The past few years have been interesting for the Marvel Cinematic Universe. After the grand finale of Avengers: Endgame, the architects behind the MCU were faced with the challenge of continuing to grow their media empire, both at the box office and on the streaming platform Disney+.
Marvel Studios has always divided the sections of its vast interconnected story into “phases,” typically with an Avengers film (or two) serving as the capstone. Phases 1-3 told the story of the Infinity Saga, which culminated with the epic battle against Thanos. But with Thanos defeated and major players like Robert Downey Jr (Iron Man) out of the picture, Phase 4 felt different. There was no big team-up of superheroes to mark its end. Instead, each movie and show is tied together by the theme of grief and moving on from the devastating events of the Infinity Saga.
During San Diego Comic-Con, Marvel announced that Phase 4 would culminate with Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. Now that Ryan Coogler’s follow-up to the award-wining Black Panther is out, we’ve seen all there is to see of Phase 4. So let us do the only reasonable thing nerds can do in such times, and rank all 16 movies and shows that make up Marvel’s Phase 4. Starting with the runt of the litter…
17. Eternals
It’s hard to pinpoint what exactly went wrong with Eternals. On paper, it should be a total slam-dunk: it has a stellar ensemble cast that includes Angelina Jolie, Salma Hayek, Kumail Nanjiani, and Game of Thrones veterans Richard Madden and Kit Harington; it was helmed by Oscar-winning director Chloe Zhao; and it promised to dive deep into an unexplored part of MCU lore while also telling a grand tale spread over centuries. Eternals seemed like a sure thing.
Unfortunately, the movie was much less than the sum of its parts. While the actors were excellent, many of them were criminally underutilized, which is perhaps inevitable with a cast this big. Eternals introduced the Celestials and Eternals into the lore, but they’ve hardly been mentioned since. And perhaps most bafflingly of all, the visually gorgeous Eternals was just kind of boring, which is hard to stomach for two hours and 38 minutes.
As of this writing, Eternals is the lowest rated Marvel movie on Rotten Tomatoes and the only one that’s considered “rotten,” which means it has an aggregated score of under 60%. Not even Kevin Feige can win ’em all.
16. Thor: Love and Thunder
Similar to Eternals, Thor: Love and Thunder is a Marvel film that, on paper, had everything going for it but somehow fell short. Featuring the return of Thor: Ragnarok director Taika Waititi as well as Natalie Portman as Jane Foster/the Mighty Thor, the Guardians of the Galaxy, and a fantastic new villain in Christian Bale’s Gorr the God Butcher, Love and Thunder generated a ton of hype in the lead-up to release.
However, the movie was way less than it could have been. Waititi’s comedic flare made Ragnarok the most beloved Thor movie yet, but it feels like he was given too much free rein in Love and Thunder. Korg, the rock alien played by Waititi himself, dominates large stretches of the film to the point where he distracts from the more important MCU characters around him. Jokes that land well the first time we hear them are repeated so often they became groan-worthy. Guardians of the Galaxy had a huge impact on the overall MCU with its carefully curated classic rock soundtrack; Love and Thunder is scored with a Guns ‘n Roses mixtape that feels more like a gimmick than a feature.
Then there’s the ending, where Thor gifts his power to a bunch of captured children to fight off Gorr’s monsters. On premise that scene is fantastic; empowering kids in superhero movies is a wonderful idea and something I think kids of all backgrounds would benefit from seeing more of. But the way Love and Thunder does it raises a lot of continuity questions. Why couldn’t Thor empower the Wakandans to fight Thanos? Other Avengers? There are enough instances where it might have come in handy that it’s strange this ability was never even mentioned before.
That’s not to say there aren’t good things about Love and Thunder, of course. Some of the action scenes are excellent, especially the stylistic sequence in the Shadow Realm. While some actors like the Guardians crew and Tessa Thompson (Valkyrie) feel underutilized, others like Christian Bale, Natalie Portman, and Chris Hemsworth shine.
Thor: Love and Thunder is a fun movie. But it’s also one of the sloppiest films to come out of Marvel Studios since Thanos snapped away half the universe.
