Critical sites like Rotten Tomatoes have become valuable tools for movie fans because so many reviews of movies can be seen in one place. With it allowing for comparisons between critical and audience scores as well, it allows audiences to have a more complete picture of a movie instead of just one person's opinion. When it comes to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, that can be an interesting tool for fans who want to see what the consensus is for a movie before they see it.
The vast majority of the MCU has a "fresh" rating from Rotten Tomatoes, but there are a few movies that haven't been critical hits. With more than two dozen films and billions of dollars made at the box office though, it's not too surprising that every movie hasn't had the exact same level of success with its audience.
Updated on December 2, 2022 by Kevin Pantoja: The MCU continues to add more and more releases to its impressive catalog. Most recently, they delivered Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, the highly anticipated sequel to the 2018 blockbuster. The film was met with widespread acclaim, even if it wasn't considered on the same level as the original. Phase 4 of the MCU has been a mixed bag of sorts with some lower than expected Rotten Tomatoes scores, yet the Black Panther sequel is one of the best.
30 Eternals (2021) - 47%
Eternals has the dubious honor of being the lowest ranked MCU movie (so far). It is the only MCU movie to not be considered "fresh" by critics. The movie took a very different turn for the MCU, going back through the history of the world to introduce a new group of functionally immortal characters, the titular Eternals.
While Eternals did get a lot of praise for its stunning visuals and its character dynamics, audience members felt that it was still too disconnected from the rest of the movie universe. It does, however, have the largest discrepancy when it comes to critical and audience reception. Critics might have had an average of 47%, but the audience average is 78%. An over 30 point difference makes it one of the most divisive MCU movies to date.
29 Thor: The Dark World (2013) - 66%
Coming in with one of the the lowest scores on the Tomatometer is 2013’s Thor: The Dark World, which managed to stay out of “Rotten” territory by just seven percentage points (as any film that dips below a 60% is no longer considered “Fresh”). In the MCU, the original Thor films appear to be among the least well received by fans, which may help explain why Thor: Rognarok was as it was so different in style and tone.
The film picks up one year after the events of The Avengers, and finds Thor teaming up with his estranged brother Loki to take on the Dark Elves, who seek to destroy the Nine Realms along with Earth. While Thor: The Dark World may be the one of the lowest critically rated MCU film, with one critic calling it “mighty forgettable stuff,” the film actually has an Audience Score of 77%, making it a decent sized critic/audience split as well.
28 The Incredible Hulk (2008) - 67%
Ranking just one percentage point higher than The Dark World is the second film installment in the MCU: 2008’s The Incredible Hulk. Though the film may be one of the lowest ranked movies, it's a big step above 2003’s Hulk (which has a rating only six points shy of this 2008 reboot). Though Edward Norton would prove to be one of the better incarnation of the Hulk, the actor had a falling out with the MCU over creative differences, and would be replaced by Mark Ruffalo for 2012’s The Avengers.
Though The Incredible Hulk was first written to be a loose sequel to Hulk, almost any overlap between the two films was abandoned, save for the fact that Bruce Banner is still hiding out in South America. This was undoubtably a wise choice, which allowed for a much cleaner entry into the newly established MCU.
27 Thor: Love And Thunder (2022) - 67%
It's interesting that Thor: Love And Thunder doesn't seem to be as well-received by critics as Thor: Ragnarok with much of the latter's cast appearing, and with Taika Waititi returning as director. The movie even brings back Jane Foster for her Mighty Thor storyline from the comics, allowing the character to be more than just a love interest.
It's provided a divisive take from critics as the movie is referenced as an "obscenely entertaining rainbow highway straight to blockbuster heaven" by some, and as a "predictably overstuffed narrative" by others with plot points that don't make much sense for Thor. Much like The Dark World, there's also a bit of a divide between the audience and critics, with the audience allowing it 10 points higher of a ranking.
26 Iron Man 2 (2010) - 72%
After the release of The Incredible Hulk, fans were eager to see Robert Downey Jr./Iron Man take center stage in the MCU once again. Unfortunately, the second installment in Tony Stark’s trilogy failed to live up to the near-flawlessness of the first film.
Is Iron Man 2 a bad movie? By no means. However, the film ultimately failed to conjure up a worthy opponent to face off against Iron Man by the film’s end, with both Justin Hammer (Sam Rockwell) and Ivan Vanko (Mickey Rourke) falling short. Though Rockwell and Rourke are both stellar actors, the plot of Iron Man 2 is a little too busy to give them real room to stand out. This leaves the film feeling overstuffed when too many new characters are introduced, including Black Widow.
25 Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness (2022) - 74%
For Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness, there was a lot of division among critics. Some praised it as Marvel's first true foray into horror for the MCU with Sam Raimi at the helm. Others thought it was too bogged down in trying to set up future story points for the wider MCU.
