Today, the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is steadily moving towards releasing its 40th movie at the end of the Multiverse Saga, but the path to this milestone hasn't always been plain sailing. The MCU is arguably the most successful franchise in history. There are other franchises that have been going for longer, with the MCU being relatively young and beginning in 2008, but in of financial success and the sheer pace of expansion, the MCU is in a league of its own.

However, the MCU had a long path to becoming the juggernaut it is today. And along the way, there were doubts about its ability to either produce high-quality movies, or keep up the success consistently. Despite this, the MCU has continued to put out incredible hit films that exceed all expectations.

10 Guardians of the Galaxy

Directed By James Gunn

In 2014, the MCU had already built out the Avengers, and played with world-ending threats such as an alien invasion, and the Avengers were established heroes who stood out as Earth's Mightiest Heroes. However, the MCU was yet to venture into the depths of space and put the focus on an off-world story.

Enter Guardians of the Galaxy, directed and written by comedy and horror aficionado, James Gunn. On top of that, the movie cast Chris Pratt, a comedy actor, as the lead, alongside a wrestler, and two A-list celebrities who only provided their voices for the role. There wasn't much hope for these lesser-known heroes to stand out, but everything came together perfectly, and the GotG trilogy stands out as one of the best in the entire MCU.

9 Ant-Man

Directed By Peyton Reed

Ant-Man was a big deal for the Avengers when it came to the comics. Hank Pym was one of the founding , but until 2015, the character was nowhere to be seen in the MCU. And when he did appear, it was the lesser-known Scott Lang who would be donning the suit, with comedy actor Paul Rudd tackling the role.

Evidently, the movie did have high hopes for what it could be, and the fact that it had been stuck in development hell with various directors and writers attached didn't do much to add to confidence in the project. However, when the thrilling heist comedy came out, with a colorful and talented cast, and one of the most relatable heroes in the MCU to date, it was a surprise hit.

8 Iron Man

Directed By Jon Favreau

Going all the way back to the start, I would be remiss if I didn't mention Iron Man on this list. Today, the hero is a household name, and the beating heart of the MCU, but back in 2008, Iron Man was a nobody. And with the character being played by Robert Downey Jr., someone who had success early in Hollywood before falling off and going through an intense rough patch, this movie is a complete gamble, and the first chapter in Marvel's efforts to regain control over its film identity.

At the point this movie released, Marvel Studios wasn't a thing. And the funding came from other sources, with hopes that it could possibly cause some excitement for Marvel's independently produced films. Well, it certainly managed to do just that, and the film provided the essential foundation for the MCU, with an incredible blueprint in tone and style that continues to influence the franchise today.

7 Thor: Ragnarok

Directed By Taika Waititi

While Iron Man, Thor, and Captain America became the MCU's big three, it was clear by the time Thor's sequel, The Dark World, came out that he was the odd one out. Thor is a god from Asgard, and he was unfamiliar with human traditions, customs, and humor when he first arrived on the planet. With that in mind, The Dark World felt like an odd period piece fantasy, with Thor struggling to connect with mere mortals.

So, when Thor: Ragnarok was due to be released, hopes were at an all-time low. And in the face of those rock-bottom expectations, Taika Waititi injected humor, life, and excitement into a struggling franchise that turned Thor from one of the least intriguing characters in the MCU, to one of the most fun. And it didn't hurt that the movie featured Hulk prominently too.

6 Avengers: Endgame

Directed By Anthony Russo & Joe Russo

Hear me out. I get that Avengers: Infinity War was a huge hit. I get that the MCU had been cranking out incredible hit films for a decade at this point with a near perfect success rate, but Avengers: Endgame was the biggest risk for the MCU to that date, and it had the most riding on it to make or break this franchise.

No one knew what to expect, but it felt too big for this movie to be able to really perform, with dozens of heroes, and a saturated storyline. However, the Russo brothers worked their magic, and they delivered not only one of the most powerful stories in the MCU as a whole, but a movie that resonated with audiences to such an extent that it became the highest-grossing movie of all time.

Avatar managed to knock it off that top spot shortly after due to a re-release, but Avengers: Endgame managed to dominate the box office in a way that has never happened before or since.

