Ever since the launch of Iron Man back in 2008, Marvel Studios and the Marvel Universe have been a prominent focus of cinema.
Currently, a total of 27 films and numerous TV series have told the stories of dozens of superheroes and those close to them. It’s estimated that the MCU has brought in more than $23 billion worldwide, making it one of the biggest movie franchises of all time – and it is only getting bigger.
Fans have theorised, argued, and celebrated about the stories of their beloved superheroes, based on characters from the original Marvel comicbooks.
With all their success, some of the MCU films have gone down better than others when it comes to fan reactions. Here is every single one of the 31 movies, ranked in order of popularity according to Rotten Tomatoes scores which are based on professional critic reviews.
Warning: spoilers for almost all Marvel films inside, including the recent additions such as Ant-Man 3.
. Marvel Movies
Want to know which Marvel films are best to begin with? Here are all 31 Marvel movies ranked in order of popularity. Cr: Disney / Marvel Photo: Disney / Marvel
. Black Panther
Coming in at 96%, Black Panther tops the list of films in the MCU. The first movie to star a Black actor as the lead, the film follows the late Chadwick Boseman’s T’Challa as he navigates stepping into his father’s shoes as King of Wakanda. By far and wide the most highly rated Marvel movie, 2022 saw it get a much deserved sequel. Photo: Disney
. Avengers: Endgame
Closely following at #2, Avengers: Endgame scored 94% on the Tomatometer. Endgame was the culmination of more than 10 years of build-up that started in a cave with a box of scraps. It brought every Avenger, big and small, onto the big screen to face down Thanos and saw the end of some of our most beloved original Avengers. Many cite the film of Marvel's best but it narrowly misses out on the top spot, according to Rotten Tomatoes. Photo: Jesse Grant
. Iron Man
It’s a testament to how beloved Robert Downey Jr’s Iron Man was that an action film starring just one man from 2008 has scored the same as one from 2019 featuring all the Avengers at once. Many have called Downey the grandfather of the MCU for his portrayal of Iron Man, whose popularity sparked the continuation of the franchise for years following. It was the first Marvel movie to hit the big screen and has stood the test of time - even a while 15 years later. Photo: Disney
. Thor: Ragnarok
The first two Thor movies were rarely listed as anyone’s favourites, so the third solo Thor film, Thor: Ragnarok took the signature humour associated with the Asgardian prince to a whole new level. Director Taika Waititi will return to direct the fourth Thor film, Love and Thunder, so it will be interesting to see where that lands on this list. It went up to fourth over the past year after picking up a 93% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Photo: PA Photo/Marvel Studios/Walt Disney Studios/Jasin Boland
. Spider-Man: No Way Home
Another film that was years in the making, Spider-Man: No Way Home brought all three Spider-Men, Tobey Maguire, Andrew Garfield, and Tom Holland, onto the big screen at the same time. Confirming the multiverse theory, it was a truly momentous moment for the MCU, scoring it 93% on Rotten Tomatoes and has become the most popular Spiderman film they've released. Photo: Disney
. Spider-Man: Homecoming
Tom Holland made his debut as Spider-Man in Captain America: Civil War, but Spider-Man: Homecoming was his first solo film in the franchise, scoring 92% on Rotten Tomatoes. Unlike previous Spider-Man origin movies, we didn’t see the death of Uncle Ben or Peter Parker being bitten by the spider, but the plot was firmly grounded in high-school, with a plot centering around prom and parties, as well as threatening bad guys. Photo: Ore Huiying
. Guardians of the Galaxy
Shooting out into the wider universe of the MCU, Guardians of the Galaxy introduced a new team of superheroes. It brought a comic element and irreverent tone all of its own that proved popular with fans and critics alike, scoring it 92% on Rotten Tomatoes. With another Guardians Of The Galaxy movie on the way, it is no surprise to see fans as excited as they are after the first few instalments. Photo: Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images for Disney
. Marvel's The Avengers
Matching Shang-Chi’s score of 91%, Marvel’s The Avengers was the first time we see multiple superheroes fighting as one in the MCU. We’d seen most of them before, but their union against the Chitauri in New York would lay the groundwork for many of the movies to follow. Photo: Disney
. Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings
One of the most recent additions to the MCU, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings starred Simu Liu as the first Asian superhero in the MCU. Scoring 91%, the movie has been applauded for its stunning visual effects as it explores elements of Chinese mythology against the superhero backdrop. Photo: Walt Disney Studios/Moviestore/Shutterstock
. Spider-Man: Far From Home
Another film that stays with the teen drama theme of Tom Holland’s Spider-Man films, Spider-Man: Far From Home scored 90% on Rotten Tomatoes and sees Peter Parker grapple with the implications of a world without his mentor, Tony Stark. Photo: Jay Maidment
29. Ant Man and The Wasp: Quantumania
Marvel's latest offering had a little bit of a battering off the critics, with Rotten Tomatoes rating is at low as 47% as the Paul Rudd fronted third Ant Man film was launched earlier in 2023. Photo: Disney
30. Eternals
Despite being one of the most recent MCU films, this is also the worst received, almost 20 percentage points behind Thor: The Dark World and ranked as 'Rotten' on the Tomatometer. The general consensus is that the film tries to take on too much, too fast, introducing us to ten new heroes in one film. It still did a decent enough job at the Box Office but it wasn't highly rated across film critics and takes last place on the list. Photo: Disney / Marvel