Summary
TheMarvel Cinematic Universehas released several of the best comic book movies of all time, and many of them are among the franchise’s top ten highest-earning films, though some are better after rewatching than others. Whilethe MCU has been going through some issues lately with its Multiverse Saga, the franchise is overall extremely successful, with a few of theMCU’s best moviesmanaging to break the $1 billion mark at the worldwide box office.
A couple of MCU entries even broke the $2 billion barrier or got quite close to it. WithDeadpool & Wolverinehaving a good chance of joining the MCU’s top ten highest-grossing movies list, a look back at Marvel’s box office hits brings a conclusion. Some of them do not rank quite as high as they originally did after a rewatch, while others hold up nicely.Future MCU moviescould take lessons from how theMCU’s top ten highest-grossing movieshold up on a rewatch.
10 MCU Movie Announcements & Reveals I Want To See At SDCC 2024
With Marvel Studios reportedly set to appear at San Diego Comic-Con 2024, there are a few movie announcements and new details that I hope we’ll get.
Captain Marvel
Cast
Captain Marvel is set in the 1990s and introduces Carol Danvers, portrayed as one of the universe’s most powerful heroes. As Earth becomes entangled in a galactic conflict between two alien races, the film explores an unseen chapter in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
2019’sCaptain Marvelranks lower than the rest of the ten highest-grossing MCU movies after a rewatch. As the poor performance of the film’s sequel,The Marvels, which has become the lowest-grossing MCU movie in history, shows, the originalCaptain Marvel’s astonishing box office was greatly helped by the timing of its release. In 2019,Captain Marvelserved as a bridge betweenAvengers: Infinity WarandAvengers: Endgame.
As such, the movie almost became required viewing before gearing up for the finale of the Infinity Saga. WhileThe Marvelsis a movie that will likely grow on fans upon repeated viewings, the originalCaptain Marvelhas the opposite effect. The film was a fine addition to the MCU, but Brie Larson’s Captain Marvel has been more charming and exciting to follow in all of her other appearances in comparison to it.Yon-Rogg also made for a middle-of-the-park villain that wasted Jude Law’s MCU potential.
I Rewatched The MCU’s Biggest Box Office Bomb And I Still Don’t Understand Why It Didn’t Succeed
The MCU has had some issues during the Multiverse Saga, but after rewatching Marvel Studios' biggest box office bomb, I don’t understand its failure.
Iron Man 3
Iron Man 3 pits genius-billionaire-playboy-philanthropist Tony Stark (Iron Man) against the Mandarin, an enemy whose reach knows no bounds. When Stark finds his world destroyed by his mysterious antagonist, he embarks on a dangerous quest to find those responsible. His journey will test his character at every turn. With his back against the wall, Stark is left to survive by his own devices, relying on his ingenuity and instincts to protect those closest to him and determine whether or not the suit makes the man or if Tony himself is the hero.
Iron Man 3faced quite a bit of criticism when it first came out. The movie is a mixed bag when it comes to rewatching. Certain elements ofIron Man 3still hold up quite well, like the bond formed between Tony Stark and Harley Keener in the film, while others do not. When compared with the rest of Robert Downey Jr.’s solo MCU movies,Iron Man 3still stays underIron Manand aboveIron Man 2after a rewatch.
There are many exciting action sequences that still look amazing and will keep viewers excited throughout repeated viewings. However, the movie’s ending now looks worse, asTony Stark giving up his Iron Man armors was extremely short-lived in the MCU. The Mandarin fake-out is also another struggle to get through, though RDJ’s charismatic performance in the lead role ensures rewatches are fun.
Armor Wars Puts A Forgotten Iron Man 3 Character In Deadly Risk
Iron Man 3’s plot puts a forgotten character in some serious danger based on the premise of the MCU’s Armor Wars, and how it links to Tony’s past.
8Black Panther
Worldwide Box Office: $1.35 Billion
2018’sBlack Pantheris a special movie for the MCU. To this day, it isthe only Marvel Studios film to have been nominated for Best Picture at the Academy Awards. There are many elements to love upon rewatchingBlack Panther, such as the rich depiction of Wakanda and the introduction to a whole new side of the MCU. However, the fact that T’Challa falls through the cracks at times to make room for other characters does not hold up quite well.
