Worst2First: Marvel Phase 4 Rankings

Worst2First:
Marvel Phase 4 Rankings

After "Avengers: Endgame," it seemed that the Marvel juggernaut was drawing to a close in a sense. The original heroes including Iron Man, Black Widow, and Captain America would more than likely no longer grace the screen (with the exception of one), and after that epic fight against Thanos, it seemed that nothing would compare. Needless to say, Phase 4 had a lot to live up to, and with a few exceptions it really dropped the ball when it came to producing amazing content. While it did attempt to expand its horizons by focusing on multiversal threats, the lack of a cohesive whole really affected the outcome of the movies and television shows that Phase 4 is attached to. Still, there were some gems thrown in, and here are my rankings for all eighteen Marvel Phase 4 films and television shows, worst2first...

**THERE WILL BE NO SPOILERS**

#18

I Am Groot

There's nothing inherently wrong with "I Am Groot," but they seemed like a Disney cash-grab idea to offer their newest cutest creature after Grogu, and that's Baby Goot. A series of animated shorts, "I Am Groot" follows the lovable eternal tree voiced by Vin Diesel as he embarks on his own (mis)adventures with comedic results. They're fun and enjoyable, but in the grand scheme of things they're not very necessary.

#17

She-Hulk: Attorney at Law

Marvel really took a step out of the norm with their series "She-Hulk: Attorney at Law." Taking its tune more from comedies like "Ally McBeal" than a superhero show, "She-Hulk" was more a courtroom comedy and fourth wall breaking than an action spectacle. Tatiana Maslany excelled as Jennifer Walters and her alter-ego, but the show was bogged down by nine episodes that didn't really seem to go anywhere. There was no real villain, the comedy was hit-and-miss, and the CGI had a lot to be desired, yet it did offer meme-worthy moments including a cameo by Megan Thee Stallion and the long-awaited return of Tim Roth's Abomination and Charlie Cox's Daredevil.

#16

The Falcon and the Winter Soldier

A series that would've been better as a feature-length film, "The Falcon and the Winter Soldier" was the most dull of the television series so far, offering little to nothing in the way of true excitement. Sam Wilson and Bucky Barnes unite to stop a terrorist group known as the Flag Smashers, and along the way they join forces with an unlikely partner - Daniel Bruhl's Baron Zemo. While there was some exciting action, the overall story felt dragged and even though it did lead Falcon to come full-circle into becoming the next Captain America and it did shed light on racism in America, again it felt just too drawn out and could've been better confined in a two-hour movie.

#15

Eternals

On the flip side to the "Falcon and the Winter Soldier" problem, "Eternals" would've fared better as a Disney+ series instead of an overly-bloated major motion picture. Oscar-winning director Chloe Zhao is best known for directing small, single-character driven films like "Nomadland" and "The Rider," so having to direct a film that focuses on no less than ten all-new characters and giving each one their due diligence was an impossibility. With the acting talents of Gemma Chan, Richard Madden, Kumail Nanjiani, Brian Tyree Henry, Lauren Ridloff, Barry Keoghan, Kit Harington, Salma Hayek, and Angelina Jolie, you'd expect this to be one of Marvel's bright shining films - but instead it dragged on and gave us characters we didn't care about because none of them had their due time to be developed. At least Zhao did something different and filmed in actual locations instead of relying on green screen backgrounds, making "Eternals" one of the most beautifully-shot Marvel films to date.

#14

Thor: Love and Thunder

One of the biggest disappointments has to be "Thor: Love and Thunder," a film that brought back Natalie Portman as Thor's love interest Jane Foster who eventually goes on to become the Mighty Thor seemed to be a story spoon-fed for the big screen. Yet director Taika Waititi tried to capture lightning in a bottle again after his stellar "Thor: Ragnarok" by incorporating his blend of humor into the story, but the jokes fell flat and characters kept repeating them like trying to bring the hammer down to make us laugh even by force. The CGI was God-awful, the villain (Christian Bale's Gorr the God Butcher) was criminally underutilized, and any sense of drama was overshadowed by the lame comedy.

#13

What If...?

