The 25 Modern Marvel Movies Ranked From Worst to Best!
But of the twenty five Marvel movies to emerge in the wake of ‘X-Men’ (we’re not counting the ‘Blade’ films since that series got started before the superhero movie renaissance), which one is the best? Which one is the worst? Which one is squarely in the middle and barely worthy of discussion? With ‘Iron Man 3‘ now in theaters around the world, it’s time to rank every Marvel movie since the year 2000. Join us as we journey from some of the worst comic book movies ever made all the way up to some of the very best.
Ghost Rider
A lame duck superhero. An
uninspired director. A moronic screenplay. An oddly toned down Nicolas
Cage. The problem with 'Ghost Rider' isn't that it's a very bad film:
the problem with 'Ghost Rider' is that it refuses to be awful in a way
that encourages conversation. At least its sequel (which we'll get to in
a moment) had the grace to be terrible in a memorable way. There is no
joy reveling in the badness here -- this is a lazy, half-assed and
instantly forgettable hunk of garbage.
Sony
X-Men Origins: Wolverine
Someday, someone will write a book
on what went wrong with 'X-Men Origins: Wolverine.' How many compromises
did director Gavin Hood have to suffer through? Was anyone o the visual
effects team proud of their work, which would've looked bad in 1999?
Did the writers (both credited and uncredited) create the "amnesia
bullets" that wipe out Wolverine's memories and feel pleased with their
work? Everything about this film feels compromised, a true case of too
many lousy cooks overcrowding the kitchen, wrecking what should've been a
sure thing.
Fox
Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance
Okay, this is more like it. If
you're going to be a bad film, you might as well be bad with a, uh,
vengeance. 'Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance' is a repulsive nightmare
of lousy filmmaking, ugly cinematography and atrocious writing, but at
least the 'Crank' team of Neveldine and Taylor inject the film with
their own personalities and ensure that, if nothing else, the second
'Ghost Rider' film is anything but generic. Unlike its predecessor,
there's nothing forgettable about this film (particularly Nicolas Cage's
ten shades of crazy performance), but it's the kind of thing you wish
you'd forget.
Sony
Fantastic Four
Marvel's first family can be
tricky. The Fantastic Four are almost deliberately old fashioned with a
bizarre combination of superpowers and a charmingly hokey origin story.
No one has quite managed to crack how they should work on screen
(something that we hope is rectified with the upcoming reboot), but
transforming these great characters into wacky sitcom stars who spend
their entire film bickering and fighting each other instead of actually
being superheroes is not how you do it. Is it the fault of director Tim
Story or 20th Century Fox, who have a reputation for meddling in their
comic book movies? We're not sure, but this movie is enough of a hacky
mess to spread the blame to all parties involved.
Fox
Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer
Almost everything about 'Fantastic
Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer' is just as bad as the first film, but
it's ranked higher for one reason and one reason only: this one actually
features Mr. Fantastic, the Invisible Woman, the Human Torch and The
Thing actually being superheroes and saving the world. But the
rest is unforgivable. Marvel's greatest villain, the megalomaniacal Dr.
Doom, is bungled for a second time. The evil Galactus is rendered as a
cloud. Reed Richard uses his stretching ability to show in a nightclub
and the result is an orgy of embarrassment. This film can't vanish into
the cracks of time soon enough.
Fox
The Punisher
Frank Castle, AKA, The Punisher, is
such a generic character that's he's only as good as the people brining
him to life. He can either be a cliched violent, half-insane vigilante
or he can be an interesting violent, half-insane vigilante. Somehow,
director Jonathan Hensleigh's take on the character somehow manages to
be neither, neutering the character and transforming him into a goofy
action hero whose idea of vengeance is a putting a portal fire hydrant
next to John Travolta's car so he'll get a parking ticket. The Punisher
is barely character as it is, so by removing his trademark
bloodthirstiness, we're only left with a forgettable action movie.
Lionsgate
Elektra
You forgot that 'Elektra' was even a
thing, huh? A 'Daredevil' spin-off that was forgotten the week after it
was released, the film bombed and Jennifer Garner's attempt to become
the next female action star was aborted on the spot. To be fair,
'Elektra' isn't a particularly awful movie (it's certainly no 'Ghost
Rider') but its greatest sin is that it's a non-film, a movie so
forgettable, lightweight and uneventful that it doesn't even linger on
in the popular consciousness in any way. It might as well have not been
made.