The biggest criticism of the film, despite its stunning visuals and fun action sequences, is the cyclical nature of storytelling for Wanda Maximoff. She's the central villain in the film, trying to travel the multiverse to find a universe where her children, lost in WandaVision, exist. While her villainy is explained by the corruption of the Darkhold, it's a step back for the character as her grief and anger has already controlled her actions in both WandaVision and in Avengers: Age Of Ultron, which introduced her to the MCU.
24 Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015) - 76%
Though audiences ranked this movie a bit higher than the Tomatometer (giving the film an 83% approval rating), Age of Ultron ultimately failed to impress critics as much as the original Avengers. Similar to the complaints with Iron Man 2, some felt that Age of Ultron was simply weighed down with too many characters battling for screen time, though most agreed that Ultron (James Spader) proved to be a formidable foe for the Avengers to face off against.
The film was the second that Joss Whedon wrote and directed for the MCU, though Whedon also contributed to a number of other Marvel movies, including Captain America: The Winter Soldier and The Dark World. Whedon’s ability to masterfully juggle all of these iconic comic book character’s in not just one, but two, Marvel movies was praised by fans. Which made it bittersweet news when allegations of Whedon's misconduct surfaced from coworkers on multiple projects.
23 Thor (2011) - 77%
With over 200 positive reviews, critics seemed to agree that the first Thor film in the MCU was more entertaining than The Incredible Hulk, though not quite as much fun as the original Iron Man. The film was praised for its production design, unexpected humor, and a number of better-than-expected performances - notably, Tom Hiddleston who made his debut as the evil Asgardian, Loki. As critic Will Chadwick wrote, “Thor is terrific fun! It’s aware of its own silliness but made with complete integrity and heart.”
Of course, not all reviews were positive. And a number of Rotten Tomatoes' Top Critics took aim at the movie, including Roger Ebert and A.O. Scott, who criticized the film for being to cartoonish for adults, and appearing solely interested in making a boat-load of money at the box office. Which, of course, it inevitably did.
22 Iron Man 3 (2013) - 79%
Drawing from the six-issue story arc “Extremis,” Robert Downey Jr. and Co. joined up with Marvel newcomer Shane Black to make one of the highest grossing movies up to the time of its release: Iron Man 3. The movie was a critical success as well, with many considering it a definite improvement over the second installment, and a welcome change of pace for Downey Jr.’s portrayal of Tony Stark.
The story picks up after The Avengers, and finds Stark suffering from PTSD as a result of the catastrophic Battle of New York. After a string of terrorist attacks, Stark begins a hunt for the Mandarin (Ben Kingsley), which results in an attack on Stark’s own home. The film offered up a number of intriguing twists and turns, including the true identity of the “villain,” and a story off-shoot that finds Stark teaming up with an inventive 10-year-old. And with Black co-writing the script, there’s certainly no shortage of witty banter throughout the film.
21 Captain America: The First Avenger (2011) - 79%
The first stand-alone Captain American endeavor for the MCU took the audience on a trip to the past. The First Avenger is by all means classic blockbuster material - which makes sense for a superhero movie set in the 1940s. As critic Andy Lea put it: “It’s simply an old-fashioned good-versus-evil yarn. And it’s all the better for it.”
Interestingly enough, critics seemed to like this movie a little more than audiences did upon its release (the Audience Rating sits at 74%). This may be specifically because the story was a little too black and white compared to many other superhero movies being made today. But upon seeing the direction that the Captain America story arc has taken, The First Avenger really set the stage for the moral obstacles that Steve Rogers would face in present day America in both The Winter Soldier and Civil War.
20 Captain Marvel (2019) - 79%
There is a massive discrepancy between the critic (79%) and audience (45%) ratings for Captain Marvel, but that's largely because the movie found itself review bombed by comic book fans before it was even released to the public. There was a lot of anger about changes being made to the Captain Marvel story, but there was also a lot of anger at the casting for the movie.
Much of that anger proved to be unfounded as Brie Larson played Carol Danvers with the same confident appeal as Robert Downey Jr.'s Tony Stark. The movie sees Carol on a journey of self-discovery as she finds that her life as a Kree soldier isn't the life she was born into. Set in the 1990s, it took the audience into a chapter of the MCU not yet visited, and it filled in some gaps in character backstory while opening up a lot of interesting cosmic doors for the future.
19 Black Widow (2021) - 79%
Though Natasha Romanoff made her debut in Iron Man 2, she didn't get her own solo project until the Black Widow movie released in 2021 - two years after the MCU's first female fronted movie in Captain Marvel. Both movies share the same critical rating on Rotten Tomatoes, but Black Widow fared a lot better in the audience department with a 91% audience rating.
The movie, set right after the events of Captain America: Civil War, gave MCU fans a look into Natasha's past. It didn't go heavily into her time in the Red Room, but revealed the family she built there as a child, the reason for her defection, and it brought her little sister Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh) into the MCU. It definitely made a case for more members of the Avengers ensemble to have their own solo projects.
18 Ant-Man (2015) - 83%
Director Edgar Wright had been developing an Ant-Man film with Marvel for years before he eventually parted ways from the project, citing creative differences. The news came as a blow to fans, who felt that Wright’s comically-visual style would have been best suited to bring the semi-ridiculous superhero to the big screen. And though fans still desperately want to know Wright’s Ant-Man movie would have looked like, they have to admit that the movie was far from a disappointment.
