2. Avengers: Endgame (2019)
How do you pull off the official conclusion to a 22-chapter series? That’s been the question that has been on the collective minds of fans for years – and it’s one that Marvel Studios found themselves having to answer this year.
Avengers: Endgame provided the Marvel Cinematic Universe with the closure that it had been building towards for quite some time, and it did so by pulling together a number of different elements.
Focused primarily on the events in the present, it dealt with the fallout of Thanos’ infamous snap, as the survivors sought out a way to undo the damage he caused. However, it also wasn’t afraid to call upon faces from its past (through a series of time-travel tributes) and its future (Captain Marvel and Spider-Man) in order to give fans the star-studded smackdown they had been waiting for.
The fact that it relies heavily on its predecessors may render it virtually unwatchable to those who haven’t seen Infinity War (at least), but therein lies the charm of the movie. No one thing functions on its own, as the majority of the story is an ensemble narrative in which every moving part relies on the other. And the emotional rollercoaster is worth every single laugh, tear and look of awe, as the final battle exceeds expectations and could very well be the greatest cinematic showdown of all time.
So just how do you pull of the conclusion of a 22-chapter series? Well, the answer to that question is a tricky one but it probably looks something like Avengers: Endgame. It may not be a perfect movie, but it is, without a doubt, the perfect conclusion to this awe-inspiring tale – and one that does justice to almost every major character involved.
1. Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)
To even refer to Captain America: The First Avenger as a class act still wouldn’t encompass just how wonderful a picture it truly was. Hidden in the midst of louder Phase 1 films and outshined by its espionage-themed sequels, it’s often unfairly overlooked when fans recall their favorite MCU movies, but the fact of the matter is that this might be the most important of them all.
At its heart, The First Avenger is the story of Steve Rogers – a man who, long before he ever becomes a revolutionary super soldier, exhibits qualities of the world’s greatest superhero. However, when enhanced with the serum, he’s given the tools to become the world’s greatest superhero and, in doing so, stands up to the bullies known as the Nazi and saves the world.
A period piece, the film is essentially a war film and that’s something that sets it apart from every other Marvel film, as it uses that hopeless setting in order to highlight how one man inspired a generation with just that: hope.
A strong goal and a solid antagonist, Captain America’s maiden voyage was both a triumph and a tearjerker, and it solidified Chris Evans as the beloved MCU icon that he is today. The love for Steve, however, would not be possible without his pure relationship with Hayley Atwell’s Peggy Carter which is, without a doubt, the greatest Marvel love story ever told.
Steve left his heart in the ’40s and it wasn’t until Endgame that he finally got it back. We, however, left a piece of our hearts right there with his because this was nothing short of an understated and heartfelt classic. And that ultimately sets it apart from all the rest.