The Marvel Cinematic Universe has been chugging along strong since 2008, but lately some cracks have started to appear in its once-flawless image. Some of the franchise’s films were middling even before Endgame, but lately the studio’s output has been lacking. Here are the ten worst MCU movies.
The Incredible Hulk
The Hulk has had a tough time starring in a good movie. The 2008 attempt, The Incredible Hulk, is the weirdest movie from the first phase of the MCU. Featuring a lost-looking Edward Norton and a very muddy 00s palette, this is one of the most skippable MCU entries of its first ten years.
Thor: The Dark World
While the first Thor movie is fun, The Dark World goes way too far in the dour, self-serious direction. Thor isn’t a character who can spout Shakespearean one-liners and fight fantasy monsters all the time, but The Dark World doubles down on these aspects of the character while downplaying his humor and heart.
Avengers: Age of Ultron
Age of Ultron isn’t necessarily a bad movie, it’s just extremely busy and unfocused. It introduces so many concepts so quickly that it’s hard to keep up. The Avengers roll up the dregs of Hydra, contend with Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver, accidentally create Ultron, accidentally create The Vision, and destroy/save Sokovia all in the span of a few hours. It’s exhausting!
Ant-Man and the Wasp
Ant-Man was a fun movie that took a unique spin on the shrinking hero. Ant-Man and the Wasp, on the other hand, plays like it’s waiting for something to happen. Released between Infinity War and Endgame, this Marvel flick couldn’t answer any lingering questions from its predecessor’s cliffhanger, leaving audiences a bit cold. It’s not nearly as bad as its sequel, at least.
Black Widow
Black Widow is a weird movie with zero stakes that should have come out in 2016. Seriously, this movie would have been a beloved entry into the MCU had it been released five years earlier. By acting as a flashback to when Black Widow herself was still alive, before the events of Endgame, it just feels like a futile nod at diversity by finally letting her star in her own movie.
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings
Shang-Chi is another weird movie. It’s well-written in places and lifted by some genuinely excellent performances (Simu Liu and Tony Leung stand out) but also plagued by some seriously awkward performances from other actors. All the great kung-fu cinematography can’t make this one more than a middling entry in a slumping franchise.
Eternals
Eternals is a painfully slow, boring movie about a group of superheroes that needed a better big-screen introduction. No one had heard of the Guardians of the Galaxy before they got their own movie, but that didn’t stop them from becoming household names. Sadly, Eternals didn’t do the same thing for its team of super-powered android/deity/celebrities.
Thor: Love and Thunder
Director Taika Waititi found a winning formula for Thor in Ragnarok, and then somehow fumbled it completely with his follow-up, Love and Thunder. This awkward, soulless movie should have been awesome—Gorr the God Butcher and Jane Foster as a version of Thor are easy wins! However, a listless script and particularly awful CGI make this one a real stinker.
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Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania
Quantumania is a genuinely ugly, awful movie. It marks the first truly bad MCU film and also marks the moment many long-time Marvel fans took a step back from the franchise to examine the trajectory of the recent films. Jonathan Majors’ real-world crimes have also made this film even more awkward to watch now. Suffice it to say, Marvel’s got a lot of cleaning up on its hands if it wants to salvage its film franchise.
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The Marvels
The Marvels isn’t a bad movie, it’s just another post-Endgame letdown. It’s a boring, bland film that people can’t even hate—it’s just there. It’s a bit overstuffed, trying to balance too many plot threads at once. The best thing about the movie is Kamala Khan, played by the always-excellent Iman Vellani, and the obvious enthusiasm she has for meeting her hero, Carol Danvers.
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