Over 15 years and 33 films, the Marvel Cinematic Universe has thrown countless seemingly insurmountable obstacles and more than a few apocalyptic events at their line-up of superheroes trying to save the world, the universe and reality itself. Their villains are at the head of all of this; crazed scientists, treacherous government agents, brutal alien warlords, amoral industrialists, gods and monsters and everything in between, an MCU villain can be so many things. Some were unfortunately the weakest elements in the movies they appeared in, being either generic, poorly served by the script or misjudged in their performances, while others ended up being memorable highlights even above the title costumed characters. 

There are often multiple antagonists in these superhero stories so we’ve tried to stick to one villain per MCU film. This is except where it’s the same antagonist carried over into a sequel film, and in cases where there’s more than one threat to our heroes. In these instances, we’ve focussed on the most active baddies or the masterminds of the various diabolical plots.

This ranking will be based on the level of threat the various bad guys pose to our supremely skilled and miraculously superpowered heroes, the diabolical creativity of their respective master plans and the sheer evilness of their actions. Spoilers ahead!

Follow @thefilmagazine on Twitter.

31. Malekith – Thor: The Dark World (2013)

“Look upon my legacy, Algrim. I can barely remember a time before the light.” 

A dark elf conqueror with a vendetta against Asgard for a defeat in ancient times, Malekith is reawakened and plots to snuff out the light across the universe (because his kind really like the darkness of the void).

A hugely distinct and memorable villain from the comics became one of the most boring to ever antagonise a superhero movie. Whatever Christopher Eccleston was trying to do with his performance after undergoing many uncomfortable hours in the makeup chair was lost in a brutally hacked film edit and an all-round po-faced determination to live up to the “dark” of the title.

Note: dark is not the same as interesting. 

30. Ivan Vanko/Whiplash – Iron Man 2 (2010)

“You come from a family of thieves and butchers, and like all guilty men, you try to rewrite your history.”

Whiplash is a Stark-hating, parrot-loving nuclear physicist/inventor with arc reactor-powered whips and an army of drones to carry out his revenge.

Mickey Rourke got a lot of jobs in quick succession as various shades of tough guy in this period. The Wrestler this is not, and he doesn’t exactly stretch himself as Ivan, offering a barely passable Russian accent and playing with a toothpick as a poor substitute for a more intricate characterisation as he plots vaguely defined Cold War-fuelled vengeance on Tony Stark and the American Military Industrial Complex.

29. Emil Blonsky/Abomination – The Incredible Hulk (2008)

“If I took what I had now, and put it in a body that I had ten years ago, that would be someone I wouldn’t want to fight.”

Abomination is an unstable British Black Ops asset who volunteers for a series of dangerous experimental super soldier treatments in order to capture the Hulk.

The Incredible Hulk worked best when it was Marvel’s answer to a Universal Monster movie, but one of its weakest elements was having Blonsky as its villain. Roth is fine, but he just wasn’t all that threatening, the character thinly sketched as a violent jerk with a superiority complex. When he finally transforms into his bony green alter ego Abomination for a CG smashathon in Harlem, it becomes almost impossible to care.

Recommended for you: Once More with Feeling – 10 More of the Best Remakes

28. Dar-Benn – The Marvels (2023)

“I always come back.”

Continuing what Ronan the Accuser started, Kree warrior Dar-Benn seeks to unite the two powerful Cosmic Bands in order to open portals across the galaxy to pillage resources from countless worlds to restore her dying planet of Hala and reassert her species’ dominance in the galaxy.

The problem with Dar-Benn is not her evil-for-the-right-reasons master plan or her relative threat level to our heroes (which is considerable considering that with space-magical enhancement she can hold her own against three formidable supes at once), it’s that there’s nothing else to her.

We needed more time for layers to come though Zawe Ashton’s broad, pantomimey performance and she too often feels like a retread of the kinds of villains we’ve seen in the MCU many times before, just a means to an end.

27. Ava Starr/Ghost – Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018)

“It hurts. It always hurts.”

The Marvels Review

A scientist’s daughter with an unnatural condition that causes her to painfully phase in and out of the physical realm, Ghost resorts to stealing Pymtech to survive.

Ghost is an admirable attempt to make something interesting out of a gimmicky physics-based villain. The character is let down not by Hannah John-Kamen’s engaging and tortured performance but by her essential irrelevance to the film’s main plot and lack of enough meaningful screen time. It’s almost like they only decided late in the day that Ant-Man and the Wasp should have an antagonist at all, and that may have been the wrong decision for this particular movie. 

26. Ronan – Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)

“I don’t recall killing your family. I doubt I’ll remember killing you either.”

Ronan is a Kree fanatic who courts war and is gathering enough power to wipe the planet Xandar from the galaxy.

Ronan, with his war paint, samurai helmet and big hammer has a strong look, and thanks to Lee Pace he is given an imposing presence and a rumbling voice. But you’d struggle to claim he had much in the way of depth as a character. He wants a weapon to destroy a planet because because he’s from a war-like race and that’s about it, though Pace’s affronted expression and confused “what are you doing?” as Star-Lord dances in front of him as he’s trying to trigger an apocalypse is pretty memorable.

25. Darren Cross/Yellowjacket – Ant-Man (2015)

“Did you think you could stop the future with a heist?”

Ant-Man Review

Hank Pym’s protégé, ouster and successor at his company, Yellowjacket seeks to weaponise and sell Pym’s shrinking technology to the highest bidder.

Marvel has a lot of evil CEOs in its rogues gallery and Corey Stoll brings plenty of punchable arrogance to his performance as Darren Cross. He murders rivals and exterminates animal test subjects without second thought, seemingly motivated by Pym not trusting him with the secrets of his technology (though really it’s because he enjoys doing it). 

Cross does have probably the most gruesome villain death in the MCU so far, and it’s no more than he deserves.

“There was an idea…”

Said idea was different to almost every version of the big screen superhero seen previously. Rather than each costumed hero existing in their own sealed-off vivariums, what if they could all share one interconnected universe containing a single ever-evolving and expansive story?

Once the idea gained traction, billions of dollars, and many “phases” of franchise continuity, the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) became the envy of every studio with a lucrative intellectual property to siphon and thus many attempts were made to replicate the success of the “Marvel Formula”.

Much like the James Bond series in the decades before it, the MCU is primarily a producer-led franchise, the ultimate mastermind behind the project being Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige, though distinct directors like Jon Favreau, Joss Whedon and Taika Waititi have certainly left their mark on their respective entries in the ongoing series.

What keeps us (and wider box office audiences) coming back, aside from the ever-increasing levels of superhero spectacle and long-form storytelling borrowing liberally from 80-plus years of comic books, is the time you’re afforded to grow to love the characters and their relationships with each other, especially in the ambitious team-up Avengers movies.