15. Moon Knight
There’s a chance you’re probably outraged to see Moon Knight so low on this list. While Moon Knight is a good show, it isn’t as flawlessly executed as many of the other MCU series. Like its titular hero, Moon Knight is inconsistent, vacillating between being incredible and a total mess.
The two things that Moon Knight totally nails are its depiction of Egyptian culture and mythology, and its stellar casting. Oscar Isaac gives hands down one of the most Emmy-worthy performances from any MCU show, shifting through multiple personalities with disarming ease. Ethan Hawke is an unsettling villain, and May Calamawy kills it as Layla El-Faouly / the Scarlet Scarab. The show has a much greater sense of improvisation than you usually see with Marvel productions, from Isaac’s decision to use a British accent for the Steven Grant persona to Arthur Harrow’s glass-crunching shoes. When Moon Knight was good, it was really good.
It’s just a shame that Moon Knight went off the rails so badly during the back half of its season. Starting with its fourth episode, the show starts playing with perception and makes us wonder if what we see is what’s really happening. The downside to this is that some of the beats, like the descent into the tomb in Episode 4, aren’t just surreal but often don’t make sense. Moon Knight was geared toward an older audience, but in its final few episodes felt like it was trying to broaden its appeal to younger MCU fans. The penultimate episode features a journey into Marc Spector’s subconscious, and it’s among the most shockingly difficult scenes in the entire MCU; mere minutes later, the Egyptian goddess Taweret is slinging jokes in a scene that feels specifically designed to help sell toys.
That incongruity made Moon Knight unique, but it also knocks it down a few pegs in the rankings. Competition is stiff in the MCU!
14. The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special
The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special is the latest project to come out of Marvel Studios and the epilogue of Phase 4. At just under an hour, it’s a short holiday romp that is pretty much perfect at being just that. Mantis (Pom Klementieff) and Drax (Dave Bautista) believe that Peter Quill (Chris Pratt) misses the joy of the Christmas he once had on Earth, and take it upon themselves to go on a caper to kidnap Kevin Bacon since Quill’s love of the “legendary hero” is well known amongst the crew. It’s just as ridiculous as it sounds, and it is a total blast.
One of things that’s wonderful about the Guardians holiday special is how it centers characters who more traditionally fill a supporting role, and how well that works for the shortened runtime of a special. Mantis and Drax often deliver comedic relief when they appear on screen in the MCU, and there’s plenty to be had here as well. But since this is their story, it’s also a great excuse to spend an entire half an hour with them running around Los Angeles, taking in the sights and sounds of Earth while they search for Kevin Bacon.
The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special also makes good on some of the longest running gags for its titular intergalactic crew of misfit mercenaries, from Kevin Bacon guest starring as himself, to Rocket finally getting a certain prosthetic limb he’s coveted since Avengers: Infinity War. Since we know that Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 will be the final movie that features this iteration of the team, the holiday special feels like a wonderful way to celebrate them before things get serious.
Marvel’s second special is pretty much a pitch perfect Guardians story. The humor lands as well as ever, it advances our understanding of the characters in a few meaningful ways, and it’s got some great music and punchlines. At the end of the day it ends up lower on the list entirely because it’s much lighter fare than most of the entries in Phase 4.
13. She-Hulk
Marvel’s She-Hulk is one of the most experimental shows that the studio has produced. While the MCU has always had a strong comedic streak, She-Hulk is the first show to outright brand itself as a comedy. It has a longer first season than most other MCU shows at nine episodes, but with each running a lean half-hour to better suit the lighter tone.
The result was an undeniable success. Star Tatiana Maslany (Orphan Black) brings a ton of personality to the character of Jennifer Walters / She-Hulk, which is important for the moments when she breaks the fourth wall to chuckle along with the audience. Those fourth wall breaks don’t always land perfectly, but when they do it’s a lot of fun.
Nowhere was that more evident than in the finale, where Jen literally breaks out of the Disney+ menu, storms Marvel Studios HQ, and demands to speak to K.E.V.I.N., a robot analog for MCU architect Kevin Feige. That ending is the most meta thing Marvel Studios has ever done. Some people didn’t like it. Others loved it. But no matter how you slice it, it was true to She-Hulk as a character, and extremely unique.
