The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) has kept fans and critics alike immensely entertained for almost an entire decade. The monstrous franchise is currently at a whopping 17 movies in, showing no signs of slowing down. Every installment in the MCU boasts a fresh critic score and impressively-favorable audience ratings which illustrates the widespread appeal of these comic book movies. Check out where your favorite addition ranks in the top rated Marvel movies (so far) according to Rotten Tomatoes‘ Tomatometer.
RELATED: Avengers Vanity Fair Covers and Photos from the 10-Year Shoot
10. Ant-Man (2015) | Tomatometer: 82%, Audience Score: 86%
Average Critic Rating: 6.8/10
Fresh/Rotten Reviews Counted: 232/52
Cast: Paul Rudd, Evangeline Lilly, Corey Stoll, Michael Douglas and Michael Peña
Director: Peyton Reed
Following the controversy surrounding Edgar Wright’s departure from directing Ant-Man, many were skeptical in seeing how Peyton Reed would tackle introducing the world to a man who could shrink down to the size of an ant. With an intriguing heist plot and critics loving Paul Rudd’s “charming performance,” Ant-Man was a hit with audiences and the box office, grossing over $519 million worldwide. The highly-anticipated sequel, Ant-Man and The Wasp, hits theaters on July 6th, 2018.
9. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017) | Tomatometer: 82%, Audience: 88%
Average Rating: 7.2/10
Fresh/Rotten: 267/57
Cast: Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, Bradley Cooper, Karen Gillan, Vin Diesel, Kurt Russell and Michael Rooker
Director: James Gunn
Although the sequel to 2014’s Guardians of the Galaxy took a slight dip in its critic score, audiences flocked to see the beloved Guardians in Vol. 2 with Chicago critic Richard Roeper noting the sequel “still packs a bright and shiny and sweet punch.” In a summer boasting some awesome superhero competition with a new Spider-Man incarnation and Wonder Woman standalone, Vol. 2 grossed over $863 million at the worldwide box office. The third installment of the Guardians franchise is set for release in 2020.
8. Doctor Strange (2016) | Tomatometer: 89%, Audience: 86%
Average Rating: 7.3/10
Fresh/Rotten: 271/32
Cast: Benedict Cumberbatch, Tilda Swinton, Rachel McAdams, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Mads Mikkelsen and Michael Stuhlbarg
Director: Scott Derrickson
Mind-bending effects and a stellar lead performance from Benedict Cumberbatch who “knows how to get a big laugh from nothing more than an arched eyebrow” as stated by TIME Magazine critic Stephanie Zacharek, Doctor Strange introduced audiences to the MCU’s disgraced surgeon-turned-powerful sorcerer. The film is another financial success for Marvel, grossing an impressive $677 million on $165 million budget. While Stephen Strange will appear in other MCU properties, a Strange sequel “won’t be for a while” as Marvel head honcho Kevin Feige revealed in October 2017: “Finishing the first three phases, getting Untitled Avengers out into the world [in 2019] before publicly focusing on anything else.”
7. Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014) | Tomatometer: 89%, Audience: 92%
Average Rating: 7.6/10
Fresh/Rotten: 241/31
Cast: Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Anthony Mackie, Samuel L. Jackson, Sebastian Stan and Frank Grillo
Director: Joe and Anthony Russo
The film that kicked off the idea of modern superhero movies being so much more than simple fanfare began with 2014’s Winter Soldier, or as it’s better known as, “it’s not a superhero movie – It’s a political thriller!” While Captain America; The First Avenger received favorable critic reviews, its sequel wowed fans and critics alike as Steve Rogers began to uncover the messy truth behind S.H.I.E.L.D. The Mirror critic David Edwards scored the film a perfect 5/5, bestowing it the honor of “the best Marvel movie ever.” Winter Soldier went on to become the seventh-highest-grossing film of 2014 as it earned over $714 million worldwide.
6. Captain America: Civil War (2016) | Tomatometer: 91%, Audience: 89%
Average Rating: 7.6/10
Fresh/Rotten: 324/34
Cast: Chris Evans, Robert Downey Jr., Sebastian Stan, Scarlett Johansson, Anthony Mackie and Don Cheadle
Director: Joe and Anthony Russo
The 2016 juggernaut and third installment of the Captain America franchise, Civil War became the highest-grossing film of 2016 beating out the likes of Rogue One, Finding Dory and Zootopia (Disney must have thrown the biggest bash at the end of that year) as it grossed a healthy $1.15 billion worldwide. It is also the fourth highest-earning MCU film behind Iron Man 3, Age ff Ultron and The Avengers. It was clear that seeing two of the biggest MCU characters pit against each other was a prospect that needed to be seen on the biggest screen possible. The Russo brothers returned and managed to knock “it out of the park twice”, as The New Paper’s Jonathan Roberts states. Civil War kicked off the third Phase of the MCU with immense critical praise and had fans bursting at the seams for what was next to come.
