Ranking the MCU movies

My cousin and I got into a discussion about how to rank the MCU movies after Spider-Man: Far From Home. We each made lists and compared them and here is where we landed, including tiered sections. Nitpick away!

Tier 5 - Don’t Waste Your Time
23.) Incredible Hulk
22.) Thor: The Dark World
21.) Thor

Tier 4 - Meh
20.) Ant Man
19.) Iron Man 2
t17.) Black Panther
t17.) Ant Man & the Wasp

Tier 3 - Not Essential but Entertaining
16.) Captain America
t14.) Doctor Strange
t14.) Age of Ultron
13.) Captain Marvel
12.) Iron Man 3

Tier 2 - Still Pretty Essential
t10.) Iron Man
t10.) Captain America: Civil War
t8.) Guardians 2
t8.) Winter Soldier
t6.) Spiderman: Far From Home
t6.) Thor: Ragnarok

Tier 1 - Essential Viewing
5.) The Avengers
t2.) Spiderman Homecoming
t2.) Guardians of the Galaxy
t2.) Endgame
1.) Infinity War

A few notes:

- I guess by “Essential” I mean movies that best exemplify what makes the MCU special. So not essential to understanding the overall narrative but essential to the staying power of the franchise.

If it were essential to narrative this list would look pretty different

- I like Black Panther as a character and Wakanda as a setting but the best versions of both aren’t even featured in the eponymous movie (Black Panther is at his best in Civil War and Wakanda in Infinity War)

- Captain America is really on the border of Tier 3 & 4. It has a lot of redeeming qualities but the third act just kind of... sucks until the ending

- Spider-Man Homecoming isn’t quite as essential in terms of overall narrative of the MCU but I think it’s really unique in its characters, humor, and presentation of a timeless figure in the canon

- I like Iron Man 3. Sue me.