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.

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Batman, Spider-Man, The Avengers and more have become the new Hollywood A-List, and the movies of Marvel, DC and so on, have proven to be greatly influential when it comes to the direction of Hollywood itself. Their importance is unquestioned, their power and dominance unrivalled; but what are the films that brought us here? Which comic book movies have been the most important in establishing the genre, shaping it, moulding it?

In this Movie List from The Film Magazine, we offer the 10 Most Important Comic Book Movies Ever. These films have been judged with regard to their importance to the landscape in which they were released, their lasting influence, and their roles in bringing about change and revolution to both the comic book genre and, further, cinema itself.

Follow @thefilmagazine on Twitter.

1. Superman (1978)

There were superhero films released before Superman in 1978, but besides the TV movie Batman (1966) there was little by way of memorable fare or major productions. Richard Donner’s big budget studio-driven offering changed all that.

By 1978 Superman was already a cornerstone of American culture, a poster boy for the best of the best and the values we should all strive to uphold. He was America’s unproblematic hero in a time of great division, heightened paranoia, and conspiracy come to life. Warner Bros put an astonishing $55million behind bringing him to the big screen, which in relation to modern day $200-300million movies may not seem like a lot but in context to releases of the time was an astronomical amount: just a few years earlier The Godfather had been made for $6million, Jaws for $9million, and Star Wars for $11million; even 80s hits like E.T., Indiana Jones and Back to the Future were made for under $20million. But Superman embodied society’s need for escapism and, as such, the budget seemed well spent. Superman birthed the modern superhero’s position at the top of the box office, crowning its run with close to $300million in box office receipts at a time of great financial destitution, but perhaps most importantly it reminded the world that Hollywood could still offer the best form of fantastical escapism, the burgeoning television market left in the dust.

Clean cut, better-than-good heroes have rarely been so exceptional, and the superhero genre would not be what it is without Donner and star Christopher Reeve in particular. The themes, tropes and expectations founded in their work have since proven to be the backbone of every film on this list.

Recommended for you: Superman Movies Ranked

2. Blade (1998)

A studio actioner led by an African American was important even before the mainstream conversation caught up, and Blade was probably the first non-Batman comic book adaptation to look and feel like the superhero juggernauts to come.

Without Blade we would not have got the next film on this list, nor many of the comic book films released in the 2000s. Wesley Snipes’ vampire hunter was brought to life in a sub-par era headlined by Steel and Judge Dredd, and yet it burst through the narrow expectations set by other films in the genre to become something altogether more memorable. It was, in the midst of the late 90s’ boom of youth culture, embraced as the antithesis of the campy, family-orientated, (mostly) cheap movies that had made up the comic book adaptations of the decade, its R rating (18 in the UK) giving it an edge that the rebellious teens of Generation X ate up as readily as their hardcore wrestling and Nu metal. Blade all-but saved superhero cinema after its brief Batman bubble was brutally burst by Joel Schumacher and Warner Bros in Batman Forever and Batman & Robin, and set a new template for what comic book adaptations could be. The rest is history.

The proof of Blade’s importance as an early comic book film comes via this one simple fact: before Blade, Marvel had only ever allowed one of their properties to be adapted for film and released in cinemas, the box office dud Howard the Duck – after Blade, they partnered with studios on eighteen different releases in the next ten years, two Blade sequels included. This 1998 film was revolutionary for comic book IP licensing and thus the future of the blockbuster landscape, and Wesley Snipes’ on-screen presence helped to legitimise the comic book film adaptation as a concept whilst reinforcing the importance of representation on screen.

“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.

When we think of science fiction movies, there are certain moments that stand out to us as defining examples of the genre – Luke Skywalker finding out he’s the heir to a giant grey space ball of mass destruction, astronaut David Bowman tripping out on a psychedelic cocktail of space and time, and even Spock’s dying act of pressing his parted hand up against Kirk’s as he took one for the team; or the Many; or was it the few? I forget which.

But, what is science fiction really?

