For those of you who don’t know, I am definitely a huge superhero nerd. I have been obsessed with superheroes and everything about them since I was a little kid. I love Marvel movies and shows, and I have watched all of these movies enough times that I could probably recite them word for word. Because of this, I decided to rank every Marvel movie and show and explain my reasoning for my rankings. Enjoy!

*MAJOR SPOILERS AHEAD*

31. The Incredible Hulk

• The Incredible Hulk, by itself, is actually not a bad movie. I have this ranked last because, in the grand scheme of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, this movie doesn’t fit and doesn’t impact the timeline. The actor that plays the Hulk was recast after this movie, so this movie sort of stands alone in a franchise where everything should be connected. 

30. Thor

• The first Thor movie is rated nearly last because I dislike the villainous portrayal of Loki, and I really didn’t like Thor himself in this movie. Thor is arrogant and annoying, and he thinks he is better than everyone else. I do like the introductions of Hawkeye and the Warriors Three, but overall I don’t like Thor’s attitude or actions in this movie. 

29. Thor: The Dark World

• I enjoy this Thor movie because Loki is one of my favorite Marvel characters, and he was painted in a much more flattering light in this movie than in the past. Loki could be considered a hero in this movie, when he had only been considered a villain up to this point. However, I have this movie ranked so low because I really dislike Jane Foster, a main character in this movie, and I really dislike the Dark Elves, the villains of this movie. 

28. Eternals

• I didn’t really like this movie for several reasons. There were so many characters that the majority of the movie was dedicated to introducing those characters, leaving little time for the actual conflict. The main thing that I dislike, however, was that the characters were portrayed so powerfully that it makes it clear that they could have prevented any other Marvel conflict, especially Thanos. The Eternals are supposed to be god-like beings, so the fact that they didn’t help the Avengers or any other heroes at any time made me really dislike the characters. 

27. Black Panther

• I didn’t love this movie because I didn’t like the Killmonger villain storyline. I didn’t like that his goal was to topple the governments of the world because he had a sad childhood.  Even though he witnessed his father’s murder as a child, he shouldn’t be excused or forgiven for his bad actions, which I feel he was. 

26. Captain Marvel

• I don’t love this movie because I felt that the focus of the movie was on Carol being a woman. While the movie was out, it was marketed as the first marvel film with a female lead, and it was being advertised so heavily as a movie for women that made it seem like women had never been represented before in a superhero movie. I felt that this movie focused so much on Carol being a female superhero that it made people forget about other female heroes like Black Widow, Scarlet Witch, Gamora, Wasp, Mantis, Shuri, Valkyrie, and many others that had been around for years. 

25. Iron Man 2

• The second movie in the Iron Man trilogy is ranked this low because I didn’t like the villains in this movie, Justin Hammer and Ivan Vanko. Ivan Vanko’s storyline involved trying to kill Tony Stark because Tony’s father wronged his father, and I just didn’t like this choice of villain. I didn’t like Justin Hammer either, as his entire goal is to beat Tony Stark in the weapons business, and he’s basically just an evil rich businessman. I don’t find these villains interesting, so it made me like the entire movie as a whole way less. 

24. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2

• Though this is still a really good movie, in the context of the rest of the MCU, I would say that it’s one of the less incredible movies. I don’t love the storyline with Peter Quill’s father being an actual planet that wants to devour the universe, and I feel that the original Guardians of the Galaxy was much better. 

23. Iron Man

• This movie and the introduction of Iron Man sparked a decades long journey to the Avengers’ last stand in Endgame. This movie kicked off the MCU, and I think it’s an amazing first movie of the franchise. I like watching this movie because it brings feelings of nostalgia, and I love seeing how far the universe has come since Tony Stark’s first adventure. 

