The release of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever marks a major turning point for the MCU. While we still have one final treat to look forward to in the form of the Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special, the main Marvel Phase 4 saga is now finished. There were some real successes in this massive lineup of Marvel movies and Disney+ series, and also more than a few misfires. Let’s just say it hasn’t been easy moving forward after the epic finale that was Avengers: Endgame.
The folks at IGN have pooled their minds to rank each of the 16 movies and shows that make up the MCU Phase 4 so far. Where do fan-favorites like WandaVision and Spider-Man: No Way Home fall? How about Wakanda Forever and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness? Watch the video for the full ranking of the best and worst of Marvel Phase Four.
The Marvel movies and shows include in this video are:
Black Widow (2021)
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021)
Eternals (2021)
Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021)
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022)
Thor: Love and Thunder (2022)
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022)
WandaVision (2021)
The Falcon and the Winter Soldier (2021)
Loki (2021)
What If…? (2021)
Hawkeye (2021)
Moon Knight (2022)
Ms. Marvel (2022)
She-Hulk: Attorney at Law (2022)
Werewolf by Night (2022)
#IGN #Marvel #MCU
Me know what you whisper They had lost their protector Now is our time The release of black panther wakanda Forever marks a major turning point for The MCU while we still have one final Treat to look forward to in the form of The Guardians of the Galaxy holiday Special the main phase 4 Saga is Finished there were some real successes In this massive lineup of Marvel movies And series and also more than a few Misfires let's just say it hasn't been Easy moving forward after the Epic Finale that was Avengers end game Iron Man The folks at IGN have pulled their minds To rank each of the 16 movies and shows That make up phase four where to fan Favorites like one Division and Spider-Man no way home fall let's find Out That was brilliant as the first animated Series connected to the MCU Marvel's What if is basically Dead on Arrival That's all the more frustrating Considering how much inherent potential There is in a series that explores Alternate universes where events Unfolded differently only one Doctor Strange focused episode truly takes Advantage of that potential and delivers An emotionally resonant look at a hero Trapped on a dark path
To let go I've gone too far to turn back Now the rest are mostly Bland detours That do little to add to the larger Tapestry of the MCU the series does Build a little momentum near the end Once it becomes clear a larger Overarching narrative is being spun but Even that can only do so much to prop up What if season 2 will need to show a lot More ambition if this series is going to Become a regular fixture on Disney plus This should not be possible Oh but anything is possible in a Multiverse Poor Eternals it barely stood a chance there Are certainly moments of Brilliance Within it it's capable and charismatic Cast Chloe jow's gorgeous landscape Shots some awesome deviant fights but as A whole it simply had too much to cover Having the unenviable tasks of Introducing a massive group of Heroes Giving us the MCU action we expect Tying in the giant Cosmic Stakes left Eternals overstuffed and Confused the End of One Life Cersei is the beginning Of another it's far from irredeemable And in fact that's what makes Eternal Such a bummer these characters might Have been able to shine had we been Introduced to them previously or even if It was a very expensive admittedly Series instead of one long movie but it
Falls victim to the franchise's worst Impulses resulting in mostly a missed Opportunity The second live-action MCU series on Disney plus is easily the weakest of the Bunch so far despite the undeniable Appeal of having Anthony Mackey's Sam Wilson and Sebastian Stan's Bucky Headlining their own show you know what Fine I'm here You happy now all right good that Dynamic already well honed thanks to Captain America's Civil War isn't the Problem nor is the overall scope of the Series more than any other MCU show the Falcon and the Winter Soldier succeeds In bringing the spectacle and impressive Visual effects of the films to the small Screen unfortunately the Falcon in the Winter Soldier is let down hard by its Underwhelming and unfocused story it may Look like the MCU movies but it also Feels like a movie that was haphazardly Stretched out to fill a six episode Series the series attempts to tackle Issues of race and American imperialism But doesn't have much to say about Either the only Power I have Is that I believe we can do better in The end we're not sure how necessary the Series even is in terms of Bridging the Gap between Avengers endgame and the Upcoming Captain America New World Order Nice job cat thanks
Thor love and thunder had a lot of Potential that it never managed to live Up to director Taiko ytt and actor Chris Hemsworth had delivered a well-received Comedic reinvention of Thor in Ragnarok And fans were eager to see where they'd Take the character next Give it a second I swear I'm not even moving it's just Doing this on its own Christian Bale was Finally making his MCU debut and Natalie Portman was returning to the franchise To adapt the fan favorite Mighty Thor Comic but unfortunately Thor 4 just Didn't deliver the film's sense of humor Ran away with itself in the recurring Screaming goats bit quickly overstayed Its welcome Bales Gore the god butcher Didn't get enough screen time nor did he Live up to his name and Jane's Arc Suffered from severe underdevelopment There were a few moments worth the price Of admission such as Russell Crowe's Bizarre yet entertaining take on Zeus But overall the film failed to spark a Fire Put it down before I make you you want Your style Watch yourself MCU fans have been waiting for Scarlett Johansson's Black Widow to spin out into Her own Solo movie since the character First appeared in 2010's Iron Man 2. Unfortunately it seems to have been a