She-Hulk also has an amazing range of supporting characters and familiar faces. Mark Ruffalo is on hand as Jen’s cousin Bruce Banner. Tim Roth returns as the Abomination for his first substantial part in the MCU since 2008’s The Incredible Hulk, which also provided more context for his surprise cameo in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. Sorcerer Supreme Wong (Benedict Wong) and party girl Madisynn (Patty Guggenheim) were the power couple we all wanted but didn’t know we needed. Even Charlie Cox’s Daredevil crops up for his formal introduction into the MCU.
She-Hulk was great at what it was, which was a fun, light comedy. It sometimes leaned a little hard on filler material (while winking at the audience to let them know it was filler), and those fourth wall breaks could be awkward at times, but it was a solid final show for Phase 4.
12. Ms. Marvel
What happens when the ultimate Marvel super-fan gets powers and becomes a superhero in her own right? While She-Hulk may have been the most meta Marvel show, Ms. Marvel felt like it was made for the fans. Teenage Kamala Khan is obsessed with the Avengers, gains her own superpowers, and kicks off her show by saving another teen at a comic convention. She’s one of us! And so is star Iman Vellani, who plays Kamala.
Ms. Marvel is a tried-and-true hero origin story, following Kamala as she both tries to uncover her own family’s hidden past as well as trying to defend those in her close-knit neighborhood. The way that Ms. Marvel weaves Pakistani culture into its story, from the family dynamics (easily my favorite part of the show) to the depiction of the Partition of India, is absolutely stellar. This is an all-around solid show that never has a dip in quality or consistency.
If anything, that consistency was Ms. Marvel’s one weaknesses as well as a strength. The show didn’t reinvent the superhero formula or do anything out-of-the-box like many of the other MCU shows on this list. Instead it focused on telling a great superhero origin story.
And you know what? It worked just fine. Ms. Marvel is a great introduction to the character. The villains are pretty forgettable on the whole, but that was never really what the show was about. It was always about Kamala, who’s figuring out how to be a regular teenager and also a superhero.
Plus, we can’t forget that last minute nod to the fact that Kamala is a mutant. Ms. Marvel not only introduced a delightful new hero, but also gave us our first hints at how Marvel would handle the introduction of the X-Men.
11. What If?
The animated series What If? is the first time we truly got a glimpse at just how wild the possibilities of the Multiverse Saga are. What if Hank Pym went on a murderous streak and killed all the Avengers before they ever had a chance to fight Thanos? What if T’Challa were abducted by the Ravagers instead of Peter Quill? What if the MCU’s Earth was hit with a zombie plague, which turned its greatest heroes into shambling superpowered horrors?
What If? asks all these questions and more, then plays them out for us in fascinating (and often gruesome) detail. It may be one of the darkest parts of Phase 4, because a lot of those stories had less-than-happy endings. But the concept behind the thing, and the execution, are never anything less than perfect.
While each episode of What If? tells its own unique tale, the real cherry on top is that the final two episodes bring all those alternate heroes together for an Avengers-style team up to save the multiverse. In one alternate dimension, Ultron defeats the Avengers, going on to gather all the Infinity Stones and becoming the most powerful being in the galaxy. He shatters the walls of the multiverse and attacks the mysterious Watcher, who had been serving as the series’ narrator. In that moment, the Watcher becomes a much more active participant in the story, recruiting Earth’s greatest heroes from across the multiverse to combat the deranged android.
The Guardians of the Multiverse face-off against Ultron is epic in the extreme, and because What If? is an animated series, the battle is able to be as big and flashy as it wants without concern for blowing up the budget.
Throughout Phase 4, we saw live-action versions of a few of the biggest characters from What If…?, like Captain Carter and evil Doctor Strange. The influence of What If? on the larger Marvel Cinematic Universe wasn’t immediately apparent, but at this point it is now an essential watch for anyone who wants to get the full MCU experience.
10. Werewolf By Night
Though every Marvel show or movie is a superhero story in some way or other, the style can vary widely. The first Captain America is a World War II period piece and the second a spy thriller; the Thor movies leaned more into fantasy elements; Iron Man dealt with technological ethics of the kind you’ll often see discussed in science fiction, and so on.