Fox
Daredevil
One of the first superhero films to
follow in the trailblazing wake of 'Spider-Man' and 'X2,' 'Daredevil'
was like a splash of cold water to the face: "Oh, you mean that every
Marvel comic book movie won't be that good?" 'Daredevil's reputation has
ebbed and flowed over the past decade, but to revisit it now is to
watch a perfectly competent superhero movie with its fair share of
problems (why does Matt Murdock, whose powers are limited to super
senses, have the acrobatic ability of Spider-man?) and its fair share of
highlights (Michael Clarke Duncan and Colin Farrell really are pretty
terrific villains). It may have taken us a decade, but we've finally
decided that 'Dardevil' is a completely inoffensive and mediocre
experience that hasn't aged as well as movies that came out before it.
Eh, it's fine.
Fox
Iron Man 2
There's no denying it: 'Iron Man 2'
is mess. There are times where it feels like a non-movie, a collection
scenes strung together with little rhyme and reason and going nowhere.
The off-the-cuff spark that makes the first 'Iron Man' so satisfying
transforms its sequel into ambling mess with an awful villain,
head-scratching plot holes and bizarre diversions (why did Tony's father
hide the cure for heart problem in a theme park model?). Somehow, the
film remains totally watchable thanks to its charming actors (including a
severely underutilized Sam Rockwell) and breezy tone, but it's easily
the worst of the Marvel Studios produced movies.
Marvel
X-Men: The Last Stand
Like 'Daredevil,' 'X-Men: The Last
Stand' isn't nearly as bad as its reputation suggests, it just has the
misfortune of being a serviceable follow-up to one of the best superhero
movies ever made. Although Brett Ratner's direction lacks the style and
subtext of Bryan Singer's films, it delivers on the "meat and potatoes"
front, providing plenty of twists, nifty mutant characters and exciting
action scenes, including a climax that's bigger and more involved than
any X-Men movie before or since. It may be no 'X2,' but it's certainly
not 'X-Men Origins: Wolverine.'
Fox
We know: ouch. But things get better. We promise.
Hulk
For many people, Ang Lee's 'Hulk'
is seen as a crushing disappointment and one of the worst comic book
movies ever made. Honestly, that's a fair assessment. Great swaths of
the film simply do not work and its artistic flourishes are frequently
at odds with the poppy, silly material. But for all of its flaws, 'Hulk'
is aiming for something that wouldn't be commonplace for a few more
years -- it wants to be a genuinely great, thought-provoking superhero
movie. Granted, it isn't that on any level, but the botched attempt is
fascinating and frequently beautiful. There are moments in 'Hulk' that
are borderline avant garde and that's something you typically don't get
to see in this kind of movie. This is a true case of a moving getting an
"A" for effort.
Universal
X-Men
For better or worse, Bryan Singer's
'X-Men' established the template for the next decade's worth of
superhero movies. Thankfully, it's not a bad template (although films
like 'The Dark Knight' and 'The Avengers' have, thankfully, broken from
it), but it has retroactively made the film feel far less fresh, fun and
original than it did at the time of release. So while its many
imitators may have sapped much of its freshness, there's still plenty to
admire about the first 'X-Men' outing, particularly Singer's spot-on
casting of virtually every role. It's an important lesson that the best
superhero movies would follow: fill your cast with quality actors to
help sell the potentially silly material. At its best, 'X-Men' is all
about a cast of tremendous talents lending weight to a cast of colorful
superheroes and that's perfectly fine.
Fox
The Amazing Spider-Man
'The Amazing Spider-Man' is pretty
good. Well acted and well made, it's a middle of the road affair in
every way that feels like it was designed to appeal to as many people as
possible while pissing off as few people as possible. This means that
the film squeaks by through not taking any chances, deliberately trying
to avoid the polarizing reaction that haunts the underrated 'Spider-Man
3.' The result is a shrug of a movie, a Spider-Man film that's competent
and entertaining and often exciting, but lacking any kind of soul. It's
a literal popcorn movie: it tastes good but it has no lasting impact
whatsoever.
Sony
Spider-Man 3
The much-maligned 'Spider-Man 3'
may have a toxic reputation among geeks, but it's a film so jam-packed
with off-the-wall goodness and goofiness that is succeeds in spite of
itself. Director Sam Raimi frequently lets the film get away from him --
Too many villains! An overblown climax! Exposition butler! -- but for
every gaping issue, there are a dozen tiny charms to savor. The infamous
"Spider-Man dances" scene? Classic Raimi slapstick. James Franco's
gloriously hammy take on Normal Osborn? Insanely quotable. The
emotionally charged conclusion that manages to tie up every loose end
from the trilogy? Completely satisfying. Sure, there's no denying
'Spider-Man 3's sloppiness, but it would be irresponsible to ignore its
charms.