Case of too little too late for poor Natasha Romanov The Black Widow movie attempts to both Flesh out Natasha's murky blood-stained Past and bridge the gap between Captain America Civil War and Avengers Infinity War yet it doesn't succeed particularly Well in either goal following the Gripping opening sequence Natasha's History with the Red Room is mostly Glossed over and what answers we do get Are mostly unsatisfying the rest of the Film is a pretty by the number superhero Adventure that adds little to the larger Fabric of the MCU and don't even get us Started on the film's adaptation of Taskmaster Black widow's main Saving Grace is that It introduces Florence Pugh's scene Stealing Elena bilova luckily this Character has already gone on to bigger And better things in phase four you just Didn't want your baby sister to tag Along whilst you save the world with the Cool kids you weren't really my sister Foreign We had high hopes for Oscar Isaac's MCU Debut but Moon Knight fell a bit short Of expectations in its first season That's not to say Isaac didn't bring his All to the superhero origin tale Isaac Practically carries the series thanks to His dual performances as mercenary Mark Spector and bumbling every man Stephen
Grant and it never hurts having Ethan Hawke as a foil mark Let me help you it's more a combination Of dodgy visual effects and a jumbled Narrative that holds Moon Knight back From greatness this is one case where Six episodes probably wasn't enough to Lay a proper foundation for a new Marvel Hero but that doesn't mean we don't hope To see a second season during phase five Literally go save the world Like this guys The second doctor strange movie has a Lot going for it including the Long-awaited return of director Sam Raimi to Marvel Remy certainly brings His unique touch to this sequel which Offers a much more flamboyant view of The magical world than its predecessor Multiverse of Madness also has the Distinction of being the first Marvel Movie outside of the Spider-Man Franchise to dive headlong into the Multiverse concept which results in the Welcome debut of social Gomez's America Chavez And some delightful cameos as Steven Strange meets the Illuminati of Earth 838 a final member professor Charles Xavier however Multiverse of Madness Fails where it arguably matters most the Movie is unable to build on the events Of One Division in a satisfying way Rather than continue its exploration of
Wanda maximoff as a Woman burdened by Immense grief the film has wanted to do A complete heel turn and become a Villain you break the rules and become a Hero I do it and I become the enemy That doesn't seem fair it's a Frustrating pivot for what had been one Of the mcu's most compelling character Arcs and as for the Title Character he Barely has an arc at all in this sequel Thank you With werewolf By Night Marvel Studios Delved deeper than ever before into the B and C lists of its Pantheon of Characters in order to flesh out a Distinctly low rent corner of the Marvel Universe the realm where monsters roam Doctor strange and the Multiverse of Madness had already done horror to a Degree but director Michael giaccino Mined a particularly Rich vein of genre Goodness with werewolves black and white Creepiness which combined with a 1970 Style exploitation flick feel to great Effect My attendance Delights you Gael Garcia Barnell's Jack Russell AKA The Werewolf Of the title is the most obvious Addition to the MCU here with his Decidedly and excitingly non-cg Practical Wolfman effects but this story Also gave us Laura Donnelly as the Magically inclined Elsa Bloodstone as Well as man thing the gentlest giant
Swamp monster the sight of well dcu's Swamp Thing The first of what we can only hope will Be an ongoing series of special Presentations from Marvel Werewolf by Night was a unique entry in the Live-action Marvel world that we can't Wait to revisit with Jack's next Adventure what no No I'm the one who comes to your rescue What are you talking about It's hard to introduce something that Feels completely fresh over a decade Into your franchise but the MCU Accomplished just that with She-Hulk Attorney at law it's true I am a Hulk Tatiana maslani's Jennifer Walters was Both a believable and relatable Protagonist in a series that prioritized Its female viewership in ways the Franchise had previously been incapable Of the series also made sure that all Felt included by introducing killer Cameos and playing with long-standing Favorites like Wong and Daredevil Matt Murdoch's introduction in Particular helped set the tone for the Hero moving forward now that he's made The move from Netflix to the MCU proper Here's hoping we'll see more of jyn in Daredevil born again don't make me angry You wouldn't like me when I'm angry New superhero movies have faced more of An uphill battle than black panther
