Frank Grillo has already made a small piece of movie history, as one of the few actors to play a major role in both an MCU and a DCU movie. However, it turns out there was an even closer connection between his two roles than we realized.

Frank Grillo played Crossbones for Marvel Studios before his recent appearances as Rick Flag Sr. (in both animation and live-action) for James Gunn’s DCU. Both roles ended up requiring his character to arrest a superhero. He took Captain America into custody in Captain America: The Winter Soldier, and he arrested the Man of Steel in Superman as well. Hilariously, as Grillo told Brandon Davis, the two scenes were shot only blocks apart in Cleveland. Grillo said...

Of all the coincidences that could crop up in filmmaking, this one is pretty incredible. While Cleveland isn’t an uncommon location for filming movies, it’s not like Southern California or Georgia, where there are major studios available. The fact that both movies were filmed there at all is interesting enough, but both movies having similar scenes that involved the same actor, what are the odds? No seriously, somebody who’s better at math please tell me what the odds are.

Grillo was never shy about admitting he was a little frustrated with the way Crossbones was used in the MCU. There were apparently plans, or at least conversations, about making him a bigger bad guy for Captain America, but they never materialized. The character was somewhat unceremoniously killed off in Captain America: Civil War and never seen again.

Frank Grillo has already had a more significant impact on the DCU, which only just began this year, than he ever did on Marvel. He’s the one actor who has been part of all three pieces of the DCU so far, voicing Rick Flag Sr. in the animated Creature Commandos, and then appearing in live-action in both Superman and Peacemaker Season 2. And yet, it brought him back to where his superhero journey started, arresting a superhero in a blue costume on a street in Cleveland. The more things change...

With a Superman sequel on the way, and with Cleveland officially standing in for Metropolis, filming will likely return there. And considering how big a part Grillo has been of the DCU already, there’s a pretty good chance he’ll be back for it. Years and universes apart, but Frank Grillo will always get his man, and he will apparently always get him on Superior Street in Cleveland.

Warning: MAJOR SPOILERS are ahead for James Gunn's Superman.

The Man of Steel came to Cleveland this summer on the 2025 movie schedule, and not just in the sense that Northeast Ohioans can have the tendency of slipping “Superman was created in Cleveland!” into conversation whenever possible. James Gunn’s highly-anticipated Superman filmed largely in Cleveland, with bad guys wreaking some havoc as the city doubled as Metropolis, but also delivering a pretty iconic final scene for Superman and Lois Lane in a gorgeous location.

As one of those Northeast Ohioans who likes to shout out Superman, I was excited to learn that the movie would be filming in the same city where the comic book character was created back in 1938. In fact, it’s always exciting when film crews for blockbusters come to town, with the Ohio Motion Picture Tax Credit as a big draw. Movies like The Avengers and Captain America: The Winter Soldier have featured locations from the city for the MCU as well, but there's a reason why I was more of a fan of DC's Man of Steel paying Cleveland a visit than Steve Rogers!

The Marvel Cinematic Universe Destroys Cleveland

While a Marvel movie filming in Cleveland is generally good for the city in real life, it’s generally not a good thing within the MCU when it doubles for a location like New York City. Joss Whedon brought The Avengers to Cleveland as a substitute for NYC and the iconic Battle of New York. If that wasn't enough, Loki cut out an eyeball in a recognizable location for any native of the city despite the gruesome scene being set in-universe in Stuttgart, Germany.

Cleveland didn’t fare well in The Winter Soldier either, although I’m happy to remind whoever I’m with whenever I visit that the lobby of the Cleveland Museum of Art doubled as the Triskelion in Chris Evans’ film. I just leave out the part where Captain America crashed through the ceiling of the museum!

Basically, Cleveland takes a beating whenever the MCU drops by, so it was up to Superman to do us right.

Superman Showcases Cleveland With A Happy Ending

Now, in fairness to the MCU, the Man of Steel wreaked his fair share of havoc in Cleveland as Metropolis, and part of me had to flinch during the fight scene in the Metropolis Meteors' stadium since I know the real-life Progressive Field well. But the Leader Building doubling as the Daily Planet building was fun to see, and I’m so used to seeing Public Square destroyed on the big screen that it barely registers anymore. And hey, Superman saved a Cleveland squirrel!

But my very favorite showcase of the city was one that took advantage of a beautiful location and delivered a happy ending. Superman and Lois Lane’s big kiss was in the Cleveland Arcade building. It isn’t used for much in real life nowadays but was the perfect backdrop for the climactic kiss at the end of Superman. (Before Supergirl showed up, anyway!)

Besides, the happy ending of Superman with a post-credits scene that didn't involve a Thanos-level threat to the universe meant that I could leave the theater not only having enjoyed a fun movie, but getting to see a great Cleveland location not only survive a superhero film, but be the backdrop to one of my favorite superhero romance moments.

Speaking as a fan of superhero movies, I actually tend to prefer the source material in most cases. However, if there is one thing I believe most films (and a few TV shows) have handled better than the comics, it is making the heroes and villains look pretty good. The following are some essential examples of comic book characters whose screen iterations had better costume designs.

Batman (Batman Begins)

I believe the nighttime attire worn by Christian Bale's Bruce Wayne in 2005's Batman Begins outshines what the comics had delivered up to that point, not just in the aesthetic sense. I also love this Batsuit for its practicality and ingenuity, boasting features that include a fully bulletproof top to cover his entire torso and a cape that turns into wings when an electric current is run through it.

Captain America (Captain America: The First Avenger)

Steve Rogers' original costume from Marvel Comics is a bit hokey, with its winged helmet and feathery finish, but the outfit worn by Chris Evans' MCU iteration had a bit of an uneven history before its preferred final form. In his debut in Captain America: The First Avenger, he bears the stars and stripes on a tactical suit that thankfully made a comeback in the third act of Captain America: The Winter Soldier, following his ridiculous uniform from The Avengers.

Wonder Woman (Batman V Superman: Dawn Of Justice)

Instead of a patriotic leotard (which, given her Themiscyrian ancestry, does not make sense), Gal Gadot's Diana Prince fights in Amazonian battle armor. It also bears a bird-shaped emblem at the top, instead of a "WW," which also would have been nonsense to include, considering she never actually gives herself the name "Wonder Woman" in the DC Extended Universe.

Ant-Man (Ant-Man)

In 2015's Ant-Man, when Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) first sees the suit and helmet that he would soon use to shrink to microscopic size, he points out that it looks like a motorcycle outfit. Indeed, it does, which alone makes it an improvement over the tight jumpsuit with a partially opened, antannaed helmet that Hank Pym wears in the comics.

Robin (Batman & Robin)

I am not a fan of the impractical, anatomically correct full rubber suits that plagued the live-action Batman movies of the '80s and '90s. However, I am thankful that Batman & Robin's grown-up version of the Boy Wonder (played by Chris O'Donnell) is not just wearing a leotard. I even admire the decision to replace the green and yellow in his color scheme with black for added stealth, like his older companion... not that stealth is ever really a necessity for these iterations of the Caped Crusaders anyway.

Iron Man (Iron Man)

I would say it is no wonder that more recent comic books show Tony Stark wearing Iron Man armor that better resembles the sleek design created for Robert Downey Jr.'s MCU iteration, instead of the bulkier original suit.

Superman (Man Of Steel)

I am still convinced that the all-time best Superman costume created for live-action media was worn by Henry Cavill in 2013's Man of Steel. In fact, I think Clark Kent's red and blues from the DC Extended Universe outshine that of any of his comic book iterations, and for one reason in particular: I have never been a fan of his red trunks, and I am happy to see that feature omitted here.

Black Panther (Captain America: Civil War)

In his first appearance in Marvel Comics, T'Challa's warrior outfit was merely a skin-tight jumpsuit with a cape. Chadwick Boseman's MCU iteration of Black Panther ditches the cape, thankfully, and gives him some tangible armor, complemented beautifully by the pointed charms placed between his neck and shoulders.

Hawkeye (The Avengers)

I would say it was the right call for Jeremy Renner's Clint Barton to lose the helmet that Hawkeye wears in the comics, as I doubt it would have translated well to live-action cinema. At least, the suit he wears in 2012's The Avengers and subsequent MCU installments retains some of the purple from his original color scheme.

Tobey Maguire's Spider-Man (Spider-Man)

Author Sean O'Connell's book, With Great Power: How Spider-Man Conquered Hollywood During the Golden Age of Comic Book Blockbusters, actually quotes my description of what, arguably, makes Tobey Maguire's suit from Sam Raimi's trilogy the best live-action Spider-Man costume. The early 2000s era Peter Parker looked best for his outfit's anatomically correct spider emblems on the front and back, striking platinum webbing, and some mean-looking eyes.

Falcon (Captain America: The Winter Soldier)

It was easier for fans to take Anthony Mackie's portrayal of Sam "Falcon" Wilson seriously than his comic book counterpart due to the drastic changes to his uniform. Removing his red and white V-neck jumpsuit with attached, foldout wings in favor of a tactical outfit and mechanical, retractable flight gear was the right call.

Scarlet Witch (WandaVision)

We caught a glimpse of what Scarlet Witch's original design would look like if adapted for live action in WandaVision when Wanda Maximoff (Elizabeth Olsen) wore an exaggerated headpiece, red leotard, and cape for Halloween. This would help viewers better appreciate the outfit she settles on at the end of the series, which is more grounded but also better represents her unparalleled power as a sorcerer.

Vulture (Spider-Man: Homecoming)

There are many reasons why Michael Keaton's Adrian "The Vulture" Toomes from Spider-Man: Homecoming is considered one of the all-time best Spider-Man movie villains, including his costume. Giving the experimental weapons dealer more practical wings, powered by propellers, helps ground the character better than his design in the comics, which is just an old dude in homemade feathered wings.

Thor (Thor)

Like many other Marvel Comics heroes of his time, Thor was originally depicted as wearing a tight, sleeveless jumpsuit, in addition to his signature winged metal helmet. I would say Chris Hemsworth's God of Thunder boasts a decent-looking helmet at the beginning of his 2011 MCU debut, but I am especially glad his outfit actually includes armor that also covers his arms in a sleek fashion.

Star-Lord (Guardians Of The Galaxy)

Chris Pratt's Peter Quill simply looks so much cooler in 2014's Guardians of the Galaxy, rocking a red leather duster and protective face mask, as opposed to a uniform that looks exactly like what the Nova Corps wears in the comics.

Doctor Strange (Doctor Strange)

Instead of tights and a tunic, putting Benedict Cumberbatch's Dr. Stephen Strange from 2016's Doctor Strange in a monk-like robe with the Cloak of Levitation made it easier to take the role seriously in the MCU.

Shazam (Shazam!)

You could argue that the costume worn by Zachary Levi's Billy Batson is a bit cartoonish, but that fits perfectly with the more breezy, comical tone of 2019's Shazam! The biggest selling point for me, however, is the constantly glowing lightning emblem, which is just a brilliant touch.

Two-Face (The Dark Knight)

Previous iterations of Harvey "Two-Face" Dent see half of his face become a bizarre, discolored monstrosity, inspiring him to wear custom-made, dual-colored suits. For Aaron Eckhart's version from 2008's The Dark Knight, the damaged side of his face resembles a more authentic result of a burning incident, and his suit's "evil half" is simply charred from the same event, grounding his appearance and, therefore, making the Batman villain even more unsettling.

Mr. Furious (Mystery Men)

I can't imagine seeing Ben Stiller's version of Mr. Furious in the same red and black jumpsuit the raging vigilante wears in Dark Horse's Flaming Carrot comics. However, putting him in a flame-embroidered black leather duster in 1998's Mystery Men works so well.

Nick Fury (The Avengers)

Can you even begin to imagine Samuel L. Jackson wearing Nick Fury's stealth suit from the comics instead of the black leather jacket he wears in The Avengers? Not even David Hasselhoff dressed like that for his pre-MCU portrayal of the character in the made-for-TV movie, Nick Fury: Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D.

The Fantastic Four (2005's Fantastic Four)

I think the cast of the MCU's The Fantastic Four: First Steps looks great in their outfits, which call to mind the characters' original comic book appearances in the 1960s. However, I personally prefer the darker and more minimalistic approach in the otherwise widely despised adaptation from 2005.

M'Baku (Black Panther)

I cannot help but assume that Winston Duke's M'Baku would have looked simply ridiculous wearing a white gorilla's whole face around his head in 2018's Black Panther. However, settling for a decorative mask and a few touches of fur suit the portrayal perfectly.

Nebula (Guardians Of The Galaxy)

Originally, in the comics, Nebula was not a cyborg, but just another, otherwise fierce, blue woman with long hair like Gamora and a traditionally feminine uniform. Making Karen Gillan's iteration from Guardians of the Galaxy a victim of mechanical alterations not only improves her look, but also adds some absorbing complexity to her story.

Loki (Thor)

For 2011's Thor, it was right to get Loki out of his tight, green jumpsuit from the comics and into a more earnestly crafted outfit fit for a god, especially when played by an actor like Tom Hiddleston.

Black Spider-Man Suit (Spider-Man 3)

I realize that the Black Spidersuit from 2007's Spider-Man 3, the result of the alien Symbiote bonding with Peter Parker's red and blues, is, essentially, nothing more than a monochromatic redesign of Tobey Maguire's original suit. However, when considering how iconic that costume already was (and remains), the simple recoloring makes it pop in the same way that printing a photo in black and white tends to improve the image.

Mr. Freeze (Batman & Robin)

I don't think there is a single person who would deny that the way 1997's Batman & Robin depicts the "coldhearted" Mr. Freeze (Arnold Schwarzenegger) is egregiously over-the-top. However, I cannot deny that I believe the design of his costume, handcrafted from aircraft-grade aluminum and thousands of blue LED lights, is epic, especially when compared to the colorful jumpsuit and glass bulb helmet he was given when the comics still called him "Mr. Zero."

Charlie Cox's Daredevil (Daredevil)

The early 2000s take on non-seeing attorney Matt Murdock's vengeful vigilante alter ego (played by Ben Affleck) tried to improve on the comics' red, skintight spandex jumpsuit by replacing it with red, skintight leather. The acclaimed MCU canon series Daredevil put star Charlie Cox in a Kevlar suit with a protective helmet that combines a subtle shade of burgundy with accents of black, resulting in a suit that wins over the originals in terms of both style and function.

Pepper "Rescue" Potts (Avengers: Endgame)

In 2010, Pepper Potts took on an armored vigilante alter ego known as Rescue, whose suit was, essentially, a feminized rework of Tony Stark's Iron Man armor, color scheme, and all. When Gwyneth Paltrow brought Rescue into the MCU in Avengers: Endgame, the appearance changed things up a bit by making purple the main color of her armor.

Moon Knight (Moon Knight)

Honestly, just about all comic book iterations of Moon Knight have looked pretty cool, but Oscar Isaac's Marc Spector from the Disney+ original series, Moon Knight, boasts an outfit that is more comparatively authentic to a genuine Egyptian warrior. Not to mention, giving him actual glowing white eyes makes him infinitely more intimidating.

Yondu (Guardians Of The Galaxy)

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 from 2017 pays tribute to the comic book iteration of Yondu by having Michael Rooker wear a punk rock mohawk-style fin on his head, which is certainly fun to see. However, I'm glad James Gunn refrained from bringing back the character's very revealing original outfit, which is basically two straps to cover his nipples and a skirt.

The Eternals (Eternals)

With all due respect to the late, great Jack Kirby, his original designs for the immortal Marvel heroes known as the Eternals are pretty generic. However, their outfits from Oscar-winning director Chloé Zhao's 2021 movie are far sleeker and more grounded, with additional details that help them stand out from other MCU characters.

Valkyrie (Thor: Ragnarok)

Tessa Thompson's Valkyrie trades in a typical, suggestive armored leotard for awesome-looking full-body warrior garb in 2017's Thor: Ragnarok.

Sometimes there are movies that everyone loves, and you don't. I'm generally pretty open-minded about most movies (it helps to be in this business), and I can usually find something I like in almost every movie. There are, however, some movies that I don't like. These aren't all "hot takes." For most of them, I completely appreciate the quality of the movie in question; they just don't land with me on a personal level.

This is a "me problem" most of the time, but still, I wanted to put this list together to talk about movies everyone loves, but have never done anything for me, so without further ado, let's get into it!

The Shawshank Redemption

Let's just get this big one out of the way. The Shawshank Redemption is generally considered one of, if not the, best movies of the 1990s by many people. The Frank Darabont-directed prison movie, based on a book by Stephen King and starring Morgan Freeman and Tim Robbins, is beloved by many, especially those people (like me) who watched it on cable all the time in the '90s. The thing is, I just don't like it. Maybe it's because of the prison element, or that it's a little too... I don't know... cheesy to me. It doesn't work for me.

The Deer Hunter

Where to start with The Deer Hunter? Often cited as not only one of the best war movies ever, it's even thought of as one of the best films of all time. I couldn't disagree more with those assessments. This might be a hot take, but I find it boring. Do we really need to see a Russian-Orthodox wedding as it happens? The history is dubious at best. There is nothing that ties Russian Roulette to POW camps in Vietnam in actual history. While the performances are amazing from the entire cast, the movie, with a runtime of 184 minutes, is about 3 hours too long.

Avatar

The first time I saw Avatar, I was on a double date, and my girlfriend and I spent the whole movie snickering about how silly we thought it was. The other couple on the date loved it (as most seem to), so again, we snickered about how silly the movie is, and how much the other couple loved it. The special effects achievements in Avatar are rightfully lauded, but everything else... I can't take it seriously.

300

People were so excited when the graphic novel 300 got a film adaptation in 2006. While I'm often a stickler for good history in a movie about historical events, that's not what bothers me about this one. For me, the movie just looks and feels incredibly cheesy.

Magnolia

Paul Thomas Anderson is a polarizing director, at least in my own head. I tend to either really love his movies (Boogie Nights, There Will Be Blood, Hard Eight, and Inherent Vice are all movies you can watch over and over) or I really don't like them at all, like Magnolia. I remember being so excited to see his follow-up to Boogie Nights in the theater and walking away disappointed and, honestly, pretty bored by the movie.

Scarface

Scarface has to be one of the most dated movies of all time. Talk about cheesy! Everything from Miami in the '80s to the score by the legendary Giorgio Moroder all feels like they are trapped in time - and not in a good way. Though some might disagree, it's also a really boring movie for most of it. Sure, the action scenes are classics, but Al Pacino's weird accent ruins even some of the best lines for me.

Who Framed Roger Rabbit?

I'm the perfect age for someone who loves Who Framed Roger Rabbit?, as I was a preteen when it came it. It is a movie directed right at the audience I was a part of when it became a smash hit in 1980. I never really liked it, even then. The humor doesn't land for me at all. I do like the animation, but other than that, it's just not for me.

Sin City

I don't read a lot of graphic novels, and that might be why I don't like adaptations like 300 or this one, Sin City. Both are adapted from works by Frank Miller, some of whose adaptations I do really like, like the third season of Daredevil, then on Netflix, now part of the MCU on Disney+. The style of Sin City does little for me, and I just couldn't get past that.

Butch Cassidy And The Sundance Kid

Butch Cassidy And The Sundance Kid is a movie I really want to like. I love both stars of the movie, Robert Redford and Paul Newman, and The Sting, which I first saw years before seeing Butch and Sundance, is still one of my all-time favorite movies. I'm also a huge fan of Westerns, and despite this being considered one of the best Westerns of all time, I've never been able to connect with this one. I've tried over the years to get into it, but I end up turning it off every time.

Inglourious Basterds

Quentin Tarantino is a director, like some others on this list, who is always a little hit-or-miss with me. Reservoir Dogs is one of my all-time favorites, and Once Upon A Time In Hollywood is an example where I think Tarantino nailed the alternate history in the story he was telling. Inglourious Basterds is the opposite of that. Outside of the incredible opening scene with Christoph Waltz's amazing performance, the movie is just too silly for me, and the ending drives me nuts. I do secretly love Brad Pitt's wacky accent.

Mad Max: Fury Road

Time for me to come clean: I'm not a big fan of any of the Mad Max franchise. Although I'm the perfect age to have grown up with it, I've never been able to get into it. Mad Max: Fury Road is widely praised, and visually, it is really awesome, but seeing it once was enough for me. I have no desire to watch it again.

Titanic

I know I'm not alone here in my dislike of Titanic. That's not to say I hate everything about the movie. I actually really love the set design and the special effects. Visually, it's an amazing movie. It's the story that does absolutely nothing for me. Frankly, it bores me, and now, by no fault of the movie itself, it's been so meme'd and quoted over the years, it leaves me with no desire to watch it again.

Top Gun: Maverick

The original Top Gun is a near-perfect action movie in my opinion. Its sequel, Top Gun: Maverick, was disappointing because it's basically a beat-for-beat remake. That's not why I really don't like it, though. It's that silly ending, which is essentially the exact same idea as Luke blowing up the Death Star in the first Star Wars movie, and that left me really bummed out when I finished watching it.

Captain America: The Winter Soldier

When people rank the MCU movies, Captain America: The Winter Soldier is often near the top, or at least in the top third of all the movies. For me, though, it's way down the list. But what do I know? I love Iron Man 2, and everyone else hates that one.

Chariots Of Fire

I'm convinced that the reason people love Chariots Of Fire is solely for the incredible score by Vangelis. I love a good period piece, and by all accounts, I should love this movie, and yet, I don't. It's a movie that somehow won Best Picture over Raiders of the Lost Ark, and that never should have happened!

Heat

Another movie that I think I should really love, but just can't buy some of the ridiculous dialogue is Heat. The epic shootout is amazing, and I remember all too well what a huge deal it was that Al Pacino and Robert De Niro were appearing in scenes together in a movie for the first time. That novelty has worn off, and all we're left with is some silly dialogue now.

The Grand Budapest Hotel

This is where Wes Anderson lost me. I was excited for The Grand Budapest Hotel when it was released, as I was a huge fan of Anderson's earlier work, but this one left me feeling flat and, frankly, a little annoyed at the directing. I love that Anderson has a clear vision and style in his movies, but I'm just not into them anymore.

American Hustle

I once had a friend comment that American Hustle should really be called "American Hair and Makeup." The wardrobe and make-up departments more than earned their money on this one; it's all fantastic. The movie could have been so much better, though.

Once Upon a Time in America

Once Upon a Time in America is one of those movies that has what feels like dozens of different versions. The directors cut, the theatrical cut, the USSR cut... it goes on and on, but I have yet to find a version of the movie that makes me love it. Maybe one day a Redux cut will finally make it click.

The Big Chill

I'm pretty outspoken about my feelings about Gen X nostalgia, and that's my generation. I had to grow up in an America drenched in Baby Boomer nostalgia, and no movie represents that quite like The Big Chill. That said, I will always be grateful for the movie introducing me to Motown with its fantastic soundtrack.

Forrest Gump

Forrest Gump is a movie that never fails to annoy me. Yes, it has a great soundtrack, and I actually love Tom Hanks' performance in it. But it's just dripping in saccharine Boomer nostalgia, and that will always annoy me about it.

Driving Miss Daisy

I remember what a huge deal Driving Miss Daisy was when it was released, and I'm almost positive it was the first movie I ever saw with Morgan Freeman, so it does get points for that. It loses points for everything else.

The Shape Of Water

Let me get this straight... Is The Shape of Water is a better movie than Dunkirk, Get Out, Darkest Hour, Call Me By Your Name, and The Post? That's what the Academy thought when it named the movie Best Picture at the 2018 Oscars. There's just no way. I don't get it. Maybe it's me, but of all the films directed by Guillermo del Toro, The Shape of Water is by far my least favorite.

Grease

I get, Grease is a beloved movie for generations of kids and teenagers. The musical is one of the most popular movies ever made, and that popularity has never waned. Except with me. It never did anything for me. Except for the song "Greased Lightnin'." That's a great tune.

Harold And Maude

I love a great dark comedy, and Harold and Maude should fit that bill for me, but it just doesn't do anything for me at all. I mean, I kind of appreciate that Maude lives in an old train car; that's fun.

The Iron Giant

The Iron Giant is the perfect example of a movie that just came out at the wrong time for me. I was too old to care about kids' movies and too young to appreciate kids' movies as an adult. It's a movie that I finally watched about 20 years after it came out, simply because it was referenced in Ready Player One, but it still just wasn't for me.

American Sniper

I love a good movie about the military, and American Sniper is a very intense one of those, for sure. This is a case where I don't totally hate the movie, but I don't like it enough to ever watch again. I'm not going to get political here, so I'll leave it at that. Also, the fake baby totally took me out of the movie, and I never really recovered.

Easy Rider

I'm a huge fan of late '60s music and, by extension, the hippie culture. I love literature from the era, and so, by all accounts. I should love Easy Rider. Except... I don't. Like other movies on this list, it feels really dated, as do a lot of movies from the era. The motorcycles will always look cool, though.

Brazil

Terry Gilliam is a genius. I love his work with Monty Python, and I'm a big fan of a bunch of his movies, like Time Bandits, 12 Monkeys, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, and The Fisher King. I'm a huge fan of The Man Who Killed Don Quixote, as well. But I just don't like Brazil. I can't put my finger on exactly why I don't, but I find it a little boring, and while I generally appreciate anything weird, this one may just be a little too off-kilter for me.

Moneyball

I read the book Moneyball years before the movie came out, and I have the same issue with the book as I do with the movie. As a baseball fan, it bugs me that the movie completely downplays the epic pitching staff the A's had in this era and gives far too much credit to Billy Beane's rethinking of player evaluation. It's something that I just can't get out of my head whenever I try to watch the movie.

The Fifth Element

I get why people love The Fifth Element. It's visually stunning, and the cast is amazing. It's missing something that I can't put my finger on. Maybe I need to try this one again, but I'm not sure I'll like it anymore than I used to.

Terms Of Endearment

For me, Terms of Endearment isn't one of those movies that is so good, but so brutal to watch that you can never watch it again; it's just a bland movie that I'll never understand how it won so many awards or was so popular at the time. It's a stellar cast, to be sure, but it seems only to serve one purpose: to make people cry. That isn't my kind of movie.

There really isn't anything more fun than Easter Eggs that filmmakers sneak into their movies. Often it's in tribute to past work, or to other things they admire. Sometimes they even reference real-world events. We collected a bunch of our favorites, so let's get into them! Tell which ones you knew about and which ones were unseen until now.

The Spinal Tap Hat In The Princess Bride

The story behind director Rob Reiner sneaking his hat from This Is Spinal Tap! into The Princess Bride is that Mark Knopfler, who did the soundtrack for the fantasy movie, only agreed to do the movie if Reiner got the hat into a scene. He did, by hanging it on the wall in Fred Savage's character's room.

Avengers Comic In The Electric State

In a blink-or-you'll miss-it moment, there is a quick call back a previous Russo Brothers' movie in the Netflix original film, The Electric State. A robot can be seen reading an Avengers comic.

R2-D2 In Close Encounters Of The Third Kind

Steven Spielberg paid tribute to his good buddy George Lucas in his film Close Encounters Of The Third Kind by adding a little R2-D2 to the underside of the alien ship. It can be seen very briefly as the ship takes off.

The Duke Brothers In Coming To America

In Trading Places, Eddie Murphy and Dan Aykroyd's characters take down the Duke Brothers and leave them broke. A few years later, in Coming To America, Eddie Murphy's character Prince Akeem hands a homeless man a wad of cash. The bum turns out to be Mortimer Duke, who shakes his brother Randolph awake, and they celebrate being back.

Pac-Man In Tron

Disney's Tron broke a ton of new ground with CGI use, and in the first wave of the video game craze, it makes sense they would find a way to work in Pac-Man, the biggest video game of the character at the time, and really the first video game superstar.

The HMS Surprise In Deadpool & Wolverine

There are a ton of Easter Eggs in Deadpool and Wolverine, many of them when the characters land in the void. One of the most subtle, and one of the funniest, has to be the HMS Surprise from Master And Commander: The Far Side Of The World, a movie that many people are sad wasn't turned into a franchise. Or maybe this wasn't an Easter Egg? There is a debate that it could be a fake.

Ezekiel 25:17 In Captain America: The Winter Soldier

You wouldn't think a Marvel movie would reference a Quentin Tarantino film, but that's what happened in Captain America: The Winter Soldier. At the end of the movie, the audience sees Nick Fury's "grave," and on the tombstone, there is a quote from Ezekiel 25:17, which, of course, is where Samuel L. Jackson's Pulp Fiction character gets his famous speech in the opening scene.

Binford Tool Box In Toy Story

If you weren't a big fan of Home Improvement, the reference to the sitcom in Toy Story would be easy to miss. In the show, Tim Allen's character's show-in-a-show "Tool Time" is sponsored by Binford Tools. In Toy Story, Allen's character is seen trying to move a Binford Tools toolbox.

Club Obi-Wan In Indiana Jones And The Temple Of Doom

Of the many times Steven Spielberg has made reference to Star Wars, the most fun might be in Indiana Jones And The Temple of Doom. The name of the club at the beginning of the movie, as seen as Indy jumps out of the window, is "Club Obi-Wan."

E.T. In Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace

George Lucas paid a tribute to Steven Spielberg in Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace. During the scene in the Galactic Senate, one group of diplomats appears to be from E.T.'s home planet. It's good to know that everything was represented, even aliens in other universes.

Jimmy Buffett With Two Margaritas In Jurassic World

This is really more of a cameo than an Easter Egg, but it's kind of both. Sitting in Jurassic Park's Margaritaville is none other than the man who wrote the song and opened the first restaurant, the late, great Jimmy Buffett.

Goya's Portrait Of The Duke of Wellington In Dr. No

This has to be one of the best Easter Eggs ever. In the very first James Bond, and one of the best of the Sean Connery era, Dr. No, James briefly pauses to examine a painting in Dr. No's secret lair. The painting is a portrait of the Duke of Wellington by Francisco Goya. In the real world, that painting had famously been stolen the year before the movie came out, and at the time, it was missing. It seems Dr. No had it.

Starbucks Cups In Fight Club

This one is wild. Fight Club is a lot of things, and on one level, it's a pretty harsh critique of capitalism. As part of that, director David Fincher made sure that Starbucks cups appeared in every - or at least many - scenes in the movie. They are all over the place, and next time you watch it, you'll see them, we promise.

A Cowbell In The Jungle Book (2016)

Now this one is great. Director Jon Favreau seems to have snuck a great reference to a classic Saturday Night Live episode into his live-action version of The Jungle Book in 2016. When Mowgli visits King Louie, he bangs on a cowbell to summon the king. King Louie, of course, is voiced by Christopher Walken, who starred in the famous "more cowbell" skit on SNL.

Lou Ferrigno In The MCU Movies

One of the coolest things about the Hulk-centered movies in the MCU is that Lou Ferrigno gets his due. He famously played the superhero in the 1980s, of course. Getting his due in the modern movies is a fantastic tribute.

A Xenomorph Skull In Predator 2

Many years before they would meet in Predator V. Alien, it was established that the two franchises existed in the same universe. In Predator 2, there is a very clear Xenomorph skull on the wall in a trophy room of the team of hunters.

Yoda In E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial

Steven Spielberg really loves making sly references to the Star Wars franchise in his movies. In E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, there is a kid dressed as Yoda on Halloween, and very briefly, you can hear Yoda's theme music from Empire Strikes Back. E.T. recognizes Yoda, but is pulled back before he can speak to him.

Batman V. Superman In I Am Legend

This one is wild. In I Am Legend, there is a billboard in a post-apocalyptic Times Square advertising a "Batman vs. Superman" movie. Legend came out in 2007, a full nine years before Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice came out. Of course, the idea of a team-up between the two giant DC comic characters goes way back, but still, it's almost like I Am Legend predicted the future in a movie set in the future.

License Plate THX-138 In American Graffiti

George Lucas' breakout movie was American Graffiti, and he found a way to work the name of his first movie, THX-138, into the movie set in the fifties. It appears on a license plate in the movie. Lucas has snuck it into most of his movies since, as well.

The Millennium Falcon In Spaceballs

Spaceballs is one of Mel Brooks's best movies. It's a parody of Star Wars, and Brooks manages to pay direct tribute to the epic space opera by sneaking in The Millennium Falcon at the end of the movie. As the main characters pull into the space truck stop, they park their RV right next to it. Sadly, Han and Chewie aren't seen inside the diner.

OB-3PO In Raiders Of The Lost Ark

This is one of our favorites. Lots of people are aware that Steven Spielberg snuck R2-D2 and C-3PO into the hieroglyphics in Raiders of the Lost Ark, but did you know that wasn't the only tribute? The tail number of the plane at the beginning of the movie (the one with the snake in the seat) is "OB-3PO," referencing Obi-Wan and C-3PO.

Douglas Adams' Face In The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy

Towards the very end of The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy, the filmmakers pay quick tribute the Douglas Adams, the author of the beloved "trilogy" the movie is based on. The face of the late writer is seen very briefly as the ship swings around to head to the restaurant at the end of the universe.

Rango's Shirt In Rango

Johnny Depp voices the character Rango in the movie of the same name, and throughout the movie, there are a few references to one of Depp's other classic movies, Fear & Loathing In Las Vegas, most notably Rango's shirt, which is the same as Depp's character wears in Fear & Loathing.

A113 In Every Pixar Movie

One of the most famous Easter Eggs in movies has references to room A113 in almost all of the Pixar movies. Room A113 at California Institute of the Arts is where many of the artists and animators at Pixar studied in college, and they add it into the movie as a tribute to their education.

The Tesseract In Iron Man 2

The first time The Tesseract is properly introduced into the MCU is in the post-credit scene in Thor, but the first time it's ever referenced was in the preceding movie, Iron Man 2, when Tony Stark is seen looking through his father's journal is pauses on a drawing of the powerful object.

Hank Hill In Idiocracy

This one is really hard to catch, but it's there. At the beginning of director Mike Judge's Idiocracy, there is a family tree of the "idiot," and there are dozens and dozens of photos of his descendants. One of those, if you look closely towards the bottom, just left of center, is none other than Hank Hill. Judge, of course, is also the creator of King Of The Hill.

Roald Dahl Original Text In The Fantastic Mr. Fox

Director Wes Anderson paid a wonderful tribute to author Roald Dahl, whose story he adapted for The Fantastic Mr. Fox, and included a little of Dahl's original writing from the book.

Fire Marshall Bill In Liar, Liar

Jim Carrey had a lot of crazy ideas and nutty characters when he starred on In Living Color, and one of the most popular was Fire Marshall Bill. The idiotic fireman is seen very briefly in the background in Liar, Liar, and it's, frankly, brilliant.

