From IRON MAN To AVENGERS: ENDGAME - Every Movie In The Infinity Saga Ranked From Worst To Best

With Avengers: Endgame now in theaters, The Infinity Saga is officially at an end and we're now ranking all 22 Marvel Studios movies from worst to best. Will you agree? Hit the jump to find out...

By JoshWilding - May 01, 2019 02:05 AM EST

Filed Under: Avengers: Endgame

Avengers: Endgame wraps up what has become known as "The Infinity Saga," a journey which started way back in 2008 with Iron Man. Since then, the Marvel Cinematic Universe has changed massively and none of us could have ever imagined that we'd eventually see something like the Russo Brothers delivered this past weekend.

But where exactly does that epic superhero ensemble fit into the overall ranking of the MCU? For that matter, which movie is their worst and which one stands out as being by far the best?

What you'll find here is a look at the pros and cons of each and every Marvel Studios movie as we rank them from worst to best. In fairness, the studio hasn't been responsible for making any truly terrible films but some are still a lot better than others, and we're sure you'll find this breakdown particularly interesting. After all, everyone has their favourites and you can see where yours land here.

So, to check out this list, all you guys have to do is click on the "View List" button down below.

22. The Incredible Hulk (2008)

Pros: The Hulk Vs. The Abomination, "Hulk Smash!", Iron Man's Cameo

Cons: Sex Makes Bruce Banner Transform Into The Hulk, The Abomination's Story Arc, The Leader

Final Verdict: The Incredible Hulk definitely redeemed the Jade Giant following Ang Lee's disappointing Hulk movie and finally delivered the sort of intense action scenes fans had been hoping for. However, it also made a lot of mistakes and wasted some important characters from the comics.

21. Iron Man 2 (2010)

Pros: Iron Man's "Shoot To Thrill" Arrival, War Machine Joins The MCU, Sam Rockwell's Justin Hammer

Cons: Too Much Time Spent Setting Up The Avengers, Iron Man's Pointless Disease, Watered Down "Demon In A Bottle"

Final Verdict: Iron Man 2 had its moments, but it was a total mess which spent way too much time on setting up the events of The Avengers. On the plus side, we got to spend more time with Nick Fury and met Black Widow but that wasn't enough to distract from too much world building and a weak villain.

20. Thor: The Dark World (2013)

Pros: Loki's Redemption, Frigga's Funeral Scene, Awesome Cliffhanger Ending

Cons: Malekith's Forgettable Plan, Natalie Portman Phones It In, Too Much Time On Earth

Final Verdict: Marvel promised that Thor: The Dark World would be the epic adventure that the previous instalment wasn't, but too much time on Midgard stopped that from being the case and Malekith definitely overshadows all the things that this sequel ended up doing right.

19. Thor (2011)

Pros: The Destroyer, Thor's Arrival On Earth, Thor Vs. Loki

Cons: Everything Related To Darcy, A Waste Of The Warriors Three, Thor And Jane's Romance

Final Verdict: This was a solid introduction to the God of Thunder and there's no denying that the final act was downright awesome, as Thor was finally deemed worthy and took the fight to Loki and The Destroyer. However, this wasn't anywhere near as epic as it probably should have been.

18. Ant-Man (2015)

Pros: Raid On New Avengers Facility, Shrinking Scenes, Quantum Realm Visit

Cons: Darren Cross' Disappointing Yellowjacket, Annoying Supporting Characters, Old Man Pym

Final Verdict: Ant-Man was a lot of fun, but it's hard to escape the feeling that the Edgar Wright version would have been so much better. While Hank Pym not being a founding Avenger was a let down, Scott Lang was a great character to spend time with and Marvel did a solid job of setting the stage for a new Wasp.

17. Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)

Pros: Peggy Carter Romance, Steve's Arrival In The Present, Skinny Steve CGI

Cons: The Red Skull's Demise, Not Enough Screentime For Bucky, Generic HYDRA Goons

Final Verdict: Marvel shied away from mentioning Nazis, so Captain America: The First Avenger often bordered on being a generic sci-fi movie as opposed to a World War II epic. Despite that, it was an enjoyable period adventure, but it's still hard to forgive Marvel for ultimately wasting the Red Skull!