In this edition of Ranked we at The Film Magazine are assessing every entry in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and because fans have very different opinions on the best, the worst and everything in between regarding this series, we’ve attempted to find a balance between average critical consensus and general audience reception, as well as genre innovation and the lasting impact on popular culture, to order all of them definitively from worst to best.

Ladies and gentlemen, for your consideration… Every MCU Marvel Cinematic Universe Movie Ranked.

Follow @thefilmagazine on X (Twitter).

33. Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (2023)

“A guy dressed like a bee tried to kill me when I was six. I’ve never had a normal life.”

Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania Review

The Ant-Man films are probably the most inconstant sub-series in the MCU, quality wise, but because the final chapter of their trilogy tries to go both big and small, it well and truly overreaches itself.

Pitting the Lang/Van Dyne family against Kang the Conqueror in the Quantum Realm, force of nature Jonathan Majors playing a fascinating villain isn’t quite enough to save Peyton Reed’s threequel from being just an eye-catching jumble of mismatched, tonally confusing ideas.

For Kang’s first, less maniacal appearance and the start of this whole Multiverse Saga, make sure to watch Season 1 of ‘Loki’.

32. Eternals (2021)

“We have loved these people since the day we arrived. When you love something, you protect it.”

Eternals Review

Chloé Zhao (Nomadland) is a great director, no doubt, but she was just not a good fit for the MCU in this story of space gods guiding humanity’s progress. Considering the usually grounded and singular vision of her work, this was a particularly crushing disappointment for most audiences.

The ambition and epic millennia-spanning scope of Eternals sadly did not pay off in this jarring, misjudged slog of a final product that couldn’t even be saved by a stellar and diverse cast. 

31. The Marvels (2023)

“Listen to me, you are chosen for a greater purpose. So you must go. But I will never let you go.”

The Marvels Review

The Marvels smartly builds a lot of its appeal around its central team-up of Carol Danvers, Monica Rambeau and Kamala Khan as their power usage causes them to swap places across the universe, but their found family warmth and oodles of charisma can’t overcome all the film’s flaws.

This needed more purposeful storytelling, a villain that doesn’t feel like a retread of what came before and more direct confrontation of the darker implications of the story. The musical elements will likely make an already decisive movie more so, but the MCU overall could do with some more audacious imagery like what Nia DaCosta does with alien cats.

Watching ‘Wandavision’ and ‘Ms Marvel’ through beforehand will certainly help you connect with two of the three leads that bit quicker.

30. Thor: Love and Thunder (2022)

“Whosoever holds these weapons, and believes in getting home, if they be true of heart is therefore worthy, and shall possess… for limited time only, the power… of Thor!”

Thor: Love and Thunder Review

Taika Waititi is the kind of distinct voice that gave the MCU a jolt in the arm when it was most needed, and he was vital in reinvigorating the Thor series, but the tonal balance and technical polish certainly felt off in 2022 release Thor: Love and Thunder.

Good performances from Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman and Christian Bale, and some memorable set pieces aside, Thor’s latest adventure battling a god-killer with his now superpowered ex-girlfriend Jane Foster at his side feels like too many mismatched stories smashed together.

Recommended for you: Taika Waititi Films Ranked

29. Thor: The Dark World (2013)

“One son who wanted the throne too much, and other who will not take it. Is this my legacy?”

The God of Thunder’s third film appearance tries to live up to its title with a story of dark elves trying to snuff out all light in the universe. Sadly, a late change in director – Alan Taylor taking over from would-be Wonder Woman director Patty Jenkins – and extensive Loki-centric reshoots didn’t help an already disjointed film feel any less so.

Thor’s dynamic with his Earthbound friends is still funny and more Loki (shoehorned in or not) is always a good thing with Tom Hiddleston in the role, but the storytelling is inconsistent at best and Christopher Eccleston under heavy prosthetics as Malekith may be the most boring villain in the MCU so far.

28. Iron Man 2 (2010)

“The suit and I are one. To turn over the Iron Man suit would be to turn over myself, which is tantamount to indentured servitude or prostitution, depending on what state you’re in.”

The MCU’s first direct sequel went bigger and darker with Robert Downey Jr’s Tony Stark fighting a vengeful Russian inventor, a rival industrialist and potentially fatal health problems. Unfortunately, this ended up being a much less focussed, overblown and not all that compelling movie.

Scarlet Johansson makes her debut as Black Widow here, though she’s just a generic sexy spy at this point and not yet given the dimensions other writers would later bestow. The action is decent enough, but you wouldn’t lose out on much of you skipped over Iron Man 2 on your next MCU rewatch.

27. The Incredible Hulk (2008)

“You know, I know a few techniques that could help you manage that anger effectively.”

Lacking the clear intentions and boldness of many subsequent MCU movies, The Incredible Hulk is stylistically old-fashioned but works slightly better if you view this as a big-budget tribute to sympathetic monster movies (this one was made by Universal, after all).

A movie filled with false starts and one-off appearances (most obviously Edward Norton’s Bruce Banner would be recast with Mark Ruffalo for The Avengers in 2012), very little was carried over to the wider franchise right up until Tim Roth’s reappearance in ‘She-Hulk’ fourteen years later.

This is generally uninspiring stuff, with its most interesting man-on-the-run elements cribbed from the 1970s ‘Incredible Hulk’ TV show.

Recommended for you: Where to Start with Universal Classic Monsters

On the screen, Marvel Studios’ trusted output has been received positively by critics and audiences alike, the majority of its thirty feature releases being well received and worthy of their hype, even their so-called “calculated risks” being more often refreshing to their already established formula than detrimental to their overall output.

Cinema has been forever changed by the dawn of Marvel’s big screen dominance and old-school serial approach to storytelling, Disney’s newly ordained crown jewel inspiring every rival studio and aspirational production company to gobble up trusted IPs and set forth plans for so-called Movie Universes based around everything from fellow superheroes to famous board games, reinvented children’s cartoons to horror characters.

In this edition of Ranked, we at The Film Magazine are putting the world’s most influential film franchise under the microscope to compare every feature length Marvel release with one another to determine which MCU films are the best and which are the worst, judging each on artistic merit and cultural impact.

Follow @thefilmagazine on Twitter. 

30. The Incredible Hulk (2008)

To this day, Louis Leterrier’s 2008 MCU contribution The Incredible Hulk is the forgotten member of the family. And, while this isn’t necessarily this distinctly average film’s fault and is actually more to do with Edward Norton refusing to return to his role as the Hulk following strained relationships with both director and studio, as well as how the rights to the Hulk character are locked in a contract that limits Marvel Studios from telling a standalone story with Mark Ruffalo, a lot can still be said for how dated this film is – The Incredible Hulk playing a lot more like Spider-Man 3, Fantastic Four and X-Men: Origins – Wolverine than the later and much more tasteful Marvel Studios offerings to come in this list.

