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On Friday, Thor: Love and Thunder hit theaters, catching us up on the God of Thunder’s life post-Endgame. As of Thor 4, we’re six movies into Phase 4 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and we thought this would be a good time to take stock. Which of the Phase 4 movies have blown us away and which have fallen short of their potential? Below, we are ranking every movie released so far in Phase 4 of the MCU from worst to best.
MCU Phase 4 rankings
6. Eternals
Eternals is not the worst MCU movie to date, but it is one of the most baffling. We’re introduced to far too many characters far too quickly, the pacing is all over the place, and by the end of the movie, it’s unclear how any of this will tie into the larger universe. Eternals was a misfire, but the cast is likable, and if Marvel can make Thor a pillar of the MCU after the disaster that was The Dark World, there’s a chance for these immortal aliens to be saved as well.
5. Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness
There are two movies fighting with one another in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. One is the most violent, oddball entry the MCU has ever seen, with Sam Raimi at the height of his powers. The other is attempting to set the stakes for the future of the franchise while messily tying up loose ends from WandaVision. The former is far more successful than the latter. I just don’t buy Wanda Maximoff (Elizabeth Olsen) as a genocidal monster given all that we’ve been through with her character. But at least Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) gets to have some fun in zombie makeup.
4. Thor: Love and Thunder
Following up Thor: Ragnarok was never going to be easy. Love and Thunder never leaps the heights of its predecessor, but there is plenty of fun to be had, with Thor (Chris Hemsworth) having to team up with his ex-girlfriend Jane Foster (Natalie Portman), now wielding Mjolnir and the powers of a god. It delivers incredibly satisfying action and a stellar performance from Christian Bale as the villain Gorr, but it can’t get the tone right.
3. Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings
The only thing holding Shang-Chi back is its ending. As we said in our review, this origin story starts strong, slowly introducing all of Shang-Chi’s (Simu Liu) estranged family members and revealing the reasons they drifted apart. As a family drama, Shang-Chi is a very strong entry into the MCU, but it doesn’t quite stick the landing.
2. Black Widow
Other than the final entry on this list, no Marvel movie in the past two years has been as thrilling or as cohesive as Black Widow. Director Cate Shortland came with a vision and she executed it with precision. Scarlett Johansson finally got the starring role she deserved, and although Florence Pugh stole the show, it was still a spectacular send-off for the MCU’s first female superhero. It’s no small feat that Black Widow managed to combine an origin story and a standalone adventure in 134 minutes, especially considering how messy much of Phase 4 has been. It’s just a shame it ended in a lawsuit.
1. Spider-Man: No Way Home
One of the most joyously entertaining movies in the history of the MCU, Spider-Man: No Way Home is hard to top. Not only did it give Peter Parker (Tom Holland) his most compelling and emotionally resonant story to date, but it also seamlessly brought the former two live-action Spider-Men into the MCU. This was a perfect swan song for the Spider-Man trilogy, but also left the door open for more adventures in the future.
More Marvel coverage: For more MCU news, visit our Marvel guide.
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