We rank our 10 favorite movies to have come out of the Marvel comic book universe.
[dropcap size=small]S[/dropcap]o, this is Top 10, and it works like this; The Geek Outpost team agrees upon a subject, we all pitch our ideas, and then one of us takes 10 of those ideas, puts them in order and writes them up by way of a list that the rest of the team disagrees with. It’s simple, really.
Today’s list is Top 10 Marvel movies. Now, by Marvel movies, we’re talking any movie to have come from the Marvel comic book universe, and not just films within the Marvel Cinematic Universe. We’ve also excluded collaborations to make things more interesting (we all know The Avengers is the best Marvel movie). The X-Men, Fantastic 4, Guardians of the Galaxy etc. are still fair game as the characters don’t have their own individual films, unless you count X-Men Origins: Wolverine. But no one counts X-Men Origins: Wolverine.
10: Daredevil (2003)
Just kidding.
10: The Amazing Spider-Man (2012)
I was struggling for a number 10, and I put The Amazing Spider-Man in because I think it gets a bad rap. Sure, it plays it a little safe, but they cast the perfect Spider-Man (Andrew Garfield) and his real-life girlfriend (Emma Stone) for some added chemistry, and it works. You care about these characters. Add some impressive choreography and goofy comedy and you’ve got yourself an enjoyable Spider-Man reboot.
9: X-Men: First Class (2011)
Featuring a Wolverine cameo that even Stan Lee would be proud of, First Class revived the X-Men films. Matthew Vaughn’s directing and the distinct 60’s feel provides a fresh take on the X-Men franchise, and the duo of McAvoy and Fassbender live up to their older selves, which is no easy thing when your older selves are played by Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellen.
8: Thor (2011)
Thor had a tough job in balancing Asgardian fantasy and fish-out-of-water comedy, but the heavyweight cast, including Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman and Anthony Hopkins, are able to pull it off easily.
7: Spider-Man (2002)
Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man still holds up today. Well before any Cinematic Universe had even been conceived, Spider-Man was the first example of a classic superhero movie, and has influenced many more since.
6: X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014)
Any film that wipes The Last Stand from existence is a good film in my book. No one really knew what the hell was happening to the timeline through most of Future Past, but still everyone loved it, which says a lot about the performances and the action in the movie. Also Patrick Stewart.
5: Ant-Man (2015)
Ant-Man is a real breath of fresh air. Where the Avengers have faced armies of robots and a literal God, Ant-Man fights a guy on a kid’s train set. Ant-Man never takes itself too seriously, and neither does Paul Rudd (a welcome addition to the MCU) in the role.
4: Iron Man (2008)
Where would Marvel be without Iron Man, or rather, without Robert Downey Jr.? Downey blew us away in a film no one expected much from, and it’s arguably because of him, and this film, that there is a Marvel Cinematic Universe at all.
3: Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)
The Winter Soldier is confirmation that Marvel can pretty much do anything. Making a spy thriller in the midst of these epic action movies could have been a straight up disaster, and there was extra pressure to make it good given that Captain America: The First Avenger was just sort of thrown together. The Winter Soldier is a film that knows exactly what it is, and the choreography alone makes up for any lack of robot armies or flying dudes.
2: Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)
Like Winter Soldier, Guardians has its own, unique personality. It’s a comedy in space, and yet it’s warm and relatable enough that it doesn’t become silly. Director James Gunn had the advantage of playing with characters far less recognised than some of the others in the MCU, and he used it alright. The characters are so different from what we’re used to, and they complement each other so well, that you never know where the next joke is coming from.
1: Spider-Man 2 (2004)
I said before that Spider-Man was a classic superhero movie – Spider-Man 2 is a perfect superhero movie. It doesn’t dismiss the first film; it learned from its mistakes and improved upon it, which is a rare thing in sequels. It’s a darker, funnier, more emotional and better-paced movie, and its villain, for me, is the best villain in Marvel comic book movie history. There have been some brilliant Marvel movies since 2004, but they’re all chasing Spider-Man 2.
