The Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Phase V has come to a close with the recent release of “Thunderbolts”. This most recent slate of Marvel first started in early 2023 and has brought to the table a variety of sequels. Phase V is the first MCU Phase to feature only sequels and no original stories from Marvel. This most recent chapter in the MCU has brought highs and lows at the box office for the franchise, delays in release dates, as well as a handful of divisive films for fans and critics alike. Here’s how the recent MCU ranks from worst to best.
6.Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (2023)
Kicking off Phase V for the MCU is one of the most divisive films to come out of the Marvel machine. The Marvel/Disney combo has done a mostly good job at avoiding actors who bring controversy to their superhero franchise, until this film. While not necessarily the movie’s fault, the third installment in the Ant-Man franchise is plagued by the controversies surrounding actor Jonathan Majors, who plays the film’s villain Kang the Conqueror. Kang was set up to be the next overarching villain post Thanos, so a lot is weighing on what this film does with the character. Kang is established as a powerful and frightening threat for the characters at the start of the film, but by the end of this adventure, Ant-Man has saved the day, and Kang is no longer the threat he once was. As an audience member, I struggle to feel invested in the danger Kang the Conqueror poses to the future of this franchise if he is defeated in a solo-Ant-Man film.
Quantumania might be Marvel’s most CGI heavy movie to date, with most of the film taking place in a Quantum Realm, a subatomic world. This results in some of the most distracting and ugly visuals the MCU has had to offer its audiences, whether it be character designs or film sets. There has always been a charming B-movie quality to the films in the Ant-Man franchise, and this film certainly has that tone, feeling very inspired by the science fiction films that came out of the 1950s. While the B-movie quality would generally be accepted for this type of film, this is the opening statement of Phase V and is meant to be the introduction of Marvel’s new big villain. Unfortunately, there is just too much riding on this film for it to feel like another Marvel B-movie.
5.Captain America: Brave New World (2025)
The most recent entry in the Captain America franchise follows Sam Wilson, formerly The Falcon, taking up the role of Captain America and handling the often-dangerous politics that come with the role.
While there is not a lot going on with Sam Wilson that was not already done in the 2021 Disney+ show “Falcon and the Winter Soldier”, the film does tie up loose ends from the films “The Incredible Hulk” and “Eternals”, two of the lesser projects from Marvel. While the introduction of comic book elements like Adamantium or fan favorite characters like Red Hulk might appeal to some of the die-hard MCU fans, it is not enough to make the film feel exciting or even all that “brave”.
“Brave New World’s” villain comes in the form of The Leader, a villain who can control the minds of others. The Leader is first established in “The Incredible Hulk,” and after 17 years, finally makes his debut here. While The Leader’s presence and eventual arrest in the film might not be the most exciting part of the film, his motives are clear and do make sense.
At the end of the day, “Brave New World” is a film that will likely be remembered for its various behind-the-scenes struggles, delays, and reshoots which can all be felt throughout the film.
4.The Marvels (2023)
“The Marvels” feels like a movie that came and went. This second film in the Captain Marvel story is often remembered as one of the first MCU films to be considered a bomb, which is unfortunate because the movie itself is decent.
“The Marvels” is not doing anything all that new or special. It is a largely harmless film that will probably speak to younger fans of Marvel. It is, at points, very silly and is a movie that does not add much to the larger Marvel narrative, but that’s okay; not everything has to. It is the type of movie that could be thrown on at slumber parties and be a good enough time to keep its audience entertained.
The strongest aspect of “The Marvels” is the chemistry between the three leads. Iman Vellani plays the teenage superhero Ms. Marvel, Teyonah Parris plays Monica Rambeau, and Brie Larson reprises her role as Captain Marvel. The body-swap elements of the story allow for the characters to play off each other’s energy in a way that gives the film a real pulse. Larson figures out how Captain Marvel should be played, countering the rather stiff performance given in the 2019 film “Captain Marvel”.
3.Deadpool and Wolverine (2024)
“Deadpool and Wolverine” is the most non-traditional movie to come out of Phase V in the sense that it is largely a celebration and farewell to the X-Men films that came from Fox in the 2000s. The film stars Ryan Reynolds as Deadpool and Hugh Jackman, who is once again returning as Wolverine.
This is Marvel’s third go-around at making a movie that handles the subject of the multiverse by filling it to the brim with cameos and easter eggs for fans to overindulge on. “Deadpool and Wolverine” is a fun time, there is no denying that, but the notion of overindulgence does ring true throughout the entire film. There is often a priority to make as many references as possible to the success or failure of past properties, that it does takes away from the larger story being told here. It is fascinating to see how Kevin Feige brings Channing Tatum’s “Gambit” to the big screen, a reference to a film that never quite got to the point of development, but fans were excited about, regardless. Jennifer Garner’s “Elektra”, a film largely forgotten as mid-2000s schlock, is brought back to life here, as if Feige said, “Hey, look, this one is important too.”
Despite my gripes with how the film uses legacy characters, there is a lot to admire in the action scenes the film has to offer, specifically the one in the car. Hugh Jackman just knows how to play Wolverine so effortlessly that he is easily the standout of the film. Reynolds also does a good job at playing Deadpool again, it is a character that just fits the mold of his acting style well.
2.Thunderbolts* (2025)
“Thunderbolts*” is the final film to come out in Phase V and is also one of their strongest films in a few years. The movie brings together a handful of anti-heroes who must work together to stop their boss, Valentina de Fontaine. The film is in a similar vein as James Gunn’s “Guardians of the Galaxy” as these lost souls come together and find a new sense of value in one another.
One of the greatest struggles of the “post-Avengers: Endgame” Marvel films is that the audience who grew up with the franchise in the 2010s started to grow out of what Marvel was bringing to the table. “Thunderbolts” feels like an exception to that idea. It is a film with more mature themes and tackles real-world issues in a way that even the older MCU films were incapable of.
A strength that “Thunderbolts” has is making audiences care about a handful of B-list characters, who in previous installments brought nothing all that new to the table. It feels like a film that has a deeper appreciation for its characters and their central issues. There is also a real love put into the craftsmanship, look, and feel of the movie.
1.Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.3 (2023)
“Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.3” is the final entry in James Gunn’s trilogy of films about space misfits. This third installment in the franchise is easily the darkest, as we explore the backstory behind Rocket Raccoon. There is a divisiveness around how the film approaches talking about its subject matter. It is a rather mature story for a Marvel movie and does not shy away from the pain that these characters experience.
To put it simply, Vol. 3 feels like a real movie. The film balances its use of CGI and practical effects well, creating a real voice and look to the movie that is absent from a lot of modern Marvel films. It is a film that is allowed to have its artistic vision first rather than later. Vol. 3 is a modern-day blockbuster that feels so heavily inspired by the works of Roger Corman and other science fiction directors in the best ways possible. The action sequences throughout the whole film are creative and thought out in a way that adds to the larger narrative.
Vol.3 doubles as an effective and great conclusion to one of Marvel’s biggest creative risks they have ever taken and as a farewell to director James Gunn, who brought his own unique style to the superhero genre.