The 10 Best MCU Projects of the Last 10 Years, Ranked

To look back at the Marvel Cinematic Universe of the last decade is to witness an unprecedented feat of modern myth-making. From August 2015 to today, we have been on a journey that has redefined the very concept of blockbuster entertainment. This was the era that saw the breathtaking culmination of the Infinity Saga, a narrative experiment so audacious it changed the way movies are made. It was also the era of bold new beginnings, as the MCU expanded into the uncharted territory of the multiverse and the intimate, long-form storytelling of its Disney+ series. The universe didn't just get bigger; it got weirder, deeper, and more emotionally complex.

Today, in 2025, the MCU's cultural footprint is more vibrant and multifaceted than ever. Its legacy is no longer just on the silver screen; it's woven into the very fabric of our digital lives. On TikTok, the devastating snap from Infinity War has become a meme, the airport battle from Civil War is a viral sound, and the "sad man" angst of Loki has launched a thousand fan edits. On Pinterest, the unique, genre-bending aesthetic of WandaVision inspires mood boards, while the "found family" warmth of the Guardians of the Galaxy resonates in countless posts. This list is a celebration of that enduring impact. It’s a ranking of the ten greatest MCU masterpieces of the past ten years—a collection of films and series that were not only critical and commercial successes, but have also achieved a lasting, iconic status in the hearts and minds of a new generation.

10. Deadpool & Wolverine (2024)

Kicking off our list is the film that joyfully shattered the fourth wall and officially brought the Merc with a Mouth into the MCU fold. Deadpool & Wolverine was more than just a movie; it was a cultural event, a collision of two of the most beloved superhero portrayals of all time. The film saw Ryan Reynolds’ Wade Wilson pulled from his timeline by the Time Variance Authority (TVA) and forced to team up with a broken, world-weary variant of Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine to stop a multiversal threat. What followed was a bloody, profane, and utterly hilarious road trip through the graveyards of defunct cinematic universes.

The genius of this film lies in its perfect, meta-commentary on the state of the superhero genre itself, all while delivering a surprisingly heartfelt story about finding purpose in a meaningless world. The chemistry between Reynolds and Jackman was electric, their bickering, antagonistic friendship providing the film's core. It was a film that managed to be both a loving tribute to Fox’s X-Men legacy and a bold, irreverent step forward for the MCU. It’s a project that is inextricably linked with its star, a showcase for the unique brand of comedy that is explored in this ranking of Ryan Reynolds' Best Movies.

External Link: The official Marvel.com page for Deadpool & Wolverine is a great resource for cast information and official trailers.

9. Thor: Ragnarok (2017)

Before Taika Waititi’s intervention, the Thor franchise was arguably the MCU’s weakest link. Thor: Ragnarok was a bolt of pure, technicolor lightning, a film that completely reinvented the God of Thunder and, in the process, created one of the most purely fun and rewatchable movies in the entire MCU. Waititi threw out the faux-Shakespearean seriousness of the earlier films and replaced it with a vibrant, Jack Kirby-inspired, synth-pop aesthetic and a heavy dose of his signature quirky, improvisational humour. The film strands Thor on the garbage planet of Sakaar, where he is forced to reunite with the Hulk and team up with the hard-drinking Valkyrie to escape the clutches of the delightfully eccentric Grandmaster.

Thor: Ragnarok is a masterpiece of the tonal reset. It understood that Chris Hemsworth’s greatest asset was his incredible comedic timing and allowed him to be funny, charming, and relatable. The film is a feast for the eyes and ears, with a killer 80s-inspired soundtrack and a production design that is bursting with colour and imagination. It’s a hilarious, high-energy adventure that still manages to have real emotional stakes, particularly in its exploration of Thor's relationship with his brother, Loki.

8. WandaVision (2021)

The MCU’s first foray into television was not a safe, conventional superhero show; it was a strange, brilliant, and heartbreakingly beautiful piece of art. WandaVision was a revelation, a series that used the format of the classic American sitcom to tell a profound story about grief and denial. The series follows Wanda Maximoff and Vision living an idyllic, suburban life in the town of Westview, with each episode emulating a different decade of sitcom history, from the black-and-white 1950s to the mockumentary style of the 2000s. But as the sitcom reality begins to fracture, it becomes clear that this perfect world is a magical prison of Wanda’s own making, a desperate attempt to escape the overwhelming pain of losing Vision.

