Oh, yeah.
Phase Four has finished up (kind of)! That means we have FOUR phases of the MCU. All four phases have something different to offer, and it's interesting to see how Marvel has split these stories up. But, since we just finished off Phase Four with Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, it's time to rank all four phases of the MCU from the worst to the best.
4. Phase Four
Unfocused. Inconsistent. Too goofy. Those are the problems that haunt Phase Four of the MCU. They tried to go a completely different route after Endgame with some more experimental projects, and, while I appreciate that, it makes for a pretty rocky phase that feels like it isn't gaining any momentum. From an unnecessary prequel in Black Widow to an awful legal comedy in She-Hulk, this phase is just full of questionable decisions. Now, there are a lot of good things in here, and the tease of Kang the Conqueror sets up Phase Five for success...but I am worried, because this phase was not what it should've and could've been.
3. Phase One
Phase One feels very much like the MCU trying to find its footing. It isn't exactly sure what it wants to be, so the tone is inconsistent and the stories are a bit messy. However, the build-up to The Avengers and the payoff in that film is extremely satisfying. While the films themselves aren't the best individually, they work very nicely as a six-chapter saga that closes with The Avengers, so I give this phase props for that.
2. Phase Two
Phase Two is still inconsistent, but it also feels more like we're building towards something huge. You see the the characters shift and change to put them in a vulnerable place for Civil War and Infinity War. You see the world become more dangerous in Winter Soldier and Age of Ultron. You get a glimpse of the threat that Thanos poses in Guardians of the Galaxy. They move the plot forward, develop characters, and introduce new characters very well in Phase Two, all while having consistently entertaining movies. Phase Two may not have the importance of Phase One or the perfection of Phase Three, but it's a very solid middle chapter of the Infinity Saga.
1. Phase Three
Phase Three is perfect. Are all the movies great? No. But most of them are. And, even if they aren't great, they're good. There are eleven movies in Phase Three. Seven of them are probably in my top fifteen MCU. Four of them are in my top five MCU. The double finale of Infinity War and Endgame is flawless. I don't care what anyone says. That is the most satisfying way to culminate a 22-film saga. I'm hopeful for Phases Five and Six, but I don't think anything can top Phase Three. Ever.
Comments