22. Captain America: The First Avenger

• The first Captain America movie, though my least favorite of the Captain America trilogy, is still a really good movie. I love Bucky Barnes, and watching his and Steve Rogers’ story unfold during World War II is something that I really enjoy. Steve’s origin story and his fight against Hydra is a storyline that I really like, and I also enjoy how this movie kicked off his time with the Avengers. 

21. The Avengers

• The Avengers is the Marvel movie that I would watch if I wanted to reminisce, because this movie holds such a sentimental value to me. I remember checking out of school on a Friday in 1st grade so my mom, my dad, and I could go see this movie in theaters, and this movie makes me feel happy because I love the team when it’s comprised of Hawkeye, Black Widow, Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, and the Hulk. One thing that I did dislike, however, is that they made Loki the villain yet again, which is why I ranked this movie as low as I did. 

20. Avengers: Infinity War

• I have this movie ranked so low because I feel that there were so many characters that were meeting each other and getting to know each other that it didn’t have the time to focus on some of my favorite characters. I feel like characters such as Captain America, Bucky Barnes, Falcon, and Black Widow were overlooked and weren’t given any time to shine like other characters. As this was an Avengers movie, I feel like all of the Avengers should have been focused on, and not just a choice few.  

19. Ant-Man

• This movie definitely surprised a lot of people with its humor and interesting action scenes. Though many people don’t give this movie much credit, I really like it because Scott Lang is an incredibly lovable character that is just a really nice person. I love the team up between Scott, Hank Pym, and Hope Van Dyne, and this movie introduces hilarious characters like Luis, Dave, and Kurt that are so chaotic that I wish they would have more screen time. 

18. Dr. Strange

• This movie really surprised me, because I definitely didn’t expect it to be as good as it was. I ranked this movie near the middle of the pack because I don’t really like Dr. Strange as a person, but the movie as a whole was really great. One of my favorite parts is that there isn’t an epic fight scene at the end of the movie, but rather Dr. Strange annoys Dormammu into letting him win. 

17. Guardians of the Galaxy

• This movie brings humor and fun in a way that many MCU movies do not. I love this movie because I know that when I watch it, I’ll be laughing and truly enjoying what I’m watching. 

16. Avengers: Age of Ultron

• If you didn’t know, lots of Marvel fans really dislike this movie. I, however, love this movie. It introduces amazing characters that I really love, like Vision, Wanda Maximoff, and Pietro Maximoff. I love the relationship between the twins in this movie, and Hawkeye’s family is also introduced, which I really enjoy because it helps you see the normal side of the Avengers. 

15. Spider-Man: Homecoming

• This was a great start to the MCU’s version of Spider-Man for many reasons. It portrayed Peter Parker as this young nerdy kid, and I feel like this was the first Spider-Man movie in which the actor chosen was both an amazing Peter Parker and an amazing Spider-Man. I really enjoy Tony Stark’s part in the movie, and I really like how this movie featured high school kids, because it made everything feel more down to earth and relatable. 

14. Thor: Ragnarok

• This is by far the best Thor movie for many reasons. First, though Loki fluctuated between hero and villain over the course of the movie, he ends as a hero, which I really like. I also enjoy the addition of the Hulk, and I love how hilarious this movie is. I really love that this movie made Thor funny, and I feel like this movie gave him a lovable personality that he lacked in his other movies. This movie did a great job making me truly see Thor for the first time, and it made me want to be interested in his storyline. 

13. Iron Man 3

• Though many disagree with how high I ranked this movie, I really love Iron Man 3. I love the storyline with Tony Stark meeting a young kid in the middle of nowhere who helps him save the day, and I think the final battle scene of this movie is spectacular to watch.  

12. Spider-Man: Far From Home

• The second Spider-Man movie was really an amazing sequel, and I love that it continues to show Peter Parker’s high school experience. This movie, I think, is even funnier and more enjoyable than the first one, and I really like the conflict and storyline involving Mysterio. I thought that the traveling throughout Europe was really fun, and I also love that the movie didn’t skip over Iron Man’s death and how it affected the characters. 