By definition, it’s science that isn’t real.

Or is it?

Well, for the most part, no. No it isn’t. But strip away all the humanoid looking aliens that all speak with the same mid-western American accents, and all the physics defying laser sword space-jitsu in galaxies far, far, away and what you’re left with are some very ground-breaking and revolutionary ideas, a lot of which have had a very real influence on modern technology.

Now, is this to say that all the gizmos and doo-dah’s we see brought to life on the big screen will one day have a shelf-price in our local grocery store? It’s very doubtful (and not just because in the future grocery stores will probably be a thing of the past. As probably will be the phrase ‘doo-dah’). But, to give credit where credit’s due, sci-fi has always had a pretty good track record when it comes to predicting the future. A record not even Nostradamus could sniff at.

It was in the early 1990’s that the world first began salivating at the notion of receiving electronic mail and also suffering through the dull and dreary music of ‘Spin Doctors.’ (Oops, sorry, I meant the dial-up connection.) But, before the ‘internet’ was a household tool, the idea of an ever-expanding entity that retained an endless array of knowledge was thoughtfully brought to the big screen in Star Trek: The motion Picture as the all-enveloping sentient machine ‘V’Ger’.

In the film, the crew of the USS Enterprise intercept a strange cosmic cloud making its way to Earth. In doing so, they encounter ‘Voyager 6’ (abbreviated to V’Ger) at the heart of the cloud; a long-lost space probe which was upgraded by an alien race and sent to traverse the cosmos to gain as much knowledge as possible. Now, I’m not saying that ‘V’Ger’ and the internet are completely comparable in terms of technology, given that is one is sentient and space bound, but the two do share some similar qualities.

When Star Trek: The Motion Picture was released in 1979, the home computer was still a growing market. Things like the internet were yet to be made available to the common man and the idea of downloading was an unknown concept. But ‘V’Ger’, much like the internet, is an ever-evolving entity that absorbs all and any information it can acquire (for better or worse) and has the ability to copy and transfer (or download) the character of Llia’s memories and thoughts into a robotic replica. So, while none of us are downloading memories into robotic replicas (unless you work for a super-secret branch of the government, of course) downloading has become something we all do on a regular basis.

So, to refresh: a cloud that stores infinite knowledge? Check. A constantly evolving and upgrading technology? Check. An ability to download all of its information? Check. Seems like the internet to me. Well done Star Trek, you get a cookie.

Now, say what you will about the Matrix trilogy (I’ll pause here to let you all vent your frustrations at the computer screen… …. …. All done? Good,) but it did for virtual reality what Vin Diesel did for bald men – it made it stylish.

Just like how the character Neo would sit back and plug himself into a simulated reality in the films, people today can put on a cheap as chips headset and transport themselves to a virtual world of endless possibilities with as little as a smartphone and a free app.

Recent advances in VR, like Sony’s Oculus head gear or even HTC’s VIVE now allow for even greater experiences in virtual reality, adding heightened interactivity to VR gaming and simulations. And, whilst the technology of VR might still be in it’s early stages, a future akin to that in the film Ready Player One – where everybody prefers to live a simulated life in “the Oasis” instead of facing the bleak and hopeless reality of the real world – might not be as far-fetched as it may have once seemed.

What’s more is that a virtual reality in which we can work and earn a living as our digital creations is another idea science fiction has suggested over the years. Want my advice? Go and register a cool avatar name now before all the good ones are gone. Just don’t bother trying “Where’s-WALL.E-88.” That one’s taken.

Whilst it can be said that a lot of science fiction technology in films exists purely as a cool visual to help boost ticket sales or as a convenient plot device to aid the hero on their quest, many of these ideas have the potential to change the shape of the world we live in. In the 1990 film Total Recall, self-driving taxis called “Johnny cabs” are as commonplace as any vehicle on the road and come fully installed with a robotic driver to liaise with and collect payment. In the film iRobot starring Will Smith, cars come with an auto-drive function as standard, allowing the driver to switch between manual and automatic with the push of a button.