Wakanda forever the original film was a True cultural Touchstone and the tragic Death of star Chadwick Boseman casts a Shadow that can't be ignored wakanda Forever succeeds about as well as could Be expected given these difficult Circumstances the film is at its Strongest when it explores the Collective grief over Bozeman's passing And the in-universe death of t'challa Stars Leticia Wright and Angela Bassett Deliver emotionally wrenching Performances as Shori and queen raimonda Struggle to guide their Nation through Its Darkest Hour wakanda forever never Fully succeeds in trying to marry that Tale of grief and healing with the needs Of the larger MCU the sequel is as Guilty as any other phase 4 project when It comes to juggling too many characters And trying to accomplish too much in Too Short a span as compelling an antagonist As tenach huerta's name or is wakanda Forever doesn't quite have the room to Balance its many moving Parts my enemies Call me no more Foreign Is the Ultimate Fan girl and no one was More prepared to play her than Iman Villani her joy in earnesty radiate from The screen as we watch the young Hero Learn to navigate her powers and step Into her own as who she is rather than How she sees her Idol Captain Marvel
Moreover Miss Marvel brought real world Events like the 1947 partition to Western audiences that often don't learn About them in school seeing such major Moments woven into genuinely compelling Storytelling shows real progress on Marvel's part and we can't wait to see Where Kamala goes next in the Marvels Wow What happens to them now I don't know among all its multiversal Shenanigans something phase four of the MCU was missing was a good old-fashioned Grounded superhero story with that in Mind it makes sense that Hawkeye was as Refreshing as it was plus it was just a Damn good TV show on its own merits it Was both a focused exciting detective Series and an opportunity to get to know Clint Barton much better and Jeremy Renner did a fantastic job portraying The grief he's been struggling with Without dragging the whole show down He's matched by A Perfect foil in Haley Steinfeld's bright-eyed Kate bishop and They both have some great bow and Arrow-based action scenes Plus it's a Christmas show the villains May be forgettable but that's a small Complaint in an otherwise great MCU Series Netflix's Iron Fist series largely Failed in its attempt to translate Iconic Kung Fu hero Danny Rand to live
Action but at least shangshi didn't meet The same fate xiangxi and the legend of The ten Rings makes great use of simulio As his character reluctantly Embraces His role as the mcu's new martial arts Superhero As you'd hope the fight scenes are A Cut Above those seen in most MCU films and The film is also among the funnier phase 4 projects thanks in no small part to The Lovable bond between shangshi and His BFF Katie as played by Aquafina we Make a good team but above all the film Succeeds in finally paying off on all The Mandarin teases in the MCU Tony Loong plays a surprisingly thoughtful And sympathetic version of this iconic Marvel villain one who avoids the Pitfalls of many past interpretations Ah Hello Tom hiddleston's Loki has easily Ranked among the mcu's best villains Since the phase 1 days but phase four is Where we finally got to see the god of Mischief in his own solo project and Loki season 1 definitely does not Disappoint the Loki series pushes Hiddleston's character in a very Different direction as the refugee 2012 Version of Loki is reluctantly recruited Into the time variance Authority and Becomes a Time cop is this the greatest Power in the universe as much as the Series succeeds in adding new layers to
This already compelling character it Also introduces a worthy foil in Sofia Dimartino's Sylvie and makes great use Of Owen Wilson as the affable Mr Mobius Love to talk With gray characters a tightly plotted Narrative and a wonderfully quirky Visual style Loki is easily one of Marvel's most well-rounded series to Date the fact that it's also the single Most important piece of the phase 4 Puzzle thanks to the introduction of Jonathan Majors Kang the Conqueror Variant he who remains just makes it That much better This dog stays the same size Disney Started off its new line of live-action MCU series on strong footing with Wanda Vision a series that's as much about Paying homage to classic TV sitcoms of Yesteryear as it is setting the tone for Phase four the show is a real blast as We get to see Elizabeth Olsen's Wanda Maximoff and Paul betney's Vision enjoy Their quiet retirement in idyllic West View New Jersey That is not where those go of course not Everything is what it seems half the fun Of Wanda vision isn't slowly discovering The truth behind westview's saccharine Sweet facade One Division may fall back Into traditional MCU tropes near the end But the series works as a heartfelt Celebration of Wanda and Visions Bond
And the destructive effects of grief It's a series that tries new things and Mostly succeeds and that's something the MCU can always use more of Good Foreign Sequel we feared might never happen During that brief period where Marvel And Sony parted ways great it's just Some random guy hello thankfully the Stars aligned to result in a film where Tom Holland's Peter Parker joins forces With his alternate universe selves to Battle a Who's Who lineup of Spider-Man Villains hello Peter there's a lot that Could have gone wrong here considering That no way home has to juggle the Series regular Supporting Cast alongside Doctor Strange Matt Murdock and no fewer Than five villains from the Sony movies That's to say nothing of the obvious Concessions the film had to make for Filming during the covid-19 pandemic Somehow director John Watts keeps this Train on the tracks the focus remains Squarely on Peter's struggle to come to Terms with being a public Pariah with no Secret identity no way home is packed With some of the mcu's most emotional Moments and there's plenty of superhero Fan service to boot no way home proves That Spidey is more important to the Future MCU than ever I love you guys Thank you that's how we'd rank phase
Four but we want to hear what you think Which movie or series would you put at The top of the pile let us know in the Comments and stay prepped for phase five By making sure you like And subscribe to IGN wherever you watch