Marvel's first venture to the animated world was a mixed bag, as "What If...?" had some stellar episodes while others were just "meh." The series followed The Watcher as he observes our heroes through different universes and sees how things play out in ways that we didn't see in the films, such as what if Peggy Carter took the Super Soldier Serum instead of Steve Rogers, what if T'Challa was abducted by Yondu instead of Peter Quill, and so on. The possibilities were endless, but ultimately it ended in the traditional Marvel way by bringing all the heroes together to take on a huge threat. Plus the fact that the show brought in the voice talent of only some of the main MCU actors (Samuel L. Jackson, Hayley Atwell, and the final T'Challa performance by Chadwick Boseman), others were re-cast with terrible voice work (such as Black Widow and Iron Man). At least we got to see the Marvel Zombies finally, and hopefully the "Marvel Zombies" spinoff will fare better.

#12

The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special

For the first time, Marvel introduced something that didn't have a villain, and the result was a laugh-out-loud riot that families can enjoy for Christmases to come. This special follows Drax and Mantis as they head to earth to cheer up Peter Quill for Christmas by giving him what he's always wanted - the superhero Kevin Bacon. Their antics prove that they need their own spinoff series, and Kevin Bacon playing himself was simply the bacon bits on this exceptional one-off salad. Plus Rocket getting what he's always wanted was a great little nod as well.

#11

Ms. Marvel

The introduction of Iman Vellani's Kamala Khan was something long-awaited, and the show did a great job in introducing the first MCU Muslim superhero, even if the style was something that wasn't necessarily up my alley. Still, the introduction of the biggest fangirl-turned-superhero was a welcome addition and Vellani's natural charm made Kamala an enjoyable and relatable character, and her star will only shine brighter in the upcoming "The Marvels" film where she unites with her biggest hero, Captain Marvel herself.

#10

Hawkeye

Jeremy Renner's Hawkeye is now the only one of the original six Avengers to not have his own full-length film, and "Hawkeye" would've been an adequate one. More than ready to settle into retirement with his family, Clint "Hawkeye" Barton is brought back to New York after a girl named Kate Bishop stole his Ronin outfit, leading her to be chased by a ruthless gang. Hawkeye trains Kate Bishop and the two embark on their own Yuletide adventure in the Big Apple, and it was a fun, exciting series that was filled with tremendous performances by the likes of Renner, Haylee Steinfeld and Vera Farmiga, plus the return of Florence Pugh's Yelena Belova.

#9

Moon Knight

Oscar Isaac is one of the biggest stars out there, so it was only natural that he played not one, not two, but many different characters in the "Moon Knight" series. The series follows mild-mannered Steven Grant as he slowly realizes that he's harboring the embodiment of the Moon Knight, a defender of the Egyptian god Khonsu due to the fact that he has an alter ego named Marc Spector, a merciless assassin. The series was a great blend of superhero antics, elements of horror, and a deep character-driven drive into the realm of mental illness and grief that propelled it from something ordinary and making it something extraordinary - if only it didn't end with the traditional good guy-bad guy mashup.

#8

Black Widow

Coming too-little-too-late (especially for anyone who saw "Avengers: Endgame," which is pretty much everyone in the world), "Black Widow" would've fared better if it had been released in the MCU timeline it was supposed to. Taking place after the events of "Civil War," Scarlett Johansson's titular assassin returns home to take care of unfinished business, and while it's a mid-tier MCU outing, it did supply hope for the future in appearances by her "family" David Harbour's Red Guardian, Rachel Weisz's Melina Vostokoff, and especially Florence Pugh's Yelena Belova, who easily will pick up the Black Widow mantle from now on.

#7

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness

Benedict Cumberbatch's Doctor Strange returns in the first MCU horror film, and it finds the titular Master of the Mystic Arts protecting a multiversal hopping young girl named America Chavez who's being chased by someone who wants her power for herself. Elizabeth Olsen returns as Wanda Maximoff and also the Scarlet Witch, and she absolutely steals the show from Cumberbatch's shadow. The story is exciting and fast-paced, with numerous cameos that would make any MCU fan squeal with glee, and director Sam Raimi goes full-"Evil Dead" with the story, the style, and especially the scares scattered throughout this action spectacle.

#6

Werewolf by Night

Just in time for Halloween, Marvel's Special Presentation of "Werewolf by Night" was a wonderful sixty-minute romp through classic Hollywood creature feature cinema. Shot in black-and-white to give the classic feel, composer Michael Giacchino's first directing gig shows that he has a promising future behind the camera as well as behind the sounds. The presentation focuses on a group of monster hunters who are tasked with bringing down a monster known as Man-Thing, and whoever does so will inherit the Bloodstone legacy. Gael Garcia Bernal plays Jack Russell, a hunter who harbors his own secret - he's really the Werewolf by Night, and if he's discovered, they'll hunt him as well. Filled with a surprising amount of blood and gore (which was suitable due to the black-and-white nature of the filming), "Werewolf by Night" offers a great throwback to the classic creature features of the past while also introducing the world to a darker side of the MCU.