Starring Gael García Bernal as the titular Werewolf/Jack Russell, Werewolf By Night was the first Marvel holiday special as well as an homage to classic Universal monster movies. It was also surprisingly gory for the MCU. When a group of monster hunters gather to decide who among them will be their next leader, we get a fun, bloody romp that has its fair share of twists and turns.
Where Werewolf By Night really excels is its style. That black-and-white classic horror vibe works incredibly well, with blood splatters and excellent use of shadows adding to the sense of self-aware campiness. Werewolf By Night is just a lot of fun, full stop.
It’s also basically a perfect entry into the MCU. I can’t think of a single complaint about Marvel’s Halloween Special; the actors are on point, the vibe is great, and the story is surprisingly unpredictable. The only reason Werewolf By Night isn’t higher on this list is because of how many other, more substantial stories we got in Phase 4.
9. Black Widow
For years, Marvel fans hoped that one day Natasha Romanoff, aka Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson), would get her own film. In Phase 4, that hope was finally realized. However, since Natasha was killed during the climactic events of Avengers: Endgame, it meant that Black Widow was always going to be a little different than the average Marvel movie.
Set during the period between Captain America: Civil War and Avengers: Infinity War, Black Widow shows how Natasha went into hiding after the Sokovia Accords only to be drawn back into action by her estranged family…all of whom happen to be connected to secret Soviet programs. The movie dives deep into the lore behind the Red Room, where Russian operatives like Black Widow were conditioned since childhood to become some of the most dangerous assassins in the world.
The dynamic between Johansson’s Natasha, her sister Yelena (Florence Pugh), and foster parents Melina (Rachel Weisz) and Alexei / the Red Guardian (David Harbour) is fun and endearing in a dysfunctional way. There’s nothing normal about this family, which makes it all the more satisfying when they finally team up to invade the seemingly impenetrable aerial fortress that contains the Red Room. Black Widow has strong characters, a compelling story, and sound design that really makes you feel every blow in its grounded action scenes.
It’s an emotional send-off for Natasha, because even though she’s successful in her mission for this movie, we all knew that she was heading toward her demise in Avengers: Endgame. Natasha Romanoff became the heart of the Avengers team over the course of the Infinity Saga, and Black Widow reminded us why she was worthy of that role and what challenges she had to overcome in order to fill it.
8. Hawkeye
What better way to ring in the holidays than with explosions, car chases, and a showdown in Rockefeller Plaza? Hawkeye was Marvel’s version of Die Hard, a thriller set at Christmastime, complete with twinkling lights and flashy fights. It’s also a sweet found family story, as Clint Barton (Jeremy Renner) becomes the unwilling mentor for Kate Bishop (Hailee Steinfeld).
Black Widow and Hawkeye kind of go together. Just as their titular heroes were partners in superhero-ing, these two pieces of the MCU puzzle really fit together. Hawkeye deals with Clint processing everything that happened during the Infinity Saga, especially the death of his best friend Natasha. At this time in his life, when he’s older and just wants to be left alone with his family, Kate Bishop comes insistently knocking to bring him out of retirement.
Marvel shows and movies always have some kind of ties to other Marvel shows and movies, but in Hawkeye, the references are foundational. Yelena Belova reappears, this time as an antihero dead set on killing Clint after being mislead by Valentina Allegra de Fontaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) into thinking he was responsible for Natasha’s death. The deaf villain Echo (Alaqua Cox) is introduced, which allows the show to do interesting things with sound design. And the biggest character introduced in Hawkeye is the Kingpin (Vincent D’Onofrio), who makes his leap from Netflix’s Daredevil series to the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Hawkeye was a Marvel fan’s Marvel show. If you hadn’t seen a bunch of other movies and shows you’d miss out on the full context of what was happening. But if you had seen things like Netflix’s Daredevil or Black Widow, Hawkeye hit way harder. And all that’s aside from the genuinely compelling back-and-forth between Kate and Clint, Kate and Yelena…basically Kate and anyone, now that I think about it. Kate Bishop is a wonderful addition to the new pantheon of Marvel heroes, and Hawkeye nails her introduction.