5. Guardians of the Galaxy (2014) | Tomatometer: 91%, Audience: 92%
Average Rating: 7.7/10
Fresh/Rotten: 268/27
Cast: Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, Bradley Cooper, Vin Diesel, Lee Pace and Michael Rooker
Director: James Gunn
Guardians of the Galaxy introduced mainstream audiences to a sharp-talking raccoon and gentle tree giant. Chris Pratt became a household name following his ridiculously charming performance as Peter Quill/Star-Lord and shirtless selfies seen around the world. The film earned over $773 million worldwide and was nominated for two Academy Awards in the makeup and visual effects categories. The technical achievements in Guardians were noted in many critic reviews, however the flawless incorporation of the music is easily the most noteworthy aspect of the film. Daily Express’s Brigit Grant notes that the music “raises the bar in this film as, during moments of extreme danger, a Seventies classic comes on to ease the tension.” Peter Quill’s mixtape seemingly resonated with a ton of fans as the film’s soundtrack, Awesome Mix Vol. 1, sold over 1.75 million copies in the United States alone and reignited the spark felt when you dance like nobody’s watching.
4. Thor: Ragnarok (2017) | Tomatometer: 92%, Audience: 88%
Average Rating: 7.5/10
Fresh/Rotten: 274/24
Cast: Chris Hemsworth, Cate Blanchett, Tessa Thompson, Tom Hiddleston and Sir Anthony Hopkins
Director: Taika Waititi
It certainly isn’t a stretch to think that the previous Thor installments haven’t exactly been the most excitable of films. Although each of the previous installments made more money than the last, the RT scores declined with Thor: The Dark World being the only MCU film besides 2008’s The Incredible Hulk to not be certified fresh (it is at a 66% compared to Thor’s 77%). The Thor trajectory has now shot way up as its third installment, Ragnarok, is the most successful Thor film to date and also boasts an impressive 92% on the Tomatometer. There are a number of factors that make Ragnarok the superior Thor film, which include the involvement of acting heavyweights Cate Blanchett and Jeff Goldblum doing his best Jeff Goldblum impression, a vibrantly colorful aesthetic and capitalizing on Chris Hemsworth’s natural charm by allowing Thor to be unabashedly witty. Ragnarok may have stretched the humor a bit for some, however; critics overwhelmingly enjoyed what the film brought to the MCU. The film currently has a worldwide total of nearly $800 million, surpassing the total grosses for the previous Thor installments and has many craving for more Taika Waititi involvement in future MCU films.
3. Marvel’s The Avengers (2012) | Tomatometer: 92%, Audience: 91%
Average Rating: 8/10
Fresh/Rotten: 302/26
Cast: Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson and Jeremy Renner
Director: Joss Whedon
The most financially successful MCU film to date, The Avengers was the culmination of four years spent building up their Cinematic Universe with this conclusion of Phase 1. The film earned over $1.5 billion worldwide and is not only the most successful MCU film to date, it’s the fifth-highest grossing film of all-time behind Jurassic World, The Force Awakens, Titanic and Avatar. Hype levels were astronomical for this film and thanks to fantastic visuals, “authenticity of the characters” as noted by critic Candice Frederick, and impressive direction from Joss Whedon, The Avengers exceeded the expectations set forward by virtually every moviegoer. While its sequel, Age 0f Ultron, didn’t receive as much critical praise as its predecessor (Ultron sits at a 75%), it still earned an astounding $1.4 billion at the worldwide box office with fans itching for more Avengers; the third installment, Infinity War, is set for a May 4th, 2018 release date with a fourth film releasing one year after it.
2. Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017), | Tomatometer: 92%, Audience: 89%
Average Rating: 7.6/10
Fresh/Rotten: 281/24
Cast: Tom Holland, Michael Keaton, Zendaya, Jacob Batalon and Donald Glover
Director: Jon Watts
Tom Holland’s starring role in Spider-Man: Homecoming marked the third iteration of Peter Parker on the big screen (following a brief cameo in Civil War) with many wondering if Spider-Man fatigue would ultimately set in due to the relatively disappointing performance of Marc Webb’s Amazing Spider-Man films. Utilizing John Hughes as inspiration and channeling its spirit for Homecoming was an incredibly smart decision to make since “it’s this strand that sets the movie’s enjoyably breezy tone and gives Holland’s puppyish charm the chance to shine” as noted by critic Jason Best. Prior to Homecoming, Jon Watts’ directing credits included a low-budget Eli Roth-produced horror and a Kevin Bacon road thriller so many were surprised to see just how impressive of a job he did on this big-budget superhero blockbuster. Homecoming went on to gross over $880 million worldwide and is the highest-grossing superhero film of 2017, beating out the likes of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, Wonder Woman and Thor: Ragnarok. The second installment of this new Spider-Man universe releases in July 2019.
1. Iron Man (2008) | Tomatometer: 94%, Audience: 91%
Average Rating: 7.7/10
Fresh/Rotten: 251/17
Cast: Robert Downey Jr., Terrence Howard, Jeff Bridges, Gwyneth Paltrow, Leslie Bibb and Shaun Toub
Director: Jon Favreau
Almost ten years later, and although it has been incredibly close, no MCU movie has been able to dethrone the RT score for 2008’s Iron Man. The film ushered in the modern Cinematic Universe and established Marvel Studios to become the powerhouse studio we all know and love today. Robert Downey Jr.’s charismatic portrayal of Tony Stark, the genius billionaire playboy philanthropist, was met with immense praise, which was certainly a plus for the studio since he was a bit of a risk to take on. NPR’s Bob Mondello went on to say, if “every superhero franchise had a Robert Downey Jr., the genre might actually be watchable again,” an intriguing insight into how the superhero realm was viewed at the time. For every The Dark Knight or Iron Man, there was a Fantastic Four, Daredevil or Elektra. The film went on to gross over $585 million worldwide and was the second-highest domestic gross of 2008, behind the aforementioned Dark Knight.
