Marvel Cinematic Universe Memorabilia

The Marvel Cinematic Universe has been a comic book fans dream come true for demonstrating what superhero movies can be capable of since 2008. No matter how strong it may be currently, it always helps to look back on its history to observe Marvels progress in the past and see how far they have come while recognizing areas that need improvement. Not everything will be perfect and it's important to note the strengths and weaknesses of each comic book movie in the timeline, no matter how much we may love or hate each entry.

  • Phase 1
    • Iron Man: The movie that started the universe follows Tony Stark creating the Iron Man suit after being hit with a dose of reality of how his weapons have been used for malevolent means. I enjoyed this first installment for being a framework that Marvel has followed (for better or worse) and setting the bar superhero movies at the time. ⭑⭑⭑⭑🍿
      • Pros: Robert Downey Jr.'s performance. The quality of the action scenes. The beginning of the Stan Lee cameos. The nice little chemistry between Tony and Pepper. The post credits scene. The nice doses of humor. 
      • Cons: Terrance Howard's performance. The lackluster business partner villain. The beginning of the weak Marvel villains. Not many action scenes.
    • The Incredible Hulk: Another chance at introducing the Hulk to comic book fans, it follows Bruce Banner as he attempts to cure his condition while being hunted down by the military. I thought it was decent, though it's worth noting Hollywood has had a rough history in adapting the character in the most appropriate manner and is sign that it needs improvement. ⭑⭑⭑
      • Pros: The performance of Tim Roth, Tim Blake Nelson, and Edward Norton. The action involving the Hulk, particularly the climax. The post credits scene. Better than Ang Lee film. Police car boxing gloves.
      • Cons: The Hulk isn't given much awesome stunts to show how incredible he can be. Not enough development for the story and out of nowhere subplots that don't go anywhere. 
    • Iron Man 2: Another movie that proved Marvel still has room for improvement where the sequel for Iron Man follows Tony Stark dealing with new developments in his life after revealing his identity to the world. Personally, this is one of the weaker entries in the MCU and a step down from what was set with the first entry. ⭑⭑1/2
      • Pros: Robert Downey Jr's performance. The suitcase armor gadget scene. Don Cheadle as a better actor to portray James Rhodes. 
      • Cons: A business suit villain (again). Too many story pieces that don't matter at all. This is basically boring filler since it doesn't affect anything at all. Less action involved. Underusing Black Widow (and the start of her constant use of her scissor leg grabbing move she does a lot).
    • Thor: Taking a break from Iron Man, we take a trip to one of the nine the realms, Asgard, where the prince Thor is banished to Earth to learn some humility after making a hasty decision. I had a good time with this film for being in a different environment and feel, despite it's own flaws. ⭑⭑⭑1/2
      • Pros: The performances of Chris Hemsworth and Tom Hiddleston. The creative variety of actions. The visuals of Asgard. Thor using Mjolnir in action. Thor and Jane nice little romance. Thor visiting the pet shelter. Loki's start as the MCU's most compelling villain. The post end credits scene. 
      • Cons: Kat Dennings. Loki's convoluted plan. Odin being a terrible father. Stellan Skarsgard could have been given better writing. 
    • Captain America: The First Avenger: Marvel takes us back in time to the 1940s as Steve Rogers enters a super soldier program in order to join the Army and aid in the war effort. I have a good time whenever I watch this as a classic action adventure origin story for Captain America. ⭑⭑⭑⭑🍿
      • Pros: The performances of Chris Evans, Tommy Lee Jones, and Hayley Atwell. The cheesy moments. The brother moments between Steve and Bucky. The post end credits scene. Fun action stunt scenes. The beginning use of the vibranium shield as a frisbee. The nice little tidbit involving the boy in the water encouraging Steve to go after the goon aka "It's okay! I can swim". Having fun with cliches. 
      • Cons: Red Skull falls into normal MCU lackluster villain turf.
    • The Avengers: Finally after setting up origin stories, Marvel brings these characters together in a team up against a crafty villain whose executed plans affect the world with long term consequences. I have a fun time whenever I watch this, especially experiencing it in a large crowded theater of cheering fans sharing the same experience. ⭑⭑⭑⭑1/2🍿
      • Pros: Basically every creative action scene that takes place, whether it involves equipment or just straight up hand to hand combat. Better introduction and uses of Black Widow and Hawkeye. Mark Ruffalo as Bruce Banner/Hulk. That one particular Hulk-Loki scene we all love to laugh at. The good developments later in the timeline following this movie. So many jokes and one liner quips done pretty well. The post credits scene. They chemistry between the actors.
      • Cons: Loki's convoluted plan. Not much development for Hawkeye. The bad developments in the timeline following this movie. Some of the Joss Whedon comedy falling flat.
