By Kyle Casello

Phase Three of the Marvel Cinematic Universe may be the most difficult phase to rank out of the entire universe. There is honestly only one weak film in the entire phase with the rest being either near top of my all time favorite MCU films or I just really enjoyed them. Also, DAMN! Forgot how many films were in Phase Three.

11) Captain Marvel (2019) Directed by Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck

This is one of those movies that I have very mixed feelings about and upon a second rewatch of the film, the negative feelings overpowered the positive feelings. It’s not bad by any means and does have great moments, but at the same time the pacing and villain causes major issues for me. When looking at the overall quality of Phase Three, this is the weakest film of the phase.

Brie Larson is good as Captain Marvel/Carol Danvers and I do believe that a better script and story can only improve her performance. (Her involvement in another film on this list, shows what she can bring to the MCU) Samuel L. Jackson has a bigger role as a young Nick Fury that creates a buddy cop feeling with Carol. Samuel L. Jackson and Ben Mendelsohn as Talos are the two best parts of the film, with my favorite Stan Lee cameo.

Why is this in the 11th spot? Misusing Jude Law and Annette Bening, both amazing actors that could have been better used in the MCU. Forgettable action scenes that should carry the film and once Carol finally displays her true powers, it did not provide the satisfaction that it should have. That being said, the sequel is shaping up to be much better than this film and I am looking forward to it.

10) Doctor Strange (2016) Directed by Scott Derrickson

I love this movie!!!! If that is a not an indication of how brilliant Phase Three is then I don’t know what is. From awesome special effects and exploring the mystical side of the MCU to Benedict Cumberbatch making the role his own, Doctor Strange is a fun film.

Every actor including Tilda Swinton, who was miscasted as the Ancient One, delivers great performances. It does kind of suck that Mads Mikklesen was wasted on Kaecilius, a good performance wasted on a forgettable villain. This is one of those films that you can throw on to enjoy the visual effects and some truly funny moments between Cumberbatch’s Strange and Rachel McAdam’s Dr. Palmer.

9) Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018) Directed by Peyton Reed

Another film I love that suffers from being a part of Phase Three. One of the funniest films of the MCU with Evangeline Lilly becoming a powerhouse in this film. There are many great things about this film, from awesome special effects and great comedic moments. The introduction of Michelle Pfeiffer as Janet Van Dyne and Randall Park as Jimmy Woo provide the MCU with two great characters for future films and shows.

Ant-Man and the Wasp comes in at the 9th spot because of its placement in the MCU, it is sandwiched between the Avengers film, which if it was a standalone film, it could be higher on this list. Also Ghost is a forgettable villain with a cool power.

8) Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019) Directed by Jon Watts

The best part about this film is the villainous performance by Jake Gyllenhaal as Mysterio and the shock return of JK Simmons as J. Jonah Jameson. It is nice seeing how the aftermath of Avengers: Endgame impacts the universe and the loss a mentor can have on someone. The second Spider-Man film in the MCU has the best special effects of the two. I am a huge fan of Spider-Man and this film is very entertaining but coming out after Avengers: Endgame hurts the film’s ranking in this list. Feel it is best to combine both films.

7) Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017) Directed by Jon Watts

I would say I love this movie, yet I could say that about the upcoming six films on this list. But this film has great moments between Tom Holland’s Peter Parker and Robert Downey’s Tony Stark and introduces one of the most underrated villains in Michael Keaton’s Vulture. Keaton commands the screen every time we see him. The performances throughout this film are awesome and that is one of the high points of the film.

The tease of Donald Glover as Aaron Davis gives the film some of the funniest moments and a link to Miles Morales. Also this film feels different from all other films on this list, as it feels more grounded and Spider-Man feels more like the friendly neighborhood Spider-Man. Something that I feel like we may never see again as Spider-Man will be dealing with more global events. That being said, Spider-Man: Homecoming may be my favorite live action Spider-Man film.

6) Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017) Directed by James Gunn

This film should be called Yondu & Drax as they steal this film from everyone, even a talking raccoon and tree. Yondu becomes one of the most liked characters in the MCU with his redemption tale in this film. That being said, despite Yondu and Drax stealing the film, each character has great moments and Kurt Russell was awesome as Ego. Not as good as the first film but among one of the best films from the MCU.