Huttese Language In Men In Black

It's rare that you get an audio Easter Egg, but that's what we get in Men in Black. As K is showing J around the Men In Black headquarters, K stops for a cup of coffee, and there is a cadre of aliens making the coffee. They are speaking "Huttese," or the language of the Hutts, in the Star Wars universe. It's a great little tribute.

Callahan Institute in 50 First Dates

Lucy, played by Drew Barrymore in 50 First Dates, learns about her memory problems by visiting Dr. Keats, played by Dan Aykroyd. Keats works at the Callahan Institute. Callahan Auto, of course, is the name of the auto parts company Akyroyd's character tries to buy from Tommy Callahan (Chris Farley) in Tommy Boy.

Easter Eggs In The Rocky Horror Picture Show

Did you know that there are literal Easter Eggs in a few scenes in The Rocky Horror Picture Show? The lore surrounding the eggs is that the cast had their own Easter Egg hunt and they either left some on purpose, or failed to find a few, but there are at least three that can be seen in the "Time Warp" scene, including on top of the statue to the right of Frank's throne.

The Race In Ready Player One

It feels a little like cheating by adding it to this list, since Ready Player One is basically one big Easter Egg. So we could mention dozens, but in the race alone, there is a Knight Rider car, Christine, The A-Team van, and a whole lot more.

Chris Evans and Scarlett Johansson aren’t just a dynamic duo on screen; they’re friends off-screen as well, and I can’t get enough of it. Over the years, I’ve loved seeing them work together, and now, we got a sweet peek into their friendship as the Captain America actor penned a lovely tribute for the Black Widow star. However, now I really need them to team up for another movie sooner rather than later.

Scarlett Johansson always seems to be thriving. However, she’s doing particularly spectacular right now as she was named one ot Time’s 100 Most Influential People in the lead up to the release of Jurassic World Rebirth on the 2025 movie schedule. So, to celebrate the honor and highlight why she made the list, Chris Evans wrote the kindest and most heartfelt tribute about his Captain America: The Winter Soldier co-star, beginning his statement with:

Honestly, Evans, who is 43, and Johansson, who is 40, seem to have a friendship similar to that of Steve Rogers and Natasha Romanoff. And I would go as far as to say that the Black Widow does act like the older sibling to Captain America, even though Cap is decades older than her. Just watch The Winter Soldier with a Disney+ subscription, and you'll see what I mean.

Going back to the actors who played these great Marvel characters, Evans further proved why they’re like siblings, noting that their friendship dates back 23 years:

The rest certainly is history. These two have become some of the biggest stars in the world thanks to their filmography. That becomes abundantly clear if you watch the Marvel movies in order, because these two got into that gargantuan world basically on the ground floor, and found great success because of it.

Both actors have also received great acclaim in other films. For Johansson, her best movies include (but are not limited to) Oscar-nominated flicks like Jojo Rabbit, Marriage Story, and Lost in Translation. To that point, Evans praised his co-star’s career as a whole and the range of it, writing:

That fearless quality is something Evans really honed in on in the next part. Referencing her upcoming role in Jurassic Park Rebirth, he explained:

Well, that’s the sweetest thing ever!

It’s also a reminder that Chris Evans and Scarlett Johansson really need to work together again. Initially, they were supposed to collaborate on Ghosted, but the actress had to exit. Then they were going to reunite for Project Artemis, but the actor had to leave that project. So, they haven’t collaborated in a long time, and we need to change that.

Sadly, neither of them will be part of the upcoming Marvel movie Avengers: Doomsday (as far as we know), and there isn’t anything else on the docket for them together. However, with a friendship as strong as theirs, and after seeing Evans' heartfelt message for his long-time co-star, I’d imagine another movie has to be in their future, and I can’t wait to see what they create.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe is a behemoth franchise, one that's constantly offering the public new content in theaters and streaming with a Disney+ subscription. Fans who spent years watching the Marvel movies in order know that the Russo Brothers' Captain America: The Winter Soldier is one of the strongest entries out of the entire franchise. Anthony Mackie recently reminisced about a scene from that 2014 movie, revealing he "wasn't acting" when he was out of breath in Sam Wilson's first scene.

While ranking every Marvel movie, the second Captain America flick is usually high on the list due to its grounded story and thrilling action. That movie brought Anthony Mackie's Sam Wilson into the fray, and he instantly bonded with Steve Rogers when jogging around D.C. In a clip from Marvel's Instagram, the Hurt Locker actor shared some BTS tidbits about just how exhausted he was from running, offering:

Well, that's one way to give a convincing performance. Movie and TV shoots are known for their grueling schedules, and it sounds like Mackie and Evans spent a ton of time running to capture Sam and Steve's meet cute. So yes, he was actually out of breathe and sweaty during that sequence from The Winter Soldier.

Sam Wilson's introduction into the MCU also brought the first utterance of "on your left", which would become an iconic catchphrase for the shared universe as a whole. As for Anthony Mackie's signature character, he'd become a bonafide Avenger and more throughout his appearances in the shared universe.

When filming his first scene in the MCU, Mackie likely had no idea that he'd eventually take on the mantle of Captain America from Chris Evans. After being given the shield at the end of Endgame, he truly became the next Cap in The Falcon and The Winter Soldier. And most recently he starred as the title character of Captain America: Brave New World, which took a major box office dip in its second weekend.

It should be interesting to see what comes next for Mackie's Sam Wilson, an how The Winter Soldier continues to influence upcoming Marvel movies. Fans are expecting Anthony Mackie to return to the MCU in Avengers: Doomsday and Secret Wars, which will both be directed by The Russo Brothers. Not much is known about those forthcoming projects, but anticipation is high thanks to The Russos as well as Robert Downey Jr.'s return to the shared universe.

Captain America: Brave New World is still in theaters now, while the rest of Mackie's appearances in the MCU are streaming on Disney+. And luckily for the actor, he's mostly flying these days instead of running.

Though Steve Rogers’ time as Captain America has passed, the man’s legacy is still very much with us. As the Marvel Cinematic Universe continues to march on past his happy ending in Avengers: Endgame, the Chris Evans standalone series is still pretty insightful. It also inspires a lot of thoughts that go into random tangents, so let’s get into a reappreciation of what the Steve Rogers era of Captain America has contributed to the MCU.

Joe Johnston Was The Perfect Choice To Direct The First Avenger

If you’d put “From the director of The Rocketeer” on the posters for 2011’s Captain America: The First Avenger, you’d have probably made someone’s day. Having Joe Johnston help introduce this man out of time with a thrilling throwback adventure was definitely the move. I don’t care what anyone says, this is a top-tier entry when looking at the Marvel movies in order.

Howard Stark Was Totally A Plus Ultra Member

Tying in an obscure Disney movie that I still love to death, I think Howard Stark (Dominic Cooper) would definitely have been a member of Tomorrowland’s Plus Ultra. If only there was a push to connect that film to the Marvel legacy, maybe it could have seen more eyes.

The Agent Carter Series Was Done Dirty

Hayley Atwell’s Peggy Carter is an icon of cunning and strength. And in those early eras where “everything is connected,” giving Agent Carter only two seasons on ABC feels like a move that could only come from HYDRA high command. It’ll never be too late to revive this series, if only to fill in more of Peggy’s adventures with or without Steve.

What Would Dr. Erskine’s Super Serum Do To A Morally Level Person?

In The First Avenger, Dr. Abraham Erskine (Stanley Tucci) laid out the knowledge that his Super Serum amplifies both the good and the bad in a person. So basically your moral compass gets as juiced as your muscles do, which begs the question: what if you’re morally neutral? Are you just an aggressively fair person, or would that ultimately count towards the “Good” side of the spectrum?

Dr. Erskine Would Have Protested Isaiah Bradley’s Super Soldier Treatment

If Dr. Abraham Erskine had even an inkling of the experimentation and eventual disowning of super soldier Isaiah Bradley (Carl Lumbly), he’d have been furious. Seeing his life’s work being used the way that was revealed in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier series, we might have gotten another Disney+ subscription exclusive series: “The Wrath of Dr. Erskine.”

Having A Drink With Stanley Tucci Is A Career Goal

Between stories of how Stanley Tucci drank with Chris Evans, and the various cocktail videos he’s shared on social media, it’s now a career goal for me to have drinks with Mr. Tucci. Oh, the stories that could come from a sit down in the right lounge.

I Don’t Think Arnim Zola Was A True Believer In HYDRA

While Arnim Zola (Toby Jones) worked for the Nazi party, and later for HYDRA, I don’t think the man was as dyed in the wool about that nefarious organization’s goals. Sure, he was opportunistic and loved to use infinite resources to do stuff like turn himself into a computer. But I think his superiors benefitting from such work was just an example of a cost he’d pay for his own selfish aims.

Disneyland Should Totally Do A Recreation Of Cap’s USO Show

Not too long ago Disneyland put on the supposedly Broadway-worthy Rogers: The Musical. While the series was never intended to be a permanent fixture, I think having a Marvel Studios stage show at Anaheim Park’s Avengers Campus makes sense. The only difference is I wouldn’t bring back Rogers: The Musical, but rather I’d want a replica of Cap’s big USO show, complete with “Star Spangled Man” being sung in the finale

We Really Need A Howling Commandos Spinoff

I know that the Howling Commandos were eventually used in episodes of both Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and Agent Carter, and I appreciate that fact. However, that wasn’t enough screen time for Steve Rogers’ unit, especially since Captain America: The First Avenger made them a joy to watch in action. This should seriously be a Disney+ spinoff, as it could help make up for the untimely cancellation of Agent Carter.

From Steve Rogers’ Decision To Crash In The Ice, This Picture Becomes One Huge Cry

The moment you know that the first Captain America is going to sacrifice himself for his country, it’s an emotional plunge from there. Seeing Peggy Carter’s heartbreak, the Howling Commandos' mournful drink, and the kids inspired by Steve’s heroism putting a perfect dot on this extended flashback are all tear-worthy moments.

Was Adrianne Palicki The First MCU Double Dip?

People love to notice things like the “Marvel Double Dip,” which is where a single actor is seen in different roles throughout the MCU. But was future Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D star Adrianne Palicki the first actor to achieve that feat? She’s certainly one of the earliest occurrences of that phenomenon, and it’s no wonder Marvel Studios has continued to employ it.

Alan Silvestri’s Captain America March May Be My Favorite Marvel Theme

I could never get tired of the “Captain America March,” crafted by the legendary Alan Silvestri. One of the most iconic composers not named John Williams, this maestro’s work has made quite an impression throughout cinematic history, especially on the MCU. If there’s anything that lifts me from the sadness of The First Avenger’s ending, it’s this rousing tune that stands for fighting the good fight.

Sam Wilson Showed Us He Was The Next Cap Right Up Front

Right from the beginning of Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie) showed the world why he was the perfect successor to Steve Rogers. With a background in counseling veterans and a heart dedicated to doing what’s right, Wilson’s inheritance of that Vibranium shield was spelled out quite early on.

What Ever Happened To Sam’s Girl At The Front Desk?

Sam Wilson makes a fun remark about how he wants Steve to “stop by the VA, make me look awesome in front of the girl at the front desk,” and it’s never really followed up on. But since the character became even more prominent throughout the MCU after The Winter Soldier, doesn’t it make you wonder if Sam ever did impress the object of his affection?

Project Insight Leaves Me With Tons Of Questions

Wow oh wow. The centerpiece MacGuffin known as “Project Insight” raises a ton of questions that could probably be a separate list. So I’ll just focus on two big concerns for now: how in the world did S.H.I.E.L.D. get the funding for Captain America: The Winter Soldier’s big bad project, and at what point did this ever look like a good idea to anyone?

Gary Sinise Would Be A Fantastic Captain America

Through the Marvel Multiverse, all things are possible, even casting Gary Sinise as a variant of Captain America. His apt voiceover for The Winter Soldier’s Smithsonian exhibit on Steve Rogers always reminds me of the fact that in an earlier time, the Apollo 13 vet would have been a perfect Cap. However, it’s not too late to make Mr. Sinise an alternate universe’s Old Man Rogers, provided he’s up for that.

Robert Redford’s Winter Soldier Casting Is Perfect Subversion

Robert Redford’s career has seen the iconic actor quite often playing the good guy who challenges authority. So to have Captain America 2 using him as the ultimate big bad Alexander Pierce led to one of the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s biggest rug pulls. I still feel the betrayal when he kills his housekeeper to cover his tracks.

Sharon Carter Is Probably The Biggest Loose Thread In The MCU

After helping Steve Rogers and Sam Wilson navigate a massive government conspiracy in The Winter Soldier, and the perils of the Sokovia Accords in Civil War, Sharon Carter (Emily VanCamp) is the biggest question mark of the MCU. With her appearance in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier revealing her to be a secret traitor to the government, Agent 13’s story is all over the place.

I Really Hope Steve Rogers Was A Lot Of Young People’s Introduction To Harry James

Harry James and His Orchestra’s “It’s Been A Long, Long Time” practically became a theme song for the personal side of Steve Rogers. Introduced in Captain America: The Winter Soldier and fulfilled in Avengers: Endgame, I’d like to think quite a few young Marvel fans are now also big band-era enthusiasts.

The Winter Soldier’s Politics Are Practically Timeless

Using Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan) as our new man out of time, The Winter Soldier offers a practically timeless political counterpart to the Captain America legacy. With the hired assassin showing us the downside to the existence of the Super Serum program, the balance of power is a huge theme of the story that’s told in this massive blockbuster.

Anthony Mackie Was Totally Right About Captain America

While some audience members weren’t too keen on Anthony Mackie’s comments on Captain America and how its various leads represent its country’s ideals, I think he’s absolutely correct. Through both Sam Wilson and John Walker’s embodiment of the title, very different messages come out in these insightful Marvel stand-alones.

I Think The Sokovia Accords Are The First Step To The X-Men’s Struggles

Thanks to Captain America: Brave New World’s massive ending, the government that succeeds Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross’ presidency feels primed to take on legislation against “enhanced beings” in light of that picture’s events. Which kind of feels fitting, as that very character seems to have laid the groundwork through the Sokovia Accords in Captain America: Civil War.

Captain America Movies Need To Stop Being Backdoor Sequels To Other Series

Let’s just admit it once and for all: Civil War is a backdoor Avengers movie, and Brave New World could basically be an Incredible Hulk sequel. No matter who Cap happens to be at any given moment, it feels rather unfair that his stories are often hijacked to set up some grander plan, which doesn’t allow us to dig into his character as much as we should.

Tony Stark Pulling Peter Parker Into Civil War Was A Very Dumbledore Move

What happens when a mentor endangers a young kid full of promise, via a fight that’s way over his head? You get Tony Stark’s drafting of Peter Parker (Tom Holland) into Captain America: Civil War’s big fight. Or, you get Dumbledore’s treatment of Harry Potter throughout his tenure in the Wizarding World. The big difference is that we’ve never seen Hogwarts’ headmaster grapple with as much guilt as Tony did during Avengers: Endgame.

The Civil War Story Arc Should Have Been Its Own Phase

In the world of Marvel Comics, the Civil War story arc was a gigantic deal that played out over an extended period of time. For as good as the finished product happens to be with this Captain America three-quel, it still feels rude to short-change this huge pivot, in the name of introducing Spider-Man and Black Panther.

Part Of Me Still Wishes We Got Captain America: Serpent Society

When it was first announced, the third chapter of Steve Rogers’ story was initially titled Captain America: Serpent Society. A wildly different movie than what we eventually got, YouTube channels like Bullets & Blockbusters have covered how the original concept was supposed to play out, and the moral dilemma that Steve Rogers would have faced is one of the several reasons I’m still curious about what could have been.

Cap Also Betrayed Howard Stark By Siding With Bucky

As if it wasn't bad enough that Captain America: Civil War pitted Steve Rogers against Tony Stark, we also learn that Bucky Barnes' Winter Soldier persona was the murderer of Tony's parents. So when Cap sides with his old buddy from Brooklyn, he's betraying two generations that trusted him to do the right thing.

Henry Jackman’s Scores Still Totally Rip

Composer Henry Jackman was a fantastic successor to Alan Silvestri’s work on Captain America: The First Avenger, full stop. Both The Winter Soldier and Civil War’s musical scores are mindblowing entries into the musical catalog of the MCU, with special thanks to cues like “Taking A Stand” representing the musical path laid out for Cap’s road ahead.

We Didn’t Get Nearly Enough Time With Steve Rogers’ Nomad Persona

A totally disillusioned Steve Rogers who believes in beards and forgoes his classic shield was something that teased all sorts of possibilities in Avengers: Infinity War. Of course, Chris Evans’ MCU hero would eventually clean up, and start wearing the stars and stripes when the chips were really down; but couldn’t we have gotten a little more time with the grittier side of Cap?

Cap Getting Thor’s Hammer Will Never Stop Being Amazing

It was the shot called during a random gag in Avengers: Age of Ultron, but Steve Rogers getting to wield the hammer of Thor is always a moment that’s welcomed on the big screen. In fact, it sits up there next to Cap finally yelling “Avengers, assemble!” as an iconic moment that makes the Marvel Cinematic Universe what it is.

For A Kid Who Had No Business Fighting, Steve Rogers Did The Best He Could As Cap

In terms of military training being paired with his skills as a counselor, Sam Wilson is the epitome of who I think should be Captain America. But for a kid from Brooklyn who had to build that legacy the hard way, and with no examples to work off of. Steve Rogers did the best he could - and that should never be forgotten.

Steve Rogers Should Have Never Went Back In Time To Romance Peggy Carter

I’m sorry, but Avengers: Endgame’s finale showing Steve returning to Peggy Carter after World War II is wrong. Not only is this a time paradox so great it should rip apart the Sacred Timeline, but it also means that when Mr. Rogers was kissing Sharon Carter in The Winter Soldier, he was technically kissing family. I don’t think he’d approve of that.

Captain America: The Winter Soldier is a five-star film and easily one of Marvel’s best movies. From the jump, the flick sets the tone perfectly by opening with the legendary “On your left” scene. The moment Steve Rogers meets Sam Wilson is both hilarious and wholesome, as Cap lapped his future Falcon during his run on multiple occasions. However, Anthony Mackie has some big and hilarious thoughts about it, including one qualm about Chris Evans that fans couldn’t stop laughing about.

Anthony Mackie Really Wants You To Know That Chris Evans ‘Wasn’t Running That Fast’ In Winter Soldier

While Anthony Mackie is the new Cap and Captain America: Brave New World, and that film just premiered on the 2025 movie schedule, he’s reflecting on his MCU origins. His character met Steve Rogers while running at the National Mall in Washington D.C. and the gag was that as Sam kept getting lapped, Evans’ character would say “on your left” every time he passed them.

Now, Mackie would like us all to know that Chris Evans can’t actually run that fast as he exclaimed in a video for Marvel:

In the video, the former Falcon was trying to talk about filming this iconic moment with Evans.

It truly is one of my favorite MCU moments, and it led to other iconic callbacks too, like the “On your left” moment in Endgame. However, the staying power of this line and the fact that this was the first of many scenes shared between an iconic duo was not what Mackie was focused on at first, as he reiterated:

I mean, he’s right, there’s no way Chris Evans could run that fast, he is, in fact, not a super soldier. However, his harping on it so much has me giggling.

Jokes aside, the current Cap went on to talk about the legacy of this long-lasting gag. To this day, fans will come up to him and say the line Steve used to pass Sam over and over again, and sometimes it gets quoted at Mackie in odd ways, as he explained:

I imagine that must be odd. However, it doesn’t diminish how fantastic the bit is or how funny Mackie is both in the film and in this interview. Fans loved it too as the actor clearly could not let this whole situation go.

Fans Find Anthony Mackie’s Qualm About Chris Evans Hilarious

Even though it’s been over ten years since The Winter Soldier’s premiere, and Mackie is now leading his own Captain America movies (Brave New World’s reviews were not the best), Winter Soldier is still a beloved point of conversation. That proved to be especially true when the actor started exclaiming about Evans' ability to run.

To prove that point, take a look at some of the comments on the TikTok of this instance. Fans were having a ball with Mackie’s passion about the fact that Chris Evans can’t actually run like a super soldier, and I’m laughing so hard over them:

• "Chris Evans can't run that fast!" 🤣 -theperksofbeingsmol
• Bros traumatized with the “on your left” for life -DJ Dean
• Why do I feel like Mackie says Chris can’t run that fast because he doesn’t want someone to say “oh look how slow he runs” -Adam S
• If i have learned anything today it’s that Chris evans does not run that fast😂😂😂 -Kristy Aponte
• "chris evans can't run that fast!" i believe anthony mackie 😂😭 -Ionzic
• The more he denies it the more I want to believe he can run that fast -chrxssantxago
• Chris Evans can't. Captain America can -dixie-normus

Much like Mackie’s faux feud with Tom Holland, I can’t get enough of his qualm with Chris Evans. Now, I’d love to see the Knives Out actor respond to all this silliness.

However, who knows if that will happen. So, in the meantime, you can go back and stream The Winter Soldier as well as all the Marvel movies in order with a Disney+ subscription and you can catch Mackie as the Star Spangled Man With A Plan in Brave New World, which is in theaters now.

Since the 1980s Samuel L. Jackson has been providing some of the most memorable moments on screen. With hundreds of credits to his name, he is one of the most recognizable actors of all time. This list is dedicated to some of his best moments in some of his most famous movies. For the sake of the children, we've left off some of his more memorable moments using the colorful language he is good at. But no matter, these moments are all fantastic as well!

Jurassic Park

As the computer tech in Jurassic Park, way too much falls on Samuel L. Jackson's shoulders to save the park and possibly the world. Still, the chain-smoking character does all he can. That includes rebooting the whole system, which means everyone needs to "hold on your butts."

Django Unchained

Jackson's character in Django Unchained is, well, unhinged. The scene where he has Django strung up and explains what kind of slave he intends to make of Django is one of the most insane scenes in a movie full of craziness. It's scary... and fantastic.

Avengers: Infinity War

Throughout the history of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Jackson's character Nick Fury has provided many amazing moments. One of the best is at the end of Avengers: Infinity War after Thanos snaps his fingers. Just as Fury is turning to dust along with half of the universe, he starts to utter the words that have made Samuel L. Jackson famous that involve a mother... only he disappears before he can get the words out.

Coming To America

Well, there isn't much you can quote from his short scene as a potential stick-up man in Coming To America and still keep this list rated PG, so we'll just have to hope that you know exactly what we're talking about here. If you know, you know. And if you don't, we might be forced to thrash you.

A Time to Kill

In a career filled with intense scenes, the one when Jackson's character is on the witness stand during his murder trial in A Time To Kill may be the most intense. When he can't help but burst out why he felt he had to murder the men accused of assaulting his daughter and where he hopes they are burning is just an incredible bit of acting.

Die Hard With A Vengeance

There are a lot of cool scenes in Die Hard With A Vengeance but one that shows exactly what kind of person Jackson's character is when he must answer a phone from the puppet master while facing down a cop who doesn't know what is going on. He HAS TO ANSWER THAT PHONE.

Thor

The post-credit scene in the first Thor movie is great. It's classic Nick Fury, one step ahead of every. Well, everyone but Loki. Still, his cool, calm, and collected demeanor is on full display here.

Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith

Throughout the prequel Star Wars movies, Mace Windu could have been a lot cooler. It's just one of the many things to criticize about those films. One thing you can criticize is how cool his death is and how close he came to changing the entire future when he takes on Palpatine in Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith. Had he not been betrayed by Anikin at the moment, there might not have been a need for the rebels, as the Empire would have been dead on arrival. So close, yet so far.

Shaft

Shaft isn't Samuel L. Jackson's best movie, but there are still only a handful of actors who could have ever pulled the role of the private...detective... that won't cop out when there is danger about. He's awesome in the role and while there are plenty of pretty great action scenes, it's the moments like the one in the coffee shop when he confronts the gang members and shows zero intimidation. It sums up all that is John Shaft.

Pulp Fiction

There really isn't a question here - not only is the Ezekiel 25:17 speech his coolest moment in Pulp Fiction, but it's one of the coolest moments in any movie, ever. He's got some other amazing moments in the movie, like his negotiation with the two robbers in the diner at the end, but come on, nothing touches that opening scene in the movie.

Captain America: Winter Soldier

Nick Fury is mostly the guy behind the guys in the MCU. He's the guy motivating and planning for the superheroes and rarely a superhero himself. That isn't the case in Captain America: Winter Soldier when he is attacked in his truck and audiences get to see why he is who he is and why he is trusted to run the whole shebang.

Kingsman: The Secret Service

In Kingsman: The Secret Service, Samuel L. Jackson plays a most unconventional villain. The weirdest moment of the movie has to be when he orders all the McDonalds to eat. It's weird, and yet somehow works in a hilarious way, only adding to his unconventional take on the role. Odd? yes? Memorable? Without question.

Snakes On A Plane

It's clear what scene we're talking about here. It's that scene where he's just had enough. He's sick of all the uh...annoying snakes on the... uh, plane. Snakes on a Plane shouldn't have been the hit that it was and that line, and his delivery of that line, is 100% made it a hit. Truly memorable.

The Great White Hype

Some people don't appreciate The Great White Hype. Many haven't even heard of it, but it's one of the more underrated comedies of the '90s and in it Jackson plays a boxing promoter loosely based on Don King. His negotiation with the #1 contender for a title shot is one of the funniest scenes in the movie, with Jamie Foxx matching Jackson line for line, but Jackson's character coming out on top, of course.

Menace II Society

The poker game in Menace II Society is scary. Though Samuel L. Jackson only has a supporting role as the gangster father of Caine, everything a viewer needs to know about him is shown in that one scene when he gets angry at another player for owing him money and shoots him dead right there at the table. In front of his young son.

Do The Right Thing

Samuel L. Jackson is the epitome of cool in Do The Right Thing as the DJ of the local station. The opening monologue sets up the movie beautifully and it's a voice you can listen to all day, just like the characters in the movie do.

Spider-Man: Far From Home

Nick Fury is not only known for being tough as nails, he also provides a lot of comic relief in the MCU. Take, for example, his exchange with Peter Parker in Spider-Man: Far From Home. Fury can't believe he's ended up in Parker's bedroom arguing with a teenager. We feel you, Nick.

The Banker

The best scene in The Banker isn't the golf course scene, but getting to see Samuel L. Jackson in 1960s golfing attire makes it the most memorable. It's just so great you want to spend the whole movie there, watching him in that getup.

Argylle

2024's Argylle was met with mostly mixed reviews and while some loved it, others found it just too meta and annoying. Like his role in another Matthew Vaughn film, Kingsman: The Secret Service, Jackson is really only seen a few times on screen and each time is memorable, like when has his eyes scratched out in what has to be a nod to the MCU, right?

Iron Man

At the time, no one could have known just how big the MCU would become, but Nick Fury seemed to know all along when, in the post-credit scene in Iron Man, Fury shows up at Tony Starks home and proposes the "Avenger Initiative." It's among the most memorable scenes in the whole franchise and we didn't even know it at the time.

The Hateful Eight

Director Quentin Tarantino clearly loves writing characters for Samuel L. Jackson as every time he's in one of Tarantino's movies, it leaves a lingering impression. Like the scene in The Hateful Eight when Jackson's character tells Bruce Dern's character that he knew the day Dern's character's son died, it was the day he met him. It's a line you'll never forget.

xXx

xXx is a way better movie than a lot of critics give it credit for. Sure it's completely ridiculous and "over-the-top" doesn't even begin to describe how off-the-wall it is. But it's got some amazing action sequences, like the one in the diner when Jackson's character recruits the titular "XXX" played by Vin Diesel.

The Avengers

Nick Fury has a lot of inspiring moments in the MCU and at the top of the list of his best is the speech he gives to the assembled Avengers after Phil Coulson is killed. There is no doubt you want to run through a wall for both Nick and Phil after that speech in The Avengers.

Patriot Games

Sometimes people forget that Samuel L. Jackson is even in Patriot Games, despite being in a scene that everyone remembers. After Jack Ryan returns to teaching after thwarting the attack on the Royals in London, he is presented the "Order of the Purple Target" by his fellow teachers at the Naval Academy, namely one played by Jackson.

Jackie Brown

Samuel L. Jackson's character in Jackie Brown has a wild look and an even crazier disposition. That attitude comes through most clearly in the scene Jackson shares with Chris Tucker where he convinces Tucker's character to get into the trunk of his car so he can murder him. Talk about unforgettable...

Captain Marvel

At the end of Captain Marvel, after we all learn how Nick Fury lost his eye, we learn something else - how he named The Avengers Initiative. It turns out, it comes from Carol Danvers' call sign etched on the side of her plane that he has a photo of. It's a pinnacle moment in the series, and we learn about how important Captain Marvel was from the very beginning.

Hard Eight

Samuel L. Jackson really makes the most out of a somewhat small, but very pivotal role in Paul Thomas Anderson's debut film Hard Eight. Though his character meets an unceremonious end, it's not until after he has an amazing scene with Sydney (Philip Baker Hall) after confronting him about some old business.

Black Snake Moan

Jackson's role in Black Snake Moan is... hard to take. The whole movie is pretty hard to watch and even if you understand his character's motivations, his actions don't really justify the means to the end. Still, that scene in the beginning when his character is rocking out on stage is at once very cool, but also a little bit scary as Jackson really shows the audience both sides of the character.

Sphere

Sphere really could have been a great movie. The film was adapted from the Michael Crichton novel of the same name, but it all felt a bit rushed like it was produced and filmed too quickly to cash in on the hype of Jurassic Park. Still, it has some cool scenes like when Jackson's character confronts the realization that they all may die down in the deep.

Long Kiss Goodnight

Long Kiss Goodnight is a decent action flick with some great comedic moments between the two co-stars, Geena Davis and Samuel L. Jackson. Jackson plays a detective hired by Davis' character to find out about her past, which she doesn't remember prior to being found washed ashore eight years early. It turns out that Davis' character is a former CIA assassin and like Jason Bourne has retained her training, if not her memory. In one scene she scolds Jackson to "take lessons" on fighting someone and he responds that he "took lessons!"

Rules of Engagement

There is something about Samuel L. Jackson on the stand in a court of law that really brings the best out of the actor. Just like in A Time To Kill, he's at his best in Rules of Engagement when he is being interrogated and it's a completely unforgettable scene, admitting he did what he was accused of doing but having good reason for it.

True Romance

Even if a movie is only written by Quentin Tarantino but not directed by him, like True Romance, it's like the words were only supposed to be delivered by Samuel L. Jackson. Jackson really only has one line in the movie and each word is dirtier than the last as he explains what he likes to do with the women he hooks up with. It's one of the most iconic moments in the movie, even if it's only a minute or so long.

As a huge fan of The Umbrella Academy on Netflix, I’m so sad the show ended after four seasons. Showrunner Steve Blackman did a great job staying true to the comics, but he also had some fun sprinkling in surprises for the fans to pick up on. And after binging the fourth and final season when it was released earlier this month on the 2024 TV schedule, I was pleasantly surprised to discover the show seemingly referenced some very well-known famous movie scenes.

The Umbrella Academy is no stranger to mimicking pop culture. I mean, the entire second season takes place in the 1960s and surrounds the assassination of JFK and the conspiracies that followed. Meanwhile, Season 3’s hotel scenes were strongly reminiscent of The Shining. In a recent segment for Tudum, Blackman discussed a bunch of hidden callbacks from past Umbrella seasons they snuck into the final installment of the show, saying:

Without further ado, here are four famous movies the Umbrella Academy seemingly referenced in Season 4, including Kill Bill and Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.

The Little Miss Sunshine Van Scene

Starting off strong, we see our first potential, though not confirmed, reference in Episode 2, titled “Jean and Gene”. Though we don’t see the two aforementioned married villains until the very last minute of the episode, we do see a scene that reminds us a lot of Little Miss Sunshine.

In both the beloved movie and this sci-fi comic book show, the driver of the packed, three-row van that's full of dysfunctional family members is told to pull over. However, in The Umbrella Academy, it’s not because someone is having a panic attack, but because all of the passengers have been dosed with marigold against their will and are feeling quite sick.

The Trench Coat Scene From Ferris Bueller’s Day Off

In one of the best movies of the ‘80s, Ferris Bueller gets away with some pretty incredible things on his “day off” from school, including sneaking out his girlfriend from right under the principal’s nose. In the scene, Sloane and Principal Rooney are waiting outside when a bus pulls away to reveal Ferris standing across the street, disguised in a trenchcoat.

In a very similar way, in The Umbrella Academy episode “End of the Beginning,” a bus passes by to reveal Diego and Luther standing on the sidewalk, dressed in trench coats. A coincidence in attire? I think not!

The Grave Scene From Kill Bill Vol. 2

This one is actually confirmed by the dialogue itself, so there is no guesswork to be done here! Episode 5 finds Klaus buried alive in a pet sematary (oh Klaus!), and after trying all other options, he tells himself to channel his inner Uma Thurman to escape the grave.

Our favorite eccentric medium has a lighter instead of a flashlight, but otherwise, the scenes are exactly the same, with Klaus lining up his hand and punching the wood, Black Mamba style. As a Kill Bill fan, I absolutely loved this direct reference!

Captain America: The Winter Soldier Elevator Scene

Every Marvel fan knows the famous elevator scene from Winter Soldier in which Captain America beats up an elevator full of S.H.I.E.L.D. henchmen with his hands tied.

The Umbrella Academy seemingly recreated that scene, where in a similar vein, Luther becomes a threat to the underground organization that has infiltrated the CIA, and they send a bunch of men into the elevator to take him out. But in true Steve Rogers fashion, the elevator opens to all of them unconscious on the floor, with Luther standing over them. As a Captain America fan, I recognized this one right away. Iconic!

I certainly enjoyed finding these unofficial references, as well as the intentional easter eggs hidden by the crew, especially in the last scene with all the old characters. Although I might need another watch-through to get them all. I might even rewatch the whole series to catch all the Bennifer easter eggs, and no, I don’t mean the tumultuous celebrity relationship. My Brellies know what I’m talking about.

But you can try and find these references and other Easter Eggs for yourself by watching Season 4 of The Umbrella Academy with a Netflix subscription.

In July 2022, Joe and Anthony Russo released one of flashiest and most expensive Netflix productions to date with the star-studded and white-knuckled action thriller The Gray Man. The movie, which stars Ryan Gosling as a CIA black ops assassin being chased by his own agency and the mustached madman played by Chris Evans, has consistently been one of the most popular 2022 Netflix movies since making its debut, and fans just can’t seem to get enough.

