalactic aliens—set to their iconic theme song—doesn't give you chills, I don't know what will.