Sony
X-Men: First Class
If you were to rank the Marvel
movies based purely on the strength of their lead performances, 'X-Men:
First Class' would be near the very top. Michael Fassbender's Magneto
and James McAvoy's Professor X make one helluva team, so much so that's a
shame we're never going to get an entire series of films following
their budding bromance as they fight to save the Mutant race over the
decades. It's a shame that Matthew Vaughn's one-note direction isn't up
the par of his leads (or his and Jane Goldman's script) and the less
said about January Jones' non-performance, the better. Still, there's no
denying just how badass Magneto the Nazi Hunter is and there's no
denying the touching chemistry between McAvoy and Jennifer Lawrence (as
Mystique). 'X-Men: First Class' oozes cool and sometimes that's enough.
Fox
The Incredible Hulk
If Ang Lee's 'Hulk' is an ambitious
and artistic failure, Loius Leterrier's 'The Incredible Hulk' is the
exact opposite: it has no artistic ambition whatsoever, but it's a
simple superhero action film that doesn't aim particularly high and
succeeds with flying colors. Although there is a debate to be had about
Noble Failures VS Mid-Level Successes, 'The Incredible Hulk' is
upper-tier entertainment, a movie that's unapologetically all about a
giant green beast smashing his way through everything that stands in his
way. Like every Marvel Studios movie, it's impeccably cast
(particularly Tim Roth as the villain), but unlike so many Marvel
Studios movies, the final action scene delivers in a huge, massive,
amazing way, delivering a monster versus monster battle that's yet to be
topped in this genre.
Marvel
Spider-Man
'X-Men' may have set the stage for
the superhero movie renaissance, but Sam Raimi's 'Spider-Man' is what
you can truly blame for the past decade of big budget blockbuster
cinema. What's so amazing about it all of these years later is how well
it holds up: it feels as complete and satisfying as anything coming out
today. Most of the credit can go to Raimi, who never compromises his own
personal voice and instead weaves his idiosyncratic style into the
story of Peter Parker. While many comic book movies still feel more like
products than artistic accomplishments, 'Spider-Man' manages to be a
great superhero flick and a great Raimi movie. Of course, this was just the tip of the iceberg for this series.
Sony
Punisher: War Zone
Not many people know just how great
'Punisher: War Zone' is because no one saw it. Blame the marketing or
blame the fact that no one thought the first Punisher film was any good,
but do yourself a favor and seek out this psychotic acid trip of an
action movie, a super-vigilante movie that goes so far over the top in
its violent excess that it transforms into some kind of gloriously
profane art. Give some credit to Ray Stevenson, whose silent, merciless
take on Frank Castle is badassery in its purest form. Give some credit
to Dominic West, whose villainous Jigsaw is one of the great hammy
villains in cinematic history. Give some credit to director Lexi
Alexander, who used the Punisher character as an excuse to make a
surreal, candy colored, utterly bizarre action film that is just waiting
for its cult following. How the hell is this one of the ten best Marvel
movies? Who knows? Who cares?
Lionsgate
Thor
How much of a superhero movie's
success lies on the shoulder's of its lead? In the case of 'Thor,' the
answer is all of it. The Norse god of Thunder as a hero in the same
universe as Iron Man and the Hulk is a tough sell, but Chris Hemsworth's
natural movie star charisma instantly elevates what could've and
should've been a disaster into one of the most thoroughly enjoyable
Marvel movies of them all, balancing the high fantasy of Asgard with the
fish-out-of-water comedy of the Earth scenes. It helps that Hemsworth
is backed up by a terrific supporting cast, including a rare
non-sleepwalking Anthony Hopkins and the delightful Natalie Portman,
whose chemistry with Thor seems to hilariously stem from the fact that
they're two gorgeous people who haven't gotten laid in far too long.
Sure, 'Thor' has its problems, but it's so breezy and effortless and
confident in its goofiness that its hard to hate.
Marvel
Iron Man
Confident and accessible, 'Iron
Man' is the cinematic equivalent of its lead character: it's a rock
star. Whereas 'Iron Man 2's loose, go-with-the-groove style causes the
film to fall apart, the first film flies by the seat of its pants and
makes it look easy. Although much of the public credit has gone to
Robert Downey Jr. (has there ever been a more sudden or unexpected movie
star?), let's take a moment to praise director Jon Favreau, who gives
Downey and his co-stars the proper amount of space to trade witticisms
and can shoot the hell out of a armor-clad superhero racing a couple of
jets. Like too many action movies, 'Iron Man' ends with a whimper when
it should end with a bang, but everything up until the ending remains
golden.