But before the eventual sequel and spinoff come out at some point in the future, we’re all going to need to find a way to spend the time before we pick back up with The Gray Man cast (or what’s left of it). One way we can go about this is to watch other titles that have at least one thing in common with one of the biggest new movies of the year. Here are a just few of the best options…

Drive (Amazon Rental)

An unnamed stunt driver (Ryan Gosling) who also works as a getaway driver in Los Angeles finds himself in a delicate situation after a job involving his neighbor’s ex-convict husband (Oscar Isaac) goes terribly wrong.

Similar to Ryan Gosling’s Court Gentry in The Gray Man, his ice-cold character in Nicolas Winding Refn’s 2011 neo-noir thriller, Drive, is the very definition of calm, cool, and collected even in the most dangerous of situations. But, also like his CIA mercenary on the run in his latest movie, his driver also has a soft spot for children in need.

Rent/Buy Drive on Amazon.

Captain America: The Winter Soldier (Disney+)

Following the events of The Avengers, Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) experiences an immense change when he realizes that not only is his long-lost friend, Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan), not actually dead but he’s a brainwashed super-soldier serving as a deadly assassin. 

One of the best Marvel movies to date, Captain America: The Winter Soldier is a pivotal point in the MCU as “The First Avenger” learns who he can and can’t trust, especially within S.H.I.E.L.D. On top of the similarities in story, the 2014 movie also marked the first time Chris Evans worked with the Russo Brothers, though his character’s demeanor couldn’t be more different.

Stream Captain America: The Winter Soldier on Disney+.
Rent/Buy Captain America: The Winter Soldier on Amazon.

No Time To Die (Prime Video)

Years after leaving her majesty’s secret service, a.k.a. active duty, James Bond (Daniel Craig) is enjoying his retirement in peace and quiet. When Felix Leiter (Jeffrey Wright) makes an unexpected visit to ask for help, though, 007 once again finds himself on a mission that could very well be his last.

The No Time to Die cast is full of tremendous actors from top to bottom, with one of the standouts being Ana de Armas’ CIA agent, Paloma, who provides one of the best sequences of the movie. If you liked de Armas in The Gray Man, then you’ll love her here, even if she doesn’t have as much screen time.

Stream No Time to Die on Prime Video.
Rent/Buy No Time to Die on Amazon.

Mission: Impossible - Fallout (Paramount+)

In an attempt to stop the terrorist organization known as the Apostles, Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) and the rest of his IMF team join forces with CIA agent August Walker (Henry Cavill) as they search for three plutonium cores the group plans to use to destroy three holy cities.

You could technically watch any of the Mission: Impossible movies to get your spy thriller fix, but the sixth installment, 2018’s Fallout, is probably your best best. There are over-the-top action sequences and fights (including a ridiculous scene involving a plane), double-crossing, and a mustached and psychotic villain in what has to be one of the best action movies of all time.

Stream Mission: Impossible - Fallout on Paramount+.
Rent/Buy Mission: Impossible - Fallout on Amazon.

Jack Ryan (Prime Video)

Jack Ryan (John Krasinski) is a former United States Marine working as an analyst with the CIA, far from the action. But when he connects some questionable bank transactions to a terrorist organization, he’s thrown into field duty and is never the same.

The Amazon original series, Jack Ryan, features a younger and less experienced CIA analyst and one of the better interpretations of Tom Clancy’s most famous character. With plenty of action, suspense, and fulfilling narratives throughout its first two seasons, there’s a lot to enjoy by The Gray Man fans.

Stream Jack Ryan on Prime Video.

Extraction (Netflix)

Hardened mercenary Tyler Rake (Chris Hemsworth) is hired to find and rescue Ovi Mahajan Jr. (Rudraksh Jaiswal), the kidnapped son of a prolific Indian crime lord. What first appears to be a simple operation turns into something more complicated as the truth begins to unfold.

Written by The Gray Man co-director Joe Russo, the 2020 Netflix movie, Extraction is a fun, loud, and messy thriller, that finds that balance between explosive action, heart, and humor, creating an all-around fun and worthwhile experience.

Stream Extraction on Netflix.

The Raid 2 (HBO Max)

Immediately after he and an elite force take out a Jakarta crime boss, Rama (Iko Uwais) is sent on another mission. The only difference this time is he will be forced to go undercover to infiltrate a vast criminal operation from the inside.

Gareth Evans’ 2014 crime epic, The Raid 2, takes what its predecessor started and turns it up a few notches. Similar to The Gray Man, this instant classic is massive in scope and features some of the most hard-hitting and eye-catching fight sequences of the past decade. It’s just a bummer it looks like The Raid 3 isn’t going to happen.

Stream The Raid 2 on HBO Max.
Rent/Buy The Raid 2 on Amazon.

Homeland (Showtime)

CIA operations officer Carrie Mathison (Claire Danes) is tasked with investigating decorated United States Marine Nicholas Brody (Damian Lewis), who was captured and possibly turned against his country by a terrorist organization. Matters only get more complicated from there.

Like The Gray Man, the Showtime original series, Homeland, is full of espionage, back-channel deals, and untrustworthy characters. With eight seasons, it’s going to take a considerable amount of time to watch the award-winning series, but it’s perfect for fans of the genre.

Stream Homeland on Showtime.
Buy Homeland on Amazon.

John Wick (Peacock)

After a group of young criminals with connections to a Russian crime syndicate in New York City make the mistake of killing John Wick’s (Keanu Reeves) puppy, which was a gift from his dead wife, and steal his car, the legendary assassin comes out of retirement and turns the criminal underworld on its head.

All of the John Wick movies should be watched, especially with the fourth installment on the way, but this is the best place to start, obviously. If you liked the stylish fights and action sequences of The Gray Man, wait until you see what Mr. Wick can do behind a gun and any other weapon.

Stream John Wick on Peacock.
Rent/Buy John Wick on Amazon.

Enemy Of The State (Amazon Rental)

Washington, D.C. Attorney Robert Dean (Will Smith) finds himself the most-wanted man by the NSA after an old college buddy hands him a disc containing video of the agency’s chief, Thomas Reynolds (Jon Voight), murdering a member of congress.

Tony Scott’s Enemy of the State is one of the movies on this list with the most in common with The Gray Man considering they both center on characters who find themselves in the wrong place at the wrong time and become part of an agency’s attempt to sweep the mess under the rug.

Rent/Buy Enemy of the State on Amazon.

The Night Manager (Prime Video)

Former British soldier and current Cairo luxury hotel night manager Jonathan Pine (Tom Hiddleston) is tasked with bringing down one of the world’s premier arms dealers, Richard Roper (Hugh Laurie), kicking off an epic and deadly turn of events.

Although it isn’t as sensational or over-the-top as The Gray Man, the 2016 limited series, The Night Manager, packs quite a punch. If you are fascinated by seedy government agencies, loud personalities, and great action, then look no further.

Stream The Night Manager on Prime Video.
Buy The Night Manager on Amazon.

The King’s Man (Hulu / HBO Max)

In an effort to prevent a mysterious group of terrorists from thrusting the world into the most devastating war of all time, Orlando Oxford (Ralph Fiennes) puts together a team of spies to prevent the unthinkable from happening.

Matthew Vaughn’s 2021 spy action film, The King’s Man, serves up a great prequel to his Kingsman franchise as well as being a tremendous World War I thriller with its fair share of historical figures. If stylized and unique fight scenes are your thing, this is a great movie to check out.

Stream The King’s Man on Hulu.
Stream The King’s Man on HBO Max.
Rent/Buy The King’s Man on Amazon.

Each of these titles have a least one thing in common with The Gray Man, but these aren’t the only movies and shows that should be watched by fans of the Russo brothers’ latest effort. It also wouldn’t hurt to check out classics like Clear and Present Danger, Three Days of the Condor, or Heat for one reason or another.

While the Marvel Cinematic Universe now encompasses TV, the movie side alone remains massive. Since the franchise began in 2008, 37 total feature films have been developed for the canon, and that’s very impressive, considering that this franchise began as nothing more than a pipe dream of Marvel Studios’ Kevin Feige and co.. Those who’ve watched the Marvel movies in order can surely tell you that the reception to each film varies. A number of MCU installments are excellent, while others leave much to be desired.

So how does a fan stack up the cream up of the crop against the bottom of the barrel? With a ranking, of course! Two of CinemaBlend’s resident MCU fans have put together this ranking of every MCU movie to date. Our ranking ranges from Jon Favreau’s Iron Man to Matt Shakman’s The Fantastic Four: First Steps and, in time, the titles in our upcoming Marvel movies guide will join this list. So read on, true believers, and see how these various superhero flicks compare to each other!

37. Ant-Man And The Wasp: Quantumania

Peyton Reed's Ant-Man And The Wasp: Quantumania is a significant swing-and-miss. As the first film of Phase Five, the blockbuster was released in a position to get audiences excited and amped for the terror of Kang The Conqueror in the coming years as the new Thanos-level big bad, but the movie itself is terribly underwhelming. And, while this isn’t the most important element to consider, it also stands as a prime box office bomb for Marvel. With poor stakes, zero character development, a lot of telling instead of showing, and muddy visual effects, it's the worst MCU movie to date.

36. Thor: The Dark World

If Marvel Studios has had any one consistent issue with their films, it's that the villains for the most part have been small-time and forgettable. Perhaps the best example of this is featured in Alan Taylor's Thor: The Dark World, as Christopher Eccleston's Malekith never manages to get interesting, and it's a shame because the entire plot is dictated by his actions. The movie definitely has a solid, spectacle-driven third act, which helps elevate it out of last place, but the movie still can't really be called one of Marvel's best.

35. Captain America: Brave New World

Captain America: Brave New World dominated conversations ahead of its release due to reports of massive reshoots and other BTS changes. While Julius Onah’s film isn’t the worst installment in the MCU, it’s definitely disappointing. The movie, which is the first to be headlined by Anthony Mackie’s Sam Wilson, is hampered by a lackluster story that’s heavily concerned with resolving plot threads from The Incredible Hulk. Some of the performances are strong, including Mackie’s and Harrison Ford’s turn as Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross. There are also some cool action sequences and sweet character moments. Unfortunately, none of the positive elements can save this flick from its Red Hulk-sized issues.

34. The Incredible Hulk

While it didn't hit the bottom of our rankings, there definitely is a degree to which The Incredible Hulk is the forgotten sibling in the Marvel Cinematic Universe family. For years, the only actor from the movie to actually reprise their role in a second film was Robert Downey Jr. That’s changed now, though, as a number of Hulk characters return in 2025’s Captain America: Brave New World (with the results being mixed). Beyond that, though, the 2008 movie is really the only title in the catalogue that doesn't have the trademark tongue-in-cheek humor and sense of fun that has made Marvel so popular. It's not a bad movie, but the franchise would go on to do much better work.

33. Black Widow

Cate Shortland's Black Widow is a film hurt by multiple factors. Being released in the wake of Avengers: Endgame and the in-canon death of Scarlett Johansson's Natasha Romanoff, and featuring events that take place a good half decade before it, the film not only feels late to the punch, but has a difficult time establishing stakes. It's also hurt by the fact that it doesn't possess much of its own style, as it instead seems fine with echoing what worked in Captain America: The Winter Soldier. At the very least, it does provide some excitement for the future with the introduction of a number of key characters, including Florence Pugh's Yelena Belova.

32. Iron Man 2

When looked at from the macro perspective, Jon Favreau's Iron Man 2 serves as a key piece of the puzzle in building the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and it has some great things going for it (the Monaco Historic Grand Prix sequence in particular is memorable and cool). All by its lonesome, however, it is a mess. Its plot is jumbled as a result of the movie trying to do way too much, it has a poor villain in Mickey Rourke's Whiplash and all of the different elements never properly fit together.

31. Thor

Given its origins in Norse mythology and a fantasy-esque element not really seen before in comic book movies, Kenneth Branagh's Thor was one of the first big risks that Marvel Studios took. That being said, it wound up paying off in a great way and established both Chris Hemsworth and Tom Hiddleston as bona fide stars. It strikes the perfect Marvel tone and introduces some great new ideas to the canon. It has flaws (the pacing is too fast and there's not enough exploration of Asgard), but it ultimately holds up.

30. Eternals

Chloé Zhao's Eternals is a Marvel blockbuster that bites off a bit more than it can chew with an ensemble cast of 10 brand-new heroes, but the film is one of the most beautiful chapters in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and features some impressive themes about faith and purpose. It introduces an exciting cast of characters who still have great potential to further expand the cosmic side of the franchise, and even delivers an extra bonus by kicking off the journey of Dane Whitman a.k.a. Black Knight (Kit Harrington), whose MCU future remains unclear.

29. The Marvels

It’s hard not to ignore that part of The Marvels’ legacy is that it was the first true box office disappointment from Marvel Studios, but it’s far from the franchise’s worst film. In fact, it’s actually pretty fun. There is a well-balanced triumvirate between Brie Larson's Carol Danvers, Iman Vellani's Ms. Marvel, and Teyonah Parris' Monica Rambeau (with Vellani being the MVP), and both the swapping battle and the Flerkin attack count among some of the MCU’s most inventive set pieces. There are holes and lackings (as the focus on three heroes results in an antagonist lacking real substance), but the positives outweigh the negatives.

28. Ant-Man

Peyton Reed's Ant-Man works on a much smaller scale than many of the other titles in Phase Two of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and is a bit more straight-forward than you want it to be – but boy, is it a hell of a lot of fun. The 2015 movie succeeds by featuring a handful of fantastically entertaining performances and characters, with the most important piece of the puzzle being Paul Rudd, who has kept MCU fans greatly entertained in the years since.

27. Doctor Strange

From a visual standpoint, director Scott Derrickson's Doctor Strange is unlike anything audiences have ever seen. Interdimensional travel and magic create some absolutely gorgeous and bombastic set pieces that audiences will remember for a very long time, and the triumvirate of Benedict Cumberbatch (Dr. Strange), Tilda Swinton (The Ancient One), and Chiwetel Ejiofor (Mordo) is fantastic. Unfortunately it's all weighed down by a standard origin story and an underdeveloped villain, but it's definitely an exciting introduction for the would-be Sorcerer Supreme.

26. Avengers: Age Of Ultron

Joss Whedon carried some incredible weight bringing The Avengers: Age of Ultron to the big screen, working under immense pressure and scrutiny. While the final product isn't as good as its predecessor, it's still an impressive, epic blockbuster that honestly feels like a major Marvel Comics event brought to life. The stakes are big, some great new characters are introduced and it sets an interesting table for the events that transpire in Phase Three.

25. Captain Marvel

With Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck's Captain Marvel, audiences everywhere have the chance to meet one of the most powerful heroes in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and it's definitely one of the most exciting debuts we've seen thus far in this franchise. It is a bit dragged down by the familiar aspects of its origin story, but it also has a number of unexpected twists, and provides fans with is plenty of exciting new looks at the expanded continuity – such as events from the MCU in the 1990s, the Kree-Skrull War, and even a bit more of the Tesseract. Of course, at the center of it all is also a badass new protagonist who has tremendous potential for awesome cosmic and Earthbound stories in the future.

24. Thor: Love And Thunder

Taika Waititi gave himself quite a high bar to reach for with his sophomore Marvel Cinematic Universe effort, having made such a phenomenal splash with his first entry into the franchise. Thor: Love And Thunder isn't as strong as its predecessor in the Thor series, but it's an adventure that delivers plenty of big laughs and pushes the titular God of Thunder into terrific new territory. Christian Bale is brilliant as Gorr The God Butcher, and Russell Crowe's Zeus is an undeniable scene-stealer.

23. Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2

As will be discussed later, James Gunn totally changed the Marvel game with 2014's Guardians of the Galaxy but in doing so, set the most ridiculous of high bars for its sequel to reach. The bad news is that Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 isn't quite as good as its predecessor, but the great news is that it's an incredibly fun intergalactic romp. It smartly sacrifices scope in favor of character, and it's a legitimate cinematic treat to see Star-Lord, Gamora, Drax, Rocket and Groot back up on the big screen.

22. Shang-Chi And The Legend Of The Ten Rings

Destin Daniel Cretton's Shang-Chi And The Legend Of The Ten Rings is a movie that gets a bit tripped up when it tries to go too big – bringing characters into a mystical dimension full of beautiful and monstrous creatures – but it's really something else when it is focused on being small. The characters are absolutely wonderful, as Simu Liu instantly proves his star appeal in the lead role, and Awkwafina emerges as an amazing new sidekick in the MCU canon. What the film will always stand out for, however, is its action, as there are some stunning choreographed sequences in the movie that stand out as some of the best we've seen in the franchise.

21. Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness

Truth be told, Sam Raimi's Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness doesn't fully live up to its title (in the sense that there really isn't a whole lot of multiversal madness), but it's a terrific ride. Benedict Cumberbatch continues his stellar run as the master of the mystic arts, and Xochitl Gomez is a sparkplug as newcomer America Chavez (one of several new, young MCU heroes). But the real showstopper is Elizabeth Olsen, who delivers an amazing villainous turn in the wake of the events that transpired in the Disney+ series WandaVision.

20. Deadpool & Wolverine

Shawn Levy's Deadpool & Wolverine is a landmark movie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe for multiple reasons, as it is not just the first film in the canon to center on X-Men-related characters, but it's also the first to sport an R-rating. The movie puts both two spectacular work, with Ryan Reynolds delivering huge laughs reprising his role as the titular Merc with a Mouth and Hugh Jackman delivering incredible gravitas while returning to his most iconic role. The script is a bit of a mess, and calling the plot thin would be generous. However, most of what it's lacking is made up for with excellent surprises and a stellar jokes-per-minute rate.

19. Iron Man 3

Shane Black's Iron Man 3 is unquestionably the most underrated Marvel movie. While some audiences complained about the Mandarin twist and lack of Iron Man screentime, the other way to look at those two things is the power of the movie's ability to defy expectation, and the way in which it enriches Tony Stark as a character outside of his armor. It's a fun piece of noir storytelling, and a great comeback after the mediocre Iron Man 2.

18. Ant-Man And The Wasp

There is an argument to be made that first sequels in the Marvel Cinematic Universe have a specific advantage over their predecessors. After all, origin stories are essentially fixed expositional vehicles used to establish key characters; but once those introductions are made, what's left is the purely creative opportunity to craft a wholly original, specific story natural to those heroes. Peyton Reed's Ant-Man And The Wasp is a perfect example of this. The movie beautifully capitalizes on everything we loved about the first Ant-Man (Paul Rudd and Evangeline Lilly are genuinely perfect together), putting its wonderful ensemble through an expertly-molded comedic thrill ride in the vein of After Hours and Midnight Run – coming together as a romp that is hilarious from beginning to end.

17. The Fantastic Four: First Steps

For years, superhero aficionados waited for Marvel’s First Family to be featured in an MCU film, and that finally happened with the release of The Fantastic Four: First Steps. This glossy, retro-futuristic take on the FF is far different from other big-screen interpretations of the team, but it’s arguably the most comic book-accurate interpretation. Director Matt Shakman (of WandaVision fame) skips the origin story and introduces viewers to an established version of the team that must save their planet from the grim Galactus. Shakman’s direction is stellar as is Michael Giacchino’s score, but it’s the performances of the four leads, especially Vanessa Kirby, that make this movie worth the watch.

16. Spider-Man: Far From Home

Being the first Marvel Studios film released in the wake of Avengers: Endgame, Jon Watts' Spider-Man: Far From Home ironically found itself in a position of great responsibility within the franchise, but it succeeds both in being high-flying fun and impressive superhero storytelling. The villain twist isn't all that great (as every comic book fan saw the heel turn from Jake Gyllenhaal's Mysterio coming). However, the way in which they brought the Master of Illusion to the big screen is remarkable, and the third act showdown is blockbuster gold. It also needs to be said that the movie features arguably the most exciting credit scenes since the first Iron Man.

15. Captain America: The First Avenger

Landing right in the heart of this list is Joe Johnston's Captain America: The First Avenger: another origin story, but one that takes the audience back in time to the days of World War II. There is a rightful complaint in that the third act of the film doesn't have quite the punch of Marvel's better titles, but it's also one of the studio's best introductory tales, and features some perfect performances from both Chris Evans and Hayley Atwell (performances that would completely change their individual careers).

14. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever

Ryan Coogler was given a staggering and unfair challenge in the making of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. The loss of Chadwick Boseman was a devastating emotional blow to the filmmakers and co-stars who worked with him, and Coogler had to change all of his plans for the blockbuster – and make it a movie that would honor the memory of his friend. The result is simultaneously a somber tribute and an action epic, and it features both brilliant performances from returning stars Letitia Wright, Angela Bassett, Danai Guirira and Lupita Nyong'o as well as a brilliant introduction to the Marvel Cinematic Universe for Tenoch Huerta's Namor.

13. Thunderbolts*

Thunderbolts* had the misfortune of releasing during a time at which a number of fans felt MCU fatigue. Luckily, the film is an excellent addition to the canon, thanks to the keen direction of Jake Schreier. A classic “man-on-a-mission” story, Schreier’s film assembles the antiheroes of the MCU for an action-packed, funny and sweet tale that also serves as a meditation on depression. The practical action sequences are quite impressive (including Florence Pugh’s dive off the world’s second tallest building) as are performances from the likes of Pugh, David Harbour and MCU newcomer Lewis Pullman, who plays the all-powerful Bob (or Sentry). Some may have been able to predict the New Avengers title reveal at the end of the film, but that doesn't take away from the movie’s status as one of the most important films of the Multiverse Saga.

12. Thor: Ragnarok

The Thor movies have never been one of Marvel's strongest series – as evidenced by their rankings on this list. That's why Marvel had director Taika Waititi rebrand the whole thing with Thor: Ragnarok, and the results are fantastic. The tone is not only much lighter than its predecessors, resulting in one of the funniest titles in the franchise to date, but the character work is just phenomenal. It's the most compelling arc we've seen for Chris Hemsworth's God of Thunder, Mark Ruffalo is phenomenal as a Hulk who can finally have a conversation, and their thrust together in one of Marvel's most vibrant and fun adventures.

11. Spider-Man: Homecoming

As a big screen character, Spider-Man was at big risk of reboot fatigue going into Jon Watts' Spider-Man: Homecoming, but nothing dissipates audience apprehension quite like quality – and boy, did this one bring it. In his second Marvel Cinematic Universe appearance, Tom Holland perfects both being Peter Parker and the wall-crawler, and the film succeeds by actively differentiating itself from anything that's come before, skipping the overdone origin story and fully embracing the new movie's position in MCU continuity with a strong supporting role for Robert Downey Jr.'s Tony Stark. It's a crazy fun adventure, full of youthful energy that gets us excited for the web-slinger's franchise future.

10. Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3

James Gunn has never been shy about expressing his love for Rocket as a character, and with Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, he developed a powerful, emotional, beautiful and fun blockbuster that has the diminutive hero as its center. Endings are always difficult in fiction, but Vol. 3 is a conclusion that is both wholly original and best utilizes everything that is great about the MCU series. It doesn't quite reach the mile-high bar set by the first Guardians of the Galaxy, but it's both a worthy sequel and among Marvel's best sequels to date.

9. Iron Man

Jon Favreau's Iron Man, of course, was the film that kicked off the Marvel Cinematic Universe but, while that's a significant feat, it's only part of the larger reason why we have it ranked so high. It's also the film that brought the amazing Robert Downey Jr. back to us, the actor doing his part to create what has become a truly iconic character, and the movie in and of itself is a fantastic story of redemption and facing down demons. It's a superhero blockbuster that will go down in history – which makes it actually kind of impressive on Marvel's part that it's only number five on our list.

8. The Avengers

Marvel's Phase One films are, on the whole, enjoyable pieces of entertainment, but Joss Whedon's The Avengers was when the Marvel Cinematic Universe truly became the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Not only one of the greatest event movies of all time, it also beautifully, dazzlingly, and unexpectedly delivers on a four-year-long promise of bringing some of comics' greatest heroes together on the big screen for the first time ever. For the longest time, the whole thing just seemed like an impossible dream, but Whedon and Marvel delivered in the biggest way imaginable, and it's a finished product that can be rewatched endlessly with enjoyment.

7. Black Panther

After 10 years of establishing the expansive roster of heroes in the franchise, you'd think that Marvel Studios would have started struggling to create effective introductory solo films by 2018. The truth, however, is that they'll keep being successful so long as they continue to hire filmmakers with vision, and that's exactly what they did, bringing in writer/director Ryan Coogler to make Black Panther. The movie is not only a remarkable exercise in world-building – introducing audiences to the remarkable land of Wakanda – but it also very much has something important to say, and it says it compellingly. The narrative regarding the African nation's relationship with the rest of the planet is impressively sophisticated in a blockbuster package, and Michael B. Jordan's Erik Killmonger, equipped with understandable and powerful ideology, is arguably Marvel's greatest villain to date.

6. Spider-Man: No Way Home

One of the consistently phenomenal things about the Marvel Cinematic Universe is the franchise's capacity to regularly go the extra mile and accomplish things on the big screen that fans only previously dreamed were possible. It's in this respect that Jon Watts' Spider-Man: No Way Home feels more like a fantasy than a hit blockbuster, as it features everything that a fan of the titular wall-crawler could want. It unfolds a spectacular adventure that does a head-first dive into the multiverse, and ultimately proves to be an amazing capstone for an MCU trilogy that serves as an expansive origin story for Tom Holland's Peter Parker.

5. Avengers: Infinity War

To paraphrase Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige, Joe and Anthony Russo's Avengers: Infinity War was built on the idea of it being the capstone for every Marvel Cinematic Universe film that preceded it. A full decade was spent watching Infinity Stones be revealed, and Thanos being teased, and it seemed like there was just far too much pressure on the blockbuster for it to actually be any good. Boy, did they prove us wrong. Finally getting his time in the spotlight, the Mad Titan proves to be an absolutely terrifying force of nature, and the film is filled with too many shocking, disturbing and amazing moments to count. It's in every way the movie fans were promised.

4. Captain America: The Winter Soldier

For Phase Two, Marvel Studios made a point of not just making superhero movies, but making complex genre films that happen to feature superheroes. For Captain America: The Winter Soldier, directors Joe and Anthony Russo infused the blockbuster with the structure and spirit of a 1970s conspiracy thriller, and the result is absolutely stunning. No other feature in the Marvel Cinematic Universe features fight choreography that is as visceral, and the character dynamics between Cap, Black Widow and Falcon are thoughtful, unique, and fun.

3. Guardians Of The Galaxy

James Gunn's Guardians of the Galaxy is a legitimately special movie. Only tangentially part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the film is unlike any comic book feature we've seen – even in the modern era – and has everything a person could want from a summer blockbuster. It's hilarious, with not just star Chris Pratt getting fantastic laugh-out-loud lines; it's action-packed, with a third-act spectacle that will boggle the mind; and it's even emotional, creating amazing bonds between characters. It stood as Marvel's best work for a couple years... but then 2016 rolled around.

2. Captain America: Civil War

As ridiculously huge as the first two Avengers blockbusters were, directors Joe and Anthony Russo somehow managed to up the ante even further with Captain America: Civil War. The third Captain America movie is shockingly emotional (particularly in the showdown between Cap and Iron Man), stunningly action packed (the Leipzig Halle Airport fight is among the best we've ever seen), and gives us some amazing new characters in Spider-Man and Black Panther. It's spectacularly crafted storytelling with a real gut-punch ending, and to date the best film in the MCU.

1. Avengers: Endgame

Joe and Anthony Russo's Avengers: Endgame is a film that really shouldn't be as phenomenal as it is. It should be impossible to make a blockbuster that is able to perfectly capitalize on the 21 blockbusters in the series that preceded it. And yet that's exactly what this movie does. It starts with the fallout from Avengers: Infinity War, with the surviving heroes picking up the pieces of their lives following their battle with Thanos and massive defeat, but where it goes from there coalesces as one of the most bombastic, jaw-dropping and remarkable big screen experiences we've ever seen. It may not technically be the end of Phase Three, but it's still the perfect ending for the first three phases of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

37 movies is a lot, but there are always more on the way – and the next title that’s set to hit the big screen is the highly anticipated Spider-Man: Brand New Day, which is directed by Shang-Chi’s Destin Daniel Cretton. And, after the web-slinger has his day, Earth's Mightiest Heroes will come back together to take on Doctor Doom in Avengers: Doomsday. Be sure to keep an eye out for forthcoming MCU titles and, to stream all of the films in this massive franchise, grab a Disney+ subscription.

As I was still anticipating the debut of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, one of the biggest questions I had about the Marvel TV show was what Sharon Carter had been up to since we last saw her. During that time, I was also genuinely at a loss for where the actress who plays the former S.H.I.E.L.D. operative, also known as Agent 13, was outside of the MCU. That being said, I soon saw I had plenty of Emily VanCamp movies and TV shows to check out.

Some may have recognized the 34-year-old Canadian actress when she first appeared in the Marvel movies from her lead role on the hit ABC drama Revenge, or even from her brief appearance at the beginning of the horror sequel The Ring Two in 2005. Well, one of those titles is currently available to stream, as well as many others that helped propel Emily VanCamp to where she is today. Maybe when you are not watching The Falcon and the Winter Soldier or waiting for the next upcoming Marvel TV show to premiere, you can catch up on some of her career highlights, starting with her first starring role on a hit series.

Everwood (HBO Max)

After the death of his wife, successful brain surgeon Dr. Andrew "Andy" Brown (Treat Williams) attempts to start things over with his angsty teenage son, Ephram (Gregory Smith), and younger daughter, Delia (Vivien Cardone), by moving from Manhattan to a small, idyllic mountain town in Colorado.

Why It’s Worth Checking Out If You Like Emily VanCamp: Created by future Arrowverse mastermind Greg Berlanti, Everwood is a richly investing family drama which ran for four seasons on The CW, when it was still called The WB, from 2002 to 2006, and proved to be a real breakout hit for Emily VanCamp as Ephram's friend turned potential love interest, Amy Abbott, as well as fellow MCU hero Chris Pratt as her older brother, Bright.

Stream Everwood on HBO Max.

Lost And Delirious (HBO Max)

Meek adolescent student Mary (Mischa Barton from the The O.C. cast) has a revealing first year experience at a high class, all-girls boarding school after discovering that her roommates Paulie (Looper and Covert Affairs actress Piper Perabo) and Tori (former SEAL Team series regular Jessica Paré) are sharing a secret romance that eventually falls prey to the pressures of disapproving friends and family.

Why It’s Worth Checking Out If You Like Emily VanCamp: Emily VanCamp made her acting debut in this theatrically released feature film as Tori's sister, Allison Moller, whom Tori struggles to convince that she is not a lesbian after being caught in the act with Paulie. Lost and Delirious is an adaptation of Susan Swan's acclaimed 2001 coming-of-age novel directed by Swiss filmmaker Léa Pool.

Stream Lost And Delirious on HBO Max.

Redeemer (Amazon Prime, Tubi)

Inspired by the story of a former member of the Black Panther Party (Obba Babatundé) who was given a life sentence 20 years earlier for a crime he seems to have not committed, a writer (Stranger Things' Dr. Brenner actor Matthew Modine) assigned to teach inmates his craft attempts to help the man achieve his freedom, but must lead the convict's sister down her own path toward redemption first.

Why It’s Worth Checking Out If You Like Emily VanCamp: Right before Everwood boosted her public persona in 2002, earlier that year Emily VanCamp appeared as Matthew Modine's distressed daughter in Redeemer, a winning TV movie about standing up for justice.

Stream Redeemer on Amazon Prime or on Tubi.

Revenge (Hulu, IMDb TV)

A woman (Emily VanCamp) is strongly driven to infiltrate the high-class society of New York's Hamptons community in order to find and punish those responsible for a destructive act committed against her family years earlier.

Why It’s Worth Checking Out If You Like Emily VanCamp: We swiftly transition from Redeemer to Revenge - the deliciously scandalous, Golden Globe-nominated primetime soap opera that propelled Emily VanCamp to female lead status in 2011 in the role of one rightfully angry and uncompromisingly ruthless socialite for four seasons on ABC. On the set of the series is where she also met co-star Josh Bowman, who would later become her real-life husband.

Stream Revenge on Hulu or on IMDb TV.

Brothers And Sisters (Hulu)

The siblings of a large, dysfunctional family struggle to endure the trials and tribulations of adulthood either together or in defiance of each other.

Why It’s Worth Checking Out If You Like Emily VanCamp: Before landing the lead part on Revenge, Emily VanCamp's first starring role on an ABC hit was as Rebecca Harper, who would discover that she was the result of a devastating affair and have a discordant relationship with Justin Walker (Dave Annable) on Brothers and Sisters, which, until it was officially canceled after five seasons, was one of the defining and most groundbreaking family dramas of the mid-to-late 2000s.

Stream Brothers And Sisters on Hulu.

Black Irish (Amazon Prime, IMDb TV, Vudu)

Sixteen-year-old Cole McKay (Michael Angarano) strives to overcome the influence of his derelict older brother, Terry (Tom Guiry), and focus on achieving success on his high school baseball team in hopes of earning the attention of his emotionally distant father (Brendan Gleeson, or Harry Potter's Mad-Eye Moody, as he is often better known) in South Boston.

Why It’s Worth Checking Out If You Like Emily VanCamp: As pregnant teenager Kathleen McKay, Emily VanCamp once again plays another troubled member from a dysfunctional family in the gripping 2007 drama Black Irish.

Stream Black Irish on Amazon Prime or on IMDb TV or on Vudu.

Beyond The Blackboard (Hallmark Movies Now)

A 24-year-old first-time teacher (Emily VanCamp) learns to overcome her own societal prejudices in order to give a group of homeless children the education and inspiration they need.

Why It’s Worth Checking Out If You Like Emily VanCamp: Emily VanCamp reunited with her Everwood co-star Treat Williams while portraying real-life teacher Stacey Betts in Beyond the Blackboard, an endearing made-for-TV film which originally aired in 2011 as part of CBS' Hallmark Hall of Fame specials.

Stream Beyond The Blackboard on Hallmark Movies Now.

The Girl In The Book (Tubi)

A 29-year-old editor for a New York City book publishing company (Emily VanCamp) must contend with a dark moment from her childhood when she is assigned to manage the eBook transcription of a best-selling novel by her former writing mentor (late John Wick star Michael Nyqvist).

