Let’s get MCU Phase 4 Ranked, and check to see if it aligns with your ranking.
As now phase 4 of the MCU has come to a satisfying end with Black Panther Wakanda Forever, it is now time to rank all the movies and TV shows produced in phase 4. And before I proceed, I would like to clarify that the ranking you will see below reflects my personal opinion, and it does not reflect external factors, such as people’s opinions or popular opinions.
From one of the most unique projects in the MCU (WandaVision) to one of the most poignant projects (Black Panther Wakanda Forever), Marvel has had its ups and downs in between, and sometimes it feels bad, sometimes it feels exhausting, and sometimes it feels exciting, making Phase 4 the most mixed bag phase among all of Marvel Cinematic Universe’s phases.
MCU Phase 4 Ranked —
18. I Am Groot Shorts
Nothing, but some random cute little moments from the little Groot. I guess they made this for a couple of bucks.
17. She-Hulk: Attorney at Law
It was the point, where MCU has fallen into its absolute worst state. I mean, what was the thought process of marvel they’re producing this show?
I liked Tatiana, and her performance as Jen/She-Hulk, her character arc is a better part of this show. I liked some fourth-wall break moments (particularly liked the one in the finale). But, at the end of the day? What is it even trying to achieve? As I see it, It’s a clueless, aimless project marvel produced merely to fulfill their contractual obligation. It is as if they did it for the sake of doing it. It almost felt like at one point in the finale marvel deliberately wanted this show to be terrible. Idk, what they’re up to tbh. Do they even kinda acknowledge this show being bad in the finale? Is this their figurative definition of a troll? A prank? Or their own definition of fourth-wall break.
16. Black Widow
Every Marvel fan’s long-awaited movie has finally arrived: Black Widow. The question is, does it live up to expectations? Not exactly. ‘Black widow’ is an underwhelming film that failed to capitalize on its potential, and it’s only because of a lackluster screenplay that feels like it was written for the sake of being written. It is however not a bad film. I still think it’s a one-time decent movie, revealing Natasha’s bitter past and exploring their family.
15. Ms. Marvel
MCU dives into the Islamic young superhero Ms.Marvel who is a big fan of our very own superheroes in the MCU. Although the story began as a captivating tale of this young teen coming to terms with her new-found powers, the show later became lazy in execution and less enthusiastic. However, the family dynamics and some wholesome moments render the show watchable, despite its diminishing quality of writing and direction.
14. What If…?
What if…? show is a fan service content that fulfills all of the what-if scenarios by diverging the MCU into infinite possibilities if one choice had been made differently by certain characters which affect their fate one way or the other. I mean, it’s fine, most of them are mediocre, bad, rushed stories, but I have to say this; “What If… Doctor Strange Lost His Heart Instead of His Hands?“ is a chef-kiss, and it is better than Multiverse of Madness. Mic drops!
13. Thor Love and Thunder
Maybe what they’re saying is true — MCU fell flat, and it’s time for Marvel to take itself seriously (they did later with Wakanda Forever)
Thor Love and Thunder is a movie that could’ve been an incredible addition to the MCU, but is corrupted by a disposable plot that doesn’t respect its characters, undercuts real drama, and essentially amounts to surface-level storytelling that doesn’t take itself seriously by any means. However, the chemistry between thor and jane, its lighthearted tone, and the actor’s performances save the film from being an absolute idiocracy.
To say the least, It is the parody version of Thor. But did I have fun? Oh yeah, I’d say this is my guilty pleasure.
12. Hawkeye
The show has a very grounded, street-level feel to it, which is kind of rare in this fantastical marvel cinematic universe. Nonetheless, the show doesn’t have a very interesting storyline or stakes which is the most important facet of any show or film. However, what saves the show from absolute inferiority was the entertaining characters and fun tone that will make the viewers tune into the show. The show introduces Kate Bishop, along with marvel’s popular Netflix character “Kingpin”, while also focusing on Clint Barton’s story.
11. Spider-Man: No Way Home
Spider-Man: No Way Home is the culmination of all three spider-man, becoming one of the most ambitious crossovers in comic-book medium cinema. This film itself has so many scenes that are just so delightful, memorable, epic, heroic, and poignant, and seeing three spidermen together is a treat.
However, what makes me put this film at this position if I’m gushing over it? Because the film only works as a fan service, but as a film, maybe not. A lot of issues and inconsistencies plague No Way Home in terms of clumsy dialogue writing, over-reliance on fan service, mediocre CGI, and missed opportunities that collectively make it, not the Best Spiderman movie ever.
Read: Why Spider-Man: No Way Home is Not The Best Spider-Man Movie
10. Doctor Strange In The Multiverse of Madness
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is a kind of film which feels like it could have been a lot of better than how it turned out to be. It is a phenomenon when a great direction meets prosaic writing or studio interference. But, that great direction brings a lot of fun to this film, and for the first time, the horror genre into the MCU Franchise. Yet it is corrupted by subpar writing that undercuts the film and detracts from the overall experience.
Read: What’s Wrong with Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness
9. Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings
MCU introduces its Asian superhero Shang-chi with new aesthetics and a nuanced story that comes with it. In essence, the movie explores dysfunctional family dynamics and, more specifically, the relationship between the oppressed son and the conflicted father. What makes it special? For me, it’s the drama between the father and the son, and for others, Its top-tier action sequences and brilliant stunt choreography make Shang-chi one of the most pleasing solo Marvel movies.