Recommended for you: Every X-Men Movie Ranked

29. Thor: The Dark World (2013)

The worst of a bad bunch of uninspired sequels, Alan Taylor’s Thor: The Dark World not only seemed absent of the comedy and much of the mythology of the original Thor film but it also hit at precisely the wrong time – that being between the much more highly anticipated Iron Man 3 and Captain America: The Winter Soldier, and the year after the original The Avengers.

Thor 2 was generic in a Suicide Squad “angry swirl of evil descending from the sky for no reason” kind of way; a movie so uninspired Chris Hemsworth has openly spoken about how he almost quit the role because of it; a perfectly serviceable sequel (especially at the time), but one of little consequence or imagination that few get excited to rewatch – an MCU entry that time hasn’t been very kind to.

28. Iron Man 2 (2010)

The first Iron Man was such a huge success creatively, artistically, critically and financially for Marvel Studios that a quick-turnaround 2nd movie was demanded to bolster Phase One’s launch – a period in the history of the MCU that was a lot more rocky than many are willing to admit.

Iron Man 2 was a failure in all of the ways Iron Man was a success, apart from financially, offering bland and sometimes barely comprehensible moments of action, dialogue and character. As a result, Iron Man 2 fits right in alongside the likes of The Amazing Spider-Man as a very particular brand of cheesy and uninspired comic book movie that was made more to earn a quick buck than it was to fulfil any creative or artistic need. It has its moments – which movie starring Robert Downey Jr. as Iron Man doesn’t? – but thankfully the MCU has proven itself to be better than this in its other phases since.

27. Ant-Man and The Wasp (2018)

Coming between Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame – ie, post-snap – Ant-Man and The Wasp was put in an awful position to succeed, the creative minds behind the film having to choose between embracing the actions of Infinity War or ignoring them altogether. They chose the latter (at least until the film’s final moments), but what fans wanted was something of an indicator as to what was to come in Endgame, or at least a taste of post-Infinity War’s MCU landscape, and the comedy-centred light-heartedness of an Ant-Man movie was an example of Marvel Studios not taking a minute to read the room.

More than that, Ant-Man and The Wasp felt scaled down from the original, its outlandish creative ideas brought into line with the wider MCU look and feel of things, making what seemed like a promising sequel to a moving and hilarious comedy one of the studio’s most formulaic and typically “superhero movie” releases to date – the “formula” not being necessarily bad, but certainly overplayed.

26. Eternals (2021)

Eternals Review

Eternals came with a lot of hope and expectation given the nature of the original material it was being adapted from and how it was the first MCU entry to be directed by an Oscar-winning director (Chloé Zhao). Ultimately, it proved too much of a mix of the trusted Marvel formula and director Zhao’s trademark directorial style, the clashes between action and existentialism forcing a disjointed rhythm in the filmmaking that made Eternals feel way longer than it was (which was one of the longest MCU films in history) and hit home way less effectively than anyone would have hoped.

As a product of the world’s largest production arm, Eternals was hopefully diverse from cast to crew, but ultimately this release had two authorial presences that seemed to clash on screen, this already troubling combination being amplified by its position in the MCU as a part of the studio’s fourth phase and thus responsible for a number of story elements and character introductions barely relevant to its standalone narrative.

25. Thor: Love and Thunder (2022)

Thor: Love and Thunder Review

Despite featuring one of the most empathetic and exceptionally-performed villains in Marvel Cinematic Universe history, Thor: Love and Thunder was a messy fourth instalment in the God of Thunder’s individual franchise, a film that flipped between tones as if at a loss at how to create both meaningful drama and laugh-out-loud comedy.

In comparison to post-2012 Marvel releases, the action was relatively poor too. Gone were the exceptionally choreographed sequences of the mainstream Avengers films or the differing styles of Black Widow, Doctor Strange and Shang-Chi, and in its place were bland and almost inconsequential battles repeated, a few moments of awe failing to rectify for a movie’s worth of oversights.

Thor: Love and Thunder is an enjoyable time at the movies. It will make you laugh and it does have some interesting moments, but these pros are simply too few and far between to make for a strong (or even meaningful) MCU entry.

24. Iron Man 3 (2013)

Adored by some and maligned by others, Iron Man 3 simply came about much too early, screenwriter-director Shane Black’s offerings of genre and trope deconstructions – most notably the choice to twist a genuinely fascinating villain into a trope-ridden stereotypical bad guy as a form of commentary – being things usually reserved for the dying days of a genre, not for one of its peaks.

This film was the follow up to The Avengers where Tony Stark had almost died, so Black’s smarts didn’t hit as they could have much later in the studio’s line-up – people wanted emotion and stakes, as well as suitable conclusions to character arcs, and Black’s work was seen to undermine that, the very strong work in several aspects of this film ultimately shunned to the background of a film dominated by a creator’s singular intention seemingly forced into the canon at the wrong time.

Recommended for you: 5 Great Comedies from the Past 5 Years That You Should Watch To Keep You Going

But first, here’s to another decade of bold filmmaking voices making their mark, reaching wide-ranging audiences and continuing to progress the art form in an uncertain world. 

Cheers!

1. Clio Barnard
The Arbor (2010) – The Selfish Giant (2013) – Dark River (2017)

A distinct female voice working prolifically within the British film industry and thus far not straying from her Yorkshire home county or compromising on her darkly poetic style, Clio Barnard is a pariah. 

BAFTA and BIFA award nominee Barnard has moved fluidly between docu-drama and geographically rooted dramatic storytelling. Her stories have universal impact but make a particular connection with viewers from West Yorkshire who recognise the bleak-beautiful landscapes and people.

The one to watch: The Selfish Giant

Inspired by Oscar Wilde but feeling more Dickensian and ploughing its own furrow, The Selfish Giant follows two Bradford teen tearaways whose friendship has to survive poverty and adult manipulation. It hits you like a train, always feels genuine and leaves you with unforgettable imagery.

Recommended for you: Dark River (2018) Review

2. Damien Chazelle
Whiplash (2014) – La La Land (2016) – First Man (2018)

Critical darling he may be, but this not without reason as Damien Chazelle has proven himself a stylistically confident young actor’s director, working intensively with his cast and crew to produce his dazzling vision.

Chazelle has confidently tackled the musical, the biopic and Oscar-winning drama, but never presents them quite in the conventional sense. He’s romantic but a realist, so his characters usually have something fundamental missing in their lives or a nigh-on impossible dream they’re shooting for.

The one to watch: Whiplash

The presentation of the psychology of obsession marked Whiplash out, but everyone remembers the barnstorming performances, how Chazelle managed to make a student playing the drums and his teacher saying “Not quite my tempo” more unbearably tense than Neil Armstrong landing on the moon with a faulty guidance system.