And let’s not forget, this was also the show that gave us Rogers: The Musical. We could watch it all day.
7. The Falcon and the Winter Soldier
One of the most bittersweet moments at the end of Avengers: Endgame is the retirement of Steve Rogers. After going back in time to return the Infinity Stones to their rightful place, Steve decides not to time travel back to the present, instead living a full life with his love Peggy Carter. In his final scene of the movie, Steve gives his shield to Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie), passing on the mantle of Captain America.
But the idea of a Black man carrying the Captain America shield is far more complicated than expected. The Falcon and the Winter soldier explores the idea of what the shield — and Captain America — mean to different people. I’ll be honest with you, before the show it was the kind of story I would never have guessed Marvel had the nuance to tell as well as it did. But Sam’s struggle to reckon with his new responsibilities as Cap was well thought out, emotionally intelligent, and never shied away from wrangling with difficult themes. Over the course of the six-episode limited series, Sam has to come to terms with the fact that if he doesn’t pick up the shield, someone far less deserving will. And the result could be catastrophic.
The payoff comes when Sam finally dons his new Captain America suit and puts a stop to the conflict not just with his skills and tech, but his willingness to find the most peaceful path forward. It’s a standout moment of Phase 4.
The buddy cop dynamic between Sam and Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan) is also fantastic, and the introduction of John Walker (Wyatt Russell) is handled extremely well. The scene of him murdering a dissident by literally bashing in their face with the Captain America shield while a crowd of horrified bystanders look on is one of the most arresting moments in Phase 4.
The Falcon and the Winter Soldier both sends off Steve Rogers’ Captain America and welcomes Sam Wilson’s. It was so popular and well done that Marvel quickly decided to put a fourth Captain America movie into production.
6. Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings
Superhero origin stories have long been one of the staples of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Even as the Avengers careened toward their confrontation with Thanos, the MCU still took time to introduce new characters like T’Challa, the Guardians of the Galaxy, and more.
It almost feels strange to say that Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings is the only real superhero origin movie of Phase 4. Yes, Eternals introduced a bunch of new heroes, but that movie is far removed from the typical origin story formula. Shang-Chi, however, is a deep dive into its main character and his loved ones. By the end, it feels like a formidable new hero has joined the Marvel ranks.
Shang-Chi also has some of the most entertaining action scenes of Phase 4, thanks in no small part to its incredible choreography and the stuntwork of star Simu Liu. The bus sequence in particular is top notch, with new complications coming one after another.
The film is historic as the first Marvel movie to be led by an Asian superhero and supporting cast. Its reimagining of a comic book character who has some real-world stereotype issues is a resounding triumph. And the movie brings back Trevor Slattery (Ben Kingsley), who masqueraded as the Mandarin during Iron Man 3, in a clever way that retroactively strengthens that movie as well.
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings is a ton of fun. Fantastic performances from Liu, Awkwafina, Meng’er Zhang, Michelle Yeoh, and Kingsley keep things entertaining right down to the very last scene. The final dragon battle over-relies on CGI spectacle, which is unfortunate considering that the beating heart of Shang-Chi is the complicated familial relationship between the hero and his various family members. But on the whole, it’s a fantastic origin story.
5. Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness
Next we visit the realm of cosmic horror for a world-hopping adventure with Doctor Stephen Strange. Beginning with Loki, the overarching promise of Marvel’s Phase 4 was that our heroes would eventually have to contend with the multiverse, confronting alternate versions of other heroes and villains…or even of themselves. Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness makes good on that promise.
The Doctor Strange sequel marks the return of legendary director Sam Raimi to the superhero movie business after 15 years away, and the master of B-horror brings all his stylistic flare to the table. Outside of Werewolf By Night, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is the closest thing Marvel has ever released to an outright horror movie. It features Wanda Maximoff’s descent into full blown villainy, and boy does she rack up a body count. Elizabeth Olsen gives one of the best Marvel villain performances since Thanos as she chases Strange and newcomer America Chavez (Xochitl Gomez) across the multiverse.
