Phase 5 of the MCU has officially wrapped, with Phase 6 now underway as of The Fantastic Four: First Steps. Though MCU Phase 5 has some big successes, it may go down as one of the most divisive eras of the Marvel Studios canon.
With the second entry in MCU Phase 6, Marvel Zombies, coming to Disney Plus, we're looking back at all the films and series from MCU Phase 5, ranking them from best to worst. Where does your favorite land? Let us know your personal rankings in the comments.
14. Secret Invasion
Secret Invasion is not just the worst of MCU Phase 5, it's one of the worst entries in the entire Marvel Studios canon. Even setting aside the controversy of its AI generated credits sequence, the show feels less like an adaptation of one of Marvel's most shocking comic events than a lifeless, perfunctory attempt at justifying the use of the show's title.
Not even the cast, which includes Samuel L. Jackson's Nick Fury, Ben Mendelsohn's Talos, and Olivia Coleman's Sonya Falsworth, can make the show watchable, and the evolution of Emilia Clarke's G'iah into a Super Skrull did more to confuse audiences than excite them. Overall, Secret Invasion is easily the most skippable and unappealing entry in MCU Phase 5.
13. Captain America: Brave New World
Captain America: Brave New World had so much potential in its plot. Showcasing Sam Wilson's first big solo outing as Cap, the inclusion of Tim Blake Nelson's Leader and Harrison Ford's Thunderbolt Ross/Red Hulk comes so close to having a poignant message about the adversarial nature of modern politics, but pulls back its fangs at all the wrong moments.
Brave New World is also saddled by layers and layers of obvious reshoots, jokey script punch-ups, and seemingly cut-off plotlines, leaving it unable to be saved even by decent performances from Anthony Mackey as Sam Wilson and Carl Lumbly as Isaiah Bradley.
12. What If...? season 2
What If…? season 2 is entirely fine, with some decent episodes and interesting twists on MCU canon. But it tends to suffer from the same issues that weigh down many alt-reality superhero stories, including a lack of stakes for the main continuity, and sense of being inherently inessential to the overall narrative of the MCU.
Nonetheless, it's got some standout entries, in particular the Marvel Zombies episode that has spun-off into its own impending animated streaming series, which feels like it may be a more cohesive attempt at exploring another world in the Marvel Multiverse
11. Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania
Paul Rudd's Ant-Man is one of the most likeable characters in the MCU, fitting seamlessly into an ensemble Avengers cast. So why does Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania feel so hard to watch? Some of it's due to the overly obvious green screen environments and the CGI effects which come off as somewhat unfinished or off-putting in many cases.
A lot of it is due to the oddly bloated plot, which reaches for world-threatening stakes, often exceeding its grasp. And a good chunk of it is due to an overstuffed cast with too many side characters who are left with little development. Still, Quantumania has its moments, making it worth a watch at least once (though fans may find themselves unlikely to return for a second viewing).
10. The Marvels
Despite its charming cast and perfectly serviceable plot, The Marvels fell flat at the box office. Maybe it's due to the pressure on the film to marry no less than three separate MCU plotlines into a single narrative, or maybe it's due to the quirky nature of the film, which includes one of the MCU's very few musical sequences.
Whatever the case, The Marvels winds up living and dying by a few fantastic moments and the enjoyable dynamic of its lead characters, leaving a bit too much daylight between its core successes and its glaring misses.
9. Echo
For fans craving a return to the street level action of Marvel's now defunct Netflix Defenders series, Echo felt like a great first step back into those waters. Anchored by the captivating performance of Alaqua Cox as the title character, Echo succeeds by staying largely in its realm of small-town crime and the cycle of violence between Maya Lopez and Wilson Fisk.
If there's anything that holds the show back, it's the slightly underwhelming ending which suffers from a lack of dynamic action. Nonetheless, the series succeeds at leaving fans wanting more of Echo herself.
9. Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man
As the latest Spider-Man animated series, Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man has earned a place in the hearts of Spidey fans thanks to its approach to a young Peter Parker learning the ropes as a superhero and its interpretation of his supporting cast. If there's any big drawback to the show, it's that it takes some serious squinting to make it feel like it fits into the MCU at all.