Recommended for you: La La Land (2017) Review

3. Ryan Coogler
Fruitvale Station (2013) – Creed (2015) – Black Panther (2018)

Ryan Coogler’s filmmaking captures the zeitgeist. He has a vivid and distinct voice, inescapably rooted in a culture and experiences, and he never disguises it in his work, even as he has moved into the mainstream.

The deeply-held feelings in evidence in all of his work, the deconstruction of injustice and cultural bias in the American experience are presented to us in an appealing, vivid aesthetic. Michael B. Jordan has become Coogler’s figurehead, his mouthpiece to convey earnest, passionately held ideas about the world as they have both moved from the indie to the blockbuster stage.

The one to watch: Fruitvale Station

Oscar Grant’s story was one that needed to be told and should have been more widely known the world over; an injustice that needed to be given a voice. An unremarkable man seemingly living another unremarkable day in his life takes a tragic and history-shaping turn.

Recommended for you: Black Panther (2018) Review

“There was an idea to bring together a group of remarkable people to see if we could become something more. So when they needed us, we could fight the battles that they never could.”

Marvel Studios have been the standard bearer for all superhero films for the past 10 years, presenting 20 movies to increasing audiences the world over and earning around $17.3billion at the worldwide box office. The studio has created 10 separate franchises since its debut film Iron Man in 2008, digging into the once exclusive comic book properties of the likes of “Ant-Man” and “Guardians of the Galaxy” to present fresh and always entertaining takes on a genre that they have come to master above even their most intimate of contemporaries. In this edition of Ranked, we have judged each of the 20 Marvel Studios Avengers-related movies from worst to best based on their quality and historical importance. As always, we encourage you to share your thoughts on social media and in the comments below, but for now it’s on with the list…

20. The Incredible Hulk (2008)

Director: Louis Leterrier
Starring: Edward Norton, Liv Tyler, Tim Roth, William Hurt, Ty Burrell, Tim Blake Nelson, Lou Ferigno

When The Incredible Hulk went into production, the characters of Bruce Banner and his gamma radiated alter ego were perhaps the biggest pop culture icons left at the behest of Marvel Studios after auctioning off their X-Men, Fantastic Four and Spider-Man to other companies. The duality of Banner’s character therefore seemed like the perfect choice for an audience-grabbing introductory film; one which would feature more fun and chaos than the Ang Lee presentation from 2003. If audiences didn’t see Iron Man earlier in the year, then they’d surely see this. History would have it that audiences did turn up to see Iron Man, and as such the lack of quality on offer in The Incredible Hulk was more obvious than it may have otherwise been. The movie was up and down, offering some half-decent fan service in amongst the rage and chaos but failing to deliver in terms of an interesting story or reason to care. In the aftermath of the release, it became clear that Leterrier was never entirely confident in directing the picture and had only taken the job after being rejected for his passion project Iron Man, and star Edward Norton threw the whole production under the bus by claiming he had ‘basically written the movie’. The Incredible Hulk now stands far afoot the bottom of the Avengers list in terms of quality, and can be considered as perhaps the only severe misstep of the studio’s entire universe. The film remains canon, with William Hurt’s continued presence being evidence of this, but having switched out Norton for Ruffalo it’s clear that this is the one film on this list Marvel are trying to forget about.

19. Iron Man 2 (2010)

Director: Jon Favreau
Starring: Robert Downey Jr., Mickey Rourke, Sam Rockwell, Gwyneth Paltrow, Don Cheadle, Scarlett Johansson, Samuel L. Jackson, Paul Bettany, Jon Favreau

Iron Man 2 felt like a big deal back in 2010. It was the third movie of the would-be Avengers universe and had cast the recently reconciled Mickey Rourke hot off the back of his triumphant return to prominence in The Wrestler. Underneath the hype there were grumblings of malcontent however, with Don Cheadle being substituted in for Terrence Howard following a pay dispute in which Marvel reportedly refused to offer Howard the same money for the 2nd movie as they had offered Downey Jr., and the story of Edward Norton’s future within the universe seemingly putting an end to early plans to have Iron Man and the rest of the Avengers team-up to take down a rebellious Hulk (as hinted towards in the post-credit scene in The Incredible Hulk). Ultimately, this landed Iron Man 2 in the zone of “safe sequel”; a film which delivers on all of the original movie’s promises but did little to exceed expectations. Still useful in how it was offering an appropriately colourful take on a superhero genre in the midst of Nolan’s darker Dark Knight trilogy, this Jon Favreau follow-up is perhaps less well remembered now than it was way back when, and we can all see Marvel’s biggest faults – presenting believable threats to their heroes – poking their ugly heads, but this is by no means a bad movie in the same sense that The Incredible Hulk was; just more of a forgettable one.

18. Thor: The Dark World (2013)

Director: Alan Taylor
Starring: Chris Hemsworth, Tom Hiddleston, Natalie Portman, Anthony Hopkins, Christopher Eccleston, Idris Elba, Stellan Skarsgård, Kat Dennings

Speaking of forgettable; is there a movie on this list that has as few special moments as Thor: The Dark World?

For the 2nd instalment of the Thor standalone franchise, and coming in the aftermath of The Avengers in 2012, The Dark World felt safe in many of the ways that Iron Man 2 did, though it also shared The Incredible Hulk’s unique trait of being a universe instalment that Marvel would look to move on from, resetting many of the lingering story threads in the first few minutes of its follow up Ragnarok in 2017. The Dark World did its job, presenting fans with more of the beloved relationship between Thor and Loki, and worked to introduce more of the unique planets and beings from the comic books, but it was lacking in anything beyond the typical faceless villain stereotype as a threat, and the film suffered significantly as a result of this. Thor 2 was very much the Iron Man 2 of the Thor franchise, only the relationship between Thor & Loki as well as the presence of a few characters that have since been forgotten about – as played by Natalie Portman, Stellan Skarsgård and Kat Dennings – were just enough to pip the Iron Man sequel in this list.

17. Iron Man 3 (2013)

Director: Shane Black
Starring: Robert Downey Jr., Gwyneth Paltrow, Don Cheadle, Guy Pearce, Ben Kingsley, Jon Favreau, Rebecca Hall

Iron Man 3 is one of the more controversial entries into Marvel’s Avengers universe of films, and the entirety of the reason as to why is the film’s twist. Warning, there are spoilers ahead…

Screenwriter-director Shane Black had previously worked with Downey Jr. on Kiss Kiss Bang Bang in 2005 and therefore seemed like an easy, creative alternative to the Iron Man franchise’s exiting Jon Favreau. The issue was that Black was noteworthy for tackling genre conventions and therefore sought to deviate from the typical ‘rise of an ultimate villain’ character arc, seeing it as too much of an obvious path for Iron Man 3 to walk down. As such, the movie developed a believable, identifiable threat in the form of Ben Kingsley’s Mandarin, only for Tony Stark/Iron Man to discover that the character was simply an actor relaying lines on behalf of another villain, a villain who turned out to be much less identifiable and interesting, and much more like the lacklustre villains that had populated the universe to this point. In 2013 audiences had grown tired of under-developed villains with little to identify with, so Iron Man 3’s tease of a great villain proved too much for many. It was a moment which overshadowed the film and became the topic of discussion regarding the movie itself, which other than this moment was actually quite fun though somewhat forgettable.