  • Phase 2
    • Iron Man 3: The first movie to explore the aftermath of the events in the Avengers follows Tony Stark forced to deal with a new threat to his life after one of his close friends is attacked. While I found it more entertaining and an improvement over Iron Man 2, I feel let down with what happened in yet another filler plot for the character not only as a follow up after the events in New York but as another dull Iron Man sequel. ⭑⭑⭑
      • Pros: Robert Downey Jr's performance. The creative action sequences. Fun material for Don Cheadles character to deal with. The interactions between Tony and the kid who helps him. The post end credits scene.
      • Cons: The two dumbest moves that happen here: Tony publicly giving his home address to bring the enemies attention, which leads to him not having a defensive plan in mind when attacked by their minions AND the entire Mandarin reveal. Yet another dull evil businessman villain. The underuse of Pepper Potts and Gwyneth Paltrow. Tony Stark for some weird reason getting panic attacks. 
    • Thor: The Dark World: Continuing the storylines post-Avengers finds Asgard attacked by a new threat connecting a chain of events involving Thor's girlfriend and follows him in a race across the cosmos in parts of the adventure trying to foil a new villains plans. For all the problems I have with the Iron Man sequels, I found this Thor sequel very disappointing and more dull as well as a boring time waster while currently being the worst movie the MCU has put out (so far). ⭑⭑
      • Pros: The performances of Chris Hemsworth and Tom Hiddleston. The creative use of a certain concept in the climatic battle. The interactions between Loki and Thor (despite the limited screen time for the former). 
      • Cons: The dull focus on Jane. More Kat Dennings. The only point was to establish an infinity stone. Lack of wonder when in Asgaard. The most forgettable MCU villain of all time. Action was tame and incredibly lackluster. Lack of emotion surrounding a certain character's death. The weakest use of the post-New York effects in a movie. Natalie Portman, Christopher Eccleston, and Stellan Skarsgard being wasted. 
    • Captain America: The Winter Soldier: The third film post-Avengers observes Steve Rogers adapting to an changing world while discovering a powerful conspiracy happening in an organization he serves to protect the world along with an old relic from his past life thought dead. I was blown away by how exceptional the sequel film was in not only expanding on established characters but the effort put into it. ⭑⭑⭑⭑1/2🍿
      • Pros: The performances of Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Samuel Jackson, and Sebastian Stan. Great action scenes. Great development for Steve Rogers. Better material for Black Widow and her interactions with Captain America. A good introduction for Falcon. An espionage spy film kind of feel. The conspiracy and its affect on Marvel's Agents of Shield. A great use of developing the world following the aftermath of the Avengers. The consequences it carries to the rest of the MCU. 
      • Cons: The Winter Soldier could have been given a little more screen time. 
    • Guardians of the Galaxy: Another installment taking place in the cosmos follows Marvel introducing a new teams of misfits (basically the Space Avengers) being forced to team up on a relatively simple mission that becomes something bigger than what they were expecting while introducing an upcoming big bad that we would have to wait a very long time to meet. I fell in love with this movie from start to finish with everything new and different being introduced, as a result becoming my one of my favorite MCU movies. ⭑⭑⭑⭑1/2🍿
      • Pros: The performances of the Chris Pratt, Dave Bautista, Zoe Saldana, and Bradley Cooper. It doesn't take itself seriously. The zany action scenes, whether it's a laser gun shootout, hand to hand combat, and battles in the spaceship. The climatic battle. The use of the infinity stone. The casting and actions of Yondu and him in action. The entire scene involving The Collector and exposition of the Infinity Stones, including Benicio Del Toro's performance. The development for Star Lord, Drax the Destroyer, and Rocket Raccoon. "I am Groot". "We are Groot". The post credits scene. The entire soundtrack. You don't need any of the previous films to get ready for this one. It doesn't take itself seriously.
      • Cons: Not enough material for Gamora. Weak Marvel alien villain. 
    • The Avengers: Age of Ultron: The time has come for the Avengers to unite again to finish some leftover business from before and come across a new threat they have created that will affect the world. I thought it was average but very clunky with the number of side stories going on while still being entertaining. ⭑⭑⭑
      • Pros: Better development for Hawkeye. The Hulkbuster battle scene. The humor still works well. Introducing Scarlett Witch and Quicksilver (mainly the former). Paul Bettany as Vision. The party scene involving Thor's hammer, including his reaction at a certain point.
      • Cons: Repeating a lot things that happened in the Avengers. Ultron being a weak villain. The effect it had in breaking Joss Whedon. The romance between Bruce Banner and Natasha Romanoff not working that well in general. The convoluted villain plan (again). The confusing nature of creating Vision. More filler setting up for other movie such as Thor: Ragnarok and Infinity War. Even though the humor worked, it could have toned down on the use of jokes. It could have done without a few action scenes in exchange for more story development. Seemed pretty rushed.
