Ranking All 31 Marvel Comic Book Movies - From Worst To Best

7. Iron Man 3 (2013)

After the $1.5bn success of The Avengers, Marvel Studios' Phase 2 kicked off with a third solo outing for their most popular character. With Jon Favreau replaced behind the camera by Shane Black, there was a real freshness to the movie after the so-so Iron Man 2. Surprisingly character-centric for a superhero blockbuster, the movie also features plenty of snappy dialogue and explosive action. This was only Shane Black's second effort behind the camera, but you would never have guessed from the confidence the sophomore director handles the $200m budget. Renowned as one of the best writers of his generation, the script crackles with his signature one-liners and witty exchanges, anchored by another effortlessly charismatic performance from Robert Downey Jr. Don Cheadle finally gets something substantial to do, and his double-act with RDJ is one of the movie's highlights. Although a fire-breathing Guy Pearce and his underwritten minions are a little disappointing and giving Tony Stark a child sidekick is a strange move, the exhilarating mid-air rescue sequence and a titanic final showdown result in pure popcorn entertainment. And of course, the hugely divisive Mandarin twist instantly became one of the Marvel Cinematic Universe's most iconic moments. Coming off the back of The Avengers, Iron Man 3 was guaranteed to do big business. The knock-on effect from Joss Whedon's superhero ensemble, as well as the popularity of Downey Jr's Tony Stark, saw Iron Man 3 open to almost $175m at the domestic box office. The movie would go on to become the biggest hit of 2013 with grosses of over $1.2bn, which saw it become the fifth highest earner in history.

6. X-Men: First Class (2011)

Matthew Vaughn finally got his shot at making a movie featuring Marvel characters, and delivered an X-Men movie that was a marked improvement on both The Last Stand and X-Men Origins: Wolverine, remarkable given the insanely quick production schedule. Although it muddles the canon of the X-Men universe, First Class stands on its own merit as a confident, stylish superhero blockbuster. And of course, it features one of the best cameos in recent memory. The movie often plays like a light, breezy 1960s spy caper, albeit with superpowers, enhanced by Henry Jackman's score and Vaughn's confident direction. James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender bring bags of charisma and screen presence to their roles as the young Charles Xavier and Erik Lensherr (despite the latter's wayward accent), with the connection and ultimately division between the two driving the narrative. Although the large ensemble cast leaves some characters by the wayside, the supporting players still manage to inject the proceedings with a sense of fun and urgency. Admittedly, Kevin Bacon's villain isn't a particularly strong one and the climax borders on CGI overload, but a strong script and distinct visual style result in a sparkling prequel/reboot hybrid that overcomes these minor problems to resurrect the X-Men franchise with a bang. With less recognizable characters, a lower-profile cast and the missing star power of Hugh Jackman's Wolverine, X-Men: First Class became the lowest-grossing X-Men movie yet at the domestic box office, and the first that failed to crack $150m. Worldwide, the movie grossed $353.3m which was the lowest total since the original X-Men over a decade earlier. Maybe that had something to do with Fox's decision to bring back the original cast and merge the two timelines in Days of Future Past...

5. Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)

As the final Phase 1 movie before The Avengers, the cinematic introduction of the team's leader had to be handled carefully. Captain America certainly isn't the most interesting character in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and the premise had the potential to come off as a slice of overly-jingoistic Americana. Thankfully, The First Avenger delivered an entertainingly old-school adventure disguised as a superhero origin story. The all-American values of the titular hero could easily come off as two-dimensional and bland but Chris Evans brings a warm, easy-going charm to the character and is ably supported by a scenery-chewing Hugo Weaving and a feisty Hayley Atwell. The standout supporting cast also features small but important roles for Tommy Lee Jones, Stanley Tucci, Dominic Cooper and Sebastian Stan. With the story taking place during World War II, The First Avenger instantly differentiated itself from the rest of Marvel's cinematic offerings and offered something fresh to audiences, both in the narrative and the action scenes. Director Joe Johnston gives the movie a distinctly retro feel, despite some anachronistic technologies, offering something akin to a pulp serial armed with a blockbuster budget. The First Avenger earned just over 50% of its worldwide grosses from overseas markets, a low number for a high-profile summer tentpole, although the stars-and-stripes nature of the character made the movie a potentially tough sell to international audiences. Still, it opened to a solid $65m domestically and finished with a $370.6m total. The positive reception to this movie plus the continued success of the MCU and a solid marketing campaign will see the upcoming sequel wind up a lot higher.