Controversial but data-backed ranking of the 10 best MCU movies

3. Iron Man

It's hard to imagine where the Marvel Cinematic Universe would be without Iron Man. That sentiment rings true for all of those early MCU movies, but it couldn't be meant more literally than it's meant here, because the 2008 movie was the franchise's very first outing. To say it succeeded would be an understatement.

Robert Downey Jr.'s charisma as Tony Stark is unmatched. He was capable of grabbing your attention as soon as he walked onto the screen in any star-studded Avengers movie, but all you have to do is go back to the beginning to see that this aura wasn't developed; it was always there right from the start. From his first scene as Tony, it was clear that Jon Favreau and Marvel Studios had created magic with this casting, and Downey never once gave any of us reason to think otherwise.

Iron Man is somewhat darker than the light-hearted family-friendly tone that the MCU would soon find for itself, but it works for this movie in particular, highlighting a serious world in need of some superheroes. Tony Stark's creation of the Iron Man suit changed the game for the world; not just in the MCU, but for the world of superhero movies and blockbusters, starting a new era that is still thriving to this day.

Iron Man is one of the premiere Avengers so nobody will be shocked to see his very first movie rank so highly on the list. Top 3 might raise some eyebrows, but given how well Iron Man has aged, the performance of Downey in it, and how pivotal it is the MCU franchise, I think it has earned itself such a high spot. And given that it has a 94% certified fresh critics score and a 91% audience score, I'm clearly not the only one who thinks that.