Disclaimer: This list is by no means representative of the team here at The Film Magazine and is, of course, compiled exclusively from the long list of films I’ve seen in 2016 (which isn’t necessarily all of the greatest films released in this calendar year). Every film outlined on this list was released theatrically in 2016 in the UK, meaning films like ‘Moonlight’ and ‘La La Land’ (due for release on Feb 2017 & 13th Jan 2017 respectively) will not be included despite their critical success and inclusions on similar lists elsewhere.

So, without any further ado…

10 – Hell or High Water

Hell or High Water was perhaps the sleeper hit of 2016. Released at the beginning of September and without much attention, David Mackenzie’s crime drama combined the tense nature of its subject matter – brother bank robbers trying to out-wit and out-run the police – with a subtle analysis of contemporary culture and post-recession America that was as thought-provoking as it was visually stunning. Starring superstar actors Chris Pine, Jeff Bridges and the film-stealing Ben Foster, this smartly constructed genre film felt like as much of a Western as we’ve been treated to in years and, through its exploration of its characters and their similar yet opposing ideologies regarding what is ‘right’, was a tense tale that was beautifully shot, terrifically acted and ultimately worth the investment. Already nominated for two Golden Globes including Best Motion Picture – Drama, Hell or High Water may be a surprise inclusion in one or two categories at the Oscars in 2017 and certainly deserves the accolade.

Honourable Mention: Swiss Army Man
Daniels, the movie’s directorial partnership, managed to present an interesting and above all individualistic dark comedy that was fantastically performed by Paul Dano and Daniel Radcliffe, artistically shot by the directorial duo and wonderfully scored by Andy Hull. Swiss Army Man only missed out on the list courtesy of its divisive nature.

9 – The Nice Guys

Every now and then a film comes along that takes the mutated themes and ideas behind a famous genre and returns said themes to their original starting points. This is exactly what Shane Black did with his buddy-cop movie The Nice Guys. Set in a 70s version of Los Angeles (the screenwriter-directors way of instantly removing the wild and often unnecessarily gimmicky expectations of the audience brought about by superhero films and the like), The Nice Guys was… simply… a funny buddy-cop movie from one of the all-time greats of the genre – need I mention that Black was one of the creative minds behind the Lethal Weapon franchise and Kiss Kiss Bang Bang?

Featuring the always reliable and quietly funny Russell Crowe alongside perhaps the most likeable and certainly the most funny version of Ryan Gosling we’ve ever seen, The Nice Guys managed to provide moments of quiet sniggers as well as the type of moment that has you spitting your drink out of your mouth, making for one of the funniest and most enjoyable movies of the year that could lead to a sort of renaissance for the sub-genre (fingers crossed).

8 – Captain America: Civil War

Captain America: Civil War was perhaps the greatest of all of Marvel’s Cinematic Universe movies to date and was a shining light amongst mostly average and drab blockbuster movies in the 2016 calendar year. Starring almost the entire cast of Marvel’s Avengers, as well as some new and interesting characters – Spider-Man and Black Panther to name but a few – Civil War’s directors Anthony and Joe Russo built on the success of their Winter Soldier movie to great fanfare. It was the movie’s inclusion of best-ever fight choreography that looked far more real and impactful than in any other MCU movie, and the tense disintegration of Earth’s mightiest heroes that grabbed my attention, but it was in the movie’s quiet moral questioning of its blockbuster sized audience that this movie was above and beyond every film in the franchise in my opinion, and certainly a blockbuster to remember from 2016.

7 – Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

The first spin-off from Disney’s Star Wars universe landed in December and it was the blockbuster of the year in my opinion. Its combination of effects driven sequences and true character development/arcs, as well as its true-to-life presentation of the destruction of war, was above and beyond many of the blockbusters released since the turn of the century, and its mixture of this ‘real-stakes’ attitude with satisfying fan service really pushed Rogue One over the edge as one of the best movies in the franchise. Doing all of this with a cast almost entirely absent of white American males, Rogue One also took an important step in helping to normalise other races, nationalities and genders as leaders of huge franchise movies, making for a more universally accessible and relatable film. Politics aside, Gareth Edwards’ movie was fantastically fun and a true testament to just how good blockbuster franchise movies can be when they’re made with care and affection.

6 – Arrival

Denis Villeneuve is quickly proving himself as one of the great directors of our time, and ‘Arrival’ has finally brought him the attention his truly excellent work has deserved. The movie, starring Amy Adams and Jeremy Renner, was a tour-de-force of emotion that never lost touch with its truly human story, even within the science fiction world in which it was set, and worked in every aspect to assert this with unmissable conviction. The layered performance of Amy Adams was fantastic, and Villeneuve’s suspenseful presentation pleasantly allied itself with the fantastic score of Jóhann Jóhannsson whose deep and drone-like sounds helped to create one of the more atmospheric pieces of the year and certainly one of science fiction’s better original movies this decade. Nominated for two Golden Globes – Best Actress in a Drama; Best Original Score – Arrival has jumped into territory not often found by films of its type, something I believe is of true testament to the picture’s truly unique vision and overall quality.

5 – The Revenant

Alejandro Iñárritu won ‘Best Director’ for a second year in a row for his work on ‘The Revenant’, and with good reason. The filmmaker’s combination with Emmanuel Lubezki – probably the best cinematographer on the planet – birthed one of the most beautifully shot movies you’ll ever see and was so good in its moments of tension and threat that it has undoubtedly worked to alter how other filmmakers look at shooting action sequences. Perhaps best remembered as the movie that finally won Leonardo DiCaprio his Oscar, The Revenant also features a powerful performance from Tom Hardy who lends himself to the film’s overriding intensity that is unrelenting for the entire movie. At 2 hours and 36 minutes, Iñárritu was perhaps asking too much of his audience to exert themselves for the entire run-time which is why The Revenant isn’t higher on this list.

4 – The Big Short

Another film that made 2016’s Oscars list, The Big Short’s quality was almost a complete shock to me after years of following Adam McKay’s otherwise comedy-filled career. The screenwriter-director’s work won him an Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay and a nomination for Best Director, which upon viewing The Big Short was clearly deserved due to how McKay managed to present the information-heavy film in a pseudo-documentary style that was a completely fresh means of storytelling in American cinema. Starring an ensemble of talent including Steve Carell, Christian Bale and Ryan Gosling, this true-to-life story of the recession hit home in ways that will only increase in relevance as the years go on, making this an instant classic of the 2016 calendar year.