11. Loki

• The Loki series was really surprising, as I definitely didn’t expect it to go in the direction it did. I love the character Loki, so I really enjoy watching him grow as a person and find friends while trying to be the good guy instead of the bad guy. I feel like Loki has a bad rep for always being the villain, and I ranked this show so high because I really like that it gave him the chance to be the hero. 

10. Black Widow

• This movie pleasantly surprised me, as I did not expect it to be one of my favorites. The exploration of Black Widow’s past and family was a really smart story choice, and I really enjoy the introduction of characters like Yelena, Melina, and Alexei. I love that we were finally given an in-depth background for Natasha Romanoff, and I definitely think that the wait for a Black Widow movie was well worth it. 

9. Ant-Man and the Wasp

• Though I’ve heard a lot of negativity about this movie, I really enjoy watching Ant-Man and the Wasp, and I definitely think that this sequel is better than the original. Ant-Man is hilarious, and characters like Luis, Dave, and Kurt made this movie very comical. I love that Hope finally became the Wasp, and I really love Scott and Hope’s superhero dynamic. 

8. Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings

• This movie is so high on my list because it was so unlike any other Marvel movie to date, and it introduced a completely new aspect to the universe. There were a lot more mythical details introduced than any other Marvel movie, and it was really crazy to watch this movie and realize that the MCU now had dragons and demons. It was so completely different, and I really enjoy the direction that this movie went in. 

7. The Falcon and the Winter Soldier

• I love this show because it heavily featured Bucky Barnes, my favorite Marvel character. I like that this show focused on Sam and Bucky’s reluctant alliance, and I really enjoy watching their relationship grow and change until they became friends. I also love the inclusion of Zemo, who was introduced in Captain America: Civil War, and his character was an incredibly funny addition to this already amazing show.  

6. Hawkeye

• This show made me so happy because I have been a huge fan of Hawkeye since before The Avengers movie even came out. Hawkeye was my favorite Avenger for almost half of my life, and I love that he was finally given his own show so others would see how amazing he is. I love that this show brought in other awesome characters like Kate Bishop and Yelena Belova, and I really like that this show finally brought in Clint Barton’s deafness. 

5. Wandavision

• I think Wandavision is one of the best installments in the MCU because it is so unique and different from any other Marvel project, and it is such a clever show. Witnessing each episode switch to a different decade was a truly special experience, and the storyline with Vision and Wanda’s relationship is so intriguing. I also love Wanda Maximoff, and the fact that this show focused on her journey after Endgame was something that I really like. 

4. Avengers: Endgame

• Though many disagree with how high I ranked this movie, Endgame is near the top of my list because it feels like the culmination of everything that the MCU was working towards. Every character had their moment to shine, and I love the time-travel aspect, especially how they visited the times of other Marvel movies. The ending battle was spectacular, and it was truly amazing seeing every Marvel hero uniting to fight one epic battle.

3. Spider-Man: No Way Home

• The newest Spider-Man movie made it into my top 3 less than four months ago because of the return of iconic villains like Doc Ock and the Green Goblin, as well as the breathtaking team up between all three Spider-Mans throughout time. This movie united all generations of Marvel fans, and brought back characters and actors that create an incredibly strong sense of nostalgia. 

2. Captain America: Civil War

• This movie remains in my top 3  because of the relationships between the different teams (Team Iron Man and Team Cap) throughout the movie, and the storyline involving regulations for superheroes is so well developed and feels so real that I genuinely get angry listening to the government during this movie and can argue about my opinion on all of the matters discussed.  

1. Captain America: The Winter Soldier

• The second Captain America movie has been my favorite Marvel movie for years because of Bucky Barnes’ storyline, as well as the introduction of Sam Wilson and the inclusion of Black Widow. The conflict of this movie, Hydra infiltrating S.H.I.E.L.D., leaves me on the edge of my seat every time I watch it, and this movie is what I think of when someone mentions the best of Marvel.