Summary
TheMarvel Cinematic Universehas brought a plethora of Marvel Comics adaptations to cinemas, and many are worth rewatching. Using only the characters they had the film rights to at the time,Marvel Studios – Marvel’s in-house film studio– began the ambitious endeavor of adapting Marvel characters to film in a shared continuity in the late 2000s. While shared universe storytelling has been commonplace in superhero comics for most of its history, it was a risky goal on film, but oncethe MCU timelinereached unprecedented levels of success for the superhero genre, the cinematic universe became a pop culture fad seemingly overnight.
Theoverarching narrative of the MCU’s first three Phases – The Infinity Saga –explores the formation of the iconic superhero team The Avengers and their various conflicts as they build toward an ultimate confrontation with the omnicidal Thanos. The MCU’s compelling characters and narratives quickly made it one of the most successful film franchises in pop culture. While the franchise has many beloved installments, the following 10 are the most rewatchable.
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2012’sThe Avengerswas the MCU film that truly changed the pop culture landscape. After five solo films that gradually built the franchise’s pantheon of superheroes,The Avengersfinally brought six heroes together to face off against Loki and an army of Chitauri invaders.The Avengersis arguably the most iconic film in the MCU, and it is certainly one of its most rewatchable installments.
The Avengershad the daunting task of making its ensemble cast of protagonists, many of whom come from drastically different backgrounds and sub-genres,believably work together against a threat worthyof their combined might, all while balancing their respective character arcs.The Avengersdoes so seemingly effortlessly, all while maintaining a fun and action-packed tone and reminding viewers of exciting stories to come. For this,The Avengerslends itself well to multiple viewings.
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While the MCU has, unfortunately, had a noticeable decline in quality and popularity following the Infinity Saga, not all films in the now ongoing Multiverse Saga failed to live up to the first three Phases of MCU films. 2021’sShang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Ringsis one of the best examples of a truly great MCU movie afterAvengers: Endgame. With a stellar cast and the right balance of heart, humor, and action,Shang-Chistands well above the majority of the MCU’s Phase 4 and 5 properties.
Shang-Chibuilds incredibly compelling lore within a well-established MCU, enriching the backstory of the late Iron Man retroactively.Shang-Chi’sreal strengths are in its titular protagonist, played by Simu Liu, and its antagonist,Xu Wenwu (The Mandarin), played by Tony Leung.Shang-Chi and The Mandarin have a wonderful rivalry that is equal parts tragic and epic, providing the MCU with one of its best new heroes, and certainly one of its most compelling villains, making the film worthy of rewatching.
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Deservedly considered one of the best films in the MCU,Captain America: The Winter Soldierbuilds on Captain America’s established characterization and gives him a conflict that differs greatly from that of his first solo outing. Inspired byCaptain America’s Modern Age comics and political conspiracy thrillers from the 1970s,The Winter Soldierputs Captain America – a paragon of morality in both the comics and MCU – in an environment filled with moral ambiguity and paranoia. One of the film’s most brilliant qualities, however, is that Steve Rogers continues to be a fully honest and ethical hero, despite his surroundings.
The Winter Soldier’sfirst major plot twist recontextualizes previous MCUproperties and its second twist is a gut punch, even to those who already know the titular villain’s real identity from the comics. The political intrigue and contrast between Rogers and those around him are not the only elements that makeThe Winter Soldierso rewatchable, however. The film also includes some of Captain America’s most visually compelling and inventive fight scenes.
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The origin story of one of the MCU’s most beloved heroes,Black Panther (played by the late Chadwick Boseman), is, for the most part, told in aCaptain Americafilm, allowing 2018’sBlack Pantherto further explore T’Challa’s characterization and the MCU’s version of Wakanda.Black Pantheris easily one ofthe MCU’s best movies, tackling complex themes and challenging T’Challa in ways both physical and ideological.Black Panther’saction scenes, soundtrack, and costume design are each as strong as its characterizations and storyline, adding to the film’s phenomenal impact on the MCU writ large.
What makesBlack Pantherparticularly rewatchable is its phenomenal world-building and the way it challengesT’Challa’s worldview following his encounters with Killmonger.Killmonger himself is among the MCU’s best antagonists, providing a true threat to T’Challa and having a motivation tied to real-world issues, making him a compellingly complex villain. At a time when the MCU was releasing movie after movie,Black Pantherstood apart as one of the franchise’s best chapters.
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The MCU’s Phase 3 opened on one of the best possible notes withCaptain America: Civil War. After the phenomenalWinter Soldierand the somewhat controversialAvengers: Age of Ultron,CivilWarmanaged to simultaneouslyserve as both a thirdCaptain Americasolo film and anAvengerssequel, all while keeping Steve Rogers as the central character and balancing its massive cast with astoundingly casual effortlessness. Adding to its feats,Civil Waradapted a particularly divisive Marvel storyline, turning it into a nearly universal crowd-pleaser.