Why It’s Worth Checking Out If You Like Emily VanCamp: This time, Emily VanCamp plays the grown-up version of a student in desperate need of inspiration from her teacher, only to have experienced the soul-crushing affect of his selfish indulgences and predatory manipulation in 2015's The Girl in the Book.

Stream The Girl In The Book on Tubi.

Carriers (Amazon Prime, Pluto TV)

A young man named Danny, his older brother, Brian, Brian's girlfriend, Bobby, and their mutual friend, Kate, are forced to wear masks, use high potency sanitizing substances, and let go of any moral obligations for the sake of preserving their health while en route to a beach vacation spot in a world almost completely ravaged by a deadly plague.

Why It’s Worth Checking Out If You Like Emily VanCamp: Speaking of desperation, Emily VanCamp, her Lost and Delirious co-star Piper Perabo, Lou Taylor Pucci from the 2013 Evil Dead remake, and fellow superhero movie star Chris Pine are desperate to avoid infection in Carriers, a much overlooked, post-apocalyptic thriller that is more relevant and frightening now than when it when it was first released in 2009.

Stream Carriers on Amazon Prime or on Pluto TV.

The Resident (Hulu)

Third-year, senior doctor in training Conrad Hawkins (Matt Czuchry) shows a bright, young, newly appointed physician (Manish Dayal) the ropes at the Chastain Memorial Hospital in Atlanta, Georgia, through his signature stern and unapologetically brash, yet refreshingly empathetic methods of saving lives, defying the corruption that goes on behind the curtain in the process.

Why It’s Worth Checking Out If You Like Emily VanCamp: The whole cast of Carriers certainly could have used the medical expertise of Nicolette "Nic" Nevin - Emily VanCamp's nurse practitioner role on The Resident, one of the most entertaining, boldly honest, and exciting medical dramas in recent memory.

Stream The Resident on Hulu.

Emily VanCamp’s Marvel Movies (Disney+)

Captain America (Chris Evans) is shocked when his attractive neighbor (Emily VanCamp), who calls herself Kate, turns out to be an agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. assigned to keep a close eye on him as the organization's secrets begin to come to light, but is even more bewildered later, when he learns she is the great niece of his former lover, Peggy Carter.

Why They Are Worth Checking Out If You Like Emily VanCamp: If you can withstand the awkward realization in Avengers: Endgame that Steve Rogers was actually in a flirting stand-off with his former love's great niece, it is especially thrilling to rewatch Captain America: The Winter Soldier and Captain America: Civil War to relive Emily VanCamp's MCU journey as Sharon Carter up to The Falcon and the Winter Soldier.

Stream Captain America: The Winter Soldier on Disney+.

Stream Captain America: Civil War on Disney+.

With Evangeline Lilly sharing top-billing of the Ant-Man and the Wasp franchise now and Scarlett Johansson finally getting her own Black Widow movie, who is to say that Emily VanCamp could not be Marvel's next leading lady with Sharon Carter getting her own solo outing?

Throughout his role in the Infinity Saga of Marvel’s Cinematic Universe, Chris Evans’ Captain America has been a consistent crusader of the ideals he holds near and dear to his heart. He’s also been a consistently sharp dresser, as Captain America’s costumes have been a conversation piece since Chris Evans first dressed up for the USO in 2011’s Captain America: The First Avenger. But when compared to each other, how do those action set-piece ready costumes stack up; and which is the best one of the lot?

We’re going to take a look at the costumes that Cap has worn throughout his time as an Avenger, as well as rank them based on their look and application in the field. Basically, it’s time to raid Steve Rogers’ closet and pick which action gear looked best on the Star Spangled Man himself. And before anyone asks, the Quantum Realm suit from Avengers: Endgame isn’t on this list, because everyone looked good in that. It’s a killer design that everyone gets to own. Getting down to business, from the bottom to the top, let’s start with the lowest ranked outfit.

8. USO Show Costume – Captain America: The First Avenger

Yes, this costume was never meant for the field, as Captain America: The First Avenger sees the titular hero start off as a propaganda performer. Strutting out onto stage after stage selling war bonds doesn’t require much padding or the ability to protect from enemy fire. It’s cute, but it’s a quaint and theatrical version of something we’d see refined so much better in that very same movie.

7. The Nomad Suit - Avengers: Infinity War

Seeing Steve Rodgers with a beard and shaggy hair was a pretty big shock on its own. But seeing this faded variant of the Captain America: Civil War getup was even more of a signal that Cap had been off the board for some time at this point. While it has a stealth look that totally matches Steve’s new Wakandan shield, it just feels like too much of a costume that screams “edgy Cap.” However, it can be used in battle, unlike the USO Costume which required some creative outfitting to turn into something worthy of warfare.

6. The Battle of New York Costume – The Avengers

Being on ice for several decades does call for some upgrade to the old wardrobe. No one knows this better than the Man Out of Time himself, and when all was said and done, Chris Evans got to walk out in a suit that made a fantastic first impression when The Avengers called for it. Seeing Captain America decked out in a very modern suit for the first time still gives us chills, but when looking at that design in hindsight, it’s got some elements that don’t age very well. We’re looking at you, blocky chest armor.

5. The Sokovian Special - Avengers: Age of Ultron Costume

What good is a team known as Earth’s Mightiest Heroes without a little bit of branding. But the costume in Avengers: Age of Ultron doesn’t just give Captain America a nice little insignia on his shoulders, in case someone needed to find an Avenger right quick. There’s also some really nifty red accenting that shoots off of the tips of the central star on Cap’s chest. And that blocky chest armor from The Avengers? Replaced with smoother, better form-fitting protection to keep this kid from Brooklyn looking good as he feels good.

4. Captain America: The First Proper Costume – Captain America: The First Avenger

As far as tactics go, Captain America: The First Avenger nailed it down with Cap’s final look in the film. Era appropriate, and resilient as hell, seeing Steve smashing HYDRA tanks and taking the fight to the enemy in these duds was enough to cement the man, the myth, the legend known as Captain America on the big screen. Though it wasn’t strong enough to stop us from shedding a couple tears when he crashed that stealth bomber into the ice. The suit can only do so much, folks.

3. The Improvised Rescue Mission Suit – Captain America: The First Avenger

A huge amount of credit has to go to Captain America: The First Avenger’s costume designer, Anna B. Sheppard, for making the man the fashion plate of the MCU he is today. With her iconic designs leading the way, the Captain’s suits have had a large guiding light in how they evolved from those original outfits. But if we’re being honest, the coolest of that first set of suits has to be the one Steve threw together to save Bucky Barnes and the Howling Commandos. Sometimes, a leather jacket and a motorcycle helmet go perfectly with the old red, white, and blue.

2. The S.H.I.E.L.D. Suit - Captain America: The Winter Soldier

While Steve Rogers is all about the good of the nation, he’s also a man of intense principles. It’s part of why he ditched the awesome S.H.I.E.L.D. suit he wore in Captain America: The Winter Soldier, and we can’t blame him for throwing of the threads of secret oppression in favor of something a little more Smithsonian. But oh damn, that first act where Steve has the blue and silver tactical gear on is pretty intense, especially when contrasting this stark and powerful look against the more showy Batroc The Leaper in the film’s first big fight scene. At one point it was even Chris Evans’ favorite suit in the lineup, but we’d like to think this changed when our top choice came into play.

1. The Mjolnir Special – Avengers: Endgame

If you ever find yourself worthy to wield Mjolnir, just as Thor always knew you would, you need something to wear for the occasion. With Chris Evans’ final suit as Captain America, it couldn’t have been a more fitting tribute to this moment than taking something traditional and getting a little more medieval. The Avengers: Endgame suit a little more like your standard Captain America uniform for The Avengers, right down to retaining the little logo on the shoulders introduced in Avengers: Age of Ultron.

But the huge upgrade, and the thing that puts this suit at the top of the heap, is the scaling that you see in the chest and arm portions of the costume. Looking like a sort of futuristic chainmail, this costume was worthy of the great banhammer of Asgard, and it looked like a million bucks when it went into battle against the villainous Thanos. This is a look you retire on.

Like a personal stylist to the MCU, we’ve just sorted Captain America’s looks in the field, and given them all their proper due in the Marvel Studios canon. While they’re all impressive in their own way, there was only room for one of those particular costumes as the top pick in our heart. But don’t let that stop you from voting on which Captain America costume is your favorite, as you can log your choice in the poll below. Also, be sure to leave some comments about why you chose your favorite, and why. You can see all of the Captain America and Avengers movies for yourself, as they’re all now available on Disney+.

This poll is no longer available.

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In movies both big and small, Scarlett Johansson continues to showcase her action, dramatic, and comedic chops. Having made her film debut at the age of nine in North, Johansson has been on the silver screen for a long time, and she continues to excel in a number of different roles and several new projects. Whether you know her best for the Marvel movies or prefer her smaller roles, it's easy to see why the two-time Oscar-nominated actress is an A-lister. If you are looking to stream one of her best and/or most famous titles, this list is a good place to start...

Marriage Story (2019)

Following a couple in the midst of separation and torn between two opposing cross-country states, Marriage Story gives viewers an insightful, bright, thoughtful, emotional, often funny and typically sobering look at the plights and perils that come with divorce. Featuring two of the finest performances we've seen from Adam Driver and Scarlett Johansson to date as our torn one-time romantics, writer/director Noah Baumbach allows these two talents to give powerhouse performances, further proving why they're among the most accomplished young performers we've got in Hollywood to date. This movie gave Scarlett Johansson one of her two Oscar nominations (the other for Jojo Rabbit, which also came out last year). The destination was well-earned. Johansson's soulful, invigorated, engrossing and stirring performance is certainly among the most impressive we've seen from Johansson yet.

Where To Stream: Netflix

Where To Rent Online: Marriage Story is not available to rent at this time.

Hail, Caesar! (2016)

Though it doesn't quite reach the heights of some of the best movies we've seen from the Coen brothers, Hail, Caesar! is still among their most lovely in terms of visuals, set design, and period details. It's also extremely funny and quotable to boot, as you'd expect from the veteran filmmaking brothers. In a cast that includes several notable A-listers, including Josh Brolin, Channing Tatum, Alden Ehrenreich, Frances McDormand, George Clooney, Tilda Swinton, and Ralph Fiennes, Scarlett Johansson might've easily gotten lost in the shuffle. Nevertheless, as DeeAnna Moran, who is molded in the vein of Esther Williams, Johannson continues to prove her knack for balancing comedy and drama, while also demonstrating that, in some ways, she is an old-fashioned A-list movie star who happened to find her fame in another era. Certainly, there's no doubt that Johansson would always be a superstar.

Where to Rent Online: Amazon

Match Point (2005)

A tale of morality, greed, money, lust, romance, and luck, Match Point is a psychological thriller centered around Chris Wilton (Jonathan Rhys Meyers), a retired tennis pro who marries into a wealthy family, only to challenge everything when he enters into an affair with the captivating Nola Rice (Scarlett Johansson), his brother-in-law's girlfriend. A smart, engaging thriller with sharp performers from its steamy leads, Match Point is certainly an engaging watch. It also helped bolster Johansson's image as a charming, gorgeously intriguing young woman with a great deal of dramatic and comedic talent.

Where to Stream: HBO Go

Where to Rent Online: Amazon

Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2013)

After the events of The Avengers, we follow Captain America (Chris Evans) as the patriot fights growing threats within the insidious corners of the once-thrusted S.H.I.E.L.D. Reprising her role as Natasha Romanoff, better known as Black Widow, Captain America: The Winter Solider was one of the first times we really got to see Johansson in command, outside of a handful of scenes in Iron Man 2 and The Avengers (we'll get to that) respectively, which continued to showcase her talents as an action star and a dramatic performer. Furthermore, it was an exciting '70s-esque political thriller within the MCU formula, allowing for more practical action set pieces and deeper thematic depth. It was also the first Marvel movie directed by Joe & Anthony Russo, the duo who later helmed Captain America: Civil War, Avengers: Infinity War, and Avengers: Endgame for the billion-dollar blockbuster studio.

Where to Stream: Disney+

Where to Rent Online: Amazon

Her (2013)

In Her, writer/director Spike Jonze's acclaimed masterpiece, we follow the lonely life of Theodore Twombly (Joaquin Phoenix), a man who develops a non-physical romantic relationship with Samantha (Scarlet Johansson), the artificial intelligence virtual assistant who only exists as a woman's voice. It is exactly the sort of premise that shouldn't work, especially as a movie, yet it is an incredibly humane, touchingly honest, and emotionally engrossing look at modern romance in the tech-driven era. While Phoenix is often praised for his touching lead performance (rightfully so, too), Johansson's work shouldn't be dismissed or overlooked. Replacing Samantha Morton, the actress gives a gorgeously evocative performance, one that works wonders to sell the unlikely dynamic between these two lovelorn characters. Even though it's a performance we only hear throughout the film, it's among her best.

Where to Stream: Netflix

Where to Rent Online: Amazon

Ghost World (2001)

Based on the comic book of the same name by Daniel Clowes, Ghost World centers around Enid (Thora Birch) and Rebecca (Scarlett Johansson), two socially outcast teenagers who find a rift in their friendship when Enid takes interest in a lonely older man named Seymour (Steve Buscemi). Though it didn't become a box office success, Ghost World is one of the defining cult classics of the early '00s, notably with outstanding lead performances from Birch, Buscemi, and Johannson. While she was working consistently before, Ghost World was what helped build Johansson's indie credibility, notably before she stood out in a major way with Sofia Coppola's Lost in Translation only a couple years later. Certainly, if you're looking for one of the earliest signs of Johansson's future success, as well as what remains one of her strongest, most acclaimed films, you should definitely check out Ghost World.

Where to Stream: Amazon Prime (though it's leaving on March 31st)

Where to Rent Online: Amazon

The Avengers (2012)

In this cross-cutting cinematic achievement, which can seem almost quaint compared to the newest Avengers movies, The Avengers sees Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) assemble the title group of superheroes, which includes Tony Stark/Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.), Steve Rogers/Captain America (Chris Evans), Bruce Banner/The Hulk, Thor, Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow, and Clint Barton/Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner) to prevent Loki (Tom Hiddleston), Thor's mischievous brother, from destroying the world. Once upon a time, this seemed like this movie couldn't be done. Now, it's nearly a hallmark for what studios try to do with their newest movies. While Scarlett Johansson was certainly famous when The Avengers strolled into theaters, it pushed her ever further into A-list status. Following her introduction in Iron Man 2, we got a glimpse at what Johansson could do as an action star.

Where to Stream: Disney+/Amazon Prime

Where to Rent Online: Amazon

Under the Skin (2014)

In the alluring, inquisitive Under the Skin, an extraterrestrial disguised as a human woman (Scarlett Johansson) is seen moving around Scotland trying to lure unsuspecting men. From acclaimed director Jonathan Glazer (Sexy Beast, Birth), Under the Skin might not work for everyone. It's elusive, bleak, and often somber, often relying more on the artistry than narrative, but it's a spellbinding achievement. Beautiful photography, thematically riveting, and featuring a wonderfully eerie score, this is the sort of movie that won't win a wide audience, but it'll certainly make an impression on those who like their sci-fi with an artistic edge. It's one of the most engrossing, captivating theater experiences I've ever had. It's also — for my money — the best and bravest performance we've seen from Johansson. It's all-around mesmerizing. I can only hope watching it on streaming is anywhere near as powerful.

Where to Stream: Netflix

Where to Rent Online: Amazon

The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie (2004)

As one of the funniest and most quotable shows of the early '00s, as well as a constant source of good memes, SpongeBob SquarePants captivated a whole generations of youngsters. While it doesn't reach the same heights as the animated children show's finer moments, there's also quite a good bit to enjoy in The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie as well. With its strong animation, inspired gags, and breezy pace, The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie proved to be a satisfying cinematic experience for both newcomers and longtime fans of the long-running series alike. It also features the voice talents of Scarlett Johansson as Princess Mindy. As we have noted elsewhere in this article, Johansson has proven her talents for voice acting over the years.

Where to Stream: HBO Go

Where to Rent Online: Amazon

Avengers: Endgame (2019)

Of course, there's a good chance that you've already seen Avengers: Endgame. Even if you haven't seen all of Scarlett Johansson's films, the MCU's climatic, three-hour movie extravaganza was an enormous hit, becoming the highest-grossing movie of all-time. That's certainly not nothing, and it also wrapped up Black Widow's storyline in a way that some folks might not have anticipated going in. Of course, we'll see more from the character in the prequel, Black Widow. But for that reason and more, Avengers: Endgame is one of the biggest, most extravagant movie events of Johannson's career.

Where to Stream: Disney+

Where to Rent Online: Amazon

What are your favorite Scarlett Johansson movies? Let us know in the comment section below!

Superhero stories have been a part of popular culture for over 75 years, but it's not just on the printed page that they're being told. Many kinds of adaptations have been told across various media, but the big screen is arguably the most popular destination besides the comic books themselves. The last four decades or so have seen continued expansion of full-length superhero features, and whether it's traditional narratives or takes that deconstruct the material, they're frequently great tales to watch.

Currently we live in a time when the superhero movie's popularity is at an all time high. Marvel and DC continue to announce new projects for their cinematic universes, and even other companies are contributing to the genre whether it's adapting an existing property or coming up with something original. With so many entries, both live action and animated, there's more than enough to determine which are the greatest of the bunch.

With that in mind, CinemaBlend has put together its definitive list of the 30 best superhero movies ever made. Not everyone will necessarily agree on the exact order, but we guarantee that many of your favorites made the cut. And don't worry, folks, knowing what we've seen so far from Spider-Man: Far From Home, it's almost guaranteed to get a spot on here later down the line.

30. Doctor Strange

Doctor Strange marked another first for the MCU: the full introduction of magic after a few years of those particular forces being tiptoed around. This movie hit some of the same beats as Iron Man with its arrogant protagonist (Stephen Strange) learning how he can truly help the world (using the mystic arts), but Doctor Strange still felt extremely different than past Marvel movies. With the inclusion of magic, the exploration of other realities and a truly unique final confrontation that shows you don't always need fists or brute force to defeat an adversary, Doctor Strange is not only a solid origin story, but will always be appreciated for opening up a new corner for the MCU for future movies to delve into.

29. Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2

While it doesn't quite measure up to its predecessor, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 is still an enjoyable ride through the cosmic corners of the MCU. The main way the sequel separates itself from the first Guardians of the Galaxy movie is more focus on the family theme, from Peter Quill's new relationship with his powerful father, Ego, to Gamora and Nebula dealing with their sibling rivalry. Throw in James Gunn's trademark humor and a lot of Marvel Easter eggs, and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 makes a worthy addition to the MCU, especially with how it expands the galactic corners of this franchise.

28. Superman (1978)

We believed a man can fly. Most point to Richard Donner's Superman as the movie that started it all, and while it certainly wasn't the first superhero movie, you can trace virtually every hit from the modern era to this landmark feature. Donner understood the importance of the hero's origin story, spending as much time on Krypton and in Kansas as he did in Metropolis, because understanding Clark Kent helped us appreciate Superman. Christopher Reeve embodied DC's mightiest hero, Margot Kidder was a delightfully zany Lois, and the movie had supporting roles for Gene Hackman and Marlon Brando! Superman makes this list for John Williams' score, alone.

27. Hellboy II: The Golden Army

Guillermo del Toro did a brilliant job bringing Mike Mignola's amazing stone-handed creation to the big screen with Hellboy in 2004, but he actually managed to make something even better four years later in Hellboy II: The Golden Army. Both the visual and special effects are spectacular and beautiful, the plot provides a fantastic journey for the audience, and you really care about the peril of the fantastic ensemble as the stakes get higher and higher. Sadly del Toro won't be able to conclude the story the way he wanted to with Hellboy III since a reboot was ordered and released in spring 2019, but this sequel is a fun ride nonetheless.

26. Shazam!

The DC Extended Universe struggled for a while to find its proper footing, which explains why, as a franchise, it doesn’t have a tremendous presence in this feature, but the brand really managed to hit on something special with David F. Sandberg’s Shazam! It’s certainly a smaller blockbuster than the other titles within its shared continuity, but what it lacks in globe-threatening stakes it more than makes up for with miles and miles of heart. Zachary Levi gets the perfect big screen opportunity to showcase his endless charisma playing a teenager occupying the body of an adult superhero, and the movie is shockingly funny throughout – but what’s even more amazing is the way in which it manages to also blend tones. The themes about family are beautifully emotional, and Sandberg even gets the opportunity to bring some of his horror skills to the mix with some legitimately scary sequences. This project took quite a long time to get made, but we’re oh so very happy Warner Bros. finally pulled the trigger.

25. Batman (1989)

The superhero genre was stuck in a rut in 1989. Warner Bros. drove its Superman franchise into the ground with Superman IV: Quest for Peace, and audiences wanted no part of duds like Supergirl or Howard the Duck. Fortunately, with the gothic Batman, Tim Burton proved a director could put his or her stamp on a classic comic-book character, and reinvent the hero for a new generation. Michael Keaton wiped the memory of Adam West from our collective minds, and Jack Nicholson broke the mold on playing The Joker... at least, until Heath Ledger broke his mold decades later. Prince's music was the icing on this Bat-cake.

24. X-Men: Days of Future Past

Bryan Singer's take on the iconic Days of Future Past storyline provides us with a quintessential example of how to adapt an iconic storyline whilst making logical changes to the narrative. Although X-Men: Days of Future Past deviates greatly from its source material, it arguably improves upon it by incorporating cherished elements from the live-action X-Men universe. Despite its high stakes and equally high concept sci-fi premise, Days of Future Past works so well because it tells an emotional story anchored by the concept of family and making the ultimate sacrifice for those we love and care about most.

23. X-Men

Bryan Singer turned out to be the ideal director to bring the X-Men to the silver screen. Coming off of both The Usual Suspects and Apt Pupil, Singer grasped the darker tone -- paired with a flippant sarcasm -- that was necessary to bring Marvel's mutant outcasts to the big screen. Naturally, Singer also gets credit for casting Hugh Jackman as the perfect Wolverine -- a decision that continued to fuel several superhero projects for decades afterward. 2000's X-Men ultimately laid a strong foundation for an entire mutant franchise at Fox, and it's one that will eventually continue to grow healthier now that the characters are back at Marvel and can officially join the MCU.

22. Watchmen

For years, Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons' Watchmen fell under the category "impossible to adapt," as many filmmakers tried and failed to bring the story to life (either as a movie or a miniseries). In that regard, director Zack Snyder simply deserves an incredible amount of credit, because the film is undeniably a massive undertaking, and also a beautiful adaptation of a genius tome. The movie does make some controversial choices, and there is great debate between fans about which cut is best (be it theatrical, director's, or "ultimate"), but regardless of this, Watchmen is a true epic and an often stunning piece of work.

21. The Crow

Based on the comics by James O'Barr, Alex Proyas' The Crow isn't your typical superhero movie at all, but it is a fantastic, thrilling, and dark feature with design that has become iconic in its own right. It's a small-scale story, all of the action taking place within one small neighborhood, but it still manages to thrill with great character work and stakes that come along with it. It's a classic revenge tale with a fantasy twist, as a rock star comes back from the dead on the anniversary of his murder to get vengeance on those who killed him and his girlfriend, and it's executed with amazing style.

20. Spider-Man

Although there's a significant portion of the population who would refer to Spider-Man 2 as the pinnacle of Sam Raimi's trilogy, the contribution of the original Spider-Man to the genre as a whole cannot be understated. From the film's hyper-stylized aesthetic, to the perfect casting choices in the form of Tobey Maguire, Willem Dafoe, and J.K. Simmons (just to name a few), Spider-Man was one of the first major superhero films to prove that a faithful adaptation of treasured source material could yield a profit on the silver screen. Without this one movie the genre would look quite different today.

19. Unbreakable

An origin story for an unknown superhero, M. Night Shyamalan's Unbreakable embraces every trope of the comic-book genre, but goes through painstaking efforts to ground each cliché in a realistic setting. What would happen if an average man (Bruce Willis) slowly realized that he had super powers? How much would he have to endure before he started to believe in his own abilities? And what, then, would he do with those powers once his abilities had been confirmed? The tragedy of Unbreakable is that Shyamalan was finally able to continue the saga of David Dunn and his nemesis, Mr. Glass (Samuel L. Jackson) in early 2019's Glass, but while that film was a financial hit, critical reception was less than stellar.

18. Batman Begins

Christopher Nolan's work on Batman Begins didn't just change the superhero genre; it forever altered the course of action films in general. The first entry in the beloved Dark Knight trilogy set the standard for dark, gritty, and realistic depiction of traditionally flamboyant characters like Batman, and bled into other franchises like James Bond and Spider-Man. Nolan completely reinvented the character from the ground up, providing a new take on everything from his equipment to the Batcave to his lesser-known rogues like Scarecrow and Ra's al Ghul. Beyond that, Batman Begins is quite simply a pitch perfect adaptation of Frank Miller's Batman: Year One story arc, and arguably the most faithful depiction of the Caped Crusader himself within the entire trilogy. For the first time ever on the silver screen, Batman truly became a dark, terrifying creature of the night who could do battle with legions of criminals from the shadows.

17. X2: X-Men United

Three years after X-Men essentially kicked off the modern superhero movie era, this film reunited us with the mutant superheroes as they battled the fanatical, prejudiced Colonel William Stryker. Just like in the last movie, Wolverine remained the central character, and it was here that moviegoers learned more about his past, namely how Stryker was responsible for Logan's claws being coated in adamantium. Fortunately, the movie also did provided enough screen time to the other players, including Jean Grey, Charles Xavier, Nightcrawler and Iceman. At a time when superhero movies were still just starting to become popular to all kinds of audiences, X2 used some of the best the source material comics had to offer (including a tease of Jean Grey becoming Phoenix) while also continuing to tackle discrimination issues. The X-Men movie franchise is now changing in a big way, but overall consensus is that this sequel remains its best main entry.

16. Iron Man

We've seen a lot of great superhero casting over the years -- especially in the modern era -- but the argument could be made that the choice of Robert Downey Jr. to play Tony Stark a.k.a. Iron Man completely changed the comic book movie landscape. Jon Favreau's brilliantly entertaining 2008 blockbuster is truly fueled on the unstoppable wit and charisma of its star, and it's what propelled Iron Man to greatness. Armed with a great character arc and a classic redemption story, the actor made the material sing, and got amazing buzz for a film centered on a lesser-known comic book property. This buzz led to smashing box office success, and eventually paved way for what will go down in history as one of the most successful franchises ever made. It's the film that truly ushered in a new era for the comic book movie world, and continues to stand as one of the best ever made.

15. Spider-Man 2

The sequel tends to be the one that gets more things right. By the time a Part 2 rolls around, the creative team is able to dispense with the mandatory origin story and truly swing into action. And that's exactly why we adore Sam Raimi's Spider-Man 2, which plunges audiences right back into the complicated realm of young Peter Parker (Tobey Maguire) and his painfully awkward efforts to maintain a social life while also fighting crime as the web-slinger. That conflict reaches a breaking point in Spider-Man 2, allowing Peter to actually walk away from his alter ego -- albeit temporarily -- in a sequence that beautifully nods to The Amazing Spider-Man #50. At the same time, Spider-Man 2 nails Doctor Octopus, who is brought to terrifying life by the perfectly cast Alfred Molina. The train fight remains one of the best action set pieces in any superhero movie, and a benchmark of the Spider-Man cinematic saga.

14. Thor: Ragnarok

Although Thor’s first four MCU appearances were overall solid, Chris Hemsworth was feeling underwhelmed with what was being done with the character. Then came Thor: Ragnarok, which took more advantage of Hemsworth’s comedic skills, put Taika Waititi at the helm and infused a lot more cosmic flavor into the God of Thunder’s corner of this franchise. It’s rare that a character can be reinvented for the better in a threequel, but the MCU managed to pull that off with Thor, giving him a compelling tale that balanced comedy and tragedy and set the hero on a better narrative path. Ragnarok also gets bonus points for its effective use of The Hulk and serving as the first part of a special arc for the Green Goliath that would conclude with Avengers: Endgame, as well as introducing Valkyrie, who would return for Endgame and ideally will become a more important player in the MCU going forward.

13. Guardians of the Galaxy

When Marvel Studios announced at San Diego Comic-Con 2012 that they would be creating a Guardians of the Galaxy movie, the news was met with a collective "Huh?" While Marvel had managed to be successful even without the rights to popular characters like Spider-Man or the X-Men, this group of space-trotting heroes was certainly seen as an incredibly obscure choice for a film. In retrospect, thanks to having writer/director James Gunn at the helm, the move was brilliant. Armed with a stunningly charismatic ensemble led by the effortlessly charming Chris Pratt, the film is fun and awe-inspiring on a Star Wars level, and introduced the world to characters that pop culture will not soon forget. You'd think that a feature starring a talking raccoon and a mobile tree would be an instant flop, but it's really one of the best pieces of blockbuster entertainment we've ever seen.

12. Captain America: Civil War

When it was revealed that Captain America: Civil War would feature nearly all of the MCU heroes, fans immediately nicknamed it Avengers 2.5 However, the threequel managed to juggle what seemed like an impossible task. At the same time as keeping the story largely centered around Steve Rogers' personal struggles, they also gave all the heroes enough time to shine, especially for newcomers Black Panther and Spider-Man. Despite the large cast, it never felt overcrowded, and each protagonist had their own unique role to play in arguably the most intricate story the Marvel Cinematic Universe has told so far. That was impressive enough, but when you combine that with explosive action, emotional bears and a few twists that were surprising even for longtime comic book fans, Captain America: Civil War ushered in Phase Three with a bang and set the stage for many upcoming MCU movies.

11. Logan

Hugh Jackman wanted his last Wolverine movie to be impactful and memorable. He succeeded, and then some! Like Deadpool, Logan was unlike any X-Men or general superhero movie that had come before, feeling more like a modern Western than a cape and costumed adventure. Following an aged and weary Wolverine as he faced his mortality while also taking care of an unstable Professor X and his newfound daughter Laura, this story toned down on the fantastic X-Men elements in favor of character study. The smaller-scale story and added violence made this the Wolverine movie fans had been waiting years to see. Delivering an emotional ending to Jackman's tenure as the clawed mutant, Logan marks the end of an era and could have easily served as the last chapter of the entire X-Men cinematic universe.

10. Wonder Woman

Wonder Woman was one of the best parts of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, and over a year later, moviegoers got to see the Amazon princess shine to her fullest in her first solo movie after over seven decades of existence. Turning the clock back to World War I, Diana's origin story saw her coming to man's world for the first time to try to stop the greatest conflict the planet had ever seen. The movie itself is a lot of fun, but more importantly, it's incredibly inspirational. Diana is the epitome of a great superhero, and make no mistake, Wonder Woman was an incredible achievement for how it highlights female empowerment. Female-led superhero movies had been released before, but usually to negative reception. Wonder Woman, on the other hand, has been almost universally loved, and it's because of that that it will maintain a positive position in pop culture for many years.

9. Black Panther

There’s no shortage of popular superhero movies, but Black Panther is one of the few that also has incredible cultural resonance. After being introduced in Captain America: Civil War, T’Challa returned less than two years later for his first solo adventure, during which time we fully explored the wondrous nation of Wakanda, which simultaneously feels Earthly and alien thanks to its advanced technology. Black Panther also made a huge impression by delivering Erik Killmonger, unquestionably one of the MCU’s best and, perhaps more importantly, most relatable villains, as well as giving us a lot of cool new heroines, like Okoye, Nakia and Shuri. With its dominantly black main cast and poignant social commentary, Black Panther not only stands as a momentous achievement within the superhero movie genre, but also one of the finest examples of African and African-American representation on film.

8. The Incredibles

One of the greatest superhero ensemble stories doesn't have Marvel or DC ahead of its title. Instead, it's a 2004 Pixar story about former superheroes who are forced to table their crime-fighting ways after the government legislates their activities to prevent collateral damages. The fact that these same themes were explored years later in movies like Civil War and Batman v Superman shows just how ahead of his time Brad Bird really was with The Incredibles. This movie also celebrates family as it highlights bravery, explaining why heroes -- dubbed "Supers" in this universe -- are vital, and why those with a gift can't simply turn it off. Also, the action scenes are a thrill a minute, particularly those involving Dash. Whoever tries to reboot The Fantastic Four again (because you know it will happen) needs only to memorize Bird's approach to family and teamwork, and they just might get it right.

7. Deadpool

No other movie defied odds and expectations quite like 2016's Deadpool. After one majorly disappointing silver screen debut, and years in development hell, Ryan Reynolds finally got the chance to don the red and black suit in earnest to portray the beloved comic book Wade Wilson. Deadpool is nothing if not vulgar, violent, and a rip-roaring good time that subverts the expectations of a comic book film whilst embracing the over the top absurdity of a classic 1980s action flick. It's a small scale, gore-filled revenge thriller that also seems to possess an astonishing amount of heart and sentimentality. In a genre dominated by sanitized content and PG-13 ratings, Deadpool turned the movie industry on its head by proving once and for all that niche characters slapped with R-ratings can undoubtedly appeal to massive mainstream audiences and yield absolutely insane box office returns if given the proper silver screen treatment.

6. Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse

Between the Sam Raimi trilogy, the Marc Webb movies, and the on-going adventures of the web-slinger in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, you’d think there would be a set bar at this point establishing just how captivating, exciting and brilliant a big screen Spider-Man film could be, but then along came Rodney Rothman, Peter Ramsay, and Bob Persichetti’s Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse to collectively blow our goddamn minds. To call the animation in play “revolutionary” would be underselling just how intensely beautiful and impressive the style truly is, and it’s actually amazing just how perfectly it tackles a subject matter as complex as the multiverse. The portrayed story of Miles Morales is one to which audiences are going to respond for multiple generations, and in all of the titles mentioned in this feature you will find few sequences more stunning than the epic “Leap of Faith.” This adventure is a truly special and breathtaking experience that all future wall-crawler blockbusters will aim to match.

5. The Avengers

In 2006, Marvel Studios began planning something incredibly ambitious and unlike anything the blockbuster world had ever seen. The idea was to release a series of solo superhero movies, with each one contributing heroes to an eventual team-up film called The Avengers. This major gamble turned out to be genius, and that same team-up film -- written and directed by Joss Whedon -- easily stands as one of the greatest superhero movies we will ever see. From the brilliant banter between heroes, to the perfect villain in Tom Hiddleston's devilish Loki, to its epic, jaw-dropping third act, everything about it is fun, thrilling or both. It's a movie that genre fans will be talking about for decades, replaying over and over, and it will forever be considered one of the greatest cinematic events in history -- both because of its tremendous quality and the stunning pop culture fervor it created.