16. Ant-Man And The Wasp (2018)

Pros: The Wasp Steals The Show, Fun Family Dynamic, Memorable Mid-Credits Scene

Cons: Not Quite Inventive Enough, Simplistic Story, Disappointing After-Credits Scene

Final Verdict: Ant-Man And The Wasp is a lot of fun and definitely an improvement over the first instalment. However, director Peyton Reed too often plays it safe and while there's a lot of good stuff here, it's not quite enough to put it alongside Marvel's best. Still, Ant-Man 3 remains a must.

15. Iron Man 3 (2013)

Pros: The Mandarin Reveal Featuring Trevor (Seriously), Quirky New Tone, All Those Armours In Action

Cons: The Other Mandarin Reveal, Too Much Time With Harley, Waste Of Extremis

Final Verdict: Iron Man 3 is a divisive movie which fans either seem to love or hate. Yes, The Mandarin reveal with Trevor was bizarre but it worked for the tone that Shane Black was going for, and this definitely stands out as the best Iron Man sequel even if it made a handful of blunders.

14. Doctor Strange (2016)

Pros: Insane Visuals, Time Moves Backwards In Epic Final Fight, Doctor Strange Meets The God Of Thunder

Cons: It Was Basically Iron Man All Over Again, Rachel McAdams Was Wasted, Villains Could Have Been Better

Final Verdict: Just like Guardians of the Galaxy introduced cosmic adventures to the MCU, Doctor Strange gave us magic. A movie full of breathtaking visuals, this origin story for the Sorcerer Supreme set the stage for the hero to become the new face of the MCU as we barrel towards Marvel's Phase 4.

13. Captain Marvel (2019)

Pros: Brie Larson's Performance, A New Take On Nick Fury, Goose Steals The Show

Cons: Not Enough Surprises, Heroic Skrulls, Straightforward Origin Story

Final Verdict: As an introduction to Carol Danvers, Captain Marvel definitely works, but it wasn't really as groundbreaking as we expected and the origin story side of things was a tad uninspired despite an unorthodox take on it. However, there was a lot here to love, including some great action scenes, stellar performances, and punch the air moments celebrating this badass, female HERo.

12. Avengers: Age Of Ultron (2015)

Pros: James Spader's Ultron, The Introduction Of Quicksilver And The Scarlet Witch, Hulk Vs. Hulkbuster

Cons: Quicksilver's Comes And Goes, Iron Man Creates Ultron, Thor's Weird Vision

Final Verdict: A movie packed full of memorable moments which we'll all still be talking about years from now, Avengers: Age of Ultron was a spectacle which probably should have found a way to keep the villain around for a little longer, but still delivered and fired on almost every cylinder.

11. Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)

Pros: Aunt May Learns Peter's Secret, The Homemade Costume, High School Setting

Cons: Too Much Technology In Spider-Man's Suit, "My Friends Call Me MJ," Scorpion's Introduction

Final Verdict: Grounding Spider-Man in Queens and keeping him out of Manhattan was definitely disappointing, but the reboot did a great job of introducing a new take on Peter Parker. All that technology in his suit was a tad much, but it was needed to provide a fresh take on the iconic hero.

10. Guardians Of The Galaxy (2014)

Pros: An Epic Introduction To The Cosmic MCU, The Soundtrack, "We Are Groot"

Cons: No Sign Of Nova In The Nova Corps, Another Forgettable Villain, Drax Gets His Butt Kicked By Ronan

Final Verdict: James Gunn did an incredible job of taking us into the cosmic side of the MCU for the first time and getting to hang out with Star-Lord and company was a lot of fun. It's just a shame that Ronan the Accuser ended up being another one of those typical Marvel villains who died after failing.

9. The Avengers (2012)

Pros: Thanos' Cameo, Avengers Assemble, Hulk Vs. Loki

Cons: Too Much Build Up, The Chitauri All Fall Down, Captain America Isn't Really A Man Out Of Time

Final Verdict: Many fans believed that seeing Earth's Mightiest Heroes assemble on the big screen would be impossible, but Joss Whedon pulled it off and introduced a fun new tone to the MCU. The defeat of the Chitauri was a tad convenient, but it's hard to find too many faults with this movie.

8. Iron Man (2008)

Pros: The Avengers Initiative, The Start Of The MCU, Amazing CGI

Cons: Iron Monger's Demise, Irritating Tony Stark/Gwyneth Paltrow Dynamic, Tony Stark's Sudden Change Of Outlook

Final Verdict: Iron Man is where it all started, and everything from seeing the suit in action (which was groundbreaking back in 2008) to Robert Downey Jr.'s performance made this very special indeed. There were some pitfalls but for the most part, Jon Favreau did some truly amazing work here.

7. Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2 (2014)

Pros: Baby Groot, Star-Lord Vs. Ego The Living Planet, Yondu's Heartbreaking Sacrifice

Cons: Ego's Plan Was A Tad Predictable, No Sign Of Thanos

Final Verdict: Expectations were high on James Gunn to deliver the goods with this sequel and he definitely didn't disappoint. Baby Groot was a hoot to spend time with, but all of the characters were given the chance to shine and the emotional moments were surrounded by one hell of a soundtrack.

6. Thor: Ragnarok (2017)

Pros: It Saved The Thor Franchise, Thor Vs. The Hulk, Amazing Visuals And Action

Cons: The Fall Of The Warriors Three, Some Minor Plot Holes

Final Verdict: Thor: Ragnarok is the best reviewed Marvel Studios movie of all-time and it's not hard to see why. It's hilarious but doesn't hold back on epic action, and you'll be desperate to see Taika Waititi return to the MCU by the time the credits roll. Stylish and brilliant. Prepare to fall in love with Korg!

5. Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)

Pros: Steve Rogers Reunites With Bucky, The Russos Deliver Epic Action, Meet The Falcon

Cons: S.H.I.E.L.D. Falls Too Soon In The MCU's History, No Red Skull Reveal

Final Verdict: No one expected too much from the Russo Brothers, but they delivered in spades here and gave the Captain America franchise the kick up the butt it arguably needed. The story revolving around Steve Rogers and Bucky was extraordinary and the fight scenes were on par with The Raid.

4. Captain America: Civil War (2016)

Pros: Avengers Vs. Avengers, Spider-Man And Black Panther Join The MCU, Captain America, No More

Cons: Not Quite Close Enough To The Comic Books, Missing Characters

Final Verdict: Seeing Earth's Mightiest Heroes go to war with each other was nothing short of amazing, even if it didn't quite follow the Civil War comic as much as some fans hoped. The Russos proved themselves in a big way and it's no wonder Marvel then got them to helm Avengers: Infinity War.

3. Black Panther (2018)

Pros: A Star-Making Performance From Chadwick Boseman, Inspirational Lead, Effective Villain

Cons: Shaky Cam Action Scenes, Lack Of Set Up For Avengers: Infinity War

Final Verdict: What a movie. Putting Black Panther so high may seem reactionary, but this was arguably Marvel's most important movie to date and it delivered a strong, inspirational message which everyone could relate to. Throw in one of the best Marvel movie villains ever and a strong story, and this one was firing on all cylinders. It's no wonder it receivied so much awards attention - it's just a shame it was robbed!

2. Avengers: Infinity War (2018)

Pros: Higher Stakes Than Any Other Marvel Movie, Josh Brolin As Thanos, A Shocking Ending

Cons: Bruce Banner's Performance Issues, Not Enough Captain America, #WheresHawkeye

Final Verdict: Marvel promised us that Avengers: Infinity War would celebrate the MCU's tenth anniversary in epic fashion and it most certainly did, providing an incredible team-up between Earth's Mightiest Heroes and the Guardians of the Galaxy as they came together to battle Thanos. Full of surprises, amazing action, and stellar performances, this was Marvel's best...until a certain sequel came along!

Avengers: Endgame (2019)

Pros: Professor Hulk, A Satisfying Ending, Epic, Mind-Blowing Action

Cons: Thanos (2014), Time Travel Paradoxes?, No Post-Credits Scenes

Final Verdict: Wow. When it comes to superhero movies, it's hard to imagine anything ever topping this and Marvel's culmination to over a decade's worth of stories simply works in just about every way. The ending is going to sting for a while, but it just felt right and the Russo Brothers delivered countless moments we'll all be talking about for years to come. Surely, it will be Oscar nominated?

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103 Comments

1 2 3

dracula - 5/1/2019, 2:39 AM

Incredible Hulk is not the worst

DoubleD - 5/1/2019, 4:47 AM

@dracula - I agree with that. Just to soon after the Hulk movie

Radders - 5/1/2019, 2:54 AM

Disagree mainly with the list because this is the order of the ones I enjoyed the most and constantly return to in descending order.

