Movie Review - Thunderbolts*

Director: Jake Schreier
Genre: Action/ Science Fiction/ Adventure
Runtime: 127 minutes
Year: 2025
Starring: Florence Pugh, Sebastian Stan, David Harbour, Wyatt Russell, Lewis Pullman, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Hannah John-Kamen, Olga Kurylenko
 
Description: After finding themselves ensnared in a death trap, an unconventional team of antiheroes must go on a dangerous mission that will force them to confront the darkest corners of their pasts.
 
Review: Yelena, Black Widow’s sister, leads and empty and useless existence filled with running errands for the current CIA director, Valentina Alegra de Fontaine. When Yelena is sent to stop a thief who wants to crack a safe containing secrets that must never see the light of day, things turn our differently than expected.

After a short opening scene, which introduce both Yelena’s fighting skills and her depression, Yelena is sent to the safe, located somewhere in the American desert. The film then takes place around that location for over an hour. To keep this interesting, no openings to other dimensions are needed, no do entire areas need to be razed to the ground. The conflict is clear and simple, and the characters are diverse enough for amusing interaction.

In addition to Yelena, we see Taskmaster and The Red Guardian (all three introduced in “Black Widow”), John Walker joins the party as second-hand Captain America, and Bucky Barnes shows up as Winter Soldier. But even if this is your first Marvel movie, it’s pretty clear that these characters have a history.

There is also a character named Bob, introduced as a clumsy, everyday man. But he becomes more important as the story goes along. And Bob is incidentally also a big part of the theme: dealing with depression. This superhero story successfully addresses that subject.

Even though the characters are diverse, we don’t get to know each of them well enough. Ava Starr aka Ghost, for example, stays a bit on the surface. Would’ve liked to get to know her a little better too.
The threat in this film is big, but its only present for a short time. I think the final conflict could have been stretched out. “Thunderbolts” would have benefited from a longer runtime.

The Thunderbolts, being renamed the New Avengers, will be back. And I’m kind of excited about it. I enjoyed “Thunderbolts” a lot more then I expected, I wasn’t really interested when it was announced.

Rating: 3,5/ 5

Movie Review - The Fantastic Four: First Steps

Director: Matt Shakman
Genre: Action/ Science Fiction/ Adventure
Runtime: 114 minutes
Year: 2025
Starring: Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby Joseph Quinn, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, Julia Garner, Ralph Ineson, Paul Walter Hauser, Natasha Lyonne, Sarah Niles, Mark Gadiss
 
Description: Forced to balance their roles as heroes with the strength of their family bond, the Fantastic Four must defend Earth from a ravenous space god called Galactus and his enigmatic herald the Silver Surfer.  
 
Review: Genius Dr. Reed Richards can stretch his body, his wife Sue can turn invisible and create force fields, her brother van burst into flames on command, and their best friend is a walking chunk of granite with massive strength. They are the protectors of Eart No. 828. But then an alien creature, all covered in silver, falls from the sky and tells them the world is doomed. At least, unless Reed and Sue sacrifice their unborn baby to the space god Galactus.
 
They have tried before, to put Marvel’s ‘first family’ on the big screen. The first, from 1994, was never released. And since then we had a financially successful version in 2005 that also got a sequel. The dark reboot, with the strange title Fant-4-Stic, wasn’t a success at all. “The Fantastic Four: First Steps” is definitely the best of the bunch.
 
They didn’t only have to proof that this comic series is filmable at all, but the commercial future of Marvel’s Cinematic Universe rests just a little bit more heavily on its shoulders than on other titles.
 
Director Matt Shakman was also responsible for the most inventive series of the MCU: “WandaVision”. And this film, in my eyes, is great too.
 
The origin story of the Four is quickly rushed through a TV recap. And we can accept that you can still end a superhero movie with a big world-threatening final battle. As long as it’s done right. Shakman and his writers understand it all too well.
 
The film is strong, and this is first and foremost because of the excellent casting of the four main characters. Pedro Pascal as Reed Richards, Joseph Quinn as Johnny Storm and Ebon Moss-Bachrach all fit their roles very well, but it’s Vanessa Kirby as Sue Storm who impresses the most. The dynamic between these characters is convincing, in details and grand gestures. There is bickering, teasing, back and forth irritation. But when it comes down to it, they always choose each other and fight together.
 