4. Avengers: Infinity War

Ever since Thanos smirked to the camera in The Avengers mid-credits scene, MCU fans were waiting for the Mad Titan to step into the spotlight. Six years later, and following cameo appearances in Guardians of the Galaxy and Avengers: Age of Ultron, Thanos finally took center stage in Avengers: Infinity War and effectively served as that movie’s main character. Over the course of two and a half hours, we watched Thanos slowly collect all six Infinity Stones and most of this franchise’s main heroes, from the Avengers to the Guardians of the Galaxy and everyone in between, join forces to try and stop him and his minions. Even though Avengers: Endgame would end up being arguably the ‘bigger’ movie, Infinity War delivered something we hadn’t seen in the MCU before: our heroes losing in the end. That shocking ending, along with amazing battle sequences and how so many characters managed to shine, cemented Infinity War as the epic event fans had been waiting for and then some.

3. Captain America: The Winter Soldier

After two outings in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Chris Evans' Steve Rogers finally fulfilled Captain America's true potential as a hero and silver screen icon during the events of the impeccable Captain America: The Winter Soldier. By stripping the character of his more ridiculous elements and grounding him in the world of the MCU, Joe and Anthony Russo crafted a tight, enthralling political thriller that proved equal parts cerebral and pulse pounding. Although Cap had developed a strong presence in his first two MCU outings, The Winter Soldier made him a lynchpin of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and brought him to the same level of importance as Robert Downey Jr's Tony Stark. With its immaculate fight scenes, intelligent narrative and strong sense of continuity within the greater MCU, Captain America: The Winter Soldier proved that in a post-Avengers world, standalone superhero movies could be profound, insightful, and provocative.

2. Avengers: Endgame

It could be argued that Marvel Studios was totally setting itself up for failure in the making of Joe and Anthony Russo’s Avengers: Endgame. More than just the seeming impossibility of actually living up to the ridiculous amount of hype surrounding the project in the five years following it being announced, the idea of making a blockbuster that could serve as a capstone to 21 other releases just didn’t seem actually do-able. And yet they pulled it off anyway. Not only is it a brilliant tribute to all of the legendary heroes who helped make the Marvel Cinematic Universe what it is, it’s an endlessly fun and exciting adventure that never serves up a dull moment in its three hour-plus runtime. It’s funny, it’s emotional, it’s thrilling, and its heartfelt, and everything that it needs to be. One could argue that it’s a cinematic feat that Marvel will never be able to top… but seeing what has been accomplished so far, it doesn’t seem like a safe bet.

1. The Dark Knight

Christopher Nolan reinvigorated Batman on the big screen in 2005 with Batman Begins, but it was the 2008 sequel, The Dark Knight, that really took the world by storm. To this day, it serves as the prime example of when a sequel can improve upon its predecessor and then some. Taking inspiration from stories like The Killing Joke and The Long Halloween, the movie followed Batman as he fought The Joker, played by Heath Ledger, whose performance stunned audiences everywhere and earned him a posthumous Best Supporting Actor Oscar. Besides the conflict between the Dark Knight and the Clown Prince of Crime, the movie also impressed viewers by chronicling Harvey Dent's fall from grace, going from civil servant to two-faced revenge seeker. By combining the traditional superhero elements with a gripping crime narrative, The Dark Knight is not just the best superhero movie, but one of the greatest moves over the last few decades.

Now take a look below at the full list of top superhero movies.

41. Big Hero 6

40. Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice

39. Man of Steel

38. Iron Man 3

37. Hellboy

36. The Wolverine

235. Avengers: Age of Ultron

34. X-Men: First Class

33. Captain America: The First Avenger

32. Ant-Man

31. The Rocketeer

30. Doctor Strange

29. Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2

28. Superman (1978)

27. Hellboy II: The Golden Army

26. Shazam!

25. Batman (1989)

24. X-Men: Days of Future Past

23. X-Men

22. Watchmen

21. The Crow

20. Spider-Man

19. Unbreakable

18. Batman Begins

17. X2: X-Men United

16. Iron Man

15. Spider-Man 2

14. Thor: Ragnarok

13. Guardians of the Galaxy

12. Captain America: Civil War

11. Logan

10. Wonder Woman

9. Black Panther

8. The Incredibles

7. Deadpool

6. Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse

5. The Avengers

4. Avengers: Infinity War

3. Captain America: The Winter Soldier

2. Avengers: Endgame

1. The Dark Knight

Stay tuned to CinemaBlend for all the latest updates in the world of superhero movies!

Earlier this month we took on a not-so-minor endeavor. Wanting to determine the true rankings of all of the movies in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, we not only polled the entire CinemaBlend staff asking them to order the films from best to worst, but we then had all of you lovely readers take on the same task. We released a survey on our site, promoted it on our HeroBlend podcast, and nearly a thousand of you did us the favor of responding – which has led us to this moment.

We have tabulated the results of your submissions, and by taking a weighted average of all your responses we have put together this special ranking of every movie released by Marvel Studios so far. We have a special breakdown of both the bottom five and the top five featured in our latest episode of HeroBlend, which you can listen to right here:

But to get into the full list, keep on reading!

The Bottom Five

We were a bit surprised to see Kenneth Branagh’s Thor wind up on this portion of this list (the CinemaBlend staff had it at #16), but really the rest of this didn’t end up being shocking at all – given that the four other titles all had the exact same rankings on our staff list. Louis Leterrier's The Incredible Hulk is just kind of a muddled mess; Alan Taylor's Thor: The Dark World features what is unquestionably the weakest villain plot in all of the Marvel titles released thus far; Jon Favreau's Iron Man 2 notably just has too much going on; and not everyone really loved the big Mandarin twist in Shane Black's Iron Man 3 (or the fact that it’s much more of a Tony Stark movie than it is an Iron Man movie).

What’s particularly interesting about this grouping, though, is that all of the titles come from Marvel Studios’ first five years producing movies – a.k.a. the period when the company was still figuring out the kinks of a cohesive, multi-tiered franchise that didn’t include major characters like Spider-Man and the X-Men. Obviously that era also delivered us the first Iron Man as well as The Avengers, but still there’s nobody out there who would argue that the brand hasn’t come a long way since 2013.

The Middle Of The Pack

The middle of our CinemaBlend reader rankings is populated entirely by two kinds of Marvel Studios releases: origin stories and first sequels. Within the former category, fans apparently don’t put Scott Derrickson’s Doctor Strange, Joe Johnston’s Captain America: The First Avenger, Peyton Reed’s Ant-Man, or Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck’s Captain Marvel as high on the shelf as some of the other Marvel releases of their ilk (which we’ll get to in a second), but there is definitely appreciation for what they contribute to the universe. The CinemaBlend staff shows the first Captain America movie a bit more love than readers, as we put it at #11 on our averaged list, but mostly we seem to be in sync in this realm.

As for the first sequels, it’s interesting that most of them wound up ranking below their series predecessors on this list, with the lone exception being Captain America: The Winter Soldier. In many cases it can be hard for filmmakers to follow-up their own work, particularly when the first movie earned a lot of love and raised expectations. It’s an interesting pattern to recognize when you realize that the upcoming Phase Four of the Marvel Cinematic Universe is expected to include Black Panther 2, Captain Marvel 2, and Doctor Strange 2 – not to mention the fact that the next Marvel release is set to be the Spider-Man: Homecoming sequel Spider-Man: Far From Home.

The Top Ten

If anyone out there is looking for evidence of fan appreciation for the contributions that Joe and Anthony Russo have made to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, you need look no further than the results of our survey. All four movies that the brothers have directed for the franchise landed in the top spots here, with the most gratitude being expressed towards the absolutely massive Avengers blockbusters that were released in the last two years. It was clearly a ridiculously huge endeavor to take on, but the best word to describe the results of the execution is “beloved.”

All of you also showed a tremendous amount of love for Taika Waititi’s Thor: Ragnarok – which has a ranking that arrives in sharp relief compared to its predecessors in the God of Thunder series – and even after 11 years people are still showing Jon Favreau’s Iron Man the respect it deserves. Clearly there is also a lot of love for the more modern franchise-starters, with Jon Watts’ Spider-Man: Homecoming, Ryan Coogler’s Black Panther and James Gunn’s Guardians of the Galaxy all earning spots on the Top 10, and all of us will certainly never forget the game changer that was Joss Whedon’s The Avengers.

How did these final results wind up comparing with your own submissions to our survey? Is there any film that you personally love and now feel is totally underrated? Do you think there is any movie in the franchise that gets way more praise than it actually deserves? Hit the comments section below, and tell us what you think of this vox populi ranking - and, as always, be sure to stay tuned here on CinemaBlend for all of the latest news about the upcoming Marvel Cinematic Universe movies and TV shows!

If it isn’t entirely obvious from our years and years of coverage, we here at CinemaBlend are big fans of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Going back to 2008, the movies have continued to delight and surprise, and while some titles are better than others, each one has provided its own special flavor to the franchise that we’ve been able to appreciate in its own way. Of course, there are still many debates among the staff, from best villain to strongest hero, but one big question has always stood out among them all: what’s the best Marvel Studios film?

In order to get to the bottom of this everlasting conflict, our superhero podcast HeroBlend has spearheaded a little endeavor. A few weeks back we sent out a survey to interested members of our staff and had everyone rank the movies of the Marvel Cinematic Universe from best to worst. While no two rankings ended up being the same (seriously, you’d be surprised by the variety), we were able to average the results and determine our democratic picks.

Before we get into that, however, we want to get you in on this action too. Below you’ll find an exact copy of the same survey we sent out to our staff, and we’d love it if you would share your opinions on this great debate as well. We’ll then follow up by covering the final results of rankings in an upcoming episode of HeroBlend!

Now that you’ve done that, let’s dive into the rankings, shall we?

22. The Incredible Hulk

The Marvel Cinematic Universe was still trying to figure out what it wanted to be back in 2008, and while the franchise quickly made some interesting moves by foregoing a simple origin story when making The Incredible Hulk, in retrospect it’s not exactly their best effort. It has some good parts, and is a decent treatment of the character, but it’s also a mixed bag tonally, and doesn’t exactly have the most complex plot.

21. Thor: The Dark World

Sequels are usually a great opportunity to expand on characters and the specific worlds in which they live, but Thor: The Dark World is sadly a bit of a misfire. While it’s ultimately redeemed by its bonkers third act – which is a crazy amount of fun – this isn’t exactly the most exciting Marvel adventure, and it also notably has the weakest villain featured in the franchise to date (we’re still not entirely clear on what it was that Malekith and his Dark Elves were trying to ultimately accomplish).

20. Iron Man 2

There is no question that the Marvel Cinematic Universe wouldn’t be what it is today without Robert Downey Jr.’s Tony Stark, but to paraphrase the genius/billionaire/playboy/philanthropist, Iron Man 2 is an example of a franchise running before it’s ready to walk. There is no denying the importance of this chapter, especially because it brought both War Machine and Black Widow to life for the first time, but its story is definitely messy as a result of too many plotlines competing for attention in the narrative.

19. Captain Marvel

After more than a decade in existence, Marvel Studios tried to shake up the traditional origin story in the making of Captain Marvel, and while the movie doesn’t fully work in that respect (ultimately still including a number of the traditional tropes and narrative moves), it’s also a blockbuster with some really big surprises. Brie Larson is most definitely a rad addition to the franchise, adding a great dose of spunk and charisma to the cosmic and Earthbound hero, and we're immensely excited about what kind of future adventures we'll soon see the character take on.

18. Iron Man 3

Phase Two of the Marvel Cinematic Universe offered up the opportunity for blockbusters to start melding the superhero characters with a wide variety of different genres, and Iron Man 3’s take on a noir detective story is a lot of fun, and packs more than a few significant twists. It’s a smart look at Tony Stark – is he the hero, or is it all about the suit? – and features some of the best one-liners in the MCU canon.

17. Avengers: Age Of Ultron

Expectations were crazy high for Avengers: Age Of Ultron back in 2015 – so high, arguably, that it never had a chance of fully reaching them – but the film is still an epic, thrilling, and fun example of super blockbuster storytelling. Both Scarlet Witch and Vision make for compelling and important new additions to the franchise, and it’s legitimately impressive what kind of threat the titular villain and his army of robots pose for Earth’s mightiest heroes.

16. Thor

Thor was a bit of a gamble for the Marvel Cinematic Universe, being a very out-there story being told as the franchise’s fourth feature, but it also provided a solid start on the big screen for one of the most important characters in the canon. It’s a film that was vitally important in establishing the tonal approach for almost every title that followed it, and it made some of the best early casting decisions in the brand’s history by bringing unknowns Chris Hemsworth and Tom Hiddleston into the fold (not to mention the star power of Natalie Portman, Anthony Hopkins, Rene Russo, and Idris Elba, among others).

15. Ant-Man And The Wasp

Given the nature of their powers, Ant-Man and The Wasp are characters who are best suited to star in “smaller” adventures, and Ant-Man And The Wasp delivers a super fun and fantastic one that wonderfully goes to all kinds of weird places. Picking up where they left in their first movie, Paul Rudd and Evangeline Lilly make for an awesome, kick-ass duo, and Peyton Reed does some delightful things with the action while utilizing the special growing and shrinking abilities.

14. Doctor Strange

Prior to the release of Doctor Strange, the Marvel Cinematic Universe was exclusively a science-fiction-based franchise, but the introduction of Benedict Cumberbatch’s titular hero totally changed the game. Featuring some awesome supporting performances from Tilda Swinton and Chiwetel Ejiofor, the movie is a mind-bender of the highest order, and features some of the most insane and beautiful visuals we’ve seen in modern blockbuster filmmaking. Even after multiple rewatches it’s still not entirely clear how the film was able to pull off some of its most bombastic sequences.

13. Ant-Man

Being one of the original Avengers, Ant-Man was one of the first films developed by Marvel Studios, and while it took an extra minute to arrive (and had a few behind-the-scenes issues), it’s still one of weirdest and best origin stories we’ve seen from the franchise. Under other circumstances a blockbuster about a shrinking hero who can control ants might not fly, but the special Marvel magic – not to mention the endless charisma of Paul Rudd – make this one a winner.

12. Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2

Audiences were left asking some big questions about the Guardians of the Galaxy following their big screen debut, and through thoughtful care and his excellent filmmaking abilities, James Gunn delivered yet another awesome story for the titular team with Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2. It’s still kind of nuts that we live in an era when a ridiculous comic book character like Ego The Living Planet can be brought to the big screen (and played by Kurt Russell, no less), but that’s the world we live in now, and along the way we’re also getting excellent stories with deeply-felt themes about family.

11. Captain America: The First Avenger

Captain America has arguably had the strongest run thus far in the history of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and it all started with his fantastic debut in Captain America: The First Avenger. The period storytelling gives it a style totally unto itself, with Joe Johnston perfectly recapturing the magic he previously generated with The Rocketeer, and Chris Evans immediately elevated the character beyond the simple boy scout/propaganda tool he could have been depicted as. It’s also extra fascinating to watch when you know the direction that the hero goes in as his big screen arc continues.

10. Black Panther

Ryan Coogler took on one of the greatest challenges so far in the Marvel Cinematic Universe by introducing the nation of Wakanda, and he not only successfully pulled it off, but crafted one of the most complex and philosophically intriguing chapters we’ve seen yet within the franchise with Black Panther. It’s crazy rare to see a blockbuster where both the hero and villain’s perspectives carry comparable weight and deserve equal consideration, and the Black Panther/Killmonger conflict brings just that – and on top of it all it’s fantastic to see how the simple addition of Vibranium can spice up an action sequence.

9. Iron Man

Marvel Studios movies have obviously come a long way in the last 11 years – explaining why only two titles in this Top 10 come from pre-2012 – but that being said Iron Man is still a phenomenal delight. Not only is Robert Downey Jr.’s charisma just totally off the charts, and the visual effects surprisingly spectacular, but even at the very start of everything the brand was upending expectations about what a big screen superhero story could be (we’ll never forget the way it tore down the secret identity concept with its final line). It’s a film we’re excited to watch every time we start a few franchise rewatch.

8. Captain America: Civil War

It was once thought that Marvel Studios would save all of its big team-up adventures for its Avengers movies, but then Captain America: Civil War came along in 2016 to blow minds. It’s honestly remarkable how the film perfectly plays on the developing arcs of both Cap and Iron Man, putting them on opposite sides of a smart and considered philosophical conflict, and on top of that it makes fantastic use of its broad ensemble of characters. These blockbusters are all crazy juggling acts, it’s amazing to see the way it manages to keep all of the balls in the air without missing a beat.

7. The Avengers

The Avengers is the picture-perfect definition of a game changer. Prior to 2012 it wasn’t entirely clear if the grand Marvel Cinematic Universe experiment would actually pay off, but Joss Whedon, armed with a very clear personal love for the characters and their history, put together a blockbuster that wonderfully highlights the greatest aspects of all of them – both when they are in extreme conflict and working together. It goes without saying that the franchise wouldn’t be what it is today if this one didn’t work, and its 45 minute-long third act action sequence remains as one of the best spectacles we’ve seen in modern cinema.

6. Spider-Man: Homecoming

Prior to the release of Spider-Man: Homecoming, it wasn’t entirely clear if the world was ready for yet another film about the wall-crawler – specifically because the hero had already been featured in two other separate franchises. Fortunately Spidey’s first solo film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe totally changed everybody’s mind by offering up a fresh, funny, and exciting new take on the high school-aged character. Not only is Tom Holland perfect in the lead role, but Michael Keaton’s Vulture is one of the best villains we’ve seen in the canon thus far – managing to somehow both be sympathetic and scary.

5. Thor: Ragnarok

As reflected in the rankings above, Thor didn’t have the greatest run when it came to solo movies prior to 2017, but Taika Waititi totally changed that pattern in the best way with Thor: Ragnarok. It required stripping away everything the character loves, including his father, his hammer, and even his hair, but the reinvention works perfectly, and it’s shocking just how funny the film is. It’s also arguably the best depiction of Hulk we’ve seen on the big screen to date, with the big green monster not only finding a voice, but also doing quite a lot of exciting smashing.

4. Guardians Of The Galaxy

Prior to 2014, nobody knew who the Guardians of the Galaxy were, but James Gunn worked his magic and now they are some of the most popular heroes around the globe. How? Because Guardians of the Galaxy is one of the best space operas ever committed to celluloid. The writer/director took some liberties with the source material, brought together some bizarre misfit heroes, and put together one of the best MCU casts, and end result was two-plus hours of delightful fun unlike anything any other comic book movie had previously attempted. Marvel took an absolutely massive swing with this property, but wound up hitting a home run on the first pitch.

3. Avengers: Infinity War

The Marvel Cinematic Universe started teasing the arrival of Thanos all the way back in 2012, and while some thought it was building too much hype to possibly pay off, Avengers: Infinity War proved all doubters wrong. Taking the spotlight in the 2018 blockbuster, the Mad Titan proved to be every bit the formidable and dangerous foe that audiences were promised, and the results are incredible and epic – all building to one of the most devastating endings in blockbuster history. The scope of the film is remarkable, not to mention the careful treatment of its absolutely massive ensemble, and it is amazing how it highlights just how much we’ve grown to care about these characters over the years.

2. Captain America: The Winter Solider

Joe and Anthony Russo never directed a blockbuster before taking on Captain America: The Winter Soldier, let alone an action movie, and that’s a stunning fact in retrospect. The movie’s plot channels 1970s conspiracy thrillers in the best way, crafting a wonderful mystery surrounding its two eponymous characters, but what truly makes the film standout is its endless series of insane and pulse-pounding action sequences that make you want to leap out of your chair every five minutes. After this debut, it was a surprise to nobody that Marvel trusted the brothers with three of their most ambitious projects ever.

1. Avengers: Endgame

It should have been an impossible task distilling 11 years-worth of films into one epic blockbuster, but the craftsmanship in the making of Avengers: Endgame is second to none – which explains why our staff has ranked it as the best Marvel Studios film we’ve seen so far. It’s not only an immensely satisfying experience for fans who have been following the franchise from the beginning, it’s also just a ridiculous crowd-pleaser in every respect. It’s hilarious; it’s tear-jerking; it’s thrilling; and it’s endlessly surprising. It’s everything you want it be after 22 movies, and makes our imaginations run wild thinking about what the next 22 movies might bring to the big screen.

How does our list compare with yours? If you haven’t already, go back to the top and take our survey, and stay tuned for more of our Marvel Cinematic Universe coverage here on CinemaBlend!

In the last nine years, no other franchise has been as successful as the Marvel Cinematic Universe. They created an instant phenomenon in 2008 with the release of Jon Favreau's Iron Man, and while not every single project has been as successful as the last, they all arrived in theaters backed by healthy anticipation and positive buzz. And there is perhaps no better statistic that represents this victory streak than their list of number one hits, as Taika Waititi's Thor: Ragnarok became the MCU's 17th film to top the box office in its opening weekend.

To date, every single Marvel Cinematic Universe title has crushed its competition in its first three days, with the newest Thor sequel being the latest and one of the greatest. According to Box Office Mojo, the new blockbuster managed to pull in an amazing $121 million in its first three days, which is enough to make it their seventh most successful opening yet. Despite coming out in the fall instead of the summer, Thor: Ragnarok still managed to outpace Spider-Man: Homecoming from this past July, and is now far and away the franchise's biggest November release (the other two being Scott Derrickson's Doctor Strange and Alan Taylor's Thor: The Dark World).

The full list of ranked number one hits for the Marvel Cinematic Universe can be found below -- from the record-shattering debut of The Avengers to the less exciting, but still top of the charts Incredible Hulk:

The consistency of success for the Marvel Cinematic Universe can be attributed to many things, from the clear popularity of comic book movies, to the fact that they consistently play and experiment with genre, keeping things fresh. Probably the most significant, however, is the most obvious: quality. Some titles are certainly more loved than others, but every title arrived in theaters riding a wave of positive buzz from professional critics, and fans have consistently walked out of screenings satisfied with their experience. This has allowed Marvel to maintain an attitude of "just wait until you see what's next," and constantly perpetuate their own success.

It's also worth noting that this streak of number one hits isn't likely to end any time soon -- and not only because all box office competition knows to be wary of the latest Marvel title. The studio has set up a stellar trio of blockbusters to release in 2018 -- including Ryan Coogler's Black Panther, Joe and Anthony Russo's The Avengers: Infinity War, and Peyton Reed's Ant-Man & The Wasp. Set to come out in February, May, and July, respectively, each title carries its own kind of anticipation, again, driven by everything we've seen before. Obviously 20 in a row would be a big deal -- and we're now likely just a few months away from seeing that happen.

How long does it take to clean up a disaster area after the Avengers, or members of Marvel's mightiest superhero group, wage war against the forces of evil? A deleted scene from Jon Watts' Spider-Man: Homecoming has some of that answer, as Peter Parker (Tom Holland) and his classmates were originally going to witness the cleanup from a Captain America: The Winter Soldier battle as they headed to Washington, D.C. for the big debate. Check this clip out:

This might seem a little bit confusing, as the events of Spider-Man: Homecoming took place after Captain America: Civil War, when Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) first introduced Spider-Man as a member of Team Iron Man. And yet, when Peter (Tom Holland) and his classmates head to D.C. for a class field trip, Michelle (Zendaya) points out that Damage Control is still cleaning up the fallen Hellicarriers that Cap downed as part of the finale of The Winter Soldier. She makes reference to Damage Control, the organization that Stark creates to facilitate the clean up of Marvel battles... and the group that the Vulture (Michael Keaton) is stealing from. That last line from Peter also is supposed to be foreshadowing for the warehouse in which Spider-Man will get stuck after he gets trapped in a Damage Control truck.

Is the scene necessary? Not really. For the most part, Spider-Man: Homecoming did an outstanding job of peppering in references to the Marvel Cinematic Universe without having to beat people over the head with the knowledge that this single story is part of a larger whole. In addition, the gym teacher already got in a good jab at Captain America being a "war criminal" for his rebellious action in Germany, so there's no real need to pile on the American hero by pointing out the damage that he did in D.C. by means of stopping Alexander Pierce (Robert Redford) and rescuing Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan).

Spider-Man: Homecoming is officially hitting Digital on September 26 and will follow on Blu-ray and DVD starting on October 17. As for The Avengers, they will come together next summer for Avengers: Infinity War, battling Thanos (Josh Brolin) and his minions when they come to our planet. I imagine that's going to create a LOT of busy work for Damage Control. If they're still cleaning up the attack on D.C., it might take them decades to properly tidy up after Thanos has had his say. To see all of the Marvel films that are due in theaters after Infinity War, peruse our official guide to Upcoming Marvel Movies.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe has become so big that you'd be forgiven for forgetting a lot of what has already happened. Luckily, fans will have a chance to catch up on the big screen. Cinemark Theaters have announced a week's worth of Marvel movies that will all be shown in the company's XD large format, similar to IMAX. The films will be shown in a series of mini-marathons that share a theme. Check out the list below for the dates and the list of movies attached to each theme.

Not every Cinemark theater will be running the marathon so be sure to check out their site for a complete list of participating theaters. About 30 states have at least one theater running the films so there's a good chance that one near you will have the movies. Even better, tickets to the movies are only $5 a piece, which is one hell of a deal for the XD format which, similar to 3D showings, usually sees a price increase over standard movie tickets. Tickets appear to be available for individual showings only, not for each marathon, though that's likely a good deal as several MCU movies will be seen more than once over the course of the week, so you won't be forced to buy tickets to the same movie twice.

Avengers will be shown five separate times during the seven day period, while the original Guardians of the Galaxy will be seen four times. You'll have to actually work to avoid those films. On the other side of the spectrum, however, there are a couple of movies that are only being shown once. Captain America: The Winter Soldier will only be viewable during the Captain America specific marathon, while Avengers: Age of Ultron, can only be seen as part of the series spotlighting team ups.

While the Marvel Studios week doesn't include every Marvel movie released so far, there probably won't be too many complaints. The only films missing entirely are the ones that don't tend to make many peoples' list of favorites. There's no Incredible Hulk or Iron Man 2 or Thor: The Dark World. While it might have been nice for completionist reason to fit in at least one showing of those, only the most die hard Marvel fan is going to miss them. They certainly could have given Iron Man his own day like they did Captain America, but apparently, it was not to be.

The Infinity Stones are becoming an ever-more important aspect of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Identified as the remnants of the six singularities that existed in the universe prior to the Big Bang - Space, Time, Reality, Mind, Power and Soul -- we have been slowly learning about all of them in Marvel Studios' movies for years now, and it won't be long before they are put center stage in the upcoming The Avengers: Infinity War - which will feature the Mad Titan known as Thanos working to collect all of the stones into the Infinity Gauntlet and possess the powers of a god.

But while hardcore comic book fans are fully aware of what the Infinity Stones are and what they do, there are surely many out there who are confused by all of it and have no way of keeping it all straight. That's exactly why we have created this handy little guide, which will not only explain exactly what all of the stones are, but where we first saw them in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and where they were last seen. Read on!

Space Stone

Where We First Saw It: Known as The Tesseract, the Space Stone was hidden for centuries on Earth in a church in Tonsberg, Norway, but in Captain America: The First Avenger we see it get stolen by Red Skull in 1942. It would later end up in the hands of S.H.I.E.L.D. (as first seen in Thor 's post-credits sequence).

Where We Last Saw It: After being stolen from S.H.I.E.L.D. by Loki in The Avengers, the Tesseract was put in a special case and transported back to Asgard by Thor (along with Loki in chains). It spent years locked away in Odin's Treasure room, but that's probably no longer the case given the expression on Loki's face when he spotted it at the end of Thor: Ragnarok.

What It Does: The Space Stone is utilized by Red Skull and Hydra during World War II as a weaponizable-energy source, but -- as seen in The Avengers - it's power is actually much greater than that. The Tesseract can actually be used to open up doors in space -- as demonstrated when Loki uses it to land on Earth and usher in an alien invasion.

Mind Stone

Where We First Saw It: While we didn't know it was the Mind Stone at the time, this one first showed up in The Avengers when Thanos gave it to Loki so that he could lead the Chitauri's invasion of Earth. It was positioned within the gem of the God of Mischief's staff.

Where We Last Saw It: As seen in The Avengers: Age of Ultron and Captain America: Civil War, this pretty yellow ingot is now safely nestled in the forehead of Vision -- who is extremely well equipped to take care of it.

What It Does: Since it was first introduced, the Mind Stone has actually proven to be useful in many ways, both good and bad. At first, Loki uses it to hypnotize individuals -- including Hawkeye -- to try and steal the Tesseract. Then, in the Captain America: The Winter Soldier mid-credits scene, it was revealed that the stone was actually somehow used to bring out innate powers within Wanda and Pietro Maximoff, turning them into Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver, respectively. As though, that weren't enough, Tony Stark then uses it in The Avengers: Age of Ultron to form the first ever artificial intelligence, and then his creation, Ultron, uses it to create Vision. Basically, if you need a mind created, manipulated, or changed, the Mind Stone is what you need.

Reality Stone

Where We First Saw It: A millennia ago, the Dark Elf leader known as Malekith tried to use the Reality Stone -- also known as the Aether -- to try and return the universe to a state of eternal darkness. This plan, as seen in the opening of Thor: The Dark World, was stopped by the Asgardians, and the Aether was hidden between worlds in the hopes of never being discovered again.

Where We Last Saw It: Unfortunately, the Aether was discovered again, and after Malekith once again tried to execute his plan, Thor was able to get the red liquid ingot back into protective hands. As to prevent two Infinity Stones from being kept in the same place, the Asgardians decided to trust it to The Collector (though he doesn't actually seem all that trustworthy).

What It Does: Though the rules surrounding the Reality Stone are perhaps the most unclear of the revealed Infinity Stones thus far, one thing is pretty damn clear: the sucker is powerful. More than just creating space portals or controlling individual minds, this thing has the inherent ability, under the right circumstances, to flick off the universe like a light switch and effectively change reality.

Power Stone

Where We First Saw It: It is Guardians of the Galaxy's Star-Lord who first introduces us to the Power Stone, successfully finding it contained within an Orb on the deserted planet Morag. Of course, he is not the only one looking for it.

Where We Last Saw It: Though the orb did wind up in the hands of the evil Ronan The Accuser for a while, the Guardians of the Galaxy were inevitably able to get it back from him, harness the power of the stone, and destroy him. Keeping it out of the hands of the Ravagers, Star-Lord then gave the purple ingot over to the Nova Corps, who are keeping it within a vault on Xandar.

What It Does: The Power Stone can really only be wielded by incredibly strong and powerful beings -- or at least several semi-strong and powerful beings at the same tie. As seen in multiple instances in Guardians of the Galaxy, though, if it is controlled then the person who holds it can do some seriously destructive stuff. A video screened by The Collector shows that it was once used to completely wipe out an entire planet.

Time Stone

Where We First Saw It: The most recently revealed Infinity Stone, featured in Doctor Strange, the Time Stone is first spotted inside the sorcerer training facility known as the Kamar-Taj. Also known as the Eye of Agamotto, it is used by The Ancient One and her followers to help protect the world from mystic threats.

Where We Last Saw It: Doctor Strange winds up wearing and using the Time Stone in a very effective matter in the final act of his first solo movie -- using it to save the world from Kaecilius' attempt to bring Dormammu and the Dark Dimension to Earth. Ultimately, however, it's decided that it's not a great idea to wear it around his neck at all times, so he puts it back where he found it in Kamar-Taj.

What It Does: As you could have guessed from the name, the name of the game when it comes to the Time Stone is time manipulation. We only see a limited example of its ability in Doctor Strange, with the titular hero using it to reverse time and create a loop, but it's noted that its power goes far beyond its demonstrated application thus far. This is definitely the device that could ultimately introduce legitimate time travel into the Marvel Cinematic Universe, not to mention create alternate timelines. Whoever holds the Time Stone has control over all time -- past, present, and future -- so the idea of it eventually falling into Thanos' hands is a scary idea.

Soul Stone

Where We First Saw It: Sadly, we haven't actually seen it yet. While five of the six Infinity Stones have been revealed, the Soul Stone isn't one of them.

Where We Last Saw It: Again, this one hasn't made itself known just yet.

What It Does: We don't know exactly how the Marvel Cinematic Universe will be changing things up from the source material, but in the comics the Soul Stone is the most powerful of all the Infinity Stones. The one that wields it can not only manipulate both living and dead souls, but can actually be used to steal the abilities of gifted individuals. Going further, there is actually an entire Soul World that exists within the Soul Stone, and it's there that the essence of individuals go when they are absorbed. The comics have famously featured the Soul Stone embedded in the forehead of Adam Warlock, but given that's the relationship between Vision and the Mind Stone, we can probably expect that to change.

Marvel and DC fans have had an intense rivalry for a long time, and it's only picked up steam now that DC has a shared movie universe to compete with Marvel's. This particular rivalry typically reaches equal levels of silly and extreme, and while we all can agree that both companies have their merits, Suicide Squad has reached a personal milestone by surpassing one of Marvel's best films in the process. Suicide Squad has officially overtaken Captain America: The Winter Soldier at the box office.

Box Office Mojo has the official numbers and Suicide Squad has managed to rake in a global box office total of $718 million. This puts it ahead of Captain America: The Winter Soldier's total of $714 million. Suicide Squad premiered to a slew of negative reviews that many felt would weigh it down in a similar way to its predecessor, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. While it did suffer a big drop in its second week, Suicide Squad has proven to be the August champion, winning the number one spot three weekends in a row.

Though this is a pretty good achievement, Suicide Squad had already surpassed the Marvel sequel in the domestic box office. By its third week in theaters, the supervillain film had already beaten the total domestic gross of Winter Soldier.

While Suicide Squad has managed to pass Winter Soldier, that film is actually the sixth highest grossing film of the MCU. Suicide Squad has already passed films like Ant-Man, Iron Man, and Thor: The Dark World. But the supervillain blockbuster wasn't quite able to surpass the other big dogs of the MCU, namely Guardians of the Galaxy, Iron Man 3, Captain America: Civil War, The Avengers and its sequel, Avengers: Age of Ultron.

While box office grosses are typically used as a shorthand in Hollywood for success, it isn't always synonymous with quality. While Suicide Squad is a lighter affair that delivers some fun characters (mostly Harley Quinn), Winter Soldier is the superior film across the board with stellar action and characters, cementing itself as one of Marvel's best films. But you don't get over $700 million without having your fans, and it's always possible that the inevitable Suicide Squad 2 manages to fix the originals problems in pacing and coherence.