Marvel
Getting closer! Are you ready to see the five best Marvel movies yet? Of course you are...
Iron Man 3
'Iron Man 3' feels nothing like its
predecessors. It is, first and foremost, a Shane Black picture…and
that's why it' so great. Like Sam Raimi and the 'Spider-Man' films,
Black doesn't let the fact that he's playing in someone else's
playground diminish his own personal voice and the result is a superhero
movie that feels like a quasi-sequel to the tremendous 'Kiss Kiss Bang
Bang.' Unlike the first two films, 'Iron Man 3' is as tight as a drum,
filling every minute with gags and action and one-liners and plot
twists. The action is satisfying, the villain is great and, somehow,
Black creates one of the great relationships in the Marvel movie
universe by teaming Tony Stark up with a hilariously unsympathetic kid
for the second act. If the rest of Marvel's Phase 2 is half as unique
and fun as 'Iron Man 3' then we're in for a very good time.
Marvel
Captain America: The First Avenger
How do make a character as old
fashioned and potentially silly as Captain America work on screen?
Simple: you refuse to hide the fact that he's old fashioned and silly,
embracing everything about him and not caring what the cool kids think. A
patriotic superhero clad in red, white and blue feels like silly
propaganda, but director Joe Johnston and star Chris Evans don't pain
him as a flag-waving fanatic. On the contrary, they deliberately play
him as a collection of lost values, a man who believes in bravery,
common decency and sticking up for your fellow man. Steve Rogers is
quietly noble and humane, a selfless hero who actually feels like some
kind of ideal. It's a miracle that this character exists in this day and
age. The fact that he's at the center of an exciting, old school WWII
adventure with a top-notch supporting cast (how is Tommy Lee Jones not
phoning this in?) and one of the best comic villains of all time (how
good is Hugo Weaving's Red Skull?) is just icing on the cake.
Marvel
X2
There have been a lot of 'X-Men'
movies, some good and some bad. However, they all have one thing in
common: they're all chasing 'X2,' which represents the one time every
element of a 'X-Men' movie was pitch perfect. Hugh Jackman has never
been better as the ferocious and oddly sympathetic Wolverine. Few
villains have been as interesting (and convincing) as Ian McKellen's
Magneto. Rarely has the subtext (well, text) of a superhero film been so
true and worthy of discussion. Director Bryan Singer balances the two
sides of the X-Men franchise deftly, nailing it as a big sci-fi action
movie without losing the social commentary that's been a series
trademark since the first issue of the comic book. What a satisfying
movie this is!
Fox
Spider-Man 2
The fact that 'Spider-Man 2' isn't
number one on this list is a bit of a travesty, huh? After all, Sam
Raimi's second outing with the web-slinging hero is as perfect as
superhero movies get, nailing everything that's great about its hero
without sacrificing the unique tone established by the first film. How
exactly does Raimi pull off a movie that's simultaneously goofy,
melancholy, romantic, frightening, melodramatic, crazily intense and
emotionally fulfilling? Some kind of cinematic alchemy, apparently.
Watching 'Spider-Man 2' is like watching a dozen different movies at
once, each of them complementing the others. It showcases the unlimited
potential of this genre by recognizing how silly a superhero is while
asking you to care deeply about his personal plights. Most of all, it
has a huge heart, powered by people who truly love Spider-Man but aren't
afraid to break the rules of the character's comic universe to make a
better film. 'Spider-Man 2' is a masterpiece.
Sony
The Avengers
It just has to be 'The Avengers' at
number one, huh? 'Spider-Man 2' feels more complete and 'Iron Man 3' is
a flawless machine of a movie, but those films don't have Captain
America, Thor, Iron Man and Hulk all standing side by side, defending
New York from an alien invasion. 'The Avengers' may get a clunky start,
but once all of our heroes are on board the SHIELD helicarrier working
to take down the villainous Loki, the film simply radiates joy, feeling
less like a product manufactured by a movie studio for mass consumption
and more like the first time a comic book movie has captured the
childlike glee of its source material. 'The Avengers' is a little shaggy
and it takes a little too long to get where its going (even
writer/director Joss Whedon would probably agree), but the destination
isn't just worth it -- it's like finding the Holy Grail. This film has
no right to exist and these characters have no right to be on the same
team, so the end result isn't just joyous…it's miraculous.
Marvel
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