The villains were portrayed well, especially Silver Surfer, played by Julia Garner. Because of Johnny Storm’s  immediate fascination with her, it gives the story a chance to delve a little deeper into her background. Which in terms gives her the necessary depth. Galactus is a bit more one-dimensional then, since he just wants one thing.
 
I highly enjoyed “The Fantastic Four: First Steps”. An excellent superhero film and a nice stepping stone to the next chapter in the MCU.
 
Rating: 4,5/ 5

TV Show Review - Agatha All Along (Season 1)

Season: 1
Genre: Fantasy/ Adventure/ Action
Number of episodes: 9
Year: 2024
Starring: Kathryn Hahn, Joe Locke, Sasheer Zamata, Ali Ahn, Patti LuPone, Debra Jo Rupp, Aubrey Plaza

Description: A spell-bound Agatha Harkness (Kathryn Hahn) regains freedom thanks to a teen’s (Joe Locke) help. Intrigues by his plea, she embarks on the Withes’ Road trials to reclaim her powers and discover the teen’s motivations.

Review: Agatha Harkness pretended to be the meddling neighbor Agnes in the successful “WadnaVision” (2021), but actually turned out to be the be a very powerful with who was after Wanda’s powers. At the end of the series, however, she is dicovered and Wanda traps her in Westview, New Jersey, without her memory and magical powers. In the spin-off series “Agatha All Along”, after she is released, still without powers, she decides to found her own coven of witches. After all, she needs them to walk The Witches’ Road and regain her powers.

A series about Agatha was not actually in the Marvel master plan. It was due to Agatha’s popularity in “WandaVision” that the series was made at all. In the comics, the witch is only an obscure character, but Marvel wanted her to be featured in “WandaVision” because she plays an important role in the story of Scarlet Witch. And I’m glad Marvel decided to give Agatha her own she, because this is amazing.

Kathryn Hahn, who portrays Agatha, loved getting to the bottom of what lay beneath Agatha's sarcasm and big mouth. And that combination is exactly what you get in “Agatha All Along”: a delightful witch who says what she thinks, but as the season progesses she peels off some layers.

Hahn’s movements and facial expressions are a joy to watch. But once she is no longer alone its delightful to see the actress carry the dramatic edge as well.

The pace is slow. Once The Road has emerged (not me constantly singing that song in my head ever since), it also becomes clear that the coven have several so-called trials to overcome and thus, as a viewer, you have a long journey ahead of you. The acting is fantastic. At first, the women cannot stand each other, but still have to work together. In the process they help each other see where their personal strengths lie.

You get sucked into the coven as if you were part of it yourself and I’m so happy this series focuses on female empowerment.

“Agatha All Along” was very well-received and each episode gets high ratings, Not below a 7.3. But my favorite episode, and I’m in the majority here, was episode 7: Death’s Hand in Mine. That episode was perfection.

The end of the series hints to a second season, which I wouldn’t be mad about. But “Agatha All Along” is a fantastic series I’m glad Marvel decided to make.

Movie Review - Deadpool & Wolverine

Director: Shawn Levy
Genre: Action/ Comedy/ Science Fiction/ Adventure
Runtime: 128 minutes
Year: 2024
Starring: Ryan Reynolds, Hugh Jackman, Emma Corrin, Matthew Macfadyen, Morena Baccarin
 
Description: Deadpool (Ryan Reynolds) is offered a place in the Marvel Cinematic Universe by the Time Variance Authority, but instead recruits a variant of Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) to save his universe from extinction.

Review: The previous two “Deadpool” movies were not only refreshing because they had their own sense of humor and took down the fourth wall, but also because they were just another superhero movie with small-scale goals that could be achieved without taking down entire cities. The third film has a grander plot, but it was everything I could ever wish for.

Ever since the first “Deadpool”, Ryan Reynolds didn’t exactly hide the fact that his original portrayal of the title sucked. Therefore, they simply pretended that “X-Men Origins: Wolverine” never happened. That successful method is exploited in part three for a dignified farewell to 20^th Century Fox’s remaining superheroes.