    • Ant-Man: Continuing to expand on the world after Sokovia incident after the Age of Ultron, Marvel introduces another light hearted character in Scott Lang as he is hired to use Hank Pym's equipment to enact a heist that will ultimately affect the fate of the world. While it follows the Iron Man formula again, I have an enjoyable time with how much fun it can be. ⭑⭑⭑⭑🍿
      • Pros: The performances of Paul Rudd, Evangline Lily, and Michael Douglass. The humor, especially from Michael Pena. The climatic battle. All of the shrinking sequences. The father-daughter relationships. Ant-Man's encounter with one of the Avengers. 
      • Cons: Yet another lackluster Marvel Villain. The behind the scenes issues involving Edgar Wright. A copycat of the Iron Man formula. 
  • Phase 3
    • Captain America: Civil War: Deciding to change the status quo after building tension with the events in New York, Sarkovia, and the incident with SHIELD, government intervention have divided the Avengers with one faction led by Steve Rogers and Tony Stark, which leads to new developments that affect their world. I really liked this third entry to the Captain America trilogy and have a hard time determining whether it's better than The Winter Soldier. ⭑⭑⭑⭑🍿
      • Pros: The performances of Chris Evans and Robert Downey Jr. The introduction and portrayals of Black Panther and Spider-Man. The airport fight sequence and its surprise tricks. "We haven't met yet. I'm Clint" "I don't care". The post credits scene. It's a good version of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (if you don't think so look at the honest trailer for Civil War and it mentions a good number of them). 
      • Cons: The airport fight has one fundamental flaw that could have been exploited to stop Captain America and Bucky from escaping. Another confusing convoluted villain plan that's harder to follow than Luthor's plan in Batman v Superman. Marvel's treatment of Crossbones in the first 10 minutes. Too much dialog. The choppy editing of the action.
    • Doctor Strange: Taking a break from the Avengers shenanigans, Marvel brings Stephen Strange, a talented doctor horribly injured after an accident, into a strange mystical environment and deals with the morality of magic use while having to contend with an ancient evil that threatens the world. I had an enjoyable time with this adventure and how different the environment was compared to the past movies. 
      • Pros: The performances of the main cast. Amazing visuals. Great action. The newest member to the Avengers: The cloak of levitation! "You don't know how to use that do you?" "Dormammu! I've come to bargain!" The Eye of Agamotto. The car crash scene. Both of the end credits scenes. The new Marvel logo! 
      • Cons: Lackluster villains. A copycat of Iron Man formula (again). The terrible security of the temples. The story's pacing issues.
    • Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 2: Taking place a few months after their victory over Ronin the Accuser, The Guardians find themselves confronting their individual family issues after encountering Peter Quill's long lost father while avoiding being hunted by the Ravagers and the Sovereign. While not as good as its predecessor, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 proves itself as a good sequel that allows emotional character growth, gorgeous visuals, an amazing soundtrack, over-the-top action, and fun quirky humor. ⭑⭑⭑⭑🍿
      • Pros: "Do you have any Scotch tape?" The character development for Star Lord, Gamora, Rocket, and Yondu. Drax's interactions with Peter and Mantis. Anything involving Mantis. Gamora given better material to work with. The gorgeous visuals. The soundtrack (though not as good as the first movie). "I'm Mary Frickin Poppins!" The sweet moments in looking at each characters family issues. Being restrictive with Baby Groot usage. The action scenes. The system behind the Sovereign drones. The five post credit scenes. The funeral scene. Ego and his plans for Star Lord.
      • Cons: The Sovereign lacking. The first half was a little disjointed with a lot of moving pieces. The Taserface joke not really effective. A little bit exhausting to watch (but still fun). Chris Pratt's dramatic acting and his arc being the weakest.
    • Spider-Man Homecoming: Taking place somewhere after Captain America: Civil War, Peter Parker and his reckless attitude seeks to prove himself to Iron Man by taking on the Vulture while making life worse for his fellow high school peers and without giving us any emotional attachment to the main character. Spider-Man: Homecoming is a pleasant lighthearted Marvel film that brings the titular character into a fresh new setting, though as a Spider-Man movie its focus on its main storyline ignores potential bond building moments important to the hero. ⭑⭑⭑
      • Pros: Tom Holland and Michael Keaton's performances. Peter's coming of age story arc. The interrogation scene between Peter and Vulture (insert Batman jokes). The funny moments of humor from Karen. The fascinating concept Adrian introduces to Peter. The last post credits scenes. Not killing Keaton. Interrogation Mode. 