The show was a masterful blend of mystery, comedy, and devastating emotional drama. Elizabeth Olsen and Paul Bettany delivered career-best performances, and Kathryn Hahn became an instant icon as the malevolent witch Agatha Harkness. The weekly release model fueled a massive wave of fan theories and online discussion, making it the first true "water cooler" show of the Disney+ era. Its unique aesthetic and its powerful exploration of grief have had a lasting impact, making it a show that is endlessly rewatched and analyzed. It's the kind of genre-bending television that feels right at home on a list of the best TV of the past decade.

External Link: Variety's interviews with the WandaVision cast and crew offer a fantastic deep dive into the making of the series.

7. Black Panther (2018)

More than just a superhero movie, Black Panther was a global cultural landmark. Ryan Coogler’s film was a breathtaking celebration of Black culture, a visually stunning and thematically rich epic that presented a vision of an uncolonized Africa in the technologically advanced nation of Wakanda. The story follows T'Challa (the late, great Chadwick Boseman) as he returns home to assume the throne after his father's death. His reign is immediately challenged by Erik Killmonger (Michael B. Jordan), a formidable adversary with a tragic backstory and a revolutionary ideology that forces T'Challa, and the audience, to confront difficult questions about tradition, responsibility, and global justice.

The film was a visual masterpiece, with Oscar-winning costume and production design that created a rich, detailed, and Afrofuturist world. The cast was a powerhouse of Black talent, and Michael B. Jordan’s Killmonger is widely regarded as one of the greatest and most empathetic villains in the entire MCU. Black Panther was a phenomenon, shattering box office records and becoming the first superhero film to ever be nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture. Its impact is immeasurable, a film that provided powerful representation and proved that stories rooted in specific cultures could have universal appeal.

6. Captain America: Civil War (2016)

Effectively Avengers 2.5, Captain America: Civil War was the film that pitted hero against hero in a deeply personal and ideologically complex conflict. After a mission goes wrong, the world's governments demand that the Avengers be placed under UN oversight. Tony Stark, haunted by his past failures, agrees. Steve Rogers, wary of institutional corruption, refuses. This schism tears the team apart, forcing every hero to choose a side and culminating in the now-legendary airport battle, one of the most thrilling and comic-book-perfect action sequences ever put to film.

Directed by the Russo Brothers, the film is a masterclass in juggling a massive ensemble cast while telling an intimate, character-driven story. It brilliantly introduced both Black Panther and Tom Holland’s Spider-Man into the MCU. But the heart of the film is the tragic dissolution of the friendship between Steve and Tony. There are no easy answers, and the film respects its audience enough to let both sides make valid points. It’s a political thriller masquerading as a superhero blockbuster, a film that explores themes of freedom, security, and accountability with a surprising amount of nuance. Its legacy is immense, setting the stage for the entire second half of the Infinity Saga.

5. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (2023)

In an era of the MCU that was often criticized for a lack of emotional stakes, James Gunn’s Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 was a stunning and deeply moving triumph. The final installment in the trilogy is a beautiful, heartbreaking, and ultimately life-affirming story about a found family of broken misfits learning to heal. The film centers on the tragic backstory of Rocket Raccoon, revealing his origins as a tortured science experiment at the hands of the cruel and obsessive High Evolutionary. When Rocket is gravely injured, the Guardians must embark on a desperate mission to save his life.

This film is a perfect conclusion to one of the MCU’s best trilogies. It’s a hilarious, visually inventive, and action-packed space opera, but its true power lies in its incredible heart. It’s a profound exploration of trauma, animal cruelty, and the power of friendship. The entire cast delivers incredible performances, but the emotional core of the film is Rocket’s story, which is handled with a surprising and devastating seriousness. It’s a film that will make you laugh out loud one moment and weep uncontrollably the next. It’s a beautiful, cathartic, and perfect goodbye to this iteration of the team. The film's found-family theme is a powerful one, a reminder of the importance of connection, a topic often explored at That Love Podcast.

External Link: The IMDb page for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 showcases the film's incredible cast and high user ratings.