#5

Loki

Everyone's favorite God of Mischief returns to sew more. mischief in a multiersal scale. During the events of "Avengers: Endgame," the Loki from the first "Avengers" movie gets his hands on the Tesseract and transports himself away, only to find himself under arrest by the TVA: Time Variance Authority for his multi-versal shenanigans. He's assigned a job: track down his different variants and stop them from creating an unstoppable rift in the multiverse. Accompanying him is Owen Wilson's Mobius, a TVA officer who has visions of riding on a jet ski, and their adventures through the multiverse is filled with humor, and a surprising amount of heart as this Loki learns what it really means to be a hero. Sophia DiMartino emerges in a huge way as a Loki variant who will propel the Loki name far into the MCU future, and Tom Hiddleston shows no signs of slowing down with the long-anticipated upcoming second season.

#4

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever

No MCU film has been as anticipated as Ryan Coogler's "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever," due to the untimely death of Chadwick Boseman, who played the titular hero. Choosing not to re-cast the role, Coogler had to craft an entirely different story that both moves the characters forward as well as allowing them - and the audience - to mourn the passing of a great man. The result works on both ends, as "Wakanda Forever" is filled with exciting action, but also leaves a tear in your eye due to all the actors' real-life performances as they grieved their friend both in the MCU world and real life. Letitia Wright, Danai Gurira, Lupita Nyong'o, Winston Duke and especially Angela Bassett give it their all, and it's clearly evident in every frame. Bassett also earned herself a Golden Globe nomination for her performance, which is the first for any Marvel movie so far.

#3

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings

The first new superhero post-"Endgame," Shang-Chi had a lot to live up to, especially considering the majority of moviegoers have never even heard the name Shang-Chi. Still, stock-photo model Simu Liu delivers a performance worthy of the MCU, giving Shang-Chi a personal feel as well as showcasing his martial arts prowess proving why the character is the master of the martial arts. The film follows Shang-Chi as he must face his father Wenwu and his powerful Ten Rings organization, along with the mystical rings Wenwu possesses that gives him eternal life and unlimited power. More than a typical Marvel movie, "Shang-Chi" also gives a compelling role to Tony Leung's Wenwu, a villain who is highly multi-layered and sympathetic in his own right. Plus the film has some dazzling and downright beautiful action sequences, showcasing the true power of martial arts and utilizing its grace and lethal nature in equal measure.

#2

WandaVision

The first television series that directly focuses on the MCU as a whole, "WandaVision" was an exceptional show that focused on the five stages of grief as told in a way that only Marvel could. Elizabeth Olsen's Wanda Maximoff finds herself living the ideal sitcom life with her Vibranium-clad husband The Vision (played again by the great Paul Bettany), but everything isn't as it seems. Each episode was a nod to classic era sitcoms while also incorporating a bigger mystery - what's going on, and who's behind it? Olsen and Bettany give it their all, and with the return of Kat Dennings' Darcy and Randall Park's Jimmy Woo - plus welcome new additions Kathryn Hahn as the meddling neighbor Agnes and Teyonah Parris's grown-up Monica Rameau, "WandaVision" was a water-cooler show that people talked about week after week due to the growing mystery and superb performances and set designs.

#1

Spider-Man: No Way Home

Proving "with great power comes great responsibility," "Spider-Man: No Way Home" is the culmination of twenty years of Spider-Man webslinging, offering the quintessential fan service for any fan of the beloved Peter Parker in any universe. Tom Holland's Peter Paker asks Benedict Cumberbatch's Doctor Strange to fix the fact that everyone knows he's Spider-Man, and the result is a rift in the mutiverse that brings over Spider-Man's biggest foes from different universes including Sandman, The Lizard, Electro, Doctor Octopus, and especially the Green Goblin to the MCU universe. Yet they're not the only ones pulled in, as the worst kept secret ever was revealed that Andrew Garfield and Tobey Maguire also return as their own Spider-Man personas, and seeing these three Spider-Men in action together alone is well worth the price of admission.