Top 10 Marvel Movies

Starting our list at number 10 and coming out in 2002 is one of Marvel’s earlier films. Guillermo del Toro brings his keen eye for the weird to this sharp sequel, and the result is arguably the best of the series. Wesley Snipes returns as the half vampire who is needed to help take down a strain of newer and more ravenous vampires. Unflinching violence and bone crunching fights seal the deal nicely.

Coming in at #9 is the incredible sequel to the not so incredible Ang Lee original. Edward Norton (that’s right Mark Ruffalo, take a hike) brings the tormented scientist with a dark green secret to life. His romantic chemistry with Arwen- I mean- Liv Tyler is palpable, and he really earns that audience sympathy. That said, the monster fights at the end is just plain awesome.

Ignoring the fact that he already played the Human Torch, quintessential white guy Chris Evans stars as the ultimate symbol of freedom, Captain America. Set in World War 2, The First Avenger features the Cap fighting to protect the free world from the evil Red Skull and his insidious Nazi-splinter group, Hydra. Frozen at the end, Captain America reawakens to the modern world that’s in need of a hero once more.

The mighty Asgardian prince Thor flies into slot number 7 on our list. Stripped of iconic hammer Mjölnir, Thor is cast down to Earth to live as a human until he can learn some humility and tact. Eventually taking on his backstabbing brother Loki, Thor has to save his new friends on Earth and as well as home realm of Asgard. All we can say is: good thing he left the winged helm at home.

Younger versions of everyone’s favorite mutants return under the new direction of Matthew Vaughn in Xmen: First Class. The now youthful Professor Xavier, and Magneto (now a semi-good guy!) put a team of mutant outcasts in order to stop a mutant named Shaw from starting world war three. Set against the backdrop of the Cuban Missile crisis, First Class proves that everything, even history lessons, are better with mutants.

Next up is everyone’s favorite friendly neighborhood Spiderman in his first big screen appearance. Textbook nerd Peter Parker is bitten by a radioactive spider, giving him special powers that he eventually uses to fight crime. As in the comics, Peter soon finds out that the line between his personal life and his life as a superhero begins to blur as friends become enemies and those he loves most become their targets.

In the most popular movie of the original Xmen trilogy, a rather impressive cast (featuring stars like Patrick Stewart, Sir Ian Mckellen, and Hugh Jackman) must put aside their differences from the previous movie and team up to stop a new foe that threatens to destroy all the mutants on the planet. Darker and more mature than the previous film, X2 still holds strong to the central themes of discrimination and prejudice.

Peter Parker swings back onto our list to take the number three slot with his sequel, Spiderman 2. Still struggling to keep his personal life safe from the dangers of being a superhero, Peter must contend with both the nefarious Doctor Octopus and his own desire to quit crime fighting for good. With a stronger script and better action sequences, Spiderman 2 is often regarded as the high point in the series.

Marvel’s favorite playboy millionaire irons out the competition with the firstmovie of the Iron Man trilogy. In an astounding comeback performance, Robert Downey Jr. instantly became inseparably associated with the billionaire turned superhero, Tony Stark. While Iron Man 3 was a notable success, it was the first film that was the real surprise with a likeably snarky lead and an off the charts cool factor.

Was there any doubt? Of course the ultimate superhero crossover film that took years to bring to the screen has earned the #1 spot on our list. The Avengers is the perfect blend of blockbuster cinema, iconic heroes and surprisingly hilarious banter that fans waited so anxiously for. It’s big, it’s shiny, and it has Samuel L. Jackson, what’s not to love? When earth’s mightiest heroes are brought together to save the planet, even an invading army of aliens and the god of mischief are no match. The Avengers earned a ridiculous 92% from Rotten Tomatoes and brought in $1.5 billion dollars at the box office.

Do you agree with our list? Which Marvel movie do you think deserves to be #1? For more top 10s like this one, be sure to subscribe to WatchMojo.com.