      • Cons: Plays it too safe. Most of Ned's stereotypical behavior highlighting the Marvel fatigue. The marketing spoiled too many surprises. Most of the action scenes being too tame and not at all threatening to Spider-Man who's basically on his way to becoming a god. The lack of screen time for the Aunt May-Peter Parker family bond. Bland romantic interest. Too much setting seeds in for future. Hot Aunt May Jokes. Too much immature humor. Lack of emotional connection. Spider sense neutered. Homecoming dance has less than two minutes of screen time despite the title of the movie being Spider-Man: Homecoming. The "I thought this was the anti-gravity gun" scene. 
    • Thor Ragnarok: The third entry in the Thor trilogy follows Thor and Loki being banished to a far away planet by their evil sister Hela, the goddess of death, and the formers efforts to go back home to prevent the coming apocalypse of Ragnarok. Thor: Ragnarok was incredibly underwhelming and generically boring to watch in how overrated it was. ⭑⭑⭑
      • Pros: The Hulk Thor arena fight. Tessa Thompson and Cate Blanchett's performances. The visuals of the Valkyrie flashback. The interactions between Thor and Hulk
      • Cons: Anti-climatic Odin death. Underutilizing Hela. COMEDY PUSHED TOO FAR. Asgaard being destroyed felt lackluster. Loki's predictable prankster attitude growing stale. Underwhelming action. The orgy joke.
    • Black Panther: Taking place after Captain America Civil War, our newly introduced protagonist confronts new responsibilities a king of Wakanda while dealing with sins of the past with malevolent intent. This was something that what was very much needed and while I liked it, I wasn't in love with as other people were. ⭑⭑⭑1/2
      • Pros: T'Challa's 3 'Bond Women" Shuri, Okoye, and Nekia. Eric Kilmonger as a solid villain. The casino and car chase sequence. The moral message. M'Baku. The remote control devices created by Shuri.  
      • Cons: The third act climax. The past coming back to haunt you cliche. Downgrading T'Challa's fighting prowess from Civil War. T'Challa being overshadowed. Everett Ross. W'Kabu's rushed betrayal. Killing off Kilmonger. The rushed stale exposition land of the first act that doesn't pick up until after the main villain arrives. The cringeworthy CGI. 
    • Avengers Infinity War: Two years after Captain America: Civil War, the titanic ruler Thanos is on a violent path for the Infinity Stones and the might of the Avengers along with the Guardians of the Galaxy venture out to prevent this from happening. This has been a huge event in the making and it didn't disappoint. There's a lot going on in here that I enjoy but then there are some personal problems I have since it also relies on emotional investment in these characters. ⭑⭑⭑⭑
      • Pros: The action sequences. Most of the character interactions (mainly Team Thor and Team Iron Man). Killing of Heimdall and Loki. Gamora and Star Lord's romance. The ending. Thanos as a character. Some moments during the battle of Wakanda. Red Skull returns. Usage of Mantis. The Black Order boss battles. The post credits scene. 
      • Cons: Lack of investment in Team Cap. Scarlett Witch and Vision relationship. Lackluster execution of concept with Bruce Banner/Hulk. 
    • Ant-Man and the Wasp: Two years after Scott Lang was placed in house, he finds himself teaming up with the Pym family on a dangerous adventure to find a lost member. After the heavy impact from Infinity War, this was the small happy film that was to give audiences a laugh to calm down. While not as strong as the first Ant-Man, it's still a fun ride despite its more noticeable bumps. ⭑⭑⭑1/2
      • Pros: The performances of Paul Rudd, Michael Douglas, Evangeline Lily, and Hannah. The de-aging technology. The special effects. 
      • Cons: Too many ingredients in the script. Walton Goggins being the most unnecessary character. The comedy being inconsistent. The rushed romance between Scott and Hope
    • Captain Marvel: Captain Marvel lacks cohesive focus due to a crowded script, absence of emotional investment in the stakes at hand, and bland characterization of the lead, but shines with momentary spots of entertainment and a good score. ⭑⭑3/4
      • Pros
      • Cons

Ranking the MCU Movies
  1. Captain America: The Winter Soldier
  2. Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol 2
  3. Avengers Endgame
  4. Avengers Infinity War 
  5. Guardians of the Galaxy
  6. Avengers
  7. Iron Man
  8. Captain America: Civil War
  9. Ant-Man
  10. Doctor Strange
  11. Black Panther
  12. Captain America: The First Avenger
  13. Ant-Man and the Wasp
  14. Avengers: Age of Ultron
  15. Thor
  16. Spider-Man: Homecoming
  17. Thor: Ragnarok
  18. Iron Man 3
  19. The Incredible Hulk
  20. Iron Man 2
  21. Captain Marvel
  22. Thor: The Dark World 

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