Marvel Studios has delivered a total of six trilogies since 2008, and we’re now ranking all of those from worst to best, including the one that just wrapped up with Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. Check it out!
Since 2008, Marvel Studios has released dozens of movies and TV shows, but we’ve only had a total of six trilogies. Those include the Captain America, Iron Man, Thor, and Spider-Man franchises, along with some unexpected offerings like Ant-Man and Guardians of the Galaxy.
Earlier this month, Vol. 3 wrapped the latter trilogy up and that got us thinking: which of these Marvel Cinematic Universe trilogies is the best one? They’re all very different and have boasted movies of varying quality, telling sometimes very connected, and also not so connected, stories along the way.
Now, many of you will wonder why The Avengers franchise isn’t mentioned here, but we’d argue that those were, in fact, two duologies (The Avengers & Avengers: Age of Ultron and Avengers: Infinity War & Avengers: Endgame).
To check out this ranking, all you guys need to do is click on the “Next” button below.
6. Ant-Man
In many ways, it’s hard to believe Ant-Man got his own trilogy, but to call it a disappointment wouldn’t be unfair. Kicking off with a movie in 2015 that inherited many of Edgar Wright’s ideas for the project before Peyton Reed took over, it was a strong start for this franchise.
Unfortunately, Ant-Man and The Wasp was nowhere near as imaginative and struggled to do either of its title characters justice. As for Quantumania, that was a disastrous start to Phase 5, and proof shooting a movie almost entirely within The Volume results in soulless storytelling and little more.
Reed is a capable filmmaker, but one who doesn’t have the necessary vision to help a trilogy like this excel. We just hope Scott and Hope get a second chance.
5. Thor
2011’s Thor was a huge departure for the MCU, especially as Iron Man had been front and centre until that point. The God of Thunder was no Spider-Man and not even as popular as the X-Men, so the fact Kenneth Branagh made his introduction work was key to helping this shared world thrive.
While the opening chapter of this trilogy didn’t break a huge amount of new ground, Alan Taylor’s Thor: The Dark World – which promised a Game of Thrones-inspired portrayal of Asgard – was a chaotic mess and a mostly bad movie. Thankfully, Taika Waititi saved the day with 2017’s Thor: Ragnarok.
His sense of humour isn’t for everyone, but throwing the Odinson into Planet Hulk gave the Avenger a much-needed fresh start. It’s just a shame he dropped the ball when Thor: Love and Thunder rolled around.
4. Iron Man
Iron Man was the movie which created the MCU as we know it, and even fifteen years on, it remains a classic. The same sadly can’t be said for Iron Man 2, a follow-up which was more preoccupied with setting up The Avengers than telling a compelling story with its lead character.
It wasn’t all bad, but Iron Man 3 was a clear improvement. However, Shane Black had a very different approach to the Armoured Avenger than Jon Favreau, and it didn’t work for a lot of MCU fans. That was particularly the case with the threequel’s portrayal of The Mandarin!
In terms of VFX, this trilogy was groundbreaking. When it comes to storytelling, though, it only just manages to beat what we got from the Thor movies!
3. Captain America
Joe Johnston’s Captain America: The First Avenger is an underrated gem, though we can’t help but find fault with some of the creative decisions made (the reduced role of the Howling Commandos and Bucky instantly springs to mind, as does the sci-fi stylings of the MCU’s HYDRA).
In comparison, The Winter Soldier was an instant classic and a stellar introduction for the Russo Brothers. It’s a sequel which we struggle to find fault with, and the filmmakers followed it with a movie that, while more Avengers 2.5 than Captain America 3, was another action-packed epic.
Yes, Civil War didn’t quite manage to live up to the comic book it shared a name with, but it was still a special movie in a mostly flawless trilogy.
2. Spider-Man
Not all of you will agree with Marvel Studios’ Spider-Man trilogy placing this high, but we’d say Jon Watts delivered a consistent and, dare we say it, spectacular series of movies here. We could have lived without Peter Parker’s high-tech upgrades, but a fresh start was necessary for the web-slinger.
Homecoming embraced the comic books for a Friendly Neighbourhood portrayal of Spidey, while Far From Home took the hero on the road for a trip across Europe and one of the MCU’s best battles when he faced Mysterio inside one of his illusions. As for No Way Home, that was amazing on just about every level.
Seeing Tom Holland’s Spider-Man share the screen with Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield is something we’ll never forget, and this trilogy ended with a celebration of this character’s entire big screen history.
1. Guardians of the Galaxy
When Guardians of the Galaxy was first announced, many wrote it off as Marvel Studios’ first flop. Instead, it was a refreshing change of pace for the MCU and a space opera that rivalled Star Wars in terms of sheer inventiveness and the fun that could be had with its lead characters.
Vol. 2 proved to be even more enjoyable, with the addition of Baby Groot and Star-Lord’s origin showcasing what ambitious plans James Gunn had for the franchise beyond just the awesome soundtracks.
As for Vol. 3, it’s an absolute masterpiece. Emotional, powerful, and visually gorgeous, it serves as the perfect ending to this trilogy and gives each of its characters a satisfying conclusion to their respective arcs. There’s not much more you can ask for than that, and Gunn cemented his legacy with these movies.
