There have been two distinct eras of Marvel movies. First there were the early attempts at adapting the biggest properties, e.g. Blade, X-Men, Spider-Man, Daredevil, Hulk, and Fantastic Four. Then, of course, there is the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Both eras have entries that are important and others that came and went. But those that were important were important for multiple reasons. On one hand, their success helped confirm that fans would get more Marvel movies, but some of them went a step beyond that, outright assisting in the shaping of blockbusters that fell outside the subgenre. And, in one case, altering the way Hollywood saw potential in its biggest IPs.
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From the movie that kicked off the very notion of a cinematic universe to the movie that helped expand the subgenre’s level of inclusivity, these are the most important Marvel movies ever made. Spoiler alert, Howard the Duck isn’t one of them.
4) Spider-Man
Kicking off a cinematic franchise that continues to this day and will for the foreseeable future, Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man was a massive critical and commercial success in 2002. The early days of mainstream Marvel movies had already kicked off with X-Men two years prior, but this was the one that really sealed the comic company’s works as a majorly viable product.
There was a lot riding on Spider-Man. It’s hard to imagine a more beloved comic book character than webslinger, with only Batman giving him a run for his money. And Raimi knocked it out of the park, delivering a mixture of high-flying action, memorable set pieces, humor, and an endearing romantic connection between Peter Parker and Mary Jane Watson.
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3) Iron Man
An MCU movie so important it’s still being directly referenced by the franchise to this day, Jon Favreau’s Iron Man remains one of the overarching universe’s most beloved entries. Like with Spider-Man, a lot hinged on the success of this film, perhaps to an even greater extent. If this one didn’t take off, there would be no cinematic universe (and given how it shot without a completed script, had a then-B-level title character, and a once-troubled lead star, its potential failure was quite possible).
Expanding on how the MCU hinged on Iron Man‘s success, there’s a larger way of looking at that. Naturally, Marvel’s cinematic universe wouldn’t have come into existence were this movie to have failed. Furthermore, given how other studios have since turned their owned IPs into cinematic universes, it’s quite fair to say that Iron Man changed the entire film industry’s prioritization. It wasn’t enough to just make a successful movie anymore, the goal was now to create a movie that was both profitable and could lead into sequels, spin-offs, and other movies set under the banner it’s positioned under.
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2) The Avengers
The movie that dominated the first half of the summer box office in 2012, The Avengers was the point where the MCU became the hottest property on the market. Iron Man and Iron Man 2 were huge hits, but the middling returns of The Incredible Hulk, Thor, and Captain America: The First Avenger seemed to hint that Iron Man was of another level, and perhaps there was a cap to how much a non-Iron Man MCU project could generate.
The Avengers refuted that notion. It crossed $200 million domestically its opening weekend and made more than $1.5 billion worldwide by the time it left theaters. It was a true event. And as the Phase Two entries of the Captain America and Thor franchises confirmed, it helped cement the characters who weren’t Iron Man into the audience’s heart nearly as much as Mr. Stark. This was the film that confirmed macro-scale interest in the universe and inspired at least a modicum of hope in Disney that something like Guardians of the Galaxy could take off.
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1) Black Panther
Black Panther was the first MCU movie to score an Academy Award for Best Picture nomination. It was also an important step in increasing representation in the superhero film subgenre. Finally, there was a superhero film where the protagonist was a man younger Black individuals in the audience could identify with. It also confirmed that, yes, a big-budget movie with a predominately Black cast could in fact become a four-quadrant hit.
Black Panther also features what may very well be the overarching universe’s most compelling villain. Killmonger was the type of antagonist whose past shed considerable light on his present actions and made them understandable, even when his actions are violent or tyrannical. On top of its cultural significance, Black Panther showed the MCU that it could diverge from the typical formula of the franchise, convey some serious themes, and still prove to be an entertaining and wildly successful blockbuster.
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