It was inevitable that Infinity War would shake up the rankings. And after such build-up, and for it to actually surpass most expectations, it’s now time to update the ole list. Here are my Top 5 MCU Films, post Infinity War.
5. Thor: Ragnarok
Hard to believe that a Thor movie could be this good, but Director Taiki Waititi deftly handles the tone of this film perfectly. It’s the Thor we didn’t know we wanted until we had it, one that was now “Earth-ized” and thus, a personality was born! While the seriousness of the film takes a major hit, it’s not at the expense of entertainment. Thor 3 is so entertaining and re-watchable, and it sets up Thor for great things in the future.
4. Avengers
The one that really started it all. It certainly has shown its age. Remember when Joss Whedon was prematurely crowned as the King of the MCU? Yeah, we were all on that train for a while. And even though it hasn’t aged well, it’s still a fantastic team-up, and I remember just how amazing the concept was to bring Thor, Hulk, Cap, and Iron Man together. Now, it almost seems commonplace that these characters are going to share the screen together. At the time, though, it was massive.
3. Captain America: The Winter Soldier
Directed by Tony and Joe Russo, Winter Soldier marked a turning point in the Universe, as it created a rift in the philosophy of Captain America’s purpose, and the fabric of all the films are affected because of this. The emergence of Bucky as the Winter Soldier, an out-of-time Steve Rogers, and the team-up between Cap, Black Widow, and Falcon, all lead to a great time, and one that is highly relevant to the events that are currently taking place within the MCU right now.
2. Captain America: Civil War
If bringing the Avengers together the first time around was significant its unique inclusion of iconic characters, Civil War took it one step further by adding even more characters such as Ant-Man, Black Panther, and Spider-Man, and gave us a battle we were all wanting to see: Iron Man vs. Captain America. Also directed by Tony and Joe Russo, they showed here that they were capable of weaving a narrative that played out so seamless on the big screen–and their incorporation of new characters without taking anything away from anyone else spoke volumes to their abilities to truly handle the magnitude of a huge film with a lot of moving parts. It’s exceptional.
1. Avengers: Infinity War
Surprise! Avengers: Infinity War is the best film that the MCU has to offer. This massive film hits all the right notes in all the right ways, and it’s absolutely stunning how well the Russo Brothers were able to direct all of these aspects without ever taking away anything substantial from anything. Not only did they welcome Thanos into the film–a character who had been hyped for years as the true villain in the MCU–but in the end, this was HIS film. He’s the ultimate protagonist here, and he has catapulted himself atop the mountain as one of the best characters in the entire catalog of films. He’s now the best villain that we’ve ever seen in these films.
Being able to give us a grand two and a half hour epic that is both satisfying and somber, while leaving us with so many questions, is simply astonishing, and what was accomplished in Infinity War is something to be commended.
In the end, it’s difficult to give a Top 5 and not include films like Black Panther or Spider-Man: Homecoming or Guardians of the Galaxy, but that really speaks to the nature of this Universe. There are just so many fantastic films, and almost all of them are worthy considerations for anyone’s best-of list.
What are your top 5 MCU films? Let us know on Twitter @StalePopcorn or on our Facebook page!
Today we talk about the newest and crudest film from Marvel, Deadpool 2. We give you the rundown and tell you what we liked about the film and offer our own constructive criticism of the movie. Overall it’s just a fun episode about some hot summer movie fun. Enjoy!
