2012s The Avengers capped off Phase 1 of the MCU and was a monumental success, bringing together 5 previous movies and creating the most beloved movie universe ever. After the team defeated Loki and saved New York, each Avenger went back to their separate lives and wouldn’t team up again until Avengers: Age of Ultron in 2015. Age of Ultron was just one of six in another successful slate of MCU movies known as Phase 2.
Phase 2 would not only cover familiar heroes such as Iron Man and Captain America but it introduced moviegoers to new MCU characters such as Ant-Man and The Guardians of the Galaxy. A lot of comic book fans were surprised they would target lesser-known characters but quickly learned from Iron Man that Kevin Feige and company knew what they were doing. Phase 2 would take some bold chances and the movies were highly entertaining, making this lot of MCU movies quite rewatchable.
6 2013 – Iron Man 3 Is The Only Christmas Film In The MCU & Has A Unique Twist
Everybody and their mother knows that if 2008’s Iron Man wasn’t a success that the MCU probably wouldn’t exist today. Unfortunately, Iron Man 2 didn’t live up to the expectations of the original but still had solid performances from Robert Downey Jr. and most of the cast. Downey would steal the show in 2012’s The Avengers and return a year later in Iron Man 3, which featured Tony dealing with PTSD from his fight against Loki and the Chitauri.
Coming off the heels of such a big team-up movie, Iron Man 3 felt a little small in scale but still told an interesting and unique story. Another fun plot point was that Iron Man 3 took place during Christmas, making it the one and only holiday movie in the MCU. Director Shane Black is known for his Christmas movies and combining that with a superhero story made it one of the most fun movies in the Marvel Universe. Although there was a good amount of humor and a lot of fun moments, the movie also had a lot of intense action and featured some dark moments. The big takeaway from Iron Man 3 was that The Mandarin wasn’t the real Mandarin in a shocking and controversial twist, although the real Mandarin is set to debut in Shang-Chi and The Legends of the Ten Rings.
5 2013 – Thor: The Dark World Had An Amazing Score & Tom Hiddleston Stole The Show
Many fans consider Thor: The Dark World one of the worst movies in all of the MCU, and yet it still had moments of greatness and featured some amazing performances. However, the main villains of the movie, the Dark Elves, looked goofy and never came off as a real threat to Thor and Asgard. Despite these non-threatening Dark Elves, The Dark World provided some dramatic twists and turns, as well as some great humor, and a beautiful score composed by Brian Tyler. Unfortunately, Natalie Portman’s Jane Foster felt shoehorned into the movie and she wasn’t able to sink her teeth into her role.
Also, there was a little too much humor with Kat Denning’s Darcy and her new intern, which seemed annoyingly forced in for a few laughs. Even Thor himself, Chris Hemsworth, didn’t fully embrace his character as he did in Thor and The Avengers and he later admitted his disappointment with the film in general. Thankfully, Stellan Skarsgard was hilarious as Erik Selvig and Tom Hiddleston stole the show as the evil, but charming Loki. The most important part of the film comes when Frigga, the mother of Thor and Loki, is killed by the Dark Elves. Her death prompts Loki and Thor to work together to defeat those “disgusting elves” and the events of The Dark World are revisited in the time travel sequence in Avengers: Endgame.
4 2014 – Captain America: The Winter Soldier Is The Best Non-Avengers Movie In The MCU
The Russo Brothers’ debut movie in the MCU was Captain America: The Winter Soldier, which is considered one of the best movies in the MCU. Made as a combination of spy-thrillers and comic books, The Winter Soldier starts off with Captain America working with S.H.I.E.L.D., mainly Black Widow and Nick Fury, to rescue agents from pirates led by George Batroc. The opening scene kicked off the movie with a bang and had an intense fight between Cap and Batroc, which Cap wins but Batroc escapes.
The intensity of the movie would never waver, leaving fans on the edge of their seats throughout the whole story. The Winter Soldier would have major ramifications on the MCU, due to the resurrection of Bucky Barnes, the introduction to Falcon, and the revelation that HYDRA had been working within S.H.I.E.L.D for years. Chris Evans as Cap was on a whole other level than he was in The First Avenger and The Avengers, showing his range as an actor and bringing tears to fan’s faces in his final fight against Bucky. The MCU is filled with some of the best superhero movies of all time but The Winter Soldier takes the cake as the greatest non-team-up movie ever made.
3 2014 – Guardians Of The Galaxy Has The Greatest Soundtrack & Breakout New Characters From Marvel Comics
If casual fans were asked who the Guardians of the Galaxy were before 2014 they most likely would have had no idea. However, The Guardians of the Galaxy hit theaters in the Summer of 2014 and proved once again that Kevin Feige and Marvel Studios knew what they were doing. Introducing a walking tree and talking raccoon in any other universe probably wouldn’t work but because of this film, Groot and Rocket are two of the most loved fictional characters of all time. Adding Chris Pratt’s cocky Star-Lord, Zoe Saldana’s deadly Gamora, and Dave Bautista’s hilarious Drax, the Guardians are now a universally loved team and have played a huge part in the MCU.
The movie was so successful thanks in part to its amazing soundtrack which included hits such as “Hooked on a Feeling,” “I Want You Back,” “Spirit In The Sky,” and many more. The music mixed with its space setting, great comedy moments, and heartfelt story resonated with the audience, especially Groot’s sacrifice toward the end of the film. Despite constantly arguing and living totally different lives, all 5 of the Guardians realized they needed each other and the Galaxy needed them even more; “We are Groot,”… indeed.
2 2015 – Avengers: Age Of Ultron Has Amazing Performances & Added Important Comic Characters
Avengers: Age of Ultron might be considered the least successful Avengers team-up movie but when the other three are the original from 2012, Infinity War, and Endgame, it seems unfair to remember it as such. The Avengers was the first movie that featured a group of superheroes teaming up, Infinity War was the culmination of 10 years of MCU movies, and Endgame was the finale of Infinity Saga. Age of Ultron is still an important piece to the MCU’s growth, especially since the film introduced Wanda Maximoff and The Vision, two of the strongest and most vital Avengers in the comics.
Additionally, James Spader’s performance as the psychotic, murderous Ultron garnered rave reviews from critics and fans alike. The original Avengers are not to be forgotten either, especially Jeremy Renner’s Hawkeye and Mark Ruffalo’s Hulk, with the former stealing the show with his bow and arrow and quick wit. The final battle scene between all the Avengers, new and old, taking on Ultron and his robotic army was massive in scale and included an amazing shot of the whole team working together to protect the Vibranium core and dismantling Ultron’s army.
1 2015 – Ant-Man Is A Hilarious & Heartwarming Father-Daughter Heist Movie
Perhaps the most underrated movie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Ant-Man had a strong story, great visual effects, and solid acting performances. Paul Rudd as Scott Lang was perfect casting, thanks to his comedic timing and charming, albeit misguided at times, personality. Michael Douglas plays an older version of the infamous Hank Pym, thankfully toning down Pym’s arrogance from the comics and making him a more likable character. Corey Stoll, Evangeline Lilly, and Michael Peña round out the main cast and do an excellent job in their respective roles.
In addition to all the laughs provided by Rudd and Peña, the true heart of the story comes from the relationships between fathers and their daughters. Scott’s love for his daughter, Cassie, shines through the action, as does Hank’s love for Hope. While the action is plentiful and the characters always seem to be on a heist, Ant-Man is best remembered for its human emotions, such as what lengths a father will go through to protect their daughter. Lastly, the Quantum Realm is introduced in Ant-Man, making it one of the most important movies in the MCU’s 13-year run.
About The Author