So count on a lot of familiar faces. Hugh Jackman alone as Wolverine is a big gain, since he indicated he would not reprise his role after “Logan”. But it’s understandable that the script convinced him to make one more appearance.

This all is done entirely in Deadpool-style. You would expect that meta-trick to get boring by now, but it’s not. And you would think you’d know the typical humor by now, but the jokes are still strong and  original enough to make you laugh out loud. Even after the credit role, there is an extremely effective joke that you don’t see coming. And the soundtrack again is very well chosen.

You can’t just go see “Deadpool & Wolverine” without having any knowledge of the previous films and you do need to be familiar with the Marvel films in general. Even outside the MCU, because there is a lot of pop culture reference and many characters from the Marvel universe pass by. It’s not as enjoyable if you have no clue who they are.

“Deadpool & Wolverine” is such a joy. It’s clever, entertaining, hilarious, action-packed, bloody, raunchy and just a whole bunch of fun. Porn for the real Marvel fans.

Rating: 4,5/ 5

20s Movie Review - Black Panther: Wakanda Forever

Director: Ryan Coogler
Genre: Action/ Adventure/ Science Fiction
Runtime: 161 minutes
Year: 2022
Starring: Letitia Wright, Angela Bassett, Danai Gurira, Lupita Nyong’o, Winston Duke, Martin Freeman, Julia Louis-Dreyfus

I WATCHED THIS MOVIE FOR MY 2024 MOVIE CHALLENGE
WEEK 23: A FILM THAT’S PART OF A SERIES OR FRANCHISE
 
Description: The people of Wakanda fight to protect their home from intervening world powers as they mounr the death of King T’Challa.

Review: “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” is the long-awaited sequel to the superhero “Black Panther”. This first film was received with mainly positive reviews and earned a lot of awards. Opinions about the sequel vary widely.

The film begins emotional, where the people of Wakanda are saying goodbye to King T’Challa. Actor Chadwick Boseman portrayed this character in 2018, but sadly passed away in the summer of 2020. So, the fact that there is a sequel without the main character is, so to say, very particular. And unfortunately, we could have done without this movie.

“Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” feels like a film made out of respect for Boseman. Which is of course a beautiful thing and there is nothing wrong with that. But because of this, the humor that the first film had, is almost totally absent. Maybe for a fear of disrespect? And you miss Boseman, therefore the reason I believe this movie was not really necessary.

The film is also too long. With its almost 3-hour runtime, it’s too long to stay engaging and interesting.
One thing I did love, is the strong female presence. It’s, for the most part, female characters that carry this film. And Angela Bassett steals every scene she is in. Bassett is the strongest performer in the film.

Rating: 2,5/ 5

Movie Review - Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania

Director: Peyton Reed
Genre: Action/ Adventure/ Science Fiction
Runtime: 124 minutes
Year: 2023
Starring: Paul Rudd, Evangeline Lilly, Michael Douglas, Michelle Pfeiffer, Jonathan Majors, Corey Stoll, Kathryn Newton, Bill Murray
 
Description: Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) and Hope van Dyne (Evangeline Lilly) are dragged into the Quantum Realm, along with Hope’s parents (Michael Douglas, Michelle Pfeiffer) and Scott’s daughter Cassie (Kathryn Newton. Together they must find a way to escape, but what secrets is Hope’s mother hiding? And who is the mysterious Kang (Jonathan Majors)?

Review: “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania” is the third part in the “Ant-Man’ series. Peyton Reed is again the director, having now directed the entire trilogy.

Since the Avengers are at rest, the threat and action is moved to a place where Ant-Man and his family have been before: the Quantum Realm. The ultimate threat in the film comes from one person and that is Kang, a mysterious man living in the Quantum Realm. Jonathan Majors portray him and does this so well. “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania” is primarily the film within the larger MCU that serves as his entrance, and this is the film biggest achievement. Otherwise, plenty happens, but it’s all not very innovative or exciting. The stakes are not terribly high, outside having to save family and loved ones, which is fairly predictable.

