The MCU, is a vast franchise that has been forming since way back in 2008. Building block upon building block, every movie, Disney+ show, and spinoff has built upon each other in a precarious balance of action, witty one-liners, and stunning CGI. The MCU has famously split its movies into phases, with the films in The Infinity Saga laying down the foundational aspects of the franchise and The Multiverse Saga taking it into new and exciting directions.
Update August 29, 2023: This article has been updated with even more great origin stories within the MCU.
As the franchise has grown, so has its population, with the total number of characters. Naturally, every character has a beginning. An origin story wherein one or both of their parents die in some tragic way, or they experiment with something they should not be tampering with, or they have a hero they want to emulate, and they succeed. Indeed, when it comes to the best superhero movies, many are, in fact, origin stories about beloved characters. What is interesting is how the MCU has shaken up the formula. While films like Black Panther and Spider-Man: Homecoming are the character's first films, their origins were established in a previous film so those can't quite count as origin movies. Yet, there still are plenty of great origin stories across the MCU. Here are the best origin stories, either in movie or series form, in the MCU, ranked.
12 Moon Knight
Moon Knight is an origin story like no other. The premise of the Disney+ series, sees a man with dissociative identity disorder get pulled into a mystery involving literal Egyptian gods. That's the thing about Moon Knight, though, because the main character has several distinct personalities. It is only an origin story, in the true sense, for one of them. That one would be Steven Grant (Oscar Isacc), a bumbling British museum gift shop worker who experiences blackouts and discovers that he can take on the avatar of the Egyptian moon god, Khonshu.
As well as this, he learns that he can switch between different personalities, including that of Marc Spector (also Oscar Isaac), a competent mercenary who has harnessed Khonshu's powers to become the cloaked warrior Moon Knight. An interesting spin on the traditional origin story, Moon Knight is one of Marvel's most creatively unique projects.
11 Thor
Thor tells the story of how the God of Thunder first came to Earth and learned to go from a selfish prince to a notable hero. The film draws heavily from the classic Stan Lee and Jack Kirby era of the character while mixing in elements from the Ultimate universe. This was one of the riskiest franchises to launch, as it was unsure if audiences would accept a character like Thor in a world with tech-based heroes like Iron Man and The Hulk.
Yet the origin story got audiences to connect with Thor and also introduced the long-running conflict with Loki. In many ways, Thor is an origin story for both Thor and Loki, two of the most important characters in the MCU. Thor is an effective story, one that feels like a classic myth coming to life.
10 Doctor Strange
One of the most visually stunning MCU movies is Doctor Strange. With its warping of reality and the traveling through dimensions, the CGI speaks for itself. Being an origin story of a lesser-known Marvel Comics character at the time, it needed to have a lot of draw to it. With redemption at the heart of the storyline, compelling characters, an epic end battle, and the franchise's first foray into magic, Doctor Strange deserves more attention from the MCU fans as a great origin story.
9 She-Hulk: Attorney at Law
She-Hulk: Attorney at Law might just be Marvel's most controversial project to date. The series follows lawyer Jennifer Walters (Tatiana Maslany), who gains the ability to transform into a green-skinned Hulk after her blood becomes cross-contaminated with that of her cousin, Bruce Banner. Over the course of the nine-episode season, Jennifer adapts to life as She-Hulk, while maintaining her job as an attorney specializing in cases involving superhumans.
Though the show contains a loose overarching narrative, it contains more stand-alone episodes than other Marvel Disney+ series. It is also more broadly comedic and employs some Fleabag-style fourth-wall breaking that is only used sporadically. While some viewers found its sitcom-esque format to be charming and refreshing, others took umbrage with the show's tone, and the quality of the CGI was also widely criticized. Whatever your opinions on She-Hulk, there's no doubt it's a Marvel origin story that certainly made an impact and made one of the best-defined characters in the franchise.
8 Captain Marvel
Captain Marvel has accumulated some of the highest troll reviews out of any MCU movie (per Forbes). Fans were upset at Captain Marvel's excess of power and her snarky attitude. Of course, could this hatred have stemmed from a deep-rooted male-centered universe? Absolutely. Thor has what seems like infinite power, and Tony Stark has a plethora of sarcasm and a cocky attitude, so why couldn't Captain Marvel have these same qualities?
Her origin story film was the first woman-led Marvel film in the MCU and was a monumental moment for fans who had watched the 20 previous male-led films. Though the film may not have been the most positively received MCU movie, it was a fantastic introduction to a character that proved crucial in Avengers: Endgame. The film also attempted a break from the traditional origin story narrative, beginning with the character fully formed and having her uncover the pieces of her past in a manner that would pave the way for Moon Knight.