3 – Nocturnal Animals

Tom Ford’s dictatorial presence over Nocturnal Animals made for an almost machine-like crispness and quality to the film’s presentation that was simply an undeniable visual masterpiece that expertly presented its intricate and often challenging story. Featuring a surprisingly great career-defining performance from Aaron Taylor-Johnson and strong performances from Amy Adams, Jake Gyllenhaal and particularly Michael Shannon, Nocturnal Animals was an absolute masterpiece that paid homage to the likes of Douglas Sirk and Alfred Hitchcock with true class and sophistication. Surely a front-runner for 2017’s Oscars, Nocturnal Animals is only number 3 in this list due to the overwhelming quality of the top 2.

2 – Spotlight

If ever there was a story that needed to be told on film, this was it. The true story of a Boston newspaper uncovering rampant paedophilia in the Boston Catholic Church, Spotlight was a timeless classic that was excellent in every aspect of its presentation from the way it was presented visually with a simplicity that put focus on its story, to the outstanding level of performance from its stellar cast that included Michael Keaton and Mark Ruffalo. Its combination of respect, humility and passion in all sectors made it one of the movies of the decade and a true modern classic of film storytelling that is sure to stand the test of time and evoke a tear or two; the sort of emotional response that hits you only a few times per year (if that).

1 – I, Daniel Blake

It’s hard to put into words quite how important Ken Loach’s I, Daniel Blake was to many in the UK in 2016, but it would be apt to summarise it as being a life-altering and perhaps politics altering movie that offered a voice to the otherwise voiceless in a time of desperate need. ‘This is our quiet rage’, I wrote in my original review of the movie back in October; a view shared by the masses of people that went to see it in the cinema and the political movement it sparked amongst the United Kingdom’s left-wing. #WeAreAllDanielBlake is now a universal phrase for supporters of governmental aid, and the story of the movie’s central characters Daniel and Katie has become an often referenced tale in opposing prejudice and discrimination. More than that, I, Daniel Blake is a fantastic film. A deserved Palme d’Or winner, the movie grabs you emotionally and takes you on a truly relatable journey of struggle and strife, with Ken Loach offering subtle juxtaposition as a means of sensational storytelling in a poetic but still down-to-earth and realistic film that has transcended cinema screens.

So there you have it: my selection of the greatest films from 2016. With plenty to look forward to in the coming year, I hope to be back at this point in 12 months with even more life-changing classics to choose from.

My final thought is this: support cinema. Go to your local independent theatre and watch something out of the ordinary. Don’t dismiss the big budget blockbusters, of course, but make room for smaller and/or foreign language films. Buy that independent movie you’ve been debating purchasing because that could be part of the reason that filmmaker makes more films, or more films of its kind can be made in the future. It’s vital to the success of the art-form to hear an increasingly diverse group of voices across all genres and in all languages, and to support those who need funding to get their voices heard. Support cinema in 2017 and we’ll all be better off for it.

The rules were simple: any film based on a comic book or graphic novel was eligible. As always let us know what you think.

Number 30: The Crow (1994) 

Director: Alex Proyas
Cast: Brandon Lee, Ernie Hudson, Michael Wincott

Number 29: Scott Pilgrim vs The World (2010)

Director: Edgar Wright
Cast: Michael Cera, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Kieran Culkin, Chris Evans, Anna Kendrick, Alison Pill, Brandon Routh, Jason Schwartzman, Ellen Wong

Number 28: Superman II (1980)

Director: Richard Lester
Cast: Gene Hackman, Christopher Reeve, Ned Beatty, Jackie Cooper, Sarah Douglas, Margot Kidder, Jack O’Halloran, Valerie Perrine, Susannah York, Terence Stamp

Number 27: Batman (1989)

Director: Tim Burton
Cast: Jack Nicholson, Michael Keaton, Kim Basinger, Robert Wuhl, Pat Hingle, Billy Dee Williams, Michael Gough, Jack Palance

Number 26: Kick-Ass (2010)

Director: Matthew Vaughn
Cast: Aaron Johnson, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Mark Strong, Chloë Grace Moretz, Nicolas Cage, Lyndsy Fonseca, Clark Duke, Evan Peters 

Number 25: Blade (1998)

Director: Stephen Norrington
Cast: Wesley Snipes,Stephen Dorff, Kris Kristofferson, N’Bushe Wright, Donal Logue

Number 24: Ant-Man (2015)

Director: Peyton Reed
Cast: Paul Rudd, Evangeline Lilly, Corey Stoll, Bobby Cannavale, Michael Peña, Tip “T.I.” Harris, Anthony Mackie, Wood Harris, Judy Greer, David Dastmalchian, Michael Douglas

Number 23: Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016)

Director: Zack Snyder
Cast: Ben Affleck, Henry Cavill, Amy Adams, Jesse Eisenberg, Diane Lane, Laurence Fishburne, Jeremy Irons, Holly Hunter, Gal Gadot

Number 22: Sin City (2005)

Director: Frank Miller & Robert Rodriguez
Cast: Bruce Willis, Mickey Rourke, Clive Owen, Benicio Del Toro, Jessica Alba, Brittany Murphy, Elijah Wood, Alexis Bledel, Josh Hartnett

Number 21: Men In Black (1997)

Director: Barry Sonnenfeld
Cast: Tommy Lee Jones, Will Smith, Linda Fiorentino, Vincent D’Onofrio, Rip Torn

Number 20: Watchmen (2009)

Director: Zack Snyder
Cast: Malin Åkerman, Billy Crudup, Matthew Goode, Carla Gugino, Jackie Earle Haley, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Patrick Wilson

Number 19: Thor (2011)

Director: Kenneth Branagh
Cast: Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman, Tom Hiddleston, Stellan Skarsgård, Colm Feore, Ray Stevenson, Idris Elba, Kat Dennings, Rene Russo, Anthony Hopkins

Number 18: Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)

Directors: Anthony and Joe Russo
Cast: Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Sebastian Stan, Anthony Mackie, Cobie Smulders, Frank Grillo, Emily VanCamp, Hayley Atwell, Robert Redford, Samuel L. Jackson

Number 17: V For Vendetta (2006)

Director: James McTeigue
Cast: Natalie Portman, Hugo Weaving, Stephen Rea, John Hurt

Number 16: Dredd (2012)

Director: Pete Travis
Cast: Karl Urban, Olivia Thirlby, Wood Harris, Lena Headey

Number 15: X-Men (2000)

Director: Bryan Singer
Cast: Patrick Stewart, Hugh Jackman, Ian McKellen, Halle Berry, Famke Janssen, James Marsden, Bruce Davison, Rebecca Romijn-Stamos, Ray Park, Anna Paquin

Number 14: 300 (2006)

Director: Zack Snyder
Cast: Gerard Butler, Lena Headey, David Wenham, Dominic West, Giovanni Cimmino, Vincent Regan

Number 13: The Dark Knight Rises (2012)

