It is no secret that Marvel Studios’s Marvel CinematicUniverse (MCU) has sputtered a bit at the box office and with fans and critics since the spectacular Infinity Saga (Phases I-III) ended with Avengers: Endgame (2019).
In the five years since that monumental film dropped, the MCU has been a mixed bag of streaming shows, delayed production schedules, fan fatigue, and mediocre film releases.
However all hasn’t been lost. There have been a handful of gems in the midst of the MCU brand taking a bit of a hit lately.
Below is a list of the Multiverse Saga (Phase IV & V) films. I placed a star next to the movies that really stand out—matching or coming close to the best films in the Infinity Saga.
Phase IV
- Black Widow (2021)
- Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021) ⭐️
- Eternals (2021)
- Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021) ⭐️
- Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022)
- Thor: Love and Thunder (2022)
- Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022) ⭐️
Phase V
- Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (2023)
- Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (2023) ⭐️
- The Marvels (2023)
- Deadpool & Wolverine (2024) ⭐️
- Captain America: Brave New World (2025)
- Thunderbolts* (2025) ⭐️
There have been 13 films in Phase Four and Phase Five, and nearly half of them (six) have been very good or great. And if you add Black Widow and “Doctor Strange 2,” you’re talking eight out of 13 (61%) novies being good, very good or great.
In summary, all has not been lost in terms of film quality since Avengers: Endgame. With Phase VI fast-approaching, I sincerely hope that the best is yet to come.
I see you Fantastic 4️⃣. 😉
