Credit: Marvel StudiosThe Marvel Cinematic Universe was a once-thriving franchise that could do no wrong. Well, that’s not entirely true, but you get the idea. The film series has never been particularly great at creating interesting and memorable villains for starters (at least not until Josh Brolin’s Thanos came along), and The Infinity Saga is also home to a few stinkers. But now, there are plenty of stinkers to choose from when it comes to MCU films and shows.
In more recent years, however, those weak entries from The Infinity Saga suddenly seem a lot better by comparison to what Phase Four has churned out. While many think that the reason for this is nothing more than Marvel or superhero movie “fatigue”, the truth is that most of the stuff they’ve put out in the past couple of years is just bad.
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In 2021, the MCU broke onto the small screen, with a number of Disney+ shows such as WandaVision (2021), Loki (2021), The Falcon and the Winter Soldier (2021), Hawkeye (2021), and What If…? (2021), followed more recently by the likes of Ms. Marvel (2022), Moon Knight (2022), and She-Hulk: Attorney at Law (2022).
Meanwhile, in that same time on the silver screen, we’ve seen Black Widow (2021), Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021), Eternals (2021), Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021), Thor: Love and Thunder (2022), Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022), Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022), and Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (2023).
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Of all those 16 combined MCU films and shows, we can count a handful that were worth watching. In other words, the Marvel Cinematic Universe should have bowed out with the incredible Avengers: Endgame (2019), because these seven entries, a mix of MCU films and shows, have destroyed the franchise for good…
1. Captain Marvel
Captain Marvel (2019) might have come out before Avengers: Endgame, but in hindsight, it may as well have joined Phase Four, because it has a lot in common with Black Widow, as it’s among the most generic MCU films that really ought to have formed part of Phase One.
This solo MCU film isn’t terrible, but it is forgettable. Brie Larson’s Carol Danvers/Captain Marvel is also oddly stoic, yet there are times when she’s trying to be charismatic; a poor attempt to recapture Robert Downey Jr.’s charm as Tony Stark/Iron Man.
Off the screen, Brie Larson did the film no favors when she hit back at “middle-aged white dudes” for negatively critiquing the box office flop A Wrinkle In Time (2018), while also appearing generally unlikable while on the circuit promoting Captain Marvel.
Now, not only does Captain Marvel remain a widely disliked character, there’s a lot of uncertainty surrounding her upcoming film The Marvels (2023).
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2. Eternals
Yikes. Where to start with Eternals. Well, the beginning of the film might be a good idea, but a full rundown of all the problems with this insufferably bloated MCU installment would demand a review that goes on for what would feel like an eternity in its own right.
Eternals has an absolutely enormous cast, so many people, in fact, that it has no idea what to do with any of them. In fact, the writing here is so bad we’re convinced that even a lesser portion of these characters wouldn’t have been all that much better.
But we know it’s not an impossible task — after all, Avengers: Infinity War (2018) and Endgame both pulled it off and then some. Maybe that’s what happens when you hire an indie director (Chloé Zhao) to deliver something even James Cameron would find daunting.
So, to no surprise, there are no signs of a sequel. Meanwhile, a ton of characters wait in limbo while the MCU tries to figure out what to do with them.
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3. Black Widow
There are some entries on this list that don’t necessarily deserve to be here, but even the most well-intentioned film can contribute to the wider problem. Enter Black Widow, the solo film that should have been part of Phase One — not Phase Four.
In many ways, Black Widow feels like a form of grief counselling for those left in anguish by the titular character’s demise in Endgame. In short, it’s great to see Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow (Scarlet Johansson) alive and well again, even if this film is a prequel.
To describe Black Widow as a solid effort, though, would be a lie. Had it have come out with other Phase One films such as Thor (2011), perhaps its shortcomings would have been forgiven, but as a post-Endgame affair, we expected a lot better.
Needless to say, Black Widow set the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Phase Four off on the wrong track.
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4. Thor: Love and Thunder
There might be no MCU film that’s quite as divisive as Thor: Love and Thunder — even Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, which has left a very sour taste in everyone’s mouths, isn’t as hated as Taika Waititi’s second Thor film.
But where did Love and Thunder go wrong? Well, according to countless fans, in almost every way, from the overbearing humor (something its predecessor Ragnarok manages to balance quite well), to the way in which Thor (Chris Hemsworth) himself is portrayed.
There are some positive takeaways here, though, from the dazzling set pieces to Christian Bale’s performance as Gorr the God Butcher. But the biggest positive is Jane Foster/Might Thor (Natalie Portman), who’s easily one of the best female superheroes in the MCU.
Thor: Love and Thunder proved that no film series (in this case, a film series within a film series) is safe beyond its strongest entry.
Related: 5 Reasons Why Mighty Thor Is Awesome In ‘Love and Thunder’
6. She-Hulk: Attorney at Law
Oh, where to start with She-Hulk: Attorney at Law… Well, watching it might be an idea, because the “writing” is on the wall. But do be warned; terrible CGI, bad acting, and cringe-inducing fourth-wall humor, you name it — She-Hulk has it.
The truth is that She-Hulk was destined for awfulness all along, as the creators pre-empted all the backlash, thus creating a self-fulfilling prophecy. And to think that a show in which the main star actually emerges onto the Disney+ menu (yes, that happens) is from the same franchise as Infinity War and Endgame.
We’ll stick to the other green female superhero in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, thanks.
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7. Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania
Do you remember those first two Ant-Man movies? Nope, neither do we, but at least that means they were fairly harmless, right? If they had any positive takeaways, it was Scott Lang/Ant-Man (Paul Rudd) himself, who’s as lovable as the actor playing him.
The titular character brings plenty to the table outside his own solo film series too, in films such as Captain America: Civil War (2016) and Endgame. But there’s nothing he can do to save Quantumania from the MCU’s biggest villain — no, not Thanos, we mean the MCU itself.
If, however, you’re a fan of films that are back to back with green screen, feature a sidekick villain who looks like the baby in the sky from Teletubbies (and whose CGI rivals that of She-Hulk), and a villain so unbelievably overrated by fans and critics (Jonathan Major’s Kang the Conqueror), this might just become your favorite MCU installment to date.
What a great start to Phase Five…
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Marvel’s Phase Five begins with Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, which is out in theaters now. Other upcoming MCU movies are Blade (2023), Captain America: New World Order (2024), The Marvels (2023), Thunderbolts (2024), Fantastic Four (2024), Avengers: The Kang Dynasty (2025), and Avengers: Secret Wars (2025).
Do you think the MCU is beyond saving? Did you like any of these MCU films and shows? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments down below!