Summary
TheMarvel Cinematic Universeis nearly twenty years old and remains a box office titan thanks to its characters and interconnected stories. Consequently, not only have there been numerous movies featuring legendary superheroes, but these films have developed into franchises, often with one or moresequels.
Thanks to the talented teams of filmmakers within the MCU, the franchise’s sequels have evolved from simple superhero adventures into compelling narratives that challenge our heroes in unexpected ways. They have matched the quality of the originals, andsome sequels in the MCU have been regarded as the best in their respective franchises.
Anthony and Joe Russo first showcased their talent with Avengers characters withCaptain America: Civil War, which focuses on the Avengers falling out due to their conflicting views on registering themselves as government agents. It creates a fascinating dynamic where longtime friends are suddenly enemies because of conflicting ideas on how the government should handle superheroes, with both sides providing genuine points that make the debate feel realistic.
Both Spider-Man and Black Panther made their debuts inCaptain America: Civil War, further diversifying the roster. This intensifies the eventual conflict between the two superhero factions, as it’s thrilling to witness how their unique powers and skills clash, even though most fans feel that these friends and allies shouldn’t be at odds.
After the first film was such a success, James Gunn could have done more of the same for the sequel and likely guaranteed a hit. Instead,Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2focuses less on intergalactic superhero action and tells a more personal tale about Star-Lord meeting his father, a story that leads to many twists and turns.
Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2also further evolves each character in different ways while also introducing newmembers of the Guardians, such as Nebula, Mantis, and Yondu. With another memorable soundtrack and an important moral about found family, the sequel proves that even the most obscure team of comic book heroes can create compelling stories.
Benedict Cumberbatch had already cemented himself as an icon of the MCU as the titular hero Doctor Strange, but he goes even further inDoctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness. Cumberbatch shows his acting range by playing multiple variants of himself: the main hero, a failed hero, a zombie, and more. It is an example of how the multiverse concept can give audiences strong results.
It also helps thatDoctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madnessis directed by Sam Raimi, who has already mastered superhero directing with hisSpider-Mantrilogy and broke into Hollywood as a horror director. With magic and the multiverse at his fingertips, Raimi heavily embraces hisEvil Deadroots, creating one of the darkest MCU entries that implements even wilder magic, monsters, and Marvel affairs than the first film.
In Tom Holland’s third film in hisSpider-Manfranchise,Spider-Man: No Way Home, Peter Parker is pushed to the brink by constant adversity after his identity is exposed. It leads him to reach out to Doctor Strange, and suddenly, they are wrapped up in thefirst true dive into the Multiversefor the franchise, with villains from different films and universes coming to the MCU.
The many villains returning are highlights, especially the return of Willem Dafoe’s Green Goblin, but in the end,Spider-Man: No Way Homeis about Peter Parker’s continuous growth as a character. However, there is no denying the multiverse concept did lead to many memorable moments, especially the team-up of Tom Holland, Andrew Garfield, and Tobey Maguire as fellow Spider-Men.
After the tragic loss of Chadwick Boseman, a sequel toBlack Panthercould have fallen apart. However,Black Panther: Wakanda Forevernot only gave T’Challa a proper send-off but went even further in developing the world of Wakanda as it deals with the aftermath of not only losing its king, but also the rise of Namor and his underwater kingdom of Talokan.
The brewing conflict between Wakanda and Talokan serves as a sophisticated showcase of political dynamics between two distinct civilizations. Namor stood out to many, as he wasn’t a conventional villain; he had reasons for his animosity, even though he pursued them in a very misguided way. Additionally, Shuri demonstrated her strength as a worthy successor to the Black Panther mantle through her emotional character arc throughout the film.
Captain America: The Winter Soldier
Captain America: The Winter Soldieris where the Russo Brothers first entered into the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and they continued the trend from the first movie of makingCaptain Americaa genre film featuring a superhero. This time, instead of a war movie, it isan espionage and conspiracy thrillerthat pits Steve Rogers against S.H.I.E.L.D. and the mysterious Winter Soldier.
For many,Captain America: The Winter Soldieris the definitiveCaptain Americamovie, as it has it all, from great performances to some of the most grounded and gritty action sequences in the franchise. Add in show-stealing characters like the Falcon and Black Widow, and the result is a movie that is regarded as one of the best of Phase Two, if not the best.
Even when they belonged to the Fox universe, fans were excited to see Hugh Jackman and Ryan Reynolds cross over. Not only did that happen, butDeadpool & Wolverineallowed both characters to enter the MCU inthe franchise’s first R-rated movie, which serves as both a parody and a love letter to Marvel films overall.
To no one’s surprise, Deadpool and Wolverine turned out to be a perfect pairing of opposites, with their collaboration reminiscent of buddy-comedy movies like48 HoursandMidnight Run. It still retains the heart that made fans enjoy theDeadpoolfilms and, much likeSpider-Man: No Way Home, delivers plenty of fan service, particularly for those who grew up with Marvel movies that Fox was making before the MCU existed.
Going in, fans knew thatGuardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3was going to be the last time they would see the Guardians that they fell in love with back in 2014. As a finale,James Gunn threw his biggest punch yet, which resulted in the darkest film of the three, but one that brought everything to a satisfying end for the team.
From the backstory of Rocket Raccoon that made audiences cry to having one of the MCU’s most hateable villains,Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3did not hold back. At the same time, it maintained the humor and heartwarming moments that make the Guardians such an iconic family of outcasts.
Ten years of buildup culminated in the film everyone eagerly anticipated, featuring Thanos as the primary villain.Avengers: Infinity Warwas directed by the Russo Brothers after their successful work onCaptain America: Civil War, resulting in a movie where the Avengers are disbanded and scattered across the galaxy but have to come together to thwart Thanos’ campaign of universal genocide.
Avengers: Infinity Warincludes numerous characters,from the mainline Avengers rosterto the Guardians of the Galaxy, as well as new Avengers like Doctor Strange, Spider-Man, and Black Panther.Infinity Warcould have been a convoluted mess, but instead, it delivered an epic that captivated audiences with unforgettable action sequences, surprising plot twists, and each character getting a moment to shine; particularly Thanos, who ultimately triumphs at the film’s conclusion.
After the dark and haunting ending ofInfinity War,Avengers: Endgameshows how the heroes of the MCU respond to losing half of the universe’s population. It takes a slower approach to the first half, focusing on how characters deal with their trauma. With the addition of time travel,Avengers: Endgamethen becomes more of a heist movie for another portion of the film.
Avengers: Endgamedoesn’t turn into a superhero movie until the last act. Hundreds of main and side characters from across eleven years of movies form the biggest Avengers lineup and fight Thanos once again. With even more twists andmultiple characters ending their tenure,Avengers: Endgamewas an emotional and climactic ending to the Infinity Saga.