Although the reliance on self-driving vehicles in the movies usually ends up with the technology backfiring for entertainment’s sake, the development of such a technology in real life aims to take away the risk of human error and provide a safer and more convenient way to travel. This is what the Brainiacs over at Google have done with their own autonomous car development company called WAYMO.

Using sophisticated laser beam and GPS technology to map the area, a WAYMO car can constantly record and relay information to programme its route. Not only have WAYMO managed to build fully operational autonomous cars, but they say they could be only five to ten years away from hitting the streets, and it’s not just WAYMO that are developing this technology – numerous car manufactures have their own driver-less prototypes in the works. Whether or not driver-less cars are a permanent replacement for the cars we drive today remains a question mark, but I’ll take a robot Cabbie over having to listen to my Uber driver’s political rant any day.

Remember in those Iron Man films how Tony Stark casually flips through digital files in mid-air and uses the floating trashcan like a basketball hoop for junk files? Well, soon you’ll be able to do that too (do you hear that? It’s a cheer heard all around the world from all those guys who grew an Iron Man goatee in 2008 and stuck with it despite every member of their family pleading with them to shave.)

Don’t get too excited; the technology is real, but it’s a little way off from becoming a household utility. A company in Japan called ITRI have created a wearable pair of glasses that allow you to bring up computer displays in mid-air and use it by simply touching your finger against a projected screen. The screen, which appears invisible to everyone else, is designed to give more privacy and also lets the user see the real world through the floating images (just so you don’t walk into a street lamp, or a matinee showing of an Adam Sandler movie by mistake). Unlike in the film Minority Report (pictured above) where Tom Cruise uses specially modified gloves to interact with all the digital displays as he filters through various crimes files, ITRI has designed the head-mounted display to react to the human finger using special sensors that detect the position of your finger and select whatever you point at. But, if you’re in the market for something a little less flashy, you can buy a Laser Keyboard that projects a laser display of a computer keyboard via Bluetooth onto any flat surface allowing you to type away at your table top or kitchen counter until your heart’s content.

Science fiction hasn’t just influenced technology in a practical way. More convenient transport and multi-lingual phones are all well and good, but sci-fi has also changed other aspects of our lives.

One of the most obvious of these changes has been to the contents of our wardrobes. Everything from androgynous silver jumpsuits to ultra-sexy spandex pieces are common in the movies, but when it come to wearable technology, a few films have had more of an impact than others; and I’m not just talking watches that you can steer your sports car with like in Casino Royale, I’m talking about the good stuff.

Remember those self-tying shoes from Back to the Future Part II? They exist. Nike have finally delivered on what Robert Zemeckis promised us 29 years ago. They’re called Nike Air Mags, and by squeezing a button on the side of the shoe, it tightens and loosens to the correct size of the wearer. Its not exactly the most critical of purchases, but if you told me that you didn’t want to have a pair, then I’d know you were lying.

My conclusive thought regarding sci-fi’s lasting impact on real technologies is this: as technology catches up with science fiction, and all those cool things we marvelled at as children after coming out of the cinema screen slowly start to become a reality, perhaps all our favourite sci-fi films of yesterday will be redefined as simply…films. So here’s hoping the next generation of science fiction inspires more amazing technology.

I for one can’t wait for mobile phones that don’t lose signal when you enter a tunnel, but I guess there’s an argument that such a technology more accurately falls under the genre of fantasy.

Written by Craig Sheldon

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

25. Steve Stifler
Film: American Pie, 1999
Portrayed by: Seann William Scott

Arguably what made the American Pie series one of the most popular comedy franchises of all time was Steve Stifler. He was the guy everyone knew at school: the loud and obnoxious sex freak that we can’t help but love.

24. Iron Man/Tony Stark
Film: Iron Man, 2008
Portrayed by: Robert Downey Jr.

One of the most beloved superheroes of all time, Tony Stark has all the qualities of a great hero: arrogance; courage, and; an abundance of money.

