Marvel’s ‘Avengers’ Movies, Ranked From Worst to Best
To date, Marvel Studios has released 25 films set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe — and it has far more planned for the next couple of years. While the franchise’s solo films build the foundation of the MCU, the Avengers movies bring all of the studio’s efforts together.
These epic team-ups give viewers something to look forward to between films, and they tend to be some of the most popular additions to Marvel’s lineup. But how do they compare to one another? Below is every Avengers movie so far, ranked from the worst installment to the best.
[Spoiler alert: This article contains spoilers for all of Marvel’s Avengers movies.]
‘Avengers: Age of Ultron’ is the weakest ‘Avengers’ movie
No matter how you spin it, Avengers: Age of Ultron tends to be the weakest of Marvel’s Avengers movies. In terms of Rotten Tomatoes and IMDb scores, it falls below all the other films in the series. On Rotten Tomatoes, it received a 76 percent Tomatometer score and an 83 percent audience score. On IMDb, it landed at 7.3 stars — above the halfway point but below the rest of the Avengers films.
Criticisms of Age of Ultron vary, but fans seem to agree about how it misused its main villain. While many viewers were excited to see the Marvel Comics character on-screen, the end result proved to be a bit of a letdown.
Age of Ultron has also come under fire recently for its treatment of its heroes. Not only were fans disappointed with Quicksilver (Aaron Taylor Johnson) and Scarlet Witch’s (Elizabeth Olsen) introductions, but they didn’t take well to the awkward romance between Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo) and Natasha Romanoff (Scarlett Johansson).
Finally, many reviewers felt there were simply too many plot threads for the film to handle, leaving storylines feeling dull and underdeveloped. Because of those things, Age of Ultron seems to be the least-loved Avengers movie. But given how much people adore these films, that’s not saying much.
‘The Avengers’ is an iconic staple in Marvel’s lineup
The Avengers is an iconic Marvel movie, if only because it marks the first time the MCU’s heroes got together to defeat a looming threat. The 2012 film sees the original Avengers trying to stop Loki (Tom Hiddleston) from destroying Earth. Seeing Steve Rogers (Chris Evans), Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.), Bruce Banner, and Thor (Chris Hemsworth), Black Widow, and Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner) work together for the first time is an undeniable highlight of The Avengers.
Of course, that’s not the only reason it’s so beloved among the fandom. The Avengers blends action and humor to create an experience that’s difficult to forget.
On Rotten Tomatoes, The Avengers received a 91 percent score from both critics and general audiences. Meanwhile, on IMDb, it snagged an 8-star rating, placing it above Avengers: Age of Ultron but below the later Avengers movies.
Overall, fans seem to agree that the 2012 film is a hit. It’s definitely a classic MCU installment, but it simply doesn’t compare to the films that top off Phase 3.
‘Avengers: Infinity War’ is the second-best Avengers movie — but it’s close
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Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame both wrap up the Infinity Saga, presenting two epic conclusions to the first three phases of the MCU. Viewers agree that these sequels are some of the best additions to the franchise. However, Infinity War falls just below Endgame when it comes to rankings.
While both films received an 8.4 rating on IMDb, Avengers: Infinity War did slightly worse on Rotten Tomatoes. Its audience score actually falls slightly above Endgame, coming in at 91 percent (Endgame‘s rating is 90 percent). However, despite audiences ranking the two films about the same, Infinity War received a lower percentage from critics on Rotten Tomatoes. Its final rating came in at 85 percent, while Avengers: Endgame’s was 94 percent.
Avengers: Infinity War is definitely the more lighthearted of the two movies, drawing Marvel’s heroes together in comical ways. With so many personalities, things do get tense — and that reality leads to some incredibly snarky and fun banter. The comedy harkens back to the earlier Avengers movies, but Infinity War also has plenty of action and a shock ending that places it above them.
‘Avengers: Endgame’ ends the Infinity Saga with a bang
While the first three Avengers are action-packed and comedic, they just don’t compare to Avengers: Endgame. The conclusion to the Infinity Saga doesn’t have as many laugh-worthy zingers as its predecessors. However, it has massive stakes, epic fight sequences, and some heart-wrenching farewells.
Those are the primary reasons fans love Endgame so much, landing it an 8.4 rating on IMDb. Its Rotten Tomatoes scores were 94 and 90 percent, signaling that audiences and critics appreciated the big finale.
And it’s hard to deny that Avengers: Endgame proved an epic conclusion to a decade’s worth of storytelling. In an era of huge endings letting fans down, Phase 3’s last hurrah proved something special. It left its mark on the franchise and kicked off new beginnings — in addition to giving its OG characters a proper sendoff.
All of the Avengers movies are currently streaming on Disney+.
