It’s a turbulent time for her Marvel Cinematic Universe. From “Avengers: Endgame,” Marvel has released a string of underwhelming movies and TV shows, prompting questions about whether Hollywood’s biggest franchise is on its deathbed. Does “The Marvels” continue that troubling trend? This personal—but valid— ranking contrasts with the new movie Other recent Marvel movies:
11. “Eternals”
Chloé Zhao’s “Eternal ones“ it’s a sprawling, overstuffed superhero epic that gets bogged down in mythology and exposition while not fleshing out all the characters equally well. It’s also not the visual feast fans have come to expect from the “Nomadland” director, and Zhao doesn’t get much of the running time.
10. “Thor: Love and Thunder”
Taika Waititi goes full Taika Waititi on “Thor: Love and Thunder,” a step down from “Ragnarok’s” surrender to silly comedy. It’s too much at some point. The (in)tonal contrast between childish humor and a story about Jane Foster suffering from cancer is jarring, to say the least.
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9. “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania”
The appeal of the previous “Ant-Man” films was their lower stakes and scenes of Scott Lang growing and shrinking in recognizable environments. Trying to be a high-stakes epic set in a tiny world, “Quantum mania“ misses both ties, but at least the comedy lands more firmly than in “Love and Thunder.”
8. “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness”
It’s admirable that Marvel allowed Sam Raimi to put his stamp on it.”Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness,“which is at its best when you lean into horror. But more in tune with “WandaVision“ team was needed, as the film betrays Wanda by dropping her arc from the show. Her transition from sympathetic protagonist to evil villain is very abrupt.
7. “The Marvels”
“The Marvels” is the shortest film in the MCU, and it feels like it. The plot is rushed, the villain is underdeveloped, and Carol Danvers doesn’t have a strong arc that she badly needed after having amnesia for much of it.”Captain MarvelIt would be wise to spend more time digging into her state of mind, given that decades of the character’s life have been skipped over. But the conceit of the heroes swapping parts makes for some inventive and lively action, and Larson, Teyonah Parris and Iman Vellani have so much fun together that the film is a cool, if messy, good time. Vellani is the MVP as a wide-eyed Ms. Marvel, proving that her hiring was the best Marvel casting decision since Robert Downey Jr.
6. “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever”
“Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” is a touching tribute to Chadwick Boseman who turns out to be much better than expected given the tragic circumstances. Its success is largely due to the performances of Dominique Thorne and Tenoch Huerta. à la “Iron Man 2.”
5. “Black Widow”
The biggest problem with “Black Widow“is that it came out five years too late. Natasha Romanoff’s solo film was due around 2016, when the character was still alive. That aside, this is a propulsive spy thriller with solid action and the sisterly dynamic between Scarlett Johansson and his Florence Pugh is the star of the show.
4. “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings”
If all the “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings” was like its opening 45-minute spectacular, it might be one of the MCU’s best films. As it is, it’s still a strong origin story with Marvel’s most well-choreographed fight sequences and, refreshingly, you can only enjoy it of .
3. ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’
Yes, “Spider-Man: No Way Home“ is the ultimate example of fan service. But the fanservice was well done. The film finds a clever way to bring Andrew Garfield and Tobey Maguire into the story to support Tom Holland’s Peter Parker arc, not just make the audience cheer.
2. ‘Spider-Man: Far From Home’
“Spider-Man: Far From Home” is an underrated Spidey entry that tackles the events of “Endgame” but also Spider-Man’s fundamental conflict as Peter’s personal life is repeatedly derailed by his duty to protect others. The film benefits from a more focused story from No Way Home, and Jake Gyllenhaal’s Mysterio is the most compelling villain in the Tom Holland trilogy.
1. “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3′
James Gunn hits all the right notes in “Guardians of the Galaxy“ finale, an emotional send-off that’s as weird yet heartfelt as we’d like from the director’s Marvel swansong. Only he could make an audience cry as a CGI raccoon hugs a CGI otter, and the film handles Gamora’s death in a mature, touching way. The Guardians will definitely be back. If they don’t, Gunn gave this series the cathartic ending it deserved.