The performances are good, the humor is there and I just love Paul Rudd. He can do no wrong. But if it weren’t for the character of Kang, this movie was not per say necessary.

Rating: 3/ 5

Movie Review - Werewolf By Night

Director: Michael Giacchino
Genre: Science Fiction/ Action/ Adventure
Runtime: 55 minutes
Year: 2022
Starring: Gael Garcia Bernal, Laura Donnely, Harriet Sansom Harris, Kirk R. Thatcher, Eugenie Bondurant, Leonardo Nam, Carey Jones
 
I WATCHED THIS MOVIE FOR MY 2022 MOVIE CHALLENGE
WEEK 41: A SUPERHERO MOVIE
 
Description: Follows a lycanthrope superhero (Gael Garcia Bernal) who fights evil using the abilities given to him by a curse brought on by his bloodline.

Review: Halloween is a big thing in the U.S. The holiday itself is celebrated on the last day of October, but the entire month is focused on this spooky celebration. And it is also the perfect time for any spooky series or horror movies to be released. And even Marvel is in on the fun this time, coming out with their first ever Halloween special: “Werewolf by Night”. Little over 50 minutes long, but such a great time. And something completely different than we’re used to from Marvel.

One night, a handful of monster hunters from all over the world come together to compete for the ‘bloodstone’: a useful weapon when slaughtering monsters. The winner gets to have the stone until the next gathering. To determine the winner, they must compete against a monster in a maze, and each other. But one of them is hiding a secret about his own identity, in this company for good reasons.
The film is made to look like an old-fashioned monster movie. The black and white films from the 1930s like “Frankenstein”, “The Mummy” and “The Invisible Man”. Not only because it’s black and white, also because of the style and the way it looks like old film was used.  I love the atmosphere, the classic horror features, it’s clear that first-time director Michael Giacchino is a fan of these classic films. Giacchino, who is known as a composer, logically composed his own score.

Marvel wouldn’t be Marvel if it didn’t add a bit of humor, because this sometimes gory horror film does have it. Especially when the monster in the maze (not spoiling which classic monster this is) has its name revealed. That made me laugh.

I really like when Marvel decides to shine a light on the lesser known Comics. And then do something original with it, something different than what we usually get from them. A Marvel movie that will most likely fly under the radar, but one you should definitely see if you get the chance. And if you don’t like it, it’s not even an hour long, so it won’t hurt.

Rating: 4/ 5

Movie Review - Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness

Director: Sam Raimi
Genre: Action/ Adventure/ Science Fiction
Runtime: 127 minutes
Year: 2022
Starring: Benedict Cumberbatch, Elizabeth Olsen, Benedict Wong, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Rachel McAdams, Xochitl Gomez, Michael Stuhlbarg, Bruce Campbell, Patrick Stewart, Hayley Atwell, John Krasinski
 
Description: Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) teams up with a mysterious teenage girl (Xochitl Gomez) from his dreams who can travel across multiverses, to battle multiple threats, including other-universe versions of himself, which threaten to wipe out millions across the multiverse. They seek help from Wanda the Scarlet Witch, Wong and others.

Review: With “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness”, a new era for the MCU has begin. The multiverse is open and that brings with it a whole host of expectations for the film. But does it live up to those expectations?

After the evens of “Spider-Man No Way Home”, it’s time to dive further into the multiverse with Doctor Strange. As the title reveals, the film is a little crazy, but that’s not a negative. For example, one of the bigger surprises is that this film is a lot darker and more focused on horror than previous Marvel films.

The shift in tone is largely due to director Sam Raimi, who we of course already know from the original Spider-Man trilogy with Tobey Maguire, a collection of solid horror films and true classics like the “Evil Dead” series (some might even recognize “Evil Dead”’s Bruce Campbell in a funny cameo). At first glance, the coice of Raimi seems very good, as a horror aspect lends itself very well to the characters of “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness”, but there are a few problems.

Let’s start with what is rock solid in the film: the acting. In particular Elizabeth Olsen, who once again pays the role of Wanda Maximoff aka Scarlet Witch. She deserves a lot of credit for her performance and she even overshadows who is supposed to be the star in the film, Benedict Cumberbatch.