23. Maggie Fitzgerald
Film: Million Dollar Baby, 2004
Portrayed by Hilary Swank

Maggie Fitzgerald is the vicious unstoppable boxer with a huge heart in Clint Eastwood’s boxing masterpiece. A truly complex character who shows Rocky just how it’s done.

22. Oskar Schindler
Film: Schindler’s List, 1993
Portrayed by: Liam Neeson

Based on the real-life Oskar Schindler who helped save Jews from been taken to Auschwitz, his remarkable story makes him a true hero.

21. The Driver
Film: Drive, 2011
Portrayed by: Ryan Gosling

The silent vigilante of contemporary cinema who epitomizes the classic anti-hero character, with a touch of Travis Bickle and The Man with No Name embedded into him.

20. Truman Burbank
Film: The Truman Show, 1998
Portrayed by: Jim Carrey

With multiple iconic characters from Jim Carrey’s library to choose from, it’s Truman Burbank that stands out the most. An incredible performance from a very diverse actor, Jim Carrey creates a loveable character that we can all relate to as he’s locked in an internal battle between the yearning for freedom and the fear of it.

19. Forrest Gump
 Film: Forrest Gump, 1994
Portrayed by: Tom Hanks

The gentle and loveable Forrest Gump who just wants to live a normal life is given to us via a truly mesmerizing performance from Tom Hanks who continues to show why he is one of the most versatile and inspiring actors of his generation.

18. Mr Blonde
 Film: Reservoir Dogs, 1992
Portrayed by: Michael Madsen

“Are you gonna bark all day little doggy, or are you gonna bite?” The stand out character from a film of stand out characters, Mr Blonde’s signature character traits were the foundation for future Tarantino characters.

17. Woody
 Film: Toy Story, 1995
Portrayed by: Tom Hanks

Back before it was “Edward or Jacob?” it was “Woody, or Buzz?” And everybody loved Woody. He’s the tragic character who has it all, then descends into jealousy and bitterness when he loses it. It’s something we can all relate to and have felt at some point in our lives, which is what makes him such a memorable character.

16. Donnie Darko
 Film: Donnie Darko, 2001
Portrayed by: James Duval

“Why do you wear that stupid man suit?” The mysterious time traveller who dresses up as a bunny has captured the imagination, leaving only more questions than answers in regards to his origin.

15. V
 Film: V For Vendetta, 2005
Portrayed by: Hugo Weaving

The masked hero of V For Vendetta that inspired a generation to stand-up against tyranny and oppression. V’s mysterious persona only makes him that much more interesting as well as being a truly inspiring and complex hero.

14. Patrick Bateman
 Film: American Psycho, 2000
Portrayed by: Christian Bale

The corporate drone who enjoys the occasional bit of murder, but really just wants to return some video tapes. The cold-blooded serial killer’s charm lies somewhere between his lust for murder and his constant competing with his fellow drones.

13. Jules Winnfield
 Film: Pulp Fiction, 1994
Portrayed by: Samuel L. Jackson

The iconic Jules Winnfield of Pulp Fiction lives up to the name on his wallet, bringing fear and intimidation to his victims through scripture from the bible. Perhaps the role that made Samuel L. Jackson the actor he his today, nobody can deny Jules Winnfield steals the show in this film full of colourful and legendary characters.

12. Agent Smith
 Film: The Matrix, 1999
Portrayed by: Hugo Weaving

Huge Weaving’s second appearance on this list, but this time it’s his role as a villain; the notorious agent smith. Weaving’s excellent personification of an AI program results in an emotionless, terminator-esque character with unlimited powers and resources that make him a truly memorable character.

11. The T-Rex
 Film: Jurassic Park, 1993

The T-Rex needs no introduction. It’s a more modern equivalent of Jaws. The T-Rex is the iconic, destructive dinosaur that amazed children and adults alike, utilising the best in animatronics and bringing forth a new generation of CGI.