But what would a multiverse movie be without some truly mind-bending cameos? Continuing with the theme of showing that Marvel Studios could now incorporate superheroes it had previously not had the rights to use on film, Strange’s meeting with the Illuminati brings in a cornucopia of beloved characters. Patrick Stewart returns as Professor Charles Xavier from X-Men, John Krazinski appears as Mister Fantastic, Hayley Atwell plays a live-action version of Captain Carter from What If?, and we get some amazing deep cut cameos from Lashana Lynch as an alternate version of Captain Marvel and Anson Mount as Black Bolt, reprising his role from the canceled Inhumans TV series.
The real shocker came shortly afterward, however, when the Scarlet Witch went on a murder spree through the Illuminati stronghold and slaughtered every single one of those prestigious guest stars. Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is not afraid to get its hands dirty. The characterization for people like Wanda or Mordo feels like something was lost between previous MCU entries and Multiverse of Madness, but it’s easy to forgive given how refreshingly creepy and weird the movie is overall.
4. Loki
Loki really put the “multiverse” in “multiverse saga.” The idea behind the show is great: what mischief did the Loki variant who stole the Tesseract in Avengers: Endgame get up to after he evaded capture? Quite a lot, as it turns out, including hanging out at a multiversal office space run by the Time Variance Authority.
Loki getting snatched by the TVA serves as viewers’ first real introduction to the idea of multiple worlds. We learn that the TVA had “pruned” variant timelines, keeping the MCU on a course that led to the clash with Thanos. However, by the end of Loki, that’s all fallen apart as the God of Mischief and his own variant Sylvie (Sophia Di Martino) break the system.
A huge part of Loki’s success comes down to the charms of lead Tom Hiddleston, who inhabits a younger, rasher version of his character. Seeing Loki process the fact that he was destined to die at the hands of Thanos after betraying so many people he cared about is fascinating. We also loved his two team-ups, first with TVA agent Mobius M. Mobius (Owen Wilson) and later with Sylvie.
Loki is a visually stunning journey to distant worlds as well as a deeply introspective story that follows one of the most flawed MCU characters coming to terms with their own existence. It’s also totally bonkers. Late in the season we’re treated to the ultimate Loki showdown when the god is sent to the Void where all the unfortunates who were “pruned” by the TVA end up. There he meets a slew of other Loki variants, including an older Loki played by Richard E. Grant and a crocodile Loki. It’s outrageous.
Then there’s the finale, which introduces Jonathan Majors as He Who Remains, a variant of Kang the Conqueror. This moment sets up the Multiverse Saga ahead. But even as the show makes these big moves, it maintains a razor sharp focus on its characters. Loki is a pitch perfect event series — is it any surprise that it was the first Marvel show to be renewed for a second season?
3. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
With the tragic passing of Chadwick Boseman, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever faced the daunting task of telling a new Black Panther story without the core hero of the first film. It’s also the final film of Phase 4, so there was extra pressure on the Ryan Coogler-helmed sequel to deliver.
Saying that it pulled it off feels like an understatement. Wakanda Forever expands the world of the MCU and promotes supporting characters from the first film to lead status. Angela Basset’s Queen Ramonda and Letitia Wright’s Shuri lead that charge, giving some award-worthy performances along the way.
Wakanda Forever manages to tell a compelling story about Wakanda and its people moving into a new chapter without King T’Challa. This works as as an emotional tribute to the actor who played him, but the movie does much more than that, especially with its villains.
Phase 4 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe had a huge focus on diversifying the heroes and villains who appear on screen, and the reimagining of Namor and his underwater civilization is one of the best examples. Rather than the fairly generic merpeople of the comics, Coogler and his team created an underwater utopia based on the indigenous empires of Central America. The attention to detail made Talokan a standout part of the film, and of Phase 4 as a whole.
The conflict between the Talokanil and the Wakandans is thematically more sophisticated than a lot of what we usually get from MCU stories, and Namor is a wonderfully complex and compelling villain. Shuri assuming the mantle of the Black Panther is a powerful moment.
If Phase 4 was about grieving the losses suffered during the Infinity Saga, then Wakanda Forever is the capstone. It’s a beautiful movie, and easily one of the best from this stretch.