 Cumberbatch is strong as well, but where he is supposed to be the star, Olsen clearly takes the spotlight.
The fact that every actor and actress gives a fantastic performance is also due to the excellent writing of the film. It is clear that a lot of thought has gone into this film. And even though it’s over 2 hours long, you hardly notice it.  

With a grim tone and the new horror aspect, “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness” not only manages to surprise, but also manages to set a new standard for Marvel films. While the film is very good and takes two steps forward for Marvel, it unfortunately also takes a step backwards.
The horror genre has been plagued by terribly chewed out clichés and cheap jump scares for decades. Dramatic sound effects are added to those jump scares and various characters make stupid decisions. There is nothing worse for a film than overused clichés, and this is the biggest weakness for “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness”.

With a rock-solid story, exceptional acting and surprising new elements, “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness” manages to live up to most expectations. In fact, the film manages to exceed many of them. Besides all the spectacle, there are also more than enough easter eggs to be found and for Marvel fans it will again be an absolute delight to see Doctor Strange in action.

Rating: 3,5/ 5

TV Show Review - WandaVision

Season: Mini-Series
Genre: Adventure/ Action/ Comedy/ Drama
Number of episodes: 9
Year: 2021
Starring: Elizabeth Olsen, Paul Bettany, Kathryn Hahn, Teyonah Parris, Kat Dennings, Randall Park, Debra Jo Rupp  

Description: Blends the style of classic sitcoms with the MCU, in which Wanda Maximoff (Elizabeth Olsen) and Vision (Paul Bettany) begin to suspect that everything is not as it seems.

Review: Wanda Maximoff and Vision find themselves in their ideal dream world inspired by sitcoms from different eras. Slowly but surely Visio begins to doubt this reality and we must see this mystery unravel.
With “Avengers: Endgam”, Marvel put a stop to their so-called ‘infinity saga’. To which the next film, “Spider-Man: Far From Home”, functioned as a kind of epilogue to this. After a break of over a year and a half, Marvel is back with their first miniseries on Disney +: “WandaVision”. The start of a new phase of superhero stories that are all connected, both on the small and big screen.
The approach of “WandaVision” is highly original and manages to present something we have not seen before within the superhero genre. After the tragic loss that Wanda suffered in the previous Avengerd films, she has, with the help of her magical powers, created an ideal dream world with her husband Vision. She also ‘broadcasts’ this as a kind of television program to the outside world, hence the name “WandaVision”. Each episode sets a new era and is thus and ode to sitcoms of the past and present. For example, episodes are spefically inspired by: “The Dick van Dyke Show”, “Bewitched”, “The Brady Bunch”, “Family Ties”, “Malcolm in the Middle” and “Modern Family”.
In addition to this unique angle and fun nods to various shows, the core of this stoy is a mystery regarding Wanda and how exactly she created this world to her liking. We see subtle hints that tell us something is wrong or ‘mistakes’ are made in the TV shows. It is difficult to describe “WandaVision”, as I want to keep spoilers to a minimum, but many Marvel fan will be rewarded for their patience through the episodes.
“WandaVision” is the most original project Marvel Studios had produced. Completely unique in its execution and a rich viewing experience for superhero fans. Even though the series has ended, Wanda’s story continues in the upcoming “Doctor Strange: in the Multiverse of Madness”.

10s Movie Review - Spider-Man: Far From Home

Director: Jon Watts
Genre: Action/ Adventure/ Science Fiction
Runtime: 129 minutes
Year: 2019
Starring: Tom Holland, Samuel L. Jackson, Jake Gyllenhaal, Marisa Tomei, Jon Favreau, Zendaya, Jacob Batalon, Tony Revolori, Angouri Rice, Remi Hii, Martin Starr, Cobie Smulders, J.B. Smoove

I WATCHED THIS MOVIE FOR MY 2020 MOVIE CHALLENGE.
WEEK 40: A MARVEL MOVIE

Description: Following the events in “Avengers: Endgame”, Spider-Man (Tom Holland) must step up to take on new threats in a world that has changed forever.