10. The Dude
 Film: The Big Lebowski, 1998
Portrayed by: Jeff Bridges

There’s something you just can’t help but admire about a man who’s willing to go anywhere and take on just about anyone to get revenge for a damaged rug.

9. Gandalf
 Film: The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, 2001
Portrayed by: Sir Ian McKellen

Everyone’s favourite Wizard, Gandalf is the gentle, heroic grandfather figure who has proved himself as a true hero with every film he has featured in. His knowledge, love and skill as a wizard makes him a true friend and powerful ally.

8. The Bride
 Film: Kill Bill: Vol. 1, 2003
Portrayed by: Uma Thuram

The Bride is one of the most iconic Heroines of all time. Armed only with a deadly samurai sword and fueled by her thirst for revenge, The Bride has truly revolutionised the art of being a badass.

7. Col. Hans Landa
 Film: Inglourious Basterds, 2009
Portrayed by: Christoph Waltz

The last character produced by Tarantino to make the list, Col. Hans Landa is charming, smart, and funny, but above all else, he’s a cold-blooded killer. Responsible for hunting down hidden jews in German occupied France, Christoph Waltz does an outstanding job of creating a truly awful character that has the ability to charm his audience.

6. Anton Chigurh
 Film: No Country for Old Men, 2007
Portrayed by: Javier Bardem

One of the most intimidating villains of all time, the cold, mysterious, psychopathic killer shows no remorse in anything he does, which makes him terrifying. His enigmatic persona leaves us only wanting to know more about him.

5. Tommy DeVito
 Film: Goodfellas, 1990
Portrayed by: Joe Pesci

The fast-talking, hot-headed gangster of Martin Scorsese’s masterpiece is cruel and hilarious. The bully you can’t help but love.

4. Jack Sparrow
 Film: Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, 2003
Portrayed by: Johnny Depp

Who doesn’t like Jack Sparrow? While the film’s sequels are currently spiralling out of control, they haven’t quite yet diminished the lovable pirate who you’ve pretended to be at least once in your life.

3. The Joker
 Film: The Dark Knight, 2008
Portrayed by: Heath Ledger

Heath Ledger’s joker was inevitably going to feature on the list, but with the joker himself being one of the most iconic villains of all time, it was only a matter of time before someone came along and nailed the role. Now reborn with a new sense of insanity and set of ideas, The Dark Knight’s joker is not necessarily better than his predecessors, but different, which is what makes it so great.

2. Tyler Durden
 Film: Fight Club, 1999
Portrayed by: Brad Pitt

The charismatic leader of the underground fight club is cool, energetic and destructive; all the qualities needed to make a character you can’t take your eyes off. Durden’s philosophy and creativity are powerful enough to influence his audience to question the world around them, making him one of the most inspiring characters in cinematic history. And yes, I did just break the first two rules of Fight Club.

1. Hannibal Lecter
 Film: The Silence of the Lambs, 1991
Portrayed by: Anthony Hopkins

And finally, the pleasant psychopath who would give you nightmares, but not without making sure you were tucked in bed first. Everyone’s favourite serial killer has dominated the horror side of cinema since the 1990s and continues to be a true cinema icon to this day. His class and intellect make him a polite and likable character who would give even the scariest and most intimidating of monsters nightmares.

7 – Cowboys & Aliens (2011)

Coming off the back of two huge superhero films (that will feature later in this list), excitement was running high for Favreau’s sci-fi western crossover, but it failed to deliver.

Despite featuring James Bond (Daniel Craig) and Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford) as the main characters, Cowboys & Aliens suffered from a major case of the snores, for its plot was thin at best and the movie felt too slow. What’s more is that the action was hardly as entertaining and creative as was expected.

The film was void of real entertainment, and thus became a forgettable if not disappointing presentation of what seemed to be a cool idea.

6 – Iron Man 2 (2010)

The sequel to Marvel’s game-changing superhero action movie was another of Jon Favreau’s projects filled with promises that it simply did not deliver.