The fact that the movie’s main fight,the final brawl between Black Panther and Killmonger, is riddled with bad CGIdoes impact repeated viewings quite heavily. It is hard to focus on the importance and urgency of the moment while the characters look so awkward on the screen. Strong performances from an all-star cast should have fans coming back for rewatches though.
Black Panther 3: Cast, Story & Everything We Know
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever sets up several plot threads for Black Panther 3, but no official announcement has been made by Marvel Studios so far.
Spider-Man: Far From Homeis a lot better than the criticism it has faced.The movie has one of the best villain performances in the MCU, with Jake Gyllenhaal’s Mysterio being one of the most exciting elements of rewatching the movie. As always, Tom Holland and his supporting cast are excellent in the film, andSpider-Man: Far From Home’s trip abroad allows them to play a big role, with the cast’s chemistry holding up nicely in repeated viewings.
The fight scenes with Mysterio and the reveal of Spider-Man’s identity hold up quite well.
However, there are aspects of the film that do not work as well after multiple viewings. For instance,Peter Parker is way too naive in his dealings with Mysterio, giving him the EDITH glasses.Spider-Man: Far From Home’s setting moving away from New York City was an interesting choice, but as the city feels so much like a character of Spider-Man movies, not having it there hurts the film upon rewatches ofHolland’s Spider-Man trilogy. The reveal of the villain’s connection to Iron Man and his motives also look worse upon rewatching.
We’ve Just Passed A Dark MCU Milestone That Completely Rewrites Spider-Man’s Next Movies
Tom Holland will return in Spider-Man 4, and while there are no updates on the movie, a key milestone to the MCU’s Spider-Man has just passed.
6Avengers: Age of Ultron
Worldwide Box Office: $1.4 Billion
Avengers: Age of Ultronis one of the MCU movies that looks the best after repeated viewings. Since it was a step-down fromThe Avengers, the initial release ofAge of Ultronled to the film facing a lot of criticism. However, what at the time was seen as a bunch of unrelated plot points became a gold mine.Avengers: Age of Ultronset up several ideas that would be the basis of some of the MCU’s best projects and moments.
Captain America using Thor’s hammer was set up by the film in the Avengers Tower scene, a sequence that only gets better upon rewatching, as it brings a moment of ease with the Avengers that the MCU barely explored.Major character arcs for Thor, Scarlet Witch, and more MCU characters are set up in the movie, and multiple rewatches can lead to fans catching all the seeds for future storylines.
10 Major Storylines Avengers: Age of Ultron Helped Set Up In The MCU
Avengers: Age of Ultron is the weakest entry in all the team-up films, but it deserves credit for setting up many major storylines in the MCU.
The Avengers
From this moment forward, all MCU movies are among the franchise’s very best and most rewatchable.The Avengersis a very important movie for the MCU, as it was the first time the team got together on the big screen, setting the standard for how shared universes should work. The movie brings along many firsts for the MCU, andit is interesting to rewatch the film as time passes to see how the Avengers changed over the years.
For instance, Captain America accused Iron Man of only thinking about himself, butTony Stark later sacrificed himself for the MCU inThe Avengersand for the final time inAvengers: Endgame.The Avengersalso came at a time when the MCU was still fairly new, and so it is exciting to get back to those simpler times through repeated viewings, with action and character moments holding up to this day.
The Avengers (2012) Cast - Where Are They Now?
2012’s The Avengers is one of the most important films in MCU history, and its star-studded cast has gone on to do great things in and out of the MCU.
Avengers: Endgamewas the perfect finale for the MCU’s Infinity Saga. It is easily one of the most rewarding movies in the franchise to rewatch, as there is so much going on that fans will keep making new discoveries with each viewing. Half of that comes from the large number of characters that play a role in the film, while the other half is due to how many past MCU movies and moments are revisited.
However, a couple of elements makeAvengers: Endgamerank lower than other MCU films when it comes to rewatchability.The highest-grossing movie in the MCU is quite longer and heavier than most other films in the franchise. Due to that, not all MCU fans will find repeated viewings enjoyable. Though getting through fan-favorite characters dying, and a long runtime could be rough for some, the epic moments inAvengers: Endgamemake for a great dose of nostalgia in multiple viewings.
Wait, Has The MCU Finally Confirmed Steve Rogers Is Dead?