Avengers
Infinity War
Age of Ultron
End Game (tricky to put it higher just yet)
Winter Soldier
Guardians of the Galaxy 1
Iron Man
Captain America - The first Avenger
Guardians of the Galaxy 2
Iron Man 3
Civil War
Thor
Spiderman Homecoming
Thor Ragnarok
Iron Man 2
Captain Marvel
Black Panther
Ant Man & Wasp
Ant Man
Doctor Strange
Thor Dark World
Hulk

RealJackBurton - 5/1/2019, 5:11 AM

@Radders - that’s probably not a million miles from how I would order them. I don’t get why Black Panther scores so high, Time magazine staff had it top of their list but for me it doesn’t even make top 10. Anyway, each to their own. I wouldn’t say there is a bad film in the whole MCU, just some are weaker than others.

Radders - 5/1/2019, 7:08 AM

@RealJackBurton - I never really understood the love for BP, Its just OK for me but as you say - each to their own. And yes I agree I cant point to any MCU films any that I would say are actually bad.

WakandanQueen - 5/1/2019, 2:58 AM

Ant-Man (2015)
Cons: Annoying Supporting Characters

Captain Marvel (2019)
Cons: Heroic Skrulls

The Avengers (2012)
Cons: Too Much Build Up

Hawknaba - 5/1/2019, 3:06 AM

@LordCipher - There are so many better reasons to not like AoU

WakandanQueen - 5/1/2019, 3:07 AM

@LordCipher - I got you one better.
"Tony Stark's Sudden Change Of Outlook" in Iron Man.

WakandanQueen - 5/1/2019, 3:12 AM

@LordCipher -

Try to watch these scenes after Endgame tho

cerrone6 - 5/1/2019, 3:36 AM

@Hawknaba - hey hey hey hey hey I always thought that it said Iron Man and the Avengers jumpstart a dormant program I don't think it says create

Mclane - 5/1/2019, 3:06 AM

Pointless article, its his choices based on his perceptions and general feeling. What I like will likely be different and to be honest its just another crappy article grasping at every bit of the Endgame carcass.

Vandalore - 5/1/2019, 4:35 AM

@Mclane - yup. And we all clicked and commented on it. We do this to ourselves.

Rauloo7 - 5/1/2019, 3:40 AM

I'm SO SORRY. I'm not saying Thor: The Dark World is a better movie than Avengers: Infinity War. No way in hell. (I do think T:TDW is waaaay underrated. It's a fun, action-packed, entertaining movie. Better than the waaaaay overrated Black Panther. It was not bad... but COME ON. THAT WAS NOT OSCAR WORTHY. AND IS IN NO WAY ONE OF THE BETTER MARBEL MOVIES.)

With that being said... I justnwant to say something that NO ONE seems to be as honest as they should be.

YES. THANOS is the ULTIMATE BADDY of the MCU so far. And YES. Malekith was NOT one of the better ones.

But you CANNOT SAY that the stakes have never been higher than with Thanos in Infinity War.

Thanos' plan: Wipe out HALF THE UNIVERSE.
Malekith's plan: Wipe out THE ENTIRE UNIVERSE.
(Except the Dark Elves, obviously)

'Nuff said.

cerrone6 - 5/1/2019, 3:40 AM

in all honesty it's hard to rank a lot of these Marvel movies especially after the first Avengers I hold all of them dear to me because it's all one ongoing connecting story

Unites - 5/1/2019, 3:43 AM

I think Infinity War is better than Endgame (story, structure, pacing). Otherwise, I pretty much agree with you, Josh.

GhostDog - 5/1/2019, 3:56 AM

Breaking news: No list that is not your own will ever be right

MotherGooseUPus - 5/1/2019, 4:41 AM

@BlackBeltJones -

GhostDog - 5/1/2019, 5:21 AM

@MotherGooseUPus - Emmy Rossum gif...automatic like

MotherGooseUPus - 5/1/2019, 9:12 AM

@BlackBeltJones - shes a babe

bkmeijer2 - 5/1/2019, 3:59 AM

I disagree with most choices. I know I would put The Incredible Hulk all the way down and The Winter Soldier on top of the list, but everything in between is in constant flux

LaserKing - 5/1/2019, 4:15 AM

Saw Endgame for a third time last night and this movie is a gift to true MCU fans.

1)Endgame
2)IW
3)Winter Soldier

The other movies can switch around for day to day. I know Ironman and First Avenger are so enjoyable to watch now even more so.