There are numerous reasons whyCivil Waris so rewatchable, from the seamless way it weaves its characters’ respective arcs together, to its masterful blend of exciting action set pieces and memorable introductions for Black Panther and Spider-Man. The filmhad a major impact on the overarching narrative of the MCU,as far as The Avengers are concerned, all while further setting the stage for the heroes’ coming conflict with Thanos. IfThe Avengersproved that Marvel’s shared universe ambitions were possible,Civil Waris one of the finest examples of its storytelling potential.
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The film that kicked off the MCU itself is also one of the franchise’s most worthy installments of multiple viewings.Iron Mangave the superhero genreone of its all-time best castingsin Robert Downey Jr as Tony Stark. Compared to the overwhelming majority of MCU films, the stakes and scale ofIron Manare small and intimate, but this is one of the film’s strengths. Tony Stark, his supporting cast, and his enemies all feel relatively realistic, with only the Iron Man armor itself adding that bit of fantasy to an otherwise relatively realistic world.
Iron Man adheres to the spirit of theIron Mancomic mythos and the appeal of Marvel’s comics themselves byjuxtaposing the extraordinary with realistic characters in a realistic world.Tony Stark’s gradual journey towards superheroism is filled with guilt as much as it is joy and wish fulfillment. From start to finish, the performances, comic accuracy, and humor all makeIron Manone of the MCU’s most rewatchable movies.
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Joe Johnston, Chris Evans, and the rest of thecast and crew ofCaptain America: The First Avengerapproached theCaptain Americacharacter and mythos in the best possible way. The MCU’s Captain America, like his comic counterpart, is a kind person to the core who simply lacked the means to put his ideals to use, initially. Ultimately,it is Rogers’s goodness that leads himto be chosen by Dr. Abraham Erskine to test his super soldier serum, which makes Rogers’s physical abilities finally reflect the strength of his ethics.
Captain Americaisan epic period piece that tackles Golden Agecomic book-style heroism with a level of earnestness rarely seen, even in the superhero genre. Chris Evans’s sincerity, the film’s wonderfully scrappy brawls, and its soundtrack – among Alan Silvestri’s finest work – makeCaptain Americaworth a yearly rewatch at the very least. Even as the MCU’s Captain America would come to be known for his modern adventures and Avengers leadership, his World War II-era escapades deserve revisiting.
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As thebeginning of the end of the Infinity Saga,Avengers: Infinity Warneeded to consolidate the storylines of most of the MCU’s pantheon and portray Thanos as a worthy foe for them all. Needless to say, the film sticks the landing, balancing a far bigger cast than theAvengersfilms preceding it and giving Thanos a new motivation. Rather than pining for the personification of Death, Thanos is obsessed with a deeply flawed goal of halving the universe’s population to account for finite resources and prevent worlds from suffering the fate of his home planet.
Thanos is a nearly unstoppable force throughoutInfinity War, and although the heroes’ attempts to stop him from collecting the sixInfinity Stonesare, ultimately, unsuccessful,Infinity Waris one of the MCU’s most entertaining and dramatic installments, making it incredibly rewatchable. Even with the foreknowledge of what comes next in theAvengersseries, the film ends on a crushing note.
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The conclusion to theInfinity Saga,Avengers: Endgame, was released one year afterInfinity War. The film’s plot, which involvesthe surviving Avengers traveling through time to retrieve theInfinity Stones and undo Thanos’s omnicide, makes it function as a love letter to the MCU as a whole, making characters and viewers alike relive the franchise’s most memorable moments, often with an inventive twist. Even with a three-hour run time,Endgameoften has a reasonably fast pace and enough satisfying moments to make it worth rewatching.
Endgamereminds viewers why they fell in love with the main Avengers heroes in the first place, tying up loose ends on a note that is as epic as it is tragic. Endgame has perhaps the largest scale of any MCU film, withone set piece that pits almost the entire MCU pantheon at the time againstThanos and his forces,with nearly every hero having a moment to shine.Endgameis, in many ways, like the original 2012Avengersfilm, only far more dramatic and arguably even more worthy of repeated viewing.
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IfEndgameis a love letter to the MCU as a whole,Spider-Man: No Way Homeserves the same purpose for the three SonySpider-Manfranchises. With Tom Holland’s Spider-Man accidentally causing supervillains from the Sam Raimi and Marc WebbSpider-Manuniverses to become stranded in the MCU’s reality, he finds himself in over his head as he tries to redeem them rather than condemn them to die in their home realities. With the addition ofTobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield reprising their respective Spider-Man roles,No Way Homeis one of Marvel’s most rewatchable films for its sheer fanservice.
Of course,No Way Homeis simply an excellent movie on its own, with its visiting multiversal heroes and villains serving as far more than nostalgia bait. The choices of Tom Holland’s Spider-Man have significant – and often tragic – consequences that will change his story forever. For each of the returning villains and Spider-Man variants,No Way Homegives them a second chance to continue or end their respective stories on more satisfying notes.Willem Dafoe notably steals the show as the Green Goblin,proving himself as Spider-Man’s greatest villain and one of the best in theMarvel Cinematic Universeoverall.
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