10 shocking things I learned rewatching the MCU movies

2. Captain America: The Winter Soldier is the MCU's best standalone movie

The MCU is renowned for producing a lot of epic movies. Iron Man started it all, Captain America: The First Avenger took us into the past, and the Avengers movies went larger-than-life every single time. Infinity War and Endgame are arguably the two most discussed movies of all time. But the Marvel Cinematic Universe's greatest single film is Captain America: The Winter Soldier.

This isn't shocking to longtime fans of the movie who have spent the past decade appreciating it, but it probably is for those who thought the high-stakes Avengers movies were Marvel Studios' crowning achievement (and in a way they most certainly are). But The Winter Soldier is a damn fine piece of moviemaking. A phenomenal sequel to the already-phenomenal (and underrated) The First Avenger, it strips back a world that was recently overrun with aliens and gods to give us a compelling spy thriller all revolving around the world's most deadly assassin - who also happens to have personal ties to Steve Rogers.

The script is fantastic, the action sequences are second-to-none, and the performances are sublime. The Steve-Bucky relationship is a fan-favorite one and we have this movie to thank for it. The sheer care with which this movie was crafted and its high quality approach to everything it tackles has ensured that Captain America: The Winter Soldier has aged incredibly well.

Objectively, it is the MCU's strongest cinematic outing.