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

16. Blade (1998)

The first major theatrical release based on a Marvel character since Howard the Duck, Blade proved that there was still an appetite for comic book movies, even R-rated ones. Featuring one of the greatest opening scenes of any comic book movie that established the movie's premise right off the bat, the increasingly-ridiculous plot is anchored by a thoroughly bad-ass Wesley Snipes. As you would expect from a superhero movie about a vampire-hunting vampire, the script is loaded with clunky dialogue and exposition to establish the mythology. Thankfully, the actors embrace the ridiculousness with Snipes being supported by enjoyable turns from Kris Kristofferson, Stephen Dorff and Donal Logue. The massively-stylised production design, camerawork and fight scenes only enhance the final product, and the end result is a movie equal parts violent and entertaining. Budgeted at $45m, Blade would go on to earn over $130m at the worldwide box office and ultimately spawn a trilogy of movies. Looking at the bigger picture, the success of this R-rated effort showed that there was still an audience for comic book adaptations, after Batman and Robin almost killed the genre entirely. Two years later, the real game-changer came with the release of X-Men.

15. Iron Man 2 (2010)

Iron Man 2 remains the most cynical entry in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, as huge chunks of the story are dedicated to expanding the mythology of the MCU and sowing the seeds for the next batch of superheroes to hit the big screen, which often leaves the narrative of the movie woefully under-served. That being said, Iron Man 2 is still an enjoyable enough blockbuster. The action sequences are suitably spectacular (although once again the main adversaries are other people in metal suits) and Robert Downey Jr is brilliant as usual. However, there is so much going on here that everything seems rushed; the conflict with Whiplash and Justin Hammer, the introduction of Black Widow and War Machine, expanded roles for Nick Fury and Agent Coulson and Stark's daddy issues are all squeezed into two hours which leaves many plot threads feeling half-baked. The movie ends with a disappointing climax, especially when all the trailers featured the Iron Man/War Machine combo as the money shot in what ended up as only a couple of minutes in the final product. The goodwill built up by the success of the first Iron Man saw the sequel open to a massive $128.1m domestically and the movie would end up grossing $623.9m worldwide, cementing Iron Man as the crown jewel in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and giving the upcoming Thor and Captain America a difficult act to follow.

14. Thor: The Dark World (2013)

With Phase 2 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe in full swing, Thor returned to the screen in a sequel that upped the stakes in both the drama and action departments. Although in the grand scheme of the MCU Thor: The Dark World is little more than a placeholder, the movie doesn't rely too heavily on references to other movies and provides two hours of blockbuster action and surprising levels of humor. With Alan Taylor behind the camera, it was guaranteed that this sequel would take the tried and tested 'darker, grittier' route. Despite following these tropes of the genre, The Dark World benefits hugely from the sparkling double-act of Chris Hemsworth and perennial scene-stealer Tom Hiddleston. Drawbacks include the convoluted plot, Kat Dennings' irritating comedy sidekick, Natalie Portman again being wasted in the love interest role and a one-dimensional villain that is about as generic as they get. Still, the movie provides enough spectacular action, witty remarks and visual gags to overcome these shortcomings. Benefiting from 'The Avengers Effect' at the box office, Thor: The Dark World opened to an impressive $85.7m domestically and earned $641.3m worldwide, almost $200m more than the first movie. The final shot of Thor: The Dark World also ensures that audiences will be eager to find out what's happening in Asgard by the time Phase 3 comes around.