Review: The number of superhero movies has become so large that it is becoming increasingly difficult to oversee everything. The various reboots that have been presented to the audience in a short time don’t make it any clearer. You have to invest heavily to stay updated and today it’s also a must to see every movie in the MCU, because they interweave and events in one movie will affect another. “Spider-Man: Far From Home” is the second part of the second Spider-Man reboot. This movie completes phase 3 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
“Spider-Man: Far From Home” cleverly builds on previous events. Peter Parker, a teenager, is still broken about the death of Tony Stark. The man that made him an Avenger. But Peter needs a break, which comes in the form of a school trip to Europe. He is too busy planning a way to win over MJ’s heart, that he even doesn’t pack his costume. Don’t worry, Aunt May packs it for him. But when they are in Venice, it’s soon clear that Spider-Man has no time for a break. And he meets the local hero Mysterio.
Marvel took a risk by resetting the adventures of Spider-Man for a second time, but also by making Peter Parker a teenager. Tom Holland with his youthful appearance and ditto spirit is cut for the role. He is my favorite Peter Parker. As a young Peter Parker he not only has to play the superhero, but he is also in the middle of puberty and dealing with lots of teen problems. But this is not my favorite series, that’s still the original with Toby Maguire. It feels more authentic and the new series changed way too much, I prefer the old-school Spider-Man.
Which doesn’t mean I don’t like this film. I liked “Spider-Man: Homecoming” and I really enjoyed “Spider-Man: Far From Home”. Mostly because Tom Holland is such a breath of fresh air to watch and he does such a great job as Peter Parker/ Spider-Man.
I liked the villain, although the reveal was a bit predictable. I think everyone knew who it was. The execution of it is really clever and inventive though. And Spider-Man has a serious opponent in him.
Overall, “Spider-Man: Far From Home” is a highly entertaining film, with an excellent Tom Holland.

Rating: 3,5/ 5

Best Moments in the MCU

With the conclusion of the Infinity saga and Phase 4 in the future, us Marvel fans have a wide variety of films and characters and lots of moments to think and look back to too. So I decided to dig into all those amazing, epic and unforgettable moments from all of these movies from the MCU.

WARNING: SPOILERS!

22. Doctor Strange’s psychedelic trip – “Doctor Strange” (2016)
Doctor Strange’s trip into Stephen’s mind felt like it opened up a whole new, and much weirder, visual style for the MCU.

21. Vulture is Liz’s father – “Spider-Man: Homecoming” (2017)
The reveal that Peter Parker’s prom date is the daughter of the black market arms dealer he’s been fighting all year was a shocking and masterfully executed twist.

20. For Wakanda, without question – “Black Panther” (2018)
Not only does this moment have a rhino in battle armor, it turns Okoye from a badass to an extremely awesome badass. Who said lawful good characters can’t be fun and interesting.

19. I am Iron Man – “Iron man” (2008)
At the end of “Iron Man”, Tony Stark has one surprise for us. He states to the press that he is Iron Man. It was this moment he fully embraced his alter-ego.

18. Eye-popping space gate jump – “Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol. 2” (2017)
Also a pretty weird scene with wild visuals, where Yondu, Rocket and Baby Groot have to jump through space. Not once, 700 times, and it makes their eyes almost pop out of their sockets. And Baby Groot throws up.

17. Thor awakening his powers – “Thor: Ragnarok” (2017)
The “Thor” films aren’t the best, but this third film in the series really revived the character. The film is colorful both visually and comically. The moment on the Rainbow Bridge where he fights his enemies, with the lightning and Led Zepplin playing, this scene sums up everything that’s new and hot about “Thor”.

16. Black Widow’s hallway fight – “Iron Man 2” (2010)
“Iron Man 2” introduced us to Black Widow. At first she seems like an ordinary character that’s not very special. But when Natasha embraces her alter ego Black Widow and has to fight off a bunch of guards in a hallway, we know she’s a perfect addition to the Avengers.

