By the time Phase Three rolled around, the Marvel Cinematic Universe had become the most formidable force in the blockbuster market. While the previous two phases had been kind of hit-and-miss, there isn’t a single weak movie in Phase Three. But some of its films are stronger than others.
Some Phase Three movies hold up to countless rewatches, like Avengers: Infinity War, Thor: Ragnarok, and Black Panther, while others are too formulaic to warrant as many revisits, like Doctor Strange and Spider-Man: Far From Home.
Doctor Strange (2016)
Scott Derrickson’s original Doctor Strange movie follows the familiar MCU origin formula. Before Benedict Cumberbatch settled into the role, the MCU’s Stephen Strange came off as a second-rate Tony Stark.
Still, the first Doctor Strange is full of mind-bending visual effects that audiences have to revisit a few times just to wrap their heads around them. The movie has a subversively anticlimactic final battle in which Strange creates a time loop specifically to avoid the usual widespread devastation.
Ant-Man And The Wasp (2018)
The first Ant-Man was a heist film, but the second one – Ant-Man and the Wasp – is more of an Elmore Leonard crime caper. Paul Rudd is always a delight to watch as Scott Lang, and he’s backed up by fan-favorite supporting players like Michael Peña’s Luis.
The Ant-Man sequel fits the MCU’s trend of two underdeveloped villains per movie. In lieu of using Ghost and Sonny Burch’s shared screen time for one awesome villain, Ant-Man and the Wasp has a pair of generic, forgettable antagonists. Hopefully, Quantumania can rectify this with one jaw-dropping villain: Kang the Conqueror.
Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019)
It’s a testament to the strength of the MCU’s Spider-Man trilogy that Far From Home is the weakest entry, because it’s still a solid comic book movie with a nice balance of action, comedy, and drama.
The European Vacation elements don’t really gel with the international superhero adventure elements, but they’re both a lot of fun in their own right. Plus, Mysterio’s illusions are a masterclass in CGI and the Spidey sequel ends on a bombshell plot twist.
Captain Marvel (2019)
Brie Larson’s MCU debut shakes up the Marvel origin formula in a few interesting ways. Captain Marvel follows a nonlinear storyline that opens in media res. The audience pieces together Carol Danvers’ backstory as she pieces together her own fuzzy memories.
It’s also a dazzling ‘90s-era action movie with big, bold set-pieces and snappy, wisecracking dialogue between a mismatched buddy cop duo.
Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017)
James Gunn’s Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 isn’t as tightly structured as the first movie, and the humor is a lot more hit-and-miss. Still, these characters are always a joy to watch. Vol. 2 has some of the most moving dramatic moments in the entire MCU, from Yondu’s sacrifice to Gamora and Nebula’s reunion.
The soundtrack has plenty more needle-drops that are worth revisiting. George Harrison’s psychedelic hit “My Sweet Lord” pairs perfectly with Ego’s tour of his planet. Cat Stevens’ “Father and Son” beautifully accompanies Yondu’s funeral and underscores the emotional closure of Quill finally embracing Yondu as a father figure.
Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)
After a stunning debut in Civil War, Tom Holland proved he could carry his own movie with the MCU’s first webslinging solo outing, Spider-Man: Homecoming. Jon Watts’ initial Spider-Man movie is as much of a John Hughes-style high school comedy as a superhero actioner.
Homecoming established what would become the trilogy’s greatest strength (even when other Spider-Men came onto the scene) with the comic interplay between Holland, Zendaya, and Jacob Batalon.
Captain America: Civil War (2016)
Captain America: Civil War is often referred to as Avengers 2.5. It is Steve Rogers’ movie and a direct sequel to The Winter Soldier, but it’s also an Iron Man movie, a Wanda Maximoff movie, a Black Widow movie, and an Ant-Man movie, and it introduces Black Panther and Spider-Man into the MCU. There’s so much going on in this movie that it’ll never get old.
Civil War does adhere to a couple of superhero movie clichés, like an overcomplicated villain plan, but that’s a minor complaint. It culminates in a refreshingly grounded, intimate final battle. There are no faceless armies of goons to conquer; just a superhero caught in a violent vendetta between his two closest friends.
Avengers: Endgame (2019)
Marvel fans were bowled over by the immense sense of emotional closure provided by Avengers: Endgame. Three-hour runtimes are usually pretty taxing, but those three hours fly by on rewatches of Endgame.
From the heart-wrenching five-year time jump to the everything-but-the-kitchen-sink final battle, there’s a lot going on in Endgame. It plays like a hugely satisfying series finale that brings all the ongoing story threads and themes to a head and resolves them in a deeply moving way.
Black Panther (2018)
The MCU’s first Best Picture nominee (and the first superhero film to be nominated), Ryan Coogler’s Black Panther, is a near-perfect movie. The script has a beautifully crafted “hero’s journey” narrative and the late, great Chadwick Boseman gives a quintessential superhero performance in the title role.
Like Superman or Luke Skywalker, T’Challa is an archetypal hero that audiences around the world of all ages can look up to. Coogler brings Wakanda to life with gorgeous visuals, and Michael B. Jordan’s sympathetic turn as Killmonger defies the MCU’s “villain problem” with one of the greatest comic book movie villains of all time.
Thor: Ragnarok (2017)
Taika Waititi imbued the God of Thunder’s third solo outing with his own distinctively zany sensibility. Thor: Ragnarok, perhaps the most fun entry in the MCU, revitalized the Thor franchise with a hefty dose of humor, indulging in the ludicrousness of space Vikings with magical weapons.
Chris Hemsworth seems to be having a better time than ever playing Thor in Ragnarok. Waititi filled the Thor threequel with some of the franchise’s biggest laughs and some of its most spectacular action set-pieces.
Avengers: Infinity War (2018)
One of the most ambitious crossover events in blockbuster history, Avengers: Infinity War incorporates just about every single Marvel hero up to that point (except Hawkeye and Ant-Man, who instead played key roles in Endgame). Infinity War moves at a breakneck pace with plenty of action.
The movie is full of endlessly watchable crossovers, like Thor joining the Guardians and Iron Man bickering with Doctor Strange, but Thanos is essentially the protagonist who anchors the movie and keeps the plot focused. Earth’s Mightiest Heroes come and go as the Russos give the Mad Titan a clearly defined goal and follow his perspective.