4. Loki (Seasons 1 & 2) (2021-2023)

Taking the MCU's most beloved villain and placing him at the centre of a time-bending, bureaucratic thriller was a stroke of genius. Loki is arguably the most ambitious and narratively complex project in the entire MCU. The series follows the 2012 variant of Loki who escaped with the Tesseract in Endgame. He is immediately apprehended by the Time Variance Authority (TVA), a mysterious organization that exists outside of time and space, and is forced to help them hunt down a dangerous variant of himself: the enigmatic Sylvie.

The series is a brilliant, mind-bending exploration of free will, destiny, and identity. Tom Hiddleston delivers a career-defining performance, peeling back the layers of Loki's arrogance to reveal the deep well of pain and loneliness beneath. His chemistry with Sophia Di Martino's Sylvie and Owen Wilson’s Mobius is the heart of the show. The production design is stunning, a unique blend of mid-century modern bureaucracy and cosmic grandeur. The show is single-handedly responsible for introducing the core concepts of the Multiverse Saga, including Kang the Conqueror. With its second season, the show delivered a stunning and perfect conclusion to Loki's arc, transforming him from a villain into the god who holds the entire multiverse together. It's a show that rewards close viewing, perfect for a rainy weekend binge.

3. Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021)

More than just a movie, Spider-Man: No Way Home was a cinematic event, a celebration of 20 years of Spider-Man on film. The movie was a perfect storm of fan service, multiversal chaos, and heartbreaking emotional stakes. After his identity is revealed to the world, Peter Parker asks Doctor Strange to cast a spell to make everyone forget, but the spell goes wrong, pulling in villains from across the multiverse who know Peter Parker's identity. To save his reality, Peter must team up with two very familiar faces: the Spider-Men played by Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield.

The moment the three Spider-Men appeared on screen together is one of the most euphoric and purely joyful moments in modern cinema history. The film is a masterful balancing act, giving each returning character a meaningful and cathartic arc while still telling a powerful and tragic story about Tom Holland’s Peter Parker. The ending is one of the most devastating in the entire MCU, as Peter makes the ultimate sacrifice, allowing everyone, including his best friends, to forget he ever existed. It’s a film that is both a triumphant celebration of the past and a heartbreakingly perfect setup for the future. It’s a movie that truly understands the core of the Spider-Man character: with great power, there must also come great responsibility.

External Link: Read retrospective reviews and audience scores for Spider-Man: No Way Home on Rotten Tomatoes.

2. Avengers: Infinity War (2018)

This was the moment the entire MCU had been building towards for a decade. Avengers: Infinity War is a relentless, breathtaking, and audacious piece of blockbuster filmmaking. The film is told largely from the perspective of its villain, Thanos, as he ruthlessly hunts down the six Infinity Stones to achieve his goal of wiping out half of all life in the universe. The film is a massive, galaxy-spanning epic that brings together virtually every hero in the MCU, only to pit them against an unstoppable force and have them, for the first time, utterly and completely fail.

The Russo Brothers managed the impossible, juggling dozens of characters and multiple storylines while maintaining a breakneck pace and a constant sense of dread. The action is spectacular, the character pairings are inspired (Thor meeting the Guardians is a highlight), and Josh Brolin’s performance as Thanos is a motion-capture masterpiece, turning a giant purple alien into a complex, terrifying, and almost empathetic villain. But it is the ending that makes this film a masterpiece. The haunting, silent sequence of heroes turning to dust after Thanos snaps his fingers is one of the most shocking and devastating moments in blockbuster history. It was a cliffhanger that left the entire world in a state of stunned disbelief for a full year.

1. Avengers: Endgame (2019)

The culmination of 22 interconnected films, Avengers: Endgame is not just the greatest MCU masterpiece of the last ten years; it is one of the most ambitious and emotionally satisfying achievements in the history of cinema. The film is a three-hour epic of grief, hope, and ultimate sacrifice. Picking up after the devastation of Infinity War, the film’s quiet, contemplative first act is a powerful meditation on loss. The subsequent "time heist" is a brilliant and nostalgic trip through the MCU’s own history, a clever and fun way to celebrate the journey we had all been on.