For more updates on both Marvel and DC, be sure to keep checking in with CinemaBlend and we'll keep you updated with new information as it becomes available.

There are a lot of strings that connect Joe and Anthony Russo's Captain America: The Winter Soldier and Captain America: Civil War, but one is a small running joke that fans of the television series Community have been able to follow. Both movies feature a special cameo with an actor from the show -- a loving reference given that the Russo brothers used to be producers on the program and even directed a large number of episodes. It's fun to spot if you're a fan of both Community and Marvel, and the good news is that the cameos will continue in the duo's next blockbuster project: The Avengers: Infinity War.

Being one of those aforementioned fans of both Community and Marvel, I felt compelled to ask the Russos about the cameos when I interviewed them over the phone late last week in advance of Captain America: Civil War's Blu-ray and DVD release September 13th. Noting the roles played by both Danny Pudi in The Winter Soldier (as a S.H.I.E.L.D. com tech) and Jim Rash in Civil War (as an MIT liaison), I asked if we can expect to see yet another Community castmember appear in The Avengers: Infinity War, and Joe Russo explained,

I pressed for confirmation that fans can definitely expect a special appearance from a Community actor in the 2018 blockbuster, and Joe Russo enthusiastically replied,

For those who haven't watched Community (Note: please, do yourself a favor and give it a try), the rest of the show's main cast on beyond Danny Pudi and Jim Rash includes Joel McHale, Allison Brie, Gillian Jacobs, Donald Glover, Chevy Chase, and Yvette Nicole Brown. Of all these actors, only Glover has actually landed a role in the Marvel Cinematic Universe thus far, set to appear in 2017's Spider-Man: Homecoming - making him probably the most likely actor to show up in The Avengers: Infinity War. That being said, in the spirit of what the movie is doing in terms of bringing together characters from all over the Marvel Cinematic Universe, perhaps the Russos can actually find a way to reunite most if not all of the comedy show's cast.

It's also worth mentioning that Brie Larson -- a.k.a. the MCU's brand new Captain Marvel -- played a recurring role in three episodes of Community. If she does appear in The Avengers: Infinity War, maybe the Russos have her be a part of whatever the cameo winds up being.

For those of you who are fans, who would you like to see from the Community cast show up in The Avengers: Infinity War? Is there anyone you don't want to see cameo because you think they should have a bigger role in the Marvel Cinematic Universe? Hit the comments section below with your thoughts, feelings, and opinions.

Warning: Spoilers for Captain America: Civil War are in play. Bookmark this page, and come back after you've seen the movie, if you don't want to be spoiled.

In Captain America: Civil War, we learned that not only was Bucky kept in cryostasis between the dirty deeds HYDRA would wake him up to commit, but he also went through a rigorous mental conditioning to keep himself sharp. We saw the electromagnetic shock portion in Captain America: The Winter Soldier, but what we didn’t see was the fact that much like The Manchurian Candidate, Bucky was conditioned to respond to a special trigger that primed him to accept orders. In this case, the trigger was a series of 10 random words. But were they as random as we think?

Keep in mind, there’s still a chance that all, if not most, of these words are just interesting sounding words that are innocuous enough on their own that they wouldn’t raise suspicion. That said, we still feel breaking the list down word by word is the best way to find out if maybe this string of command words leads to some sort of deeper understanding into the psyche of Sgt. James Buchanan "Bucky" Barnes.

Longing

Going on pure symbolic grounds, "Longing" could represent the memories that Bucky tends to pick up on from his past life, right before he’s electro-shocked into his Winter Soldier state. We saw more of this in Captain America: The Winter Soldier, as Bucky was starting to remember the accident that lead to his capture by HYDRA, as well as Dr. Arnim Zola’s implantation of Barnes’ juiced up metal prosthetic arm. It’s this longing that needs to be crushed, and by the end of the process, that’s exactly what happens.

Rusted

"Rusted" means absolutely nothing, unless we’re thinking about Bucky’s bi-monthly maintenance regimen which keeps his arm nice and strong. However, going by the first command word, this could be a further symbolic gesture that signifies a sort of corruptive countdown that puts Bucky out of commission, and awakens the Winter Soldier within. Also, "rusted" is exactly the sort of adjective that Col. Helmut Zemo would use for the empire that he’s trying to topple, but considering these commands predate Zemo’s vengeance, this is merely an example of kismet.

Seventeen

"Seventeen" is a nice little double edged sword, as it looks ahead to the year of release for a certain Marvel movie that’s mentioned later on in the list, but it also has a deeper connection to Bucky Barnes’ past. Depending on what source you’re going by, 1917 is the year that Bucky was born – which could also be tied into the exchange between Bucky and Steve before they walk into the Siberian stronghold. Both men acknowledge that, technically, they’re 100 years old – though in both of their cases, it’s more of an approximation, as Bucky was born in 1917, and Steve was born in 1918 according to Captain America: The Winter Soldier.

Daybreak

This trigger word doesn’t really have a huge significance to Bucky, but it does seem to speak to the events of Captain America: Civil War, both in and outside of its cinematic universe. Symbolically, a new day is dawning with the Sokovia Accords policing the activities of Avengers and other super-powered heroes, so this fits in that respect. However, when you take into account that this film is the first one in Phase 3’s line-up, one could say that daybreak has also come for the latest round of Marvel Cinematic Universe films, with this new phase getting off to a roaring start.

Furnace

Furnaces tend to be thought of as warm, even fiery objects – which would come in handy with a person who’s being dethawed from deep cryo-sleep. While Bucky is being activated during the Siberian prologue in Captain America: Civil War, he’s still warming up to the world around him, which could mean that "furnace" is included as a command to encourage the "warming up" phase of Bucky’s awakening.

Nine

Your guess is as good as ours as to what "nine" means. There’s no real application that we can think of when it comes to that particular number, except that there’s ten Avengers in play during Captain America: Civil War. Symbolically, this could be a clever nod to the original notion that most fans speculated the death of Captain America would occur at the end of the film. Or it could be the number nine, and mean absolutely nothing. Again, this one’s a bit of a straw grasp.

Benign

The most ironic inclusion in the list of trigger words designed to set Bucky off has to be that of the word, "benign." Typically, the word is associated with harmless, kind traits that a hardened assassin wouldn’t possess. Though considering the order this command is issued in, it could be the "clean slate" command that would start the final phase of conditioning in Mr. Barnes’ mind. Benign could resemble the state of mind that begins to prime Bucky for the final phase of his transformation.

Homecoming

You know exactly what you thought when you saw the word "Homecoming" on the screen during Captain America: Civil War. You were thinking, "That can’t be a coincidence. That’s the title of the next Spider-Man movie!" Well, you’re right in that respect, but as it relates to Bucky’s activation, it could be symbolic of the fact that he’s "coming home" so to speak whenever he’s woken up. Not to mention, when Zemo first starts talking after Berlin’s power grid is knocked out, he designates the code book containing the words as Bucky’s "real home."

One

There are two ways this command could be interpreted. The first assumes that this could be a reference to the fact that, just like his comic incarnation, Bucky has been in Captain America’s history since square one. Bucky made his debut in Captain America Comics #1 back in 1941, as well as in Captain America: The First Avenger in 2011, so their near synchronized fates could be the significance behind this word. However, "One" could simply mean that whenever Bucky was activated, it’s usually one goal / mission he’s being activated for, before going back into the freezer.

Freight Car

Finally, we come to the end of the line, and with a command word that seems like it’s a blatant reference to Captain America history. In Captain America: The First Avenger, Bucky "disappears" after falling off of a train during a counter-HYDRA operation. We even see Bucky flashback to this event during one of his conditioning sessions in Captain America: The Winter Soldier. Naturally, it was a freight car that he fell off of, and thus it could be assumed that the trauma from the event is the trigger that snaps every other command into place – turning Bucky into the Winter Soldier.

Overall, it seems like the Russian trigger words that awaken the Winter Soldier persona in Bucky don’t seem to have a huge, cohesive arc between all 10 entries. However, some words do have more meaning than others, which could just be a way of showing how incognito the code actually is. In fact, we’re kind of surprised that Zemo didn’t try to just weave those words into an innocuous form of dialogue, thus triggering Bucky and covering his tracks by looking more like an innocent by-stander. But then again, we’re to assume that those words specifically need to be used independent of any conversation, as we’re not presented with any other option. So Zemo’s hand was really forced.

In either respect, it’s a bit of a stretch to think that all of these words are anything more than a clever sequence of words that Captain America: Civil War has immortalized as the words that could still turn mild-mannered Bucky Barnes into a ruthless killing machine. While symbolism seems to run strong if you look at it a certain way, there isn’t a clear narrative present in this series of triggers. Though if you have theories of your own that make more sense of this list of words, feel free to speculate in the Comments, Soldier.

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Spoiler warning: Do not continue if you have not already seen Captain America: Civil War. Seriously, there are big spoilers in this whole article. You’ve been warned.

Captain America: Civil War is finally here and it’s beautiful. Despite being a big summer blockbuster, the film is deeply personal with most characters caught up in a battle of ideology as much as a literal battle of punching. While this punching is all well and good (and it is very good), the film wouldn’t be much without personal connections. At the heart of this conflict is Bucky Barnes, the Winter Soldier (Sebastian Stan). Barnes is still recovering and coming to terms with his actions as a brain washed assassin and it’s one of those actions he committed as the Winter Soldier that produce the films biggest reveal.

Again, it’s a huge reveal so turn away lest you be spoiled on the biggest twist in the entire film. Still here? Then here we go.

It is revealed in this film that one of the many victims killed by the Winter Soldier were Howard and Maria Stark, the parents of Tony Stark! It was a huge revelation but to some fans, it might not be so shocking. As pointed out by Hit Fix, fans with a keen eye will remember that this was very briefly teased in Captain America: The Winter Soldier.

The tease in question happened when Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) and Natasha Romanoff (Scarlet Johansson) found the secret Hydra bunker that contained the computerized brain of believed to be dead, Arnim Zola (Toby Jones). The living computer informed the two that Hydra was alive and well, growing inside of SHIELD. Zola explains that whenever "history would not cooperate—history was changed." Quick flashes of images of the Winter Soldier appeared on screen, followed by a news headline about the death of Howard and Maria Stark in a car accident in 1991.

The implication was that Hydra had arranged for the Stark’s death but it didn’t stop fans from creating a theory that it was Bucky who carried out the hit. This is something that was set up all the way back in 2014, but it’s possible to trace it back even further. In the first 10 minutes of Iron Man, we see a series of headlines celebrating Tony’s life, mostly from magazine covers. One image, however, is another news headline of Howard and Maria Stark’s death. The headline is from the same year of 1991 and the cause of death is a car accident.

While I don’t think for a second that Marvel knew in 2008 they were even going to use the Winter Soldier, let alone make a movie about Civil War, it’s still a really cool Easter egg that goes all the way back to the birth of the MCU. It's just nice that they remained consistent with the date. How did you all feel about seeing the Stark’s die onscreen? Let us know in the comments.

Captain America: Civil War is the 13th entry in the now-mighty Marvel Cinematic Universe. And every movie leading up to Civil War has included what’s now viewed as the MCU staple – a post-credits (and sometimes mid-credits) stinger that either sets up the next few MCU movies, or caps the current adventure with a well-timed visual gag. (Shawarma!)

Do you think, however, that you could tell the name of a Marvel movie just by looking at the credits scene that they showed? Then take a shot at our Marvel End Credits Quiz! Pay close attention, though. Some of these are trickier than others.

How did you do? Better than you thought? You might need to pull a few of these Marvel Cinematic Universe movies off of your DVD shelf and revisit.

Want the answers to the quiz? Continue on to see the results…

Ant-Man

The Avengers

The Incredible Hulk

Iron Man 2

Thor: The Dark World

The Avengers

Captain America: The Winter Soldier

Thor

Captain America: The First Avenger

Avengers: Age of Ultron

Guardians of the Galaxy

Iron Man

Iron Man 3

Thor: The Dark World

Captain America: The Winter Soldier

Ant-Man

With the arrival of Captain America: Civil War, the Marvel Cinematic Universe is entering Phase Three of the franchise – so it’s a pretty natural time to look back and reflect on what’s come before. In eight years we have seen the release of 12 different comic book movies, and each one has helped lay the path that the series has taken. If we want to be really specific, however, there are really 10 key events that we’ve seen that have pushed things to the point that we see them unfold in the new film from directors Joe and Anthony Russo.

We’ve taken a look back at all of the previous Marvel Studios titles that have been released and plucked out what we believe are the key MCU moments that led some of our favorite fictional characters to where things stand in the franchise. Read on and enjoy!

"I Am Iron Man"

"I am Iron Man." That’s just four words, but they mean everything to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It was with this pronouncement from Tony Stark at the end of Iron Man that the "Age of Heroes" was introduced to the globe. It’s true that shell head wasn’t the first superhero to emerge in this fictional world (more on that later), but it was his arrival on the scene that basically opened the door for the arrival of many new, wonderful and terrifying things. Basically, it’s the moment that sets the stage for the world in which Captain America: Civil War takes place.

Tony Stark At The Senate Arms Hearing

Years before he was agreeing that his Avengers buddies need to be put in check, Tony Stark was fighting for the exact opposite while in a Senate Arms hearing in the first act of Iron Man 2. The government told the stylishly-bearded hero that the Iron Man armor was too great a weapon to be possessed by a civilian, and Tony argued that they should be thanking him for privatizing world peace. It’s at this point that the titular hero is on the complete opposite side of the spectrum than the position he winds up taking in Captain America: Civil War, and the arc he takes to get there is well earned and surprisingly powerful.

Tony Stark Watches His Dad’s Videos

We’re sticking around with Iron Man 2 for another round, because it also happens to be the film that establishes the immensely complicated relationship that Tony Stark had with his father, Howard Stark. A founder of S.H.I.E.L.D. and a giant in the tech community for decades, Howard wasn’t much of a family man, and that took its toll on his son. Tony grew up both resenting and admiring his father, and also followed in his footsteps in many ways. This tenuous bond wasn’t helped by Howard’s admiration for Captain America, but we’ll get more into that later.

The Destroyer’s Arrival In New Mexico

You know what would be a big deal in our world? First contact with an alien species. And guess what? It’s a pretty big deal in the Marvel Cinematic Universe too. The arrival of Chris Hemsworth’s titular Thor is largely kept under wraps after his arrival (given that he’s powerless and looks human), but the same can’t be said about the arrival of The Destroyer – the greatest weapon in Asgard. The ray-blasting machine winds up leveling half of a New Mexico town, and probably would have finished the job had it not been for Thor earning the right to be the God of Thunder once again. It was the first time that the world witnessed the dangerous and destructive forces that exist beyond the stars, and it caused a major shift as a result.

Captain America Is Born

Remember what I was saying about Iron Man not technically being the first superhero in the world? That’s because that distinct honor belongs to Chris Evans’ Steve Rogers a.k.a. Captain America. In Joe Johnston’s Captain America: The First Avenger, we witness the birth of that hero, and it’s an exceptionally important moment. The way the sequence of events unfold result in Rogers being the only one of his kind – which is to say a physically perfect human who entirely embodies the good in every one of us. We also can’t ignore that Howard Stark was an integral part of the experiment, which had a lasting impact on the inventor and later his son.

The Avengers Fight In The Lab

As Marvel fans know, the first fight between Steve Rogers and Tony Stark does not occur in Captain America: Civil War. In fact, the two men are basically in each other’s faces and at each other’s throats right up until the final battle sequence where they are forced to team up in the first Avengers movie. At no point in the movie do things get more heated than in Bruce Banner’s Helicarrier laboratory, however, where the two men very nearly come to blows. Ironically, Steve doesn’t love Tony’s flippant defiance of authority, and Tony’s daddy issues blatantly creep up to give him a little extra angst in his attitude. This is the appetizer that arrives four years before the main course.

The Nuke Strike On Manhattan/Iron Man Goes Through The Worm Hole

The big battle in The Avengers clocks in at 45 minutes long, and as a result there is a whole lot of stuff that goes on in it. We’re going to specifically focus on the decision from the World Security Council that Manhattan should be nuked, and Iron Man’s heroics carrying that same weapon through a worm hole and destroying the Chitauri mothership. As we would see play out in subsequent movies, this event has a massive effect on the mental stability of Tony Stark, making him totally paranoid and wanting to protect the world, but as far as Captain America: Civil War goes, the whole "government nuking New York" a pretty good bit of evidence to bring up in support of Team Cap.

Tony Stark Has A Panic Attack

Shane Black’s Iron Man 3 introduces audiences to a very different Tony Stark than the one featured in his four previous adventures. Gone is the cocky, brash jerk, and instead what remains is a man who has seen the greatest threats to Earth, and will do absolutely everything in his power to stop them. An unfortunate side effect of this fear is the emotional overload that he experiences whenever someone mentions the events in New York – as we see early in the movie when Tony is signing a couple of autographs for fans. This sequence has Tony at his most fragile, and that overwhelming fear determines a good deal of his actions leading up through Captain America: Civil War.

The Fall Of S.H.I.E.L.D.

As part of the generation he grew up in, Steve Rogers has the tendency to see the world in black and white, rather than shades of grey. The Nazis were evil, so he felt it was his responsibility to enlist in the army and stop them. In today’s world – as seen in Captain America: The Winter Soldier - this is a bit complicated… but it becomes pretty uncomplicated by the end of the film’s third act. The organization that Rogers put all of his trust in, S.H.I.E.L.D., winds up being completely overrun by undercover Hydra agents, which ultimately destroys any and all of his faith he has in modern governments or agencies. These events are crucial when understanding Cap’s viewpoint in Captain America: Civil War.

The Decimation Of Sokovia

They don’t call them "The Sokovia Accords" for nothing. The various members of the Avengers have found themselves in the midst of some very destructive scenes over the years, but nothing compares to the time they tried to stop Ultron from using an Eastern European city as an extinction-event-causing meteor. This narrowly avoided tragedy winds up terrifying people all around the globe, worried what The Avengers are going to do next – and their panic is somewhat justified given that Tony Stark created in eponymous villain in The Avengers: Age of Ultron. This is a cataclysmic moment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and has major consequences that unfold in Captain America: Civil War.

Captain America has been one of pop culture’s most prominent superheroes for 75 years, serving not just as the United States’ patriotic defender, but also fighting for what’s right no matter what. This mission extends to live action, as we’ve watched Chris Evans’ iteration of the character fight for justice across two solo movies, soon to be three with Captain America: Civil War, and two Avengers movies. Whether it was in World War II or in the present day, Steve has proved himself as one of the MCU’s greatest protectors.

We’ve seen Captain America beat up many villains over the years, from HYDRA agents to Ultron drones, but what makes him special isn’t just his Super Soldier abilities or his uncanny shield throwing. There have been key moments where he’s taken action that proved he’s able to inspire others or has been willing to sacrifice his life for the greater good. Before Captain America: Civil War arrives later this week, we’re highlighting Steve’s most heroic moments in the MCU so far, when he went above and beyond the call of duty.

Covering The Dummy Grenade

It’s been made perfectly clear in Captain America: The First Avenger that even before Steve Rogers was injected with the Super Soldier Serum, he was always courageous. His determination to join the army despite being rejected numerous times would have been enough proof of that, but the point was really driven home when he was in boot camp. Not believing Dr. Abraham Erskine’s assessment of Steve, Colonel Chester Phillips tossed a dummy grenade at the recruits and passed it off as the real deal. The other soldiers, all bigger and stronger, ran for cover, but scrawny Steve didn’t think twice about jumping on top of the grenade to shield the blast. This "test" didn’t prove Phillips’ point like he intended, but further strengthened Erskine’s belief that Steve was the right man to be given his serum.

Rescuing Red Skull’s Prisoners

After Abraham Erskine was killed and the whole Super Soldier Serum was lost, Steve was left to boost morale both stateside and in Europe, but he still had that itch to help his country directly in combat. He finally got the chance to do so when he learns that Bucky Barnes’ unit was captured by the Red Skull’s forces. Not content with Chester Phillips’s decision to simply bomb the facility and not endanger more American lives, Steve decided to dive into enemy territory by himself with nothing but a prop shield and his Super Soldier abilities. Despite the odds being stacked against him, he snuck in and freed all of the prisoners, including Bucky, Dum Dum Dugan and the other Howling Commandos. He may have disobeyed orders, but by risking his life, he found an alternative to simply letting the soldiers become casualties.

Crashing Red Skull’s Aircraft

Red Skull perished near the end of Captain America: The First Avenger, but unfortunately for Steve, the HYDRA villain’s master plan wasn’t immediately foiled. With no way to properly land the aircraft carrying the Skull’s weapons of mass destruction, Steve remained on board to land it in the Arctic, where if those weapons did indeed go off, they wouldn’t harm anyone else. He could have easily bailed out of the aircraft, but he knew that would mean the deaths of arguably millions, so he made the ultimate sacrifice, which usually means biting the dust. However, when you have the Super Soldier Serum running through your body, becoming a Cap-sicle doesn’t equal death. He was reawakened almost 70 years later, but unfortunately, his decision still came at a cost, as almost everyone he once knew was now dead, and he was now a man out of time.

Rallying The Police Officers

Fighting alien invaders is a hard enough job, but making sure civilians are kept out of harm’s way adds an extra layer of difficulty. When the Avengers found themselves in that predicament in their 2012 ensemble movie, Steve immediately began laying out how the team could contain the damage and limit civilian casualties. That’s an admirable goal, but it takes more than just six heroes to accomplish that, which is why he immediately found nearby police officers to help coordinate the effort. Obviously guy dressed in a star-spangled uniform showing up in the midst of an alien attack was going to raise some eyebrows, but after Steve promptly dispatched several Chitauri in front of them, the officers complied with his defense strategy. In the midst of the chaos, Steve provided some order to the officers rather than left them in the lurch while waiting for Army reinforcements. Oh, and then he went off to save more civilians. He’s a good man.

His Speech To The S.H.I.E.L.D. Agents

Steve, Black Widow, Nick Fury and more learned in Captain America: The Winter Soldier that for decades, HYDRA had been hidden within S.H.I.E.L.D. and corrupted many agents within the organization. Fortunately, not every S.H.I.E.L.D. agent was dirty, and to those who were still truly fighting the good fight, Captain America delivered a message to the, before attempting to take down Project Insight. After exposing HYDRA’s presence and how the new Helicarriers would allow the terrorists to instantly wipe their enemies off the map, he implored their help to stop HYDRA and protect freedom. Ultimately, Steve and his close-knit team were responsible for disabling the Helicarriers, but thanks to folks like Sharon Carter, the technician who refused to comply with Brock Rumlow and more, they interfered enough to throw the HYDRA agents off balance. Steve inspired them to do the right thing, even if it meant paying a steep cost.

Talking Bucky Back Into His Senses

Bucky Barnes spent most of Captain America: The Winter Soldier under HYDRA’s control, and when Steve discovered that the Winter Solider was really him, he tried desperately to snap his best friend back to normal. Near the end of the movie, the two found themselves still fighting aboard one of the burning Helicarriers, but even after freeing Bucky from under a massive metal frame, the brainwashed HYDRA assassin continued to attack him. So Steve did the only thing left to do: drop his shield and refuse to fight anymore. Instead of continuing the fight and refused to continue fighting. Steve showed Bucky that snapping him back to his senses was more important than winning. He risked his life to prove to Bucky that he was with him to "the end of the line," something Bucky said to him in 1940 after his mother died. Steve nearly taking this action, but his courage and selflessness ignited Bucky’s "recovery," which is why he’s now a protagonists in Captain America: Civil War (being framed for crimes aside).

When it comes to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, few creators have had a substantial impact on par with the Russos. Sure, Jon Favreau brought Tony Stark to life, and Joss Whedon got The Avengers made, but Joe and Anthony Russo effectively turned Captain America into one of the MCU’s best characters. However, that doesn’t mean that their work is faultless. In anticipation of Captain America: Civil War, Joe and Anthony Russo sat down with Screen Junkies to react to the Captain America: The Winter Soldier Honest Trailer. Check it out below to see for yourself.

The folks at Screen Junkies have become known for their work on crafting Honest Trailers for popular blockbuster movies, but they seem to have gone further with this one by letting Joe and Anthony Russo actually react their work on the Captain America: The Winter Soldier trailer. For much of the video’s run time, the Screen Junkies ask how they made Cap such a cool character compared to his admittedly dorky (or "square") beginnings. The Russos explain that making Cap cool again was pretty much their entire mission statement, from the action to his general disposition.

However, from there the Honest Trailer starts to tear apart the film's plot holes. Primarily the trailer seems to point towards the fact that nobody stays dead in the Marvel, as well as the fact that it doesn’t exactly make sense that nobody found out about Hydra’s deep infiltration in earlier movies. The Russos for the most part seem to brush off the criticism, accepting that the Screen Junkies aren’t wrong in their analysis of the issues.

All things considered, the Honest Trailer guys let the Russos get off pretty easy because there simply isn’t that much to tear into when it comes to Captain America: The Winter Soldier. It’s one of- if not the- best standalone Marvel Cinematic Universe movie to date, and as such the Russos barely had to defend themselves. That being said, Screen Junkies makes a point to highlight the fact that it’s not the case with every Marvel film. When they did the same for Thor, it was pretty much a bloodbath.

All in all, the Russos have done a commendable job of integrating Steve Rogers into the contemporary age. The Winter Soldier is arguably the best Marvel film to date, if not one of the best superhero movies of all time, and we cannot wait to see what the Russos do for the character in Captain America: Civil War. Be sure to catch the latest MCU adventure when Tony Stark and Steve Rogers finally battle one another next week on May 6.

Joe and Anthony Russo’s Captain America: Civil War caps off the trilogy that began with Joe Johnston’s Captain America: The First Avenger back in 2011, but it is so much more than just another film about Chris Evans’ Steve Rogers. In fact, there are key elements of the movie that can be traced back to just about every single Marvel Studios title that has come before it, really giving it the sense that things have all been leading to this point (even when there’s still so much more to go). Of course, this means that having a refresher course on the Marvel Cinematic Universe would be quite useful, so that’s exactly what we’re here to provide.

Below you’ll find that we’ve gone movie-by-movie, starting with 2008’s Iron Man, and have examined exactly how each title has influenced the MCU to this point and what elements fans can expect to see pay off in Captain America: Civil War. Enjoy the read, but be warned that each section contains major spoilers for each individual title, but NO SPOILERS for Civil War itself!

Iron Man

Iron Man wasn’t the first superhero to exist in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (we’ll get more into that later), but his arrival on the scene did have an incredibly significant impact: it ushered in the "Age of Heroes." When Robert Downey Jr.’s Tony Stark stood on that podium and announced his secret identity, he both directly and indirectly ushered in an entirely new age for the world. It’s an age that would see the collection of the Avengers, and eventual debate over the Sokovia Accords in Captain America: Civil War.

Of course, we can’t talk about Iron Man without also talking about the arc of Tony Stark – who begins the Jon Favreau-directed film as a billionaire playboy without a care in the world, and over the course of the story finds his humanity. He gets an up-close view at the work of some very bad people, and he can’t fight the urge to do something about it, disregarding international laws, no-fly zones, and military regulations entirely. Tony Stark gets a taste of what it’s like to protect the world in the movie, seeding what would ultimately become an obsession for the armor-clad hero.

The Incredible Hulk

With The Hulk set to show up in Thor: Ragnarok, Captain America: Civil War doesn’t feature Marvel’s famed big green monster, but it does feature one very important character from Louis Leterrier’s The Incredible Hulk: Thaddeus ‘Thunderbolt’ Ross (as played by William Hurt, who is the only lead actor from the Phase One movie to reprise his role to this point). In Civil War, he has become the nation’s Secretary of State and in charge of getting the Avengers to sign the Sokovia Accords, and this dynamic was something very much introduced in The Incredible Hulk.

Being the father of Betty Ross, Bruce Banner’s love, Thaddeus Ross obviously has some very personal issues with The Hulk, but the truth is that his feelings towards super-humans is pretty universal: he wants control over all of them. He is desperate to get Hulk under his thumb for use for military purposes, and he doesn’t hesitate at all to inject Super Solider Serum into Tim Roth’s Emil Blonsky (a soldier under his command). It may not be as direct as what he does in The Incredible Hulk, but his motivations in Captain America: Civil War essentially remain the same.

Iron Man 2

What’s fantastic about looking at Jon Favreau’s Iron Man 2 through the lens of Captain America: Civil War is that it shows just how far Tony Stark has come as a character, and how events have drastically changed him. The first act of the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s first sequel has the billionaire in the Iron Man suit fighting for his right to keep his armor out of government hands and to basically privatize global security – literally the opposite of his position in the Joe and Anthony Russo-directed movie. Of course, this is at a time when he was working as a one-man response team and managing to avoid large-scale collateral damage.

While it doesn’t exactly assemble a team, Iron Man 2 also notably (and arguably notoriously) does its part to feed in more Avengers-related material to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Samuel L. Jackson’s Nick Fury is present in recruiting mode, and two more future team members are introduced in Black Widow (Scarlet Johansson) and War Machine (Don Cheadle, replacing Terrence Howard and actually getting to put on the armor). It’s worth noting that both of these heroes wind up fighting on Iron Man’s side in Captain America: Civil War.

Thor

Iron Man ushered in the "Age Of Heroes" in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but it’s sad to say that it was Chris Hemsworth’s Thor that combined that period with a brand new age of paranoia. Though it wasn’t actually the fault of the God of Thunder, his presence on Earth led to the decimation of a small town in New Mexico – an event that could be cited as the first example of really large-scale destruction that would lay the foundation for the argument put forward in advancing the Sokovia Accords in Captain America: Civil War.

Then there’s the chain reaction that was started in the Kenneth Branagh film to consider. As noted by Nick Fury in The Avengers, Thor’s arrival caused S.H.I.E.L.D. to start looking into more powerful weaponry; which unknowingly advanced the strength of HYDRA; which led to the fall of S.H.I.E.L.D.; and in turn made Captain America incredibly nervous about who to trust in the modern world. But we’ll be getting into all of that in more detail as this feature continues and we start getting into more Phase Two action…

Captain America: The First Avenger

As the first film in the trilogy that’s capped with Captain America: Civil War, the connections here should be fairly obvious. Joe Johnston’s Captain America: The First Avenger was the film that first introduced audiences to Chris Evans’ version of Steve Rogers, chronicling his journey from feeble kid to World War II super soldier. The movie also firmly establishes the brother-like bond between Steve and Sebastian Stan’s Bucky Barnes – not only before the transformation when they’re together in Brooklyn, but also when they are on the frontlines together and after Bucky’s "death."

There is another aspect of Captain America: The First Avenger to consider as well, which is the relationship between Steve Rogers and Howard Stark, Tony Stark’s father. The scientist was a close associate of Cap’s during World War II – even providing him with his famous shield – and based on everything we’ve heard in subsequent films, the older Stark was quite in awe of the soldier. In a sense, Tony has spent his entire life living in Steve’s shadow, and while this has never been beneficial in their relationship, it obviously comes to a head in Captain America: Civil War.

The Avengers

Before Joss Whedon’s The Avengers, the Marvel Cinematic Universe existed as a mix of connected, but also fairly disjointed comic book movies centering around a handful of cool characters. But, of course, it was the 2012 blockbuster that brought them all together for the first time in spectacular fashion. It was the first time that we got to see live-action versions of heroes chatting and relating to each other, and it was the establishment of a wide variety of key interpersonal dynamics that gives the film its strongest connection to Captain America: Civil War. Not to mention that the Chitauri Invasion of New York completely escalated all of the feelings of fear and paranoia in the world that really began back with Thor.

Not only does The Avengers key us in to close relationships like the one between Black Widow and Jeremy Renner’s Hawkeye, but it’s also the first title in the franchise to preview the conflict stirring between Captain America and Iron Man. Funny enough, this divergence is caused by feelings that will reverse themselves by the time Civil War comes up – Cap taking issue with shell head’s cavalier attitude in time of crisis and unwillingness to follow S.H.I.E.L.D.’s orders – but there’s also Tony’s aforementioned legendary daddy/jealousy issues that automatically creates friction.

Iron Man 3

Remember that wild, fun-loving, risk-taking playboy you all loved from Iron Man and Iron Man 2? Well, by the time Shane Black’s Iron Man 3 rolls around, what audiences get is a completely different Tony Stark. Sure, he still knows how to throw around a quip or two, but he has been left critically emotionally damaged by his experience fighting alongside The Avengers, the battle with the Chitauri, and his trip into space. He’s suffering from nightmares and panic attacks as a result of post-traumatic stress disorder, and his desire to protect the world goes into full-blown overdrive.

Iron Man 3 isn’t the last time that we see Tony Stark before the events of Captain America: Civil War, but the film does have a key part in defining how he has sincerely changed as a human being since we first met him in 2008. In the blockbuster, Tony’s mania results in him designing nearly 40 new kinds of armor, each one not only created to serve a specific purpose and be useful in a particular situation, but even flies around on its own. His paranoia has increased, and he’s ready for anything the universe is ready to throw at him. It’s true the end of the film has him saying that he’s going to leave that paranoia behind in favor of a safer, better life with Gwyneth Paltrow’s Pepper Potts, but obsessions and addictions aren’t really that easy to shake.

Thor: The Dark World

Due to the fact that there aren’t any Thor characters in Captain America: Civil War, the connection between it and Alan Taylor’s Thor: The Dark World is certainly one of the weaker ones amongst titles in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. That being said, events in the film have similar effects on the Marvel Cinematic Universe that the Kenneth Branagh movie did, which is to say that it just escalated the amount of weirdness and paranoia in the world.

Put yourself in the shoes of a general person in the Marvel Cinematic Universe at Thor: The Dark World point in the larger timeline. The Destroyer in New Mexico was terrifying, and the Chitauri invasion of New York was catastrophic, and now giant spaceships are landing in London and unloading aliens who wish to bring the universe into darkness. It’s an increasingly scary experience living in the fictional world, and never knowing A) when the next bit of devastation is coming and B) whether or not there will be anyone there to do something about it. It all adds to an atmosphere that will eventually lead to the creation of Captain America: Civil War’s Sokovia Accords.