The casting of independent movie hero Sam Rockwell in one of the lead roles suggested that Iron Man 2 would further the franchise as a distinctive and memorable part of Marvel’s bigger picture, and the introduction of man-of-the-moment Mickey Rourke – who was fresh off his success in The Wrestler and in the midst of a resurgence – only boosted expectations further. Unfortunately for fans, Favreau, and all involved, Iron Man 2 was a bit of a dud.

It’s not that Iron Man 2 was bad, it’s more that it didn’t live up to expectations nor brought anything as fresh and interesting to the table as its predecessor did. We’ll chalk it up to the ‘studio intervention’ that forced Favreau to give up the gig before Iron Man 3.

Recommended for you: Marvel Cinematic Universe Villains Ranked

5 – Zathura: A Space Adventure (2005)

Zathura belongs to a very particular type of film: the under-appreciated kid’s flick.

Managing a cast of children, not least 12-year-old Josh Hutcherson (of Hunger Games fame) and 15 year old Kristen Stewart (Twilight), can’t have been easy, yet Favreau still managed to prove that he was capable of directing a fantastical adventure movie that was, probably, a little bit before its time.

By no means was Zathura a masterpiece, but it was a lot of fun (especially for something based on a board game) and it really managed to showcase some of Favreau’s more creative talents with regard to CGI and special effects; each being key elements in his making of the Iron Man films.

4 – Made (2001)

At our halfway point is the film that introduced the directorial talents of Jon Favreau to the world.

Made, released in 2001, was one of that generation’s Favreau and Vaughn pics – the first being Swingers (1996) – and truly established Favreau as a noteworthy talent courtesy of its deep themes and dark humour.

What had made Swingers such a success was Favreau’s script that was unapologetically critical of the movie industry and self-conscious in its references, plot points, and so on. Made was along the same lines, with Favreau receiving a lot of praise for time-stamping the film courtesy of some excellent contemporary references. This of course leaves Made, much like Swingers, feeling dated, but it should certainly be acknowledged as a successful and important picture with regard to this director’s career.

3 – Chef (2014)

This movie about a chef who quits his job and moves to Florida to start his own business is another film, like Made, that is very of its time. In fact, the whole plot revolves around Twitter. But, this isn’t necessarily a bad thing.

What Chef does is tell a story of now… the contemporary west; the recession hit social-network-loving America… and yet still, somehow, it makes you smile.

Chef is arguably neglectful of the traumas that being of work has caused so many people living below the poverty line, and it worked almost exclusively to reinvigorate problematic dogma regarding heteronormativity, the white middle class, and capitalism.

It is a good watch with food, however, and doesn’t require deep thought if you’re unwilling to engage with it.

It’s tightly put together, with seemingly very little time wasted on filler material, and John Leguizamo (Ice Age) is a pleasure to watch, making this movie the bronze medal winner.

2 – Elf (2003)

5 Reasons ‘Elf’ Is a Gen-Z Christmas Classic

If ever there was a feel-good and funny Christmas movie, then Elf is it.

Perhaps the greatest Christmas movie of the 21st century, Elf has touched the lives of millions of young people around the world, and probably their parents a little too.

Filled with quotable lines, and featuring such a memorable performance from Will Ferrell in the lead role, Favreau’s 2003 picture is sweet, magical, and most importantly filled with Christmas spirit. It is undeniably one of the high points of the director’s career and certainly helped to open the door to his role as director for number one on this list…

1 – Iron Man (2008)

What Jon Favreau’s presentation of Iron Man did for Marvel can not be understated. The studio, not to mention the company, wasn’t performing very well after a string of less-than-impressive releases and ill-advised business decisions, but then Jon Favreau came along and changed everything… with a little help from Robert Downey, Jr. (and Kevin Feige) of course.

Iron Man was fresh. Its comedic tone and generally light-hearted take on superherodom was entirely the opposite of Christopher Nolan’s darker but equally as successful Batman movies, and the sarcastic charm of its resurgent star made for smirks and laughter throughout.

