It’s been 15 years since the first Iron Man movie kicked off the glorious cinematic phenomenon known as the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The MCU was cinematic storytelling on an unprecedented scale, and hooked a global audience along for a ride that has lasted all this time. Today, as words like "superhero fatigue" are finding prominence, a new generation of eager viewers are still discovering this world of stories.
It invites us to take a second look at all the things that made the MCU so special. A major reason for that is the fact that many of its movies stand up as excellent standalone titles. It’s almost as if the MCU was made up of a couple of connecting pieces, and a lot of projects that were amazing standalone superhero movies in their own right. These movies can also make for a great way to introduce someone new to the MCU. Here are 10 best MCU movies that hold up as excellent standalone titles.
10 Captain America: The Winter Soldier
Captain America: The Winter Soldier was a significant anchor-piece in the early phases of the MCU. However, it was an equally effective standalone story — perhaps the best in the entire MCU. The movie marked Captain America’s first exploits in the modern world after being rescued from the ice, and saw the hero face up against modern challenges with his same hardy idealism. In this course, he built new relationships, rediscovered some old ones, and found his purpose in the modern world. All of these elements would go on to serve the overarching saga in subsequent movies.
However, the movie presents itself as an excellent movie even outside these particulars. Captain America: The Winter Soldier marked a major tonal departure from the rest of the MCU till that point. The movie placed itself squarely in the espionage thriller bracket with a central conflict that came with strong parallels to present-day political issues. All its other goals were fulfilled elegantly as rational extensions of this central plot — Captain America’s character development, and the establishment of relationships and conflicts which would be crucial in later MCU movies.
9 Thor
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As the sort-of origin story of Thor, the first Thor movie was mostly divorced from the rest of the MCU. Despite that, the movie gave audiences a delightful experience of fantasy action mixed in with a few touches of the typical MCU humor. As one of the first MCU movies, Thor dealt with a different sphere of reality than Iron Man and explored the deep-space realities that would become pertinent to MCU’s storytelling later on. Buoyed by a fantastic cast, it charmed audiences with its performances and character relationships — from Loki’s issues with his father to Anthony Hopkins’ awe-inspiring performance as Odin.
8 Guardians of the Galaxy
The first Guardians of the Galaxy has a special place in the hearts of MCU fans. The movie took place far from the earthly of the Avengers, but hopped along to the vintage beats like "Hooked on a Feeling." Director James Gunn was so focused on pulling off his unique vision for the superhero space opera that he would often envision scenes around certain soundtracks. In the end, he succeeded in crafting a delightful tonal dance that allowed the movie to stand tall regardless of the MCU tag. Even someone with barely a cursory understanding of the MCU can enjoy the stylistic filmmaking of Guardians of the Galaxy.
7 Ant-Man
Ant-Man is another MCU origin story on this list, one that has little to do with the larger MCU saga surrounding it. However, it had a lot to do with Kevin Feige’s vision for the MCU. The movie, like Guardians of the Galaxy, was the result of a concerted effort by the MCU showrunner to create tonal variations across its movies, an idea that Feige called “genre plays”. Cast members like Paul Rudd and Michael Peña were the perfect candidates to bring this vision to life. Ant-Man and the Wasp can be viewed by MCU novices as a delightfully entertaining heist comedy that just happens to involve a shrinking suit.
6 The Incredible Hulk
Plagued by complex rights issues and a lead actor who dropped out after one movie, The Incredible Hulk can be called the forgotten MCU movie. It seems fans simply don’t want to remember that it exists, preferring instead to revel in Ruffalo’s bubbly take seen in a myriad MCU projects. But the Edward Norton-led movie is criminally underrated. It was a riveting take on the popular Marvel hero that was dark and suspenseful — more akin to a monster horror movie than a superhero flick. From the opening Favela chase to the villainous first introduction to the Hulk, this movie sits on a unique stylistic plane that makes it an excellent standalone watch.
5 Captain America: The First Avenger
Captain America: The First Avenger is the first movie to take place in the MCU timeline, taking place before all the others during World War II. The movie nicely represents the sentiments of that era and delivers a complete origin story not just of Captain America the superhero but also the ideals that puts him at odds with Iron Man later on. But the movie makes complete sense even without making any of these connections. The first Captain America movie celebrates the traditional ideals of goodness, and presents the super-powered war hero as the epitome of that. With many period-accurate details and exciting fight sequences, it is a movie that can easily stand on its own merits.
4 Spider-Man: Homecoming
Forget the Iron Man bits for a moment, and Spider-Man: Homecoming is as good a Spider-Man movie as we have ever seen, one that adheres fully to the character’s comic book origins. But that’s an angle that makes sense only for seasoned comic book fans. For anyone else, what they see is what they get — and the movie can hook anyone with its endearing relatable story. At its base, Spider-Man: Homecoming is a movie about a school-going teenager struggling to balance responsibility with the desire to live a normal, teenage life. With its relatable and charming depiction of teenage anxieties, the movie has a greater emotional quotient than many of the others on this list.
3 Black Panther
Black Panther was a cornerstone moment in the history of cinema and represented a massive win for cultural representation in media. Chadwick Boseman’s character had already been introduced to the MCU in Civil War, and this movie further explored the dynamics and challenges faced by his country, Wakanda. Its filmmakers went above and beyond to craft the fictional nation with symbols from real African cultures, giving the movie a sense of authenticity that was unprecedented. With a central plot inspired by real history, the movie enchanted viewers without the need to rely on its MCU underpinnings.
2 Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings
Shang-Chi was the first major character to be introduced to the MCU following the conclusion of the Infinity Saga, and also the first Asian superhero in the MCU. The character didn’t receive a backdoor introduction to the superhero universe. Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings was his complete introduction, and as such was a complete standalone movie in its own right. The movie brought magic, wuxia-inspired action, and also introduced new stakes in the MCU. Above all, though, Shang-Chi told a story about family — and it was this underpinning that made the movie such an excellent standalone watch.
1 Iron Man
Iron Man was the movie that started it all, opening up the global audience to the possibility of a superhero film that was grounded and fantastic at the same time, and could entertain while being set in the pressing social realities of present day. As the foundational centerpiece to the vision of a superhero cinematic universe, the movie had no support to lean on. It needed to have enough bite on its own to start an entire phenomenon — and that’s what it did. Due in large part to Robert Downey Jr.’s perfect casting and natural charisma, as well as the never-before-seen sight of an athletic iron suit flying about in a movie, Iron Man still remains an amazing standalone movie in the MCU.
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