7 Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
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Though, technically, 2022's Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is a sequel to the incredibly popular Black Panther, it also acts as an origin story for the character of Shuri (Letitia Wright) and her adoption of the Black Panther mantle. This is because Chadwick Boseman, who portrayed the character of T'Challa/Black Panther in four MCU movies, sadly passed away between the first and second Black Panther films.
Instead of recasting the role, Marvel and director Ryan Coogler promoted the character of Shuri to the role of the new Black Panther, as per the comics. Therefore, as well as being a touching tribute to both Baseman and the character of T'Challa, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever also serves as a great origin story for the new Black Panther.
6 Ms. Marvel
Ms. Marvel is one of the most textbook origin stories MCU has put out to date. Kamala Khan discovers she has the powers of her idol, Capitan Marvel, and must learn how to balance her normal life with her new-found super life. This show was met with trolls online when it premiered on Disney+. However, this show was catered to a different audience. It has a very coming-of-age feel and seems to be aimed towards the younger audiences the MCU now has.
It told a sweet and heartfelt story, wrapped with an incredible new actress steering the project, Iman Vellani. Ms. Marvel, in tone, has the most in common with the Sam Raimi Spider-Man movie, telling a grounded origin story for a teenage hero and how a seemingly nobody could become a great hero. Ms. Marvel was a delight that immediately got audiences hooked on the character and one who is about to get a major upgrade on the big screen with The Marvels.
5 Ant-Man
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One of the most criminally underrated MCU movies is Ant-Man. It is the perfect origin story, filled with a tragic past, gray heroes, family themes, and laugh-out-loud comedy. Paul Rudd plays Scott Lang, an ex-burglar who simply wants to see his daughter again, and the events of this movie set him on a trajectory to end up saving the universe.
It establishes the Ant-Man suit and the legacy behind it and also the shrinking powers while also hinting at the Quantum Realm. Scott Lang also makes for a fascinating protagonist as he provides an everyman perspective to the wider MCU, standing apart from billionaires like Tony Stark, men out of time like Steve Rogers, or Asgardian gods like Thor.
4 Captain America: The First Avenger
Disney
The first time we were introduced to the Star Spangled Man, the Man Out Of Time, Mr. Steve Rogers himself was in Captain America: The First Avenger. It was a brilliantly done origin story that was able to be just that. Released in MCU's Phase One, there was no connection needing to happen to a bigger plot or a need for familiar characters to pop up. It was a standalone movie that got to explore all aspects of Cap's story, from him gaining his powers to leading his team in World War II, losing his friend Bucky Barnes, and meeting the love of his life, Peggy Carter.
Captain America: The First Avenger drew from many eras of the character's rich history to make what feels like the definitive Captain America origin. It is a a fantastic introductory story to the universe and the character we would travel with through the next decade.
3 Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings
Disney
The first origin story of Phase Four is a tale of friendship, family, and epic action sequences. Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings is the introduction to the trained assassin who ran from who he was created to be, only to be sucked back in later in his life. Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings works as both a standalone film and a part of the greater MCU movie, and it is not hard to imagine this being the MCU's first film or an entry point for new viewers. Audiences are now waiting to see more of Shang-Chi in the franchise. With stunning visuals, some of the best fight scenes in the MCU, and the introduction to a new world of magic and mystical, it is a fantastic origin story and the beginning of Phase Four.
2 Guardians of the Galaxy
Disney
One of the best MCU movies, Guardians of the Galaxy, is about the collection of the biggest idiots in the galaxy. Following the self-named Star-Lord, the assassin Gamora, the bounty hunters Groot and Rocket, and the walking thesaurus Drax. A fantastic team-up movie that lets us explore parts of the galaxy we hadn't seen before. With an appropriate mix of humor, heart, and a great introduction to a beloved team, James Gunn gave us one of the best origin stories in the MCU.
1 Iron Man
The birthplace of the MCU lies within Iron Man's glowing palms. From his journey to weapons creator, billionaire, playboy, and philanthropist to the hero who would sacrifice himself for the greater good, the best MCU origin story is that of Tony Stark in Iron Man. More than just Tony Stark's story, Iron Man is, in many ways, the MCU's origin story. It laid the foundation for the entire franchise and would be the formula Marvel would emulate when crafting origin stories for its heroes.
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