All MCU Movies Ranked 2024: The "Okay" MCU Movies (C Tier)

We’ve officially entered the “Decent” category of our MCU tier rankings. I’d watch these movies again no problem, but would they be my first choice? Definitely not. Movies in this category are defined by their equally good and bad characteristics and my generally neutral attitude toward them. So let’s do this!

Worst in Tier: Ant-Man (2015)

Continuing the trend of having Ant-Man movies be the worst in their tier. This is honestly a fitting place for this movie.

As you guys know, I’m not the biggest Ant-Man fan, both in terms of character and “powers” he seems, well, a bit lame. However, this movie is far better than its sequels, with the supporting cast especially bringing a strong level of comedic value. I also love a good heist in a movie and the Ant-Man super suit lends itself well to that storyline.

Also, this is an origin story, and I’ve always felt those are hard to get right because it takes so long to develop the superhero. In this case, it’s not the best origin story out there, but it’s certainly better than the likes of Thor.

Still, I don’t think the character and overall cast is strong enough for me to ever put an Ant-Man movie much higher than C Tier. But I am wondering along with everyone else how Paul Rudd hasn’t aged since I first saw him in Friends.

Thor: Love and Thunder (2022)

I don’t really know what made Thor so special as to get a fourth movie when everyone else got three. I mean, the legendary Iron Man only got three solo movies, and his counterpart in Steve Rogers did too. Thor isn’t nearly as important as either of them in the MCU.

However, if you take this movie just on its own, it has some bright spots as they continue to build off the tone Taika Waititi set in Ragnarok. I liked the return of Jane Foster as Lady Thor, something I wasn’t expecting from Natalie Portman when I first saw her in Star Wars. I also like the dynamic they’ve built between Thor and his friends in Valkyrie and Korg. However, I wasn’t much for the introduction to Zeus and Hercules and how they chose to portray them as caricatures of themselves. I’ve heard rumors another Thor movie will happen with those two characters involved, but I’m not anxiously awaiting it.

The stand out of this movie to me though was Christian Bale’s Gorr. I thought he was a great and menacing villain who had some explanation behind his terror. I actually feel like he was underutilized in this film, and may have served better as the villain in an earlier Thor when things were building toward Endgame rather than after when everything feels so disjointed. But when you remember a movie for the villain you know it’s good.

There was a glaring hole in the story though, and that was the absence of Loki. I know Thor technically believes he’s dead, and Loki is dealing with his own issues with the TVA at this time, but these two brothers have been so intertwined throughout the previous Thor films that you felt the absence of their dynamic acutely. It’s part of the reason I’m not overly excited for a potential Thor 5 either. And I’m not too sure how I feel about the god of lightning suddenly having a child sidekick. I just don’t see how well it fits. So really what I’m saying is, the movie was okay, but they probably should’ve stopped at Ragnarok.

Iron Man 2 (2010)

Fresh off the hugely successful introduction of Robert Downey Jr’s Tony Stark, Iron Man 2 had big expectations to fill. And while the sequel didn’t flop, it certainly didn’t soar either.

Tony continues to struggle with his playboy lifestyle and the hero people expect him to be which makes his character growth in the series great, but his antics in this movie sometimes frustrating. It’s clear that in many ways, Tony is his own worst enemy, and it’s hard to watch him on a path to self-destruction, even if he thinks he’s dying.

Luckily a strong supporting cast with Pepper, Happy, Rhodey, and even some Nick Fury and Phil Coulson are there to pick him up. This is fun to go back and rewatch now because I miss the old days of the MCU when S.H.I.E.L.D. was still a thing and the heroes operated more on the ground. We also get the introduction of my favorite Avenger in Black Widow, but I much prefer what she becomes later on in the MCU to the clearly sexualized version we first see her as in Iron Man 2.

Overall, Iron Man 2 has some great character moments, but the plot and villain are pretty standard. We do get one of the first iconic suit-ups from Tony though which will always have a special place in the MCU.

Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)

Again, I have high expectations for Spider-Man movies. Perhaps it's unfair to compare them to the Tobey Maguire ones which I first saw before any MCU movies, but that’s what I grew up on. There’s a unique quirkiness and comicbook feel to those movies which I don’t get in the Tom Holland ones. Though I do think Tom Holland is my favorite Spider-Man so it’s a weird contradiction.

I think part of the problem for me is Peter’s age. I know that is more realistic to the comics, but having just got out of high school when this movie came out, I wasn’t really feeling diving back into it in this movie, especially in Peter’s freshman year. Fifteen just seems really young for a hero to have his own franchise, and both the Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield versions are older. I also wish they had utilized Zendaya’s MJ more in this movie, as she really only has a few minutes of screentime.

However, I’m glad they chose not to do another Spider-Man origin story and instead dove right into Peter’s experience as the web-slinger. It allowed for more action and intrigue throughout the movie, and I didn’t see the twist about the villain coming. I also appreciate them letting Ned in on Peter’s secret which allows him to start the FoS (Friends of Spider-Man). Overall, Homecoming is a solid movie, but it didn’t dazzle me in any sort of way.

Best in Tier: Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015)

I wanted this movie to be better than it was. It starts out with a strong action sequence where you get to see the original six working together in a way that clearly indicates they’ve been working as a team for a while now. Crazily enough that is the last time we see all original six together in that form for the rest of the series. Things start to dissolve for them pretty quickly afterward and you can see the start of that in this movie.

Clearly there is already division between the team over the creation of Ultron and later Vision. Then you get some mind control from Wanda on the entire team and watch them start to unravel from the inside out. Sure they come together and save Sokovia in the end, but each individual was brought face to face with their own inner demons and it starts them on a path that ultimately tears the team apart in Civil War. It’s a sad setup considering we had just seen them formally become a team in the Avengers movie right before. We didn’t get much of that golden age.

We’re also introduced to some new players here which I have mixed feelings about. Quicksilver was a favorite of mine but unfortunately he doesn’t make it past one movie. At this time Wanda seemed weak considering her significant powers and it’s only later through WandaVision that they really redeem her character in my eyes. Vision is interesting as a robot can be I suppose. But it’s not quite the same magic as the original six.

Overall, Age of Ultron seemed necessary to move the MCU forward toward their goal of the Infinity Saga, but it’s by far my least favorite Avengers movie. And the terrible handling of the Bruce and Natasha romance probably could’ve dropped this movie a whole tier by itself.

3 tiers down, 3 more to go! All marvel movies beyond this tier are on some level of good to god-tier so let’s keep it going!

Ranking the MCU in 2024

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