Every MCU movie, ranked

polygon.com:

For better or worse, the Marvel Cinematic Universe has changed how blockbuster movies are constructed, planned, and made. Fifteen years of billion-dollar successes and lukewarm swing-and-misses have also changed how MCU movies themselves are planned and made: These days, it feels like there’s a particular tension between “Everything must be a saga” thinking and “Maybe these movies should stand alone better?” revisionism. As box-office-defining surefire hits have given way to rushed, muddled movies, and Marvel has expanded into a messy multiverse saga with near-infinite spin-off potential, the franchise’s future is both meticulously mapped out and constantly in flux.

The constant shifts may not matter to the core fans who turn up for every Marvel movie, but recent box office disappointments suggest that superhero burnout and unpredictable quality are moving these movies out of their core position in American culture. And yet, looking back on the saga to date, it’s still full of memorable moments and powerful collective experiences — blockbuster cinema as a participation sport. So it’s always a good time to reconsider the absolutely bonkers success of the MCU and consider what we look for in a Marvel movie, and what Marvel movies are best at giving us. (MCU TV gets its own separate ranked list.) The Polygon staff collectively ranked every MCU movie from worst to best.

[Ed. note: This list is regularly updated as new MCU films arrive. Latest update: November 2023, to include Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, and The Marvels.]

The hero take: Love or hate the rest of Quantumania, at least it does right by Scott Lang (Paul Rudd), the dorky, cheerful, just-a-bit-dim dude who only really