What is shown is interesting enough with different iterations of Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch), and even making Wanda a villain was pretty cool, with Elizabeth Olsen doing an amazing job being quite intense throughout the film. However, it feels like a lot of ideas were left on the cutting room floor. Director Sam Raimi said that about 30 minutes worth of footage was cut. Still, though, all the actors do a great job, and the action scenes are fairly entertaining. Raimi’s signature camerawork is here and is utilized well. 

5. Black Widow (2021)

Since her debut in Iron Man 2 (2010), fans have wanted to see a Black Widow solo movie for years. Then the movie was reported to be in development in 2018, and fans got excited. That was until her character was killed off during Endgame, and the film was revealed to be a prequel set between Captain America: Civil War (2016) and Infinity War, resulting in much of the anticipation dying down. With that being said, the movie is quite entertaining. The film explores Natasha’s (Scarlett Johansson) past and even reveals she had a foster family, which was interesting to see. The family themselves are all quite interesting to watch, particularly Yelena (Florence Plug), who is Natasha’s foster sister. The action scenes are also quite good, almost giving off Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014) vibes. However, the film’s pacing is a little too fast, making it hard for some to let emotional moments really sink in, and the villains are a bit of a letdown. Ultimately, this film serves as a nice swan song for the former Avenger. 

4. Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021)

Being the first superhero movie to star an Asian American lead, this film had quite a bit going forward. It had martial arts veterans Michelle Yeoh and Tony Leung as part of the cast, the director Destin Daniel Cretton had proven by this point to be a critically acclaimed director, and its main star Simi Liu was rising up in the industry. Fortunately, the film turned out to be pretty good. While some of the CGI, mainly in the last battle, isn’t the best, overall, the movie is enjoyable from beginning to end. The martial art fights are amazing and well-choreographed. Many of the best action scenes are early on in the film that use very little effects. The film’s family aspect was engaging to watch. The relationship between Shang-Chi (Simi Liu) and Wenwu (Tony Leung) is compelling to watch. Some of Awkafina’s comedy can fall flat, but the rest of the actors do a good job. Plus, this film has Michelle Yeoh, and any movie with her is doing something right. 

3. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022) 

This movie, unfortunately, had one of the biggest production hurdles to come at it when its former star, Chadwick Boseman, passed away in 2020. The movie then had to be completely rewritten and restructured, with Marvel deciding not to recast the character out of respect for Boseman. Many argued against this choice, but ultimately it did work for the film. The movie does an amazing job of honoring both the character T’Challa (Chadwick Boseman) and Boseman. Because there are scenes where they’re paying tribute to the character and scenes where they’re paying tribute to the actor. As with the previous Black Panther film, the score and costuming are both fantastic. Shurri’s (Letitia Wright) character in this movie is handled well, and she is a worthy successor as the Black Panther. Angela Bassett is amazing and well-deserving of her Golden Globe win for Best Supporting Actress. Overall, this movie continues to make Wakanda an amazing place with breathtaking visuals. 

2. Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 3 (2023) 

The Guardians films have always been the best at balancing humor and drama in the MCU, and this film is no exception. The movie has some disturbing moments, to say the least, making it almost uncomfortable to watch, which isn’t something often said about the MCU. But, it still has the signature comedy that is present in these films, which doesn’t come across as forced or unnatural. The soundtrack continues to be catchy and fits the tone of the film, especially with the action scenes, which are some of the best of the recent MCU films. In the end, this film is a good sendoff to the original Guardians. 

1. Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021)

Many people in the past have dismissed this film as cheap, nostalgic fan service, and while there is fanservice in the movie that does feel nostalgic, it doesn’t take away from the overall themes presented in the movie. Even without all the cameos, the film still works at evolving Tom Holland’s Peter Parker, aka Spider-Man. It shows the best aspects of the character Peter in this film, trying to help others even if it means giving up his own happiness. Not to mention the cameos that are in the movie actually serve a purpose in the story and aren’t just there for no reason. With the villains, there is a lot of intrigue, with some, like Electro (Jamie Foxx), getting more depth here than he did in The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (2014). Plus, Willem Dafoe is almost as terrifying in this film as the Green Goblin. His monologue at Happy’s (Jon Favaru) apartment is well-written and performed. Then, of course, there are the former Spider-Men, played by Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield. What works about their respective characters in this movie is it gives something that fans had been wanting to see for both versions; closure. Neither one got a proper finale, so to see some semblances of a resolution, however brief, was rewarding for longtime fans. If Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse was a celebration of all Spider-Man media, including the comics, cartoons, etc., then No Way Home is a celebration of the movies and those who stuck around for nearly 20 years.