Anthony Mackie’s Sam Wilson leads Captain America: Brave New World and the movie’s first trailer might have secretly revealed Steve Rogers' death.
Captain America: Civil War
Captain America: Civil War focuses on the aftermath of Age of Ultron as international governments legislate to regulate superhuman activity. This divides the Avengers, forming opposing factions led by Iron Man and Captain America, culminating in a significant conflict between former allies.
Captain America: Civil Waris one of the MCU’s most exciting movies. While the film keeps Steve Rogers at its center, it is the closest to an Avengers movie that any solo hero film in the MCU has ever gotten. Putting Captain America and Iron Man, the two faces of the MCU, on opposite sides did wonders for the film. The amount of character interactions and subtle teases in this film make for great fun in repeated viewings.
RewatchingCaptain America: Civil Warafter the end of the Infinity Saga will also have fans appreciating it even more, as it set up a number of stories and motives for characters that were touched again inAvengers: Infinity WarandAvengers: Endgame. With some of the MCU’s best moments — Spider-Man and Black Panther’s introductions, the airport fight, Iron Man vs Captain America and Bucky — the movie makes for a great rewatch.
Captain America: Brave New World Is The Winter Soldier Sequel I’ve Waited 10 Years For
Following Captain America: Brave New World’s first trailer, it’s clear to me that it is coming to fill a spot left by one of the MCU’s best movies.
Spider-Man: No Way Home
For the first time in the cinematic history of Spider-Man, our friendly neighborhood hero is unmasked and no longer able to separate his normal life from the trials and tribulations of being a superhero. In Spider-Man: No Way Home, Peter Parker (Tom Holland) asks for help from Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) when his identity becomes a problem for the ones he loves. Unfortunately, when the spell goes wrong, Spider-Man will now have to face off with villains such as Doctor Octopus (Alfred Molina) and Electro (Jamie Foxx) as Peter finally comes to terms that he can’t run from being Spider-Man. Supported by his close friends and help from an unexpected place (or multiverse), Spider-Man will go toe-to-toe with some of the most legendary foes in his storied history.
The fact thatSpider-Man: No Way Homeeven exists is amazing.It did what Spider-Man fans had always wanted to see but never thought would really happen, which was to bring Tobey Maguire, Andrew Garfield, and Tom Holland’s versions of Spider-Man together on the big screen. The trio has phenomenal chemistry in that movie, with their interactions and the return of the former Spider-Man actors makingSpider-Man: No Way Homeone of the most rewatchable superhero movies ever.
Marvel Studios also brought back many villains from the Garfield and Maguire Spider-Man movies. Seeing all those characters in the MCU, with the villains forming a team and the Spider-Men bonding over their past traumas and fighting together, was one of the best cinematic experiences ever. As a cinematic event of a lifetime, repeated viewings ofSpider-Man: No Way Homeallow fans to catch details that were missed in the wave of applause and cheers that came in the movie’s screenings.
Today Marks An Important Milestone In Daredevil’s MCU Journey & Could Connect To His Next Movie Appearance
Charlie Cox’s Matt Murdock is set to play a key role in the MCU, and today marks a Daredevil milestone that could connect to his next film appearance.
Avengers: Infinity War
Avengers: Infinity War brings together the Avengers and their allies to face a new threat from the cosmos, Thanos, who seeks to collect the Infinity Stones. The film, part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, unites numerous superhero characters in a battle to prevent Thanos' ambition of altering reality itself.
Finally,Avengers: Infinity Waris the MCU’s most rewatchable movie. The film is a fast-paced thrill-fest that brings together several heroes from all over the multiverse.This is Thanos' big moment in the MCU, and it was worth it.Josh Brolin’s performance is menacing and created one of the best cinematic villains of all time, with repeated viewings allowing fans to experience the fear and thrills that came with the Avengers' multiple battles against Thanos and his army.
There is never a dull moment, with the movie having some of the best action scenes in MCU history.Avengers: Infinity War’s ending was a unique moment, with nothing coming close to the utter despair that it brought. While the impact is not quite the same on repeated viewings, it still rings as an eerie reminder of the heroes that would be lost in the very next Avengers movie. With a solid story, great pacing, fresh character combos, and some of the franchise’s best action scenes,Avengers: Infinity Waris theMCU’s most rewatchable movie among Marvel’s highest-grossing films.