But it is the final hour of Endgame that cements its place as a masterpiece. The "Portals" scene, where every hero returns for the final battle, is pure, goosebump-inducing euphoria. And the final, emotional sacrifices of both Tony Stark and Steve Rogers provide a perfect, poignant, and earned conclusion to their respective character arcs. The film is a monumental achievement, a perfect balancing act of epic spectacle and intimate character moments. It is a love letter to the fans, a celebration of a decade of storytelling, and a profoundly moving conclusion to the Infinity Saga. It is the definitive MCU experience, a film that delivered on an unprecedented promise and created a shared cultural moment that will likely never be repeated.

Conclusion

The last ten years have been a golden age for the Marvel Cinematic Universe. This was the decade they paid off a decade of promises with the Infinity Saga and then bravely expanded into new, exciting, and often strange new worlds. The ten masterpieces on this list are a testament to the incredible talent, both in front of and behind the camera, that has defined this era. They are a collection of films and series that have not only dominated the box office but have also pushed the boundaries of genre, sparked global conversations, and created characters that have become modern-day myths. As the MCU continues to evolve, these ten projects will stand as the towering achievements of a remarkable decade, a high watermark of modern blockbuster storytelling.

External Links

1. The Official Marvel Cinematic Universe Website: Explore the complete timeline, character bios, and news.

2. Disney+: The official streaming home for the vast majority of the MCU.

3. Vulture's "All 33 Marvel Movies, Ranked": A critical ranking of the entire MCU film library.

4. Empire Magazine - MCU Coverage: In-depth interviews, reviews, and behind-the-scenes features.

5. The MCU's Direct Fan Wiki: A comprehensive, fan-curated encyclopedia for all things MCU.

6. Screen Rant's MCU Section: A great source for fan theories, news, and explainers.

7. The Official Marvel Studios YouTube Channel: Watch all the official trailers, clips, and featurettes.

8. Box Office Mojo - Marvel Cinematic Universe: See the incredible box office data for the entire franchise.

FAQs

1. What is the "Infinity Saga"? The Infinity Saga is the official name for the first 23 films of the MCU, from Iron Man (2008) to Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019). It tells the overarching story of the Avengers' formation and their conflict with Thanos over the Infinity Stones.

   
   

2. Where do the Disney+ shows fit into the MCU timeline? The Disney+ series are canon and fit directly into the official MCU timeline. For example, WandaVision takes place just a few weeks after the events of Avengers: Endgame. Marvel's official website has a detailed timeline.

3. Why aren't films like Iron Man or The Avengers on this list? This list specifically covers the ten-year period from August 2015 to August 2025. Iconic early films like Iron Man (2008) and The Avengers (2012) were released before this window.

4. Do I need to have seen all the previous MCU movies to understand these? For the big team-up films like Civil War, Infinity War, and Endgame, it is highly recommended to have seen the preceding movies, as they are the culmination of many different storylines. However, films like Thor: Ragnarok and Black Panther, and series like WandaVision, can largely be enjoyed as standalone stories.

5. Is Loki a villain or a hero in his series? That is the central question of the show! The series follows his journey from a classic villain to something much more complex. By the end of his arc, most would consider him a hero, albeit a very complicated one.

6. What is the "Multiverse Saga"? The Multiverse Saga is the official name for the second major chapter of the MCU, which began with Phase Four after Endgame. It explores the concept of alternate realities and features Kang the Conqueror as its primary antagonist.

7. Is Deadpool & Wolverine appropriate for kids? No. Like the previous Deadpool films, Deadpool & Wolverine is R-rated and is intended for mature audiences only, containing graphic violence, strong language, and adult humour.

8. Who is the main villain in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3? The main villain is the High Evolutionary, played by Chukwudi Iwuji. He is a cruel and obsessive scientist who is revealed to be the creator of Rocket Raccoon.

9. Why is Black Panther considered such a landmark film? It was the first major superhero film with a predominantly Black cast and a Black director. Its incredible success and its nomination for the Best Picture Oscar were seen as a major breakthrough for representation in Hollywood.

10. What is the Time Variance Authority (TVA)? The TVA is a key organization introduced in the Loki series. It is a vast, bureaucratic agency that exists outside of time and is responsible for monitoring the timeline and pruning any deviations that could lead to a multiversal war.