8. The Falcon and The Winter Soldier
The events of Avengers Endgame led Sam Wilson into a dilemma regarding his future as Captain America. On the other hand, Bucky Barnes is still coming to terms with his dark past and atoning for the misdeeds he committed as the Winter Soldier. Isn’t it a great premise?
The show focuses on the un-dynamic partners of Sam and Bucky and their bickering & bantering relationship. Along with it, we see marvel diving into some of the most grounded, and mature storytelling MCU has ever done, and it was interesting to watch it. Although, the writing was inconsistent, and gets boring at times, ls and John Walker, the new supposed Captain America. Despite its inconsistent screenplay, Falcon and the winter soldier manages to tell a worthwhile story. The show spends its time mostly on their character development and how they deal with radicals and John Walker, the new supposed Captain America.
7. Guardians Of The Galaxy Holiday Special
Taking place before the prologue of the upcoming third sequel: Guardians of The Galaxy Volume.3, Guardians of The Galaxy Holiday Special succeeded in entertaining Marvel fans to the fullest and bringing a holiday flare to the show. It is a fun, comforting, sweet Christmas special that outshines most of the phase 4 projects that wear out over repeated viewings.
This is something you can watch every year during Christmas and have a lot of fun with.
6. Eternals
As a movie, Eternals is divisive and not everyone’s cup of tea. It is very different from other superhero movies, with a completely new approach and direction. It is directed by Chloe Zhao, an Oscar-winning director. Have you ever seen an Oscar-winning director make a superhero film? Not really. At its core, Eternals explores humanity and morality, illuminating a new philosophy behind superheroes, and it was quite great at delineating all of that. It is also mythological in some way, and it is one of the most beautifully shot marvel movies to date, and I’m pretty sure it doesn’t deserve the hate it is receiving.
5. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
Wakanda Forever is expectedly a poignant film that pushes to tell the next Wakandan’s story with the given material under unfortunate circumstances. The director, Ryan Coogler was able to structure a proper script that fit both the real-life circumstances and fictional events, and within that box, he succeeded in highlighting the themes of grief, death, and life that all contributed to Wakanda Forever becoming a pretty mature film, yet powerful at its core.
However, that’s not to say that the film is without its flaws. They may have diluted the brilliance of the film, but still and all, Ryan made the film in the best way he could, ingesting visceral themes that will resonate deeply with the audience.
Read: Black Panther: Wakanda Forever Review: Not Without Its Flaws
4. Werewolf By Night
A special television presentation of an hour, Werewolf by Night, explores the supernatural side of the Marvel Universe to its fullest extent, a concept Marvel has never attempted before. It takes us on an incredible journey back to the days of universal black-and-white monster classics.
I’m glad MCU is heading toward the gorier, violent side of their spectrum. This property, I was engrossed the whole time, though it wasn’t scary, the direction was surprisingly great given the directorial debut of the composer Micheal. It is far better at storytelling than most phase-4 MCU projects. Better than a lot of MCU shows, and films.
3. Moon Knight
Marvel once again dipped their toes to provide an original, fresh, and disorienting storytelling experience for the Moon Knight, a character who suffers from Dissociative Identity Disorder. All that Marvel has achieved in this show feels fresh, exploring Egypt’s mythological dimension as the main essence of the show. Although the conclusion was less than impressive, Marvel is really taking off with their franchise, experimenting in genres they hadn’t tried. However, my only complaint is that they could have given this show a more runtime and not let their typical formula derail it in the end. Why does marvel always suck up in the end?
2. WandaVision
Wandavision was MCU’s comeback after their successful Infinity saga, and did they disappoint? Absolutely not, they gave us one of the unique projects in the MCU. WandaVision is a breath of fresh air unlike what marvel had done earlier. Because the first question when you tuned in to the show is “what is happening” as the show begins with Wanda and Vision, a recently married couple who find themselves in a new sitcom world. You don’t ask questions or have answers, all you do is watch. But, just wait and see, as the show will unravel everything as it goes along, and your questions will be answered.
Wandavision has been one of the most creative achievements for Marvel and therefore has received a lot of accolades at the Emmys. Besides its 3rd act typical MCU treatment, their achievement in this show is nothing short of brilliant.
1. Loki
Out of all the projects in Phase 4, Loki is the only project where the stakes felt higher, that shit is about to go down, and in the end, it was worth it, paving the way for the next big MCU event. Loki succeeded in creating an engaging mythology of the Time variance authority, a clockless organization tasked with dealing with variants breaching the multiversal rules.
Loki, one of the MCU superstars, returns to the spotlight in a way that is outlandish and unconventional helping the hands of TVA or should I say conquering the TVA alongside Mobius, and Sylvie. Every single thing you see in the show is awe-inspiring and groundbreaking in the MCU so far. It is indeed one of the best Marvel projects, with great storytelling and setting that Marvel had never attempted before. In regards to the flaws? yea a couple of them, Episode 3 was meh, and some writing choices overall.
Perhaps you will disagree with some of my ranking choices here, but what do you think? Comment down your top 5 phase 4 projects, and let me know if my ranking is W or L.
Read more related stories:
- Movies To Watch Before Ant-Man And The Wasp: Quantumania
- 10 Best MCU Movies Ranked (2022)
- MCU Phase 4 Ranked: Every Movie and TV Show (Worst To Best)