In my opinion it is one of the more quotable films in the MCU, from Peter Quill calling Rocket a “trash panda” and Yondu saying “I’m Mary Poppins Y’all,” the dialogue blends well with the stunning visuals. If Phase Three was not so damn good, this would have been high on the list. If Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is as good as I hope, the Guardians trilogy could be the strongest in the MCU next to Captain America.

5) Captain America: Civil War (2016) Directed by Anthony and Joe Russo

You knew that Phase Three was going to be special with this kicking off the phase. Prior films on this list may have a better story or more laughs but this film simply kicks ass. The introduction of T’Challa/Black Panther and Peter Parker/Spider-Man make this one of the most enjoyable films in the MCU.

The final battle between Iron Man, Captain America, and Winter Soilder may be some of the best action in the MCU, with no one holding back. The film does play like a greatest hits album, which is not a bad thing with each character being able to show what they bring to the franchise and story as a whole. Despite the introduction of Black Panther and Spider-Man, Paul Rudd steals the films as Scott Lang with his witty commentary throughout.

4) Thor Ragnarok (2017) Directed Taika Waititi

Always thought that Ant-Man and Guardians of the Galaxy would be the funniest and most colorful films in the MCU and Taika Wititi said “Nope, you’re wrong mate”. Thor Ragnarok is the most surprising film in the entirety of the MCU when looking at the two films that come prior to it. Yes, there was comedy in those films but not to the point like this. Wititi voicing Korg and turning Korg into a household name seems impossible, Jeff Goldblum as the Grandmaster is a match made in heaven, and Tessa Thompson as Valkyrie was such casting that I never knew I needed.

Some may argue about this, but I feel like this is the film that Tom Hiddleston becomes the Loki we all love now, with the growth in the brotherly relationship between Loki and Thor as they have to fight against their sister Hela is one of the strongest parts of the story. Also Cate Blanchett as Hela would have been the best villain of Phase Three if it was not for the following three films on this list. This is a top 5 MCU film in my opinion, due to the craziness and great action in the film. Hey, sometimes a Comic based film does not need to pull directly from the source to create magic.

3) Avengers: Endgame (2019) Directed by Anthony and Joe Russo

The next three films are hard to rank with Infinity War and Endgame being complete viewing experiences with both films needing to be watched back to back. This is an awesome film with some of the most emotional moments in the MCU. Seriously found myself crying near the end of the film with the death of certain characters that we spent years loving.

I feel sorry for those that never had the opportunity to see this on opening night. I wish they could have experienced it. The reaction from the crowd was something that I would never forget as thinking about the crowd going crazy brings a tear to my eyes. Probably watched this film the most on this list with the climatic battle between the Avengers and Thanos being the reason why I always go back to it. That being said, I believe that Infinity War is the better film and I explain that reasoning later.

2) Black Panther (2018) Directed by Ryan Coogler

This is a near perfect film without any dull moments, also the best casted film of the MCU. Some may argue that the special effects are questionable in the battle between Black Panther and Killmonger, but the storyline, acting, costume design and score are all among the best in the MCU. Rewatching this for the first time since the passing of Chadwick Boseman (Man, did 2020 suck!) was a little emotional.

This film gives the supporting cast a lot of time to show their strength with Michael B. Jordan as Killmonger, Letitia Wright as Shuri, and Winston Duke as M’Baku all being scene stealers. Love Chadwich as T’Challa, but this film is brilliant because of everything around him. This was defiantly a film that benefited from being seen in the movie theater with some of the most stunning cinematography for the country of Wakanda. I do hope that we can get more Michael B. Jordan as Killmonger in future films because I think he may be the best performance and villain (outside of Thanos) in the MCU.

1. Avengers: Infinity War (2018) Directed by Anthony and Joe Russo

We were speechless after watching this for the first time while eating dinner at Applebee’s. The only film that has ever left me speechless and stunned. This film is the MCU at it’s best with everything working in this film. Despite this film being about Thanos killing half of existence, it has some of the best comedic moments and action scenes in the whole universe.

Tom Holland shines in this film with delivering the most emotional scene in the entire franchise. Also this represents the best performance from Zoe Saldana as Gamora. This film has so much going for it. A movie experience that I don’t think could be duplicated, but I hope Marvel and Disney try to do something like this in the future.

I was recently a part of the Minnesota Comic Exchange YouTube Channel discussing my Top five picks, if you enjoyed this little countdown please check out the video here. I am really looking forward to the next phase of the MCU, the shows have been great and let us know if you would like us to do a review on Black Widow.

Also what is your favorite MCU film?