Captain America: The Winter Soldier

At the end of the day, Captain America: Civil War is most accurately a sequel to Joe and Anthony Russo’s political thriller-themed Captain America: The Winter Soldier that also happens to continue a lot of threads from around the Marvel Cinematic Universe. At the core of the new movie’s story is still the relationship between Steve Rogers and Bucky Barnes, which, of course, transforms completely in Winter Solider, when Barnes becomes the titular Hydra-brainwashed assassin. Steve first finds himself making hard decisions about his friend in the 2014 movie, learning about some really terrible things he's done in the process, and that continues in Civil War, with Black Widow and Anthony Mackie’s Falcon back in the fray as well (the latter ending Winter Soldier by pledging to help Cap find Bucky).

On beyond just the character relationships, there are also massive plot elements in Captain America: The Winter Soldier that have an important influence on its sequel – specifically the fall of S.H.I.E.L.D. The effect of this is two-fold. On one front, it’s another example of superheroics leading to some serious destruction. More importantly, though, it also manages to completely decimate any faith Captain America has in the modern world and its government agencies. If he wasn’t at ground zero during the fall of S.H.I.E.L.D., it’s possible that he would have been willing to sign the Sokovia Accords.

Guardians Of The Galaxy

James Gunn’s Guardians of the Galaxy is a very different Marvel Cinematic Universe film. The only Earthbound scenes featured in the movie are over by the time that the title card appears on screen, and the film more serves to build up the cosmic side of the landscape instead of what’s happening on our blue and green marble. As a result, the connection between it and Captain America: Civil War is a bit more tangential than the other titles in the franchise, but there definitely is an argument to make that it had a certain effect on the thinking at Marvel that helped mold their 13th feature.

While Guardians of the Galaxy does go over how the titular team is formed, what it doesn’t bother with is big origin explanations for all of its characters – instead letting the audience figure out who these people/aliens are as the story unfolds. It’s a much less belabored approach, and just as effective. Similarly, in Captain America: Civil War both Chadwick Boseman’s T’Challa/Black Panther and Tom Holland’s Peter Parker/Spider-Man are thrown into the mix without exposition and flashback-filled explanations of who they are, what they can do, and so forth. Guardians of the Galaxy arguably paved the way for that.

The Avengers: Age Of Ultron

Some fans may not like hearing this, but Iron Man is really one of the central antagonists in Joss Whedon’s The Avengers: Age of Ultron. It’s the film where his aforementioned deep obsession with protecting the world really comes to a head, as, in an act that every classic mad scientist would applaud, he brings an artificial intelligence to life and nearly destroys the world as a result. It’s true that the character doesn’t experience the consequences of this act in the 2015 blockbuster (driving away in his fancy car), but the destruction of Sokovia at the hands of James Spader’s Ultron is something that Tony Stark is forced to face in Captain America: Civil War, and it’s his guilt surely has a factor in his support of the Accords.

In addition to some more featured head-butting between Captain America and Iron Man, those threads are the most important continued from The Avengers: Age of Ultron to Captain America: Civil War, but we can’t ignore the basics either! It’s at the end of Whedon’s movie that a brand new Avengers team is assembled, including Captain America, Black Widow, Scarlet Witch, Falcon, War Machine, and Paul Bettany’s Vision, and it’s this team that is still assembled at the start of Marvel’s latest chapter.

Ant-Man

For a Phase Two movie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Peyton Reed’s Ant-Man really mostly exists in its own little pocket of the world, but there is, of course, one major contribution it has that helps lead into Captain America: Civil War: the introduction of Paul Rudd’s Scott Lang as the titular insect-controlling hero. In the new film, he is recruited by Captain America and Falcon to help them in their rebellion against the Sokovia Accords, and Ant-Man tells the entire story of how Lang came to be his superhero self (not to mention how he wound up gaining ties to the flying Avenger).

Ant-Man establishes that Scott Lang is the exact kind of person who will rebel against the law if it’s in support of a cause that he believes in, and so it makes perfect sense that he would align himself with Captain America during the time of great debate. On top of that, Hank Pym really has no love for the Stark family thanks to the fact that Howard Stark and S.H.I.E.L.D. tried to replicate his research, and one can imagine that Scott had no issue adopting this sentiment.

Much like Iron Man, who has reformatted his armor nearly 50 times in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Captain America has gone through a number of costume changes during his time on the big screen. Chris Evans has played the patriotic hero in five movies – including the upcoming Captain America: Civil War - and there’s an average of one new costume in each film. Of course, fans have had arguments over which one of the iterations is best, but in Evans’ mind it’s really no contest: he really loves the stealth suit from Captain America: The Winter Soldier.

I had the pleasure of sitting down with Chris Evans during the Captain America: Civil War press day in Los Angeles earlier this month, and during our quick interview one question I asked was about the various costume designs he’s worn in the last five years. Responding to being asked if he had a favorite amongst the one’s we’ve seen, the actor enthusiastically replied,

The Stealth Suit to which Chris Evans is referring was inspired by the look that Captain America had in the "Secret Avengers" comic run started by writer Ed Brubaker and artist Mike Deodato, and it’s pretty obvious how it got its name: it’s a pretty great piece of gear in which to sneak around.

You can watch Chris Evans talk about his favorite Captain America costume – as well as the subtle differences between the Avengers: Age of Ultron and Captain America: Civil War suits - in the video below:

Which Captain America costume is your favorite? Answer our poll below, and hit the comments section with your thoughts. And get ready for Captain America: Civil War, which will be in theaters on May 6th!

This poll is no longer available.

Anyone who has kept up with the Marvel Cinematic Universe or its various TV counterparts probably remembers the game-changing way that Captain America: The Winter Soldier caused turmoil for the team on Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. At first, we weren’t even sure if the ABC drama could continue after the events in The Winter Soldier. Apparently, Clark Gregg and co. had similar misgivings during their early screenings of Captain America: The Winter Soldier. Here’s what Clark Gregg revealed on Jimmy Kimmel Live! last night:

Obviously, that didn’t end up happening. Instead, the series pivoted after S.H.I.E.L.D. disbanded and followed the team taking on a brand new threat: Hydra. In the time since, we’ve gotten a whole slew of additional plotlines related to the Inhumans and more. Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. is a very complicated series in its own right at this point. However, that doesn’t mean that Civil War won’t affect the show at all.

We’ve already heard from executive producer Jed Whedon that Captain America: Civil War will have a “ripple effect” on ABC’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Although he’s obviously declining to elaborate before the movie comes out, a plot synopsis for the show also seems to confirm this. While Clark Gregg hadn’t seen the movie yet when he taped the episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live!, he does have some intel from filming the TV show and has stated before that he thinks the Inhumans outbreak may connect with Captain America: Civil War.

Still, this time around Clark Gregg says he doesn’t think the cinematic universe will play such a huge role in changing the trajectory of the TV series. Instead, he said he is hoping for an enjoyable time at the movies. (He headed to the Captain America: Civil War premiere directly after the taping of the episode).

Clark Gregg’s a really likable interview, so if you’d like to hear what he has to say, you can catch his full exchange with Jimmy Kimmel, below.

Captain America: Civil War will not officially hit theaters until May 6, but luckily there will be new episodes of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. in the interim. It also should be noted that S.H.I.E.L.D. has already been renewed for Season 4.

It may not be a proper Avengers film, but Marvel’s upcoming Captain America: Civil War is going to be one hell of a big deal. Not only does it feature damn near every superhero in the MCU, with a few notable exceptions like Hulk and Thor, but as the title implies, they all come to blows. To build hype, some theaters have a way for fans to prepare for Civil War, by marathoning all of Captain America’s MCU appearances leading up to the big event.

This is actually much more manageable than some of the previous Marvel marathons, like those leading up to the release of The Avengers and The Avengers: Age of Ultron. Those showed every MCU movie back-to-back-to-you-get-the-point. Marathon is an apt description indeed. According to Fandango, this time around, you only have to manage the stamina to sit through four movies worth of build up—Captain America: The First Avenger, The Avengers, Captain America: The Winter Soldier, and Age of Ultron—before the evening caps off with Captain America: Civil War.

Okay, that is still a hearty undertaking. That’s five movies in a row, and we’re not talking about quick, 90-minute features here. The shortest of the bunch, 2011’s Captain America: The First Avenger, clocks in at just over two hours, while Avengers: Age of Ultron is a 141-minute beast—the other two fall in between. And if the latest rumors turn out to be true, Captain America: Civil War will be the longest Marvel movie to date, running a whopping 146 minutes.

The run time makes sense considering the jam-packed nature of the movie. Not only are there a ton of characters in Captain America: Civil War, there is simply a lot going on, and much of it is going to be complicated and time consuming to get right. When yet another international incident involving the Avengers—the new team made up of Cap, Scarlet Witch, Vision, and Falcon—the governments of the world pass the Sokovia Accords, which regulates superhero activity. Tony Stark/Iron Man thinks this is a grand idea, while Steve Rogers/Captain America does not. Split down these two ideological lines, members of the superhero community choose sides and the factions ultimately clash violently. It is very much a Civil War, as the title implies, where friends must fight friends.

Joining Team Iron Man are Black Widow, Vision, War Machine, and newcomer Black Panther, while Team Cap is composed of Ant-Man, Falcon, The Winter Soldier, Hawkeye, and Scarlet Witch. Somewhere in the middle of this we’ll see the new MCU version of Spider-Man, the other key new addition, though we don’t know how he figures in just yet. In the source material he starts off on one side, but has a change of heart, so perhaps his arc will be similar in the movie.

We’ll have to wait and see how that plays out, but we’re only a few months away as Captain America: Civil War hits theaters on May 6. The Captain America-a-thon goes down on May 5.

I don’t have to tell you how monumental Captain America: Civil War is going to be. This isn't just because we will finally see Tony Stark and Steve Rogers go toe-to-toe, and or because my nerd brain has wanted this for years; Civil War will have repercussions that reverberate through the characters we have come to know and love over the better part of the last decade. Don’t believe me? Just ask the Russos.

During a recent interview with ComicBook.com, Joe Russo – one half of the Civil War directing team – explained that the events of the film would have a fundamentally potent psychological impact on its characters:

So while the Russo’s previous foray into the MCU changed the landscape inhabited by these characters, Civil War will have an even stronger impact on the characters themselves. This really could mean anything, from the death of a major player on the team, to the splitting of The Avengers into new factions. Perhaps this will lead to the formation of the West Coast Avengers?

Given the fact that this is a Captain America movie first and foremost, the brunt of the impact will likely be felt by none other than Cap himself. Having him undergo a major psychological shift will represent a big moment for the character, because he is one of the few Avengers who hasn’t changed since he first entered the MCU. Unlike Tony Stark or Thor, Steve has always been the righteous warrior; events around him occur, but his outlook on the world remains relatively consistent. Civil War may very will prove itself as the first time the First Avenger actually goes through a true character arc. Joe Russo expanded on this by saying the shift will continue through both installments of Infinity War. Now this is just pure speculation but that could be a veiled reference to Cap's final standoff with Thanos; again, I'm just speculating.

It goes without saying that this sort of promise has me unreasonably hot and bothered for what Captain America: Civil War has in store for us. We will know for sure just how much the characters are impacted on May 6, 2016 when the film blasts and punches its way into theaters. Stay tuned for more details.

As they did at the end of Phase 1 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Marvel Studios will soon be celebrating the end of Phase 2 with a brand new limited edition box set. In addition to containing all of the titles in the second wave of films from the company – including Iron Man 3, Thor: The Dark World, Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Guardians of the Galaxy, The Avengers: Age of Ultron, and Ant-Man - the set also includes an exclusive bonus disc that includes extras not featured in any previously released package. Including a number of deleted scenes as well as featurettes about the past and future of Marvel, there is a lot of content to surf through, and a lot revealed about the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

While the Marvel Cinematic Universe Phase 2 box set will be released next Tuesday, December 8th, we’ve received an early copy, and have dug through the bonus disc for all of the new info we could find. We’ve organized it all for you below, so read on!

Civil War will show the true power of Scarlet Witch

Discussing Captain America: Civil War, Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige notes that Elizabeth Olsen’s Scarlet Witch is only starting to learn how to use her abilities in The Avengers: Age of Ultron, and that we will "see exactly how powerful she is." Could this mean that her knack for changing reality might come to the surface? That’s certainly a hallmark of the comics, and could big a big thing to introduce for Phase Three.

Potential to show up in Civil War was a major motivator behind including Ant-Man as part of Phase 2

Marvel Studios has earned a reputation for thinking ahead – mapping out the moves that they want to make in the Marvel Cinematic Universe years in advance – and as a result they’ve probably been thinking about Captain America: Civil War for years now. What you may not know is that this was ultimately a big motivator for including Ant-Man at the end of Phase Two. On the bonus disc, Kevin Feige reveals in an interview, "Another reason we wanted Ant-Man to close out Phase Two was so that he could be introduced to the universe and he could be called upon in the events of Civil War."

Civil War will challenge the way that you think about both Iron Man and Captain America

When comic book readers think about the events of Marvel’s Civil War in the comics, Captain America is generally seen as the hero, while Iron Man comes across as the antagonist. Given that the film adaptation of the storyline is also Captain America 3, we expect this to stay the same on the big screen – but don’t expect the star spangled hero to come out of the events entirely clean. As Civil War director Joe Russo explains, the movie is going to challenge the way that we think about both Tony Stark and Steve Rogers. Obviously the potential for consequences on the rest of Phase Three are massive.

Scott Derrickson’s four-word description of his Doctor Strange vision sounds awesome

Doctor Strange should be a landmark title in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Not only will it be introducing the incredibly important element of magic to the big screen world, but coming from a horror director it’s expected that the feature will be a bit spookier than what we’ve previously seen from the studio. At the same time, however, it is also going to be an blockbuster that has characters transporting through different dimensions - which is why we love director Scott Derrickson’s description of the movie as a "mind-trip action film."

Iron Man 2’s post-credits scene started as a scene from Thor’s script

Folks at Marvel Studios have often talked about how they never really plan for creating post-credit sequences, and that filmmakers just wait for inspiration to strike. In the case of the tag at the end of Iron Man 2, the moment of clarity arrived when the company was developing the script for Thor. As is revealed in a featurette about the various post-credit scenes, after reading a scene where Agent Coulson arrives at the Mjolnir crash site in New Mexico, it was decided that the moment would be perfect as the final note of Iron Man 2 teasing the upcoming arrival of the God of Thunder.

The Iron Man 3 Reveal Of Bruce Banner was Robert Downey Jr.’s idea

Dubbing them "science bros," fans were delighted to see a friendship grow between Tony Stark and Bruce Banner in The Avengers, and after they ride off together at the end of the movie there was a good amount of speculation as to whether or not they would somehow reunite in Iron Man 3. This wound up happening, and mostly because of Robert Downey Jr.’s suggestion. The actor explains in an interview, "I was always kind of like, it makes sense – Bruce and Tony drive off into the Central Park sunset at the end of Avengers, so I think a lot of it is that we’re in ‘cahoots.’"

Captain America: Civil War’s new superhero legislation gets spelled out succinctly

With Marvel Studios being secretive as usual, there hasn’t been a great deal revealed about the superhero legislation that will cause Avengers to clash in Captain America: Civil War, but in the bonus features of the Phase 2 box set producer Nate Moore spells it out rather perfectly: "The government is saying, ‘Hey Avengers, just because you can be first responders across the globe doesn’t mean you should be. All superheroes should be registered. There should no longer be vigilantes.’" Unfortunately, Iron Man supports this idea, while Cap most definitely doesn’t – and deep conflict is born.

Thanos is in the Avengers 2 Credits at Joss Whedon’s request

Thanos is going to play a massive role in the future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe – with all the events up until 2018 leading to the mega two-part blockbuster Avengers: Infinity War, where the Mad Titan will be the central villain. Where his part of the story really began, however, was in the post-credits scene of The Avengers, where Joss Whedon introduced him as Earth’s greatest theat. As a result of this, apparently Whedon feels a bit of ownership over the character, and as a result requested that he return for the post-credits scene of The Avengers: Age of Ultron.

Now we have the footage from the Chinese version of Iron Man 3

When Iron Man 3 was released back in 2013, it was revealed that the version of the movie being shown in China was slightly different than the cut the rest of the world was seeing. This extra footage wasn’t included on the Iron Man 3 Blu-ray, but it is on the bonus disc of the Phase 2 box set. Basically, it’s a conversation between two Chinese doctors discussing the risk of removing Tony Stark’s arc reactor. It’s not really that interesting, but it is an interesting note in Marvel Studios history to which fans now have access.

Thor: The Dark World originally had a big Loki fantasy sequence

The first act of Kenneth Branagh’s Thor includes a notable sequence where Thor is about to be crowned as the king of Asgard, and originally Thor: The Dark World was going to have a very similar event in its opening. This difference, however, is that it was Loki getting cheered on by the masses and taking the stage. This is included as a deleted scene on the Phase 2 box set bonus disc – and while it’s pretty incomplete (missing footage of Rene Russo as Frigga), it’s still a cool scene.

You can watch all of Peggy Carter’s interview from Captain America 2… but prepare to shed a tear

In Captain America: The Winter Solider, Steve Rogers goes to an exhibit at the Smithsonian and winds up watching a video featuring Peggy Carter talking about her relationship with Captain America. Only part of the interview is shown, but the full thing is available on the Phase 2 box set bonus disc. Fair warning: Hayley Atwell is a very talented actress, and you may get caught up in her emotional performance. Bring a tissue.

Guardians Of The Galaxy originally showed what happened to Nebula

Nebula makes a dramatic exit from Guardians of the Galaxy, cutting off her own arm to get away from Gamora before hijacking a spaceship, but there was a version of the movie where she got one more scene. In a deleted sequence – which also features a shot of Gregg Henry’s character looking to the stars for his grandson – we see Nebula has landed on the surface of Xandar, wandering around with only one arm. Where she is going we probably won’t find out until we see Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2.

The Guardians of the Galaxy bar scene was originally a lot longer

The bar on Knowhere is home to some pretty important emotional moments in Guardians of the Galaxy - including a growing bond between Star-Lord and Gamora and a freak-out by Rocket – but what you may not know is that there were initially two extra parts to the scene that ultimately got cut. The first is Drax explaining the origins of his tattoos to both Rocket and Groot, and then the trio gambling with a guy who has a human face but mouths where his eyes should be. It’s… trippy.

Captain America doesn’t wear his helmet in the Avengers 2 finale because of insulting graffiti

Watching The Avengers: Age of Ultron, you may have noticed that Captain America doesn’t wear his helmet while battling robots in the final act. There is a reason for this, but it’s only explained in a deleted scene. While getting off of the Quinjet in Sokovia, he sees some demonic-looking Captain America graffiti on the wall, and decides that showing his face to the people of the Eastern European country is probably a good idea.

Vision originally had a much longer fight with Thor following his birth

Upon being born in The Avengers: Age of Ultron, Vision starts out being pretty aggressive, immediately getting into a fight with Thor before looking out at the world at becoming peaceful. Originally, this aggression was going to be much more significant. A deleted scene on the Phase 2 box set bonus disc reveals and extended battle between Vision and Thor that gives the android opportunity to show off some of his abilities (including energy blasts from the Mind Stone and Intangibility). It’s understandable why it was cut, as it winds up being a bit awkward when Vision just suddenly becomes peaceful, but it’s still a well-choreographed bit of fisticuffs.

Scarlet Witch’s red jacket actually belongs to Black Widow

Before suiting up in her first official "superhero costume" at the end of The Avengers: Age of Ultron, Scarlet Witch starts to take on a look resembling her comic book counterpart when she throws on a red jacket before the fight in Sokovia. In the movie, we just see Quicksilver casually toss her the garment in Avengers Tower, but what you may not know is that Pietro actually stole it. A deleted scene from the movie reveals that Black Widow is a little surprised seeing the new team member wearing some of her clothes. It’s a weird detail, but now its own part of Marvel history.

There was a version of Ant-Man where Mitchell Carson died in the Pym Tech Implosion

Earlier this year, director Peyton Reed revealed to me in an interview that there was an alternate ending of Ant-Man featuring Scott Lang having a showdown with Michell Carson – but apparently this was one of two ways that the production thought about wrapping up the character’s storyline. In a deleted scene from the movie, Carson is shown on the ground outside of Pym Technologies having escaped with the Cross Particles, but dying when he gets sucked into the building’s implosion. Personally, I’m happy that Carson is still in the Marvel Cinematic Universe equipped with some shrinking tech.

What Ant-Man originally did after falling on top of that taxi

In the theatrical version of Ant-Man, Scott Lang is so terrified after his first shrinking experience that he immediately returns the suit to Hank Pym – but a deleted scene shows that wasn’t always the plan. Playing out entirely in animatics, the footage on the bonus disc reveals there was going to be a scene following Lang landing on the taxi where he tried to go to a pawn shop and steal a diamond. Unfortunately for the would-be hero, these plans are halted when he is attacked by a group of carpenter ants (presumably under Hank’s control). It’s only after this experience that Lang decides he’s had enough of being the size of an insect and returns the tech to Pym’s house.

As a way of celebrating the conclusion of the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Phase One, a special Blu-ray box set was created – also functioning as a replica of the Tesseract from the movies and the briefcase that contains it. Now that Phase Two has come to an end, Marvel is once again marking the occasion, this time with another box set made to look like a container for one of the six Infinity Stones. And it comes with a lot of great prop replicas from the movies for you to own.

Marvel and Disney have announced both the official look and the content of the new Phase Two Blu-ray box set, and it contains a lot of great stuff beyond just all of the films (including Iron Man 3, Thor: The Dark World, Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Guardians of the Galaxy, The Avengers: Age of Ultron and Ant-Man). Included inside an base that looks like the orb from Guardians of the Galaxy, those who purchase the set will also get:

• A Gold-Foiled Page From The Book Of Dark Elves
• An Ancient Drawing From The Morag Vault
• Avengers and S.T.R.I.K.E. Uniform Patches
• A Replica Of The Tony Stark Tattoo from Iron Man 3
• A Pym Technologies Security Badge
• A Newspaper Clipping Of Howard And Maria Stark’s Obituary
• Winter Soldier’s Russian File

You can see an image of the full set below!

That covers all the physical material that comes with the Marvel Studios Phase Two box set, but it also happens to come with features not available on any other Blu-ray release. This includes a full disc with 166 minutes of bonus material, including featurettes about the studio’s famous post-credits scenes (titled "Phase 2 Tag Scenes: A Making-Of") and the process of building Phase Two and the upcoming Phase Three (titled "From Here To Infinity: Phases 2 & 3 Of The M.C.U."). The set also includes all of the Marvel One-Shots (including commentary).

The 13-disc set will be a limited edition, and will sell exclusively on Amazon for $219.99 (which breaks down to $16.92 per disc, or $36.67 per film). The set will be released just in time for the holiday season, and will start shipping on December 8th (the same home video release date for Peyton Reed’s Ant-Man.

With Spider-man less than a year away from his third debut in recent years much is being made about how the character will be different from his previous incarnations. One of the areas that has been a major focus has been the costume. How will Spider-man look different in next summer’s Captain America: Civil War? We have a few more details about the suit and it sounds like it will be very traditional, which is to say, not that different.

According to Comicbook.com they are aware of a spider suit which uses the traditional red and blue color scheme that even the general public recognizes. While we never expected them to veer too far from the traditional look, this does contradict at least a little, some of the information we’ve heard before. A few months back Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige said the suit was "different than any of the ones that have come before." Although in the same breath he did still call it "classic Spidey." Then, about a month ago Marvel’s Joe Quesada claimed parts of the outfit are "really going to blow people away." Finally, a couple weeks ago, we received some images that were purported to be from the Russo Brothers Twitter account, which appeared to show aspects of the Spider-man costume. While we did see red and black, there was no blue in the images we saw.

Marvel is obviously walking a fine line. They don’t want to make the costume too different because fans like their traditions and they want the casual non-comic fan to be able to recognize the wall-crawler. However, at the same time they want to be sure to separate this Spider-man from the Sony creations and make sure those same casual fans know that this is somebody new. How many different ways can you really put those same familiar elements together in a new way? With all the talk that has gone on surrounding the costume, it’s obviously important to Marvel to get it right. We’re confident the suit will look good, but it’s really looking like it may not be quite as different as they were trying to make it.

At some point, we’ll get a look at the new suit, even if we have to wait for the first trailer to drop. Keep your eyes on The Force Awakens as a likely spot for that to happen. In the end, the suit is less important than the wise-cracking character inside it. And if his debut is as impressive as they’re implying, nobody’s going to care what Spider-man looks like.

Although Steve Rogers and Peggy Carter made quite a duo in Captain America: The First Avenger, the film didn’t get too in-depth with their romance. The only clear-cut moments of passion between them were when they kissed at Red Skull’s HYDRA compound (as seen above) and when they tearfully said goodbye to one another. However, the film jumped around to different moments in World War II, leaving much of their time together unexplored. Which begs the question: did they have sex? Well, Peggy’s actress Hayley Atwell seems to think so.

During a panel at the Boston Comic-Con (via Comicbook.com), Atwell was asked whether she thinks that Steve and Peggy had sex back in the 1940s, or if Cap made his way into the 21st century as a 90 year old virgin. It turns out that the actress thinks that the lovers did indeed do the deed, saying:

Continuing, Hayley Atwell pointed out that Peggy shared a kindred spirit with Steve even pre-Super Soldier Serum when he was skinny, as both of them had obstacles to overcome. While Atwell believes that the Star-Spangled Avenger and the SSR agent did go to bed together, it’s worth pointing out that her co-star shares a different opinion. Back in April, Chris Evans speculated that Steve was most likely a virgin. When the possibility of a one-night stand was brought up, Evans argued that Steve was still on duty then, and given his old fashioned values, he was holding out for her. The two actors might want to have a discussion about this the next time they see each other. There needs to be a clear consensus!

Although it’s obvious the two characters would have built a relationship with each other, sadly it was not to be. In Captain America: The First Avenger’s climactic finale, Steve crashed Red Skull’s aircraft into the Arctic so that its weapons wouldn’t detonate in a populated area. For decades everyone believed him to be dead, but eventually his body was discovered in suspended animation in the present day. Unfortunately for Steve, life continued for everyone else, and when we finally saw him reunite with Peggy in Captain America: The Winter Soldier, she was an elderly woman suffering from dementia, and if that didn’t break your heart, then you have no soul! Steve hasn’t had much of a love life in the modern era, while we learned that Peggy eventually married and had a family. Still, whether or not these two actually "fondued," there’s no denying that they were in love at one point.

Steve Rogers will next be seen in conflict with Tony Stark when Captain America: Civil War hits theaters on May 6, 2016. As for Peggy, her adventures in the 1940s will kick off again next year when Agent Carter Season 2 debuts.

Marvel moviegoers may remember the key scene in Captain America: The Winter Soldier in which Cap and Black Widow stumble upon the phalanx of ancient computer hardware that made up the preserved "brain" of the villainous Arnim Zola. However, in some newly-surfaced storyboard animatics chronicling an alternate take, things go down quite differently than the scene we saw.

Animation artist James Rothwell, who as of late has been posting a number of alternate scene recreations from The Winter Soldier, also recently introduced this intriguing take on the computerized Arnim Zola, played by Toby Jones in his HYDRA exposition scene. Cobbling the scene together based on storyboards, Rothwell depicts a sequence that not only renders Cap more wistfully fixated on his past, but a version of the digitized Zola whose existential motivations are radically different.

In a notable divergence, we see Zola actually taking time to negotiate with Cap to ensure his own survival. In the actual film, Zola’s elaborate exposition contained the hidden motivation to distract the duo of Cap and Black Widow long enough for some incoming air support to arrive and wipe them out, also presumably ending what was left of Zola. He seems resigned to that fate, even saying "admit it, it’s better this way." Yet, in this version, he's not quite in the sacrificial mood. Rather than accepting his apparent end when the incoming winged bunker busters arrive to make ashes of New Jersey’s Camp Leigh, this scene shows a version of Zola who lives to fight another day.

The scene stands in stark contrast to the actual film’s fatalistic moment when Zola tells Cap, just before the bombers hit, "We are, both of us, out of time." In this depiction, in exchange for hitting a rudimentary, goofy-looking switch that would allow Zola to upload his consciousness onto the Internet, he offers Cap the full story on the algorithmic-based genocidal plan known as "Project Insight." Keeping his word after Zola’s disclosure, Cap does, indeed, hit the switch.

The other notable aspect of the scene is that Zola reveals that Baron Wolfgang von Strucker is leading HYDRA from the shadows. This was something we learned in the film’s mid-credit scenes in which Strucker declared the age of miracles, unveiling the twins, Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver. However, the film only focused on HYDRA leadership in the form of Robert Redford’s Alexander Pierce, and it could very well be the case that the idea of keeping Strucker under wraps until the credits scene was designed to avoid mitigating Pierce’s importance.

Yet, when it comes to the idea of planting the seeds for Zola’s survival, it’s difficult to discern why such an idea would have been cut from the film. Of course, with Zola existing in digital form, the idea of his survival by way of a secret cloud upload is very feasible. In fact, it’s so feasible that it might be the case that to even set it up in the obvious way the alternate scene would have done could have saddled the film with unnecessary weight.

Such a scene might be viewed as a tacit promise that we’d see the comic-inspired moment in which Cap battles Zola in his robot body, which was even hinted in blueprints seen in Zola’s lab in The First Avenger. However, Cap will have bigger fish to fry, namely his own friends, like Iron Man, when Captain America: Civil War hits theaters on May 6, 2016.

Avengers: Age of Ultron is, by now, well in the books and fans are already looking ahead to next year’s Captain America: Civil War. However, it can be fun to reflect on what could have been in regards to the past entries, in this case, last year’s Captain America: The Winter Soldier. Some storyboard-based animatics have surfaced, revealing that the film originally had a different opening sequence in mind.

Artist James Rothwell posted some animatics based on actual storyboards from Captain America: The Winter Soldier in the form of videos on YouTube. They’ve apparently been up for a month, but are just now getting some traction. One of those videos happened to show an alternate opening sequence, going completely different direction than the "on your left" footrace with Steve Rogers/Captain America (Chris Evans) humiliating his bro-to-be, Sam Wilson/Falcon (Anthony Mackie), that made the final cut. Unfortunately, for the public, as well as the potency of this particular article, that video has since been taken down. Thus, a description will have to suffice.

In actuality, there’s not much to the scene. It is essentially a dream sequence that flashes back to World War II, with Cap still running around wrecking Europe with the Howling Commandos. However, it seems that this particular dream was not at all random, but inspired by some actual sadness. Once Cap wakes, we find out that his old buddy in the bowler hat, Dum Dum Dugan (Neil McDonough), has passed away. That is pretty much the extant of the scene. It’s certainly a curiously wistful way to begin what would turn out to be one of the most thrilling, politically intriguing, action-packed films in the MCU. So, would it have worked?

Such a scene could have set the stage for the underlying premise of the film: namely Cap being a man lost in time, observing a world from which he only feels more alienated as he continues to further understand what’s happening. The eventual reemergence of his old pal Bucky Barnes as The Winter Soldier (Sebastian Stan) falls in concert with this concept, which might have made a good case to go with this scene. However, while Cap’s friendship with Falcon ended up becoming one of the highlights of the movie, ultimately, it was only germane to the film’s main concept since the friendship served as one the few things palatable to Cap in this new world.

From a personal standpoint, I’m more than satisfied with the opening that was used. By starting in a low-key way, while still showcasing Cap’s ridiculous speed and stamina, directors Joe and Anthony Russo set a mellow, amusing tone that is the calm before a huge storm. Steve’s character is reflected far better in his interaction with Sam than any flashback and death notice could have done. Besides, with the visit to an aged, memory-fading Peggy Carter (Hayley Atwell) later on, and the nostalgic museum scenes, the continuing reflection on "the good old days" of The War might have been excessive.

Fans can rest easy knowing that we probably got the best possible opening sequence…and that canonically, Dum Dum Dugan could have, like his comic book counterpart, unnaturally survived all those years to still be alive and kicking somewhere. Regardless, Captain America: Civil War looks to turn a whole new page in the entire MCU when it hits theaters on May 6, 2016.

We’re less than a year away until Captain America: Civil War hits theaters, but there’s still plenty of enjoyment to be had from repeat viewings of Steve Rogers’ last solo outing, Captain America: The Winter Soldier. Now you can re-experience the film’s awesomeness in a brand new way thanks to this 8-bit remake. Check it out!

The 2014 superhero, espionage thriller meets ‘80s video game technology, and it’s a wonderful combination put together by the folks at CineFix. After tackling other Marvel fare like The Avengers and Guardians of the Galaxy, they’ve now turned their attention to the film that saw Captain America and his allies facing off against the Winter Soldier and the forces of HYDRA. Let’s take a look at how the individual characters look in their simplified forms, shall we?

Like in the original movie, there are some points during the side-scroller where Steve is wearing civilian clothes, but in terms of his Cap costume, they nailed the color scheme perfectly. Being the film’s star in the 8-bit adventure, he of course gets many opportunities to shine, like on the S.H.I.E.L.D. boat in the beginning or taking down that S.H.I.E.L.D. aircraft on his motorcycle.

Black Widow has extra red hair in this interpretation, and while it was great to see her take out Batroc the Leaper’s men early on, the scene where she and Steve smooch to hide from the S.T.R.I.K.E. team was especially amusing.

Then there’s Winter Soldier, who looks somewhat more intimidating in 8-bit form. Maybe it’s the slanted eyes or the massive size of his gun, but you can tell the miniature brainwashed Bucky means business.

Next we have Falcon, who flies at the S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier guns blazing. The way they have him here makes it look like he actually has wings growing out of his back, but it’s nothing to complain about since every other aspect is spot-on.

Okay, this may sound weird, but that wide eye makes this the most adorable Nick Fury I’ve ever seen - though I have no doubt that 8-bit Nick Fury is just as much as badass as the real, Samuel L. Jackson one. Too bad he gets shot shortly after being introduced in this video.

Finally, the video caps off with a tiny Alexander Pierce saying "Hail HYDRA!" to the viewers before the Helicarrier crashes on him, because there’s really no better ending for something like this. Now I can’t wait for them to get to Avengers: Age of Ultron. Heck, they could even go back and adapt movies they missed the first time around. It would be great to see how Captain America: The First Avenger looks in primitive video game form.

James Wan's Furious 7 is expected to do some serious box office business this weekend, and is on track to be the biggest opening of 2015 so far - but it's not waiting until it hits theaters to start setting records. The movie has now reportedly set a pre-sales record for the month of April, surpassing the bar that was set by Captain America: The Winter Soldier last year.