Though the show's original intent was to fit into Spider-Man's MCU continuity, that left a dearth of available villains and characters. In the end, that attempt to dance between raindrops winds up being the show's double-edge sword - both a strength in its freedom to adapt numerous characters that would otherwise be off-limits, and as a weakness in the distance it creates between the show and the MCU.
8. Loki season 2
Loki season 2 is a bit of a mixed bag. Though it offers up some fantastic developments for Tom Hiddleston's title character, and the final episode is one of the finest Marvel TV has produced, it's weighed down by feeling a bit too long, and by a repellently eccentric performance by Jonathan Majors as the obnoxious Victor Timely.
That said, the show also succeeds with some of its new characters, especially Ke Huy Quan's Ouroboros, and it does set the stage for Loki's role in the coming Multiversal conflagration of Phase 6 quite nicely. What will truly solidify the show's legacy in MCU canon is how its finale informs the one-two punch of Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars.
6. Ironheart
Ironheart may be the biggest sleeper hit of MCU Phase 5, thanks in part to a combination of fatigue toward Marvel's streaming shows and a campaign to review bomb the series.
However, those who tuned in to the series, released over just two weeks, Ironheart was packed with great performances, big twists, and a story that shockingly feels more like the origin of a villain than a superhero. And with great performances from lead actor Dominique Thorne and Alden Ehrenreich - who often steals the show - there's a lot to love about Ironheart.
5. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
James Gunn's Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy might be the best series of the MCU, with each film managing to deftly split the difference between the filmmaker's twin sensibilities of sensitive character development and raucously absurd comedy.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 continues this tradition in spades, though it does become a bit more unwieldy than the previous two films as it tries to balance its multiple new characters. And the horrifically traumatic nature of Rocket's backstory, while handled with care, might be a little much to make this one as consistent a rewatch as the first two Guardians movies.
4. Agatha All Along
Of all Marvel's Phase 5 projects, Agatha All Along may have been the most surprising of the bunch. Though Marvel's Disney Plus streaming series have been mixed bags, Agatha takes the formula and runs with it with a more effective version of its predecessor WandaVision's decade-by-decade conceit.
Coupled with a fantastic cast and some truly inspired filmmaking touches, Agatha's biggest drawback may be its ending, which follows Marvel's often frustrating trend of ending shows in places that feel less like the finale of the story, and more like a preview of what's next, with no promise of when or where the tale will continue.
3. Daredevil: Born Again
Picking up where the beloved Netflix Daredevil streaming series left off, Daredevil: Born Again has become not just a new adventure for the Man Without Fear and his arch-enemy Wilson Fisk, but a hub for a whole corner of the MCU on the bloody, grimy streets of New York, far below the gleaming heights of Avengers Tower.
Born Again hasn't shied away from the most visceral aspects of Daredevil canon, bringing in some of the best recent plot points from comics. And with the promise of a second, and even a third season, the fact that we already know where the story will continue is a huge leg up on many MCU properties.
2. Deadpool & Wolverine
It's a tough call between Deadpool & Wolverine and the top film on this list - a razor-sharp claw's edge. As one of the MCU's most anticipated films of Phase 5, Deadpool & Wolverine definitely delivered on its promise of a bloody, action-packed - and hilarious - shared adventure between its two fan-favorite leads.
Though it doesn't quite take our top spot, it's not for any lack of quality, as few MCU films have been able to truly capture the potential of their premise as well as Deadpool & Wolverine. It even delivers the best cinematic Wolverine fight scene ever, as he and Wade Wilson hack-and-slash their way through the endless waves of the Deadpool Corps.
1. Thunderbolts*
It may not have been Marvel's biggest success at the box office, but Thunderbolts* is pound-for-pound the most exciting achievement of the studio's Phase 5. The film, later double-titled New Avengers thanks to its climax, packs in more humor, heart, and impressive filmmaking feats than many Marvel films of the last several years.
Add in a pitch-perfect cast, including some of the MCU's best recent villains, and an ending that wraps its heartfelt themes up with a bow, and Thunderbolts* is a winner. The film also has one of the most compelling finales and post-credits sequences in some time, flipping the expectations about Phase 6 on their heads.
Make sure to stay up to date on all the upcoming Marvel movies and shows in Marvel Phase 6 and beyond.
