Ranking Every MCU Film From Worst To Best

It's still baffling how Joss Whedon managed to balance all of the elements he had in the air for Age Of Ultron without making a mess, but it is perhaps telling that the experience exhausted him so much that he immediately cut ties with the MCU in its wake.

The result of his blood, sweat and tears (as well as some Marvel tinkering) is a huge spectacle that not only explored some weighty issues like responsibility, causality and mortality, but which was also funny enough and entertaining enough to gleefully wear the Popcorn Movie label.

There were fan-baiting moments like Hulk V Hulk Buster, Iron Man V Cap and an origin story for Black Widow, and the script was strong enough to knit several enormous set-pieces together without compromising on the simple central message that the cost of being an Avenger can be awful.

Yes, James Spader's performance was a little self-congratulatory, but when something is that irresistibly watchable, why should anyone derail it with anything as vulgar as restraint?