Director: Christopher Nolan
Cast: Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Gary Oldman, Anne Hathaway, Tom Hardy, Marion Cotillard, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Morgan Freeman

Number 12: Deadpool (2016)

Director: Tim Miller
Cast: Ryan Reynolds, Morena Baccarin, Ed Skrein, Gina Carano, T.J. Miller, Leslie Uggams, Brianna Hildebrand, Stefan Kapičić

Number 11: X-Men: First Class (2011)

Director: Matthew Vaughn
Cast: James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Rose Byrne, Jennifer Lawrence, January Jones, Oliver Platt, Kevin Bacon, Nicholas Hoult, Lucas Till

Number 10: Batman Begins (2005)

Director: Christopher Nolan
Cast: Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Liam Neeson, Katie Holmes, Gary Oldman, Cillian Murphy, Tom Wilkinson, Rutger Hauer, Ken Watanabe, Morgan Freeman

Number 9: The Avengers (2012)

Director: Joss Whedon
Cast: Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner, Tom Hiddleston, Clark Gregg, Cobie Smulders, Stellan Skarsgård, Samuel L. Jackson

Number 8: Superman (1978)

Director: Richard Donner
Cast: Marlon Brando, Gene Hackman, Christopher Reeve, Ned Beatty, Jackie Cooper, Glenn Ford, Trevor Howard, Margot Kidder, Valerie Perrine, Maria Schell, Terence Stamp, Phyllis Thaxter, Susannah York

Number 7: Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)

Director: James Gunn
Cast: Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, Vin Diesel, Bradley Cooper, Lee Pace, Michael Rooker, Karen Gillan, Djimon Hounsou, John C. Reilly, Glenn Close, Benicio del Toro

Number 6: X2 (2003)

Director: Bryan Singer
Cast: Patrick Stewart, Hugh Jackman, Ian McKellen, Halle Berry, Famke Janssen, James Marsden, Rebecca Romijn-Stamos, Brian Cox, Alan Cumming, Bruce Davison, Anna Paquin

Number 5: Batman Returns (1992)

Director: Tim Burton
Cast: Michael Keaton, Danny DeVito, Michelle Pfeiffer, Christopher Walken, Michael Gough, Pat Hingle, Michael Murphy

Number 4: Spider-Man 2 (2004)

Director: Sam Raimi
Cast: Tobey Maguire, Kirsten Dunst, James Franco, Alfred Molina, Rosemary Harris, Donna Murphy

Number 3: Captain America: Civil War (2016)

Directors: Anthony Russo and Joe Russo
Cast: Chris Evans, Robert Downey Jr., Scarlett Johansson, Sebastian Stan, Anthony Mackie, Don Cheadle, Jeremy Renner, Chadwick Boseman, Paul Bettany, Elizabeth Olsen, Paul Rudd, Emily VanCamp, Tom Holland, Frank Grillo, William Hurt, Daniel Brühl

Number 2: Iron Man (2008)

Director: Jon Favreau
Cast: Robert Downey Jr., Terrence Howard, Jeff Bridges, Shaun Toub, Gwyneth Paltrow

Number 1: The Dark Knight (2008)

Director: Christopher Nolan
Cast: Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Heath Ledger, Gary Oldman, Aaron Eckhart, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Morgan Freeman

Chris Evans, Robert Downey, Jr., Scarlett Johansson, Sebastian Stan and a host of other big names have come together to share the silver screen for the Russo brothers’ return to the Captain America franchise with Civil War, a story of division, ego, and responsibility. Cap wants freedom and Iron Man wants liability, posing the question: whose side are you on? Upon watching Civil War, the answer is definitive: Marvel’s.

If the Russo Brothers’ first foray into the MCU marked the beginning of a tonal shift from colourful superhero movies with little risk to their heroes, to more adult and character-centered pieces, then Civil War was without a doubt the completion of this shift. Producing a more adult movie with some authentic moral questioning (as should be the case for a live-action version of the famed comic), the Russo Brothers have managed to make the Marvel Cinematic Universe come of age through a blend of well placed action and some excellent dialogue that was the icing to a cake filled with issues relevant to the contemporary political landscape, both in America and the rest of the world. Within the story, Rogers was, appropriately, the representation of the United States with regard to their position in the global political landscape – often fighting for the ‘greater good’ with ‘freedom’ from the opinions and restrictions of their global partners in the UN – while Tony Stark was a more internationally relatable protagonist representing those with the opinions that a community based decision making process would be better suited regarding decisions that cause mass destruction, as is the case with organisations such as the UN. It made for an interesting and thought provoking story that raised questions with regard to our own universe in a manner that has been left largely untouched in previous Marvel installments, and was dealt with in such a way that it wasn’t drab and uninteresting, which is of huge testament to all involved, particularly the directors.

The movie generally felt darker than previous Marvel installments, with confrontations between some of the universe’s most beloved heroes having a much bigger impact than the brief moments of conflict seen in other movies, such as Iron Man and Hulk’s confrontation in Age of Ultron. This is because their disputes were more than simple fits of anger or the ‘who done it’ of this film’s predecessor, but were instead more personal conflicts regarding beliefs and, importantly for this character piece, loyalties. The movie made you choose sides, and given the popularity of the characters on each, the decision was a tough one that mirrored that of the decisions the characters themselves were making. It was an involving technique that brought the story closer to home and inevitably raised the stakes of each of the battles, making the movie feel like a potential location for a huge death ‘in the family’ for the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

The screenplay’s darker themes and ideologies were echoed elsewhere in the production by a smartly orchestrated mix of colours, sounds, and so on that made the film feel different to its predecessors on a level beyond that of its written story. Many of the movie’s most dangerous confrontations were set indoors, whether it be a tunnel or a bunker, and this made for a darker pallet that signified the severity of these particular situations. Perhaps more importantly with regard to the more substantial criticisms of Civil War’s predecessors, the music was more appropriate for its content, managing to avoid the cliche’s of Avengers Assemble in particular and instead offer assistance to the moving dialogue and moments of conflict. In this regard, prolonged periods of deep drones replaced the previous movies’ higher beats that came to be more reminiscent of late 90s cop shows than major summer blockbusters, and this enhanced the production infinitely because of how emotive the soundtrack came to be.