2. WandaVision
While there have been quite a few Marvel shows on Disney+, none were quite as daringly original as the first. WandaVision follows Elizabeth Olsen’s Wanda Maximoff as she struggled to process the grief of her partner Vision’s (Paul Bettany) death during Avengers: Infinity War. The show delves deep into Wanda’s psyche by making everything around her a projection of her pain. What happens when someone who can literally bend reality to their will suffers a tragic loss? On WandaVision, an entire town is held hostage to Wanda’s imagination. This marks the beginning of Wanda’s descent into villainy, even as she remains sympathetic throughout.
An enormous part of what made WandaVision so special is the way it tells its story. Over the course of nine episodes, Wanda’s reality shifts through various eras of television history, beginning with the black-and-white sitcoms of the 1950s before eventually moving into the age of Malcolm in the Middle and The Office. Until it’s revealed that the witch Agatha Harkness was trying to steal Wanda’s powers, each episode serves as an homage to a different period in sitcom history.
While the climactic episodes jettison a lot of those ideas in favor of a more traditional Marvel CGI showdown, the show as a whole remains an incredible feat of imagination. It’s no coincidence that WandaVision won Marvel its first Emmys.
WandaVision also spawned the iTunes-chart-topping hit “Agatha All Along,” which is a total earworm of a song. And the show wasn’t afraid to troll fans by bringing in Evan Peters for a cameo as Wanda’s brother Quicksilver (the role he played in Fox’s X-Men films), only to flip things by the end and play it off like he was just some regular dude named Ralph Bohner whom Agatha gave the same powers as Quicksilver as a way of messing with Wanda. Tricky, tricky Marvel.
WandaVision is both self-aware to the max and totally committed to studying the characters of Wanda and Vision. Even outside the MCU there’s nothing else quite like it. Were it not for a certain wallcrawler, WandaVision would be at the top of the list.
1. Spider-Man: No Way Home
We have arrived at perhaps the only movie or show from Marvel’s Phase 4 that feels like a massive event comparable to an Avengers movie. Ever since Spider-Man joined the MCU in Captain America: Civil War, Marvel Studios and Sony (who owns the film rights to Spidey and his rogues gallery) have awkwardly shared custody of the character. Spider-Man: No Way Home represents the ultimate pay-off from that union.
Spider-Man: No Way Home is not just the final movie of Tom Holland’s first trilogy as the wallcrawler, but a huge crossover event that pays homage to 20 years of Spidey’s cinema history. Former Spider-Men Andrew Garfield and Tobey Maguire pop in to help Holland face off against a slew of villains drawn from previous non-MCU films, including the Green Goblin (Willem Dafoe), Doctor Octopus (Alfred Molina), Electro (Jaime Foxx), the Sandman (Hayden Christian Church), and the Lizard (Rhys Ifans), although the film isn’t able to give equal attention to all five of those villains. Spider-Man: No Way Home was the first Marvel movie that made good on the promise of just how awesome the idea of a multiverse could be.
Yet the thing that really elevates Spider-Man: No Way Home is how adeptly the film weaves all those characters together into a compelling story that has huge ramifications for Holland’s Peter Parker. Garfield and Maguire weren’t there just to help sell tickets; there was a genuine sense that both of their Spideys had more experience, had lived through more personal tragedies, and were there to help their younger counterpart navigate difficult waters.
Spider-Man: No Way Home isn’t just a sequel to Spider-Man: Far From Home and Avengers: Endgame. It was also a sequel to Garfield’s The Amazing Spider-Man 2 and Maguire’s Spider-Man 3. The movie pays off their own journeys from their individual movies. It’s masterfully done, and there are so many ways it could have gone wrong. Instead, No Way Home became the first huge movie-going event since the COVID-19 pandemic began, bringing audiences back into theaters to the tune of $1.9 billion globally.
And thus concludes our rankings for Phase 4 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Marvel’s web of content is more diverse and varied than ever before. As such, ranking Marvel content is becoming ever more subjective. How did this stack up to your list? Do you have different favorites? Let us know down below!
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