15. Ant-man and Yellowjacket’s final fight – “Ant-Man”(2015)
Many MCU film shine brightest during their massive action scenes. However, “Ant-Man” takes that concept and imbues it with a sense of humor that pervades the entire film. What if there were a massive action scene to cap off the film, but instead of the encounter taking place in a city, it took place on a toy train set to perfectly utilize Ant-Man’s shrinking powers and the king of visual gags only possible in his film.

14. You should’ve aimed for the head – “Avengers: Infinity War” (2018)
When Thor manages to throw his hammer into Thanos’ chest and seemingly defeats him, Thanos states that Thor should’ve aimed for the head. With all of the infinity stones now in his possession, Thanos snaps his fingers and half of all humanity disappears.

13. Shawarma – “Avengers” (2012)
Okay, this is an after-credits scene that was added after the theatrical release. But I’m still adding it. Tony Stark loves shawarma and he proposes to get some after The Avengers manage to win. When we see the heroes sitting at a table together, eating shawarma, they don’t really seem to enjoy it as much as they expected. It’s a really funny moment.

12. Iron Man exits the cave –“Iron Man” (2008)
Tony Stark managed to create his first Iron Man suit when being captured in an Afghan cave. But it’s the moment where he first puts it on and exits the cave that really got our adrenaline pumping.

11. Puny God – “Avengers” (2012)
While fighting the Avengers, Loki drops and crashes into Stark Tower. There he meets Hulk, whom he tries to talk to. But Hulk picks him up and smashes him all around, calling Loki a puny God after words.

10. Peter’s dance-off – “Guardians of the Galaxy” (2014)
“Guardians of the Galaxy” was probably the biggest surprise in the MCU and is still my favorite film of the bunch. This scene, during the climax of the film, we see Peter stealing the show challenging Ronan the Accuser to a dance-off, in order to distract him so he can steal the Power Stone. When he does, all the Guardians join forces to take on the power.

9. We are Groot – “Guardians of the Galaxy” (2014)
Up until this scene, we only heard Groot say “I am Groot”. The Guardian with the biggest heart is the one without any organs. But when he sacrifices himself to keep his friends save he says: “We are Groot”. And admit, we were all weeping.

8. Is Cap worthy? – “Avengers: Age of Ultron” (2015)
It’s not the best Avengers movie, but this scene where the Avengers try to lift Mjolnir is a favorite of mine. We know Thor is the only one strong enough and worthy of lifting Mjolnir, but it’s Steve Rogers that manages to move the hammer just a little bit. The look on Thor’s face is just unforgettable and it’s a really funny scene.

7. Team Cap Vs. Team Tony - “Captain America: Civil War” (2016)
A cool fight in which every hero has his moment to shine. We see Tom Holland’s Spider-Man for the first time, Ant-Man becomes Giant-Man and Black Panther is still very angry with Bucky.

6. Thor Vs. Hulk – “Thor Ragnarok” (2017)
Bruce Banner was without a trace after “Avengers: Age of Ultron” and only in “Thor: Ragnarok” we find out what exactly happened to him. Banner seems to have completely embraced the Hulk inside him on the planet Sakaar, where he is used as a gladiator by The Grandmaster. When Thor lands on the colorful planet, he has to compete against his old buddy and this results in an awesome and hilarious fight.

5. Captain America fights Bucky – “Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2011)
The Russo Brothers made their directorial debut in the MCU with “Captain America: The Winter Soldier”. The film is known for its amazing hand-to-hand combat scenes and the fight scene between Bucky Barnes and Captain America is a great example of that. It excels in its choreography, sound design and is an amazing scene to watch every single time.

4. Baby Groot dancing – “Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol. 2” (2017)
In the opening scene, the guardians are fighting a giant monster. While little Baby Groot plays “Mr. Blue Sky” and dances to it, his friends are fighting for their lives in the background.

3. Elevator fight - “Captain America: The Winter Soldier” (2011)
Nothing is what is seems in “Captain America: The Winter Soldier”, because HYDRA appears to have taken over S.H.I.E.L.D. All of Cap’s friends turn against him and in this scene, taking place in an elevator, the super soldier is attacked by the Strike-team he always went on a mission with. The fact that it takes place in such a confined space makes it extra intense.

