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Highlights
- The movies in Phase One of the MCU are mostly origin stories for the main heroes of The Avengers, and while they vary in quality, they were mostly well-received.
- The first Iron Man movie set the formula for the MCU and introduced Robert Downey Jr.’s iconic portrayal of Tony Stark.
- The success of The Avengers proved that audiences were on board with the MCU and eager to see what would come next in Phase Two.
The MCU is the biggest movie franchise in history. However, the studio had to establish some of its main superheroes before putting them in a team-up film. This early run of Marvel films was known as Phase One of the MCU, and it ran from 2008 to 2012.
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The movies in this early part of the series are mostly origin stories for the main heroes who would make up The Avengers. As such, they are all largely self-contained movies, with only a few nods to the fact that these characters exist in a shared universe. Also, they all vary in quality but were mostly received well on release.
6 The Incredible Hulk
Tomatometer: 67%
- Released: June, 2008
- Directed by: Louis Leterier
- IMDB Score: 6.6
The second movie in the MCU sees Edward Norton take on the role of the giant green rage monster as he, once again, is on the run from the military. This time, however, they have The Abomination on their side.
While the introduction of this Hulk villain does lead to an epic fight at the movie’s end, the rest of the film is left feeling quite thin. Plus, many fans were left confused by the fact that another Hulk film with a separate continuity was released only five years before this reboot. Norton is good in the role, but there is little else for him to do in the movie besides taking out waves of soldiers. Very little from this movie has been referenced in future movies since, and fans seem much more enthused by Mark Ruffalo’s take on the character.
5 Iron Man 2
Tomatometer: 72%
- Released: April, 2010
- Directed by: Jon Favreau
- IMDB Score: 6.9
With the massive success of the first Iron Man movie, it only made sense that the studio would want to make another. In this sequel, Tony Stark has to deal with the idea of his Iron Man technology falling into the wrong hands. The result is an old family rival showing up to get revenge on the hero.
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The lead actor in the movie, Robert Downy Junior, is just as charismatic and likable as Tony Stark as he was in the first movie. Sadly, the film is bogged down by a very by-the-numbers script. What’s more, there are a lot of references to the upcoming Avengers movie thrown in here in a clunky way. It may be great to see Black Widow introduced in the series, but the coffee scene with Nick Fury feels a bit forced into an already bloated movie.
4 Captain America: The First Avenger
Tomatometer: 80%
- Released: July, 2011
- Directed by: Joe Johnston
- IMDB Score: 6.9
When Marvel first announced the idea of bringing The Avengers to the big screen, many fans were left scratching their heads about how they would present Captain America. This overly earnest time traveler seemed too corny for modern cinema-goers. Plus, the hero is dressed as a flag. However, Joe Johnston took on this challenge and created a version of the hero that is true to the source material but is also on board with what modern audiences want to see.
The result was a pulpy action film that used its World War 2 setting to its full advantage. This type of movie may not have gelled with everyone, but audiences left this movie understanding and wanting to see more of this hero.
3 Thor
Tomatometer: 77%
- Released: April, 2011
- Directed by: Kenneth Brannah
- IMDB Score: 7.0
The first Thor movie had a lot of heavy lifting to do for the franchise. Firstly, it had to establish the concept of Asgard and alien realms in a world where Iron Man and The Hulk already exist. Secondly, it had to introduce a likable version of Thor and set up the villain, Loki, as a legitimate threat to the universe. Lastly, it had to be an entertaining superhero film.
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The result was an almost Shakespearian-level drama, one that mostly took place on Earth. Most fans were left satisfied with the concept of Thor and what he brought to the MCU. However, most audiences were still eager to see Loki in action again. A fact that would pay off later down the road.
2 Iron Man
Tomatometer: 94%
- Released: May, 2008
- Directed by: Jon Favreau
- IMDB Score: 7.9
Many fans were unaware of the journey that this movie would lead them on back in 2008. The first Iron Man movie is a simple origin movie about a rich weapons dealer who is kidnapped by terrorists, so he vows to make amends for his past deeds by suiting up as the superhero Iron Man. Unfortunately, this choice forces him to be confronted by the equally powerful villain, Iron Monger.
On paper, the first Iron Man is a good superhero movie that does its job of telling a fun, action-packed story. It also helps that Robert Downy Junior was great at embodying the role of Tony Stark. However, time has just proved how important this movie was to the franchise. It laid the formula for what fans of the MCU can expect, and the post-credit scene opened the door to over ten years worth of more storytelling.
1 The Avengers
Tomatometer: 91%
- Released: April, 2012
- Directed by: Joss Whedon
- IMDB Score: 8.0
The first Avengers movie was the proof of concept that Marvel needed it to be. The movie brings together the four heroes from the other franchises, as well as Black Widow and Hawkeye, to battle Loki and his army to save Earth. The result is a movie that sees all the leads butt heads in a comedic way before they team up for a massive battle in New York.
It may seem quaint by today’s standards, but The Avengers was a huge box office hit that raked in over $1.5 billion. As such, this team-up blockbuster proved to Marvel that audiences were on board with the MCU, and were happy to see what the studio would do next in Phase 2.
