The Ultimate Ranking Of Every Film In The Marvel Cinematic Universe

CAUSE "GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY" IS ALMOST HERE!

9. The Incredible Hulk (2008)

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Uhh... I actually haven't seen this one. Has anybody? Moving on...

8. Thor (2011)

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With director Kenneth Branagh behind the camera, this should have been a home run for Marvel. Unfortunately, Chris Hemsworth's first outing as the Asgardian God is nothing more than a loud and silly action romp devoid of emotional gravity. Nothing that important seems to be at stake, Natalie Portman isn't given a whole lot to do, and Asgard looks like a glorified version of Candyland. But to give credit where credit's due, it did give us our beloved Loki.

7. Iron Man 2 (2010)

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So much awesome going on here. Black Widow! War Machine! Robert Downey Jr. being Robert Downey Jr.! But Iron Man 2 (oddly written by The Leftovers star Justin Theroux), fails to live up to the standard Iron Man set by basically acting as a "Here come The Avengers!" setup. It never feels like it can exist on it's own. Also shame on the film for reducing Mickey Rourke to playing a second-rate, yawn-inducing villain.

6. Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)

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Cap's first serious cinematic outing proved he wasn't just muscles, stars, and stripes. But The First Avenger still feels like a generally old-fashioned, slightly campy action flick at the end of the day. Chris Evans is perfectly cast and Hugo Weaving gets to ham it up as Red Skull, but it's all pretty much commercial cheese and patriotic optimism. Luckily, it never forces itself to be much more than that.

5. Iron Man 3 (2013)

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Any Marvel movie that was going come after The Avengers was going to feel like a bit of a come down, but Iron Man 3 cannot be faulted for trying some new things (both successfully and unsuccessfully). Despite what comic book purists say, the controversial twist is quite clever and timely. And even though it took Tony out of the Iron Man suit for far too long, it was refreshing to watch him psychologically deal with the events that took places in The Avengers. One point of confusion: How did Gwyneth Paltrow's abs not receive top billing?

4. Thor: The Dark World (2013)

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Here's the thing, though. Thor: The Dark World is funny. Like, really REALLY funny. With direction from Game of Thrones' Alan Taylor, this sequel features loads of emotional weight, thrilling action sequences, and revamped production design that totally makes up for the first film's flimsy, video game inspired sets. Not to mention expanded roles and importance for both Natalie Portman and Kat Dennings.

3. Iron Man (2008)

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I can't remember a thing about the villain, but Iron Man took the superhero genre and flipped it on it's self-righteous little head. Gone are Batman's moodiness, Spider-Man's nerdy charm, and Superman's sense of optimism. Tony Stark/Iron Man was a superhero for the era, a cocky and snarky billionaire forced to live with what his legacy has built. Plus, it goes without saying... Robert Downey Jr. is everything.

2. Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)

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If Iron Man flipped the superhero genre on it's head, then Captain America: The Winter Soldier flipped the Marvel Cinematic Universe on it's head. SPOILER ALERT: Hydra lives and S.H.I.E.L.D. is totally compromised. Nobody can be trusted, a dark theme for a franchise built on a dude who physically embodies light, truth, and the American way. Though a Madonna-esque makeover wasn't needed yet, this sequel completely revitalized the MCU realistically and unexpectedly. Not to mention it gave Scarlett Johansson as Black Widow and Anthony Mackie as Falcon plenty of narratively interesting space.

1. The Avengers (2012)

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The Dark Knight is a masterpiece and Spider-Man 2 is perfection, but no other superhero film in the history of ever has managed to pack this many heroes into one action-packed and awesome movie. Joss Whedon successfully gives each character a thrilling arc and they all come together into the coolest third act action sequence of any movie of the CGI era. Not to mention that Loki is the end all, be all villain in the Marvel canon. Rare is the movie that makes you feel like you're a little kid again without sacrificing brains for brawn. The Avengers is that film.