Movies in the MCU have always had a heavy dose of humor. In that regard, Ant-Man remains one of their funniest movies to date, thanks largely in part to the casting of Paul Rudd in the title role. Critics couldn’t help but agree that Ant-Man was, “undoubtedly one of the best individual superhero movies in the MCU.”
17 Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022) - 84%
There was a lot of pressure on Black Panther: Wakanda Forever to deliver considering the cultural impact of the first film. It was difficult to live up to and while this installment ranks lower on Rotten Tomatoes, it still received high marks from critics and audiences.
The movie manages to pay tribute to the late Chadwick Boseman and progress the story of Wakanda, boosted by strong performances from the entire cast. The direction of Ryan Coogler was again a highlight, as was Ludwig Göransson's score and Namor as a villain.
16 Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017) - 85%
It seemed like fans had to wait forever for a sequel to the beloved Guardians of the Galaxy. It was only three years between movies, but for the first MCU project set primarily in space, and the first one to take a big step away from the Avengers, it felt like a breath of fresh air for fans.
Many of the critics on Rotten Tomatoes agreed that Vol. 2 was just as enjoyable (though admittedly not quite as original) as the first film. Expectedly, there’s a lot more going on in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, but with writer/director James Gunn back in the driver’s seat the film never felt like it left any of its multiple plot threads dangling by the time the credits roll. It's also the MCU film to have the closest critic and fan consensus. The audience rating gives the movie an 87%, just 2% higher than critics.
15 Avengers: Infinity War (2018) - 85%
Some might have initially found Avengers: Infinity War to be overstuffed. After all, it featured characters from the first three phases of the MCU, all branching out into multiple smaller storylines that culminated in battles against Thanos. There were a lot of characters and smaller story points for the audience to keep track of, and that resulted in some fan favorites not getting as much screen time.
The movie also offered some massive payoff though as it demonstrated that Thanos really was just as determined and dangerous as the mentions of him promised in earlier movies. According to Brian Eggert, "the audience is left drained, albeit thrilled," because the massive fight sequence just eliminated so many characters, paving way for an even more emotional sequel.
14 Ant-Man And The Wasp (2018) - 87%
When Ant-Man And The Wasp hit theaters, it was only a few months after Infinity War, and MCU fans were still reeling from the events there, which didn't feature the titular insect-inspired heroes. The movie allowed the audience to have answers to just what Scott and Hope were up to that meant they weren't part of the initial battles against Thanos.
As a result, it got a lot of mixed reviews, and a lot of comparisons to both Infinity War and the first Ant-Man movie. Despite critics not seeing it pack as much of a punch as the former, and thinking it might not have been as charming as the latter, it was still labeled as one of Marvel's most "fun" movies, allowing it for a higher rating than some might have expected.
13 Doctor Strange (2016) - 89%
Since its debut, Doctor Strange has actually dropped a little bit after more critical reviews have been compiled - but only by 1%. The critical consensus for the film read, “Doctor Strange artfully balances its outre source material against the blockbuster constraints of the MCU, delivering a thoroughly entertaining superhero origin story in the bargain.”
For fans of the Marvel Universe, Doctor Strange provided a bit of a respite for the overarching story arc of the franchise, and introduced us to an entirely new cast of character and a pretty trippy story to boot. The bold new style of the film (particularly the last third) even ended up earning Doctor Strange an Academy Award nomination for Best Visual Effects. It's one of the most visually unique movies in the entire MCU.
12 Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014) - 90%
Fans and critics alike were more pleased with Captain America’s second solo outing as opposed to The First Avenger. In fact, considering the audience rating, The Winter Soldier has one of the highest ratings of any MCU film, which currently sits at 92%.
Loosely drawing from the comic story arc of the same name, the movie follows Steve Rogers/Captain America (Chris Evans) as he adjusts to life in the modern world while also facing off against a mysterious figure from his past. Critics praised the film for its tight storytelling and its ability to infuse real-world politics into a superhero blockbuster. In fact, after the release of The Winter Soldier many felt that Steve Rogers was quickly becoming the most interesting character in the Marvel franchise.
11 Captain America: Civil War (2016) - 90%
According to the critics, the Captain America movies just keep getting better and better! Though with its massive cast of characters, Civil War felt more like a full-blown Avengers installment rather than another solo picture.
The film finds the Avengers splitting into two opposing sides - one led by Steve Rogers, and the other Tony Stark. The heart of the debate: whether or not the Avengers should be regulated by the government. Once again, infusing a topical political discussion played well with critics, and demonstrated yet again that Marvel can weave together films that work well on multiple levels. Unlike a few Marvel movies with lower ratings, Civil War didn’t crumble under the weight of its enormous cast of characters thanks to a finely tuned script. And the film even managed to seamlessly bring the latest big screen adaptation of Peter Parker/Spider-Man into the mix, much to the approval of comic book fans.