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All 5 Marvel phases ranked from worst to best

Each phase of the Marvel Cinematic Universe has had its ups and downs, but there is no denying certain phases in the MCU were stronger than others.

By Cody Schultz

Marvel Studios' AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR L to R: Okoye (Danai Gurira), Black Panther/T'Challa (Chadwick Boseman), Captain America/Steve Rogers (Chris Evans), Black Widow/Natasha Romanoff (Scarlet Johansson) and Winter Soldier/Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan) Photo: Chuck Zlotnick ©Marvel Studios 2018
Marvel Studios' AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR L to R: Okoye (Danai Gurira), Black Panther/T'Challa (Chadwick Boseman), Captain America/Steve Rogers (Chris Evans), Black Widow/Natasha Romanoff (Scarlet Johansson) and Winter Soldier/Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan) Photo: Chuck Zlotnick ©Marvel Studios 2018 /
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Just like the Marvel movies and shows that make up the phases of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, it's more than fair to say that not every phase within the MCU has been as strong as others.

Since its launch in 2008, Marvel Studios has carved out its unique and unmatched cinematic empire by breaking its movies, and now shows, up into phases. Dividing its projects up into phases was a strategic move that saw Marvel packaging together projects that shared an overarching story and often built toward larger projects.

The MCU phases have been broken up into multiple years with most phases containing at six or more projects, with later years seeing the number of projects per phase rise significantly. For some of the larger phases, it made sense and helped improve the quality of the overall chapter in the MCU. For others, the inclusion of more projects ended up watering down the phase's overarching story leaving fans wondering what direction Marvel was going in and how the projects connected.

As of 2024, we've witnessed four complete phases with the fifth phase in the MCU currently underway with a sixth still to come. Each phase has had standout projects and underperforming flops, but which is the best phase of them all? Well, let's take a look!