They’ve produced box office hit after box office hit and since 2008 have produced a staggering 27 movies that’s made over $25billion at the box office.
And that’s not all, the movies have taken the Marvel superheroes to the next level, beyond the comics and into the likes of video games and even casino games like 777 roulette, with some of the most prominent online slots either having bore the names of a Marvel character or movie, or been inspired by them.
It quite simply is a phenomenon. From casinos to cinemas, retail outlets to sweet shops, Marvel will never be far away. But, when it comes to the movies, which are the ones we love most?
It’s a difficult question indeed, but there are some real standouts from those 27, with the following our top five…
1. Guardians of the Galaxy
Guardians of the Galaxy was a real game-changer for Marvel. It opened the Cinematic Universe up to people beyond those who already loved the superhero genre. With humour aplenty and a banging soundtrack, it appealed to the masses, and had a strong storyline to boot.
Starring Chris Pratt, alongside Zoe Saldana, Vin Diesel, Bradley Cooper and Dave Bautista, alongside a wider ensemble cast that have reprised their roles elsewhere within Marvel, the 2014 movie earned widespread acclaim and is often voted as the best Marvel movie of all-time.
2. Black Panther
Black Panther then took that appeal to the next level, not only proving popular with a wider fan base, but also critics, becoming the first ever superhero movie to be nominated for Best Picture at the Oscars.
The late Chadwick Boseman is perfect in the movie and the cast really does elevate it even more. It’s a fine movie, directed by Ryan Coogler, proving that Marvel can not just create box office hits but also tell a story with the best of them.
3. Ant-Man
Ant-Man was Marvel’s follow up to Avengers: Age of Ultron, and it proved the perfect one, offering a much more light-hearted view of the cinematic universe. It stars Paul Rudd, Michael Douglas and Evangeline Lily and is a brilliant heist-style movie that sees Rudd save the day in only the kind of way a comic actor like he could.
It’s refreshing, great fun and a nice step away from the more traditional Marvel movies we’re used to.
4. Avengers: Endgame
While Avengers may dominate the box office figures, with the movies four of five of MCU’s biggest hits to date, it’s only Endgame that makes our top five. The latest addition to the Avengers franchise, it’s a film that really tugs on your emotions as well as offers ultimate action and some of the biggest battle scenes Marvel has ever produced.
It has all the usual suspects in it, as the Avengers team looks to clean up the mess of the events that went down in Infinity War, and it’s no wonder it went all the way to the top of the all-time box office rankings, before being pipped again by Avatar.
5. Thor: Ragnarok
Released in 2017, Thor: Ragnarok is Taika Waititi’s offering and he certainly brings elements of Hunt for the Wilderpeople and What We Do in the Shadows to proceedings. It’s much whittier and odd, but still has that Marvel edge.
It’s certainly one of the funniest Marvel films of the movies so far, and it’s excellent news that Waititi has been backed for the future Thor movies, with Love and Thunder now in post-production and expected to be released this year.
