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

13. The Amazing Spider-Man (2012)

A mere ten years after Sam Raimi had finally managed to bring the character to the big-screen, and only five years after his trilogy-closing Spider-Man 3, the iconic web-head was given the reboot treatment. Although the movie runs through the origin story again, The Amazing Spider-Man is still a well-acted and enjoyable blockbuster despite the familiarity of the plot. Spider-Man's origins are as well known as any character in popular culture, so it was a bit tedious to see it played out for the second time in a decade. To be fair, the filmmakers needed to do this to establish their universe but it's awfully clumsy hearing Martin Sheen's Uncle Ben stumble his way around not delivering his iconic speech. Rhys Ifans' villain is also a little underwhelming and all promises of 'the untold story' in the marketing were completely abandoned by the time the movie hit theatres. However, the movie is elevated by strong performances from Andrew Garfield and his crackling chemistry with Emma Stone, and some thrilling action sequences that are enhanced by a surprising reliance on practical effects that overcome sometimes questionable CGI. Any Spider-Man movie is guaranteed to be a massive commercial success, and The Amazing Spider-Man was no different. Despite a disappointing $62m opening weekend, the movie held well and grossed $752.2m worldwide. Although this was the lowest total yet for a Spider-Man movie, it was a solid start for a reboot that came so soon after Sam Raimi's three box office juggernauts.

12. X-Men (2000)

Given the continued success of the comic book genre, it's easy to forget the impact of Bryan Singer's X-Men. A risky project that featured a sprawling ensemble cast filled with characters that general audiences weren't familiar with, the movie deftly handles elements of action, drama and underlying social commentary on themes including oppression and isolation, all wrapped inside a big-budget blockbuster. The stunning prologue immediately establishes that the movie is set in a heightened version of our reality, with the theme of persecution carrying through to the modern day and the Mutant Registration Act. Although the narrative pace can sometimes slow down, which is to be expected given the amount of exposition needed to explain the mythology, the action scenes and character moments ultimately delivered the best comic book movie since Tim Burton's Batman. The serious approach to the subject matter could have ended in ridiculousness given the myriad of superpowers on show, but Singer's impeccable direction and the performances from the cast elevate the material. A $54.5m opening weekend saw X-Men on its way to a worldwide total of nearly $300m and just like that, a slew of comic book adaptations were put into active development. With the universe and characters firmly established, the sequel-baiting ending of the movie promised bigger and better things from the franchise.

11. Thor (2011)

After the heightened reality of the first two Iron Man movies, the Marvel Cinematic Universe moved to another dimension entirely with Thor. A potentially risky premise instead turned out as a unique and enjoyable hybrid of superhero origin story, Shakespearean drama and fish-out-of-water comedy, featuring a talented ensemble cast led by relative newcomer Chris Hemsworth. Kenneth Branagh seemed a strange choice to helm a $150m blockbuster, but his background in Shakespeare served the story well and lent a sense of gravitas to the Asgardian back-and-forths that could have produced some unintentional comedy. The amount of world-building required does involve a lot of exposition, but solid performances from the cast (especially Tom Hiddleston in his breakout role) ensure it never becomes too overwrought. Despite an over-reliance on canted camera angles and limiting the Earth-bound action to one small town in the desert, Thor provides a solid balance of humour, action, drama and fantasy and serves as an entertaining franchise-starter and a more than worthy addition to the MCU. Thor wasn't a particularly well-known character to general audiences before the release of the movie, so credit must go to the marketing team and the goodwill built up from the other MCU movies that saw the God of Thunder's first solo outing open to $65.7m domestically. Worldwide, the movie grossed almost $450m as the cinematic build to The Avengers continued at pace.