If ever there was a high point for Favreau’s directorial career it was here. Iron Man was truly a game-changing release that announced Favreau’s arrival as a tour de force in the industry for what will likely be many years to come.

Recommended for you: Every MCU Marvel Cinematic Universe Movie Ranked

Make sure to leave your thoughts in the comments section below!

Avengers: Age Of Ultron is undoubtedly one of the biggest releases of the 2015 calendar year. Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, and (many) others come together only once every so often, and their collaborative efforts are eagerly anticipated by the masses in such a way that The Avengers is no longer a nerdy comic book venture, but a pop culture phenomenon destined to surpass $1billion at the box office.

This second Avengers movie ticked the vast majority of the boxes that every sequel must tick. It was more action packed with larger set pieces, it utilised the dialogue better than the original, and it was a story that sought even more investment than Avengers 1. No longer was it necessary to build each character’s relationship to one another and this made Avengers 2 feel more refined with every piece of dialogue becoming necessary to the over-arching plot, leading to a more enjoyable experience in many ways. This refined presentation with regard to character development was emphasised with a huge action sequence at the very beginning of the film that not only illustrated how sleek the film was going to be, but also helped to lay down the marker: “We’re turning it up a notch”.

With many of the characters’ back stories already being presented to us in the previous instalments, Age of Ultron was able to open up the back stories of characters like Hawkeye, Hulk and Black Widow; something that helped to create a welcomed feeling of freshness.

It was, however, the presentation of “the twins” where praise for Whedon’s writing is less easy to come by. Quicksilver was vastly underutilised, and while it was impossible to predict that his appearance would match that of Evan Peters’ in X-Men: Days of Future Past, I did come away from this film thinking that Aaron Taylor-Johnson’s character needed a little bit more investment in order for the conclusions to his story to make more of an emotional impact.

Scarlet Witch, on the other hand, was brilliantly presented and could well be the shining light of the whole film. Her development was worthwhile and her difference as a “miracle” was such that she would consistently juxtapose the massive action sequences with her own intricacies and powers. This made her stand out from the rest of the group without needing to do that much talking. Witch’s eventual unleashing of her powers was probably the best moment of the film and was in many ways reminiscent of the awesome opening to X-Men (2000) in which Magneto’s powers came to light because of his permanent removal from his mother’s life in the Nazi POW camps.

Despite the obvious positives regarding the writing and presentation of most of the characters, Age of Ultron failed to live up to the “event movie” status of its predecessor. This is perhaps a natural conclusion to come to given the fact that seeing said characters interact and battle with one another was not totally brand new this time around, but there seemed to be something missing nonetheless.

Another less-than positive outcome from Age of Ultron was (as always seems to be the case with Avengers movies), the villain. The title “Age of Ultron” seemed to have everything set up for the ultimate bad guy that would bring about massive levels of investment at seeing his comeuppance, yet the tightly managed run-time barely left enough of a reason to truly believe in the legitimacy of his threat. Unlike Loki in Avengers 1, Ultron didn’t turn any of the good guys bad nor did he have a solid and humane reason for being like he was. He was a robot who wanted to fix the world and then, for no reason at all, wanted to destroy everyone on it. His character, like much of the movie’s secondary characters, was one that had to be taken at face value to enjoy and was very much presented in such a way that you couldn’t question a single one of his actions or statements because of the unrealistic answers you’d likely receive. Ultron was ultimately used to develop Paul Bettany’s Vision character.

As was the case with Avengers Assemble/The Avengers, Joss Whedon directed and co-wrote a movie that more than lived up to the hype and ultimately delivered what was expected of it: one of the best movies in the franchise. Whether it surpassed The Avengers is a debate that can be left for another time, but there’s no doubting that Avengers: Age of Ultron was a huge success in terms of its value for money. Age of Ultron managed to be a feast for the eyes while tugging on the heart strings and being an almost overwhelmingly good representation of its genre.

17/24

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