There are 26 feature-length films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and the vast majority of these films boast good reviews from critics. But which Marvel movies have the worst reviews? There are a few different sources one can turn to to find these rankings, but Metacritic is interesting as it looks at reviews and scores the consensus on the films at a rate from 0-100.
No movie in the MCU goes below a score of 50, but with the mixed buzz surrounding Eternals, it begs the question: what are the lowest rated films in the Marvel/Disney franchise?
10 Avengers: Age Of Ultron Wrote A Check Joss Whedon Couldn’t Cash (Score: 66)
Joss Whedon made a name for himself after directing the wildly successful and popular Marvel’s The Avengers in 2012, but his second crack at a crossover Marvel film couldn’t compare to its predecessor. Avengers: Age Of Ultron is about a new threat to humanity that was created by Tony Stark and Bruce Banner. Age Of Ultron was highly anticipated but issues over the portrayal of Black Widow and including too many new characters like Wanda Maximoff (who would eventually become the Scarlet Witch) left many underwhelmed.
9 Captain America: The First Avenger Has Much More Impressive Sequels & Spin-Offs (Score: 66)
Generally considered to be a middle-tier Marvel movie, it’s surprising to see Captain America: The First Avenger in the 10 lowest-scoring films of the MCU – but this says more about the relatively high quality of the franchise’s enormous filmography than the first Captain America movie.
The First Avenger is all about how Steve Rogers became Captain America and fought in WWII. The film has led to some of the biggest movies in the MCU like Captain America: The Winter Soldier and the television spin-off Agent Carter.
8 Captain Marvel Promised The Most Powerful Avenger But Left Some Wanting (Score: 64)
The first Marvel film with a female lead soared at the box office, but Captain Marvel only earned a metascore of 64, which ultimately makes it a lower Marvel/Disney film, even though most reviews were favorable for the film. The origin story of Carol Danvers, AKA the most powerful Avenger, Captain Marvel takes fans back to the 1990s where Carol has returned to Earth after gaining incredible superpowers but having no memory of her past or of who she is.
7 Ant-Man Was Well-Liked By Critics, But It Wasn’t Enough (Score: 64)
Even though Ant-Man was an original Avenger, it took some time for the character to make his debut in the MCU and even longer to become an in-movie Avenger. It was worth the wait though, as 2015’s Ant-Man starring Paul Rudd, Michael Douglas, and Evangeline Lilly is a great stand-alone Marvel film that’s “more than just a heist” and many critics agreed. However, not enough critics gave Ant-Man a high enough scoring so it’s been relegated to the lower rung of critically-acclaimed Marvel/Disney movies.
6 Iron Man 3 Had Too Much Going On (Score: 62)
After the record-shattering success of Marvel’s The Avengers, 2013’s Iron Man 3 had a lot riding on it as the first film of Phase Two. This is reflected in the film’s box office numbers as Iron Man 3 also broke many records but still somehow found itself with a score of 62 out of 100. After the events of The Avengers, Tony Stark must deal with PTSD, terrorist attacks, and having to go without his suit when fighting “The Mandarin.”
5 The Incredible Hulk’s Mixed Reviews Keep It Down After All This Time (Score: 61)
Despite being the lowest box office earner in the MCU, The Incredible Hulk starring Edward Norton (before he was replaced by Mark Ruffalo) has a fairly average score on Metacritic. Based on the Ultimate universe of the Marvel comic books, this version of the Hulk was created after Dr. Bruce Banner was unknowingly used as part of a new Super Soldier program (the one that created Captain America). Since it was only the second film in the MCU, The Incredible Hulk often overlooked by fans and critics.
4 Thor Was A Miss For Many Critics (Score: 57)
While many critics liked 2011’s Thor well enough, the world’s most famous film critic Roger Ebert called it a “failure as a movie” with “a screenplay that essentially links special effects.” Enough critics had similar thoughts to Ebert and Thor has a relatively average score, although it is quite low for an MCU movie.
Thor introduces the God of Thunder himself to audiences, along with his brother Loki, the God of Mischief, and a celestial backdrop to a franchise that’s kept things close to Earth.
3 Iron Man 2 Couldn’t Live Up To Its Predecessor (Score: 57)
2008’s Iron Man won over audiences and critics alike, essentially giving birth to the MCU, but its sequel didn’t quite live up to the hype. While critics said IM2 was a solid film, the enormous success of superhero movie sequels like Spider-Man 2 and The Dark Knight left some disappointed that Jon Favreau didn’t live up to the bar Raimi or Nolan set. Iron Man 2 is most noted for the introduction of Black Widow.
2 Thor: The Dark World Is As Dark & Forgettable As Its Villain (Score: 54)
One of the more forgettable films of the MCU, 2013’s Thor: The Dark World was considered the worst of the franchise for nearly a decade. The Nine Realms are in peril as Thor and Dr. Jane Porter travel to Asgard after the Infinity Stone known as the Aether is absorbed into Jane’s body, threatening her life. The Dark World ultimately doesn’t deliver with a completely underwhelming and forgettable main villain and a lot of weight being carried by Tom Hiddleston as Loki.
1 Eternals Flew Too Close To The Sun With Its Many Characters (Score: 52)
The latest movie to be added to the MCU, Eternals has usurped Mighty Thor as the lowest-ranking entry of the franchise’s 26 films (so far). Eternals is about 10 beings created by a Celestial to help Earth’s people evolve and advance for thousands of years. The Eternals were ordered to only save humans when they were being killed by creatures known as the Deviants. Despite its low scores with critics, Eternals opened at #1 at the box office.
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