5 Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings

Directed By Destin Cretton

Black Widow was technically the first entry in the Multiverse Saga releasing in the Summer of 2021. However, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings was the true starting point for the Mutliverse as it moved the narrative beyond the heroes of the Infinity Saga. As a result, the movie had a lot riding on it, and with a new lesser-known hero and a relatively unknown actor in the lead role, the expectations for Shang-Chi were low.

However, Simu Liu absolutely nailed it as Shang-Chi. The magic and visuals of the movie took audiences into a whole new world, and helped to move the franchise beyond the events of Endgame in a meaningful and powerful way. Shang-Chi has yet to lead another film in the MCU since his debut, but his return will undoubtedly be an exciting moment.

4 The Marvels

Directed By Nia DaCosta

The Marvels serves as a sequel to Captain Marvel, Ms. Marvel, and WandaVision, with a crossover between three female heroes. Now, there was a lot of negativity surrounding the original Captain Marvel, and a toxic side to the fandom spent a lot of time knocking this movie down before it ever released.

The visuals, the variety, and the pace of the movie all amount to a movie that is absolutely a good time.

However, despite a less-than-ideal box office performance, and overwhelming negative reviews during the theatrical run, The Marvels did get a redemption arc. The movie delivered a much more energetic and entertaining performance from Brie Larson, and a lot of comedy beats seeing her play opposite her fangirl, Kamala Khan, aka Ms. Marvel.

On top of this, the visuals, the variety, and the pace of the movie all amount to a movie that is absolutely a good time. Today, the movie has an 80% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes, which dramatically improved once the movie came out on Disney+ and MCU fans had a chance to give the movie a shot.

3 Eternals

Directed By Chloé Zhao

Eternals is a slightly more complicated case. In all honesty, expectations surrounding the film were extremely high ahead of its theatrical release. With the incredible Chloé Zhao directing, visually stunning trailers, and a star-studded cast, there were high hopes for the movie despite the lesser-known heroes. And with dreadful critics reviews and negative attention online, Eternals scraped by with one of the worst box office performances from the MCU's entire run.

However, just like Captain Marvel, people did not give this movie a fair chance. So, when the film came to Disney+, people immediately began discussing online about how it was unfairly dismissed. The movie does have incredible visuals. The cast excel in their roles. The narrative is compelling, and it adds to the larger tapestry of the MCU. Today, the movie has a 77% on Rotten Tomatoes from audiences.

2 Captain America: Civil War

Directed By Anthony Russo & Joe Russo

The Civil War event in the Marvel Comics is one of the most popular and well-regarded in the publication's history. And while several movies before this had adapted storylines from comics, this was something different. Captain America: Civil War also stood apart from the rest of the MCU because this movie split the Avengers apart, and brought them into conflict.

And as much as the expectations may have been high going in, the movie managed to exceed them in every conceivable way. The struggles between heroes, the incredible fight scenes, and the way so many characters were able to get a chance to shine, Captain America: Civil War was a masterpiece, and a big piece in the puzzle towards making movies like Infinity War and Endgame work.

1 Spider-Man: Homecoming

Directed By Jon Watts

Spider-Man is one of the most popular superheroes in the world. Even beyond Marvel and other publishers, Spider-Man transcends with ease the levels of popularity that many other superheroes work so hard to obtain. However, that also means that he quickly became one of the most widely adapted.

In of cartoons, Spider-Man has had dozens of iterations, and in the 20 years before his MCU debut, the character led two previous live-action adaptations that gained traction, before being cut off. When Spider-Man: Homecoming was set to introduce the hero to the MCU with Tom Holland playing the part, the latest film starring Andrew Garfield was released just three years prior.

As a result, it was hard to know what to expect. People enjoyed Andrew Garfield, and despite some flaws, he became Spidey for a generation. And now, he was being replaced. However, Holland knocked it out of the park, with an incredible ing cast, and some key elements to tie him into the wider MCU.

MCU Movies

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  Thunderbolts*

  Release Date

  May 2, 2025

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  The Fantastic Four: First Steps

  Release Date

  July 25, 2025

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  Avengers: Doomsday (2026)

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  Spider-Man: Brand New Day

  Release Date

  July 31, 2026

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  Avengers: Secret Wars

  Release Date

  December 17, 2027

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