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All Four MCU Trilogies Ranked (With A Look Ahead)

 Ranking All Four Current MCU Trilogies


4. Thor (Thor (2011), Thor: The Dark World (2013), Thor: Ragnarok (2017))

Even Taika Waititi’s amazing outing of Thor: Ragnarok cannot help to move Thor amongst the other MCU trilogies. The first two Thor movies feel like one is watching an almost entirely different character who lacks the charm involved with Thor’s sense of humor. The original and sequel feature a criminal misuse of Christopher Eccleston as a watered-down version of the dark elf Malekith, Natalie Portman’s bland portrayal of Jane Foster and a crowded mortal cast. It’s almost as if the only redeeming factors here are Loki and Thor’s misunderstanding of Earth’s culture compared to his own. Thankfully, the third installment in the series flips the script and gives us the Thor that gets movie goers hyped for this year’s Thor: Love and Thunder (2022). Ragnarok earns its place amongst the Marvel greats with its focus on the brotherhood of Thor and Loki as well as the better sense of humor being deployed and introduction of the war mongering Odinson sister Hela. We hope to see the return of the supporting characters from the previous title like the rebellious rock Korg, the fierce new Asgardian Queen Valkyrie and maybe even Jeff Goldblum’s eccentric Grandmaster.



3. Iron Man (Iron Man (2008), Iron Man 2 (2012), Iron Man 3 (2013))

Iron Man feels like the benchmark for all Marvel movies at this point. It takes a compelling origin and continues into a not horrible story, but not fantastic either. Even with mixed reviews from the fandom, it is compellingly average, with no true duds ala Thor. Robert Downey Jr.’s role as the centerpiece of the MCU will be remembered for his place in his first solo outing alongside all of his appearances in the four Avengers films. Iron Man 2 & 3 may be forgettable, but they are not bad. In the second installment War Machine is given more of the spotlight and the third movie tries to tackle the PTSD that Tony began suffering from at the end of Avengers. There are interesting ideas brought up here, but they never get brought too far into the limelight. Although they may seem essential to the first-time viewer on Disney Plus, anything past the first is not necessary for the new Marvel fan. That does not mean they are not worth going back for, however.


 

2. Spider-Man (Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017), Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019), Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021))

The entirety of Tom Holland’s Spider-Man trilogy serves as an origin for the character as we see him learn that with great power comes great responsibility from a number of mentors. Throughout these movies Peter Parker grows as a high schooler and deals with the effects of the other movies that he has appeared in alongside his MCU counterparts, which sets him apart from the Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield versions of the character. The trilogy is also elevated with excellent performances by the villains in all three films whether it be Michael Keaton’s Vulture, Jake Gyllenhaal’s Mysterio, or the collection of villains featured in No Way Home (most prominently Willem Dafoe’s return as the Green Goblin). Holland’s young supporting cast of schoolmates grow alongside Parker and keeps viewers laughing with slightly different comedic tones. There will without a doubt be another trilogy on the way for Holland’s character after No Way Home’s impact at the box office and it will have a hurdle to climb to be compared to these films.



1. Captain America (Captain America: The First Avenger (2011), Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014), Captain America: Civil War (2016))

What makes the Captain America movies stand out over other Marvel movies is their ability to showcase different genres. Although the first movie falls alongside the typical superhero origin story, the second movie takes its part as the only true action/spy movie in the MCU until Black Widow (2021). It introduces Anthony Mackie as Falcon, who later goes on to take up the Captain America mantle after the events of Avengers: Endgame (2019) and gives an expanded role to Cap’s best friend Bucky Barnes, now brainwashed to be the Winter Soldier. Civil War is a team up movie like no other with heroes fighting heroes over their stances over the Sokovia Accords. Fight scenes Marvel fans rank as their favorites such as the Tarmac fight and Iron Man vs Captain America and the Winter Soldier end the second and third acts. We also see the first MCU appearances of the Black Panther and Spider-Man, and some iconic moments between Wanda Maximoff and Vision. All three films are essential to Marvels lineup and will keep the character remembered for generations.


Trilogies About to Be Finished in 2023



Ant-Man (Ant-Man (2015), Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018), Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (2023))

Paul Rudd’s impeccable comedic timing alongside a large supporting cast featuring Evangeline Lilly, Michael Douglas, Michelle Pfeiffer and now Bill Murray give the Ant-Man heist movies more of a family feel. Quantumania however looks to put their story onto a much larger scale. Jonathan Majors will be reprising his role as some form of Kang the Conqueror from the season finale of Loki (2021-Present). Now that Scott has faced a real Avengers sized threat in the last team up installment, we may be seeing a new attitude when it comes to world ending stakes in this series.


Guardians of the Galaxy (Guardians of the Galaxy (2014), Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017), Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (2023))

With director James Gunn is on board again with team Marvel (after his foray into the DCEU with The Suicide Squad (2021)) Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is back on. Continuing off after the events of Avengers: Endgame (2019) we see Peter Quill and crew set off after the time misplaced Gamora taken from 2014 is lost somewhere in the galaxy. Gunn’s humor set the tone from the first movie onwards and made characters like Groot and Rocket household names. With the success and charm of the first two movies, we are looking for another strong installment from these galactic misfits.


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