15 Best MCU Movies, Ranked According to Letterboxd

Who doesn't love a good Letterboxd franchise ranking? Taking a look at the average Letterboxd reviews for movie franchises is a ton of fun, given the fact that the social media platform has some of the more accurate general thoughts from fans and audiences alike. Letterboxd isn't like Rotten Tomatoes, where there are critic reviews, but it is a platform for the people.

When it comes to rating franchises, it doesn't get more interesting and divisive than the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It's one of the longest-running franchises in cinema and has one of the largest numbers of films in a movie series. So, there are a lot of movies to rank, and many that are fan favorites for different people. This makes the MCU a specifically difficult one to put against itself, but Letterboxd should be helpful in discovering the consensus among audiences.

15 'Doctor Strange' (2016)

Letterboxd Rating: 3.5/5.0

Doctor Strange is an incredibly underrated superhero origin film, and the people of Letterboxd seem to really recognize that. It's been pretty forgotten over the years, but the first movie following the Sorcerer Supreme is not bad in the slightest. One Letterboxd user expresses the charm of Doctor Strange in comparison to others when he says, "Doctor Strange is bonkers. It goes to so many weird places."

That's right, the world of the Mystic Arts that this movie introduces to the MCU is so funky and unique, which makes what would be seen as a standard and basic origin film into a trippy ride. This flows into the visuals, making Doctor Strange one of the more visually electric MCU movies, as well.

14 'Spider-Man: Homecoming' (2017)

Letterboxd Rating: 3.5/5.0

In what world does a Spider-Man movie not find itself being successful in one way or another? Not this one, because while there was some anxiety and nervousness surrounding the MCU Peter Parker's (Tom Holland) first solo outing, people ended up loving it (for the most part — looking at you, Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.).

Iron Man complaints aside, though, Spider-Man: Homecoming finds itself being adored by many — even being a favorite Spider-Man movie for some, with one user saying, "My favorite Spider-Man." The decision to bring Spider-Man back to high school and keep him there for the entire first trilogy was abundantly smart on Marvel Studios' part, and the entire charm of it was established first here.

13 'Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2' (2017)

Letterboxd Rating: 3.6/5.0

One of the most beloved superhero trilogies out there is also one of the most beloved space opera trilogies, too. The second film of said trilogy may not be the best of the trilogy, but there's no denying that Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 is still amazing. It has so much heart and soul as it explores the newer corners of the cosmic side of the MCU.

One user emphasizes one of the best parts of the sequel when they write, "... loved Ego and Peter's dynamic and story," in their review of the film. The father-son plot here is one of the beating hearts of the film and serves to be pretty dang relatable to a lot of audience members, keeping this sequel still very adored despite not hitting the same highs as the first and third movies.

12 'Captain America: Civil War' (2016)

Letterboxd Rating: 3.6/5.0

Also considered by many fans as "Avengers 2.5," Captain America: Civil War brings the MCU together once more, but this time, they're facing each other (for the most part). Adapting one of the most famous comic book storylines of all time, of the same name, this second Joe Russo and Anthony Russo-directed Marvel Studios project is unforgettable for multiple reasons. It also cements the Steve Rogers trilogy as one of the best, similarly claimed by a fan when they said, "This film solidified for me that Cap had one of the best trilogies in Marvel, rivaled only by Guardians."

Not only did this project split the Avengers up in a terrible way prior to Thanos' arrival in the third and fourth The Avengers movies, but it also introduced none other than the MCU's iteration of the web-slinging wall crawler himself, Spider-Man. This makes Captain America: Civil War not only have significance for its quality, performances, and action sequences, but also because of how much it changed the cinema landscape between studios with the Disney and Sony Pictures Entertainment deal to bring Spidey into the MCU.

11 'Thunderbolts*' (2025)

Letterboxd Rating: 3.6/5.0

One of the most emotionally compelling MCU movies of the last decade is, without a doubt, Thunderbolts*. Serving as the little movie that could, this Jake Schreier flick was a total MCU underdog and took audiences everywhere by surprise. Bringing together the misfit toys of the Marvel Universe, the characters at play are unlike the protagonists seen in previous MCU movies. The performances of the main cast — Florence Pugh, Lewis Pullman, and David Harbour, specifically — are phenomenal, which brings these characters to life so incredibly well.

Thunderbolts* took on themes of mental health and grief better than most superhero movies ever have, which helps it stand apart from the rest. The direction isn't only in a more serious and melancholy way, though, as the movie can also be hilarious, with great moments to make audiences laugh out loud between the more emotional bits. A Letterboxd user calls back to a specific moment in his review: "I backflipped in the theatre when Bucky punched chicken." That should speak for itself.

