The Marvel Cinematic Universe reached the apex of its popularity—so far, anyway—after the release of 2012's The Avengers. The idea of starting a shared cinematic universe had never been fully done, and Marvel was a pioneer of the idea with its overwhelmingly popular movie, which brought together its main heroes for a fight against the God of Mischief. Three sequels followed, each upping the stakes, introducing new characters, and leading to an explosive finale that successfully culminated eleven years of continuous storytelling.
Each Avengers movie is good, but a few are objectively great. Whether because of their stellar action, surprisingly compelling storytelling, emotional stakes, or cool-as-heck moments, the best Avengers movies represent the peak of what superhero cinema has to offer. And while the MCU's future endeavors have fallen short of audiences' expectations, the four Avengers movies remain a testament to what the franchise can achieve when it's operating at full capacity.
4 'Avengers: Age of Ultron' (2015)
Director: Joss Whedon
The sequel to the original film, Avengers: Age of Ultron is a lazy and uninspired follow-up that never quite finds its footing. The film sees Tony and Bruce create the robot Ultron, who soon goes rogue and initiates a campaign against them. Aided by the "enhanced" twins Pietro and Wanda Maximoff, Ultron's plans soon threaten the entire world.
In hindsight, Age of Ultron is among the worst films in the Infinity Saga. It introduces more characters than it can handle and does nothing with them; the twins are sidelined, and poor Pietro is literally there just to die. Meanwhile, Vision's debut feels like a convoluted afterthought, and his presence never feels earned. For his part, Ultron is a by-the-numbers villain with a stereotypical plan and few memorable traits—not even James Spader's admittedly creepy voice performance can elevate him. Overall, Avengers: Age of Ultron is a letdown compared to its predecessor, largely because it forgets the heart that made the original such a success. Age of Ultron is overblown, often nonsensical, and features one of the absolute worst third acts in any Marvel movie. In the large scheme of the Infinity Saga, it's also quite forgettable, to the point where it can be skipped entirely.
Avengers: Age of Ultron
PG-13SuperheroActionAdventure Sci-FiRelease Date May 1, 2015 Cast Robert Downey Jr. , Chris Evans , Scarlett Johansson , Mark Ruffalo , Jeremy Renner , Chris Hemsworth , Elizabeth Olsen , Paul Bettany , Aaron Taylor-Johnson Runtime 141 minutes3 'The Avengers' (2012)
Director: Joss Whedon
2012 saw the big-screen debut of Earth's Mightiest Heroes. The Avengers follows Nick Fury kickstarting his Avengers program, bringing several remarkable individuals together to stop Loki, who influenced by the Teseract, launches an alien invasion. With an army of Chitauri threatening Earth's safety, the heroes must overcome their differences and learn to work together to protect their planet.
The Avengers is the perfect combination of compelling storytelling and exciting action. The film succeeds because it allows each of its main characters enough time to grow, exploring their psyches as they settle into their new roles as heroes and, most importantly, teammates. Each dynamic is distinctive and intriguing, from Tony and Steve's rivalry to Natasha and Clint's complicity. The Avengers provides an emotional core for its story, using the out-of-this-world action as a complement to enhance rather than sustain. The film also features some of the MCU's most reliable supporting characters, from Maria Hill to Erik Selvig, successfully expanding the world without losing sight of the characters at its center. Tom Hiddleston is also having the time of his life as Loki, providing the team with a worthy first opponent that manages to pull focus from them more than once.
The Avengers
PG-13SuperheroActionRelease Date May 4, 2012 Cast Robert Downey Jr. , Chris Evans , Scarlett Johansson , Mark Ruffalo , Jeremy Renner , Samuel L. Jackson , Chris Hemsworth , Tom Hiddleston Runtime 143 minutes2 'Avengers: Endgame' (2019)
Directors: Joe Russo, Anthony Russo
Following the jaw-dropping ending of its predecessor, Avengers: Endgame had a lot to live up to. The plot sees what's left of the team trying and failing to stop Thanos. Five years later, a new chance to make things right arises, and they gather for one last stand to rescue those who disappeared and save the universe from the Mad Titan's deranged ambitions.
Avengers: Endgame was the conclusion to over a decade of continuous storytelling, and it did an incredible job of wrapping every storyline. Yes, the time travel plot crumbles upon closer examination, and some of the endings to the characters feel convoluted—looking at you, Cap. However, Endgame's sheer ambition and scope are impressive, and the fact it pulled off its lofty plans is nothing short of heroic. Endgame is a cathartic experience for fans who spent over ten years with this franchise, a celebration of itself and the loyal community that took it to the peak of success. Featuring considerable fan service, callbacks to its previous movies and shows, incredible action, and an ultimately satisfying final battle, Endgame is among the best MCU movies. More importantly, it's the perfect encapsulation of the superhero genre itself and, with the benefit of hindsight, acts like the perfect coda to the entire decade, the Golden Age of Superhero Cinema.
Avengers: Endgame
PG-13SuperheroActionAdventure Sci-FiRelease Date April 24, 2019 Cast Robert Downey Jr. , Chris Evans , Mark Ruffalo , Chris Hemsworth , Scarlett Johansson , Jeremy Renner Runtime 1801 'Avengers: Infinity War' (2018)
Directors: Joe Russo, Anthony Russo
Endgame might've been the perfect ending, but Avengers: Infinity War is the best Avengers movie, full stop. The plot sees Thanos pursuing the Infinity Stones to eliminate half of all life in the Universe. Broken up following the events of Captain America: Civil War, the Avengers try to stop the Mad Titan while finding themselves in unfamiliar territory.
The brilliance of Infinity War lies in how many storylines and characters it juggles and how effortless it makes it seem. Balancing four separate threads, the film explores each corner of its universe while keeping the story firmly revolving around Thanos. Indeed, more than the Avengers themselves, the Mad Titan is the de-facto protagonist of Infinity War, with Josh Brolin giving one of the best motion-capture performances ever. Joined by an equally striking Zoe Saldaña, Brolin creates a complex, magnetic, and menacing depiction of ambition, power lust, and ruthlessness that towers above his fellow MCU villains. Avengers: Infinity War is a near-perfect superhero movie, a riveting adventure that pushes the franchise to new territory and dares to go where few would've thought it could. Its now-iconic ending remains one of the most shocking in any film from the past decade, ensuring its legacy as one of the best superhero movies ever and arguably the high point of Marvel's Infinity Saga.
Avengers: Infinity War
PG-13ActionSuperheroDramaComedyRelease Date April 27, 2018 Cast Robert Downey Jr. , Chris Hemsworth , Mark Ruffalo , Chris Evans , Scarlett Johansson , Benedict Cumberbatch , Don Cheadle , Tom Holland , Chadwick Boseman , Paul Bettany , Elizabeth Olsen , Anthony Mackie , Sebastian Stan , Danai Gurira , Letitia Wright , Zoe Saldana , Josh Brolin , Chris Pratt Runtime 149 minutes ExpandncG1vNJzZmibn6G5qrDEq2Wcp51krrexzaCcq6tdory3tcSsZKuZnqCypXs%3D