These numbers are coming in from Fandango, and the numbers suggest some very big things from the seventh chapter in the Fast & Furious franchise. After all, the aforementioned Marvel Studios film opened to an impressive $95 million in 2014, which allowed it to stake a claim as the biggest April release ever (dethroning the $86 million take that was brought in by Fast Five in 2011). One could make the argument that Furious 7 is getting a bit of revenge on the comic book company, but Marvel won't be able to strike back for at least five years, as their planned out schedule between now and 2019 doesn't include any April release dates.

What will certainly help Furious 7 make an incredible amount of cash this weekend is the fact that Universal Pictures is truly going all-out with the movie's release. As we reported earlier today, the studio is giving the blockbuster an absolutely massive roll-out that will see the movie released in 4,003 North American theaters and 10,500 theaters overseas - which is the biggest that the company has ever attempted. Surely this must be an expensive move, but it's a well-earned show of confidence. After all, the movie-going public has been hungry for this movie for months.

Current predictions estimate that Furious 7 will bring in $115 million in its first three days, which would not only be enough to give it 19th place on the all time weekends chart, but would also make it the biggest weekend of 2015 thus far. Given that it's only April, this may not seem like a big deal, but truthfully we have already seen some big heavy hitters hit theaters this year - including American Sniper (which made $89 million in its first frame after expanding to wide release) and Fifty Shades of Grey (which brought in an impressive $85 million in its opening stretch).

Of course, where Furious 7 will stand on the box office charts by the end of the year is anybody's guess. The film is definitely expected to perform exceptionally well, as its pre-sales clearly indicate, but let's not forget the other monster blockbusters that are coming out in 2015. I am, of course, referring to the trifecta that is The Avengers: Age of Ultron, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2, and Star Wars: The Force Awakens. When the end of the year comes, which order to do you think the four movies will fall into? Hit the comments with your speculation.

Do you love Marvel movies? Do you love them so much that you could watch them for 29 straight hours? Well, then I have some amazing news for you, as two of the nation's biggest theater chains are planning marathons of that very nature leading up to special early screenings of The Avengers: Age of Ultron.

With the new Marvel Studios film launching its final theatrical trailer earlier today, and pre-order tickets going on sale, both AMC Theaters and Regal Entertainment have announced that they will each be hosting "Ultimate Marvel Marathons" on April 29th that will conclude with a two-days-early look at The Avengers Age of Ultron. The two companies are running their events a little differently, so lets take a look at them separately, shall we?

While AMC has not yet announced the theaters where they will be having the Ultimate Marvel Marathons," they have posted a full breakdown of the showtimes. At $65 per ticket - or about $6 per movie - audiences will watch the films accordingly:

That's a pretty good deal, but it's worth noting that those who purchase tickets to Regal Entertainment screenings of the same marathon will receive a special bonus: an "exclusive collectable medallion." You can see it on the promo poster below:

A 29-hour movie marathon is a pretty intense experience, but this also does sound like a lot of fun. That being said, I'm not sure being completely exhausted from watching 26 hours of movies is the mood that I want to be in when I see Joss Whedon's The Avengers: Age of Ultron for the first time. I suppose the best way around this would be to nap during some of the not-as-great movies in the Marvel Studios canon - but that also feels like a cop out.

For those who decide to see The Avengers: Age of Ultron in a more conventional way, the film will be getting a wide release here in the United States on May 1st. It's without question one of our most anticipated movies of the year, so be sure to stay tuned for more updates in the coming weeks. Just under two months left, people!

2014 could very well go down in history as the year of the supercut, simply because there have been so many of them in the past 12 months. A lot of them have even been more exemplary works of editing than some of the films we sat through this year. One such example is this awesome supercut of some of the best moments in cinematography that cinema had to offer in 2014, and it's included for your viewing pleasure below.

Kudos go out to Vimeo user Jacob T. Swinney for his extremely beautiful look at the moments of 2014 that caught our eyes for just a little longer than normal. The flow of the selection of clips is beautifully complimented by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross's track "Sugar Storm," coming from the Gone Girl soundtrack. In fact, if you look close enough, you'll see the scene this song was originally used for in the mix, as well as some gorgeous shots from The Grand Budapest Hotel, Snowpiercer, and Boyhood - just to name a few.

As well represented as the year of 2014 is in this video, only disappointing thing about this montage is that it solely focuses on live-action films. While animation wasn't at its best levels of representation this year, there were some pretty neat shots from The LEGO Movie, How To Train Your Dragon 2, and even Big Hero 6 that could have been represented in this clip fest. It's not a deal breaker, but it's a little upsetting that the major strides in animated cinematography were not represented at all in this otherwise pretty comprehensive reel.

In a year that saw everything from moments of crime to fake movie ads receiving a supercut of their own, Swinney's segment is probably the best one we've seen since Final Cut 2014 landed on our desks. Both are pure examples of editing flourish that link together so many dissimilar films together with the common thread of art, and they both hit the notes of the music just right with the moments that are chosen for exhibition. It's exciting when a supercut like this hits, because in this day and age all it takes is the right person to see this video and Jacob T. Swinney could become one of those editing greats that he is mimicking with his work.

So in the year of supercuts, what's the one supercut that could cap off the year so perfectly? Why, naturally, it'd be a supercut of the best moments from the best trailers that 2015 can offer. While we're mere hours away from the start of 2015, it's not too late to hope that some amateur editor with an eye for action is working away at their computer, putting together the perfect video to ring in a new year of cinema. Here's hoping we find such a supercut to share with all of you out there, and here's hoping 2015 is a year that's good to us all at the movies!

Here in 2014, movie and TV opening credits are arguably more complicated and divine than they’ve ever been, as “telling audiences who’s in the project” has largely been replaced by “awesome visuals that tie into themes, plus the cast and crew names.” And according to those who make it their duty to report on such things, the greatest title sequence of 2014 is apparently from the AMC techy drama Halt and Catch Fire, as created by Elastic. Really? Let’s take a look at the colorful opening before going on, shall we?

Now, it’s a solid opening title sequence through and through, as we actually see a trail getting blazed through glitchy electro-visuals, as some actors appear in vagueness over the constantly colorful movement. But still, it kind of looks like a downloadable game for a phone that I would never play.

The number 2 spot, however, is held by Adult Swim’s maniacal short Too Many Cooks, in which Casper Kelly deconstructed a traditionally corny 1980s opening segment into one of the creepiest things that aired on TV all year. And I get that it’s not actually introducing anything, but it’s still eleven minutes of the most inventive and expertly crafted titles ever. This is a crime, I tell you!

I have no problems with the rest of Art of the Title’s list, though, as it’s a solid assortment of TV, movies, a video game and a couple of conference vids. True Detective’s eerie opening, set to The Handsome Family’s “Far From Any Road,” hit the third spot, while Manhattan’s two-dimensional minimalism hit Number 7. Check it out below.

On the movie side of things, the awesomeness that was The LEGO Movie’s credit sequence made it to the fourth slot. (TV for the top three though, because TV!) Captain America: The Winter Soldier’s striking titles made it to Number 5, which almost feels like a lowball; that was actually one of my favorite parts of the Marvel sequel. Godzilla’s throwback opening, with all of its redacted paperwork, hit Number 9.

And then rounding things out are the opening from Sega’s Alien: Isolation (Number 10), and the two conference titles “Playgrounds Festival 2014” (Number 6) and “Semi-Permanent Sydney 2014” (Number 8). That “Playgrounds” one is pretty fantastic.

All that, and no mention of the incredible stop-motion madness of American Horror Story: Freak Show. Did you agree with Art of the Title’s list? What were your favorite opening titles from 2014?

Compared to years past, 2014 was a bit of a disappointment where box office numbers were concerned. While there were certainly many fantastic films released in the last 12 months, the final tallies show that this year’s totals are down 5.4 percent from last year, and that it’s been the worst year for Hollywood since 2011. That being said, the year wasn’t completely without its major releases, and now the list of the highest grossing titles are ready to be recognized.

With 2014 coming to a close, the numbers are all in on Box Office Mojo and now have the list of the Top 10 worldwide box office performers of the past year. Read on to find out what ranked where!

10. How to Train Your Dragon 2

Domestic Box Office Total: $177,002,924

Worldwide Box Office Total: $618,909,935

Reported Budget: $145 million

With Pixar not having film to release, The LEGO Movie not finding much traction in foreign territories, and Big Hero 6 not exactly achieving Frozen-level success, 2014 was a somewhat slow year for animation at the box office – but Dean DuBlois’ How To Train Your Dragon 2 did still manage to squeak into the worldwide Top 10 for the year. The success of the film was slowed by it’s somewhat underwhelming release domestically – earning about $40 million less – but it has come out on top internationally, beating the first movie’s $494.9 million total.

9. Interstellar

Domestic Box Office Total: $178,080,502

Worldwide Box Office Total: $648,780,502

Reported Budget: $165 million

Going through the rest of this list, you’ll find that Interstellar is actually the only non-franchise film to be featured in the top 10 – but that really just speaks to the power of Christopher Nolan’s influence on the movie-going world. The film has proven to be an absolutely gigantic hit internationally – where spectacle tends to play better than story - and while the domestic numbers don’t exactly rank with Nolan’s biggest hits, it’s obviously still a success story (if not partially because the film has one of the lowest budgets of the titles featured on this list).

8. The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1

Domestic Box Office Total: $308,939,828

Worldwide Box Office Total: $671,939,828

Reported Budget: $125 million

As was expected, Francis Lawrence’s The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1 was an absolutely gigantic hit in the United States, enough to rank it as the second biggest domestic box office earner of 2014, but it sinks down in the worldwide rankings due to the fact that it hasn’t yet been released in all areas. For instance, the movie won’t be coming out in China – one of the world’s biggest markets – until mid-February 2015. Clearly, this puts the hurt on its standings here at the end of the year, but it doesn’t diminish the film’s success.

7. Dawn of the Planet of the Apes

Domestic Box Office Total: $208,545,589

Worldwide Box Office Total: $708,299,389

Reported Budget: $170 million

Rupert Wyatt’s Rise of the Planet of the Apes laid down some excellent groundwork for the rebooted Planet of the Apes franchise, and this past summer Matt Reeves’ Dawn of the Planet of the Apes capitalized on it in a big way. Not only did the sequel make $31 million more than its predecessor domestically, but the worldwide gross was an amazing $226 million more. There definitely was a notable budget increase between the two movies, but this series is performing incredibly well, and anticipation is high for the third installment.

6. The Amazing Spider-Man 2

Domestic Box Office Total: $202,853,933

Worldwide Box Office Total: $708,982,323

Reported Budget: $255 million

Alone on paper, the worldwide box office performance of Marc Webb’s The Amazing Spider-Man 2 looks like a big win, and #6 on the global Top 10 is certainly nice – but the bigger picture definitely hurts the movie’s position in the blockbuster world. Not only is the reported $255 million budget far and away the biggest featured on this list, but the movie also ranks dead last in the history of the Spider-Man franchise both domestically and worldwide. Making more than $700 million is a nice sum, but it’s a number that comes with a lot of baggage.

5. Captain America: The Winter Soldier

Domestic Box Office Total: $259,766,572

Worldwide Box Office Total: $714,083,572

Reported Budget: $170 million

In 2014, Marvel Studios wasn’t able to lay claim to the first weekend of May like they usually do, but that didn’t stop them from still managing to put out one of the biggest hits of the first half of the year. Until Guardians of the Galaxy came along, Joe and Anthony Russo’s Captain America: The Winter Soldier was top dog at the domestic box office, and it’s worldwide ranking turned out pretty great as well. These numbers, compared with the over-whelming critical praise, are the reason why Marvel Studios is currently seen as top dog in the blockbuster world.

4. X-Men: Days of Future Past

Domestic Box Office Total: $233,921,534

Worldwide Box Office Total: $746,045,700

Reported Budget: $200 million

As hard as it may have tried, Bryan Singer’s X-Men: Days of Future Past wasn’t quite able to stake a claim as the biggest X-Men movie domestically ( X-Men: The Last Stand still holds that rank with a total of $234,362,462), but it has been crowned as the franchise’s biggest hit worldwide – and that’s something to celebrate. It took a major effort and a lot of money on behalf of 20th Century Fox, bringing together the casts of the original trilogy and X-Men: First Class, but the investment/gamble paid off in a very big way.

3. Maleficent

Domestic Box Office Total: $241,410,378

Worldwide Box Office Total: $757,752,378

Reported Budget: $180 million

Angelina Jolie has been saying a lot recently that she’s pretty much finished with acting and wants to focus more on directing, but the numbers put up by Robert Stromberg’s Maleficent probably have studios hoping that she’d be willing to spend a few more years as one of the world’s few true on-screen box office draws. Despite being released during a crowded summer season, the Disney live-action fairy tale was an absolutely huge hit that did well both here and abroad. Clearly there are a few movie-goers who would be disappointed to see Jolie disappear from the screen as well.

2. Guardians of the Galaxy

Domestic Box Office Total: $332,862,030

Worldwide Box Office Total: $772,462,030

Reported Budget: $170 million

It’s easy to call James Gunn’s Guardians of the Galaxy the greatest underdog story of 2014 – and it’s really easy to celebrate its success thanks to just how good it was. Despite the film’s Marvel connections, box office analysts wound up severely underestimating the film’s success, and it went on to break records when it hit in August. Its domestic box office total wound up being the biggest of the year, edging out The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1, and while it’s international sum couldn’t get it the number one spot worldwide, it’s still seen as one of the biggest cinematic wins of the past 12 months.

1. Transformers: Age of Extinction

Domestic Box Office Total: $245,439,076

Worldwide Box Office Total: $1,087,404,500

Reported Budget: $210 million

Being the only film to make more than $800 million globally, let alone over $1 billion, Michael Bay’s Transformers: Age of Extinction has basically been a lock for this number one spot for months now. By doing some simple division and subtraction, you’ll notice that a staggering 77% of the film’s worldwide sum came from foreign box office receipts, with China alone pumping in $92 million to the total. Interestingly, the film actually underperformed in the United States compared to previous Transformers installments – ranking behind all of Bay’s other franchise contributions, but obviously that wasn’t enough to slow it down.

While box office numbers may have been down compared to 2013, the truth is that 2014 was a pretty phenomenal year for film. We saw incredible new titles from amazing veteran and newcomer directors hitting just about every single month –regardless of season – and they introduced whole new worlds and kinds of creativity to the cinematic landscape. Needless to say, it made my work as a film critic a whole lot more fun… but it also made my Top 10 of the year incredibly challenging to put together.

After much agonizing, rank swapping, and last-minute screening squeeze-ins, I am ready to reveal my Top 10 for 2014 - and it’s a list of movies that made me feel hundreds of kinds of emotions throughout the year and that I plan to watch many times again in the future. So where should we start? #10 seems like the proper place…

10. Frank

As a movie fan, I think it’s rather important to have an appreciation for the weird. Studios have proven themselves excellent at making the same movies over and over again, so it’s endlessly refreshing when a title comes along that not only breaks from conventions, but also starts pumping out ideas straight outta left field. It’s all the more impressive when the film can do this as well as maintain a smart narrative with something to say. This is how why my Top 10 is kicking off with director Lenny Abrahamson’s Frank - a film that has Michael Fassbender wearing a giant paper mache head over his own for just about his entire performance.

The story of a young man named Jon (Domhnall Gleeson) who falls in with a group of somewhat-psychotic, experimental musicians led by a sweet odd-ball named Frank (Fassbender), the movie has a beautiful tonal blend of comedy and drama that mixes together an eccentric group of characters with wonderful themes about creative energy and personal outlook on the world. Surely there will be some members of the audience who find themselves a bit thrown by the weirdness of it all, but it’s an experimental and musical adventure well worth taking.

9. Selma

Martin Luther King Jr. is, without question, one of the most important Americans to ever live. Choosing means of peace over means of violence, he helped drive a nation towards a better future, and has enlightened generations about the utter importance of equality in freedom. In Ava DuVernay’s Selma, we not only get a closer, more intimate look at this legendary figure, but also the real man at the heart of it – and it comes together as one of the most effecting dramas of the year.

Not only is it powerful to get an intimate look at the determination-through-pain experienced during the Civil Rights Movement, there is an incredible, three-dimensional portrait painted of King in star David Oyewolo’s beautiful portrayal, and it’s emotional to watch him internally struggle with fear and pressure behind the scenes while also displaying so much strength externally for the campaign. It’s an impressive, compelling story that’s made only more important by what’s happening in the atmosphere in which it’s being released, with the cases of Michael Brown and Eric Garner. But really the film will stand-up through time for being a brilliant film about one of history’s most influential leaders. (Read my full review here)

8. Boyhood

As you get to the end of watching Richard Linklater’s Boyhood, there is a special feeling that overcomes you. In the span of two-and-a-half hours, the movie chronicles 11 years in the life of a young boy, and while you only get to see bits and snippets of this long time period, there’s an overwhelming sensation as the story begins to wind down that you are about to say goodbye to characters you’ve known forever. This is a sensation typically relegated in fiction to the finales of long series or franchises, but Linklater’s movie gets it in one shot – and that’s only one aspect that makes it one of the best of the year.

One can’t talk about Boyhood without mentioning the unique, extended, incredibly risky way that Linklater chose to shoot it – returning to the production year after year to film scenes with his naturally aging characters – and it not only creates a beautiful, special narrative flow, but becomes more impressive when you think of how well the story all comes together. The performances are incredible, music is perfectly utilized at every opportunity, and the story is wonderfully relatable. This is the best kind of risky filmmaking, and it’s amazing to watch it succeed.

7. The LEGO Movie

Writer/directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller seem to really enjoy challenging themselves as filmmakers. Why else keep taking on projects based on existing properties that have so much potential to fail? Of course, it doesn’t really seem to matter, as Lord and Miller have continued to knock it out of the park every time out, from Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs to 21 Jump Street. This year they continued that streak with the stupendously awesome The LEGO Movie.

While Lord and Miller also made the great meta sequel 22 Jump Street in 2014, it’s their animated film built with Danish building blocks that’s truly worthy of being called one of the 10 best movies of the year. The visual style is unlike anything we’ve ever seen in features before, blending the looks of LEGO stop-motion with CGI animation, and at the same time creates a world that is uncompromisingly weird and beautiful. The voice talent featured is an inspired collection of names, with Chris Pratt leading the team and really showing off his stunning charm and talent. The LEGO Movie is such more than a kids movie based on a toy brand, and is in truth one of the funniest, thoughtful, and creative comedies of the year.

6. Foxcatcher

It is hard to think of any actor who has advanced their professional performance abilities in the last five years more than Channing Tatum. He has moved far beyond his block of wood/eye candy days, and has proven that he can be a dynamic, ranged performer. Up until this year, however, all of his best turns have merely surprised me. As the lead in Bennett Miller’s powerful drama Foxcatcher, he has genuinely impressed me, and that turn – along with those from a transformed and terrifying Steve Carell, as well as the brilliant Mark Ruffalo – drive the movie to become one of the most transfixing and intense of the year.

Based on a true story, Miller’s film is a disturbing, character-driven exploration of what the American dream means to different people, and it all plays out with tremendous power dynamics that are created between the three leads. It’s incredible to watch the palpable upper hand transferring between Tatum, Carell, and Ruffalo, and the personalities are so volatile that you’re constantly in suspense over how the transfers of power will manifest in action. It’s certainly not an easy movie to watch, but it’s a damn effective one. (Read my full review here)

5. The Babadook

It’s not easy being a horror fan. There isn’t any other genre out there where the ratio of quality to crap is so skewed – and sadly it’s not in the more positive direction. As such, when a horror film comes along that is creative, thoughtful, and actually terrifying, it deserves to be celebrated. Jennifer Kent’s The Babadook is all of these things… with an extreme emphasis on the third.

To put it bluntly, The Babadook is easily one of the scariest movies I have ever seen, and I actually watched most of it curled up in the fetal position. Much of this can be attributed to the tension-dripping, shadowy atmosphere that Kent maintains throughout, but really the terror comes out of the movie’s themes and relation of dark realities. At its heart, this is a movie both about coming to terms with loss as well as the most horrific thoughts a parent might have or feel towards an unruly child. As the suffering mother at the center of the story, Amelia, Essie Davis puts on what is easily one of the best performances of the year, and drives the film towards perfection. This is a must see, and is guaranteed to scare the hell out of you.

4. Captain America: The Winter Soldier / Guardians of the Galaxy

Yes, I’m aware that I am cheating a bit here. Admittedly, Joe and Anthony Russo’s Captain America: the Winter Soldier and James Gunn’s Guardians of the Galaxy are two very different films that succeed on their own merits and possess individual qualities that make them both unique and fantastic. Brilliant as they are separately, however, together they represent just how much the comic book world has changed over the last few years, and as a huge fan of the genre, I felt that both need to be celebrated equally.

We’ve spent decades watching the more typical versions of comic book movies, establishing superhero origins and fitting perfectly into the standard "action/adventure" box, but together Captain America 2 and Guardians of the Galaxy have blown that box wide open. The former is an action-packed homage to the great 70s conspiracy thrillers that just so happens to feature a costumed hero as its lead; and the latter brought a fresh, hilarious tone to the space opera genre while succeeding in making us fall in love with a talking raccoon and a walking tree. Marvel Studios has changed the comic book world forever, but they are also now putting out some of the best films of the year. (Read my full review here and here)

3. Whiplash

Passion is the most important thing in life. If you don’t care what you’re doing, or care who you are doing it with, there is no point in any of it. Of course, passion doesn’t come easy. Passion requires work. Passion requires focus. Passion requires sacrifice. But what are we willing to lose in the name of what we truly love, and how far can we be pushed in trying to find it? These are the questions at the heart of Damien Chazelle’s truly brilliant, music-driven Whiplash.

In the movie, it’s drumming that is the true passion for the protagonist Andrew, played by the fantastic Miles Teller, but while the musical sequences and performances are both stunning and beautifully shot, that’s just the film’s surface level. Really it’s about Andrew’s pure drive to be the best, and the perfection-required approach taken by the man who can get him to that level. Playing the drill instructor-esque Terence Fletcher – Andrew’s instructor at the country’s most prestigious music academy – J.K. Simmons puts on what will likely be remembered as the greatest performance of his career, and wonderfully straddles the line between mentor and antagonist. Whiplash is powerful filmmaking, and firmly establishes Chazelle as a director to watch.

2. Nightcrawler

Jake Gyllenhaal gives what can really best be described as a fascinating performance in Dan Gilroy’s Nightcrawler. His character, Lou Bloom, is an absolutely terrifying, sociopathic monster, and whenever he smiles it generates a disturbing level of dread – both in the audience and in the atmosphere of the movie. Scary as Lou is, however, you can’t help but feel utterly compelled by his voyage into darkness and the world of crime TV journalism, where the slogan is "if it bleeds, it leads." It’s utterly hypnotic unlike any other movie released in 2014, and without question one of its best.

Though the film is the directorial debut of Dan Gilroy, it’s clear that his years as a writer in the industry have served him well, as Nightcrawler is truly an unrelenting thriller and incredibly well directed. Not only does he help get Gyllenhaal to give what is easily one of the best performances of his career, but his portrait of the Los Angeles landscape is stunning and is captured for every bit of its legendary noir essence. In most years this film would have easily taken the number one spot on my list, but in 2014 there is one movie that just edges it…

1. Inherent Vice

It feels strange to say, but there is honestly a sensation that I feel whenever I’m first watching a film that will wind up taking the top spot on my personal Top 10 list of the year. It’s an extreme joy feeling like what I’m watching has been tailor-made for my sensibilities, and transports me to a cinematic world that I just want to live in forever. In the past few years it’s been movies like The Social Network, Drive, The Cabin in the Woods and Inside Llewyn Davis, and in 2014 it was Paul Thomas Anderson’s Inherent Vice.

While I’ll admit that trying to wrap your head around the film’s central mystery on your first go-round is a fairly significant challenge, it’s also not really what Inherent Vice is about. Instead, it is a wildly entertaining portrayal of a particular place and time – namely Los Angeles in 1970 – and it’s a tale that drives forward on the backs of an endless array of ridiculous characters, the foremost being Joaquin Phoenix’s pothead private eye Larry ‘Doc’ Sportello. The immensely stylistic neo-noir feels like Paul Thomas Anderson’s own version of The Big Lebowski and is really just brilliant in an endless number of ways, from the unforgettable supporting character performances (Josh Brolin deserves extra credit here), to the groovy soundtrack, to the ridiculous hilarity that occurs throughout the film. It’s the best movie of 2014, and one I plan to watch over and over again for the rest of my life. (Read my full review here)

Honorable Mentions (in alphabetical order): Birdman: or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) , Gone Girl, The Grand Budapest Hotel, The Guest, Locke, A Most Violent Year, Snowpiercer

There’s no denying that 2014 really was a terrific year for movies. There was an impressive array of films that spanned from horror to superhero to drama to comedy and within that array where some creative and intriguing characters that we can’t stop talking about. And while the past few years have been dominated by the heroes, this year, we found the villains even more interesting. Whether the antagonist of the film takes the obvious evil route, whether they are misguided or sympathetic characters, or whether they just don’t even see the harm they inflict others, the villains are always a key element to the movement of the plot.

The more evil and destructive, the more memorable the villain is. Maybe they are redeemed by the end or maybe they won’t even make it to the close, either way, they keep us on our feet. So here we’ve compiled a list of our 10 best, most memorable villains of 2014. Let’s hope that 2015 can bring as badass and destructive of a crew to screens as this set of bad guys.

SPOILER WARNING! Beware that the following article does contain some major spoilers for included films. Continue with caution!

Lou Bloom—Nightcrawler

Most of the villains on this list are clearly defined as such. They wear black hats and do villainous things. There’s no ambiguity about their stations in life. With Lou Bloom, however, it’s a little more complicated. When we first meet him, he’s our eccentric hero. He’s a little strange, sure, but he clearly means well. He took some business classes, has plenty of drive and just wants to move up in the world.

Along the way, though, Lou gets so lost in his own reckless determination to get to the top that he starts making frightening decisions. He sabotages. He schemes. He manipulates, all of which lay his startling lack of empathy bare. By the end, Lou Bloom is every bit as villainous as anyone found on this list. That he’s technically the main character of Nightcrawler really doesn’t matter. His choices are the same. Our perspective is just a little more cozy. In many ways, that makes it all the more frightening too. The more we’ve rooted for him, the more we become some weird form of accomplices.

Winter Soldier—Captain America: The Winter Soldier

Villainous as a result of HYDRA experimentation, the Winter Soldier, otherwise known as Bucky, is the ultimate Super Soldier opposition to Captain America. From the extensive experimentation to his prosthetic arm, the Winter Soldier has also been subject to multiple mind control methods making him HYDRA’s perfect soldier. He is a ruthless killer, and has his mind wiped very frequently so to never show emotion or regret. By taking away his humanity, the Winter Soldier becomes an insanely dangerous villain.

But what makes him even scarier, is the fact that he becomes recognizable. For the viewer, who has seen Bucky in the first Captain America film, it becomes difficult to blame the Winter Soldier for his actions. Though, watching him beat a man who used to be his best friend, even if his memory has been wiped, is still an unsettling thing to watch. Each time he causes pain to Captain America, he causes you to flinch. Throughout the film, despite how evil he gets, you always hope that something will turn his memory back on. When a quote finally triggers it, he is redeemed, and it becomes very easy to forget all the horrific evil that he caused throughout the film.

Mister Babadook—The Babadook

The tormenting Mister Babadook is the most terrifying villain on the list. Not only because of the genre he exists in, and the way he creeps around in the shadows, but also because he is bound to the main protagonist. When Amelia first reads the story entitled "Mister Babadook" the monster comes alive with the sole purpose to torment the person who awakened him. He goes beyond the typical monster that goes bump in the night causing psychological issues as well as physical.

But what makes this villain so interesting is the question of his origin. Through the movie there is indication that Amelia has actually created this character in her self-written children's books, so whether this character is a figment of her own imagination, or an actual monster, it is up to her and her son to destroy it for her own sanity, and for the relationship between her and her son to strive. Mister Babadook represents an extreme of an internal demon, an evil that only Amelia can fight out of herself.

Dr. Bolivar Trask—X-Men: Days of Future Past

Despite not appearing in the majority of the film, Dr. Trask’s overall agenda in harnessing mutant powers into a weapon drives the evil in the film. The difference between Trask and some other X-Men villains is that he actually doesn’t seem to have a personal hatred for mutants, but as a scientist, he uses them. He treats them as if they were the rats in his experiments, and has even conducted fatal experiments. His destructive experimentation is the real evil, which stems from his own scientific exploration.

So while he may not be the most evil villain on this list, he does play an extreme role in the ultimate evil that threatens mutants of the future in X-Men: Days of Future Past. It is his technology, his inventions, his ideas that can be used for a more disturbing evil that lasts far beyond his time. He was the founder of the Sentinel program that caused the demise of most mutants, and the dystopian future that resulted with it. While his intentions may seem good at times, in the end, it didn’t even matter, for he valued selling his technology more than the research and knowledge gained from it.

Mason—Snowpiercer

There are villains in Snowpiercer that are more powerful than prime minister Mason, but her delight in putting the lower class in their place, and watching them suffer, portrays her as the more revolting and disturbing role. As the right hand to the leading villain, Wilford. Because Wilford never leaves his train car, Mason is the leader that interacts with back cars (and lower class). She is an absolute monster, wide-eyed and excited to watch pain inflicted on poor and reminding them of the hierarchy that keeps order in the train. When she is taken prisoner by the leader of the revolution she tries to befriend the people she had previously belittled, so afraid for her life that she is very quick to dismiss all of her previous notions of the lower class.

Mason is a weak and fearful villain. As the prime minister, she was always surrounded by armed guards, and was able to do as she pleased, because of her protection. When that protection is stripped, her true colors shine, and she loses all self-respect, begging for her life. She is the epitome of a sinister yet weak politician who gets her power through political structure, not because of any physical strength or even respect. She is corrupt and ridiculous a combination perfectly representing the nature of the higher class in the film.

The Man Upstairs—The Lego Movie

Again here is a villain who does not seem to play a particularly big role in the film, but it’s his actions that drive the villainous nature in the film. The Man Upstairs is the main antagonist of the film who is also reflected by his son as the evil Lego villain, Lord Business. The Man Upstairs is the ultimate strict father figure and it is through the son’s eyes that we see him. The son, Finn, sees his father as a rule follower, lacking creativity, and only following specific guidelines. This is the way the world works according to The Man Upstairs and also to Lord Business in The Lego Movie.

The evil of straining a child’s creativity or of telling him not to use the power of his imagination is a strong message to all the parent’s who took their children to see this film. By the end, The Man Upstairs sees the beauty in being different and in using one’s imagination (specifically with Legos) as opposed to only following the instructions. As a child, Finn’s world is quite small, making his father’s "evil" much more prevalent to his life. So when Finn is able to break through and bring his father to an understanding and therefore deeper connection with his son, it is defeating one of the biggest evils that can exist in a father-son relationship.

Cancer—Fault in Our Stars

One of the most unforgiving villains in real-life also shows off its ruthless nature as the main antagonist in Fault in Our Stars. Cancer plays the big evil in the film, it interrupts and slowly eats away at its victim. It takes over their body and their lives. Cancer is unpredictable and has a tendency to take undeserving victims. Even if it takes a rest, and a person goes into remission, they are always reminded of the lingering evil that could very easily come back alive. And it does just that, taking the life of a character that had fought so hard to fight it off, only to quickly realize it came back strong and with a death wish. To see this evil in young people, is the most extreme villain of them all. There’s absolutely no mercy, it conquers over love and eventually ends a blossoming relationship. This evil may not even be human, but the pain and suffering it causes in real-life, and in the film is far greater than any of these villains could try to do.

Koba—Dawn of the Planet of the Apes

At the end of the Rise of the Planet of the Apes we were given a glimpse of Koba’s aggression and hatred towards the humans. Koba, an intelligent and experienced ape had been abused by humans most of his life. Despite his clear appreciation and respect for Caesar, his troublesome past takes the best of him. And like most villains, he focuses on the source of his anguish, and directs aggression towards that source. Koba proves his trustworthiness, and Caesar embraces him as his brother, which is why his villainous ways are even more disturbing.

In Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, Koba’s hatred towards even non-threatening humans turns out to be much stronger than the bond between apes. By shooting his own brother, by lying to his colony, he shows that his aggressive nature is his only drive, and that the love and kindness that his family has given him can not overcome his internal struggle. To strategically plan a murder on someone who has quite literally freed you from the cage of those struggles makes Koba one of the most villainous characters to hit screens this year.

Terence Fletcher—Whiplash

In one of the best performances of the year, J.K. Simmons brings to life the bullying and aggressive jazz band conductor, Terence Fletcher in Whiplash. With his dark clothing, and bald head, he has the perfect look for an evil antagonist. But it’s his ruthless nature that lends him to the top of this list. Upon the first introduction to his character, he is portrayed as a straight-shooting top conductor, who high standards and is regarded the best of the best. So despite the tortuous schemes he inflicts on his students, particularly the protagonist drummer, his students take his abuse in hopes that he can further their musical careers.

He is manipulative, cunning, psychologically and physically abusive, so much so that one of his past students killed himself due Fletcher’s inflicted trauma. But the depth of the character comes from his excuse for his unsettling ways, and the pure excitement he has when he does see talent in his students. He admits there is reason behind his abuse, that the worst two words in the english language are "Good Job" and when he is defeated, his eyes light up. Because his own defeat is exactly what he hoped for, someone to prove him wrong, a great to be born because of his push.

Amy Dunne—Gone Girl

The master manipulator of the year goes to the psychopathic Amy Dunne in her performance of the ultimate set-up in Gone Girl. Though her marriage was already on the decline, when she finds out about her husband’s betrayal, she takes things into her own hands, and commits the ultimate revenge. The most villainous aspects of the character are not just in her deceitful and manipulative nature towards her husband, but that she also projects those characteristics towards the audience. She is an unreliable narrator that at times you sometimes feel yourself rooting for, even after finding out all she has done.

What makes her character even more unsettling is that after she cunningly sets her husband up for her murder, and watches his demise, it is her way of retaliation. And not in the sense of complete destruction. Once he portrays his regret of the affair, Amy manipulates a new situation to get her husband off the hook. She goes from loving wife to identity changing, manipulative psychopath, And it’s the surprising switch that makes her one of the most intriguing villains.