2. Avengers assemble – “Avengers: Endgame” (2019)
This is, without a doubt, the most epic battle in the entirety of the MCU. All the superheroes join forces to fight Thanos and that moment where Cap says ‘Avengers assemble’, you will get goosebumps all over your body. Every time!

1. 360 Degree shot – “Avengers” (2012)
The at that time entire six-member Avengers team, assembled in a neat circle for the first time. A great shot, where the camera circles around them. A true money shot!

MCU Movies Ranked

I saw the Schmoes do it on YouTube, rank all 13 MCU (Marvel Cinematic Universe) movies that have been released from 2008 untill 2016. With “Iron Man” being the first, and “Captain America: Civil War” being the (so far) last and starter of Phase Three of the MCU. And there are still so may movies to look forward to. Before I start, there isn’t any MCU film that I hate or even dislike. It was really hard to make this list, but here it is:

13. Iron Man 2 (2010)
It was mostly a set up for “The Avengers” and the villain wasn’t really interesting either. To be honest, I don’t really remember much of “Iron Man 2”. That’s what it is, it’s forgettable.

12. Thor: The Dark World (2013)
“Thor: The Dark World” had a lot of the same things as “Thor”, but I always felt it could have been a lot better. And then there was Malekith. We don’t really learn much about him. I don’t even remember how he looked. Overall I still think it’s very entertaining and I enjoy watching Chris Hemsworth as Thor, who really made it his own. But Loki still steals the show.

11. Iron Man 3 (2013)
Another one in the Iron Man series. I have to say, for a third film in a franchise it did really good. Different director, but still the same formula. I didn’t like the Manderine twist though.

10. The Incredible Hulk (2008)
Although Edward Norton didn’t continue playing Bruce Banner/ The Hulk, I think he did a great job. It’s an underrated film, I really enjoyed this one. It sure as hell is a lot better than the Ang Lee movie, which sucked.

9. Iron Man (2008)
I think the “Iron Man” movies are so low on my list, because I have never been a fan of this superhero. Although Tony Stark is a hilarious and charismatic character, I just never could give him the love. With that being said, “Iron Man” is an excellent MCU film and it’s the only one in the Iron Man franchise that I tend to rewatch.

8. Thor (2011)
Chris Hemsworth did a fantastic job as Thor. It was a pretty though role to pull off, but he did it. And Loki, off course, is the scene stealer.

7. Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015)
A lot of people didn’t like it, they were disappointed. Well, I knew it wasn’t going to be as good as “The Avengers”, but it was entertaining as hell. And I loved the fact that all the Avengers teamed up again.

6. Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)
Pretty high upon my list is the first Captain America film. I loved it more than most people did. Captain America is my favorite Avenger, even my favorite superhero! “Captain America: The First Avenger” was an old school action film, fast paced and I think I appreciate this movie more than most people do.

5. Captain America: Civil War (2016)
The newest MCU film and with this film, the Russo brothers (who also directed “Captain America: The Winter Soldier”) really understand this franchise. They did such a great job. And with a movie where there a two teams, you would think the directors want us to root for Captain America. But you find good and bad points in both teams. I am off course team Cap!

4. Ant-Man (2015)
Everyone thought “Ant-Man” was going to flop, because of the struggles they had with the director. Edgar Wright was actually going to direct, but eventually Peyton Reed did. “Ant-Man” became a heist superhero film with a lot of humor. “Ant-Man” is an underappreciated Marvel film.

3. Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)
The Captain America stand-alone movies are the most, even though he is considered as the most ‘boring’ Avenger. I love this character and I’m so glad his franchise is doing so well. I wasn’t excited about this film at first, but it totally took me by surprise. It was that good.

2. The Avengers (2012)
The first time we saw all of the heroes together, in one movie, on one screen, as a team. I LOVED “The Avengers”. And with so many important characters, played by big names, it could have easily gone wrong. But it didn’t . It did the exact opposite and it amazed us all.

1. Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)
Off all of these films and characters, “Guardians of the Galaxy” is the one I knew the least about before watching it. And it blew me away! It has action, humor, sci-fi, great special effects, cool characters and a perfect cast. I LOVE “Guardians of the Galaxy” to death!