The action sequences in Civil War were nothing less than sensational, too. From the very first moments of the movie, the difference in quality the Russo Brothers bring to the table was evident, with Black Widow looking particularly strong; something that previous movies in the franchise were seriously lacking. Perhaps it’s a given to assume that the action in any given Marvel film is to be of a higher quality than in most other films because of how their budgets and history of producing such sequences are significantly more substantial than most of their competition, but Civil War was a step above, with carefully thought out battles that illustrated each of its heroes’ talents in imaginative and exciting ways that were awe inspiring to say the least. What the Russo Brothers managed to do was to tell a story in each of the movie’s larger battles and this was not evidenced any more than in how they used them to characterise each of the series’ new characters. Black Panther’s characterisation, for example, occurred largely in the movie’s largest chase scene, while Spider-Man’s character was largely developed in the movie’s grandest fight. Similarly, the emotion of the confrontation between Stark and Rogers was emphasised by the action that accompanied it, ensuring that none of the action in the movie felt gratuitous; it didn’t come across as if the studio had requested more guns and fists because ‘violence sells’. Perhaps most importantly with regard to the production of these sequences was the high standards of the editing, something that this Marvel installment clearly surpassed its rival Batman v Superman in. Unlike its DC counterpart, Civil War constructed its action coherently throughout, while not losing the impact of the scenes or slowing down the pace of its battles, making for a generally better rounded technical product than BvS and most, if not all, of its Marvel predecessors.

It’s evident, then, that the Russo Brothers, along with the movie’s screenplay writers Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely, put a lot of emphasis on character building in their pursuit of meaningful confrontation and fulfilling audience expectations, and this was emphasised in no greater way than in how they managed to fit 12 or so beloved heroes in to around 2 hours of action while introducing a new villain and a couple of new recruits too. Black Panther and Spider-Man, for example, were likable new personalities with little tidbits of character that made them interesting, even beyond the action. The ways in which they were incorporated into the stacked movie was certainly more successful than the introduction of Quicksilver in Age of Ultron, and was a very effective starter point for their regular inclusion in the universe moving forward. Just as importantly, the chief antagonist of the piece was also cleverly written and integrated into the final product, marking the second movie in a row that the Russo Brothers have successfully presented a formidable foe to Earth’s mightiest heroes. Daniel Brühl’s Zemo didn’t confront the almost invincible collection of Avengers physically as many of the organisation’s rivals have in previous movies, but he instead confronted them psychologically in an attempt to divide them and have them destroy themselves. This made for one of the more interesting villains in the universe’s history as it seemed more conceivable that he would actually achieve what he set out to achieve: annihilation of the Avengers. He didn’t do this through mass manipulation, the likes of which is difficult to portray in superhero movies as has been evidenced countless times throughout the years, but he did so through sheer will and determination to not let anyone or anything stand in his way. This brought about a more naturalistic progression of the confrontations Iron Man and Captain America in particular were having, and made their ultimate foe increase in importance and danger as the movie progressed. His outlandish task was one that provided him with solace while simultaneously taking the Avengers out, and as a result the movie presented two groups chasing their own individual goals that happened to cross over one another’s paths, each with justifiable reasoning as to why they deserved to finish their pursuit ahead of the other. The villain didn’t seem forced, and while he wasn’t that prominent on-screen, he certainly didn’t seem to be a side-show to the heroes of the piece either, simply because of how his plan was so effective. Zemo was the typical brains over braun villain, yes, but; could there be any other way to logically dismantle such a collection of ‘extraordinary humans’?

Brühl himself has built a reputation, mostly in Europe, of being an incredible talent, and that talent was certainly on show in Civil War where he made the best of his time on screen and offered a layered performance worthy of such a position in a film this huge. His casting was smart given how he had a small reputation in the United States and could therefore personify the villain better than a big-name Hollywood actor could have, and his Austrian accent certainly didn’t harm the legitimacy of his position as ‘other’ to the Avengers, too. Similarly, Tom Holland’s introduction to the MCU as Peter Parker/Spider-Man was fantastically performed by its young actor who seemed right at home as the modern-day nerd of Team Iron Man. His character was certainly well written, but his performance was also extremely good and befitting of such a huge amount of hype. The future of the Spider-Man franchise seems to be in good hands.

The standout performance of the movie was Robert Downey, Jr’s. The actor, who was in his 5th full movie as Iron Man, put out a role-defining performance that may be one of the best of his illustrious career. He filled the screen with emotion in every aspect of his performance, but particularly the use of his eyes. Downey, Jr. has developed a reputation over the years for having incredibly expressive eyes and they were the show-stealers of this very good movie as they offered a journey of their own through the decadence of the Universe’s past. Anthony Mackie (Falcon) may have been a close runner-up courtesy of some terrific one liners delivered with his almost trademark sincerity, but the journey of Tony Stark/Iron Man in Civil War was captained entirely by Robert Downey, Jr. and must therefore be considered the standout performance of this movie, and one of the best performances of any Marvel movie that has been released.

Conclusively, Civil War is all of the action-packed fun of the Marvel Cinematic Universe with some of the dark and thought-provoking themes of Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy, all packed into a neat little package perfect for the contemporary cinematic and political landscapes. Downey, Jr. is phenomenal, but there are enough interesting characters that are developed sufficiently enough and played by talented actors to give Civil War something for everyone. Though this film misses out on a perfect 24/24 due to the ways in which some characters may be unrecognisable to those unfamiliar with the comic book universe and how the studio could be criticised for ducking out of a major decision or two, the Russo Brothers’ Captain America: Civil War is a near-perfect superhero movie that is a must-watch for any fan of the genre and should be considered the best Marvel Studios release ever.

20/24

Number 1 – The Danish Girl – 1st January 2016

Directed by: Tom Hooper

Cast: Eddie Redmayne, Alicia Vikander, Amber Heard

Number 2 – The Hateful Eight – 8th January 2016

Directed by: Quentin Tarantino 

Cast: Samuel L Jackson, Tim Roth, Kurt Russel, Walton Goggins, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Michael Madsen 

Number 3 – The Revenant – 15th January 2016

Directed by: Alejandro G. Iñárritu

Cast: Leonardo DiCaprio, Tom Hardy, Domhnall Gleeson, Will Poulter

Number 4 – Deadpool – 10th February 2016

Directed by: Tim Miller

Cast: Ryan Reynolds, Morena Baccarin, Ed Skrein, T. J. Miller, Gina Carano, Brianna Hildebrand, Stefan Kapičić 

Number 5 – Pride Prejudice and Zombies – 11th February 2016

Directed by: Burr Steers

Cast: Lily James, Sam Riley, Jack Huston, Bella Heathcote, Douglas Booth, Matt Smith, Charles Dance, Lena Headey

Number 6 – Zoolander 2 – 12th February 2016

Directed by: Ben Stiller 

Cast: Ben Stiller, Owen Wilson, Will Ferrell, Penélope Cruz, Kristen Wiig

Number 7 – Triple 9 – 12th February 2016

Directed by: John Hillcoat

Cast: Casey Affleck, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Anthony Mackie, Aaron Paul, Norman Reedus, Woody Harrelson, Kate Winslet

Number 8 – Hail, Caesar! – 4th March 2016

Directed by: Ethan Coen and Joel Coen

Cast: Josh Brolin, George Clooney, Alden Ehrenreich, Ralph Fiennes, Jonah Hill, Scarlett Johansson, Frances McDormand, Tilda Swinton, Channing Tatum