10 'Black Panther' (2018)

Letterboxd Rating: 3.7/5.0

Black Panther is an incredibly well-made movie and, aside from that, it's also an abundantly important one. It had an almost all black cast and crew, which had not really been seen before. Helmed by the legendary Ryan Coogler, Black Panther has a wonderful screenplay and direction, with its villain, Erik Killmonger (Michael B. Jordan), being considered one of the best superhero movie villains of all time.

Filled to the brim with exciting action, an incredible representation of African culture, and amazing performances (especially from Chadwick Boseman, Michael B. Jordan, and Angela Bassett), Black Panther is an astoundingly memorable movie. The story is super compelling with a screenplay scripted by Ryan Coogler and Joe Robert Cole. A Letterboxd user described it eloquently, "Even five years since its release, no other MCU film will come close to reaching the level of potency, nuance, or cultural impact this film brought to Kevin Feige’s now-fifteen-year spanning cinematic universe."

9 'The Avengers' (2012)

Letterboxd Rating: 3.7/5.0

When it comes to The Avengers franchise, it's hard to forget about the one that started it all back in 2012. Directed by Joss Whedon, best known for Buffy the Vampire Slayer, The Avengers brings together these Marvel icons for the first time on theatrical screens in an excellent fashion. It built up the team dynamic in a way that connected audiences to them and got them engaged for the rest of the MCU. There's a reason that people were begging for more walking out of theaters in 2012.

Bringing the fan favorite Loki (Tom Hiddleston) to the forefront as the villain was a great choice, and the conflict he writes between the members of the team before they truly come together in Act Three is super engaging. The movie is made even better thanks to the cast dynamic, with them working on screen together incredibly well. On Letterboxd, a user claimed, "The Avengers, or as I'd like to call it 'How to go from a 36-year-old to a 12-year-old in 2.5 hours', is this generation's Star Wars."

8 'Thor: Ragnarok' (2017)

Letterboxd Rating: 3.7/5.0

Before this third installment, the Thor series was truly struggling. With a first film that was honestly super underrated and a second that is known as one of the worst MCU movies there is, people weren't sure the Thor series had the chance to recover. Director Taika Waititi defied those odds, though, when he produced Thor: Ragnarok and took over Hollywood in 2017.

Thor: Ragnarok opened to incredible reviews, with some considering it their favorite MCU movie at the time (some even to this day). It has the perfect blend of heart, comedy, and badass action. It truly tests Thor (Chris Hemsworth) as a character, breaking his beloved hammer in Act One, giving him an evil long-lost sister, and humbling him all throughout the story—a great example being noted by one fan on the social media platform, "The moment when Thor gets hit with the ball is still the funniest thing in the whole MCU." So, when he rises to greatness in Act Three, it pays off wonderfully.

7 'Iron Man' (2008)

Letterboxd Rating: 3.7/5.0

As if the film that kicked off the MCU could be ignored. There's a very valid reason that this kicked off such a large cinematic universe, and that's because of how genuinely good this movie is. "Cinema," is what a user stated about the movie in her review, and that's pretty much the best way to put it. Iron Man truly is cinema, especially because of how excellently written Tony Stark's character arc is.

Marvel Studios was not afraid to make their protagonist a genuinely bad guy at the top of Iron Man's runtime. He's called the "Merchant of Death" and is profiting from war through the weapons manufacturing of Stark Industries. It isn't until he's put through the biggest struggle of his life that he decides to make a change. Going from such a low point to becoming the hero who would become who is essentially the protagonist of the entire MCU makes the arc feel grand and very effective. It's one of the best character arcs in the MCU's entire 17-year run.

6 'Captain America: The Winter Soldier' (2014)

Letterboxd Rating: 3.7/5.0

Captain America: The Winter Soldier is a movie that many consider one of the greatest superhero films ever made, and for very good reason. Brought to life by Joe Russo and Anthony Russo, Captain America (Chris Evans), according to many, was made "cool again" by this sequel film. Much like the Thor franchise, Captain America had an underrated first film of his own in Captain America: The First Avenger.

The Russos perfectly blend the superhero genre and its tropes with the genre of political thriller, making Captain America: The Winter Soldier a super thrilling MCU film that has viewers on the edge of their seats for the entire runtime. The arc between Steve Rogers and Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan), now the Winter Soldier, is wonderfully heartfelt. A fan on Letterboxd jokes about it in their review, "I'm with you 'til the end of the line... forever... in sickness and in health... 'til death do us part... pal." It is astoundingly compelling and can get even the driest eyes weeping by the end of the movie.